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Celestyal Cruises extends 2019 and 2020 seasons, offers new ports-of-call

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 March 2018 05 March 2018

Celestyal Cruises has announced its extended 2019 and new 2020 itineraries. In 2019 Celestyal Cruises will extend its season into December and return to Istanbul for the first time since 2016 with its new 7-night Eclectic Aegean itinerary, which sails 6 departures from October 21st 2019 through November 25th 2019. This “eclectic’ cruise includes an overnight stay in Istanbul and calls at Volos, Greece, for excursions to the stunning mountains of Meteora, and to Canakkale, Turkey, for excursions to Troy and Gallipoli. The 7-night Eclectic Aegean will also visit Heraklion and Santorini and, during its call at Mykonos, will depart at 2:00 a.m. so passengers can fully enjoy the nightlife of this cosmopolitan island.

Celestyal Cruises has also announced the launch of its 7-night “3 Continents” cruises in 2019, with 5 cruises in December 2019; the first departs from Piraeus on December 2nd, while the fifth and final cruise sails from Piraeus on December 30th. The 3 Continents cruise calls at Alexandria and Port Said, Egypt, at Ashdod, Israel, at Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey, at Limassol, Cyprus, and at Rhodes. Shore excursions at each of these ports will give passengers an authentic deep dive into the incredible history and culture of these storied destinations.

In 2020 Celestyal Cruises will continue its well-established 3- and 4-night Iconic cruises and further strengthen its 7-night itineraries by offering a variety of choices to new and returning passengers. The 7-night Eclectic Cruise will sail from April 6th 2020 until the 11th of May, with a second series of cruises beginning on September 7th and sailing through the end of October 2020. Celestyal Cruises’ 7-night Idyllic Aegean cruises will sail from May 18th through August 31st, while the 3 Continents cruise will sail from March 2nd through March 30th and Nov 2nd through December 28th.

Celestyal Cruises’ extended 2019 and 2020 seasons are a first step toward its goal of sailing year-round Aegean cruises. All 2019 and 2020 cruises feature the award winning Celestyal Inclusive experience with all-inclusive drink packages, all meals on-board, entertainment, selected shore excursions, port and service charges and gratuities included in the fare.

“Our 2019 and 2020 itineraries add 7 new ports of call to our Eastern Mediterranean product and bring us closer to our objective of sailing year-round in our home waters,” said Celestyal Cruises CEO Kerry Anastassiadis. “We are thrilled to be returning to Istanbul, and to give our passengers the opportunity to visit Ephesus, Troy and Gallipoli, as well as Volos, Greece, the gateway to the fabled mountain landscapes of Meteora, and with our new 3 Continents cruise, our passengers can now visit the Holy Land and the Pyramids, in addition to calling at our spectacular Aegean destinations. Given our recent Cruise Critic awards for value, Shorex and service and the addition of these incredible ports of call to our itineraries, we continue to give new and returning passengers more reasons to sail with us.”

Carnival Cruise Line to offer new cruises to Cuba from PortMiami in 2019

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 March 2018 05 March 2018

Carnival Cruise Line will offer 17 new sailings to Cuba aboard Carnival Sensation in 2019. The 5-night Cuba voyages will be the line’s first to operate round-trip from Miami and feature a day-long call in Havana as well as stops at popular Caribbean and Bahamian ports, including Grand Turk, Grand Cayman, Nassau, and the private destinations of Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays.
The voyages complement a series of voyages to Cuba departing from Tampa aboard Carnival Paradise taking place in 2018-19.

“Our inaugural cruises to Cuba aboard Carnival Paradise from Tampa were met with exceptional guest response and we’re thrilled to expand upon the program with our first Cuba cruises from Miami featuring Havana and some of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean and The Bahamas,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Cuba is a sought-after destination and we’re delighted to provide our guests with even more opportunities to experience and explore this fascinating island,” she added.

Carnival Sensation’s Cuba schedule includes:
– four 5-night sailings to Havana and Grand Turk departing May 20, Sept. 9, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16, 2019
– five 5-night voyages featuring Havana, Nassau and Half Moon Cay departing June 17, July 15, Aug. 12, Sept. 23, and Nov. 4, 2019
– a 5-nighty cruise to Havana, Nassau and Princess Cays departing April 22, 2019
– seven 5-night cruises to Havana and Grand Cayman departing May 6, June 3, July 1 and 29, Aug. 26, Oct. 7 and Dec. 2, 2019

The 2,052-passenger Carnival Sensation underwent an extensive multi-million-dollar dry dock last year that added a variety of popular food and beverage concepts, including Guy’s Burger Joint developed in tandem with Food Network star Guy Fieri, the poolside RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar, BlueIguana Cantina serving authentic tacos and burritos, the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar, and the Cherry on Top sweets shop.

These complement the ship’s diverse array of onboard features, including a WaterWorks aqua park, a Serenity adults-only retreat, 24-hour pizzeria, fun supervised programs for kids in three age groups, and the Seuss at Sea program operated exclusively with Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

Guests sailing on Carnival’s Cuba cruises can select from nearly 20 different shore excursion experiences that showcase the island’s vibrant culture, majestic beauty and centuries-old architectural landmarks. A variety of Cuban-themed activities and entertainment, including the sizzling Amor Cubano: A Caribbean Dance Romance Playlist Productions show, Havana-inspired deck parties, trivia contests and salsa lessons, are also offered. There’s also a lecturer on board who discusses the country’s rich history and culture.

The visits to Havana comply with regulations of the U.S. Department of Treasury that permit travel operators to transport approved travelers to Cuba to engage in activities as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Royal Caribbean announces Singapore leadership changes

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 February 2018 28 February 2018

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has announced that Sean Treacy, Managing Director, Asia Pacific who is based in Singapore, will relocate back to Miami in August 2018 to take up the new role of Associate Vice President Strategic Planning for International. Treacy has played a key role in both Australia and Singapore during his four years in the Asia Pacific region.

Angie Stephen, currently Associate Vice President, Market Development, China, will relocate to Singapore to take on Treacy’s role. Stephen who comes with almost 20 years of experience in the company, has fulfilled a key market development role in China for the past year. She will take on the management of the Singapore source market for the brands Royal Caribbean International and Azamara Club Cruises.

Global Ports Holding PLC appoints Mark Robinson as Chief Commercial Officer

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 February 2018 28 February 2018

Global Ports Holding PLC, the world’s largest cruise port operator, has appointed of Mark Robinson as Chief Commercial Officer. Mark will be based in Barcelona, Spain and will report directly to CEO, Emre Sayın.

Mark is a passionate leader who has a vast amount of experience within the cruise and tourism industry. During his 30-year career to date, he has held a variety of senior roles, including Chief Commercial Officer of Portaventura World Parks & Resorts, President of Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services - a company that he founded in 2003, where he oversaw the growth of the business from a one port ground operator to a global service provider, and previously VP of Onboard Revenues & Ground Services at Festival Cruises.

Mark started his earlier career working for two of the world’s leading tour operators, TUI & First Choice Holidays, in various senior management roles. Mark has built up an excellent knowledge of the global cruise business and ports worldwide, both from an operator’s viewpoint and also from a cruise line perspective. He has been an active member of various cruise industry associations and forums globally and was previously the chair of the Associate Member Scheme at CLIA.

Emre Sayin CEO of Global Port holdings said: “I am delighted that Mark will be joining our team at this exciting time for the company, and I look forward to working with him as we strive to continually improve the experience of the passengers and the cruise ships in our ports. Mark brings with him a wealth of experience spanning operations, infrastructure and management, and he will help to deliver the development of ancillary services as part of our core strategy.”

Mark Robinson commented: “I am looking forward to be joining Global Port Holdings, a company that I admire, and that has an exciting vision and international growth strategy. It is an exciting proposition to work with the team to grow new and existing ports within the GPH portfolio, with a focus on destination development and strategic opportunities. This will importantly be delivered with the needs of the cruise lines and their guests at front of mind.”

Carnival Corporation's MedallionNet set industry apex for Wi-Fi bandwidth capacity at sea by SES Networks

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 February 2018 28 February 2018

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest leisure travel company, established a new industry apex in connectivity capabilities on February 26 at sea when it attempted to make an unprecedented level of bandwidth available to guests on board Regal Princess from its Princess Cruises brand.

Using its newly developed connectivity service, MedallionNet, and working with SES Networks, the world-leading provider of satellite-enabled connectivity solutions, Carnival Corporation and Princess Cruises attempted to achieve bandwidth of 1.5 gigabits per second, the most ever delivered to a mobile platform. The record attempt demonstrated that connectivity is no longer a limitation to cruise vacations. Guests using MedallionNet have access to the internet at speeds that eclipse typical land-based hotel connectivity performance levels.

“With MedallionNet, the best Wi-Fi at sea, the extraordinary experience of a cruise vacation is further enhanced by superior connectivity and coverage – providing our guests who want to stay connected with a connectivity experience that equals or exceeds what they experience on land,” said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation. “This event gives us the opportunity to demonstrate that guests can have connected experience that parallels land-based Wi-Fi, making it exceptionally easy for our guests to share photos, videos and messages about their fabulous vacation. Cruise vacations are already the fastest growing segment of the vacation sector, and eliminating any connectivity barriers will make cruise vacations even more desirable.”

As part of the event, Carnival Corporation will attempt to reach 1.5 gigabits per second as Regal Princess is off Princess Cays, one of the brand’s private island destinations, located on the southern tip of the island of Eleuthera in the outer Bahamas. A bandwidth capacity of 1.5 gigabits per second will give guests unprecedented Wi-Fi access that equates to more than 6,000 users concurrently surfing the internet; or 1,500 Netflix or Hulu subscribers streaming TV shows or movies.

Since mid-November 2017, MedallionNet, a game-changing connectivity service enabled by SES Networks, has been keeping guests connected to friends and family, delivering consistent streaming capabilities through unprecedented internet speeds and bandwidth, pervasive stateroom signal strength and service consistency onboard Regal Princess as well as on Princess Cays.

MedallionNet is made possible through an inventive array of antennae, networks, equipment and configuration innovations that combine to make the Regal Princess the only vessel on the planet that is currently capable of achieving 1.5 gigabits per second and more.

“MedallionNet puts to rest the notion that connectivity at sea will never be as fast or reliable as your broadband at home,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES Networks and Carnival Corporation Global Experience and Innovation partner. “Powered by our O3b fleet of MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) satellites, and complemented by our GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit) constellation, we are not only able to exceed average land-based bandwidth capabilities, but also able to set a new industry apex for guest connectivity experience.”

According to a study conducted last year by Ookla, an internet speed test company, the average U.S. fixed broadband download speed was 64.17 Mbps in the first half of 2017, while the average upload speed was 22.79 Mbps.

MedallionNet download speeds can exceed residential service levels, often eclipsing 100 Mbps, with upload speeds exceeding 60 Mbps. Mark Holmes, editorial director for the Satellite and Aviation Group of Access Intelligence, will be onsite to help authenticate the record capacity, and validate that MedallionNet exceeds any disclosed bandwidth of anyone in the cruise industry.

MedallionNet is another development to emerge from Carnival Corporation’s Global Experience and Innovation Center in Miami. It is the first end-to-end Wi-Fi service development formulated to exceed guest expectations through “GuestCentricityTM” – an initiative to enhance all aspects of the cruise vacation experience by delivering guests what they want, when, where and how they want it.

The system leverages multi-band antennas uniquely configured in an innovative shipboard formation to minimize any potential impact to guest connectivity due to seasonal weather or ship positioning, and it fuses multi-orbit satellite bandwidth to deliver superior connectivity.

By combining multiple sources of bandwidth with hundreds of shipboard access points to achieve the highest capacity shipboard network ever brought to a cruise ship, MedallionNet introduces a level of service reliability and signal pervasiveness not previously achieved on ships sailing at sea.

Pricing for MedallionNet is affordable and simple. Guests onboard the Regal Princess enjoy unlimited internet access for as low as $9.99 per day for one device when purchased for the entire voyage; guests can save even more by choosing multi device plans.
MedallionNet is currently an exclusive feature of Medallion Class ships – one of the latest innovations from Carnival Corporation that leverage the company’s interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service. Brands of Carnival Corporation utilize various satellite service providers to service the nine brands connectivity and onboard TV services.

The activities surrounding the attempt to set a new apex for bandwidth capacity will include a series of Facebook Live streaming sessions as the Regal Princess is off Princess Cays.

The stars of Carnival Corporation’s Ocean Originals television programs will be on hand to put MedallionNet to the test on the ship and at Princess Cays. Hosts will use their mobile devices as they stream high-definition videos, play mobile apps, FaceTime with friends and post video stories on social media – all to maximize the amount of bandwidth use.