Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, unveiled its 2024-2025 Tropics and Exotics Collection of itineraries, which open for sale on November 2, 2022.

The new collection of 157 voyages spans seven continents and ranges from 7 to 200 days in length. Featuring more than 300 ports of call, the collection includes 14 new off-the-beaten-path ports. With 30% to 50% more time in port than premium lines, the itineraries include an astounding 451 overnight stays across 123 voyages.

“This new collection of itineraries showcases iconic ports of call along with a wealth of opportunities to explore corners of the globe nearly untouched by tourism, and with seven brand-new or better-than-new ships, the journey will be just as rewarding as the destinations,” stated Howard Sherman, President, and CEO of Oceania Cruises.

Travelers seeking to explore more of the world will revel in the selection of 70 Grand Voyages that afford opportunities for epic explorations across distinct regions and multiple continents. Destination immersion is another key element of the 2024-2025 Tropics and Exotics Collection, with a wide variety of voyages focused on singular destinations such as the Amazon, the coastal villages of Brazil, the Arabian Peninsula, Japan, and an epic circumnavigation of Australia.

For those seeking to chart a course less traveled, there are in-depth explorations of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, the yacht harbors and tiny atolls of the South Pacific, and even an invigorating early-spring traverse of the North Pacific that combines Japan’s verdant northern prefectures with the rugged Alaska outposts of Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, and Whittier.

2024-2025 Tropics and Exotics Collection Highlights

• More than 150 itineraries featuring 123 cruises with overnight stays and 70 Grand Voyages spanning the globe
• With Caribbean, Mexico, and Panama Canal voyages, travelers can revel in new corners of the tropics with visits to refreshingly less-traveled islands such as Bonaire, Carriacou, Dominica, and Guadeloupe
• In South America, there are multiple adventures into the pristine landscapes of Patagonia, sailings along the Amazon River, or voyages that explore the golden coasts of Brazil and Uruguay
• Across Asia, explorers will delight in traveling to far-flung places and iconic attractions that many only dream of with expansive options for Southeast Asia explorations and a number of fascinating Japan-focused journeys
• Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific journeys reveal a blend of dynamic marquee cities as well as unsung treasures in delightfully off-the-beaten-track places such as the coast of Western Australia; Bluff, Gisborne and Timaru in New Zealand; and blissful islands in French Polynesia and Melanesia
• The collection offers a sweeping array of far-flung Grand Voyages, with options linking multiple distinct regions and region-specific journeys that feature in-depth explorations of South America, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and even extended Caribbean and Panama Canal journeys

New Ports of Call

• Camarones, Argentina
• Champagne Bay, Vanuatu
• Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Tristan da Cunha
• Fernandina Beach, Florida
• Hambantota, Sri Lanka
• Hillsborough (Carriacou), Grenada
• Hitachinaka, Japan
• Hualien, Taiwan
• Isla de los Estados, Argentina
• Kupang, Indonesia
• Puerto del Rosario, Canary Islands
• St. Helier, Channel Islands
• Takamatsu, Japan\Waingpu, Indonesia

THE EVOLUTION OF PERFECTION – A BETTER-THAN-EVER EXPERIENCE

OceaniaNEXT is Oceania Cruises’ continual quest to evolve and elevate the guest experience. It focuses on the hallmarks that inspire guests to return to Oceania Cruises time and again: Exquisitely Crafted Cuisine, Curated Travel Experiences and Small Ship Luxury. Reflecting the crisp sophistication of Regatta, Insignia, Nautica, Sirena, and Vista, the sweeping Re-inspiration of Marina and Riviera presents a symphony of entirely new suites and staterooms as well as elegant public spaces imbued with a new light, airy ambiance. The signature onboard experience is better than ever too, with the addition of an extensive collection of new flavors and culinary experiences that transforms dining into a sublime experience and service into an art form. The gourmet cuisine has been entirely reimagined, from a bounty of new flavorful dishes at The Grand Dining Room to a Dom Pérignon pairing dinner that is the only one of its kind. Oceania Cruises’ newest ship, Vista, offers multiple unique firsts in the realms of dining and guest experience. Across all ships, holistic wellness encounters at Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center encourage a lifestyle of health and longevity while new destination experiences such as Go Green, Go Local, Beyond Blueprints, Culinary Discovery Tours™, Food & Wine Trails tours, and Wellness Discovery Tours by Aquamar encourage deeper explorations.

THE HEART OF THE EXPERIENCE
One aspect of the Oceania Cruises experience remains constant and unchanged: the trademark warm and personalized service. Whether guests are sailing for the first time or the fifteenth, they will note the ease with which the staff remembers their names and their preferences, along with the genuine smiles and enthusiasm that can only come from the heart.

For additional information on Oceania Cruises’ small-ship luxury product, exquisitely crafted cuisine, and expertly curated travel experiences, visit OceaniaCruises.com, call 855-OCEANIA

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to broach this topic, because my thoughts are bound to rub more than a few of you the wrong way. After all, we are living in the year 2022 and stress has become a staple for most people who have blown out more than twelve candles.

This is a topic, however, I feel is worth addressing. We all agree that stress does not flatter us, nor is it something we should be particularly proud of. Stress is the result of outside forces building to a point where we slowly start losing control of our mental and bodily functions.

Read the rest of this entry »

The U.S. Department of Transportation today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of August for on-time performance, consumer complaints received, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. There was a 6.0% increase in air travel service complaints from July to August, and complaints are more than 320% above pre-pandemic levels. The previous report from July showed a 16.5% increase from June to July, and complaints were more than 260% above pre-pandemic levels.

August 2022 On-Time Arrival

In August 2022, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 75.6% up from 74.9% in July 2022 and down from 77.6% in pre-pandemic August 2019. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2022 is 75.8%.

Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates August 2022

1. Delta Air Lines Network – 82.9%
2. Alaska Airlines Network – 82.3%
3. Spirit Airlines – 81.6%

Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates August 2022

1. JetBlue Airways – 65.9%
2. Allegiant Air – 66.5%
3. Southwest Airlines – 67.7%

August 2022 Flight Cancellations

In August 2022, reporting marketing carriers canceled 2.5% of their scheduled domestic flights, lower than the rate 3.1% in August 2021 and higher than the rate of 1.8% in pre-pandemic August 2019.

 Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights August 2022 

1. Hawaiian Airlines – 0.1%
2. Alaska Airlines Network – 0.5%
3. Spirit Airlines – 0.9%

Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights August 2022

1. United Airlines Network – 3.6%
2. American Airlines Network – 3.5%
3. Southwest Airlines – 2.7%

Complaints About Airline Service

In August 2022, DOT received 7,243 complaints about airline service from consumers, up 6.0% from the 6,831 complaints received in July 2022 and up 322.8% from the 1,713 complaints received in pre-pandemic August 2019. Flight problems was the highest category of the complaints received in August 2022. Of the 7,243 complaints received, 2,321 (32.0%) concerned cancellations, delays, or other deviations from airlines’ schedules. Baggage was the second highest category of the complaints received in August 2022. Of the 7,243 complaints received, 1,675 (23.1%) concerned baggage issues. Of 1,675 baggage complaints, 1079 were against foreign air carriers (64.4%) and 596 (35.6%) were against U.S. carriers.

Way back in October of 2004, Chris Anderson published an article in Wired Magazine called “The Long Tail.”  Anderson later elaborated the concept of the Long Tail in his book The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. The theory is that while every industry has its blockbuster products, there is a “long tail” of product sold in much smaller quantities that, collectively, is often larger than the most popular items.  Anderson went on to explain how technology, like online access to thousands of suppliers by millions of consumers, was making it possible for niche businesses to thrive in the new economy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Regent Seven Seas Cruises^®, the world’s leading luxury ocean cruise line, and Fabergé, the globally revered jewelry maison, announce a very special collaboration to create a rare, first-of-its-kind treasure for the line’s latest ship,Seven Seas Grandeur, which sets sail in November 2023. Read the rest of this entry »

News that comes as no surprise to us: Riviera River Cruises is proud to announce that it has received 2022 Magellan Awards from Travel Weekly for its solo traveler offerings. We’re not surprised because we have long touted – and advised single travelers – that Riviera represents one of the best choices when it comes to traveling solo. See Britton’s story, Riviera River Cruises: The Best For Solo Travelers?

As owner of Mangata Travel, Beth Hill was often asked by customers if they could come along on her personal vacations. And she always changed the subject. When covid hit, she started to look at things differently—and a new niche was born.

“Women in particular often would say, ‘please take me with you when you go on vacation, I want to travel with you’—but traveling with customers turns a vacation into work,” Hill says. “But when covid came and I had more time to think, I changed my mindset from ‘traveling with others will be a pain’ to ‘I’m going to bring the world to people who don’t want to travel alone.’ It’s really my personal goal to bring far-flung destinations to women who might never go on their own.”

Photo Bennett Goldberg

Expedition cruise company Lindblad Expeditions officially named their next generation, all-suite National Geographic Islander II this week in the Galápagos Islands. Read the rest of this entry »

How would an extra $6,000 in commission on a river cruise group feel right now? That’s how much a new offering from AMAWaterways might be worth to travel advisors, Ama co-founder and EVP Kristin Karst told TRO. Read the rest of this entry »

The new Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours discovery yacht, Scenic Eclipse II, will debut with an 11-day maiden voyage from Lisbon to Barcelona departing April 13, 2023. Read the rest of this entry »

CCRA Travel Commerce Network is celebrating the success of its two recent PowerSolutions LIVE events that were met with rave reviews from both travel advisors and suppliers. As well, the company is thrilled to share that last month reigned as one of the company’s largest recruiting months ever for both CCRA’s host agency – Travel Advisors Global Network (TAGN) and for TRUE Accreditation Code membership.

“We certainly have much to celebrate with the immense turn-out at our in-person PowerSolutions LIVE events in Philadelphia and Tampa as well as the outstanding successes we are seeing in member growth for both of the two unique tracks our company offers to become either individually accredited via TRUE or to become a member of our Host Agency TAGN. Last month was one of the best recruiting months our company has seen in our nearly 50-year history,” said Dic Marxen, President and CEO of CCRA. “Further, we are thrilled to be able to gather once again sharing the unparalleled value of meeting live and in-person to make the connections that will help grow business for both travel advisors and suppliers as we move into a bright new era of travel.”

CCRA recently hosted two successful PowerSolutions LIVE events attracting more than 300 travel advisors ready to connect with the products and solutions they need to power up their travel agency business. The events that were held in Philadelphia and Tampa featured valuable education and training sessions by industry experts and business development specialists, empowering speakers, face-to-face round table meetings between advisors and suppliers, and an interactive trade show for building key supplier relationships and networking with industry colleagues.

Asked how PowerSolutions LIVE went, Johanna González, Leisure Sales Manager, Discover Puerto Rico said,”(It was a) great event with quality travel advisors from Philadelphia! During Philadelphia Power Solutions, I was able to interact with a significant number of travel advisors that were eager to learn about my destination. The Power Solutions team did a great job with the organization and agenda, and the roundtables were a fun way to engage with smaller groups, teach them about the Island, and receive their feedback in a comfortable setting.”

Yolanda Carneiro, Vice President, Travel Industry Partnerships and Inside Sales for Carey International, said, “It’s always exciting when you hear ‘I need to use your service’ or ‘I didn’t realize Carey was worldwide’ …Everyone was so attentive, positive about travel, and hopefully ready to book Carey and earn commission!”

Deanna Reilly, owner Deanna’s Travel said, “Power Solutions was a great way to reconnect and learn!  It was a powerful event filled with networking, learning about destinations, suppliers and some new trends coming our way.  I even learned about a fantastic new tool to use to capture data seamlessly.  The Legal update was a priceless seminar filled with so much useful information and updates.”

Company executives say CCRA is poised for continued success in 2023. “Our goal is to continue on our growth trajectory and to bring even greater opportunities for agencies and advisors that we support as TRUE and TAGN members as well as to new advisors we introduce to the travel industry via our new Travel Advisor StartUp program,” said Marxen.

The next two PowerSolutions LIVE events will be held the December 1, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia and December 7, 2022 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Travel Advisors can register for the events online at: CCRA PowerSolutions LIVE Events.

Southwest Airlines is reporting third-quarter profits of $277 million on record revenue of $6.22 billion. Revenue is up more than 32%  over the same period last year. Like JetBlue’s recent earnings call, Southwest predicted continued strong travel demand into the 4th quarter. The company expects operating revenue to jump 13% to 17% in the 4th Quarter. Higher fuel costs and the impact of Hurricane Ian squeezed operating margins for all airlines. The airline indicated delays in Boeing 737 deliveries are hampering expansion.

In a recent earnings call statement, JetBlue Airlines CEO Robin Hayes announces the airline is adding more overseas itineraries to its routes. Hayes states that JetBlue plans to add six additional Airbuses for the new Transatlantic routes. JetBlue currently flies from New York’s JFK and Boston to London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

JetBlue managed a $57 million dollar profit for the third quarter as the result of strong demand and higher fares. Revenue was up 30% compared to last year’s third quarter. Higher fuel and labor costs narrowed operating margins, however.

After three years “on the hard,” I was eager to cruise again on a line and ship that I had been on before. As our inaugural effort, we selected 12-night Fall Foliage Cruise on the Seabourn Quest. We started in New York City earlier this week and are now approaching Halifax in Nova Scotia. My intent is to describe how cruising has changed in the past three years.

As dedicated small-ship cruisers, we have sailed on 2-3 voyages a year for more than two decades: mostly on high-end lines including Silversea, Regent, Crystal, Oceania, Azamara, Windstar, and Seabourn. Later this year, I will do the same while we are cruising on some of the newest offerings from Viking Ocean and Regent.

A whole bunch of “stuff” seems to be getting in our way these days. The negative daily news associated with politics, weather, cars, houses, food, and more are hitting us full force day after day. Every evening news show and late evening talk show has us reeling in bad news.

To suggest that all of this information has nothing to do with you would be ignoring reality. Even positive, upbeat, motivational speakers (like myself) know better than to blow hot air in your ear thinking that a bunch of cleverly tied-together words can put a bounce back in your step.

Do you want to start a very valuable conversation? The next time you are at a travel networking event or trade show, try this out as you swill that glass of bourbon. Bring up the subject of competition in the local market and ask one simple question. “Who is the competition for your agency?” I can guarantee they will give you the wrong answer. Read on! Read the rest of this entry »

One could say that Delta Air Lines is looking up and down for new ways to move customers to and from its planes. On the ground, it is partnering with trains in Europe to speed flyers on their way to midtown; in the air, it is looking at mini helicopters to pick them up. Read the rest of this entry »

Small ship cruise line Windstar Cruises has partnered with the Coral Gardeners, a Mo’orea (French Polynesia)-based organization determined to revolutionize ocean conservation and create a global movement to save the coral reefs through reef restoration, awareness activities, and innovative solutions. Read the rest of this entry »

Most travel agents who have been in the business for any period of time can tell stories of clients who, in some manner, disappointed the agent in the relationship. The client who took the agent’s hard work and booked direct, or the client who could not be found when the final payment was due. The client who goes to the airport without their documents and blames the agent. The client who won’t return phone calls. The client who is upset that the agent cannot find a trip to Hawaii for 7 nights for $499. The client who discovers a cruise $50 cheaper on the internet and is unhappy. In almost every instance, however, the real root of the problem can be found in the failure of the agent to properly train the client and set expectations. Client training is more than just a technique to prevent problems, however. Properly training clients sets the stage for the buying process to occur in the context of a relationship. Read the rest of this entry »

When you’re a big company in a small country, an alliance with a global player can pave your way into bigger and more lucrative markets. And that’s just what’s been happening at Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive Resort, where a partnership with Hilton’s Curio Collection has produced a burst of new business from American customers. Things are going so well, in fact, that Phase 2 already is in the works—reaching out to higher-end customers looking for more privacy and exclusivity.