The Carnival Luminosa arrived in Queensland last week at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, while it will become the first Carnival ship to depart from the port, according to a press release.
From November 2022 to April 2023, the Carnival Luminosa will set sail from Brisbane across 28 voyages and it will visit a number of Queensland destinations, including Airlie Beach and The Great Barrier Reef. From May 2023, the ship will reposition to Seattle before returning to Queensland later that year, according to Carnival Cruise Line.
“Brisbane is the first market globally to experience the big, bright, fun that Carnival Luminosa has to offer and we thank Queenslanders for their patience, love and support,” said Kara Glamore, vice president, of Carnival Cruise Line Australia.
Carnival revealed some of the ship’s features earlier this month, including a 10-deck-high atrium, a multi-million dollar bronze sculpture by the world-renowned artist Fernando Botero, a sunset bar, a two-deck-high sky dome, and one of the largest spas and thermal areas in its fleet.
“Having a Brisbane-based ship has been a goal of ours for quite some time and it’s only appropriate that our ship in the Sunshine State is packed with natural light, plus the hospitality and fun that Carnival is famous for,” added Glamore.
Upon arrival in Brisbane, 61 of the Luminosa’s windows were lit with “We ❤ QLD” across her 290m+ length, sending a special message to locals.
MS Nieuw Amsterdam arriving in the port of Vancouver, Photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)
With its entire fleet in service again, Holland America Line is planning an expansive global deployment in 2023.
In addition to strong programs from its traditional homeports in the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe, the company is also returning to its long-haul, intercontinental itineraries during the year.
Other highlights of the year include a summer program in Canada and New England, as well as returns to South America, Asia, the Far East and more.
Here’s a look at the company’s planned homeports and their ships for 2023:
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Ships:
– Eurodam (January to April/October to December); – Nieuw Amsterdam (January to April/October to December); – Nieuw Statendam (January to April/November and December); – Rotterdam (January to March/October to December); – Volendam (January to April); – Zaandam (January to April/October to December); – Zuiderdam (January to May/October to December).
Seattle, Washington
Ships:
– Eurodam (April to September); – Westerdam (May to October).
San Diego, California
Ships:
– Koningsdam (January to March); – Volendam (October and November); – Zaandam (January to April).
Whittier, Alaska
Ships:
– Nieuw Amsterdam (May to September); – Noordam (May to September).
Boston, Massachusetts
Ships:
– Zaandam (May to September); – Zuiderdam (August and September).
Canada
Ships:
– Koningsdam: Vancouver (April to October); – Nieuw Amsterdam: Vancouver (April to September); – Noordam: Vancouver (May to September); – Volendam: Vancouver (May to September); – Zaandam: Montreal (April to September); – Zuiderdam: Quebec City (September).
Europe
Ships:
– Nieuw Statendam: Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Copenhagen, Piraeus and more (April to October); – Noordam: Barcelona, Lisbon, Trieste, Piraeus and more (April to October); – Rotterdam: Amsterdam and Rotterdam (April to September); – Zuiderdam: Rotterdam (May to July).
Australia and New Zealand
Ships:
– Noordam: Sydney and Auckland (January to April/October to December).
Asia and Pacific
Ships:
– Westerdam: Singapore, Yokohama and Hong Kong (January to April/October to December).
South America
Ships:
– Oosterdam: San Antonio and Buenos Aires (January to March/November and December).
MS Nieuw Amsterdam cruising the Inside Passage Alsaka, photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)
Following a full season of 107 cruises and cruise tours onboard six ships, Holland America Line recently completed its 2022 Alaska program.
According to a press release, the season in the destination came to an end on Oct. 6, with the Eurodam and the Koningsdam completing final port visits at Ketchikan before heading to Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, respectively.
“As this successful season winds down, we’re pleased to see growing interest in Alaska 2023,” said Gus Antorcha, president, of Holland America Line. “Alaska is a bucket-list destination and people are excited to travel more. We’re seeing bookings well above levels from similar periods in the seasons prior to the industry pause.”
The 2022 season was Holland America Line’s milestone 75th Anniversary exploring Alaska.
To mark the occasion, the cruise line launched the “Love Letters to Alaska” contest, as well as new “Alaska Up Close” shipboard programming, a “We Love Alaska” marketing campaign, and two new partnerships that celebrate the brand’s commitment to serving sustainable Alaska seafood.
“Holland America Line’s 75th Anniversary in Alaska got off to an incredible start with Koningsdam as the first ship back in Canada in more than two years, and we kept building momentum with new immersive programming, partnerships that focused sustainability and more,” added Antorcha.
“No other cruise line can deliver Alaska like Holland America Line, and this season we focused all of our expertise and passion on giving guests a memorable Alaska experience that touched all elements of their vacation, from enrichment to culinary to shoreside tours,” he added.
At the start of the season on April 8, the Koningsdam became the first cruise ship to return to Canada in over two years with a call at Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
The ship’s call marked 905 days since a cruise ship had visited the port, and it also was a maiden call for the 2016-built vessel. The next day the Koningsdam arrived in Vancouver for the start of its Alaska season.
During the 2022 season, Holland America launched its “Alaska Up Close” program that, according to the company, immerses guests on Alaska cruises in the local culture with authentic onboard programming, cruise activities and award-winning shore excursions.
Holland America Line also highlighted its partnership with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute which saw the company using seafood Alaska exclusively on all six ships serving the region.
The Carnival Corporation premium brand also mentioned its certification in Responsible Fisheries Management.
During the course of the season, it became the first cruise line to achieve this credential by serving only fresh, certified sustainable and traceable wild Alaska seafood, the company said.
As part of the celebration of its 75 years of Alaska exploration, Holland America also added a “We Love Alaska” logo below the bridge of all of its six ships sailing in the destination.
According to the press release, the campaign was conceived as a way to show the locals its devotion to the region.
Wetravel2u's Weblog 