(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FL, November 14, 2022 – Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line serving The Finest Cuisine at Sea, will debut a series of innovative rum and whisky programs across its fleet in 2023. The experiences will feature an extensive collection of The Macallan’s iconic expressions via The Macallan Diamond Bar Cart, a flight program, chocolate pairings and more, while Brugal 1888 Doblemente Añejado Rum will be featured in a new Tea at Sea mixology class and a wide selection of newly crafted ice cream cocktails. “At Oceania Cruises, we are continually evolving, elevating, and enhancing our product,” said Howard Sherman, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises. “With food and beverage at our core, our focus remains steady on delivering guests The Finest Cuisine at Sea.” “These new rum and whisky programs come on the heels of the recently announced elevated bar program aboard Vista, debuting May 20, 2023,” said Daniela Oancea, Corporate Beverage Manager of Oceania Cruises. “Across the fleet we have been working on a number of innovative concepts tapping into current mixology trends that will modernize and enhance our sailings. We know this partnership with Edrington spirits company will be an exciting addition on board.” (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, Nov. 14, 2022 – Carnival Cruise Line today opened reservations for the inaugural season of its next new ship, Carnival Venezia™, which will begin sailing year-round from New York City starting June 15, 2023 and will showcase “Carnival Fun Italian Style.” View the sailings now open for sale on Carnival.com. The ship will offer guests a wide range of sailing options, with 10 different cruise durations and 22 unique itineraries featuring visits to 25 ports across 14 countries. “Our summer season in New York has been extremely popular, so increasing our offerings with a larger, newer ship that sails year-round provides the opportunity for more guests in the tri-state area and beyond to enjoy the convenience of sailing right from Manhattan,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival Venezia will give guests our signature fun, combined with Italian theming, to beautiful destinations from The Bahamas and the Caribbean to Bermuda and Canada. (ROYAL CARIBBEAN NEWS)_November 2022 – The making of the world’s best family vacation has reached new heights. Watch Icon of the Seas’ AquaDome neighborhood take shape with the installation of a new feat – a 363-ton dome – at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. In a record-breaking lift, it took more than 80 hours to install the single largest glass and steel structure to be lifted onto a cruise ship, which stands at 82 feet tall and 164 feet wide. The dome will broaden vacationers’ horizons with 220-degree, wraparound ocean views and more. Featured among Icon’s eight all-encompassing neighborhoods, the transformational AquaDome will be a tranquil oasis by day and a vibrant hotspot at night, complete with signature, deck-defying aqua shows at the AquaTheater, new restaurants, bars, lounges and nightlife.
(VIRGIN VOYAGES NEWS)_It's officially holiday shopping season and Virgin Voyages is sharing Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, offering the best savings ever - as low as $99 per person / per night for sailings in December on our most popular cabin categories: the Insider and Sea Terrace. And for voyages in 2023, readers can snag 50% off the second Sailor. With incredible new ports of call and epic itineraries spanning the Caribbean & Mexico, both Scarlet and Valiant Lady offer an elevated getaway for Sailors to unplug & escape with always-included luxury – think Michelin-star culinary experiences, immersive live entertainment, morning vinyasa sessions or HIIT workouts and dance parties under the stars. Black Friday / Cyber Monday Offers Rates as low as $99 per person / per night for sailings in December; For voyages in 2023, 50% off the second Sailor and no single supplement 7 Days to Save. 7 Voyages to Sail Offer: Best value ever on Insider and Sea Terrace cabins plus a $100 Bar Tab Bonus (when purchasing a $300 Bar Tab). Florida residents can also snag an additional 5% off. Starting rates: Taxes & fees not included
Booking window: November 22-28, 2022 Travel window:
Blackout dates / restrictions: Applicable on December sailings only, excluding Caribbean Holidays and New Year’s voyages The Dreamy and Solo Sailor Getaway Offer: 50% off the second Sailor’s voyage fare and no single supplement for solo travelers in 2023. Plus a $100 Bar Tab Bonus (when purchasing a $300 Bar Tab). Starting rates: Taxes & fees not included
Travel window: November 2022 - April 2023 (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FLA., November 17, 2022 – After opening its new summer 2025 Scandinavia and Northern Europe season for sale last week, SeaDream Yacht Club reported the best first-week’s booking of any new season opening for the luxury yachting line. SeaDream attributed the success to ongoing pent-up demand for future travel and the new, alluring itineraries that visit smaller, less traveled, and more authentic ports and fjords that only small vessels like the line’s yachts can reach. For more information about SeaDream Yacht Club, please visit www.SeaDream.com. “Travelers continue to gain confidence in booking a future voyage, especially for small, luxurious vessels such as SeaDream I and SeaDream II,” said Andreas Brynestad of SeaDream Yacht Club. “SeaDream’s modernized yachts; the distinctive destinations where we go, and larger ships cannot; and the support of our valued travel partners helped make our new season launch a success. We look forward to welcoming our loyal guests and new-to-SeaDream guests aboard for a most-memorable and luxurious yachting experience.” (PRESS RELEASE)_VALENCIA, Calif., Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury cruise line Cunard announced a new partnership with the legendary Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), at the nonprofit's annual College of Fellows Dinner last night at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Matthew Gleaves, VP of Commercial Development for Cunard in North America, made the announcement at the event saying, "both Cunard and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society have a deep history and share a dedication to travel and exploration, with a great desire for cultural understanding. This partnership is the perfect marriage of knowledge and discovery." Experts from the RCGS will be featured on select 2023 voyages as part of Cunard's renowned InsightsTM onboard enrichment program. The RCGS headliners will be on every Cunard voyage in the 2023 Alaska season on Queen Elizabeth, from June through August, and on the Canada/New England voyage in September, from New York to Quebec, on flagship liner Queen Mary 2. (PRESS RELEASE)_Seattle, Wash., Nov. 17, 2022 — With celebrations for its 150th Anniversary year underway, Holland America Line is introducing Heritage Cruises that authentically focus on ports rich in the brand’s history and feature unique onboard and shoreside experiences. From a marquee city like Rotterdam, the Netherlands, that shares an intwined connection to the company’s beginnings to meaningful ports like Skagway and Juneau that introduced the world to Alaska cruising, guests will become fully immersed in Holland America Line’s Dutch seafaring heritage. Over the next year, 48 “Heritage Cruises” will be rolled out with special itineraries in Alaska, the Caribbean, Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Australia/New Zealand, Hawaii, South America and Mexico. Guests who want to explore dedicated Heritage Cruises can click a link on Holland America Line’s homepage that will display the departures. READER NOTE: I am pleased to announce I am now
a contributing travel writer to Splash Magazines. Look here for a story about Celebrity beyond: (PRESS RELEASE)_Doha, Qatar – November 13, 2022 – MSC Cruises, the world’s third largest cruise brand, will host the Naming Ceremony for its newest flagship--MSC World Europa--today at the brand-new Grand Cruise Terminal in Doha, Qatar. Together with partner Qatar Airways, the celebrations are part of MSC Cruises’ overall commitment to Qatar, reinforcing its pledge to support the growth of international tourism there as well as the broader Middle East region, where MSC Cruises is brand leader. MSC World Europa is the most innovative and environmentally advanced cruise ship in the MSC Cruises fleet. On top of ground-breaking advances in reduction of emissions and energy efficiency, the LNG-powered ship paves the way toward the uptake of carbon-neutral synthetic and other alternative fuels as soon as they are available at scale. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, Nov. 11, 2022 – Carnival Cruise Line’s $1M Slot Tournament, which featured the largest slots prize ever offered on a Carnival ship, took place on Mardi Gras this week with 100 prizes given to players in the competition, including the top prize of $500,000 awarded to first-place winner. An awards ceremony was held on board Thursday evening to conclude the week-long competition. More than 1,600 players took part, making it Carnival’s largest casino tournament to date. (See video from the event here). “It’s fitting that the biggest casino event in our company’s history coincides with our 50th birthday. Seeing firsthand the enthusiasm for the $1M Slot Tournament from our guests, I’m looking forward to us building on this with similar events,” said Jonathan Lask, Carnival’s vice president of casino and performance marketing. Continuing the fun and excitement of this first $1M Slot Tournament, Carnival is now planning more tournaments, including two additional million-dollar slot competitions over the next two years. Next year, the $1M Slot Tournament will take place on Carnival Celebration, departing from Miami, on Oct. 29, 2023. The tournament will return the following spring and will be held on Carnival’s next new Excel-class ship, Carnival Jubilee, departing from Galveston, Texas on May 18, 2024. More details about the upcoming tournaments can be found on the Casino section of Carnival.com. Guests can reserve a seat for the upcoming tournaments by booking the sailings with a Carnival Players Club offer or with a new open access offer. For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation on Carnival, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit http://www.carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site. |
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