Resorts World Cruises is delighted to partner with Singapore Red Cross (SRC) to host a special port-stay event for seniors to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Genting Dream. To usher in the year of the dragon, Resorts World Cruises’ shore staff and ship crew welcomed approximately 50 seniors and volunteers under SRC’s ElderAid programme with a special ‘Lo Hei’ session, a tradition of tossing ‘yu … [Read more...]
Archives for 07/02/2024
The Ultimate Guide to the BEST Banff Hikes [2024]
Everything you need to know to discover the best Banff hikes in our ultimate trekking guide! The Banff National Park may just be the most beautiful place in all of Canada, and if you love getting outdoors as much as I do, then you’ll absolutely need to have a read of this guide to the best hikes in Banff! I have to admit, the first time I went to Canada I fell instantly in love. It was like … [Read more...]
Announcing 2024 and 2025 expeditions to Antarctica – Adventure Canada
“With three captivating itineraries to choose from, you can now embark on an extraordinary adventure to the White Continent. Plus, for a limited time, save up to 20% on select expeditions”, announced Adventure Canada. From exploring the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula to sailing through the renowned Drake Passage, our expeditions promise an immersive encounter with the majesty of … [Read more...]
Holland America Sponsors Next Bravo Top Chef Season, Crucial Challenge and Finale Filmed Onboard
For the first time, Holland America Line is a sponsor of the upcoming season 21 of Bravo’s Top Chef, with the penultimate elimination challenge between final four “cheftestants” filmed onboard, as well as the finale. The challenge, which ties into the cruise line’s Global Fresh Fish Program, was shot onboard Eurodam when the ship was in Curacao in November 2023. (Cruise Critic was present at the … [Read more...]
Texas Port Completes Deal to Build New Terminal for MSC Cruises
A major cruise home port in Texas has struck a deal to build a fourth cruise terminal to serve as the home for a new vessel in November 2025. MSC Cruises will make Galveston its fourth homeport in the U.S., thanks to a $142 million development deal that was completed on February 6, 2024. Galveston, MSC Cruises Agree on New Terminal for MSC Seascape Now that a deal has been finalized, … [Read more...]
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines gives first look at two brand-new 2026 Grand Voyages offering worldwide exploration
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has launched two brand-new itineraries offering guests the chance to set sail on an adventure exploring vibrant, captivating cities and paradise islands. The first of the Grand Voyages is an epic 95-night around the world adventure, ‘Discovering the World’s Idyllic Islands and Iconic Cities’. Departing in January 2026, Bolette will take guests on a journey with a … [Read more...]
Holland America Line Appoints Allied Global Marketing Agency Of Record For Brand Partnerships
Allied Global Marketing, a full-service marketing agency working with the world’s largest entertainment, culture and lifestyle brands, has been selected by Holland America Line as its agency of record for partnerships. Allied will partner with top brands to maximize its extensive relationships to bring Holland America Line opportunities for partnerships and collaborations that enhance connections … [Read more...]
Seabourn Opens Its New Fine Dining Experience Solis On Seabourn Quest
Seabourn has announced the opening of its new dining experience, Solis, on Seabourn Quest, on Saturday, January 20, 2024. The new fine dining restaurant celebrates Mediterranean cuisine inspired by the places visited by the line’s ultra-luxury ships and will feature light, modern cuisine bursting with color and character, prepared fresh daily. Solis will be implemented across Seabourn Ovation, … [Read more...]
World Travel Holdings Details Multimillion-Dollar Tech Upgrades
World Travel Holdings has announced a multimillion-dollar technology investment in its B2B division. This investment will be a driving force in increasing individual advisor efficiency, productivity and profitability for its vacation franchise brands Dream Vacations and CruiseOne. Drew Daly, senior vice president and general manager for Dream Vacations and CruiseOne, said “The success of our … [Read more...]
The perfect Valentine’s Day in Barcelona
Valentine’s Day is approaching, which means love is in the air, and what better way to celebrate this day of romance than with a visit to the enchanting city of Barcelona? With its breathtaking architecture, passionate ambiance, and rich cultural tapestry, Barcelona sets the stage for a truly memorable Valentine’s Day. Barcelona presents a plethora of romantic activities, guaranteeing an … [Read more...]
Allure of the Seas to undergo major refit and refurbishment after pandemic delay
Allure of the Seas will finally undergo her bow-to-stern refit and refurbishment in 2025 following a half-decade delay due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Allure of the Seas was meant to be refurbished in 2020, as part of Royal Caribbean International’s multi-billion dollar fleetwide amplification project, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic. Now in a fourth quarter earnings … [Read more...]
Walt Disney Co Q1 2024 Earnings Results
The Walt Disney Company stock closed for the day at $99.27 a share before reporting their earnings for the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal year 2024 which ended on December 30, 2023. According to the earnings report, revenues for the quarter were comparable to the prior-year quarter at $23.5 billion. Diluted earrings per share (EPS) for the quarter increased to $1.04 from $0.70 in the prior-year … [Read more...]
Marriott Homes & Villas Promotion: Stay Three Nights, Earn 10,000 Points
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy has rolled out its latest promotion for stays this winter and spring, through which members can earn 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per eligible stay. If you have any group stays planned between February 7 and May 31, 2024, you can potentially pad your Bonvoy balance by opting for a stay, or multiple stays, in Marriott’s version of home rentals instead of a … [Read more...]
Icon of the Seas cruise review
Matt is back from the first inaugural sailing of Icon of the Seas and shares his thoughts from trying out this brand new cruise ship.Share with me your thoughts, questions and comments via...You can subscribe to the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast via iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or RSS. Appeared first on: Royalcaribbeanblog.com … [Read more...]
Beond Airlines Expands Network with Second Aircraft
Beond, a premium leisure airline based in the Maldives, has taken delivery of a second aircraft, and has plans for further expansion in the near future. This week, the airline announced that its fleet has expanded to include an Airbus A321, which comes in addition to its existing Airbus A319. Beond will use the aircraft, which comes fitted with an all-premium cabin of 68 lie-flat seats, to launch … [Read more...]
Weather Holds Carnival Cruise Ship in Port Overnight
Guests aboard Carnival Paradise had more time docked in Key West than originally scheduled on the ship’s itinerary, thanks to strong winds that made it unsafe for the ship to depart as planned on Tuesday, February 6. Instead, the ship stayed overnight in the Florida port, before departing on Wednesday morning to make her way to Cozumel. Carnival Paradise Stays In Port Overnight High winds … [Read more...]
Royal Caribbean Cancels Select Sailings Due to Itinerary Planning
Royal Caribbean International has announced a series of adjustments to their cruise itineraries, affecting passengers on select Ovation of the Seas voyages. The combination of cancellations and scheduled sailings is part of the cruise line’s revised plans for the 2025 season. Cancellations and Rescheduling In an unforeseen shake-up of its 2025 schedule, Royal Caribbean … [Read more...]
Royal Caribbean Ship Alters Ports as Poor Weather Hits South Pacific
The idea of a South Pacific voyage conjures images of crystal-clear waters, white sand beaches, and deep blue skies, but it is not always that way. Guests booked to depart February 7, 2024 on a South Pacific cruise with Royal Caribbean learned that bad weather has prompted the line to change its itinerary. Itinerary Changes Came on Departure Day Even the South Pacific is experiencing … [Read more...]
Inclement Weather Continues to Rock The Caribbean Islands
A low-pressure system continues to affect cruises around the Caribbean. After a Carnival cruise ship hit the pier in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on February 6, another ship cancelled a call to Princess Cays, and two Royal Caribbean ships were affected by bad weather at Perfect Day at Cococay, the US Virgin Port Authority has issued a bad weather warning. For now, the weather system has not forced … [Read more...]
The Best Ways to Redeem 100,000+ HSBC Rewards Points
RBC is in the midst of finalizing its acquisition of HSBC Canada, and it’s expected that existing HSBC Canada cardholders will be fully transitioned into the RBC ecosystem by the end of March 2024. As part of the acquisition, HSBC Rewards points will be converted to RBC Avion points, and it’s supposed to be for comparable value. However, RBC has been mum on the conversion rate thus far, and we … [Read more...]
Another Carnival-Owned Cruise Line Increasing Service Charges
Guests booked on upcoming Cunard Line sailings, including the new Queen Anne, will be paying a bit more for hotel and dining service charges within the next few weeks. Cunard Line has updated its official website with information about the forthcoming rate increase for these gratuities, which will begin at the end of April 2024. Cunard Line Gratuity Increase Cunard Line is increasing the … [Read more...]
Travel Advisors: Win a FAM Place to Antarctica with Quark Expeditions
Quark Expeditions, the Leader in Polar Adventures, is taking 10 dedicated Travel Advisors on an all-encompassing Antarctic FAM trip as part of its Great Polar Sweepstakes, which runs February 1 to May 31, 2024. Winners of the points-based incentive will join the 11-day Antarctic Explorer: Discovering the 7th Continent voyage in November 2024. The 10 winners of the four-month incentive will be … [Read more...]
Princess Cruises Announces The Love Boat Themed Cruise with Iconic Original Cast
Princess Cruises, known for its integral role as the ocean-going co-star in the iconic “The Love Boat” series, has officially unveiled a second themed cruise, reuniting cast members from the original show. Following the tremendous success of the inaugural Love Boat cruise in 2022, fans of the popular show can sail along with Doc, Gopher, Isaac and Vicki Stubing as they cruise roundtrip from New … [Read more...]
New Love Boat Cruise Announced, Sail With the Original Cast
Princess Cruises has announced a new Love Boat cruise that will take place later this year where you can sail with the original cast of the iconic TV show. This second themed Love Boat cruise will set sail on Enchanted Princess on August 31, 2024, a week-long cruise to Canada and New England from New York. Doc, Gopher, Isaac and Vicki Stubing will be onboard reuniting the cast from the original … [Read more...]
Carnival Updates Guests After Ship Hits Pier and Remains in Port
Carnival Cruise Line has provided an update to guests onboard Carnival Magic about the ship’s condition and plans for the remainder of their 6-night “ShipRocked” cruise. This follows a confusing day on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, when the ship inadvertently made contact with the pier in Jamaica, resulting in unusual but essential responses to ensure everyone’s safety. Carnival Magic Spending … [Read more...]
Cunard Enjoys Double-Digit Booking Spike in January
Cunard, the iconic British cruise line that operates some of the world’s best-known ships, experienced a stellar booking month in January, breaking previous records for similar timeframes in the last 10 years. The cruise line, a Carnival Corporation brand, is in the spotlight this year as it gears up for the highly anticipated launch of its first new ship in more than a decade. Reservations … [Read more...]
Should You Prepay Gratuities on a Cruise?
Not sure whether you should prepay your gratuities before your cruise or wait until you’re on the ship? It’s a common question. Paying early offers some benefits, but it also means more money out of your pocket before you even get on the ship. At the same time, it can seem strange to pay gratuities before you’ve actually received service. Nearly every cruise line requires a daily … [Read more...]
Hilton Launches Partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World
Hilton has announced a new partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) which will greatly expand the hotel chain’s luxury hotel portfolio. When the partnership is fully implemented, it will be exclusive, which almost surely means the current partnership between SLH and Hyatt will fizzle out. Hilton and SLH Announce Exclusive Partnership Hilton and SLH have announced initial details of … [Read more...]
How over 6,000 people are served meals every day on the world's largest cruise ship
Cruise ships are a lot of mini-cities, including having to feed thousands of people during the course of a voyage.Every week, up to 7,600 people vacation on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, which holds the title of the world's largest cruise ship. That includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in-between.There are 23 total kitchens (referred to as galleys on a cruise ship) to serve 27 … [Read more...]
DisneyBand+ Expanding to the Disney Wonder Starting March 19, 2024
This week, Disney Cruise Line announced the expansion of DisneyBand+ to the Disney Wonder beginning March 19, 2024, a 4-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego. Eligible guests may place orders between 45 and 11 days prior to sailing. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="807" data-attachment-id="64373" … [Read more...]