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Seabourn and Fincantieri celebrate launch of Seabourn Ovation

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 September 2017 04 September 2017

On September 1, Seabourn marked a major construction milestone with a traditional coin and launch ceremony for its newest ship, Seabourn Ovation, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri, Italy. Seabourn Ovation is set to welcome guests and begin sailing in May 2018.

The time-honored coin and launch ceremony is an enduring maritime tradition that calls for a "madrina" to preside over the celebratory events. Serving in this significant role was Jan Stearman, Seabourn's longest-serving female shipboard team member, who joined the company 22 years ago, and a well-known and respected cruise director. Along with Seabourn President Richard Meadows, Fincantieri Shipyard Director Paolo Capobianco and Seabourn Ovation Captain Stig Betten observed the welding of two commemorative gold coins to the ship's mast. Stearman then cut the ship's cord to allow water to flow into the ship's building dock. The ship will be "floated out" from its dry dock and moved to its outfitting dock at the shipyard, where it will undergo final construction until the ship is delivered in 2018.

"Watching the coin ceremony and seeing Seabourn Ovation officially touch the water for the first time today was a very special moment for all of us at Seabourn, representing a significant step toward the further expansion of our luxury fleet," said Richard Meadows, president of Seabourn. "Many guests and partners across the travel industry have expressed their enthusiasm for the arrival of this incredible ship following the successful debut in December 2016 of her sister ship, Seabourn Encore."

Following the ship's delivery, Seabourn Ovation will embark on an 11-day inaugural voyage departing May 5, 2018, from Venice, Italy, to Barcelona, Spain. The ship will go on to spend the majority of her maiden season cruising the waters of Northern Europe, offering a series of seven-day Baltic and Scandinavian cruises between Copenhagen and Stockholm, which will include the line's signature three-day stay in St. Petersburg, Russia. Seabourn Ovation will also sail on longer 14-day voyages, visiting the majestic Norwegian fjords and British Isles.

Like its sister ship Seabourn Encore, Seabourn Ovation is being fashioned by notable hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany with contemporary interiors, modern design elements, and innovations consistent with Seabourn's reputation for understated elegance. The new ship will round out the current planned expansion of the line's award-winning and highly acclaimed fleet.

Seabourn Ovation will maintain the line's high ratio of space per guest, enabling highly intuitive and personalized service for each guest on board. The 40,350 gross ton ship will carry just 600 guests, based on double occupancy. The all-suite ship will offer a number of desirable in-suite amenities to provide guests with a "home away from home" onboard experience. In every luxurious suite will be a private veranda, providing sweeping oceanfront views and spacious enough for private al fresco dining. Featuring striking design and sophisticated décor, each suite will include a comfortable living area with sofa seating and a desk/dining table; elegant bedding; a walk-in closet; in-suite entertainment options with a wide selection of movies, music, broadcast television and radio channels; and a superbly-appointed marble bathroom with separate bath and shower and luxury bath products, including the new exclusive Seabourn Signature Scents by Molton Brown. A personal bar and refrigerator will be stocked according to guest preferences, coordinated before arrival.

Guests who sail on Seabourn Ovation will also find a number of innovative offerings and programs, including partnerships with a select group of companies and individuals whose dedication to superior quality, exceptional service and consistent customer satisfaction matches Seabourn. These programs include 'An Evening with Tim Rice', the new evening entertainment experience created exclusively for the line in association with Belinda King Creative Productions; Spa and Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil, offering guests a holistic spa and wellness experience that integrates physical, social, environmental and spiritual well-being; and The Grill by Thomas Keller, reminiscent of the classic American restaurant from the 50's and 60's. Exclusive to Seabourn, The Grill is a unique culinary concept for Chef Keller, focusing on updated versions of iconic dishes. Guests will be treated to table-side preparations of Caesar salad and ice cream sundaes, as well as a range of other favorites like premium steaks, whole roasted chicken, and Lobster Thermidor, presented à la carte.

Seabourn will continue to reveal updates about Seabourn Ovation via the dedicated microsite: http://ovation.seabourn.com. Filled with imagery, details and news of the ship's continuing progress, the microsite offers an inside look at the next addition to the newest overall fleet in the ultra-luxury cruise category. In addition, the line has created a video previewing the array of onboard experiences, thoughtful elements, and inspiration and passion driving the creation of Seabourn Ovation.

Costa Cruises launches a new WeChat Mini Program  

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 September 2017 04 September 2017

Costa Cruises – one of 10 brands from Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest leisure travel company – has announced the launch of a new WeChat Mini Program onboard Costa Asia's industry-leading fleet in China. With WeChat, a leading online social communication platform in China, Chinese guests will be able to enjoy hassle-free mobile payment and enhanced onboard experiences, starting September 2 onboard Costa Atlantica.

WeChat (also known as Weixin in China) is an integrated lifestyle-changing platform for instant messaging, commerce and payment services from Tencent Holdings Limited, a leading provider of Internet value added services in China. As of second quarter 2017, there were over 963 million monthly active users on WeChat and Weixin.

Representing a first in the global cruise industry, Costa Cruises launched the first Mini Program to book and pay for a cruise itinerary on the WeChat platform on August 8. The Mini Program is the innovative feature that allows WeChat users to instantly open and access services inside WeChat without having to download the full standalone mobile app, providing a faster and better user experience. The latest announcement features an enhancement of the WeChat Mini Program to also include onboard entertainment booking and payment, among other functions. With the new WeChat Mini Program, guests will be able to browse and book specialty restaurants, spa, duty-free shopping and other onboard services through complimentary intranet service, without subscribing to onboard internet services.

"As a pioneer in the Chinese cruise industry, Costa Cruises constantly innovates to enhance the guest experience," said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Group Asia. "With China being one of the world's leaders in mobile and digital advancements, we see great potential in leveraging WeChat's leading position and technologies to not only facilitate hassle-free payment, but also provide a more immersive and digitized onboard experience for our guests.”

As the brand that brought cruising to China in 2006 and the leader in the Chinese cruise market today, Costa Cruises operates year-round in China and has provided cruise vacations for over two million Chinese guests with differentiated products, including its popular “Italy at Sea” offering, through four ships based across North, East and South China. Costa Cruises, along with Carnival Corporation, will continue to maintain its leadership in developing a healthy eco-system in the Chinese cruise industry.

Carnival, Arison family pledge minimum of $2 million to Hurricane Harvey relief

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 31 August 2017 31 August 2017

Carnival Cruise Line, its parent company, Carnival Corporation & plc and the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation are pledging a minimum of $2 million to relief and rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast region in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2004.

Carnival Cruise Line and Carnival Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Carnival Corporation, are each donating $500,000 to Harvey disaster relief efforts, for a total donation of $1 million from the company. Carnival Corporation Chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine are matching the corporation’s commitment with a $1 million donation from the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation.

To help generate additional relief funds, cruise guests sailing on certain Carnival Cruise Line cruises will have the option to make a donation when they check in for their cruise, while the corporation’s brands and employees will be participating as well.

“Our hearts go out to all those who have been impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, and all of us throughout the Carnival Corporation family feel a responsibility to do our part in supporting relief and rebuilding efforts in a region that we call home and where so many of our guests and business partners live and work,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We are very committed to the Gulf Coast as a vibrant and special part of the North American cruise industry, and our commitment will remain as strong as ever during the region’s recovery process. We know this storm is still active, so we will continue to hold positive thoughts for everyone in the region while exploring ways to support affected communities as they recover and rebuild.”

Carnival group’s TV show enters second season

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 August 2017 29 August 2017

A year following the debut of its first original travel experience programming, Carnival Corporation & plc the world’s largest cruise shipping company, has announced at the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) Global Convention that its hit series have been extended for a second season on ABC stations and NBC.

Season two of “The Voyager with Josh Garcia” premieres on NBC stations beginning Saturday, September 30. “Ocean Treks with Jeff Corwin” and “Vacation Creation with Tommy Davidson and Andrea Feczko” make their new season debuts on ABC stations the following week on Saturday, October 7, the cruise shipping company said in a statement.

“Based on the exceptionally positive viewing results and the overall increased interest in cruise vacations following our shows’ inaugural year, we are extending our programming and growing our content library for the 2017-18 season,” said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation & plc, which includes the world’s leading cruise line brands.

“Championing the extraordinary experiences that our guests enjoy while on a cruise vacation via original programming is key to expanding the market’s awareness and generating demand for cruising,” he added.

World Dream to offer cruises to Vietnam and Philippines

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 26 August 2017 26 August 2017

World Dream, the second ship of the Asian focused Dream Cruise premium market brand of Genting Hong Kong, will have dual homeports, Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Nansha) to continue to grow the Pearl River Delta cruise industry and provide fly/cruise options for the region with new itineraries to Vietnam and the Philippines.

“Genting Cruise Lines is reinforcing our position in the Pearl River Delta Region by welcoming World Dream to begin her service with dual homeports in Guangzhou (Nansha) and Hong Kong, following in the footsteps of Genting Dream previously,” said Kent Zhu, President of Genting Cruise Lines, the company that entails Genting Hong Kong’s cruise operations.

Upon its entry into service in November, the ship will take guests on a tropical and cultural journey in Asia on 6-day/5-night cruises to Manila and Boracay in the Philippines from 17 November this year to 31 March 2018 will alternate with 6-day/5-night journeys to Ho Chi Minh and Nha Trang in Vietnam from 3 December to 14 October 2018.

The line’s other ship, Genting Dream, meanwhile, will be deployed at her new homeport in Singapore with new itineraries to North Bali and Surabaya in Indonesia, as well as Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia and Phuket in Thailand.