Royal Caribbean International (RCI) has announced that it will expand the number of Middle East itineraries in November following a popular uptake of its current offering. The cruise line has reported that its sailings are virtually fully booked for the rest of this season.
Europe's river cruise season got off to a more glittery launch than usual this weekend in Amsterdam when Uniworld christened the S.S. Antoinette, its first-ever newbuild. The 146-passenger vessel, built at Holland's Shipyard De Hoop, is the most innovative ship sailing on Europe's rivers today.
The Mazatlan Tourism Trust has issued a response to the cancellation of several cruise lines’ port calls to the destination. Tourism officials are speaking out about the safety of the destination and how the incidents were reported.
Holland America Line said that for the safety of its guests and crew it is cancelling port calls in Mazatlan, Mexico, for the remainder of the 2011 spring cruise season. The move comes after several major cruise lines cancelled port calls to the destination after shootings occurred in the tourist zone of the city.
Due to recent security incidents in Mazatlan, Carnival Cruise Lines decided to cancel upcoming calls there on the Carnival Splendor and Carnival Spirit as a precautionary measure. “We are working closely with the Mexican government and local officials to review their plans to improve security in all of the main tourist areas,” Carnival said. “Once we are comfortable with their plans and implementation, we expect to return to Mazatlan.”
A testament to the growing infrastructure and continuing appeal of St. Kitts as a vibrant, authentic Caribbean destination for leisure tourism, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority today announces that the Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International’s newest and largest Oasis-class cruise ship, will be calling at the island’s Port Zante cruise pier on December 30, 2011. The announcement follows shortly after a round of sales promotion calls to Florida-based cruise lines by a delegation led by Tourism Minister, Senator Ricky Skerritt.