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Thomson Cruises adds Dubai to base ports with Thomson Celebration 2016-17 deployment

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 September 2015 18 September 2015

Thomson Cruises, which is part of the Anglo-German TUI group, says it will base a ship in Dubai for the first time in the 2016-17 winter season. “Two new itineraries announced featuring seven new ports of call: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Manama (Bahrain), Doha (Qatar), Khor Fakkan (UAE), Muscat and Khasab (Oman), the company said in a statement.

Six regional airports will be serving Dubai: Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and London Gatwick

“With 13 million tourists visiting the destination in 2014, Dubai’s popularity is soaring and with Brits visiting more and more destinations each year, it will provide the perfect starting point for travellers to experience two exciting new itineraries from December 2016,” Thomson said.

On sale from November 2015, the two seven night itineraries – ‘Arabian Nights’ and ‘Cities of Gold’ – will stop overnight in Dubai and visit six new destinations including Khasab and Muscat in Oman, Manama in Bahrain, Doha in Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Khor Fakkan in UAE.

With the announcement of the new destinations comes an excursion programme, with 36% of respondents to a poll saying a key factor for choosing a destination was whether it would look spectacular on their Instagram account.

Excursion highlights include the spectacular sites of the Burj al Arab and Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Grand Mosque in Muscat. “If the outdoors holds an exotic appeal, customers can explore the magnificent Musafi Mountains in Khor Fakkan and dine on the glamorous Dubai Dhow cruise. Customers exploring Abu Dhabi will be able to grab a taste of the action at Ferrari World, as well as taking in the dazzling Emirates Palace and test their adventurous side with desert safaris,” Thomson continued.

Customers wishing to combine their cruise with a seven night stay in Dubai can stay in luxury hotels including the spectacular Atlantis the Palm.

Managing Director for Thomson Cruises, Helen Caron said: “At Thomson Cruises we know that destinations are one of the key deciding factors for our customers and our decision to set sail from Dubai will allow holiday-makers to see and experience more destinations than ever before.”

“As Dubai becomes more and more popular for winter sun and incredible excursions, we know our customers will be as excited as we are to welcome this destination to our programme. With the average Brit visiting more than 14 foreign countries in their lifetime*, we can’t wait for everyone to discover Arabia, from the glamour and opulence of Dubai and Abu Dhabi to the ancient heritage sites in Oman,” she said in the statement.

Royal Caribbean expands entertainment on Anthem of the Seas with Dreamworks experience

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

When Anthem of the Seas arrives into the New York harbor in just 50 days it will bring with it a familiar cast of DreamWorks Animation characters. Po of "Kung Fu Panda;" Shrek, Fiona and Puss In Boots of "Shrek;" and Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, King Julien and the Penguins from "Madagascar " will be joining Anthem of the Seas when she begins sailing from her homeport of Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, NJ.

Guests on Anthem can enjoy events and activities based on DreamWorks Animation's popular feature-film characters, including a DreamWorks Character breakfast in the main dining room, ‘meet and greet’ experiences throughout the day as well as photo ops that can be shared with family and friends back home thanks to VOOM, the fastest internet at sea. Royal Caribbean's younger guests can enjoy an exhilarating line-up of activities, games and adventures rooted in the popular DreamWorks Animation films at the complimentary, award-winning Adventure Ocean youth program. Additionally, guests can watch the latest DreamWorks Animation films at the ship’s movie theater or on a dedicated DreamWorks TV channel in their stateroom.

"Anthem of the Seas already offers an unprecedented line-up of entertainment activities on board for our guests," said Mark Tamis, senior vice president, hotel operations, Royal Caribbean International. “With the addition of the DreamWorks Experience guests of all ages will be even more wowed with everything Anthem has to offer.”

In addition to The DreamWorks Experience, guests onboard Anthem of the Seas can enjoy an endless landscape of entertainment. In Two70, a multi-level great room that seamlessly fuses entertainment and technology, guests will be surprised and awestruck by the immersive experiences created by the talented singers and dancers of Royal Caribbean Productions who meld music and special effects with Vistarama – the most complex seamless video projections on floor to ceiling windows spanning across 270 degrees at the aft of the ship.

Two70 also hosts a troupe of six, choreographed Roboscreens which soar, twist and spin solo or together as one to treat guests to stunningly visual, first-of-its-kind multi-media shows that can only be seen on Anthem of the Seas. In addition, the Royal Theater is home to Royal Caribbean’s two headlining shows, the smash hit musical “We Will Rock You” and an original production created exclusively for Anthem, “The Gift.”

The world’s most revolutionary cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas is setting sail on the next great adventure. Unprecedented innovations in ship design, thrilling activities, game-changing technology, multidimensional entertainment and robust, flexible dining opportunities come together onboard Anthem to create the ultimate, contemporary cruising experience found only on Royal Caribbean. She spans 18 decks, encompasses 168,666 gross registered tons, carries 4,180 guests at double occupancy and features 2,090 staterooms. Anthem of the Seas will sail out of New York Harbor from her new homeport of Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J. from November 10, 2015.

Carnival Japan Country Director Eiko Kijima retires

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

Carnival plc yesterday announced that Eiko Kijima, country director and a representative director of Carnival Japan, will be retiring. Satoru Horikawa, currently a representative director of Carnival Japan, will assume the role of country director as of September 14, 2015. Kijima-san will continue as a special adviser to Carnival Japan in order to assist in transition matters until December 31, 2015, at which time she will retire from the company.

Kijima was the general manager of Cruise Vacations in 1992 and worked as a general sales agent of Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises, American Hawaii Cruises among other lines. In 1994, she became president, and expanded the business to become the general sales agent of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Paul Gaugin Cruises, Cunard Line and Seabourn Cruises. She also has been a board member of JATA, Japan Association of Travel Agents, and has served as an executive officer since 2005. Kijima became president of Carnival Japan in March 2012 when Cruise Vacations became a part of Carnival plc. She has successfully led the Carnival Japan team to launch the first Japan homeport season for Princess Cruises in 2013, which was the first global cruise line to enter the Japanese market and continues today with the largest deployment ever. In 2014 and 2015, she led the team to launch the Japan homeport season for Princess Cruises with high customer satisfaction.

“We are so grateful to have had such a strong, dedicated and experienced professional leader as Kijima-san. As the ‘Godmother’ of the Japan cruising industry, she has not only led the growth of Princess Cruises in Japan, but also the rapid development of the cruise vacation industry” said Jan Swartz, President of Princess Cruises. “We will miss Kijima and all she offered to the company. Kijima-san is synonymous with the cruise industry in Japan and she should be proud of all she has accomplished throughout her illustrious career. We are thankful that she will be with us through the end of this year as a special adviser to assist with transition matters, and wish her all the best for her retirement.”

"I am very grateful to have spent nearly 40 years being a part of the growth of the cruising industry in Japan, and deeply honored to have had the opportunity to lead the great and passionate Carnival Japan team since 2012. I am very proud of what my teams have accomplished together and by bringing the concept of international cruising to the people of Japan. Although cruising is still a new vacation concept to the Japanese market, I am proud to have laid the foundation for the cruise industry to grow in Japan, and I am sure cruising will become a mainstream vacation choice for travelers looking for one of the best vacations of their lives" said Kijima.

"We are also very pleased with the announcement of Satoru Horikawa as the new country director of Carnival Japan," Swartz added. "He joined the company in July 2014, overseeing all sales, marketing and public relations operations of Carnival Japan and has taken on additional roles since joining. His responsibilities include all regions within Japan for Princess Cruises, as well as Cunard Line and Seabourn. Horikawa has rich industry experience and will be tremendous asset to the continued success and growth of Carnival Japan into the future.”

Horikawa brings to this position over 20 years of experience in the retail and leisure industry with significant experience working with the travel trade in Japan. Prior to joining Carnival Japan he was vice president, sales and marketing, DFS Group Limited with responsibility for DFS’ duty free business in the US and Hawaii. In this position, Horikawa worked with travel professionals to grow DFS’ land based duty free business. He also served as the general manager of the Okinawa division of a global real estate private equity business with the responsibility for managing that company’s assets in Okinawa, which included a hotel and condominium project, a duty free retail facility and a golf course.

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.