Travel News March 2022 Excitement As Explora Journeys Unveil First Year of Sailings


CRUISE NEWS


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Irish Woman Completes Maritime Milestone


IRISH Solo Rower, Dr. Karen Weekes has completed her Record-Breaking Bid to be the 1st Irish woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. After beginning her journey in Gran Canaria, Canary


EXPLORA 1 at sea


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XPLORA Journeys have unveiled its first year of Journeys – for its first of four vessels, EXPLORA I from May 2023, with a promise to take its guests to a harmonious mix of both well-known and off the beaten path destinations. The Inaugural Journeys Collection covers the Med- iterranean, Northern Europe, the UK, Iceland, Green- land, Canada, the U.S. East Coast, Caribbean, South America and Hawaii. Sailings start from 6-night journeys and culminate in


a 44-night Grand Journey – EXPLORA I, in its inau- gural year, will visit 132 ports in 40 different countries, including two destinations, Kastellorizo, Greece and Saint Pierre, Martinique that have not been visited by cruise ships before. Michael Ungerer, the CEO of Explora Journeys,


Azamara has unveiled its latest creative campaign, Change the Way You Sea, aimed to visually capture the unique sights and experiences from a Azamara voyage. Through this new multi-platform campaign, Azamara highlights its one-of-a-kind cruising experience. Azamara’s fleet of four intimate-style ships allows travellers to access marquee ports across the world, and


commented “This is one more step forward in our de- velopment of a truly defining and highly desired, luxury lifestyle brand. It’s another step completed in our go-to- market approach. Having launched initially exclusively to Travel Advisors, we are now delighted to give our guests the option to book their journeys online, should they wish to do so. “Our ambition is to reflect the desire of today’s and tomorrow’s luxury traveller and their curiosity for re- markable exploration. We have created a collection of journeys that offer the perfect blend of celebrated desti- nations and lesser travelled ports, both seen from a new and original point of view to inspire and excite our curi- ous, discerning guests and the next generation of luxury travellers.” Mr Ungerer added, “EXPLORA I and our sub-


to dock in smaller ports to explore these hidden gem destinations. Change the Way You Sea encourages guests to take the ports less travelled, and to dive deeper into each destination. By offering its country intensive itineraries, immersive land programs and more overnights in each destination, Azamara gives travellers the opportunity to connect with the local culture and


Riviera Travel Announce Itineraries With Extended Land Stays


On three of their 2023 river cruise itineraries, Riviera Travel have announced that they will offer travellers three-night extended land stays. The 2023 itineraries included on this offer are A Rhine


cruise to Switzerland with a Glacier Express extension, a Blue Danube cruise with a Budapest or Prague extension, along with Douro, Porto and Salamanca with a Lisbon extension. Commenting on the extended land stays, Katja


MARELLA Cruises is welcoming a fifth ship into their fleet of all-inclusive cruise ships - Marella Voyager, setting sail for the first time in June 2023 to vibrant destinations such as Barcelona and the south of France and is on sale now for Northern Irish customers to book. Named Voyager to capture the essence of adventure


and exploration guests will be delighted by familiar popular spots onboard including Surf and Turf, Nonna’s and Snack Shack but cruisers can also expect a brand- new Mexican eatery and a swanky Secret Speakeasy bar. Guests will be able to explore destinations ashore with help from our expert team onboard and on land. Family friendly ship Marella Voyager has something


the whole family can enjoy, from entertaining kid’s clubs to splashing around in the onboard swimming pool. Guests will also be able to get a sweat on in the onboard gym, be dazzled by a show in the Broadway Show Lounge or simply indulge in any one of the 10 all- inclusive bars and 10 restaurants. There’ll be plenty of places where you can take in the sea views, too, from the crazy golf course at the top of the ship to The Veranda, where cosy Balinese beds point towards the big blue. The 1,912 capacity ship will offer 952 cabins in a range


of sizes and specifications with family cabins sleeping up to five.


Marella Cruises is part of TUI UK and Ireland


and TUI Group. It is the third largest cruise line in the UK. There are currently five ships in the Marella Cruises fleet, Marella Voyager, Marella Discovery, Marella Discovery 2, Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2. Marella Cruises has been awarded the Lloyds Stay


Safe verification certificate which certifies that our COVID-19 management plans and procedures have been externally verified to meet the standards in the UK Framework for Cruise documents. This verification is required by the UK Government’s Global Travel Task Force Report, as well as UK Chamber of Shipping, EU and industry guidance. WHAT’S INCLUDED ON A MARELLA CRUISE? • Return flights • All tips and service charges • Onboard accommodation, with safes and nightly turndown service • 20kg luggage allowance, plus 10kg hand


Hildebrandt, Head Of Product River and Ocean Cruise for Riviera Travel stated that “We’re delighted to once again enhance our river cruises with extended stays in four of the most memorable places in Europe. Our extensions offer tours and experiences that perfectly complement our river cruises.” For more information, please visit https://www. rivieratravel.co.uk/


Marella Cruises Welcome Newest Ship Marella Voyager


luggage Full Board meals in a range of restaurants • Entertainment – turn to page 20 to see what’s on offer • Airport transfers and port taxes • A fantastic range of drinks


Marella Cruises is part of TUI – the world’s biggest


travel group. Every step of the cruise can be arranged, including flights, transfers, excursions and hotels. Our end-to-end service means we’re the only UK cruise line to take care of everything. Plus, we’re with you all the way with our 24-hour


TUI Guest Experience Centre, TUI reps and onboard teams. And if you want, you can pair your cruise with a three, four or seven-night stay dozens of properties in home-port destinations, ranging from TUI BLUE & SENSATORI resorts to budget-friendly hotels. To top it all off, it’s easy to book – in a TUI Holiday Store, with a local travel agent, online or on the phone. For Summer 2022, three ships from the Marella


Cruises fleet are available with direct TUI flights from Northern Ireland. • Marella Explorer – Sails from Corfu with flights


from Belfast International Airport (Friday) – East Med itineraries • Marella Discovery – Sails from Palma with flights


from Belfast International Airport (Tuesday) – West Med itineraries • Marella Discovery 2 – Sails from Palma with flights


from Belfast International Airport (Saturday) - West Med itineraries Customers can save £300 on a Marella Cruise


booking for summer 2022, thanks to its ‘Live Happy’ sale, using the code CRUISE300 (T&C’s apply). For Summer 2023, three ships from the Marella


Cruises fleet are available with direct TUI flights from Northern Ireland. Marella Voyager – NEW FOR 2023 – Sails from


Palma with flights from Belfast International Airport (Tues) – West Med itineraries Marella Explorer – Sails from Corfu with flights


from Belfast International Airport (Friday) – East Med itineraries Marella Discovery 2 – Sails from Palma with flights


from Belfast International Airport (Tuesday) - West Med itineraries


sequent three ships will allow guests to enjoy a more immersive, authentic experience and a slower pace of travel. They are designed to offer refined yet effortless luxury with the opportunity for exploration and trans- formation, offering our guests the chance to experience what we call an ‘Ocean State of Mind’ – a mindset that can be achieved when we escape to the ocean, relax, cre- ate memories and reconnect with what matters most in our lives.” Explora Journeys aims to transform ocean luxury


travel through a synergy of beautiful ships and immer- sive, remarkable itineraries to provide its guests with the opportunity to discover further, travel deeper and linger a little longer at each destination. For more information on the itineraries available, please visit https://explorajourneys.com/


Azamara Launch ‘change the Way you Sea’ Campagin for 2022


change their perspective on how they view the world. “We understand our guests are looking for new experiences at a more relaxed pace, and to make memorable connections with the destination and its locals,” says Carol Cabezas, President of Azamara. “At Azamara, our thoughtfully crafted itineraries offer those explorers the time to immerse themselves into the culture and discover each destination by day and night for an enriching and fulfilling cruise experience. Our latest campaign really brings Azamara’s objective to life.”


Islands on the 6th of December of last year, Karen has finished her journey, arriving in Barbados yesterday, the 24th of February 2022, after a lengthy 80 days at sea. Karen was welcomed into a bustling Bridgetown, Barbados, at 6:30pm (Barbados time GMT-4) as crowds gathered to cheer the Irishwoman on as she arrived into the port. 30 of Karen’s friends, family and colleagues flew over to Barbados with Aer Lingus at the weekend to witness and celebrate her achievement. In true Bajan style, a welcome party was organised


to celebrate Karen’s arrival to Barbados and her achievement of becoming the first Irish female to row any ocean solo and the 20th female in the world to row any ocean solo. Karen was greeted by Barbados Minister for Sport, Charles Griffith, and Jens Thraenhart, the CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., who then presented her with a gift of Bajan rum to acknowledge her astonishing achievement. After officially becoming the first Irish woman to


row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, Dr. Karen Weeke’s said “I’m really not into records but I love that fact that I’m making a little of bit of history.I love the fact that I’m making a bit of history for my family name, which is Weekes. So Irish history and Weekes history is a big thing”.


Commenting on her incredible achievement, Dr.


Karen Weekes said “I’ve done a lot of endurance journeys before this, so this [was] really the next logical step for me – a feat of endurance to try and push myself mentally and physically further”. Karen’s main sponsor Hanley Energy spoke of their


joy as she reached the finish line, stating “The Hanley Energy team are thrilled to see Karen reach the finish line of her endeavour and become the first Irish woman to row solo 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. Karen’s endurance, strength and patience throughout her 80 days at sea is truly inspiring.” “We enjoy supporting non-mainstream sports


that have an endurance aspect and Karen’s SHECANDO2021 campaign definitely aligned closely with our sponsorship values and principles. We have a history of backing Irish teams and sports people accomplish the impossible and as lead sponsors of the SHECANDO2021 campaign, we’re extremely proud of


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