NEWS YOU CAN USE — CRUISE NEWS
CRUISE NEWS YOU CAN USE
Alicante will be a new port for Cruising Excursions
AmaWaterways’ two new river ships offer connecting cabins
AmaWaterways will offer interconnecting cabins for the first time on its two new ships, AmaSerena and AmaVista, which launch next year. The vessels will join AmaReina,
AmaPrima and AmaCerto to sail on the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers from next spring. The two new 164-passenger
Cruising Excursions adds 20 ports and offers new excursions for 2015
Juliet Dennis
Cruising Excursions is adding 20 ports to its programme for 2015. The move will see it offering a
new range of excursions within its Essential Tours collection at ports including Alicante, Ibiza, Riga, Korcula, Genoa, Reykjavik, Gdynia (Poland) and Leixoes (Portugal). Examples of
excursions include a Segway tour of Amsterdam, driving a Ferrari around the French Riviera and snorkelling in Barbados.
The trade accounts for half Cruising Excursions’ sales, with Thomson, Thomas Cook and Global Travel Group among those selling its programme. It pays commission of up to
16% The amount
New chairman John Wimbleton said: “We are only scratching the surface. The opportunity is immense.” Wimbleton said agents were
increasingly “waking up” to the opportunity to earn more money by selling excursions traditionally sold by cruise lines. “It’s a nice way to bolster commission,” he added. “We have great support from the trade and the focus has been on agents.”
of commission
agents can earn on excursions
16% and says the average agent sale is about £280. Wimbleton believes Cruising Excursions is helping to grow the market rather than taking existing business away from lines. “There are people who would not have bothered to
take an excursion and are doing so
because they see it’s better value,” he said. The company claims its
excursions are about 60% cheaper than those offered by cruise lines. As well as in the UK, the company reports sales growth through agents in other countries. “We are seeing fantastic
growth in Australia and the US, and starting to engage agents in Germany and the Netherlands,” said Wimbleton.
cruisingexcursions.com
22 •
travelweekly.co.uk — 18 September 2014
vessels will feature a number of connecting staterooms, beneficial for families and group bookings, as well as twin balconies. Kristin Karst, co-owner and
executive vice-president of AmaWaterways, said: “We are delighted to welcome AmaSerena and AmaVista to our European fleet, and to be responsive to the rising demand for new ship design and offerings in this region. “With a distinctive approach to
offering unparalleled service and comfort, these two beauties are best-in-class.”
amawaterways.com
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian offer all-inclusive packages
Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line are offering all-inclusive packages on selected 2015 sailings. Royal Caribbean’s offer is
valid on certain Anthem of the Seas sailings during its inaugural season next year.
Customers booking before
September 30 can buy packages that include selected wine, cold drinks and gratuities. A 13-night Sunshine in the
Canaries cruise leads in at £1,549, departing Southampton and calling in Spain; Madeira; Tenerife and Portugal. The price is based on an October 11, 2015, departure.
CRUISE NEWS IN BRIEF
SeaDream crew to lead Caribbean shore trips SeaDream Yacht Club is introducing crew-led shore excursions on Caribbean sailings this autumn. The crew from SeaDream I and SeaDream II will host ‘shore-side casuals’ to their favourite spots on different islands. Inclusive fares lead in at £1,844 based on a six-night sailing in November.
seadream.com
MSC extends free drinks package to Cruise Week MSC Cruises is extending its Free Cheers promotion to run into this year’s Clia Cruise Week from September 27-October 5. The package offers free alcoholic and soft drinks at meal times during the cruise. The line is also offering £100 off MSC Splendida seven- night western Mediterranean sailings this winter.
mscbook.com/uk
Norwegian is offering free drinks, gratuities and internet on bookings made before October 30. It is also giving agents the chance to earn 10% commission on the cruise and all-inclusive package, priced at more than $2,000. The package will be available on
any cruises of three to 14 nights.
cruisingpower.com agents-uk.ncl.eu
All-inclusive drinks: Anthem of the Seas
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