12 CRUISE NEWS


DIRECT BELFAST FLIGHTS TO WORLD’S LARGEST CRUISE SHIP


OYAL Caribbean International has launched a British Airways charter for guests sailing on Wonder of the Seas this summer, in partnership with Belfast City Airport. Those taking a holiday aboard the world’s largest ship will be offered direct flights from Belfast City to Barcelona from 3rd July until 18th September 2022, making their holiday smoother from the start. Jennifer Callister, Head of Ireland sales at Royal Caribbean International, said: “We’re always looking for ways to make the lives of our guests easier and that ex- tends to the entire guest experience – not just the cruise. By partnering with George Best Belfast City Airport, we hope to take one thing off our Irish guests’ minds this summer, so they can relax as they look forward to boarding Wonder of the Seas, the newest and most game-changing addition to our fleet.”


R Wonder becomes the biggest Cruise ship at sea


Ambassador Cruise Launches Belfast Departure Sale AMBASSADOR Cruise Line has announced the


Director of Corporate Services at George Best


Belfast City Airport, Michelle Hatfield, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Royal Caribbean Cruises this summer to operate a weekly charter service direct to Barcelona. Located just five minutes from the centre of Belfast, and with an average security processing time of under six minutes, Belfast City Airport is the ideal choice for passengers looking for a swift, smooth, and hassle-free start to their cruise journey.” Return flights through Royal Caribbean from Bel-


fast City Airport to Barcelona are available at £315 per adult.


Celebrity Cruises Hints at Edge-Class Southhampton Sailing


COULD Celebrity Cruises be on course to include an Edge-Class ship sailing from the UK? Celebrity Beyond, the newest Edge-Class ship for Celebrity Cruises, left Southhampton port for its inau- gural sailing on Saturday 23rd April, before departing on its maiden voyage to Spain and France. Onboard for the inaugural sailing was Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, along- side social media star Captain Kate McCue and Man- aging Director for UK and Ireland, Jo Rzymowska. Speaking at a question and answer session onboard, the Celebrity trio were questioned on ow long before an Edge-Class series ship will home port in South- hampton port;


“silhouette sailing from the UK is performing very, very well and that is what our aim is” said Managing Director Jo Rzymowska,


“I think it is testament to the fact that Lisa agreed to bring Beyond into Southampton, she was very conscious that we didn’t have Apex as planned, and it shows the commitment from Lisa and the whole of the business to the UK market, this is a very strong market for us, and many North Americans love travelling form Southampton with the itineraries that we do, so watch this space”


Accor Announces New Addition To Dubai Portfolio


CEO and President Lisa Lutoff-Perlo continued, “We never say never”


launch of its 2023/24 sailing programme which will see the cruise line’s first ship Ambience return for her second season with new itineraries as well as Ambassador’s latest edition to the fleet, Ambition take to the seas. Ambition will set sail on her inaugural season on 4 March 2023 with capacity for 1,200 guests. Together the two ships will be sailing to six continents and 58 countries, calling at 165 ports and cruising over 176,195 nautical miles. For 2023/24, Ambience will be sailing a brand new 120-night ‘Grand Round the World Cruise’, the cruise line’s longest itinerary to date, whilst Ambition will depart from both Ambassador’s home port of London Tilbury and six new regional UK ports: Belfast, Newcastle, Dundee, Liverpool, Bristol and Falmouth. Ambassador Cruise Line Chief Executive Officer, Christian Verhounig, said: “We are extremely excited to be able to offer our guests


several very attractive launch offers, a range of new and exciting itineraries as part of our 2023/24 programme, and launch our second ship Ambition’s inaugural season. Following the success of Ambience’s launch, our ethos of premium-value, authentic and friendly cruising remains our focus. Let us take you on cruises that all our guests are saying offer exceptional cuisine, amazing entertainment, feels just like home, with a crew that treat guests like family and delivers outstanding service. It is a privilege to launch Ambassador’s new season and we hope that both the travel trade and our guests benefit from the excellent value fares and offers across our ships.” Both Ambience and Ambition’s 2023/24 itineraries


will offer a number of themed cruises, as well as a selection of multi-generational sailings. Ambassador’s purpose is to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Ambassador’s full sailing schedule can be found here: www. ambassadorcruiseline.com. AMBIENCE


PRINCESS Cruises Introduces All-Inclusive Premier Package The inclusive package builds off the popular Princess Plus add-on to offer a more comprehensive bundle and savings


12 May 2022


Accor, a hospitality group with over 400 hotels across India, Middle East, Africa and Turkey is adding the world-renowned cruise ship, Queen Elizabeth 2 into its portfolio.


Taking over operations from May 2022, the cruise ship will undergo further upgrades and renovations prior to joining the MGallery Hotel Collection. Once fully rebranded, Queen Elizabeth 2 will undoubtedly become a landmark property for the MGallery


brand and Dubai MGallery Hotel Collection.


“We are very excited to partner with Accor on this project. We trust the group’s expertise will elevate the QE2 to a new era of operations” states Saeed Al-Bannai, CEO of PCFC investment. “The Queen Elizabeth as we know her, has made history and we are confident that Accor will keep her legacy alive while her strong heritage and notoriety will remain a destination in itself,: “This is a great opportunity for Accor to expand its footprint in the UAE with the introduction of a unique project which brings diversity to the portfolio.” says Mark Willis, CEO of Accor India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey


overall.joining the


Princess Cruises has announced Princess Premier, a new premium add-on package that offers guests unlimited Wi-Fi for up to four devices, premium/top- shelf beverages, photos, speciality dining, and crew gratuities/appreciation. The inclusive package builds off the popular Princess Plus add-on to offer a more comprehensive bundle and savings of more than 50 percent when the amenities of Princess Premier are purchased separately. Princess Premier also includes ‘Princess Prizes’, where guests have a chance to win a cruise for two every year for a decade and up to $100,000 in cash prizes. “Guests have overwhelmingly embraced the convenience and value offered in Princess Plus, so we are adding Princess Premier to take our inclusivity options to the next level,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president. “Princess Premier is our most inclusive package, offering guests sought-after onboard amenities at an incredible value. Whether a guest prefers a standalone cruise purchase or a fully inclusive vacation, Princess has hassle-free options for everyone. Every option is intended to provide great value.” Princess Premier goes on sale June 1, for voyages starting June 25 and beyond. The package is available for £60 per person, per day, and includes: • Unlimited MedallionNet Wi-Fi for up to four-devices • New Premier Beverage Package – top-shelf spirits and cocktails up to $18 with bar service charge included,


APT Introduces Egypt, Jordan


GRAND ROUND THE WORLD CRUISE 6 January 2024 120 nights Ambience Visiting six continents, 24 countries, 34 ports of call and the Panama Canal, this world cruise spans 34,759 beautiful nautical miles. Sailing via the Azores and Caribbean, Ambience will


transit the Panama


Canal, calling at beautiful islands of the South Seas and onto New Zealand and Australia, before exploring Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Tropical Indian Ocean islands are mere steppingstones to the excitement of Kenya. Guests can experience Durban and Cape Town in South Africa as well as Tristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world. Guests will cross the Atlantic to Brazil to explore Rio de Janeiro, before sailing home via Cape Verde, Casablanca and Lisbon. AMBITION Ambition will be making her debut in 2023 with


49 sailings. Her inaugural season will offer a summer programme of regional departures from regional ports such as Newcastle, Dundee, Belfast, Liverpool, Bristol and Falmouth, enabling guests across the UK to have a shorter distance to travel before experiencing Ambassador Cruise Line. Guests can expect a number of new and unforgettable cruises including JMG Cruise have teamed up with Ambassador


Cruises for departures for 2023 from Belfast, which will include regional coach transfers to and from as the ship are included from most parts of Ireland. The schedule is as follows;


6th July 2023 Iceland’s Land of Ice & Fire x 11 nights 17th July 2023 River Seine Experience x 7 nights 24th July 2023 Arctic Voyage to the North Cape x 14


nights 7th August 2023 British Isles & Seine Discovery x 13


nights 20th August 2023 Spain, Portugal & Morocco x 13


nights Princess Cruises Introduces All-Inclusive Premier Package


new selection of wines by the glass, 25 percent off bottles of wine, speciality coffees, smoothies, and bottled water • Two speciality dining meals per person in popular restaurants including Crown Grill and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria


• Digital downloads of all photos taken by professional staff onboard, plus three prints of any size up to 8 x 10 • Entry into new ‘Princess Prizes’ onboard promotion • Daily crew appreciation


Princess Premier also includes entry into Princess Prizes, a new experience that transforms guests’ stateroom entry into an exciting experience for chances to win cruise holidays, cash, exclusive onboard experiences and more. The new game is a first-of-its-kind stateroom gaming experience exclusively with MedallionClass capabilities. More information on Princess Premier, Princes Plus and Princess Select can be found here: princess.com/ cruisepackages Additional


information about Princess Cruises is available visiting the company’s website at princess.com. •


& Israel to Programme RIVER cruise and touring operator APT is expanding into brand new destinations for 2022 and 2023, introducing Egypt, Jordan and Israel to its portfolio for the first time.


With departures from September 2022, the new Travelmarvel trips are as follows: •


Treasures of Egypt and The Nile is an 8-day land and cruise itinerary that takes guests into the heart of Egypt. In Cairo guests will explore the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Egyptian Museum before flying to Luxor to join a four-night Nile cruise to Aswan, sailing aboard the MS Royal Lily. There they will explore temples and tombs along the way, sail on a felucca by Kitchener’s Island, then fly to the majestic Abu Simbel temple including flights, accommodation and 16 meals .


•


· Treasures of Egypt and The Nile with Hidden Jordan is a 15-day land and cruise itinerary that extends the Egyptian adventure (as above) with 7-days in Jordan. Guests will see the wonders of Petra, be thrilled by a 4WD adventure at Wadi Rum, and float in waters of the Dead Sea, as well as enjoying an evening of learning and fun at a hands-on Jordanian dining experience at Petra Kitchen, a memorable Insider Experience.


•


· Treasures of Egypt, Hidden Jordan and Israel is a 19-day land and cruise itinerary that further extends the Egypt and Jordan adventure with an additional four-days in Israel. Insider Experiences include a special lunch where guests will sample an Israeli staple, the falafel, and learn about its role in the traditional Israeli household; and experiencing an authentic Jewish Sabbath, being welcomed into a local family’s home for a five-course dinner by candlelight, to share in the meaning of Shabbat.


· Travelmarvel is also offering a 3-day Alexandria Extension that allows guests to extend their trip with an exploration of the historic Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Guest will see the Library of Alexandria, explore the Roman Catacombs, see the former sight of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and travel to El Alamein to visit the 9th Division Australian Army Memorial and the Commonwealth War Cemetery.


Paul Melinis, APT’s UK & Europe Managing Director said “Following the successful reception of Croatia when we introduced it as a new offering for this season, we’re very excited to build on the momentum and unveil our next new destinations, Egypt, Jordan and Israel. With three different itineraries, and a fantastic extension, guests can choose the number of countries and length of trip that suits them. We polled our customers at the end of last year, and they made it clear that they were interested in exploring more exotic destinations with APT and Travelmarvel, so we have delivered.” For more information, please visit www.aptouring. co.uk. Travel agents can find supportive assets at www. APTAgentClub.co.uk.


June 2022 Travel News


River cruises to Egypt have become increasingly popular


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