It was a positive week for the cruise industry, as a survey of 5,000 consumers by CruiseCritic.com discovered continued consumer confidence in the cruise industry’s handling of health and safety protocols. Average booking trends remained steady, with 66 percent of respondents saying they have a cruise booked and 65 percent planning to sail within the next six months.
In the Caribbean, Atlas Ocean Voyages' new World Navigator sailed from the Port of Philipsburg, St. Maarten, for the first time. That new expedition ship will soon head for Argentina to begin a series of winter 2023-24 Antarctica voyages. Tip: Travel Agent was aboard the St. Maarten sailing sailed for three nights, so stay tuned for that report soon.
Heading for Port Everglades, FL, to operate a series of cruises is Emerald Princess, the third Princess Cruises ship that’s now returned to service in the U.S. Also currently sailing to that port is Holland America Line’s new Rotterdam, which will be christened next year in Rotterdam, Netherlands, by the country’s Princess Margriet.
At Port Canaveral, FL, Miss Universe, Dominican Republic, Kimberly Jimenez, christened Carnival Cruise Line’s new LNG-powered Mardi Gras, which has been sailing from that port since summer 2021. The “Universe of Fun” celebration signified “excitement and optimism as we look to bring our entire fleet back into guest service by spring 2022,” according to Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president. The LNG-powered Mardi Gras offers the first roller coaster at sea and the first shipboard Big Chicken restaurant by Shaquille O'Neal, Carnival's "chief fun officer."
On Saturday, Crystal hosted cruise media and the trade aboard a two-night voyage of its new PC6 expedition ship, Crystal Endeavor, which sailed roundtrip from PortMiami. A photo of the ship's Expedition Suite No. 700, is shown below. To see many more photos of this suite, visit our sister publication, Luxury Travel Advisor.
More than 4,500 travel advisors either joined or renewed their American Society of Travel Advisors’ (ASTA) membership, thanks to efforts by Vicki Freed, senior vice-president of sales, trade support and services, Royal Caribbean International. She’d announced a cruise giveaway for all travel advisors who did so. As a result, ASTA gained 2,574 new members.
Silversea, as reported by Luxury Travel Advisor, has unveiled a new wellness program for Silver Dawn, while Aurora Expeditions reports that it’s now 100 percent carbon neutral.
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