Carnival devotes more resources to travel agents

Posted on 30 October, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Paradise

Carnival Cruise Line will carve out four new sales territories in fast-growing areas of the country, each to be headed by a business development manager.

At the same time, Carnival made other changes to its sales structure, including the formation of a program to focus management attention on independent agents.

The four new territories are Boston and Rhode Island; Jacksonville, Fla.; western Texas; and the four corners region that includes parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado.

Carnival also highlighted the formation of a new groups desk that was inaugurated earlier in October. The desk is designed to provide additional technical support for travel agent questions related to group bookings, Carnival said. It can be reached at (800) 327-5782.

“We created these new sales regions and the independent agent program to provide added business development support for travel partners,” said Carnival vice president of sales and trade marketing Adolfo Perez. “The growth in these geographies and the independent agent channel, combined with our recent preferred supplier agreements with Travelsavers/Nest, Signature, and Ensemble, make this the right time for us to expand our field team resources.”

Carnival, Royal Caribbean Announce Caribbean Return

Posted on 24 October, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

PHOTO: Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas will return to St. Thomas November 10. (photo by Brian Major)Activity is returning to Caribbean cruise ports shuttered by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s 3,114-passenger Adventure of the Seas will call in St. Thomas on November 10— the first ship to return to the destination following the crippling September storms.

Conversely, Carnival Cruise Lines officials say the company’s ships won’t return to St. Thomas until January 2018, the same month officials anticipate the line will resume calls at St. Maarten.

Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president, recently announced November 30 as the date for the company’s resumption of calls in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Duffy said calls at Carnival’s port in Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos will resume “in less than two weeks.”

U.S Virgin Islands government officials are quickly preparing for the November 10 Royal Caribbean call despite continuing struggles with issues that include a widespread lack of electricity, damaged roads, badly damaged infrastructure, sunken boats hampering navigation and several beaches considered unsafe for swimming according to media reports.

Royal Caribbean is opting to return to St. Thomas next month following company executives’ tour of the island’s port facilities, infrastructure, shopping areas and attractions. The company is providing significant resources to assist government agencies and private sector groups with the restoration of Magen’s Bay beach, a popular stop for cruise passengers, said Adam Goldstein, Royal Caribbean’s COO.

Beverly Nicholson-Doty, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ tourism commissioner, said downtown stores are expected to be open for business on November 10 following recent meetings with business community leaders. Based on an assessment last week, 11 St. Croix beaches, six on St. Thomas and five on St. John were deemed safe for swimming, officials said.

She said that over the coming weeks, “20 to 25 ship calls” will follow Royal Caribbean’s November 10 arrival.

“As we move forward from September’s historic storms, we are laser-focused on improving and enhancing the overall tourism product, and creating an environment that stimulates economic growth and employment for our residents,” said Kennneth Mapp, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ governor.

Local press reports note that while Royal Caribbean contracts with the U.S. Virgin Islands Port Authority for ships to dock at St. Thomas’ Crown Bay facility, several other cruise lines will contract with the West Indian Co (WICO) to dock ships at St. Thomas’ Havensight facility. WICO president Clifford Graham told local media he is negotiating with other lines to return to St. Thomas in November.

Meanwhile, in her announcement of Carnival’s planned January return to St. Thomas and St. Maarten, she described the destinations as among “the few remaining ports that had not yet been added back to our itineraries following the recent hurricanes.”

Nicholson-Doty said preparations for Royal Caribbean’s arrival continue and more meetings with the business community are also being planned.

“Welcoming cruise visitors back to the U.S. Virgin Islands is key to our economic recovery,” she said.

Hurricane-Hit Caribbean Cruise Ports Anticipate Reopening

Posted on 8 October, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

PHOTO: The Disney Fantasy and MSC Divina docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (photo by Jason Leppert)

As far as cruise itineraries are concerned, the Caribbean is not quite back to business as usual.

However, following recent hurricane destruction, things are starting to look better. There is a glimmer of light now emerging at the end of the tunnel for St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola and even San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Like the recent reopening of Key West, Florida to cruise ships, the U.S. Virgin Islands are hoping to be up and running soon, according to Seatrade Cruise News. While cruise lines would like to begin returning to St. Croix and St. Thomas as early as October 15, based on Governor Kenneth Mapp’s assessment, the end of the month is more likely.

Priorities now are to reopen famed Magens Bay as well as ensure operational restaurants, stores and other beaches in addition to security infrastructure.

Seatrade Cruise News reports the British Virgin Islands are on a similar track. Even though the destination took a toll, the cruise facilities managed relatively well. Tortola Pier Park received minor damage according to Mark Vanterpool, minister of communications and works.

At least half of the pier-side shops and restaurants are looking to open by November 1. Outside the port, restoration is also underway on roadways, electricity, water and telecommunications. A status report regarding beaches and other attractions is still forthcoming.

Cruise Fever reports Royal Caribbean International’s Adventure of the Seas will return to home-porting from San Juan, Puerto Rico on October 7. Jose Izquierdo, Executive Director of Puerto Rico Tourism Company, announced the news on Twitter.

Royal Caribbean’s website still indicates all other calls on San Juan are still being replaced with different destinations. In fact, the line is also continuing to bypass St. Croix and St. Thomas, as well as St. Maarten for the time being.

Meanwhile, Princess Cruises is already anticipating being able to return with its Regal Princess to St. Thomas and San Juan for its December 17 sailing. Off limits also to Princess, though, is St. Maarten in addition to Dominica and Virgin Gorda.

Though Grand Turk and St. Barts remain closed according to USA Today, the latter is expected to be ready to accept its next scheduled call on October 30. Grand Turk, on the other hand, is still being replaced by Carnival Cruise Line.

The future for Dominica, Grand Turk, St. Maarten and Virgin Gorda remains unknown.

At least the entire industry is banding together to assist the Caribbean at large and it is all helping bring the bulk of the destinations back up to their usual paradise conditions. In the meantime, less frequented islands are seeing increased cruise ship traffic and visitor love as well.