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Windstar Cruises expands global footprint to South America with tours to Galapagos and Machu Picchu

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 November 2023 28 November 2023

Windstar Cruises is expanding its global reach with first-time cruises in South America beginning in December of 2025 on board all-suite yacht Star Pride. The diversification to the region creates new opportunities for the small ship cruise line’s well-traveled guests to experience bucket-list destinations, like Machu Picchu in Peru and Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, allowing Windstar’s guests to enjoy the uncrowded and unpretentious style they are well known for.

The new 16-day Marvels of Latin America Cruise Tour sailing from Colón, Panama to Lima, Peru (or reverse) adds a pre- or post-cruise tour to Machu Picchu. And there’s an option for a mid-cruise overland tour to the Galapagos Islands. For a shorter version, an 11-day Marvels of Ecuador, Peru, and the Panama Canal includes the cruise and the optional Galapagos Island overland tour.

“Our new cruise tour in Machu Picchu and overland tour to Galapagos allow our guests to see more of South America,” explains Windstar Cruises President Christopher Prelog. “I’m excited to offer our loyal guests new destinations to visit with Windstar. We’re taking care of the complicated logistics to get you to all these spectacular places.”

Starting with the New Year’s sailing on December 27, 2025, through January, the itinerary includes a daylight transit of the iconic Panama Canal and is also filled with overnight stays allowing ample time for multi-day exploration in Manta, Guayaquil, and Lima. Additional port visits include Machala (where more locals go on vacation than tourists) and Trujillo, where guests can visit the nearby pre-Colombian Chimu tribe archaeological site of Chan Chan.

The Machu Picchu tour is offered as a pre- or post-cruise excursion over five days. Highlights include driving to the Sacred Valley while visiting and dining at local farms; riding the legendary Vistadome train through the Andean landscape to and from Machu Picchu, where a private guide takes guests through the UNESCO World Heritage Site; exploring the Urubamba market and a local ceramic workshop on an extensive overview of Cusco; and ambling Lima’s bustling streets with a knowledgeable local. Overnight stays during the tour are in luxury, boutique hotels, and included meals focus on local ingredients and flavors for which Peru is best known.

The mid-cruise Ecuadorian excursion to the Galapagos takes place over three days, beginning in either Manta or Guayaquil depending on the date/direction of the sailing. After flying from Gauyaquil to the Galapagos, guests take a ferry to the Santa Cruz Highlands to see Giant Tortoises in their natural habitat and visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. The next day guests embark on a small ferry for a navigable tour to one of the Galapagos’ uninhabited islands: North Seymour Island, Bartolome Island, South Plaza Island, Santa Fe Island, or Floreana Island. On the final day, guests board a short flight and transfer to return to their Windstar yacht in Guayaquil (or in Manta, depending on the date and itinerary direction).

Prelog emphasized the unique opportunity to visit three must-see places – Panama Canal, Machu Picchu, Galapagos – within one 16-day trip. “It’s an incredible value and makes good use of travel time by combining these locations into one cruise tour,” said Prelog.

Windstar has made significant increases in the number of cruise tours on offer in every region the small ship line sails, including these first-time offerings in South America. The move is in response to customers’ demands to spend more time soaking in the sights and spirit of each destination.

“These tours take care of every detail while also getting you closer to the wildlife, culture, and history of the region in a way that’s respectful of the land and the locals,” Prelog says. “Since we begin or end in Panama versus Florida where traditionally these itineraries depart from, we have fewer sea days and more port calls in South America for a rich destination experience.”

American Cruise Lines' second Coastal Cat to enter service soon

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 November 2023 20 November 2023

American Glory, the second new American Cruise Lines’ Coastal Cat to launch this year, has recently passed its sea trials. American Cruise Lines accepted delivery of the 100-passenger small ship from Chesapeake Shipbuilding on-time as scheduled. American Glory is the newest ship in American’s ongoing series of 12 new Coastal Cats for exploring U.S. waterways. Additional ships in the series are already under construction, with the next two scheduled for delivery in 2024.

American Glory will sail its inaugural cruise on November 28th from Maryland to Florida, where it will begin operating American’s brand-new Florida Gulf Coast & Keys cruises from late December into the new year. In addition to the popular new Florida itinerary, American Glory will sail a slate of U.S. itineraries along the East Coast throughout 2024, which blend the luxury of river cruising with the access and adventure of expedition cruising – while only visiting U.S. ports of call.

“American Glory furthers our commitment to building new small ships for America’s rivers and coasts,” said Charles B. Robertson, President & CEO of American Cruise Lines. “More importantly, it is our third new ship delivery this year, making it a solid demonstration of our expanded production capacity for the U.S. market.”

Introduced just a few months after series flagship, American Eagle, as well as new riverboat American Serenade, American Glory is a testament to the Line’s ongoing market strength and special ability to sail an expanding array of 100% U.S. itineraries along both rivers and coasts. American’s small ship fleet has continued to grow year after year featuring ground-breaking designs that offer unprecedented accommodations for small ships. And it is now the only 100% U.S. flagged fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships in the world.

Accommodating just 100 guests, American Glory features four decks and showcases a new catamaran bow. The new small ship offers elegant interior design and private balcony accommodations, including spacious Single and Double-Occupancy Staterooms as well as Suites. American Glory also offers a top deck for amazing views, comfortable lounges both inside and out, a main restaurant, casual café, and fitness center.

Celestyal continues fleet renewal with an acquisition of AIDAaura

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 16 November 2023 16 November 2023

Celestyal, the leading cruise operator of Greek origin with cruises to the Greek islands and beyond confirmed today the acquisition of a second new vessel this year. The Celestyal Discovery, following the recent arrival of the Celestyal Journey, confirms the renewal of the fleet and a greater commitment to a significant investment in the customer experience.

Celestyal Discovery will join her fleetmate in Athens, where both will undergo multi-million dollar renovation programs ahead of the new season, which begins in March 2024. The ship's name symbolizes the company's ethos of creating unrepeatable moments of discovery through the connection between people, places and oneself. It embodies Celestyal's spirit of trust, sense of exploration and admiration. Built in 2003 for Carnival Corporation, she has sailed under the AIDA Cruise brand for her entire career to date. The Celestyal Discovery is a medium-sized ship, which allows Celestyal to continue offering its hallmark, the mix of emblematic destinations and more hidden gems that characterize the company's itineraries. She offers 633 cabins, 62 of them with a balcony, with a total capacity for about 1,266 passengers.

Cruise sales on Celestyal's new ship will open on December 11, 2023, taking over from the 2024 Celestyal Olympia schedule. Special launch offers will be included in Black Friday promotions released later this week, as well as as throughout Celestyal's largest “Wave” campaign to date, launching at the end of the year. Guests currently booked on the Celestyal Olympia will be contacted by Celestyal after this date and rebooked on departures on the newly renovated Celestyal Discovery.

"Based on strong market and business conditions, we are delighted to have accelerated our fleet renewal by welcoming Celestyal Discovery to the Celestyal family," said CEO Chris Theophilides. "Celestyal Discovery joins Celestyal Journey to undergo an extensive refurbishment program over the winter period, further showing our intention to continue to delight our customers. As a trusted brand, our team is delighted to continue making waves in the industry next season, with a renewed fleet, brand and network, and a renewed sense of direction."

Celestyal Discovery will offer numerous Celestyal fleet favorite features - an inviting Amphitheater with ample conference and event space, vibrant lounges, Grillseekers specialty restaurant, a Sozo wellness retreat, a spacious pool deck with an exclusive Rays deck , the Greek Deli, and a Fig and Honey ice cream and juice bar. She will also offer some surprises in the offer for customers that will be added during her upcoming renovation program in Greece. More details about the onboard experience and itineraries will be announced soon.

Viking to add new ship for the Mekong River

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 November 2023 15 November 2023

Viking has announced an expansion of its river fleet in Southeast Asia with the new Viking Tonle. Designed for the Mekong River, the 80-guest vessel will join its identical sister ship, the Viking Saigon, which debuted in 2022, and will sail between Kampong Cham, Cambodia and Mỹ Tho, Vietnam as part of Viking’s popular 15-day Magnificent Mekong itinerary. The ship is under construction and is currently scheduled to debut in October 2025. To meet strong demand for Mekong River voyages, Viking has added sailing dates in 2025 and has now opened the entire 2026 season for booking.

“The rich history and culture of Vietnam and Cambodia have always made the Mekong River a fascinating destination for our guests,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “With the addition of an identical sister ship in 2025, we look forward to introducing even more curious travelers to the treasures of this fantastic region in the years to come.”

Built specifically to navigate the Mekong River, the new Viking Tonle will host 80 guests in 40 outside staterooms. Featuring the clean Scandinavian design for which Viking is known, all staterooms have hotel-style beds and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with a Veranda or French Balcony. Guests on the three-deck Viking Tonle also enjoy a Spa & Fitness Center, Pool and open-air Sky Bar on the Upper Deck.

During this 15-day journey, guests explore the cultural treasures of Vietnam and Cambodia with 16 guided tours. Hotel stays in Hanoi, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) bracket an eight-day Mekong River voyage on this unique itinerary, during which guests can enjoy exploring the Old Quarter of Hanoi and attending a performance by Apsara dancers; tasting the distinctive fresh ingredients from bustling markets and local restaurants; wandering the Khmer temple complex of Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; visiting Ta Prohm, where jungle vines embrace ancient ruins; and seeing the sights of Phnom Penh by cyclo rickshaw. On the river voyage portion of the itinerary, guests can discover silk towns, fishing villages, monasteries and floating markets.

Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic extend and expand strategic relationship through 2040

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 November 2023 15 November 2023

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc., the recognized global leader and a pioneer in the expedition cruises and adventure travel industry, announced today the long-term extension and expansion of the Lindblad Expeditions brand’s strategic relationship with renowned exploration and scientific discovery brand National Geographic.

Under the new agreement, the two companies have extended their industry-defining 20-year relationship for 17 additional years, with a commitment through 2040 that will allow the brand to reach new worldwide audiences through three compelling new market opportunities including:

– Global rights to the National Geographic brand for expedition cruises, which will enable Lindblad Expeditions to increase its fleet capacity of 17 intimately scaled exploration ships and expand into additional market segments;
– Leverage of The Walt Disney Company as an affiliate of National Geographic Partners to distribute product through Disney’s powerful sales channels and support robust joint marketing campaigns; and
– Enhancements to the onboard guest experience with more immersive storytelling and experiences connected to the National Geographic brand.

A milestone in Lindblad Expeditions’ global growth strategy, this expanded relationship will elevate the brand’s position as the leader in expedition cruise, the breakout travel trend of the decade. It will increase the earnings potential of the company by opening larger addressable markets and potential expansion into additional market segments through: a global license to use the National Geographic Expeditions brand to market, sell and operate co-branded trips on expedition ships; exclusivity on trips marketed in the United States and Canada for ships up to 295 passengers, with the ability to expand that exclusive license globally and to ships with guest capacity of up to 530 passengers; and a global license to market co-branded river cruises.

One of the most impactful elements of this new agreement is the distribution of the company’s products through The Walt Disney Company’s powerful sales channels. This distribution will be instrumental in reaching key new-to-expedition and new-to-brand travelers around the world, thereby growing the company’s consumer base to drive additional capacity and earnings growth in the years ahead. The combination of the educational travel expertise of National Geographic, the marketing and sales expertise of The Walt Disney Company, and the expedition cruise operations history of Lindblad Expeditions will inspire generations of new explorers across the globe and fuel record growth.

“The extension – and, most importantly, the expansion – of our strategic relationship with National Geographic will enable us to significantly grow our business and each of our brands on an international scale and reach more citizen explorers than ever before,” said Sven-Olof Lindblad, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lindblad Expeditions. “As we globalize our operations, the power of worldwide branding rights, uplifted by the marketing and sales engine of National Geographic and The Walt Disney Company, is incredibly exciting and will be key to our continued growth. Building on our company’s half-century of safe and responsible exploration and long list of industry innovations, together, we will continue to craft world-opening expeditions for curious explorers, develop more meaningful guest programs on land and on board our growing fleet, and expose new audiences to the beauty and wonder of our shared planet. Over the past two decades, our intuitive connection and shared ethos has positively impacted hundreds of thousands of guests, and I look forward to our next two decades of industry-leading growth.”

Today, National Geographic touchpoints are found throughout each awe-inspiring expedition, which are expertly crafted to educate, inspire, and transform, based on the belief there is always more to be discovered. Every expedition is accompanied by a certified photography instructor, with National Geographic training to help guests hone their skills. Under the new agreement, guests will enjoy more National Geographic content throughout each step of their expedition, from the moment they book until after they return home; as well as enhanced in-field interactions with National Geographic Experts—renowned individuals from the worlds of science, exploration, conservation, and education.

“Lindblad Expeditions’ expertise, history of responsible and safe exploration and outstanding guest experience makes them the right organization to help bring the National Geographic Expeditions brand to life,” said Stephanie Young, President, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures & Expeditions and Disney Institute. “We are proud to associate our iconic travel brand with an operator with such a rich pioneering heritage that is committed to operating inspiring and meaningful travel experiences to the world’s most compelling destinations to grow the National Geographic Expeditions brand on a global scale, while bringing high-quality hospitality, customer service standards and marketing and sales expertise.”

With its pioneering history in expedition cruising, Lindblad Expeditions has carried citizen explorers on journeys of deep discovery to the farthest reaches of the planet for more than half a century. For the past two decades, Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic have collaborated through a shared mission: To foster a spirit of discovery and community by blending science, nature, and purpose-driven travel. The brands and their guests have progressed important conservation priorities, educational opportunities and supported environmental scientific research at local, regional, and global levels, during thousands of expeditions designed for discovery to highlight the wonder of our shared world and our collective role in protecting it. Through the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Fund, the company and its guests have raised $20 million to support numerous conservation, education and science initiatives around the globe. Together with the National Geographic Society, Lindblad Expeditions has brought more than 365 educators into the world through the Grosvenors Teachers Fellowship program to experience expeditions, and those educators in return pass that knowledge on to their students.