Tag Archives: travelling

Celebrity Beyond Resumes Service Following Repairs

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Celebrity Beyond Resumes Service Following Repairs

The Celebrity Beyond resumed its regular cruise schedule earlier this week after having a cruise cancelled due to propulsion issues.

Following repairs at a shipyard in the Bahamas, the 2022-built vessel welcomed guests back on July 27, 2025.

Sailing from PortMiami, the Beyond is now offering a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean that features visits to ports in the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Mexico.

While all planned ports of call are set to be visited, Celebrity said that adjustments to the ship’s itineraries will be made.

“As you may have heard, our ship experienced a technical issue last week. Our experts responded swiftly and thoroughly, upholding the highest standards of safety and care,” the company explained in a statement sent to guests now onboard.

“We’re pleased to share that all necessary work is progressing and on track to be completed before our cruise together,” Celebrity continued.

“With smooth sailing ahead and to accommodate a lowered speed, we have a quick itinerary update to share,” the company added.

Adjustments include Falmouth and Cozumel being visited in reverse order and a change in the ship’s arrival and departure times for George Town.

Instead of docking at the port between 10 AM and 6 PM, the vessel will now arrive at 7 AM before sailing at 3:30 PM.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause,” Celebrity said.

Celebrity cancelled the July 20 sailing onboard the Celebrity Beyond on short notice after postponing guests’ embarkation by one day.

In a statement issued at the time, the company explained that the cruise had to be cancelled after further consideration.

“During our previous voyage, the ship experienced a technical issue that affected its speed,” Celebrity stated.

“While our teams have been working diligently, we need additional time to complete necessary assessments and repairs,” the company added.

The Celebrity Beyond was scheduled to offer a seven-night itinerary to the Eastern Caribbean that featured visits to St. Thomas, Nassau and St. Maarten.

Princess Makes Further Changes to Premier and Plus Packages

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Princess Makes Further Changes to Premier and Plus Packages

Princess Cruises is making further changes to its Premier and Plus Packages after announcing updates to the products earlier this week.

According to a statement, speciality coffee and teas are now unlimited in the Plus package and will not count towards the 15-drink daily limit.

The additional change was made after feedback from its Princess guests’ community, the company explained.

Princess initially announced changes to its packages on July 21, revealing new refreshed product additions, such as extra casual dining options and shore excursion credits.

The premium brand also raised pricing for the add-ons, with the Princess Premier Package costing $100 per person per day and the Princess Plus Package costing $65 per person per day. Prices are based on guests booking pre-cruise.

When booked before the cruise, these packages were previously priced, respectively, at $90 and $60 per person per day.

Guests sailing on the company’s new Sphere class ships, the Sun Princess and the Star Princess, will pay an additional $5 per person per day, regardless of the package chosen.

According to Princess, these packages offer savings of between 50 and 70 per cent compared to purchasing their components separately.

In addition to a new shore excursion credit varying by voyage length, the Premier Package includes unlimited casual and speciality dining, a four-device Wi-Fi package and unlimited digital professional photos.

Other benefits include the unlimited premier beverage package, as well as reserved seating for theatrical shows and the inclusion of daily crew appreciation fees.

The Plus Package features four casual meals per voyage, in addition to the Plus beverage package, Wi-Fi for a single device and the inclusion of daily crew appreciation fees.

When purchasing any of the packages, guests will also take advantage of waived fees for Princess’s OceanNow, as well as room service deliveries.

The changes will be in effect for all voyages starting in 2026.

Hays Travel has acquired Cruise.co.uk’s parent, Victoria Travel Group Limited

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Hays Travel has acquired Cruise.co.uk’s parent, Victoria Travel Group Limited

Hays has hailed the deal, which includes Victoria’s Seascanner brand and its German division, Kreuzfahrtberater.de, its largest since acquiring Thomas Cook in 2019.

Victoria Travel Group Chief Executive Chris Gardner will continue to lead the business, alongside UK Managing Director Tony Andrews, Group Chief Financial Officer Carl Tromans, and German Managing Director Tom Reiter.

Existing majority shareholder Bridgepoint will now exit the Victoria Travel Group business, which reported a total transactional value of £252 million in its most recent financial year and said reflected its strong market presence and customer loyalty in the UK and Germany.

This is Hays Travel’s first online travel agency acquisition and a significant milestone for the north east headquartered company, which has been serving customers since 1980.

The move significantly expands Hays Travel’s footprint in the global cruise market and supports the UK’s largest independent travel agent’s strategic growth ambitions in the fast-growing cruise sector, both in the UK and internationally.

Dame Irene Hays, owner and chair of Hays Travel, said: “We have been hugely impressed by the strength of the Victoria Travel Group. 

“Their innovative approach to online cruise retailing and the calibre of their management team make Victoria Travel a compelling addition to our business, which aligns with our cruise strategy and growth ambitions.
 
“We are delighted to welcome Chris, Carl, Tony and Tom to our Hays Travel group; they share our values and are all exceptional at what they do. 

“We look forward to working alongside them, exploring opportunities and learning from each other as we seek to continuously improve the choice, experience and value we offer our customers.”

Meanwhile, Gardner added: “We’re delighted to be joining the Hays Travel family. Their values, customer-first approach, and long-term vision align with ours. 

“This partnership opens up exciting opportunities to grow our brands and deliver even more value to cruise customers in the UK and internationally.”

Jonathon Woodall-Johnston, chief operating officer of Hays Travel, and Jo Rzymowska, a respected cruise industry leader and non-executive director of Hays Travel, will join the Victoria Travel Group board.