(RCCL NEWS)_May 2022 – Construction on Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas is underway in Turku, Finland, and one of the revolutionary ship’s state-of-the-art elements is on the move again. Watch as the unnamed, 175-metric-ton sphere – first seen in December 2021 – is lifted onto the ship after four days of preparation and a day-long transfer by barge. Currently 46 feet (14 metres) tall and 50 feet in diameter, the structure is now wrapped in protective material and ready for its next phase of its construction. The cruise line’s next highly anticipated ship, Icon is set to debut in fall 2023 with a lineup of firsts and signature favorites that will set a new standard for vacations.
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![]() (PRESS RELEASE)_SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, MAY 24, 2022 – Australia’s award-winning adventure travel company, Aurora Expeditions, announces its new, purpose-built expedition ship, the Sylvia Earle, will be making her debut voyage on the Subantarctic Safari Nov. 4-20 2022. The ship will be christened by its namesake, the renowned marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle, prior to making its way to the wildlife havens of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. The 17-day maiden voyage to the Subantarctic Islands will appeal to wildlife lovers and history buffs alike. Beginning in Santiago, Chile and ending in Ushuaia, Argentina, passengers will explore the history-steeped Falkands~Malvinas, a bird lovers’ paradise home to an incredible diversity of charismatic penguin species and the largest colony of black-browed albatross in the world, followed by South Georgia – known for its enormous King penguin colonies and beaches lined with Elephant and Antarctic fur seals. Plus, passengers will have the opportunity to trace the history of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s infamous journeys here. ![]() (PRESS RELEASE)_MEMPHIS, TN — The U.S. Postal Service celebrated the beauty and majestic wonder of the Mighty Mississippi River — America’s quintessential waterway — during a first-day-of-issue stamp ceremony at the Beale Street Landing in Memphis. “In addition to its many recreational and natural attributes, the Mississippi is also the backbone of the U.S. economy — serving as a riparian superhighway, transporting more than 175 million tons of freight annually,” said Gary Barksdale, the Postal Service’s chief postal inspector, who served as the dedicating official. “Today, we continue the Postal Service’s tradition of celebrating our nation’s wonderful heritage with the dedication of 10 truly special Forever stamps honoring the Mighty Mississippi.” Joining Barksdale to dedicate the stamps were master of ceremonies Alex Bernhardt; cruise director of American Queen Voyages; Jim Strickland, mayor of Memphis; Tyree Daniels, board chair of Memphis River Parks; John Waggoner, founder and chairman of American Queen Voyages; Frank Rivera, riverlorian of American Queen Voyages; and Quintin R. Smith, pastor of the Historical First Baptist Church of Millington. Virgin Voyages has a new marketing campaign that highlights their "adults only" policy.
Who better to deliver that message than kids? Take a look. ![]() (PRESS RELEASE)_In celebration of National Wine Day, Azamara, the upmarket cruise line and leader in Destination Immersion® experiences, is inviting travelers to discover wine around the world through new shore excursions featuring immersive wine tasting experiences in Italy and Croatia. On Azamara’s new Meet The Winemakers excursion in Croatia, guests will take a scenic drive to the wineries of beautiful Konavle Valley. At Vodopić Winery, guests will sample four delicious wines accompanied by traditional local bites while learning about the achievements of the Vodopić family over generations. Travelers will then make their way through picturesque villages to Crvik family vineyards and winery, which has been producing wines for over 100 years. Andro Crvik, the third generation winemaker in the family, will take guests through a tasting of some of the finest wines in the region. ![]() (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, May 23, 2022 – In a social listening study of 21.3 million online uses of key travel terms, the University of Florida’s Agency at UF in partnership with Carnival Cruise Line found travelers are now caring more about who they travel with, as opposed to the where they go when planning their vacations. This is evidenced by the fact that about one in five mentions of summer vacation include a reference to doing everything together and spending quality time with loved ones, whether that be family members, a significant other or friends. “What we perceived anecdotally has been confirmed by a dive into the language that Americans are using around travel,” said Dr. Rachel Fu, Director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute and Chair of the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management at the University of Florida. “Americans’ ideal destination for summer travel can now best be summed up as “anywhere and everywhere,” with few expressing enthusiasm for specific locations, and instead committing to bringing besties, significant others and family along to… wherever.” ![]() (PRESS RELEASE)_FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA., May 23, 2022 – Atlas Ocean Voyages welcomes seasoned Cruise Director, Actor and Vocalist Michael Shapiro as Cruise Director for World Navigator’s Summer 2022 season. Michael brings more than 30 years of travel and tourism industry experience, 16 as Cruise Director aboard small luxury ships. Additionally, his professional acting and vocal talents will add a luxe-adventure and entertaining flair aboard World Navigator as guests enjoy unforgettable voyages in England, Holland, France, the Norwegian Fjords, Iceland, Greenland, and The Arctic. For more information about Atlas Ocean Voyages, please visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com. "Michael’s talent and extensive experience will be the cornerstone upon which Atlas creates and delivers engaging guest entertainment and programming on our summer voyages,” said Alberto Aliberti, President of Atlas Ocean Voyages. "His extensive travel experience and dedication to guest service will seamlessly connect travelers with the captivating destinations where World Navigator will visit. And his personal flair will add to World Navigator’s casually elegant and fun ambiance, a hallmark of Atlas’ luxe-adventure style. (CELEBRITY CRUISES)_ Celebrity Cruises, known for its innovative, modern interior ships, is launching its lowest fares of the year just in time for summer travel planning. Available now through June 2nd, travelers can experience Celebrity’s Infinite Verandas and other next-level cruising innovations beginning at $399 for a 7-night Caribbean or bucket-list Alaskan cruise or a 7-Night European cruise for $949 USD. In addition, guests will receive a $100 onboard credit.
The offer applies to sailings from June 1, 2022, to April 30, 2023, including Celebrity's newest ship, Celebrity Beyond, which recently launched in Europe to rave reviews with its multi-terraced Sunset Bar, expansive resort deck, and diverse dining options. Available to both American and Canadian travelers, booking is simple: call 1-800-CELEBRITY or contact your travel agent and ask for the "MEMORIAL DAY CRUISE ONLY" rate. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FL, May 20, 2022 – Windstar Cruises just reported that last week marked the highest grossing week of cruise sales since the start of the pandemic and one of the biggest in company history. Sea-ing is believing that vacations on smaller yacht-like ships visiting smaller ports, waterways and destinations that larger ships can’t access is a real trend.
The “Windstar Week Sale” ran May 3-13 with voyages to Windstar’s most iconic destinations included itineraries to the Mediterranean, Tahiti, Northern Europe, Alaska, Asia, Greece, Australia & New Zealand, the Holy Lands and more. Windstar Cruises operates a fleet of six boutique all-suite and sailing yachts carrying 148-342 guests. “We’re optimistic to see this type of booking activity during our Windstar Week sale which points to a return in demand for vacations and especially small ship cruise vacations,” said Windstar Cruises President Christopher Prelog. “People are discovering the advantage of small, yacht-like, sailing and all-suite cruising to aspirational destinations.” For more details on Windstar Cruises, visit www.windstarcruises.com. ![]() (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, May 19, 2022 – As the first major U.S. cruise line with its full fleet back in guest service since the industry’s restart last summer, Carnival Cruise Line has now reached the milestone of welcoming two million guests. The milestone was commemorated today in Port Canaveral, Fla. aboard Carnival Freedom as the Gibbs family – Daniel and Kristi with son Mason and grandmother Theresa Campbell – from Ocala, Fla. boarded the ship. They were surprised with fanfare from Carnival Freedom’s Captain Mario Imbimbo, Hotel Director, Cruise Director and team members. A video is available here https://youtu.be/iewulbCIWKo. |
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