(PRESS RELEASE)_GALVESTON, Tex., Dec. 20, 2023 – Waving from the newest Fun Ship, Santa Claus swapped his sleigh for the day so he could help deliver Carnival Jubilee – the first brand new cruise ship to debut in Galveston, Tex. Carnival Cruise Line’s new flagship, which dons a Texas Star on its bow, was welcomed home with a grand water salute as she docked at Galveston Wharves’ Terminal 25 for the first time. The official debut of the 26th Fun Ship in the Carnival fleet signals the start of a significant expansion strategy in Galveston, which has grown among Carnival’s top homeports since the company became the first cruise line to operate there year-round more than two decades ago. In addition to bringing Carnival’s most innovative and dynamic entertainment and dining offerings, the ship will now significantly expand capacity from the port. Carnival Jubilee joins Carnival Breeze and Carnival Dream at the port as part of a four-ship deployment plan that will be complete when Carnival Miracle repositions to Galveston next fall. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI (Dec. 13, 2023) - Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a 57-year history of breaking boundaries, revealed new fall and winter 2025/26 voyages. Continuing the positive trend from recent years, the Company experienced strong sales in November as a result from the ongoing demand for cruising. (PRESS RELEASE)_Miami (December 19, 2023) – Celebrity Cruises is ready for its biggest Caribbean season yet, with more options for travelers to enjoy the tranquil blue waters and sunshine of the idyllic island region. Nine of Celebrity’s award-winning resorts at sea, the most ever in the Caribbean for the brand, will sail the region on itineraries ranging from new three-night short getaways to 12-night dream vacations giving travelers more options than ever before for escaping the winter blues. In addition, select sailings will call on the highly rated Perfect Day at CocoCay, providing access to this exclusive private island experience; and, in December, 2024, a Celebrity ship will sail from Port Canaveral for the first time ever. “As winter approaches, the Caribbean beckons with warm weather, tropical sea breezes and azure waters – an ideal cold weather escape. Our 2024 Caribbean season offers a wide range of ships and itineraries that include natural wonders, UNESCO sites, to hidden waterfalls and acloves,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president, Celebrity Cruises. “The personal attention we provide our guests makes them feel cared for, and they return home feeling relaxed and rejuvenated." (PRESS RELEASE)_Seattle, Wash., Dec. 19, 2023 — Holland America Line has experienced a notable surge in guest satisfaction with internet service this year as the cruise line completes the installation of SpaceX's Starlink high-speed internet on each of the 11 ships in its fleet. The final ship, Nieuw Amsterdam, was outfitted with the technology in mid-December during drydock. Starlink is the leader in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology providing high-speed internet around the world. By GERRY BARKER
In the history of cruising, few cruise lines have commanded guest loyalty like Crystal. It’s not uncommon to find guests who have cruised over 100 times, and some, 200 times (the record, by the way, is 403). There’s even the well-known story of “Mama Lee” who actually lived on Crystal Serenity for over a decade. You can imagine what a shock it must have been when Crystal’s parent company, Gentling, declared bankruptcy in 2022, placing the future of its beloved fleet in limbo. Enter A&K Travel Group — the parent company of Abercrombie & Kent — which acquired the Crystal brand and quickly set into motion a $150 million refurbishment for Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. And like the phoenix, both started sailing again in what has to be the comeback story of the year. Still, the big question waiting to be answered was what would returning guests think about the “new and improved” Crystal? To find out, and see the changes for ourselves, we set sail on Serenity on a cruise from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico. This was our second sailing on Serenity. In 2019, we were onboard for a 15-day, Caribbean holiday cruise, and had a chance to take a brief tour the “new” Serenity a month ago. We now had eight days to get reacquainted. Here are 10 things that we loved our cruise on Crystal Serenity: READ MORE (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, December 18, 2023 – Riverside Luxury Cruises, the new luxury river cruise brand, is proud to announce the launch of its third all-inclusive, all-suite luxury river ship, Riverside Debussy. Riverside Debussy offers an expansive selection of more than 40 departures in 2024 with her inaugural voyage sailing from Brussels, Belgium, to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on March 23. On the special, six-day itinerary, guests will visit Gent, Belgium; Middleburg, Germany; and Vissingen, Wilemstad, Dordrecht and Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Riverside Debussy will join Riverside Mozart and Riverside Ravel to bring travellers to some of Europe’s most picturesque and culture-rich locales along the Rhine, Rhône, Main and Danube rivers. To celebrate Debussy’s upcoming launch and the holiday season, Riverside is offering 500 euros onboard credit per suite to travellers when they make a new booking aboard any of the brand’s all-inclusive, 2024 luxury river cruises. For more information about Riverside Luxury Cruises, please visit Riverside-Cruises.com/en. (PRESS RELEASE)_CALABASAS, Calif. – (December 18, 2023) – AmaWaterways, the leader in luxury river cruising, unveils a new Summer Triple Savings* offer designed for travelers dreaming of exploring Europe during summer’s long days and warm evenings. Guests will have until March 31, 2024 to reserve select 7-, 10- or 11-night Europe river cruises departing in July or August 2024 and benefit from $2,000 savings per stateroom, a complimentary stateroom upgrade and a $50 onboard credit per stateroom. Travelers opting for a 14-night Europe river cruise will save $4,000 per stateroom, receive a complimentary stateroom upgrade as well as $100 onboard credit per stateroom. For added value, this offer is combinable with AmaWaterways’ Loyalty Benefits and Future Cruise Benefit Program. In addition, it can be combined with AirPlus, AmaWaterways’ fixed-price airfare offer, allowing travelers to enjoy Economy Air at $899, Premium Economy Air at $2,299 or Business Class Air at $4,299 per person from all major U.S. gateways on a wide selection of departure dates*. (PRESS RELEASE)_(Miami, FL – December 18, 2023) Silversea™, the leading ultra-luxury and expedition travel brand, has introduced its wave season offer to welcome the New Year with generous savings opportunities. From the icy wonderland of Antarctica to the storied piazzas of the Mediterranean, and from the wilds of the Galapagos to the rugged beauty of Alaska, guests can save up to USD 4,000 per suite on a wide variety of voyages departing from January 1, 2024. The ‘$4,000 Reasons to Sail with Silversea’ offer applies to new bookings made from December 18, 2023 through February 29, 2024, and provides savings of USD 2,000 per person on Door-to-Door All-Inclusive fares or USD 1,000 per person on Port-to-Port All-Inclusive fares*. (PRESS RELEASE)_FT. Lauderdale, Fla. (December 15, 2023) – Princess Cruises announced the two captains who will serve as masters of the line’s second, sensational Sphere Class cruise ship, Star Princess, during an official keel laying ceremony in Monfalcone, Italy. Captain Gennaro Arma, who currently serves as the newbuild site lead for the construction of both Sun Princess and Star Princess, will be master of the 17th Princess ship when she debuts in summer 2025, bringing her into service from the shipyard. When Captain Arma is on leave, Commodore Nick Nash will take over the navigation and leadership of Star Princess. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI – Dec. 15, 2023 – To herald this year’s Wave Season, Crystal has announced an exclusive offer for those looking to embark on remarkable voyages in 2024. Guests booking a 2024 cruise before Jan. 31, will receive a complimentary suite upgrade, as well as an upgraded wardrobe valeting service with dry-cleaning and garment care also included free of charge. |
ABOUTStay current with the latest news from the cruise lines. Follow Gerry Barker
on All Things Cruise. Follow Gerry on Splash Magazines Worldwide
REVIEWSFEATURESMORE COVERAGEArchives
May 2024
Categories |