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Celebrity Cruises brings Infinity to UK shores...
Michael English said the move would also enable the line to showcase its product to agents across the country, when Infinity sails around the UK. “It will give us the opportunity to talk to more travel agents and give them the chance to see the ship,” he said. Infinity will be calling at ports such
as Greenoch (Glasgow), Cork, Dublin and Belfast.
Celebrity Infinity will sail out of Harwich Sophie Griffiths
CELEBRITY CRUISES UK has revealed plans to bring more agents onboard its ships after it revealed that it would be placing another ship in the UK next year. Chief executive Dan Hanrahan confirmed last week that Celebrity Infinity would be joining Celebrity Eclipse in sailing ex-UK cruises for summer 2013. Infinity will be based in Harwich and will sail a number of 10, 11 and 12-night itineraries to the Norwegian Fjords, around the UK and on
“European wine harvest” sailings. Celebrity Eclipse will continue to sail out of Southampton in 2013. Hanrahan said the decision to bring another ship to the UK was based on the successful summer the line had last year with Eclipse. “We had hoped to approach guest
numbers of 100,000 from the UK, but we envisaged that this would happen in 2015-16,” he said. “We are already approaching that number this year, and next year we definitely will, with the placement of Infinity in Harwich.” Celebrity Cruises head of sales
...while it cuts back on Caribbean sailings for 2013
CELEBRITY CRUISES will have cut its capacity in the Caribbean by 30% in 2013, compared with last year, the line’s boss revealed last week. Celebrity Cruises chief executive Dan Hanrahan admitted that the line had looked to place its ships in other destinations such as Asia, because the Caribbean cruise market was becoming saturated. In 2010-11, Celebrity had an 80% capacity in the Caribbean, compared
14 01.03.2012
with 65% in 2011-12, he said. Meanwhile, Hanrahan refused to
be drawn on whether Celebrity had plans to operate a world cruise, but said the line would continue to “push frontiers” in where it cruised to, and that a decision on world cruising would be led by the line’s customers. He also confirmed that the
flagship of Celebrity’s Solstice Class fleet is to become the first of its class to offer sailings in Alaska in 2013.
Hanrahan: Caribbean is saturated
Agents in these regions have welcomed the news. Lynn Pollin, cruise consultant at McNeill Worldwide in Belfast, said: “This is great news. It will mean that we’re more confident about the product, and it will make it easier for us to sell it. “I like to try to see as many ships as possible, so I know what to tell customers, but I can’t always get time off to go down to Southampton. Having a Celebrity ship call at Belfast will make a massive difference.” Glasgow-based Travel Counsellor
Prity Bahanda agreed. “It’s a long way to go for us down to Southampton. This will be perfect for us. It will help for the customer to see the ship in the port, as well as for us to see it,” she said.
Sophie Griffiths 020 7921 8010
IN BRIEF
■JOIN THE JUBILEE FLOTILLA Voyages of Discovery is offering guests an opportunity to be part of the 2012 London Thames flotilla, to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The line’s vessel Discovery will dock in Greenwich on June 3, so guests can board one of two chartered riverboats that will join the official Thames flotilla.
■CUNARD SOON TO TIE THE KNOT Cunard has revealed plans for its wedding packages after it last year altered its registration from Southampton to Bermuda to allow weddings to be performed at sea. The line said “to maintain exclusivity”, only one wedding would be arranged per day, and that the ceremonies would only take place at sea. The package will cost $2,500, plus a marriage license fee of $575.
■CRYSTAL LINGERS IN PORT Crystal Cruises has revealed plans to focus on more overnight stays at the beginning of cruises. For the upcoming European season, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony have doubled the number of voyages that begin with days – and nights – in port.
■HURTIGRUTEN FLIGHT OFFER Hurtigruten has launched a free flight offer for selected departures in April. This is available on a 12-day voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes. Kathryn Beadle, managing director of Hurtigruten UK, said: “Our free flight offers have been well received by agents so we decided to introduce them again.”
■RETRACE THE TITANIC’S TRIP Cruise and Maritime Voyages is hosting a commemorative voyage on the anniversary of the Titanic. The Marco Polo will sail from Tilbury on April 10, tracing significant points on the Titanic’s voyage. Titanic experts, including David Lawrence and David Scott Beddard, will deliver lectures on board. The price begins at £449pp.
■MEKONG RIVER TOUR LAUNCH The River Cruise Line has unveiled a new itinerary in the Far East for 2012. The Mekong River Cruise and Highlights of Vietnam & Cambodia tour will feature “spectacular scenery” and “cultural highlights”. The 16-day trip starts at £2,995pp.
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