Enhanced Pride of America Sails in Hawaii

Posted on 28 October, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Enhanced Pride of America Sails in Hawaii

September 30, 2013New suites, single staterooms addedBy: Marilyn Green

Cruise

The 2,124-passenger Pride of America, Norwegian Cruise Line’s dedicated Hawaii ship, is now sailing with extensive enhancements. Pride of America recently completed a $30 million refurbishment that includes new suites, studios for single travellers and inside staterooms.

The 24 new suites on Deck 13 have premium custom furnishings, fabrics, carpets and elegant bathrooms. Two are 566-square-foot Owner’s Suites that sleep up to four people, with a spacious bedroom, a separate living room, 1,200-square-foot balconies and bathrooms featuring custom mosaic tiles. The others are Penthouse Suites, including two Deluxe Penthouse Suites with Large Balcony, ranging from 363 to 459 square feet and sleeping up to six guests. There are connecting doors to the Owner’s Suites that allow a party of up to 10 passengers to be accommodated together. Suite guests have dedicated butlers and concierge, Tranquility mattresses, Lavazza espresso makers, Elemis bath products and private dining for breakfast and lunch.

Four 100-square-foot studio staterooms, introduced on Norwegian Epic, have been added, but there is no common lounge for them. Four inside staterooms also were added to Deck 13.

“Pride of America offers a unique and extraordinary vacation to four of Hawaii’s most popular islands, and these new suites elevate the guest experience on this one-of-a-kind vessel to a whole new level,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian CEO.

Flat screen televisions were placed in all accommodations during the refurbishment and the fitness center was upgraded; Wi-Fi access is now available throughout the ship and carpeting was replaced.

A new Brazilian-style steakhouse, Moderno Churrascaria ($20 fee), was added to the restaurants onboard, and Lazy J’s has been made into a signature Cagney’s Steakhouse.

Pride of America is the only U.S.-flagged large cruise ship sailing a seven-day Hawaii itinerary departing from Honolulu every Saturday. Ports of call include an overnight in Kahului, Maui; Hilo and Kona, Hawaii; an overnight in Nawiliwili, Kauai; and an afternoon cruise past the Napali Coast.

Canadian agent group asks Carnival to change NCF policy

Posted on 25 October, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Canadian agent group asks Carnival to change NCF policy

By Tom Stieghorst

The Association of Canadian Travel Agents (ACTA) has sent Carnival Corp. a letter asking that it reconsider its handling of the noncommissionable portion of cruise fares.

In a dispatch to members, group President David McCaig said he is raising the issue now to respond to newly named Carnival CEO Arnold Donald’s call for improved relations with agents.

“The hope is that under Mr. Donald’s leadership, ACTA’s voice will not fall on deaf ears,” the memo said.

Commenting on the letter, a Carnival spokesman said, “Travel agents are absolutely critical to our long-term success, and we are doing a number of positive things across our 10 brands to continue to strengthen our ties with our agency partners around the world. We certainly understand and appreciate the issues being raised, and I know Arnold plans to look into this further and give this issue a thorough review with his leadership team.”

McCaig said that noncommissionable fees (NCFs) create misunderstanding and distrust with clients because the charges are hard to explain.

He wrote that traditionally an agent will present NCFs to a client with terms such as “supplemental fares,” “nondisclosed cruise fees,” “add-on fares” or “hidden surcharges.”

“When a travel agent seeks support from Carnival Cruise Lines’ reservations to quantify NCFs, they are always at a loss to do so,” McCaig said. “It is unfair that travel agents are portrayed as an obstacle to lower fares.”

NCFs are used not only by Carnival’s brands but by most cruise lines, which say that the fees reflect unspecified government fees and other charges that amount to pass-through costs not part of the product.

Eric Maryanov, president of All-Travel.com, said he thinks NCFs could be better detailed by the industry in general.

“Taxes, port charges, I get it,” he said. But some cruise invoices have a line item for port charges and then another that simply says “NCF” with no explanation of what that NCF is, he said.

McCaig said the letter to Carnival asks Donald to “seriously consider changing Carnival brands’ NCF commission policy by establishing familiar and consistent terminology for the travel agency community to use with their clients.” It also asks Carnival to commission the cruise “with both amounts combined (commissionable and noncommissionable) at current levels.

McCaig said in the dispatch to members that he sent the letter on Oct. 23.

Brand plans in the Caribbean

Posted on 16 October, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Brand plans in the Caribbean

By Tom Stieghorst

*Insight As cruising grows globally, the Caribbean finds itself competing with rich destinations that have plenty of capital. How do Caribbean countries find the resources to keep their edge in the battle for passengers?

One solution appears to be to tap into the power of established local brands, as some cruise lines and tour operators are doing in Jamaica.

Royal Caribbean International has struck a branding partnership with Red Stripe, the well-known beer brewed on the island by Desnoes & Geddes. The beer’s squat brown bottle and painted label are a Jamaican icon, and it is distributed in a number of foreign countries by Diageo, the worldwide liquor marketer. *TomStieghorst

Another example is support by Appleton Rum for tours of the 2,000 acre Good Hope estate, a plantation near Falmouth where Royal’s giant Oasis and Allure of the Seas ships dock.

Tour operator Chukka Caribbean Adventures offers the culturally-focused tours. This year it developed excursions for guests to the estate based on coffee, spices and rum, all which were once produced at the historical attraction.

Visitors can take a step back in time to when plantation culture was in its prime, and then purchase products before returning to their ship.

In addition to Appleton, sponsors include Jablum Coffee and Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning.

The use of international brands leverages the earning power of local Caribbean businesses beyond what they might otherwise yield. Some of that money can be returned to marketing local tourist sites to international travelers, fueling a virtuous cycle.

The possibility for rum and beer sponsorships across the Caribbean seems especially promising, with nearly every island producing its own version of rum, from Cruzan in the Virgin Islands to Mount Gay in Barbados and Betancourt in Haiti.

Beyond Red Stripe, beer exports with international followings include Presidente and Bohemia in the Dominican Republic and Kalik in the Bahamas.

Branded partnerships represent the kind of creative financial thinking that Caribbean destinations will have to employ to compete with rich destinations like Singapore and Hong Kong for cruise passengers.

Home-grown brands are a not-so-hidden Caribbean asset, and the time is ripe to put them to good use.