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Oceania Cruises announces expansion of early bookings incentive program

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 16 September 2015 16 September 2015

The overwhelming response to OLife Advantage has prompted Oceania Cruises to offer the popular early booking incentive program to all guests who book a 2016 Europe, Alaska and New England/Canada cruise before Dec. 31, 2015.

The OLife Advantage program streamlines and unifies all of the advanced booking incentives available on Oceania Cruises, plus adds extraordinary new incentives. Effective today, OLife Advantage will reward all guests, no matter what suite or stateroom category booked, with numerous complimentary amenities, including free shore excursions, unlimited internet and pre-paid gratuities. Additionally, any guest who booked after OLife Advantage launched in July, but purchased a lower category, non-qualifying stateroom, will all retroactively receive the complimentary benefits.

“The response to this program from our guests and travel agent partners has exceeded our expectations,” said Jason Montague, president and chief operating officer for Oceania Cruises. “Guests quickly understand the incredible value OLife Advantage offers and, as a result, we’ve decided to extend to all stateroom and suite categories for our 2016 Europe, Alaska and coastal New England and Canada sailings.”

As a leader in the upper-premium cruise segment, Oceania Cruises offers the finest cuisine at sea, impeccable service and destination-driven itineraries to nearly 330 ports of call aboard a fleet of intimate, luxurious ships.

To enhance exploration in the incredible destinations the ships visit, OLife Advantage provides three free excursions per person on sailings up to nine days, four free excursions on journeys between 10 and 13 days, and five free excursions on itineraries 14 days or more. With the OLife Advantage program, guests may choose from a wide variety of shore excursions to some of the most picturesque and iconic destinations around the globe. Among the included excursions are a scenic visit to Ravello in Amalfi/Positano, a walking tour of Tallinn, Estonia and sea kayaking to Eagle Island in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Guests will be able to take advantage of the free internet either through the recently upgraded ship-wide Wi-Fi system or at the Oceania@Sea internet center. The Wi-Fi system provides connectivity throughout the entire ship, including all public spaces, outdoor decks and all suites and staterooms.

The OLife Advantage program extends to all spring, summer and fall 2016 voyages in Europe, Alaska and Canada/New England. To qualify for OLife Advantage and receive complimentary shore excursions, free unlimited internet and pre-paid gratuities, guests must book any suite or stateroom category before Dec. 31, 2015.

The summer 2016 collection also includes the highly anticipated maiden season for Sirena, the newest addition to the Oceania Cruises fleet. The expanded six-ship fleet provides Oceania Cruises even greater flexibility to create an unprecedented number of new itineraries for the upcoming season, offering a perfect fusion of classic and off-the-beaten-path ports.

Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises donate to refugee relief in Italy and Germany

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 16 September 2015 16 September 2015

Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises are donating a total of 200,000 euros in in Italy and Germany to support refugee relief in Europe. Costa is donating 100,000 euros to Médecins Sans Frontières, while AIDA is giving 100,000 euros to the Aktion Deutschland hilft alliance.

"The current situation is an exceptional challenge for the whole of Europe," said Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group. "The fate of the refugees concerns all of us. Hundreds of thousands of people who have left everything behind them need all the support we can give them. For us it is a question of humanity to provide help now, fast and without red tape."

"Europe is facing a big emergency and we at Costa felt the responsibility to provide our support," said Neil Palomba, president of Costa Cruises. "Each day we understand more about this extremely sad situation and the needs all refugees have. We think that we must concretely support the ongoing relief efforts and that's why we want to sustain them."

Since 2002 the Médecins Sans Frontières organization ("Doctors Without Borders") has provided medical assistance to refugees and migrants both on arrival and in the First Aid and Reception Center in Pozzallo, Sicily, in close collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Health. MSF also provides psychological and medical assistance in the ports reception centers of the Ragusa province of Sicily. In May 2015 MSF activated rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea with three dedicated ships.

Fincantieri celebrates keel laying of Seabourn Encore

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 16 September 2015 16 September 2015

The keel laying ceremony of Seabourn Encore, the first of two ultra-luxury cruise ships that Fincantieri will build for Seabourn, brand of Carnival Corporation, was held yesterday at the Marghera shipyard.

The ceremony was attended, among others, by Keith Taylor, Executive Vice President Fleet Operations Holland America Group, while Fincantieri was represented by Antonio Quintano, Marghera’s yard manager.

Seabourn Encore, due to join the Seabourn’s fleet at the end of 2016, will be built according to the standards and technical solutions that make Seabourn one of the most prestigious brands in the ultra-luxury segment and will continue the fleet’s modernization that began in 2009.

The all-suite ship will be approximately 41,700 gross tons, 210 metres long and 28 metres wide and will be able to reach a cruising speed of 18.6 knots. It will carry up to just 600 guests, based on double occupancy. Every suite will feature a private veranda.

Safety will be one of this ship's major strong points. It will be built using the very latest technologies, whose standards will exceed the requirements of the relevant legislation. Fuel consumption will be significantly reduced by optimizing the ship's hydrodynamics.

Fincantieri has built 70 cruise ships since 1990 and other 14 ships are currently being designed or built in the Group's yards.

Costa Luminosa departs on around-the-world cruise from Savona, Italy

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 September 2015 15 September 2015

Costa Cruises' Costa Luminosa departed from Savona, Italy, yesterday on a 98-day Around-the-World voyage during which guests will cross three oceans and visit 39 destinations on five continents, returning to Savona, Dec. 21. It is an ideal trip for cruise lovers desiring to circumnavigate the world in a little over three months, encountering exotic cultures and extraordinary places.

More than 1,000 guests will departed from Savona, with another 260 boarding tomorrow at Marseille, France, and 240 more embarking at Barcelona, Spain, for a total of nearly 1,500 cruise passengers. A wide range of ages and nationalities is represented: the oldest traveler is 95, while the youngest is just 1 year old. There are more than 30 different nationalities on board, mainly Swiss, German and French, followed by Italian and Spanish.

Costa Luminosa is one of the most amazing ships in Costa's fleet. Even thousands of miles from home, guests will still be able to enjoy real Italian hospitality. And those seeking to follow Costa Luminosa's incredible voyage can simply go to the Costa website and see what's happening in real time through the two webcams installed on board.

Exclusive festivities were planned to celebrate the ship's departure from Savona: a quintet played live music as guests boarded the ship from the Palacrociere, while a special poolside party accompanied the departure "countdown" after greetings from the captain.

"The itinerary of this Around-the-World voyage will include stops in marvelous countries like France, Spain, the Antilles, Colombia, Mexico, the United States, Hawaii, Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Jordan," said Pietro Sinisi, captain of Costa Luminosa. "It's a real dream come true for all great travelers who, thanks to Costa Cruises, will be able to visit five continents during a single trip."

Special shore excursions will give the world cruise an exciting and unique touch. Excursions that are the most popular among guests include a fascinating tour of the island of Antigua and a visit to Nelson's Dockyard National Park, teeming with history; a tour to the attractions of San Diego, California, like the Gaslamp Quarter and the Old Town; and a four-hour visit to see the natural wonders of the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Costa Luminosa will make longer calls at some particularly interesting destinations such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; Honolulu, Hawaii; Cochin and Mumbai, India; and Dubai, U.A.E. (two days); Sydney, Australia; and Singapore (three days). This will give travelers a chance to discover the unique characteristics of these special vacation spots, taking advantage of the exclusive excursions offered by Costa Cruises, some of which include an overnight stay at a hotel on shore: after an afternoon of shopping in Los Angeles and an overnight stay in a magnificent room facing the Sunset Strip, guests will have the opportunity to take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon; from Sydney guests can experience the magic of Ayers Rock, savoring dinner in the middle of the desert. After discovering the magnificence of "The Twelve Apostles," the iconic limestone stacks of Melbourne, Australia, guests can leave the ship at Perth, Australia, to travel to Bali, there to be immersed in the enchanting atmosphere of white-sand beaches and pristine nature for a couple of days before returning to the ship at Singapore. Finally, from Cochin guests can visit Delhi and Agra, India, to fully experience the spirit of the Indian tradition and admire the Taj Mahal.

"We are extremely proud to welcome our guests onboard this special voyage, and their choice represents how much they are passionate about the Costa brand," said Norbert Stiekema, executive vice president sales and marketing for Costa Cruises. "The Around-the-World cruise follows on the heels of a soldout, record-breaking month of August and represents a really exclusive offer by Costa. Starting in fact from the Round-the-World cruise, the fall season is also on an upswing, and bookings continue to increase. It's a sign of just how much our product is appreciated, offering Italy's finest on board and providing the opportunity to visit a variety of unique destinations in absolute comfort. From this point of view the Around-the-World cruise is obviously at the top, but we have lots of other proposals these months that are suitable for everyone: the short mini-vacations, seven-day cruises to the most beautiful destinations in the Mediterranean, or vacations on board our neoCollection ships that visit brand new locations with longer calls."

The next world cruise departs from Savona on Costa Luminosa on Jan. 6, 2016, with a 108-day itinerary that will cross the two Tropics and end April 23, 2016.

Carnival revamps its commission tier structure

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 September 2015 15 September 2015

Carnival Cruise Line yesterday announced it is reducing the number of sailed cabins required for each commission tier, which creates significantly greater earnings opportunities for travel agents. The sailed cabin requirement to reach each tier will be reduced, on average, by 32 percent for the 11-15 percent commission tiers.

The change is based on extensive input from travel agents and builds upon a number of initiatives the company has instituted over the past few years to bolster its commitment to travel professionals. This latest move has been the number one priority of new VP of Trade Sales Adolfo Perez and his sales leadership team. The new commission structure is applicable to new bookings made starting January 1, 2016.

“The new commission tiers will enable our travel partners to reach higher commission levels faster and earn more money when selling Carnival,” said Perez. “This change positions our commission program as one of the most competitive in the industry and is a demonstration of our commitment to travel agents and how much we value their support.”

Carnival’s commission program will continue to follow the line’s sailed cabin approach, whereby travel agents are incentivized based on how many cabins they sell that subsequently sail. “Our goal was to make the new program meaningful and impactful and to build upon the many initiatives we’ve implemented over the past two years,” said Mike Julius, Carnival’s senior managing director of U.S. trade sales. “We have worked with hundreds of travel partners through our Carnival Conversations program and one-on-one dialogue to understand what is important to them to make sure that we got this right. We believe the new program is a real game changer for us and will put additional commission dollars in the pockets of our valued travel agent partners.”

Perez and the extended Carnival sales team will be launching a sales support blitz through the end of the year to share the commission program specifics and to help agents be positioned to take advantage of the new commission tiers at the start of 2016. This support program will include webinars, office visits and updates during the line’s Carnival Conversations events. The sales support blitz will kick off with a podcast hosted by Perez and Julius, which will debut featured on GoCCL.com beginning today.