Travel Partners News

SunStone Ships, Inc. sold Victory Cruise Lines to the American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC). After rapidly expanding market share in the Great Lakes, French Canada, and St. Lawrence Seaway, Victory became the market leader in these regions. Having recently added the VICTORY II, afforded AQSC the opportunity to acquire the largest capacity in the region.AQSC will acquire the VICTORY I and VICTORY II cruise vessels, as well as some assets in connection herewith, among them being the Victory brand, all Great Lakes charters, group bookings, individual passenger reservations, and related assets.

MSC Cruises is eyeing further growth in the North American with a new expansion project in Miami, the cruise line’s exclusive homeport in the U.S. The company announced it has signed an agreement for extended preferential berthing rights as well as of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of a new Cruise Terminal AAA at PortMiami.“The new agreement and expanded partnership with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County is another key step forward in the business growth of MSC Cruises…

MSC Meraviglia officially made her maiden call at the port of Hamburg today, marking the start of her new as well as the brand’s best and most accessible-ever season in Northern Europe. At the traditional exchange of crests attended by Senator Horch from the City of Hamburg as well as representatives from the Ports and other institutions, media and travel partners, MSC Cruises, the Swiss-based world’s largest privately owned cruise line and now for the third consecutive year brand market leader across the whole of Europe, announced that MSC Grandiosa will be christened in Hamburg on 2 November 2019. MSC Cruises Executive Chairman, Pierfrancesco Vago commented, “We are delighted to announce the christening of MSC Grandiosa here in Hamburg.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s first custom-designed ship for the Chinese cruise market, Norwegian Joy, was christened in a ceremony held onboard the vessel in Shanghai that featured a performance by the ship’s Godfather, singer songwriter, music producer, actor and film director, Wang Leehom. At 167,725–gross-tons and accommodating 3,883 guests, Norwegian Joy’s design, finishes and amenities are tailored specifically to the tastes of Chinese guests. The vessel was built by German shipyard Meyer Werft.

Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce the first purpose-built ship customized for the Chinese market in 2017, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. CEO Frank Del Rio announced today during the CruiseWorld China summit in Shanghai. Currently under construction, the new ship is designed for the China market with accommodations, cuisine and onboard experiences that cater to the unique vacation preferences of Chinese guests. “Our new purpose-built ship for China will have characteristics that are authentic to Norwegian Cruise Line and yet distinctively Chinese in all of its sensibility…

Holland America Line is enhancing the Terrace Grill on its 15 premium ships and rebranding the popular lunch spot as “Dive-In at the Terrace Grill.” The outdoor bistro-style grill area by the ships’ Lido pool will feature new signature burgers, hot dogs and fries. The first ships to open the new gourmet grill were ms Eurodam, ms Amsterdam and ms Maasdam. The remaining ships in the fleet will be opening Dive-In at the Terrace Grill throughout summer 2014. The areas will be decorated with new Dive-In signage and décor. “We’re always listening to our guests and travel partners for ideas to evolve the dining experience on our ships with new concepts…

A strong start to the season, American Cruise Lines experiences record sales. American Cruise Lines (www.americancruiselines.com), a  U.S. cruise company, announced today record sales at the start of what it is predicting will be its strongest Wave Season to date. Each of the past four weeks has broken previous company sales records during Wave Season, with last week being the most successful sales week in the company’s entire history. “We predicted sales growth this year with a full second season on the Mississippi and the addition of our new Puget Sound itinerary…

The Port of Houston Authority is partnering with two separate cruise lines, Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines, to offer new service from the Bayport Cruise Terminal. Princess Cruises will make passenger cruise calls during the 2013-2014 cruise season, while Norwegian Cruise Lines has committed to begin service in 2014. "We are ecstatic that these two premier cruise lines have chosen to sail from our state-of-the-art cruise facility at Bayport in Pasadena, Texas," said Jim Edmonds, chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority.

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