Cunard Reports Busiest Booking Day in a Decade

Posted on 20 May, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Cunard has reported that the first day of bookings for the new ship Queen Anne proves the busiest booking day in a decade, according to a press release.

The company said the first day of sales shows the incredible strength of demand for our new ship and the Cunard brand is at record levels

The maiden voyage, a seven-night sailing from Southampton departing January 4, 2024, has sold out and demand for Princess & Queens Grill Suites proved especially strong across each of the 10 published new voyages, according to a statement.

“Since we began to unveil details of our fourth ship, the reaction to Queen Anne from guests and travel advisors alike has been phenomenal,” said Matt Gleaves, VP, Commercial, North America and Australasia, Cunard. “The first day of sales shows the incredible strength of demand for our new ship and the Cunard brand is at record levels.”

The three busiest booking periods for Cunard in the last decade have now happened since March 2021, with the launch of the UK sailings as the brand returned to service, the launch of the summer 2023 program and now the launch of Queen Anne’s maiden program.

New Holland America Line ship Rotterdam departs on the maiden voyage

Posted on 27 October, 2021 by Spacejunkie2

Holland America Line ship Rotterdam has departed on its 14-day maiden voyage from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale.The 2,668-guest vessel was delivered in July 2021 and is the third in the line’s Pinnacle-class and the seventh ship to bear the name.Following the transatlantic crossing to Florida, Rotterdam will spend from November through to April 2022 on its inaugural Caribbean season, with all sailings round-trip from Fort Lauderdale.Itineraries will range from six to 11 days and span the entire region on southern, eastern, western and tropical voyages, Holland America Line said.Guests looking for a longer cruise can embark on a Collectors’ Voyage – combined back-to-back itineraries that offer a more in-depth exploration covering more than one area.Every Caribbean cruise will feature a call at Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s private Bahamian island.President Gus Antorcha said: “Rotterdam’s maiden voyage has been highly anticipated for months by our guests and team members eager to welcome them aboard.“Rotterdam is a beautiful ship and the fourth in our fleet to begin cruising this year. We are excited to bring her to Florida and the Caribbean soon on her first sailing.”Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was recently announced as Rotterdam’s godmother – a position that will be formally confirmed when the ship is officially named in the spring.

Rotterdam features the 270-degree surround screen World Stage, Rudi’s Sel de Mer restaurant and Grand Dutch Café.It also has the Half Moon Bar, an “immersive experience looking at the history of Holland America Line and cruising through the lens of a cocktail”, the line explained.In other Holland America Line news, the line will celebrate 75 years of cruising in Alaska in 2022.In addition, the line’s UK & Ireland director of sales Wendy Lahmich recently told CTN that “cruising has a really bright future”, adding: “The way that the cruise lines have handled themselves and the industry has handled itself [during the pandemic], and the way that we’ve come together, has been phenomenal.”

Port Tampa Bay Celebrates Return of Cruising with Royal Caribbean Ship

Posted on 9 October, 2021 by Spacejunkie2

Port Tampa Bay and Royal Caribbean International will celebrate the return of cruising on Saturday with the arrival of the Serenade of the Seas, a week ahead of her first commercial cruise and first revenue cruise from the port in more than 18 months.

Port Tampa Bay will welcome Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas to Cruise Terminal 6 before she departs on her maiden voyage next Saturday.

“The return of cruising will have a far-reaching impact on our region, with many small and local businesses standing to benefit,” the port said, in a statement. “Business Research & Economic Advisors estimated that a 3,000-passenger ship generates an average of $334,000 in passenger and crew onshore spending per call in a homeport city. The development of Sparkman Wharf, Water Street, Armature Works, and other hotels, dining, shopping, and entertainment projects in Tampa continues to boost the attractiveness of the bay area as a homeport. Cruise visitors to Tampa have the convenience of accessing a nationally top-ranked airport, secure parking garages – just steps away from all three cruise terminals, world-class beaches, and local attractions like Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium, and Ybor City.”