(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FL - December 13, 2022 - It was an epic year for Richard Branson’s new cruise line, Virgin Voyages. From launching two premium, award-winning ships – Scarlet and Valiant Lady – to building a loyal following in the travel world, the company is bringing thousands of Sailors to the open ocean and clocking record bookings thanks to the brand’s undeniable value for money. 2023 promises to be even bigger as Virgin Voyages prepares to welcome Resilient Lady into its celebrated fleet in May. As a brand known for both listening to, and leveraging customer insights, Virgin Voyages is capitalizing on its share of the travel market by meeting these demands with an elevated, inclusive offer. Following the excitement of the holidays, Sailors can take advantage of the most inclusive offer ever, which includes up to $600 in free bevies and hand-crafted cocktails for all new bookings. Additionally, between January and March, every voyage will have an on-board experience rooted in wellness as it unveils a line-up of restorative and zen-inducing events such as sound bath meditations and healthy happy hours to start off 2023. (PRESS RELEASE)_SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (Dec. 12, 2022) – With the 2022 holidays quickly closing in and nearly 80% of consumers saying they'll be waiting until the last minute to complete their shopping, Princess Cruises is offering a stress-free way to find that perfect gift for even the pickiest of people – a gift card that can be used to book any of the line’s sailings worldwide while providing convenience and value for the shopper and recipient alike. A Princess Cruises gift card is the perfect option for procrastinators – no last-minute shopping marathons, crowded parking lots or checkout lines, just an easy and hassle-free way to book an unforgettable seagoing adventure to 330 destinations across all seven continents. The cards are available in multiple holiday-themed varieties and can also be used for any onboard purchase, from a luxurious spa treatment to a variety of activities ashore. “Everybody loves to travel, and our gift cards make the perfect holiday gift -- not only are they convenient and widely available but put you at the top of Santa’s nice list for sure,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. And for those still scrambling for gifts even on Christmas Eve, Princess offers eGift Cards that can be sent instantly via email, or scheduled for a future delivery date and time. Cards can also be customized with multiple designs with the option to add a personal photo or even audio. For those who prefer to send gifts via mail, traditional gift cards free shipping by First-Class USPS for orders $100 or more. eGift Cards and Traditional Gift Cards are available at https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-gifts-celebrations/overview/gift-cards/. Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting the company’s website at www.princess.com. By Gerry Barker You may wonder if cruising is fully back. Based on our recent cruise on Sky Princess, we can respond with a resounding "Yes!" Not only was the ship at 100 percent capacity (3,741 guests), but also many of those guests had booked "back-to-back" cruises. Since out cruise spanned the Thanksgiving holiday, Princess, and all of us who love cruising, no doubt have a lot for which to be thankful. Holiday cruises have become something of a tradition for us. Our small family is scattered around the country, and going on a cruise is our chosen way to celebrate. And let's be honest: Dispensing with the cooking and clean-up isn't a bad thing. It's been many years since we last cruised on Princess, so we were looking forward to experiencing what had changed. One change we encountered immediately at check-in: The Ocean Medallion. READ MORE AT ALL THINGS CRUISE (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, Dec. 10, 2022 – A celebration fit for the world’s newest wonder lit up Port Canaveral, Florida, last night when Royal Caribbean International officially welcomed Wonder of the Seas into the family. With the ultimate combination of firsts and signature favorites for parents, kids and grandparents alike, the cruise line’s latest ship was named by its Godmother and Wonder Mom Marie McCrea from Pennsylvania. The evening ceremony also marked the start of a new chapter for Wonder as it makes waves as Port Canaveral’s new, year-round family vacation. Royal Caribbean executives and teams, families, friends, travel advisors, the cruise line’s partners and more came together on board the world’s largest cruise ship to celebrate the occasion in one of the brand’s unparalleled entertainment venues, the AquaTheater. In the time-honored role of Godmother, Marie bestowed a blessing of safekeeping on Wonder, its crew and the millions of families who will make lifelong memories on board in the years to come. On stage with Marie were Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley, and her daughter, Allie, who nominated her mother for the role as part of a nationwide search started by Royal Caribbean on Mother’s Day. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, Dec. 9, 2022 – Carnival Cruise Line today notified guests booked on the first six cruises of Carnival Jubilee that because of shipyard delays, delivery of the ship has been postponed and the first cruise will now be the Dec. 23, 2023 embarkation from Galveston, Tex.
Carnival Jubilee is under construction at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. Meyer has notified Carnival that due to supply chain logistics and related matters, the October 2023 delivery date has been re-set for early December 2023. Carnival Jubilee will then transit directly to Galveston to operate the first guest cruise for the Christmas holiday, departing on Dec. 23, 2023. Guests and travel advisors have been notified of the change. In total, the original Oct. 30, 2023 transatlantic journey from Southampton, UK to Galveston, and then five Caribbean sailings from Galveston have been cancelled. “This is disappointing news, but with the notification from the shipyard, we are advising our guests as quickly as we can,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We appreciate their understanding as we work to deliver another spectacular ship that will provide a vacation experience our guests deserve and will absolutely love.” (PRESS RELEASE)_Carnival Cruise Line has been named the “Best Mainstream Cruise Line” of 2022 by The Points Guy’s (TPG) Readers’ Choice Awards – which recognizes the best options the travel industry has to offer according to votes from travel enthusiasts. “This recognition is a testament to our position as an industry leader and it exemplifies our popularity with cruisers for delivering the best service, food, entertainment and activities at sea,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Families choose Carnival because we offer something for everyone – no matter age or interests – and to have that acknowledged by the readers of TPG, who know how to travel well, is an honor.” The TPG Readers’ Choice Awards were announced during a ceremony Wednesday night in New York City at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, and Carnival’s award was accepted by Chief Communications Officer Chris Chiames. The Points Guy, a trusted travel and lifestyle media platform that focuses on maximizing travel experiences and minimizing spending, has been recognizing the best in airlines, travel, credit cards and loyalty programs through its annual awards since 2018. Carnival offers guests a wide range of accommodations at a superior value, including an array of free-of-charge dining and entertainment options, from fun-filled deck parties to high energy production shows and live music. In the past month, Carnival has been recognized with several top honors, including being ranked “Most Trusted Cruise Line” by Reader’s Digest and “Best Value for the Money” in Cruise Critic’s Editors’ Picks Awards. Carnival also earned four awards in Porthole’s Readers’ Choice awards – including Best Value for the Money and Best Cruise Director Lee Mason. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FL - December 8, 2022 - Today, Richard Branson’s premium new cruise line, Virgin Voyages, is making waves yet again and taking delivery of the brand’s third vessel: the beautiful Resilient Lady. Built from the ground up by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, Resilient Lady is a mid-size ship weighing 110,000 gross tons like her sister ships in the fleet: Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady. Built in the Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Resilient Lady marks the brand’s third completed vessel in the span of just two years, a notable accomplishment for any brand, and an even taller task for a new company that launched just last year. On May 14, 2023, Resilient Lady will embark on her MerMaiden voyage around the Greek Isles, making stops in Santorini, Rhodes, Bodrum and Mykonos before returning to her homeport in Piraeus, Athens. The ship will sail two, eight-night itineraries including the “Greek Island Glow” with the aforementioned route, and the “Adriatic Sea and Greek Gems,” complete with calls in the beautiful cities of Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Corfu. MIAMI (Dec. 8, 2022) - Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, today announced the premiere of its next episode of “EMBARK with NCL,” a two-part feature chronicling the milestone launch of its record-breaking ship, Norwegian Prima, on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 at 8 p.m. at www.ncl.com/embark-series and on Facebook. For the first time ever, NCL is pulling back the curtain and inviting viewers to be part of the most important milestone of any new ship, the christening ceremony and celebration, with this first episode, “Christening Norwegian Prima: First in Class.” The audience is given a front-row seat to the exclusive event which begins with a preview of the opening ceremony at the HARPA Concert Hall, the epicenter for the Icelandic cultural arts. The evening included performances by the award-winning Icelandic singer-songwriter Briet and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. The festivities continue when Godmother Katy Perry boards Norwegian Prima to officially name and christen the vessel with the ceremonial champagne bottle break across the ship’s hull, marking the start of Norwegian Prima’s maiden voyage. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, Dec. 7, 2022 – Carnival Celebration is introducing an expanded youth program including new enrichment activities for children, teens and families, as well as an update to Carnival’s popular Dr. Seuss Bookville. Many of the new offerings will be implemented fleetwide by spring 2023. “The updates we’re making to our youth programming ensure our young cruisers have even more to be excited about when they come aboard. We’ve already seen early success with our launch on Carnival Celebration, and I’m looking forward to expanding the reach of our new additions to families sailing with us across our fleet,” said Melissa Mahaffey, director of youth experience for Carnival Cruise Line. New Turtles Program, Updated Dr. Seuss Bookville Engages and Entertains Young Children Carnival Celebration debuted the most expansive offerings to date for Carnival’s youngest guests, children under the age of two, with a new Turtles program. The new program introduces an array of special activities, including Turtle Playdates, Turtle Band, toddler sensory activities, and Baby Turtle Trek – an interactive event featuring fun facts about sea turtle conservation, which welcomes toddlers to reenact the journey of a baby sea turtle’s development as they crawl on a custom-made ocean mat to their cheering family on the other side. The program also offers designated drop-off time in Camp Ocean and late-night babysitting. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI (Dec. 7, 2022) – Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, unveiled its winter 2024/25 and summer 2025 cruises sailing to bucket-list destinations in Europe, Caribbean, and Alaska. In advance of the holidays, the Company is providing cruisers the opportunity to book the cruise vacation of their dreams with its promotion offering the second guest in a stateroom to sail free. This deal provides travelers with a total value of up to $3,450 in savings, when combined with the Company's guest-favorite Free At Sea offer, which provides cruisers the choice of up to six perks including free unlimited open bar, free specialty dining, free shore excursions credits, free WiFi, discounted rates for friends and family, and free roundtrip airfare for the second guest. “When planning new itineraries, we listen to our guests and provide them with the ultimate cruise vacation,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Our itineraries are designed to provide longer port hours and less sea days to truly allow our guests the opportunity to dive into the cultures and destinations they are visiting. It’s a way to reconnect with the world around them, and with our promotion, we make it easy.” Sailing to nearly 400 destinations worldwide, cruisers can choose from a vast range of tropical itineraries to the Caribbean, as well as voyages from the Brand’s immersive Extraordinary Journeys collection which sail to once-in-a lifetime destinations, including aspirational regions around the world such as the grand pyramids in Egypt, and much more. Highlights from the new deployment include: |
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