(PRESS RELEASE)_Los Angeles (December 22, 2021) – Viking® (www.viking.com) today announced it has taken delivery of Viking Octantis®, the company’s first of two new purpose-built expedition ships. The delivery ceremony took place this morning at Fincantieri’s VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway. Viking Octantis hosts 378 guests and sets sail tomorrow toward South America to welcome guests in January 2022 for Viking’s first voyages to Antarctica. Viking Octantis will be officially named in April 2022 in New York City by her ceremonial godmother, Liv Arnesen, the famed explorer and educator. The ship then makes her way to the Great Lakes, for a series of voyages during spring and summer. A second, identical sister ship, Viking Polaris®, joins the fleet in August 2022 for journeys to the Arctic and Antarctica.

“Today is a proud day for the entire Viking family as we welcome our first expedition ship to the fleet and usher in a new era of exploration. Our guests have asked us to build on our award-winning river and ocean voyages to take them further, and that is just what we have done,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “Leveraging our long history of destination-focused travel, enrichment and innovative ship design, we are now perfecting expedition voyages and offering curious travelers the opportunity to visit the world's most pristine destinations in the most responsible way possible. With the arrival of Viking Octantis, Viking is now exploring all seven continents, and we look forward to welcoming her first guests on board in the coming weeks.”

Viking’s new expedition ships were designed by Richard Riviere, Founding Principal of internationally acclaimed interior design firm Rottet Studio of Los Angeles, who also designed Viking’s award-winning Longships and ocean ships. SMC Design of London contributed with their expertise in the maritime sector. Together the two firms were recently awarded “Design Studio Team of the Year” in the 2021 Cruise Ship Interior Awards for their work on Viking’s expedition ships. More detail on the design and features of the ships can also be found in a new virtual video tour, Discover Our Expedition Ships, now available on Viking’s website and narrated by Viking Executive Vice President Karine Hagen.

(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, December 23, 2021 – Holiday sailings on Crystal are like no other – a time to celebrate the season, reconnect with old friends and make new acquaintances, and ring in the New Year in a festive atmosphere of ornate decorations, caroling amidst faux snowfalls, elaborate gingerbread villages, special entertainment and, of course, authentic six-star service and those “only on Crystal” moments. And best of all, with menus featuring exquisite, Michelin-level inspirations of classic dishes created by Crystal’s talented chefs, there’s no cooking (or cleaning up!).

“The holidays are a special time on Crystal – there’s really nothing else like it – and many of our guests relish the opportunity to sail with us and repeat the celebration year after year,” said Jack Anderson, Crystal president.  “We encourage everyone, both longtime Crystal enthusiasts and those new to the brand, to see for themselves why a Crystal Ocean, River or Expedition voyage is the best way to spend the holidays.”

(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, December 22, 2021 – Luxury vacation seekers have just two weeks remaining to save thousands of dollars on a wide range of all-inclusive luxury voyages aboard the award-winning ships of Crystal Cruises, Crystal River Cruises and Crystal Expedition Cruises.

With fares increasing January 6 on 70 voyages departing through 2024, guests are encouraged to take advantage of Crystal’s exclusive Book Now Savings (BNS) offer, designed to reward those who book early with the best fares across Crystal brand experiences. 

Before fares increase, guests continue to save up to $4,500 per stateroom on select Ocean Voyages, up to $4,000 per suite on select River voyages, and up to $10,000 per suite on select Expedition voyages.

The current savings are still available for a limited time on Crystal’s Ocean voyages that visit beautiful destinations across the globe, Crystal River Cruises sailing the great rivers of Europe and Crystal Expedition Cruises exploring the icy wonderland of Antarctica, as well as Iceland, Greenland, the Mediterranean and other locales, aboard the world’s most luxurious expedition yacht, Crystal Endeavor. The BNS offer also includes four newly 10- to 15-night voyages to Antarctica, South America, Europe and a trans-Atlantic crossing recently added to Crystal Endeavor’s schedule for spring 2022.

The company also recently extended its current flexible payment and booking policies through December 2022 including relaxing the final payment deadline to 60 days prior to the first date of service, while guests who pay in full 90 days prior to the first date of service will continue to save an additional 2.5 percent off their cruise fare. Guests sailing in 2022 may also cancel their booking without penalty up to 60 days prior to their first date of service. Crystal is also extending reduced deposits of 15 percent and waiving administrative fees for all new 2022-24 bookings.

A leader in unrivaled luxury cruising for 30 years, Crystal distinguishes its ships and its voyages with fine details and nuances that make a big impact for discerning travelers. All-inclusive experiences with globally inspired dining; unlimited pours of fine wines, beers and premium spirits; diverse enriching pursuits both onboard and ashore; and an unwavering standard of genuine, personal service for each guest underscores the Crystal difference.
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(PRESS RELEASE)_ATHENS,  GREECE  (October  11,  2021) —Celestyal  Cruises,   the  award-winning, number  one choice for cruise travelers to the Greek Islands and the Eastern Mediterranean has announced its return to  cruising on March 14 of 2022 with its unique offering of three- and four-night cruises followed by seven-night sailings on April 30.  Celestyal, one of the only cruise lines to consistently  call upon Turkey, will also return to visiting Kusadasi  when it sets sail in March and adds  Thessaloniki,  the  second largest  city  in Greece,  to its popular  seven  night  "Idyllic Aegean 
Itinerary." All 2022 and 2023 sailings with all-inclusive pricing start as low as $489, per person, 
and are currently bookable.

Destination-Enrichment Continues; Highlights Include Thessaloniki, Milos and Kavala
While Celestyal has always offered its guests the marquis destinations  such as Mykonos and 
Santorini,  the  cruise  line  has  also  earned  a  reputation  for  being  a  "trailblazer"  in  
taking travelers to more of the unexplored  side of Greece as well as staying longer in port to 
allow deeper  exploration  than  what  is  typically  offered  by  other  lines  visiting  Greece.  
This  will continue once again in 2022.  On Celestyal's popular seven-night "Idyllic Itinerary," 
starting in April, Celestyal  will sail to Thessaloniki.   Celestyal  is the only cruise line 
calling on a regular basis to the historic city of Thessaloniki.  The city offers guests stunning 
Paleo Christian and Byzantine  monuments,  a UNESCO World Heritage Site, monuments to the famed 
"Alexander the Great," and the chance  to explore the city's rich Roman and Sephardic Jewish 
heritage. Thessaloniki is also known as a "gastronomic paradise," sitting at the crossroads for 
trade and drawing upon ingredients  from all over the Mediterranean and Asia, which are served in 
the city's renowned tavernas.  Thessaloniki serves as the gateway to Northern Greece and nearby 
Balkan drive markets.   As Greece's  second largest city, Thessaloniki  also offers robust airlift 
with competitive  airfares  to and from Northern  and Western  Europe,  thus  making  cruising and 
Celestyal more accessible and affordable for these markets.

(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, December 16, 2021 – Crystal announced today it has added a series of 10- to 15-night voyages visiting spectacular ports in Antarctica, South America, and Europe to Crystal Endeavor’s schedule for spring 2022 following the ship’s highly successful season of Antarctica voyages that began in November.

Currently open for sale, the new voyages will take place from March 1 to April 29, 2022, collectively visiting 31 ports in nine countries across three continents with extended stays and several overnight calls in charming and historic cities, including Málaga and Seville in Spain, as well as Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Puerto Del Rosario in the Canary Islands. 

The new voyages replace four cruises to West Africa that have been canceled given ongoing uncertainty of the Omicron variant and its potential impact within the region.  Following these newly added voyages, Crystal Endeavor will operate its previously announced schedule of voyages to Europe, Iceland and Greenland, including summer Arctic voyages, beginning April 29, 2022, before heading back for another season in Antarctica in November 2022.

“We are very pleased that our talented itinerary planning team was able to create these immersive new sailings aboard the new Crystal Endeavor which has garnered worldwide acclaim for her unique onboard experience that combines bold adventure with the finest in luxury travel,” said Jack Anderson, Crystal president.  “We wish to thank our valued guests and travel partners for their patience and understanding. We made these changes in an abundance of caution as the health, safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew are always our top priority,” he added.   

(PRESS RELEASE)_FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (December 15, 2021) – American Queen Voyages™, part of Hornblower® Group, is releasing its 2024 season today, marking the furthest in advance a season has opened for reservations in the company’s ten-year history. Delivering amazing experiences for River, Lakes & Ocean and Expedition cruising on its eight-vessel fleet, the 2024 season release follows the achievement of several milestones in 2021. These include the rebrand of American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines into American Queen Voyages, the American Countess™ christening and inaugural season, the company’s 10th anniversary, the opening of the new Fort Lauderdale office and multiple record-breaking booking days throughout 2021. 

Itineraries for the 2024 season provide guests with a diverse collection of amazing cruise experiences with an emphasis on encounter-driven travel along North America’s waterways. The release of the 2024 season also follows the recent transformation of American Queen Voyages Lakes & Ocean vessels, the Ocean Voyager™ and Ocean Navigator™, previously named Victory I® and Victory II™ under Victory Cruise Lines, which will chart new routes as revealed in the 2024 season launch.

(PRESS RELEASE)_LONG BEACH, Calif., Dec. 13, 2021 – In a celebration of all things fun and family, Carnival Cruise Line christened its newest ship Carnival Radiance last night in a naming ceremony in Long Beach, Calif., with the ship’s Godmother Dr. Lucille O’Neal and her son, Carnival Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal as featured guests of the event. 

Carnival Radiance underwent a $200 million bow-to-stern makeover and is Carnival’s third ship sailing year-round from Long Beach, joining Carnival Panorama and Carnival Miracle.

The heartfelt naming ceremony began with a “We Are Family” video of Carnival Radiance crew members preparing the ship for guests. 

“Carnival Radiance features all of Carnival’s fan favorites and more, so we are beyond excited to finally welcome her to the West Coast and to our fleet,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “And having Shaq’s mom, Lucille, an accomplished speaker who donates her time and talent to a wide range of charitable organizations as the ship’s Godmother has made it even more special.”