Tag Archives: Caribbean

Demand for Weddings at would be there, say Travel Agents

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Agents believe there would be demand for cruise ship weddings should the law be changed to broaden the range of venues where weddings can take place.

Couples in England and Wales could soon be free to tie the knot onboard cruise ships under new recommendations to reform wedding law put forward by the Law Commission.
The commission has branded the current legislation “confusing, out-of-date and restrictive”, and stressed it is preventing people from getting married in “more meaningful” settings.

Asked by the government to review the law, the commission on Tuesday (18 July) recommended focusing regulation on the officiant responsible for the wedding rather than the venue.

“This reform would open up a wider range of locations for couples to get married,” said the commission. “Permitted venues would include gardens, beaches, forests, parks, village halls and cruise ships.”

Bolsover Cruise Club sales manager Helen Moore told TTG that demand for weddings at sea was “definitely there”. “It offers an affordable alternative to land-based ceremonies, and all the stress of the planning and logistics is taken care of,” she said.

“Family and friends can embark on the ship together, but don’t need to be in each other’s pockets throughout the duration of the cruise. For the bride and groom, there is the option to book a suite on board to make their trip extra special.”

Moore added: “There’s no more romantic setting than being at sea, and the honeymoon is also taken care of at the same time.”

Travel Counsellor Emma Otter, who has already booked a couple to get married on Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess next year, described the possibility of being able to tie the knot at sea as an “exciting addition” to the cruise.

“Couples may have considered a wedding abroad but the flying or the addition of elderly relatives may have stopped them,” she said. “A cruise ship wedding would mean nobody is excluded, especially those that can’t or don’t want to fly.”

Otter added the reforms, should they go ahead, would likely introduce cruising to wedding guests who may never have cruised before, which she said would come as a “boost” to the industry.

MSC Cruises Launches New Family Options For Seascape

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MSC Cruises today unveiled details of its MSC Seascape, which it said will elevate the family experience and provide children with endless options for onboard entertainment.

The ship will feature 98 hours of live entertainment per cruise, 700 square meters of dedicated kids’ space and cutting-edge amusement options when she launches in December 2022, offering seven-night cruises in the Caribbean following her New York christening. 

“We have invested heavily in the entertainment proposition for our youngest guests. We know they value the latest technology, trends and happenings more than any other group, and we lead the way in creating special holidays,” said MSC Cruises’ Global Head of Entertainment Steve Leatham. “The ship programming is full of innovations in hardware and software, and we have taken care to ensure that all age groups have exclusive access to all the amazing venues and spaces onboard this amazing ship. We are working with many partners and producing much of the content ourselves, ensuring everything is relevant and fits with our amazing ships.”

 MSC Seascape will offer one of the largest children’s areas in the fleet with 700 square meters of dedicated space featuring a fresh, futuristic design. New spaces include:

  • TWO LEGO ROOMS: The cruise line will build on its partnership with LEGO, debuting two exclusively designed LEGO rooms that cater to different experience levels. One room will offer LEGO DUPLO for ages 3 to 6, and the other room will cater to Juniors ages 7 to 11 with LEGO bricks and the opportunity to earn a certificate for becoming a LEGO Master Builder.
  • THREE NEW CONCEPT SPACES FOR TEENS: Guests aged 12 to 17 will enjoy three new concept spaces with varying themes to engage with other kids their age. The first space will centre around “Future” and features a technology area with the latest generation consoles, VR and screens. The “Chill Out” area will offer a place to teens to talk, exchange social media contacts and challenge each other to games of ping pong and foozeball. And the third space celebrates “Music” as a disco with light and sound effects, where kids will choose their own music late into the night.

Family entertainment will bring together people of all ages aboard MSC Seascape, with live interactive games incorporating the latest technology. New game shows launching on MSC Seascape include:

  • BREAK THE WALL: During this new high-tech game, guests will stand in front of a giant technological wall that will determine which surprise tests must be performed on stage in front of a jury composed of the audience. Bringing an element of surprise and laughter, kids of all ages will be talking about this game for the entire trip.
  • VIKINGS: For the first time on board an MSC Cruises ship, families can participate in an “edutaining” game that will teach participants about the history of Vikings while presenting them with a fun unprecedented challenge at sea.
  • CABIN 12006 – THE SECRET GAME: Inspired by the MSC original “Cabin 12006” web series, this immersive experience combines music, videos, Tik Tok trials, memory games, and more as guests try their hand at solving mysteries on board.
  • BEAT THE MUSIC: During this interactive and digital game show dedicated to music suitable for all ages, the whole family will be the star of the show. Guests can play the game through a dedicated app where parents will be challenged to know the latest music hits their kids are listening to and kids will have to guess the classics their parents love. With eliminations and prizes, the game is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences of the cruise.

“With MSC Seascape, we want to surprise and leave Generation Z speechless. We’ve listened to the 350,000 young people who have travelled with us over the years and followed their trends and requests,” said MSC Cruises Corporate Kids Entertainment Manager Matteo Mancini. “We will offer even more space and new experiences for teenagers, have exclusive game shows for this age group and the first “edutainment” game show dedicated to the history, bringing in the concepts of new technology and social media.” 

Other activities and entertainment onboard:

  • DOREMILAND, THE DOCUMENTARY: All cabins with children and teenagers will include an exclusive travel talk broadcast in the form of a documentary, immersing parents and kids in all the services and activities that await them during the cruise. This sensational behind-the-scenes documentary shows guests the secrets behind the creation of MSC’s family product.
  • MSC DANCE CREW: Developed in partnership with Fremantle, the production company behind the globally successful TV talent shows including Idols, The X Factor and Got Talent Series, this competition experience has teams of 10- to 17-year-olds battle to win the title of dance crew of the year.
  • CABIN 12006-THE EXPERIENCE: MSC’s original web series, “Cabin 12006,” is now also a live entertainment experience consisting of seven different activities including a family game show and a casting session with performances.
  • TEENS CLUB: This room entirely dedicated to teenagers includes endless options for entertainment including a PlayStation5, Xbox X Series, Nintendo Switch, foosball, VR, table tennis, and billiards.
  • TLS TEENS LATE SHOW: Each week, teens will be the cast of a real “Late Show” live from the Teens Club that will focus on trends, music charts, guest stars, the most loved TV series, and games and prizes.
  • MSC FOUNDATION JUNIOR AMBASSADORS: The MSC Foundation provides young guests with the tools for understanding projects such as marine conservation, making them the centre of dedicated activities involved in bettering the world.

Princess Cruises has reported its “biggest ever” booking day

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Bookings were up by 13% compared to the line’s previous strongest booking day in 2019. The line saw strong demand for its 2023 roundtrip Southampton cruises on Sky Princess alongside an increase in demand for fly-Mediterranean voyages and long-haul destinations such as Alaska, the Caribbean and Australia.

Eithne Williamson, vice president of Princess Cruises UK and Europe, thanked the company’s agent partners for helping the line achieve its record-breaking day.

“It is thanks to their unwavering commitment and hard work that we were able to surpass our previous best booking day and we’re extremely grateful for their continued support,” she added.

“The demand for cruise holidays is evidently back and better than ever and we are sure agents will agree that it is fantastic to see holidaymakers once again being able to plan ahead for future holidays in destinations both close to home and further afield.”