Ahead of the worldwide tightening of sulfur emission rules for ships of all types in 2020, the cruise industry is facing criticism that its use of scrubbers, its preferred solution for removing sulfur…
North America
Improved NCL groups program gives agents pricing flexibility
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Norwegian Cruise Line is relaunching its affinity group sales program, offering travel advisors discounts of up to 15% on prevailing rates depending on how far in advance the b…
Royal Caribbean raises earnings forecast for 2019
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) raised the midpoint of its forecast for 2019 earnings by $31 million after reporting higher second-quarter net income.The company said it earned $472.8 million in t…
Crystal makes push for younger passengers
The bread-and-butter itinerary for a luxury cruise line is something in the 10- to 28-day range. But Crystal Cruises is offering more seven-day itineraries in a bid to appeal to a younger demographic.…
Yotel announces new property in Atlanta, USA
Yotel has announced plans to open a 351-cabin property in downtown Atlanta.It will be located just off Peachtree Street in the heart of the Underground transformation – a historic four-block red…
Space-tourism biz Virgin Galactic going public after merger
LONDON (AP) — Richard Branson’s space-tourism venture, Virgin Galactic, is planning to go public, creating the first listed human spaceflight firm.Virgin Galactic said Tuesday it is mergin…
Gran Destino Tower opens at Disney’s Coronado Springs
Walt Disney World has completed a multiyear revamp of the Coronado Springs Resort, with the new 545-room Gran Destino Tower as the centerpiece.Named for the Disney animated short film “Destino,&…
Hotel rates, development limiting access to California coast
Despite the California coast’s reputation as an iconic travel destination, rampant high-end real estate development and rising hotel rates have put overnight stays near the shoreline out of reac…
Discover Puerto Rico appoints Hills Balfour to global representation role
Discover Puerto Rico has appointed United Kingdom-based travel representation and PR consultancy Hills Balfour, an MMGY Global company, as its international representation agency.Hills Balfour will ov…
Carnival Vista to undergo floating repairs in Caribbean
Carnival Cruise Line has revealed that Netherlands-based Boskalis will deploy a transport vessel as a first of its kind “floating dry dock” facility to complete the repairs to Carnival Vis…