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Viking Cruises launches $1 million travel agent challenge

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 October 2016 18 October 2016

Viking Cruises, the deep sea and river cruise operator, has announced details of a new promotion for the travel trade, in celebration of the company’s 20^th anniversary.

“The Challenge, called Your Ship Has Come In: Viking Million Dollar Voyage, will be the travel industry’s largest-ever promotion of its kind. Running from October 17, 2016 until March 31, 2017, qualified travel agents who sell Viking’s river or ocean cruises will have the opportunity to enter the Challenge to win $1 million,” the company said in a statement.

“As we prepare to celebrate 20 years of leading the industry in 2017, we wanted an extraordinary way to recognize and reward the efforts of our travel trade partners,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. “In the last two decades, travel agents have helped us launch more ships and win more awards than any other cruise line, so it seems appropriate that we should also host the biggest-ever Challenge for our travel agent partners.”

To be eligible to win, qualified travel agents must register for “Your Ship Has Come In: Viking Million Dollar Voyage” by visiting www.vrc.com/million.

Upon registration, each qualified Viking River Cruises or Viking Ocean Cruises booking made from October 17, 2016 through March 31, 2017 will count as an entry in the Challenge. There is no limit on the number of entries – so each qualified booking increases the chance of winning. The winning travel agent will win $1 million and will be chosen at random from all qualified bookings, following the end of the Challenge in March 2017.

Azamara Club Cruises appoints Bert Hernandez Chief Operating Officer

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 October 2016 11 October 2016

Azamara Club Cruises has announced the appointment of Bert Hernandez to Chief Operating Officer effective October 31, 2016.

"This is a newly created position for the brand and Hernandez will play an important role as the line continues to grow and evolve," the cruise line said in a statement. Hernandez is no stranger to the cruise industry as he spent the last three years serving as Vice President of Planning, Strategy and Deployment for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and prior to that, enjoyed four years as Vice President of Revenue Management for Celebrity Cruises. An experienced senior executive, he has played a pivotal role in positions across Royal Caribbean’s family of brands.

“Azamara Club Cruises is thrilled to have Bert Hernandez join our dedicated team,” said Larry Pimentel, President and CEO, Azamara Club Cruises. “It’s an exciting time for the brand and Bert brings expertise and knowledge that will be extremely beneficial to our team as we look ahead to Azamara’s bright future. Our Destination Immersion programming is unmatched and we continue to bring unique experiences to our guests because of our talented teams.”

In his new role, Hernandez’s experience as a senior executive with highly developed commercial, planning and management skills will be applied as Azamara continues to implement new and exciting programs, voyages, ports of call and more.

“I am excited to join the Azamara team and look forward to playing an important role in the continued success that lies ahead,” states Bert Hernandez, Chief Operating Officer at Azamara Club Cruises. “I’m ready to dive into this new role and work with the team on this truly unique and special brand.”

Ballast Water Management Convention may drive oldest cruise ships from business

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 October 2016 11 October 2016

The Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will take effect in September 2017 and it may drive some of the oldest cruise ships out of business due to cost of compliance.

The Convention requires owners of existing vessels to fit equipment that will prevent the spread of organisms with ballast water discharges at the first dry docking of each vessel after Convention has taken effect.

Speakers at the annual conference of the International Chamber of Shipping in London last month said that the equipment will cost between $0.5 million and $5 million, depending on the size of the installation.

At the end of May 2016, there were eight cruise vessels built in the 1960s still in service, which had a combined capacity of 4,232 lower berths. Cruise vessels built in the 1970s numbered 14 and their combined capacity was 8,512 lower berths. The global cruise ship fleet had a combined capacity of 506,356 lower berths at the same point in time, according to figures in Global Ocean Cruise Market Analysis & Forecast by Odo Maritime Research.

Should all the ships built in those two decades leave the market, it would not have a material impact on the supply of cruise berths. However, it might lead to some companies finding it difficult to find suitable replacements to the aged tonnage due to be taken out of service.

Tallink invests 16 million euros for the refit of Silja Europa

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 10 October 2016 10 October 2016

AS Tallink Grupp invests over 16 million euros into refurbishment the passenger ferry Silja Europa, which is returning to Helsinki-Tallinn route from the docking on 12th of December. The renewal works include the majority of cabins, five restaurants and bars and conference area.

One of the largest works on board is the total renovation of total 1016 cabins, including the cabins of all cabin class starting from standard to the suites. The renovations include the whole interior and furniture, whereas the new interior design has been made by the company Aprocos.

Alongside the renovation of cabins, cabin corridors, lobbies, reception and public restrooms, also new restaurants and bars are built. The buffet restaurant and Grill House restaurants are fully renovated, the cafe Coffee&Co introduced to the route and one bar and pub fully renewed.

In spring 2016 Silja Europa’s shops, the nightclub and showbar were renovated and the Italian restaurant Tavolata and fast service restaurant Fast Lane were launched on board of Silja Europa.

The ship will start sailing on Helsinki-Tallinn route from 12th of December with a cruising schedule of departing from Helsinki every day at 18.30, arriving to Tallinn at 22.00 and departing from Tallinn the next afternoon at 12.30 and arriving to Helsinki at 16.00. Tallink transports every year almost five million passengers on Helsinki-Tallinn route. Aside of the cruise ferry Tallink also operates with two fast ferries under Tallink Shuttle brand on that specific line. In 2017, the company introduces the new environmentally friendly LNG driven fast ferry Megastar to the route.

Town & Country announces first-ever cruise awards

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 07 October 2016 07 October 2016

T&C Travel, Town & Country magazine's bi-annual travel issue, has announced its first-ever Cruise Awards, anointing the crème de la crème of ships and experiences. The winning cruises are grouped into five categories -- mainstream luxury, classic luxury, contemporary luxury, river cruises, expedition cruises -- and broken down into sub-categories including best for design, food, families, activities, suites, and more. Whether you fancy a suite that can sleep 14, a vessel with a Michelin-starred chef on board, are traveling with family or are looking for a solo adventure, you will find the best cruise for you in this Awards guide.

"With this feature, we sought to answer the following question for every reader of T&C, whether they've never cruised before or have many times: What is the best way for me to cruise now?" says Klara Glowczewska, Executive Travel Editor. "As with hotels, so with cruises -- there is always an appetite on the part of people who travel for a carefully curated, editorial take on this vast world of possibilities. How, and where, is the best way to spend your travel dollar -- and acquire indelible memories?"

To help us select these top-rated vessels, T&C commissioned Carolyn Spencer Brown, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic, who has been on every ship out there multiple times. Not only does she know the industry like no one else, she will always tell it like it is. A roundtable of eight experts known for years of experience booking cruises for their customers weighed in as well on the choices T&C made.

T&C Travel's Cruise Award winners include:
Mainstream Luxury:
– Norwegian Cruise Line (Best Overall, Best for Food)
– Royal Caribbean International (Best for Active Travelers, Best for Families, Best for Suites)
– Cunard's Queen Mary 2 (Best for Pet Lovers)
– Cunard (Best for Onboard Activities)
– Celebrity Cruises (Best for Design)
Classic Luxury:
– Crystal Cruises (Best Overall, Best for Onboard Activities, Best for Families)
– Seabourn (Best for Design, Best for Food, Best for On-Shore Activities, Best for Active Travelers)
– Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Best for Suites, Best for Not Nickel-and-Diming)
– Paul Gauguin Cruises - The Paul Gauguin (Best Match of Ship and Destination)
– Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: Europa 2 (Best Ship You've Never Heard of)
Contemporary Luxury:
– Viking Ocean Cruises (Best Overall, Best for Design)
– Oceana Cruises (Best for Food, Best for Suites, Best for On-Shore Excursions)
– Crystal Esprit (Best for Active Travelers)
– Windstar Cruises (Best for Families)
River Cruises:
– Amawaterways (Best Overall, Best for Food, Best for Onboard Activities)
– Viking River Cruises (Best for Suites, Best for Design)
– Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection (Most Distinctive Ambience, Best for Active Travelers)
– Amawaterways (Best for On-Shore Activities)
– Adventures by Disney (Best for On-Shore Activities)
– Scenic (Best for Independent Travelers)
Expedition Cruises
– Abercrombie & Kent/Ponant (Best Overall, Best for On-Shore Activities, Best for Food)
– Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic (Best for Families, Best for Onboard Activities)
– Aqua Expeditions (Best for Suites, Best for Design)
– REI Adventures (Best for Active Travelers)
– Silversea Expeditions (Best for Adventure Newbies)
For more information on the T&C Travel Cruise Awards and to read the feature, visit www.townandcountrymag.com/2016cruiseawards.