(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FL, January 19, 2023 – SeaDream Yacht Club reported today that the leading luxury yachting experience achieved its best booking week in the history of the company, signaling an unprecedented, strong start to wave season. SeaDream attributed its success to luxury travelers’ pent-up demand to return to their favorite exclusive destinations in an intimate ambiance with an established and acclaimed brand. 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 wave 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.” During SeaDream Yacht Club’s current wave promotion, the New Year’s Event, guests plan an unforgettable and revitalizing luxury Caribbean or Mediterranean getaway and enjoy $500 savings per suite or stateroom. Running through February 3, 2023, travelers can choose among 9 idyllic Caribbean yachting voyages and 10 bespoke Mediterranean yachting journeys, departing February 25, 2023 through November 1, 2023, aboard SeaDream’s twin, modernized yachts, SeaDream I and SeaDream II. Each intimate yacht accommodates up to 56 couples and brings guests to picturesque harbors and exclusive ports where larger vessels cannot reach. Guests enjoy SeaDream’s award-winning hospitality and luxurious inclusions, such as gourmet dining, premium wine and beverages, prepaid gratuities, watersports activities, and more. For more information about SeaDream Yacht Club’s New Year’s Event, please visit https://landing.seadream.com/en/new-years-event-2023. (PRESS RELEASE)_NEW YORK, January 18, 2023 – Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (NYSE: MSGS) announced today a multi-year marketing partnership with MSC Cruises, naming one of the world’s largest cruise brands the Official Cruise Line Partner of the New York Knicks. Through the partnership, MSC Cruises will receive significant brand promotion during all Knicks games at The Garden including LED Signage and Virtual On-Court Signage. MSC Cruises will also serve as the Presenting Partner of the Knicks in-game T-Shirt Toss. As the Knicks first global rights marketing partner, the organization will work with MSC Cruises to create new activations in overseas markets, which could include Italy, Germany, England and Brazil. They will work together to provide unique content and brand promotion to continue growing the game of basketball. (PRESS RELEASE)_Geneva, Switzerland – January 19, 2023 – MSC Cruises, the contemporary brand of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, launched a new global brand campaign today meant to educate consumers on the importance of sustainable vacationing and the critical role sustainability will play in the company’s future. The campaign—called “Discover the future of cruising”—spans more than 30 countries with ads on television along with outdoor, print, digital and social media. The bold and distinctive creative concept illustrates MSC Cruises’ vision for future cruise vacations by showcasing the fleet's environmental performance alongside charming and engaging glimpses of life on board. From the sustainable technologies featured on new vessels to cutting-edge entertainment and innovative restaurant concepts, MSC Cruises is pushing the boundaries of a vacation experience at sea. “Discover the future of cruising” is the first campaign in the industry to focus primarily on a brand’s sustainability commitment and make it central to its engagement with consumers, travel partners and other stakeholders. For example, the TV spot focuses on some of the unique environmental technologies and solutions on board MSC World Europa—MSC Cruises’ first LNG-powered and most environmentally advanced ship to date—which came into service late last year. The campaign further showcases the cruise line’s wider commitment to the environment and progress made on sustainability across its fleet of 21 ships, alongside the broader Cruise Division of MSC Group.
Leading the industry toward sustainable cruising With over 300 years of maritime history, the family-owned MSC Group and its Cruise Division have long held a special relationship with our blue planet and a fundamental commitment to protecting and preserving the oceans and the broader environment. Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, the Cruise Division of MSC Group, said: “Already cruising is one of the best holiday options for consumers today, but many of our guests don’t realize that it has important sustainability aspects as well. We have long had a steadfast focus on sustainable and environmentally responsible business practices and on protecting guests, employees, and the communities in which we operate. Today more than ever, brands like MSC Cruises recognize the vital importance of the environment, and a healthy and viable planet and this is why we think it is important for us to take a leadership role and make our sustainability commitments a key element of our discourse with consumers and overall society. Sustainability at MSC Cruises is central to the brand’s DNA and the way we operate as a business.” MSC Cruises’ Sustainability Action Plan reflects those values establishing six key workstreams across the business and pairing them with goals and measurable targets:
“We have been investing heavily, for many years, in solutions and technologies that continuously and progressively reduce our environmental footprint. From 2017 to 2023, we invested more than eight billion euros in a more modern and efficient fleet with ten new vessels that have each been progressively more environmentally advanced than the last. The new brand campaign for MSC Cruises is a vital tool to explain to consumers and other stakeholders how our commitment to sustainability is articulated on our ships and across our business and showcases how central it is to everything that we do,” Vago said. The Cruise Division’s efforts to date have contributed to a carbon intensity reduction of 35% since 2008, putting it in a good position to meet the industry-wide IMO target of a 40% intensity reduction by 2030. An ambitious roadmap to net-zero operations by 2050 The Cruise Division of MSC Group is firmly committed to achieving its long-term goal of zero-impact cruise operations by 2050 and is making significant progress on that front. Linden Coppell, Vice President of Sustainability & ESG, MSC Cruises, said: “We have already virtually eliminated emissions like SOx and NOx from our operations and now we are focused on reducing carbon emissions with LNG. It is the fuel with lowest carbon emissions available at the scale we need. We have already got one vessel using it and two more under construction with the third planned to incorporate new technology to minimise methane slip and thus further reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions when using LNG. This is the first step in our journey that involves transitioning to LNG in the short-term, low carbon in the medium-term, and net-zero carbon fuels, including synthetic and bio LNG and synthetic and bio methanol, in the longer-term. As the low-carbon fuels aren’t yet available in any meaningful quantities, we are helping accelerate their development and scaling through our investments in ever more advanced ships and related environmental technologies. With every new cruise ship built, MSC Cruises introduces and tests new technical solutions that can utilize these fuels thus providing the encouragement needed to fuel suppliers and governments responsible for provision by showing them that we are ready and hungry for low and net-zero carbon fuels.” Delivered in October 2022, MSC World Europa is MSC Cruises’ first LNG powered vessel. Compared to standard marine fuels, LNG nearly eliminates particulate air pollutant emissions (including sulphur oxides and fine particles), greatly reduces nitrogen oxides, and achieves a CO2 reduction of up to 25%. LNG effectively paves the way for the adoption of low and net-zero carbon fuels, such as bio and synthetic-LNG, and ultimately green hydrogen, and enables the development of innovative technologies such as fuel cells. The Cruise Division of MSC Group is testing a solid oxide fuel cell technology on board MSC World Europa that offers the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional internal combustion engines. The Cruise Division intends to make further advances with this technology in future newbuilds and scale up the use of fuel cells. MSC Cruises’ second LNG ship, MSC Euribia, will be delivered in June 2023. The third one, MSC World America, is under construction and will be delivered in 2025. Consistent progress across a range of areas While these major transitions happen, MSC Cruises is taking important steps to reduce its energy needs, including digitalization, route optimization and the introduction of a wide range of energy saving technologies. “We are continually optimizing the use of energy onboard through specific and highly innovative solutions, including intelligent ventilation systems and advanced air conditioning systems, with energy recovery circuits, which allow effective distribution of heat and cold. Our ships gather and transmit thousands of different data sets to dedicated expert teams on shore. This data is used to better understand how ships operate, and to continuously optimize the use of energy and improve efficiency across all areas of operations,” Coppell said. New ships use energy-efficient LED lighting. Their heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems self-adjust to the weather and the number of passengers onboard. Their hydrodynamic performance is optimized through propeller re-blading and drag reduction measures. Ship hulls are also coated with special paints that slow the growth of marine organisms, reduce drag and improve energy efficiency. MSC Cruises started fitting new ships with shore power technology in 2017 and—together with retrofits—65% of the fleet was shore power-capable by the end of 2022. Additional ships will be retrofitted as the ports on their itineraries make shore power available. MSC Cruises is committed to using shore power wherever possible. Hybrid Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) are installed on most ships in the fleet, which reduce sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions by 98%. Selective Catalytic Reduction Systems (SCRS) are installed on the newest ships, which reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 90%. In addition, all LNG-powered ships will immediately solve the issue of NOx emissions to the same level as achieved through the SCR, thus constituting another significant advantage of LNG versus traditional fossil maritime fuel. Onboard Environmental Compliance Officers manage a dedicated waste management team, which is responsible for collecting, segregating, and safely storing waste and recyclable materials, including plastics, paper and cardboard, glass, aluminum, and other scrap metals. Materials disposed of onboard are compacted, separated or incinerated, and the segregated and residual material is carefully delivered to dedicated port reception facilities for recycling or disposal. By engaging with its suppliers, MSC Cruises has considerably reduced packaging waste through more innovative packaging design. Saving water and becoming water independent are also key areas of focus. MSC Cruises’ ships are equipped with modern water production facilities. Nearly all water used onboard is self-produced, with highly efficient reverse osmosis and/or evaporation systems producing clean freshwater from seawater. Each ship has the capacity to produce nearly 800,000 gallons of tap water per day. MSC Cruises’ latest ships are fitted with advanced wastewater treatment systems, enabling the treatment of the wastewater onboard to a higher standard than many land-based wastewater treatment plants. The Company is fully compliant with the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments. Vessels are fitted with approved and certified ballast water treatment systems. All ballast water is filtered and UV treated before being discharged at sea to ensure that it does not contain harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens. Protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainable tourism MSC Cruises’ ships are designed and built to minimize impact on marine life using technologies that allow a reduction in underwater noise. In addition, the cruise line agreed to support efforts to preserve the endangered sperm whale population in the eastern Mediterranean Sea by re-routing ships in the area to the west and south of the Peloponnese, and southwest of Crete. Modifications of routes between April and October, when cruises operate in this region, help contribute to the survival of at-risk whales. MSC Cruises has also underlined its commitment to the sustainable development of its activities in the Mediterranean by signing the Sustainable Cruise Charter at the Blue Maritime Summit in Marseille. This voluntary agreement reaffirms and strengthens environmental protection efforts by committing the signatories to achieve a higher standard than existing regulations across 13 action areas. The broader Cruise Division is also determined to play a role in protecting wildlife and supporting habitat regeneration, thus making preservation another cornerstone of its overall sustainability commitment. As such, its flagship marine conservation program focuses on the waters around the Company’s own private island Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas, 65 miles east of Miami. Once an industrial sand excavation site, the Cruise Division transformed Ocean Cay into a private island destination surrounded by crystal blue waters that are home to important marine species and coral habitats. The MSC Foundation announced development of the new Marine Conservation Center on Ocean Cay in 2021 to facilitate collaborating with a team of academic and environmental experts in identifying hardy species and genotypes of coral capable of surviving rising ocean temperatures. MSC Cruises works closely with tour operators and industry partners to support and promote sustainable tourism practices. The brand has partnered with Travelife, a leading training, management and certification initiative for tourism companies committed to achieving sustainability. MSC Cruises’ shore excursion team works with tour operators around the world to identify activities founded on strong sustainability principles. Known as ‘Protectours’, these excursions are specifically designed to educate guests. Around 70% of our Protectours now include low impact transportation—including walking, cycling or kayaking—and many make a direct contribution to the environment by supporting species or habitat protection. For instance, more electric and hybrid shuttle buses are being used for guests to shuttle from ports to places of interest in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Spain and Sweden with MSC Cruises aiming to increase the utilization of green ground transportation in the future. To find out more about the Future of cruising campaign and MSC Cruises sustainability commitment, click here. (PRESS RELEASE)_BOSTON, January 17, 2023 – Vantage Deluxe World Travel, a world-renowned tour operator, is announcing new incredible expedition and small ship discovery cruise itineraries for travelers in 2023 and 2024. New, shorter cruises to Antarctica and first-time journeys to South America, the Mediterranean and Caribbean top an exciting lineup of newly announced itineraries. “From the shores of the Mediterranean and Latin American marvels to the dramatic wilderness of Antarctica and lively cultures of the Caribbean, Vantage’s new 2023 and 2024 journeys will take our guests to the most remote and exciting destinations in the world," says Deirdre Dirkman, EVP of worldwide operations & marketing at Vantage Deluxe World Travel. “We hope everyone discovers their dream journey with Vantage this year.” (PRESS RELEASE)_Seattle, Wash., Jan. 17, 2023 — San Diego, California, has been a West Coast homeport for Holland America Line since the 1990s, and for the 2023-2024 season the cruise line is featuring a robust schedule from the Golden State. Highlighting the San Diego cruise season are two solar eclipse cruises that place Koningsdam and Zaandam in Mexico for total viewing during the April 8, 2024, eclipse. Also, a special Mexico departure in December 2023 explores unique ports in the Sea of Cortez. Now open for booking, travelers can set out to explore Mexico, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast and Panama Canal on six ships across 39 departures. Voyages are roundtrip from San Diego or begin or end in the popular California port. San Diego sailings are part of Holland America Line’s homeport initiative that allows guests to see the world from their doorstep, without international air or by taking an easy flight from Canada. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, Jan. 17, 2023 – Back by popular demand, Carnival Cruise Line announced today the return of its Amp Up Commission Challenge which will allow travel advisors to qualify for higher commission rates in 2023. Through the program, travel advisors will be able to increase their commissions up to 15 percent for the full 2023 year based on bookings made from Jan. 1 through March 31, 2023. “This is our first true Wave season in several years, and we know how important this time is for our travel advisors, so we’re excited to once again have this incentive program kick off just in time for Wave and to offer the opportunity for travel advisors to grow their business and their commissions,” said Adolfo Perez, senior vice president of global sales and trade marketing for Carnival Cruise Line. “When we previously offered the Amp Up program from 2017 to 2019, it was very well-received by the travel advisor community, so we know this will be a great boost for them as they head into the New Year.” Participating agencies will need to make from 20 to 125 bookings during the January to March 2023 booking period to qualify for higher commission levels between 11 and 15 percent which will be applied to bookings made from April 1 through Dec. 31, 2023. To participate, travel advisors must register on GoCCL.com during the opt-in period which starts today, Jan. 17, and runs until Wednesday, Feb. 15. The program is open to agencies in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada that currently qualify for 10 to 14 percent commissions. Only new bookings that are fully deposited or paid in full between Jan. 1 and March 31 are eligible and will count toward the goal. For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit www.carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, FL, January 17, 2023 -- Windstar Cruises has named Joe Jiffo as the new director of field sales, where he is responsible for guiding the small ship cruise line’s North America field sales team and inside sales team, with a key focus on increasing brand awareness in the travel advisor community and connecting with our trade partners. Jiffo has an extensive cruise background with 20 years in the sector as a sales leader. He earned his degree in hotel and restaurant management from Widener University and began his career with Marriott Hotels & Resorts, eventually finding his passion on the sales side of hospitality. He then joined Celebrity Cruises as a district sales manager and was promoted through the ranks to national accounts. Jiffo continued with national director positions with Carnival and Norwegian cruise lines, as well as held senior positions at MSC Cruises and NEST. Most recently, he was the vice president of sales for American Queen Voyages before joining Windstar Cruises just before the holidays. “I knew as soon as I talked to Joe that he was the right person for the job,” said Windstar Cruises Vice President of Sales Dianna Rom. “He is incredibly passionate about growing our brand and being an ambassador for our ‘180 degrees from ordinary’ approach to small ship cruising.” Jiffo is a native New Yorker with an appetite for travel, in addition to being an avid skier and golfer. He now resides in Dallas, Texas and is always excited to discover new destinations and explore the world through travel. More details on Jiffo and the Windstar Sales Team are available here: https://advisorhub.windstarcruises.com/agent-support/sales-team. For more details on Windstar Cruises, visit www.windstarcruises.com. By GERRY BARKER
Few cruise lines have had a more highly-anticipated debut than Virgin Voyages. Launched under Richard Branson’s Virgin brand, you knew, like his other global businesses — this cruise line would be different. And different it is. For starters, it’s adults only; You have to be 18 to get onboard. Once onboard, it just feels different — cool and hip, laidback and chill, party or relax — you decide. The giant red “Virgin” logo emblazoned at the top of their ships, and visible from two miles away, says you’ll be cruising the Branson way. They currently operate two ships — Scarlet Lady (launched after a COVID delay in late 2020) and a sister ship, Valiant Lady, in 2022. Coming this year is a third ship, Resilient Lady, with a fourth on order, Brillant Lady. Classified as “midship” size, they can host almost 2,800 guests at capacity. We have sailed on both Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady, embarking from Virgin’s shiny new, $150 million Terminal V at Port Miami. And if you doubt the marketing genius of Branson, just look at how the terminal is built, facing the Miami skyline — in effect a giant Virgin billboard. The ships themselves are beautiful and sleek, and heavy on health and fitness. In fact, fitness freaks will have a hard time finding something with more to offer than Virgin. Another first: Virgin has the first tattoo parlor at sea, called Squid Ink. Our cruises have not only been different, but also a lot of fun and good times. Here are 10 things we love about cruising on Virgin, and why we”ll be repeat customers: READ MOPRE AT SPLASH MAGAZINES (PRESS RELEASE)_Miami, FL, January 11, 2023 – Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, is celebrating two esteemed decades delivering guests The Finest Cuisine at Sea®, Curated Travel Experiences and Small Ship Luxury with a limited-time 20th Anniversary Sale. To mark this momentous milestone, the cruise line will be featuring a special gift of up to $800 Shipboard Credit per stateroom or suite on 110 captivating voyages across seven ships sailing to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, South Pacific, Alaska, Asia and more. The destination-intensive itineraries are available to view here, with the 20th Anniversary Sale open for bookings from January 16, 2023, through February 28, 2023, at OceaniaCruises.com. “With pent-up demand for luxury cruising at an all-time high, this exclusive sale is a treasure trove of possibilities for loyal repeat and first-time guests alike. It’s aimed at reconnecting travelers with their spirit for adventure, while benefiting from a generous Shipboard Credit of up to $800 on over 100 sought-after sailings in 2023 and 2024, including our newest ship, Vista,” said Frank A. Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises. (PRESS RELEASE)_SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (Jan. 11, 2023) – Award-winning expedition travel company Aurora Expeditions’ is helping simplify when and where to explore in 2023 with its informative Bucket List e-book, compiled with its Expedition Teams’ expertise. Highlighting the ideal time to discover wild and pristine destinations or exceptional phenomena each month, the free Bucket List book includes travel hacks, immersive experience tips and wondrous wildlife encounters. It is an inspirational guide derived from Aurora’s world-class and passionate experts for adventure seekers looking to become ambassadors for the planet. Readers looking to book the trip of their lifetime will receive savings of up to 20% when booking by Feb. 28, 2023. |
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