Tag Archives: Holidays

MSC Cruises Introduces 7 Districts on World America

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MSC Cruises announced seven distinct districts onboard its upcoming ship, the MSC World America, designed to provide tailored experiences, set to launch in 2025.

From a dedicated family area or tranquil zen area to a busy promenade with entertainment, shops and bars, guests can choose among a variety of options to relax.

Combining bars, restaurants, entertainment and leisure facilities, each district will be tailored to the needs and moods and desires of guests throughout their time onboard.

MSC World America’s seven districts include:

MSC Yacht Club: MSC Cruises’ ship-within-a-ship experience opens up to guests staying in this secluded retreat with keycard-only access. This relaxed and elegant atmosphere offers personalized service with 24/7 butler service, priority embarkation and disembarkation, exclusive lounge and dining areas and more.

Family Aventura: Located at the top of the ship, Family Aventura features The Harbour, a new outdoor park for families. The park will feature a new attraction never before seen at sea that will soon be revealed, along with a family dwelling area and a playground modeled after the lighthouse at Ocean Cay island.

Aqua Deck: Home to the ship’s two main pools, the Aqua Deck offers experiences such as wellness offerings in the morning and parties at night.

Zen Area: The adults-only Zen Area, located at the stern of the ship, offers the ideal space for sunbathing, waterside lounging and taking in breathtaking ocean views.

Galleria: In the central heart of the ship is the Galleria, offering dining options, exclusive shopping, games, live music at the Dolce Vita Bar and more.

The Terraces: Featuring nine restaurants and bars, four retail shops and a comedy club, The Terraces offer a diverse range of entertainment from DJ sets to comedy.

Promenade: The half-covered outdoor promenade on deck 8, the area has plenty to offer. From morning coffee at the Emporium coffee bar to drinks and dinners with spectacular water views, the Promenade has something for every guest.

Cruise sailings could restart on 17 May

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A government minister has raised hopes that domestic cruise sailings could restart on 17 May.

According to a report in The Independent, maritime minister Robert Courts announced the news at an All-Party Parliamentary Maritime and Group (APPMPG) meeting on 8 March.

In a tweet, the APPMPG said: “**NEWS** Maritime Minister Robert Courts announces the reopening of the domestic #cruise market in England on 17 May at tonight’s @APPMPG meeting.”

It added: “From repatriation procedures and risk mitigations to CV-19 protocols and the domestic vaccination program, a great @APPMPG session w/ @robertcourts who delivered some much-appreciated news. A pathway to the domestic cruise market re-opening on 17 May.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson also told The Independent: “We are committed to restarting cruise travel when it is safe to do so, and we are working closely with the sector to prepare for a safe and successful restart.

“The restart of domestic cruises in England will be aligned with the wider resumption of the domestic tourism and indoor hospitality sectors. As set out in the prime minister’s roadmap, the earliest possible date for this step is 17 May.”

Industry ‘welcomes’ news

In recent weeks, cruise lines have altered their schedules to prepare for shorter UK sailings later this summer.

Princess Cruises said it was “clear that holidays in the UK will be the first to restart before the gradual return of international travel”, while P&O Cruises has confirmed a range of sailings that will depart Southampton and sail around UK coastal waters.

CLIA and the UK Chamber of Shipping said in a joint statement: “We strongly welcome the announcement that cruise will be included alongside the restart of other domestic tourism in the UK.

“The industry has been working with the government over the last year on health protocols which put the safety of our passengers and crew first. Many of these protocols have already been tested successfully where cruise has been able to operate elsewhere in Europe.

“The industry has long planned a phased restart for the cruise, with domestic cruises representing the first stage of this plan. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the government, including through the Global Travel Taskforce in order to ensure the safe restart of the international cruise in time for the summer season.”

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow added: “We are delighted that the government has acknowledged that UK domestic cruise holidays can begin from May 17.

MMGY: 2016 shaping up to be ‘remarkably positive’ year for travel

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NEW YORK — MMGY Global’s Portrait of American Travelers, unveiled Wednesday evening, suggests 2016 will be a record year for travel, barring any unpredictable disruptors.

MMGY executives presented some key data findings during an event at the New York Times building here.

Two-thirds of U.S. travelers are planning at least one leisure trip this year that requires overnight lodging, said Peter Yesawich, MMGY’s partner, industry insights; on average, they are planning four trips.

While that number remains the same from last year, the number of people traveling for business has increased by 12%.

“The outlook is incredibly positive, because you’ve got very robust demand from leisure travelers; you’ve got remarkable growth in demand from business travelers,” Yesawich said.

The data was from MMGY’s quarterly “travelhorizons” survey, which studies travelers’ intentions, using a sample of 2,300 households of active travelers that are 18 years old and older.

Steve Cohen, vice president of research and insights, said that a separate, annual study, which surveys travelers with household income level over $50,000, showed that the amount travelers are spending is also up.

The average amount travelers plan to spend on vacations this year was $5,048, compared with $4,526 spent in 2015 and $3,874 in 2010.

Additionally, Cohen said, the annual data shows the number of travelers who intend to travel more is on the rise. According to the study’s summary, 28% of travelers said they intend to take more vacations, and 14% said they plan to take fewer vacations.

“This means there is a 14-point positive variance in the market’s intention to vacation during the next 12 months, representing a 10-year high that surpasses the previous record, a pre-recession 11-point increase in travel intentions reported in 2007 and 2008,” the summary states.

The data, Cohen said, suggests a “record year” for travel.

Yesawich said that only a major, unpredictable disruptor, like an act of domestic terrorism, could shift the tide; barring that, he said 2016 was shaping up to be a “remarkably positive” year for travel.