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Destination NSW joins CLIA as an executive partner

Australasia’s biggest cruise destination has thrown its support behind the cruise industry, with the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW joining Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) as an Executive Partner.

The new partnership means Australia’s gateway port of Sydney and thriving regional destinations such as Eden, Newcastle and Port Kembla are now represented in the world’s largest cruise industry trade association.

New South Wales hosts the biggest share of Australia’s cruise visitors, welcoming 371 cruise ship visits during 2017-18, or almost a third of the national total.

Destination NSW joins other Australasian tourism organisations in CLIA’s Executive Partner program including Tourism Australia, Tourism New Zealand, Tourism Queensland, Tourism Western Australia and Tourism Northern Territory.

Hurtigruten’s first hybrid-powered cruise ship, the MS Roald Amundsen, traverses the Northwest Passage

Hurtigruten’s groundbreaking expedition cruise ship MS Roald Amundsen has written a new chapter in exploration history – as the first-ever battery-hybrid powered cruise ship to traverse the legendary Northwest Passage.

Captain Kai Albrigtsen was able to make a monumental entry in the ship’s logbook: The first complete journey by hybrid propulsion of the more than 3000 nautical miles through the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Princess Cruises’ megaliner Majestic Princess returns to Sydney launching record Australian cruise season

Australia’s summer cruise season has officially begun following the return of international megaliner Majestic Princess to Sydney this morning.

The largest and newest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet, Majestic Princess’ return to Sydney also marks the beginning of Princess’ biggest ever Australian season which is set to inject upwards of $70 million into the New South Wales economy.

The record-breaking 900+ cruise day season will see Princess carry more guests than ever onboard five ships on itineraries sailing from Sydney, Perth (Fremantle), Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland.

Majestic Princess will depart this afternoon for a 10-night Queensland cruise sailing to Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Yorkys Knob, Port Douglas, and Willis Island before returning to Sydney.

Eden couple sails to Eden on P&O Cruises flagship Pacific Explorer to be part of history that they helped create

Eden residents Colin and Jenny Hunter had an excellent reason for cruising to their hometown onboard Pacific Explorer as the P&O Cruises’ flagship became the first cruise ship to use the port’s $44 million wharf extension.

A surveyor by profession, Hunter had worked on the ambitious project and with Jenny wanted to be on the first ship to use the facility, a project jointly funded by the NSW Government, Federal Government and Bega Valley Shire Council.

Silver Shadow to undergo ‘Musification’ 

Silversea Cruises invites guests to discover the timeless treasures of Europe on board the reimagined Silver Shadow in 2020 following an extensive refurbishment in November this year. The “Musification” is part of the largest investment in the company’s history, with the aim of growing and improving its ultra-luxurious fleet of boutique, ultra-luxury ships.

Inspired by the design of Silversea’s flagship Silver Muse, Silver Shadow’s extensive renovation includes the creation of a new, enlarged Atrium area on deck 5 – which will house the Arts Café, reception and shore excursion office – as well as major enhancements to public spaces, including the remodelling and enlarging of guest favourite, La Dame restaurant; extensive renovation of the casino and Connoisseur’s Corner; and a remodelling of the Observation Lounge.

All of the ship’s spacious guest suites will undergo a floor-to-ceiling renovation, inspired by the elegant design and colour palette of Silver Muse. Vista and Veranda suites will benefit from a full renovation of all fixed and loose furniture, in addition to new lighting, carpets, and headboards. Bathrooms will also be upgraded with new sinks and Silestone material. Silver Shadow’s Medallion, Silver, Grand, and Royal suites will be upgraded with a new colour scheme and new materials, as per Silver Muse, while bathrooms will also undergo refurbishments.

Guests booking Europe 2020 voyages by 31 October 2019 will enjoy included economy class air, or upgrade to Business Class from just AU$3,998 roundtrip.

Virgin Voyages reveals high-fashion uniform collection designed by Gareth Pugh

Virgin Voyages, the new lifestyle brand that is shaking up the travel industry, has unveiled pieces from its stylish new uniform collection designed by maverick British fashion designer Gareth Pugh. The collection was showcased in a star-studded event during London Fashion Week.

The uniform collection pairs Pugh’s high-fashion modernist approach with Virgin Voyages’ design ethos of the Modern Romance of Sailing, which embodies a love of the sea and the glory and sophistication of the heyday of the ocean liner with a contemporary yacht-like style. The collection features a distinct combination of structure and fluidity and includes a wide range of looks from slick razor-sharp tailoring to relaxed pillow-case tunic shirts– referencing the early days of British punk, and more.

Cunard announces new 2021 programme

Luxury cruise line Cunard is excited to release its June 2021 to January 2022 cruise schedule, which will see its three Queens visit 123 destinations across 39 countries.

With an extensive range of itineraries that span the globe, the 2021 schedule includes a variety of extended port stays, including 174 voyages with late evening departures. The schedule means guests can immerse themselves in the local cultures of a wide range of exciting international destinations, at their leisure.

In addition to a number of evening departures, Cunard’s 2021 season includes many overnight stays in spectacular and renowned cities; including Boston, Funchal, Lisbon, Quebec, Reykjavik, Rotterdam, Shanghai, Singapore and St. Petersburg.

PONANT offers over 90 cruises with no single supplement!

Ideal for solo travellers – PONANT offers an extensive range of destinations and voyages featuring no additional pricing for those seeking single travel during 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Select from over 90 PONANT itineraries, all with no single supplement charged, some even including savings of up to 30 per cent!

The selection of cruises spans the Northern and Southern hemispheres with voyages that include the Bijagos Archipelago, Latin and Central America, the Caribbean, Seychelles, Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean, Iceland, Alaska, the Persian Gulf,  Madagascar, Polynesia – even Antarctica! A selection of the expedition voyages are also in partnership with National Geographic.

Captain Cook Cruises Raises FJ$17,000 for Child Health in Fiji

Captain Cook Cruises Fiji has successfully raised FJ$17,000 for Cure Kids Fiji since announcing their partnership 12 months ago.

The funds have had a huge impact in addressing some of the most urgent child health challenges in Fiji and helped achieve significant improvements for these children and their families throughout the country.

Holland America Line exclusive Club Orange program available on all ships by October 2019

Holland America Line’s popular new Club Orange premium amenities program will be available on all ships in the fleet by October 2019. Currently on nine ships, Club Orange gives guests an additional level of luxury and service with priority access, exclusive amenities and special events.

Club Orange is available to purchase for a limited number of non-suite staterooms on each sailing, and features stateroom upgrades within the category booked and a special “Captain’s Choice” onboard event.

Guests in Neptune and Pinnacle suites will also receive all of the benefits of Club Orange at no additional charge (excluding the stateroom upgrade and onboard event). All Club Orange guests are privy to extra privileges — from a private dining venue to priority services and a dedicated concierge hotline.

Seabourn signs extension as “the official cruise partner” of UNESCO

Seabourn has signed an agreement to extend its official partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in a unique alliance to help protect World Heritage. The five-year extension will continue to foster wider support and understanding in the travel industry and among travelers for UNESCO’s mission of safeguarding and promoting the world’s unique cultural and natural heritage recognized for its outstanding universal value.

Seabourn and its guests have contributed more than $1 million (USD) to UNESCO since inception in 2014 as a component of this partnership, providing a significant level of support to the organization and its mission.

MSC Magnifica undergoes $200 million transformations now open for summer 2021

MSC Cruises opened sales for MSC Magnifica for summer 2021, sailing from Southampton, UK. The ship will undergo a $200 million transformation at the start of 2021, adding 23 meters to the ship resulting in an additional 7,000 m2 of comfort and other features.

When works will be completed, MSC Magnifica will feature two new major and important onboard environmental advances to complement a wide range of existing leading-edge environmental technologies across the company’s entire fleet: a state-of-the-art Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system and next-generation Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) system.

SCR technology helps separate nitrogen oxide into pure nitrogen and water through advanced active emissions control technology.

MSC Cruises also took the opportunity to install a state-of-the-art advanced wastewater treatment system onboard that meets the highest standards and that purifies used wastewater to near tap-water quality. The system meets the so-called ‘Baltic Standard’ and treats the wastewater to a higher standard than most waste standards available in cities around the world.

Sales for MSC Magnifica are open from 12 September and guests who book before 12 November will receive a 5 per cent early booking discount. Voyagers Club Members will also receive their usual 5 per cent loyalty discount in addition to the early booking discount.

Viking announces launch of seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus

Viking has announced its seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus, will join its award-winning fleet in early 2021, further solidifying the company’s standing as the largest and world’s best small-ship ocean cruise line.

The newest 930-guest sister ship will spend her maiden season sailing popular itineraries in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, including British Isles Explorer, In Search of the Northern Lights, Viking Homelands and Into the Midnight Sun.

Riviera Travel River Cruises showcases expanded 2020 program to Australian travel agents

The UK’s leader in luxury river cruising, Riviera Travel River Cruises, visited Australia recently to mark two years of selling its European river cruises to the Australian market – exclusively through travel agents.

While here, Riviera’s sales and marketing executives for Australia, Thomas Morgan and Gina Squirrell (pictured together second and third from left in front), met with the team from its wholesale partner, Cruise Traveller, to brief them on the cruise line’s new 2020 program including a new five-star ship and two new itineraries.

Morgan and Squirrell also visited key travel agents across Australia during their visit to promote Riviera’s expanded 2020 program

Sail the South Pacific with Royal’s September Sale

Royal Caribbean’s incredible September sale is on now, with seven-night sailings to the South Pacific for as little as $999.

Travellers can now save up to 30 per cent on a number of sailings, including:

7-Night South Pacific Cruise on Ovation of the Seas

• Balcony Room now from $999 per person, quad share*
• Departs from Sydney on 22 February 2020
• Ports of call: Sydney, Noumea in New Caledonia, Mystery Island in Vanuatu and then back to Sydney.

New design, new itineraries and new departures for Cruise Croatia 

Due to 2019 being Cruise Croatia’s biggest year to date, the Australian owned small ship cruising operator has released its new-look 2020 brochure with new ships, new itineraries, increased departures and more variety than ever before.

Opting for a clean, clear modern look, the brochure offers the most comprehensive product range in the Australian market for agents, with a 44-page brochure showcasing the largest collection of deluxe and first-class vessels in the market.

There are a number of incentives available for clients including Earlybird savings of up to $1300 per cabin on selected deluxe cruises plus $300 per couple in Discover More Travel Vouchers on select cruise-tours and cruises in 2020.