Archives for 15/12/2023

Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge London

15/12/2023

During a lengthy layover in London following my Air Mauritius flight, my wife Ashley and I opted for some lounge-hopping, commencing with a visit to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Having opened its doors in 2014, this lounge served as the perfect starting point for our escapade. Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge London Heathrow – Entry & Access Arriving at the … [Read more...]

Australia: Minister extends Coastal Shipping Act exemption for cruise

15/12/2023

MINISTER for infrastructure and transport Catherine King has extended an exemption from the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012 for cruise ships. The exemption will mean eligible cruise operators do not need a licence for coastal trading. The exemption applies from 1 January 2024 through 31 December 2024 and replaces the current exemption which ends on 31 December … [Read more...]

Norwegian Cruise Line Makes Waves With Norwegian Viva’s Debut In Puerto Rico

15/12/2023

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) announced today the arrival of its second Prima Class ship, the all-new Norwegian Viva, to the beautiful shores of San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a season of Caribbean sailings through April 2024, making it the newest ship to sail from “La Isla del Encanto.” The ship, which was recently christened with a star-studded event in Miami, is set to embark this evening on its … [Read more...]

Norwegian Prima Arrives to Galveston, Texas for First Full Season of Caribbean Voyages

15/12/2023

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is proud to announce today that Norwegian Prima, the first ship in its groundbreaking Prima Class, arrived to the Port of Galveston in Texas for its first official season since her launch in 2022. Today, Norwegian Prima will kick off her inaugural season in the Lone Star State and settle into its new homeport of Galveston, Texas for the 2023 and 2024 cruise season. As … [Read more...]

Swan Hellenic inspires with explorations of the heart of Africa

15/12/2023

Swan Hellenic’s four early 2024 cultural expedition cruises along the west coast of Africa are already generating a real buzz of excitement and selling fast. Exploring from Cape Town to Dakar, they each offer powerful experiences of Africa’s unique wildlife and rich cultures, from coastal elephants to the lakeside dwellings of Benin and pristine Bijagos Archipelago. Swan Hellenic is clearly … [Read more...]

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Prima Begins Full Season from Texas

15/12/2023

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Prima has arrived at the Port of Galveston, Texas, ahead of her first seven-night Caribbean cruise. The arrival of the Prima-class cruise ship marks the beginning of her first full season offering Caribbean cruises from December 15, 2023, through April 2024. Norwegian Prima is one of several large new cruise ships sailing from Galveston this cruise season, … [Read more...]

Havila Voyages appoints new CFO. Aleksander Røynesdal has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

15/12/2023

Aleksander Røynesdal (44) holds a degree in Business Economics and comes from the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Norgas Carriers. He possesses extensive experience in the finance and capital markets within the shipping and maritime transport industry. “We had many highly qualified candidates under consideration, and Aleksander emerged as our top choice. Aleksander has relevant … [Read more...]

Another Royal Caribbean Cruise Cancelled for Charter Sailing

15/12/2023

Royal Caribbean International has reached out to guests booked aboard the April 26, 2024 sailing of Allure of the Seas to let them know the cruise has been cancelled. The vessel will still set sail, but is now a full ship charter sailing and not available for guests outside the charter group. Allure of the Seas Cruise Cancelled Guests hoping to set sail for a spring weekend getaway on Allure … [Read more...]

MSC Cruises Shares Insight Into Five Travel Trends Driving Guest Decisions For 2024 And Beyond

15/12/2023

MSC Cruises, the world’s third largest cruise brand, is shedding light on five important travel trends that are driving guest holiday decisions for 2024 and beyond. The leading global cruise line observes heightened demand for products that offer extended stays in destinations, holidays rich in cultural experiences, upgraded adventures with touches of luxury, sustained enthusiasm for Europe’s … [Read more...]

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Newest Ship Will Visit a Port Every Single Day for the Next Four Months

15/12/2023

Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, will visit a port every single day for the next four months without any sea days. Norwegian Viva arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico and will homeport there for the next four months. The cruise ship will offer port intensive itineraries to the Southern Caribbean with no sea days scheduled through April 2024. View Cruises on Norwegian Viva The … [Read more...]

Princess Cruises Appoints Captains for Star Princess

15/12/2023

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 … [Read more...]

Air Canada Launches New Routes to Tulum and Charleston

15/12/2023

Air Canada has announced two new routes to Tulum from Toronto and Montreal that will launch as of May 2024. The airline is also launching a new route to Charleston, South Carolina, from Toronto beginning in March 2024, and adding new flights from Montreal to Austin and St. Louis that will begin service in May 2024. Air Canada’s New Tulum Routes Air Canada’s routes to Mexico’s newest airport in … [Read more...]

What is a cabin steward on a cruise?

15/12/2023

A cabin steward on a cruise is the individual responsible for ensuring that your stateroom is maintained throughout your sailing. Often referred to as cabin or stateroom attendants, they'll perform tasks such as making the bed, removing trash and used dishes, cleaning the bathroom and replenishing towels, and leaving cute towel animals. They are also the person responsible for … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean Cancels Itinerary, Presents Alternative Options for Guests

15/12/2023

Royal Caribbean has notified passengers that the Freedom of the Seas April 26, 2024, voyage has been redefined as a private charter, leading to the cancellation for the general public. The cruise line outlined several rebooking alternatives and various compensation to all guests not a part of the charter. Freedom of the Seas Cruise Cancelled The April 26, 2024, departure … [Read more...]

Which Points Can Be Combined Between Different People?

15/12/2023

If you’re earning points in multi-player mode, there are many occasions when it might be helpful to consolidate all your collective loyalty points holdings into one account. Maybe you have an uneven number of points across two people’s accounts, and harnessing them all into a single account would allow you to redeem the miles for a flight for both people. Or, there might be one person in the … [Read more...]

Severe Weather Impacting Multiple Cruise Ships

15/12/2023

Multiple ships from multiple cruise lines are heavily impacted by expected severe weather from the Bahamas to South Florida this weekend, with changes ranging from Wednesday, December 13 through Sunday, December 17, 2023 as the weather has developed. In the interest of guests’ safety and comfort, cruise lines are cancelling ports of call and shifting routes to find the smoothest sailing to take … [Read more...]

Princess Cruises Appoints Two Captains for Second Sphere Class Ship

15/12/2023

Two veteran captains are poised to take the helm of Princess Cruises’ newest Sphere Class ship when she takes to the sea in summer 2025. Star Princess will be under the command of Captain Gennaro Arma for its inaugural voyage on August 4, 2025, Princess Cruises announced this week. Commodore Nick Nash will take over captain duties when Arma is on leave. Captain and Commodore to Helm New Star … [Read more...]

5 Reasons You Don’t Need a Travel Agent for Your Cruise, and One Big Reason You Do

15/12/2023

Is it absolutely necessary that you use a travel agent for a cruise? The answer to that really depends on a few factors. And there are regular cruisers on both sides of this issue.It’s usually free to use a travel agent for all your cruise booking needs. And some people refuse to book any cruise without using their agent of choice. So, are travel agents a must for every … [Read more...]

15 Convenient Tampa “Park and Cruise” Hotels (Highly Rated)

15/12/2023

With Tampa cruise hotels that offer parking for guests, you can save some serious cash on your vacation. Parking at the Port of Tampa, while relatively affordable compared to other ports, can still cost a significant amount. The official port lots are extremely convenient (right across from the terminal), but costs around $16 per day. That means when you park for a week-long cruise, you have a … [Read more...]

Eight Cruise Line Crew Members Amass Over 270 Years of Service

15/12/2023

Cruise lines wouldn’t be able to operate without the hundreds to thousands of crew members working hard behind the scenes to make every vacation as perfect as possible. Working on cruise ships certainly isn’t the easiest job, yet eight loyal crew members have worked a combined 270 years onboard Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. In honor of their decades of service, these sailors have been awarded … [Read more...]

Holland America Ship Delayed, Cruise Shortened Due to Weather

15/12/2023

Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam will not be able to sail as scheduled on Saturday, December 16, 2023, due to severe weather expected in South Florida. To avoid the severe storm, the cruise line has made the difficult call to delay the ship’s embarkation in Fort Lauderdale for two full days, which has dramatically changed the planned itinerary and led to various compensation options for … [Read more...]

First Block Laid for New Princess Cruise Ship Debuting in 2025

15/12/2023

The first block was laid for a new Princess cruise ship that will debut in August 2025, Star Princess. Star Princess will be a sister ship to Sun Princess and the second Sphere class ship from Princess Cruises. A keel-laying ceremony took place at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy for Star Princess. The laying of the keel marks the official start of construction on a new cruise ship as … [Read more...]

Revised Age Ranges Rolling out for Disney Cruise Line’s Youth Activity Spaces

15/12/2023

In an email to guests booked on upcoming cruises, Disney Cruise Line is sharing an update on revised age ranges for Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="628" height="1024" data-attachment-id="62978" … [Read more...]

Why This Dreamy European Country Was Just Named Most Popular International Destination

15/12/2023

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This Is One Of The Safest And Cheapest South American Countries To Visit In 2024

15/12/2023

These Are The 5 Most Popular U.S. Destinations According To New Report

15/12/2023

This Stunning Island Was Just Named The Best Destination In The Caribbean

15/12/2023

These 3 New Mayan Ruins Near Cancun Are Opening To The Public For The First Time

15/12/2023

These Are The Top 10 International Destinations With Cheap Airfare

15/12/2023

7 things I liked better about Royal Caribbean cruises than Carnival

15/12/2023

Having been a devout Royal Caribbean fan for the majority of my cruising career, I always steered clear of Carnival— until recently. Carnival has a reputation for being the party cruise line. From activity-seeking couples to families and even solo cruisers, they aim to offer something for everyone onboard their "Fun Ships." Despite being in my mid-20s, the vibrant atmosphere often found … [Read more...]