(PRESS RELEASE)_FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (June 20, 2023) – In a strategic decision to refocus its business on its award-winning river cruises, American Queen Voyages® (AQV), part of Hornblower® Group, has announced a series of deployment changes and updates set to commence in early 2024 and extend into 2025. New routes are now open for early bookings with early savings available on key dates. Our primary commitment is to deliver a best-in-class cruise vacation with a focus on immersive culinary and destination experiences,” said Cindy D’Aoust, president of American Queen Voyages. “Our customers consistently tell us our U.S. River itineraries are exceptional and demonstrate this by returning again and again.” A fact recently supported through a McKinsey market survey where participants noted American Queen Voyages enjoys the highest brand affinity amongst U.S. river operators. “All of our focus is being put into updating and enhancing our popular river product with strategic partnerships and an elevated culinary program, which we know have been very well received,” added D’Aoust. Revised 2024 Itineraries Include: (PRESS RELEASE)_SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (June 20, 2023) – Award-winning, Australian based adventure travel company, Aurora Expeditions, is offering a limited-time deal for busy travelers looking to visit Antarctica in a short amount of time aboard their Antarctic Explorer Express, a nine-day journey departing Ushuaia on Feb. 10, 2024. For this once-in-a-lifetime experience, travelers can take advantage and receive $1,000 in air credit as well as $1,309.50 in savings per person (10% off) in a Category C Balcony Stateroom when booking this specific expedition before Sep. 30, 2023. In addition, Aurora Expeditions is also offering up to 25% savings* on its Special Guest and themed voyages and up to 15% savings* on its longer Antarctica voyages for the 2023/24 Antarctic season. (PRESS RELEASE)_FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla – June 20, 2023 - Norse Atlantic Airways, the pioneering low-cost long-haul airline, is thrilled to announce the commencement of its highly anticipated daily flights between New York JFK and Rome. The inaugural flight took off on June 20, 2023. Passengers seeking an unforgettable journey between these iconic destinations can now experience Norse Atlantic Airways' exceptional service, comfortable cabins, and unparalleled value. With daily flights, travelers will enjoy even more flexibility and convenience when planning their transatlantic trips. By Gerry Barker North Palm Beach Life If you've never taken a river cruise, just spend five minutes with Kristin Karst, and you'll be contacting your travel advisor for a booking. As a co-founder of AmaWaterways, a leader in river cruising for over 20 years, her enthusiasm and belief that it's the best vacation experience going is infectious. At the World Travel Expo in Miami, held June 13-15, Ms. Karst talked about both the merits of taking a river cruise and what sets AmaWaterways apart from others in the space. "We are like a floating boutique hotel that takes you from one beautiful city to another," she said, "passing vineyards, churches and castles on the hills so you have these quaint, magical things right in front of you." And unlike oceans cruises on today's megaships, not only do they not have big crowds, but also "every day is a see day, not a sea day." In fact, most AmaWaterways cruises have less than 150 guests. Their largest ship, the AmaMagna, is a doublewide that accommodates 195, and one of the first river ships to add a Pickleball court. But the key difference between river and ocean cruising? "Oceans take you to destinations," she says,"while rivers take you through destinations." Ms. Karst and her husband, Rudi Schreiner -- widely regarded as the godfather of river cruising -- co-founded AmaWaterways with Jimmy Murphy in 2002. Born in Germany, with a degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, she worked at American Express prior to teaming up to build a fleet of river ships. Today, AmaWaterways boasts 28 ships sailing itineraries in Europe, Asia, Africa and soon, South America. So what is driving the surge of interest in river cruising? She cited a number of factors, including: -- Guests get to spend more time in each country visited. "We don't need to tender and frequently our ships are docked in the heart of the cities we visit, and you can walk right off." -- "The culture and cuisine -- everything is right at your fingertips." -- AmaWaterways cruises are all-inclusive. Food, drinks (including fine wines), Wi-Fi and shore excursions are included, with bicycles available as well -- in fact, wellness is another priority. One point of particular pride for the family-owned cruise line is during the pandemic, they kept all their employes and associates on the payroll. And while many ships eliminated the buffet during COVID, and then brought them back, AmaWaterways decided to eliminate them entirely, opting to go with personal service instead. "Doing this, we also reduced food waste by 25 percent," said Ms. Karst. They are also proud of their efforts on sustainability. Ms. Karst noted 20 of their ships have been certified "green," which gives them, among other things, special docking privileges in cities like Amsterdam. In addition, they utilize a fuel-efficient navigation system on their ships, and will have solar panels on AmaMagna. By Gerry Barker
North Palm Beach Life As we all know, since the pandemic eased, travel has come roaring back. Whether by plane, train, automobile or ship, vacation-starved tourists seem anxious to trade unspent money for selfies in exotic places. But where do we go from here? That question was tackled by a keynote panel at the recent World Travel Expo (WTE), held at the Miami Airport Convention Center, who explored "Major Trends in Travel." Moderated by Olga Ramudo, the president of Express Travel, panelists included Jane Wooldridge (Miami Herald), Mark Meader (senior vice-president, American Society of Travel Advisors), Juan Ignacio Steta (Skal International), Luciano Macagno (managing director - Latin America, Delta) and Carla Gilbaud (vice-president-membership experience at Cruise Lines International Association). Topline trends the panel identified included: -- Travelers want experiences, and are willing to pay for them. -- Cruise lines are offering longer sailings -- With so many new regulations that vary by country, the need to use travel advisors is stronger than ever. -- Travelers, not wanting to wait until they retire, are dusting off their bucket lists -- "Green" travel, sustainability and eco-tourism are important considerations Bookings are strong, said Ms. Ramudo, noting demand for popular destinations, like Europe, are "backed up." Also on the in-demand list are Alaska, Florida and the Caribbean. Meader underscored the value of using a travel advisor, citing the "complex requirements" that vary country-by-country. Related to that, Ms. Wooldridge said while computers and the Internet let us do a lot of the travel planning ourselves, "doing everything digital is wearing us out." Can I get an "amen" to that. ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands (June 16, 2023) – The Buccaneer Beach & Golf Resort on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands is welcoming news of increased American Airlines flights from Charlotte, North Carolina this winter season. The Dallas-Fort Worth-based carrier advised this week that seat capacity to the Caribbean and Latin America will increase by 40 percent compared to winter 2022 and “The Big Island” of St. Croix will benefit from daily Charlotte flights starting December 5, 2023. “Daily Charlotte service will provide enhanced travel options for St. Croix-bound travelers seeking to get away to our beautiful island this winter,” said Elizabeth Armstrong, proprietor of the family-owned and -operated flagship resort on the island. By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life One of the keynote sessions at the just-concluded World Travel Expo (WTE) Miami 2023 focused on "The Future of Cruising: Trends That Will Shape the Industry." Moderated by Hydi Webb, the president and CEO of Visit Florida, panelists included Kristin Karst, co-owner and executive vice-president of AmaWaterways, Ken Muskat, managing director- US for Scenic Cruises and Rick Sasso, president and CEO for MSC. The biggest takeaways included: -- Cruising has rebounded from the record year of 2019, surviving the pandemic and emerging "stronger than ever." -- Travelers have more options than ever before. -- The industry is doubling down on sustainability and going green, aiming for zero-carbon emissions by 2050. -- In the face of the sharply rising costs associated with air travel and hotels, cruising represents the biggest bang for the travel buck. Each panelist spoke for a different segment of the cruise industry -- AmaWaterways is a leading provider of river cruises worldwide for over 20 years; Scenic specializes in small ship, luxury travel while MSC is now the third-largest cruise line, launching new ships every six months. Muskat said Scenic offers "unique and exotic" destinations, where guests can board a helicopter or dive under the waves in one of their submarines. Referencing "YOLO" travel (You Only Live Once), he said they are seeing a younger clientele looking to fulfill "bucket list opportunities." The panelists all agreed today's traveler is more interested in experiences. To that end, Ms. Karst said they are seeing more young people on their cruises, and as a result, provide bicycles to guests as well as more hiking tours. "Inter-generational travel is a trend," she said. "Families come together to share personal experiences. Along those lines, cruise lines are developing more ways for travelers to immerse themselves in the culture of the places visited. For example, Sasso said their chefs take guests to local markets to see how they utilize local food in their menus. Another major theme is giving back to the local communities cruise lines serve. Sasso related a story about how MSC paid women in the Ivory Coast to collect discarded plastic from the beaches. What they collected was made into bricks, which were used to build new schools in that African country. Ms. Karst summed it up for all the panelists: "The future looks bright." (Source: Tourist Italy)_Did you know: Americans searched 3,370 flights to Milan every single month, and 7,440 Americans search for a flight to Palermo every year. That's a portion of the information recently compiled by Tourist Italy. Using a specialized SEO/search traffic tool, they were able to determine both monthly and yearly figures for interest in visiting Italy. Here is their report: (PRESS RELEASE)_Carnival Cruise Line will be enhancing its main dining rooms offerings over the next several months to bring more variety, with nearly 60 new entree presentations on rotation, fleetwide. The enhancements will be piloted on Carnival Dream beginning June 17, with a fleetwide rollout by this fall. In consultation with Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse, the culinary team has been evaluating every aspect of the fleet's main dining room offerings and planning new options. New main dining room menus will also include offerings from Carnival's popular specialty dining restaurants, so more guests may experience the wide variety of great food offered across the fleet. Carnival chefs are also addressing larger portion offerings for certain entrees, along with additional vegetarian options and entrée salads. |
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