Monthly Archives: November 2022

Posted In: Top Headlines

Global Dream rendering courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

That rumor you may have heard is true. Disney Cruise Line has confirmed it is buying a partially complete mega cruise ship, Global Dream, that has been sitting in the Meyer Werft shipyard since Genting Hong Kong ceased operations early this year.

The purchase, at an undisclosed “favorable price,” finally ended speculation that the ship might have to be scrapped, despite the estimated 1.6 billion euros spent on it so far.

About 75% complete, the 208,000-gross-ton ship was being designed to sail under the Dream Cruises flag, in the Asian market. It holds 6,000 passengers and 2,800 crew, and is the first in the industry to be fueled by green methanol, one of the lowest-emission fuels available.

Some features of the ship will be reimagined by Disney before it sails in 2025. The company said, but the plan is definitely to launch it abroad, and the speculation is that it will remain in Asia, where Disney Cruise Line does not yet sail. Disney recently announced its first cruises for the Australia and New Zealand markets beginning in late 2023, and The Walt Disney Company has expressed interest in finding a home port closer to guests in Japan and China.

No matter where, travel advisors love the idea of selling—and sailing—a new Disney ship.

Homeporting a giant new ship in Asia “would be a big step for Disney” but a smart one, Dream Vacations franchise owner Shane Smartt told TRO. Even here in the United States, he believes he can sell it. “Disney has such a high following, I’m sure some US-based clients want to experience the ship in Asia; we had that happen with Royal Caribbean,” he noted. “There will be Disney fanatics that will want to go over there.”

“Hell, we’ll probably sail it,” added his partner Trapper Martin, noting the duo has “done the Disney parks over there,” and found the Shanghai park in particular to be a unique experience “totally different from Disney parks here.”

For the time being though, Disney Parks Experiences and Products chairman Josh D’Amaro seems focused on the international, if not the Asian, market. “Our cruise ships give us the unique opportunity to bring Disney magic to fans no matter where they are, and the addition of this ship will make a Disney Cruise Line vacation accessible to more families than ever before,” he said.

Onboard the Disney Fantasy, Erin Elliott Stennett of Majestic Memories Travel & Vacations in Paoli, Indiana, is “so excited to hear there is yet another new Disney ship coming. Disney Cruise Lines attention to detail is unsurpassed! From the carpeting, to fixtures, to the children’s areas, theaters, and all the very small details such as picture theming in the stairways, there is just nothing like a Disney cruise. I’m sure the new partially built ship will be like a floating palace. In general, I am not a huge fan of mega ships as they just seem so overwhelming and not as intimate, but I am positive this large ship will still feel intimate and inviting as it will have the special Disney touches. I cannot wait to sail on her!

“This is such encouraging news for the future of travel and specifically cruising,” agreed Lainey Melnick, owner of a Dream Vacations franchise in Austin. “Disney consistently delivers the highest quality entertainment, dining and service for families looking for that magical touch. Capping passengers at 6,000 in this huge build means that public venues and cabins have the potential to be massive without feeling like you are in a crowd. While this opens up a new option for the Asian market, it follows Disney Parks global expansion which will continue to draw the attention of worldwide travel to a new audience. It’s exciting.”

Posted In: Deck Plans

We’ve done a number of articles featuring our best river cruise tips. Search our site and you’ll find posts such as Our Top Three Tips For Choosing Your River Cruise, Three Tips For Cruisers Going To Europe, Five Tips For Choosing Your Stateroom, Airfare Hacks: Cheap Business Class Tickets For Your River Cruise, and many more articles designed to provide you with a better (and often, cheaper) river cruise experience.

This week, we turned to Emma Cakmak, owner of A Passport To Travel. Emma just returned from a river cruise in Bordeaux. That’s her in the photo above doing what we often love to do on our river cruises: exploring by bicycle.

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Posted In: The Rosen Report

When it rains it pours—and it’s hurricane season in the travel advisor channel. The trickle of business that kept advisors going through Covid has turned into a torrent of demand, not only for the usual FITs and cruises, but also for the land vacations to which customers turned when there was no other option.

So it’s no surprise that travel advisors suddenly find themselves being courted more than ever. On the one hand, there’s the new hotels and resorts—and on the other are the traditional partners in the cruise industry, fighting off this new competition.

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Time to Exhale

The Election is over. Hallelujah!

Election years are well known to be bad for markets, because they introduce an element of uncertainty, and markets don’t like uncertainty.

The midterm of a president’s first term is particularly troublesome. According to Jeff Sommer, in the New York Times, “Numbers going back more than a century show that the second year has generally been the weakest for the stock market in a president’s term.”

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Posted In: 60-Second Geography

A Land of Fire and Ice

Iceland always makes for a spectacular experience. Settled over a thousand years ago by the Vikings, this island sits along the mid-Atlantic ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean and has a culture deeply rooted in its ancient heritage. Pristine nature forms and stark landscapes are just the beginning. Icelandic art and culture, which draws from the ancient Sagas, continues to surprise visitors. It is a fascinating country that is sure to capture your heart.

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Posted In: Top Headlines

Department of Transportation and USA painted on cracked wall

Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced historic enforcement actions against six airlines, which collectively paid more than half a billion dollars to people who were owed a refund due to a canceled or significantly changed flight. These fines are part of DOT’s ongoing work to ensure Americans receive the refunds they are owed from airlines. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, DOT has received a flood of complaints from air travelers about airlines’ failures to provide timely refunds after they had their flights canceled or significantly changed.

“When a flight gets canceled, passengers seeking refunds should be paid back promptly. Whenever that doesn’t happen, we will act to hold airlines accountable on behalf of American travelers and get passengers their money back.” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “A flight cancellation is frustrating enough, and you shouldn’t also have to haggle or wait months to get your refund.”

In addition to the more than $600 million in refunds airlines have paid back, the Department announced today that it is assessing more than $7.25 million in civil penalties against six airlines for extreme delays in providing refunds. With today’s fines, the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection has assessed $8.1 million in civil penalties in 2022, the largest amount ever issued in a single year by that office. A majority of the assessed fines will be collected in the form of payments to the Treasury Department, with the remainder credited on the basis of payments to passengers beyond the legal requirement. The Department’s efforts have helped lead to hundreds of thousands of passengers being provided with more than half a billion dollars in required refunds. The Department expects to issue additional orders assessing civil penalties for consumer protection violations this calendar year.

The fines assessed today and required refunds provided are:

  • Frontier – $222 million in required refunds paid and a $2.2 million penalty
  • Air India – $121.5 million in required refunds paid and a $1.4 million penalty
  • TAP Portugal – $126.5 million in required refunds paid and a $1.1 million penalty
  • Aeromexico – $13.6 million in required refunds paid and a $900,000 penalty
  • El Al – $61.9 million in required refunds paid and a $900,000 penalty
  • Avianca – $76.8 million in required refunds paid and a $750,000 penalty

All of the consent orders are available at www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2022-0001.

Under U.S. law, airlines and ticket agents have a legal obligation to refund consumers if the airline cancels or significantly changes a flight to, from and within the United States, and the passenger does not wish to accept the alternative offered. It is unlawful for an airline to refuse refunds and instead provide vouchers to such consumers.

I Like It Here

I like it here. Now. Today.

Although I haven’t seen it (yet), I am sure heaven is everything it is cracked up to be. In fact, I hope to find out firsthand someday. Just not now or hopefully not in the near future.

What I am suggesting, and I say this with all sincerity and respect, is that perhaps you are now in a place worth being in. It is only human to seek more at the expense of taking what we already have for granted. Maybe, just maybe, your current existence isn’t quite as bad as it sometimes seems. What I do know is what I get to see, experience, and enjoy on a daily basis. And from my viewpoint, after “bopping” around my section of the world for a number of years, this place called America still isn’t too shabby.

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Posted In: Editorial Musings

If you are looking to win the game of business, you must master three aspects of running that business. Product. Service. Price. Unfortunately, we have no control over the product in the travel industry. We have little control over the price. But we have absolute and total control over the service. So, how to make sure you are at the top of the game?  Here are ten ways to get there! (Relax, it’s a short read) Read the rest of this entry »

Posted In: Top Headlines

Majestic Princess Cruise Ship

The Washington Post reported Saturday that a cruise ship carrying 800+ passengers infected with COVID-19 has arrived in Sydney, Australia. All those testing positive were either asymptomatic or displaying mild symptoms.

The Majestic Princess was carrying more than 4,000 people aboard. All passengers were given rapid antigen tests before disembarking. Princess Cruises said in a statement that passengers who had tested positive would exit separately and not take public transport.

The cruise line did not say whether guests who had tested positive could isolate onboard until they recovered, though the company said it would help guests access accommodations for isolation.

The ship was halfway through a 12-day voyage when the first cases were noticed. Passengers have been confined to their cabins since the outbreak was discovered, and crew members have been working to clean and disinfect the ship. So far, there have been no reports of serious illness, but the situation is being closely monitored by medical staff.

Posted In: Publishers Corner

Civilians

Your clients will mislead you. Most often, they will do so unintentionally, but they will give you bad intelligence and expect you to work with it. If you are not careful, you find yourself sending clients off to invade the wrong country. It can happen.

Clients do not always know what they want. They say they do. The truth, however, is clients are influenced by advertising, word of mouth, friends, and other resources that do not take into consideration the real needs of this particular individual. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted In: The Rosen Report

It sure has been a busy summer, and our travels are far from over. We’ve all been trying to lighten the load we take on the road, carefully choosing our favorite things as we try to fit our stuff into carry-on bags. So now, with the holiday season approaching, I thought I’d share a few of my favorites as ideas for stocking stuffers and gifts with a travel theme.

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Posted In: Deck Plans

Last week, I sailed along the Moselle and Rhine Rivers with Riviera aboard Geoffrey Chaucer. I was invited by Riviera to experience one of the line’s unique Solo Departures. As someone who often travels solo, I was curious to see what was different about traveling with other solos, as well as what Riviera does differently from the other cruise companies I have sailed with. This trip was definitely one for the books, so much so that I am having a hard time finding a way to capture the impact of my journey. Let’s start off with a few first impressions.

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Blue-Roads Touring: Small Group Travel on the Rise

Though the world has taken on appearances that closely resemble the pre-Covid world, I am often reminded by events that the world has changed a lot more during the Covid period than we yet realize. It will take some time to sort out the changes, and the effects both good and bad. On the good side, travel is back. But like everything else, it’s changed.

The constraints imposed by Covid accelerated many trends: the trend toward remote working and meetings, toward more concern by consumers about sustainability, and toward making airports safer from disease. Many other trends were also accelerated.

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Posted In: Top Headlines

“We’re taking a risk with NCFs,” acknowledged Norwegian Cruise Line SVP of sales Todd Hamilton. “But if you are offered a ride on a rocket ship, you don’t ask which seat.”

Speaking at the Signature Travel Network conference in Las Vegas about Norwegian’s promise to pay commissions on NCFs, Hamilton noted that the cruise line’s growth plan (like that of many agencies) is headed upscale. “Cookie-cutter itineraries” are being replaced with more curated, longer, more port-intensive—and more expensive—ones, with the goal being to give guests not just a cruise but an amazing all-inclusive vacation experience.

Staying on the booking curve requires three things: being easy to do business with, being a true partner to the travel advisor community, and providing value to the guest. To that end, Norwegian’s marketing budget for 2023 is written in pencil, waiting for a number that travel advisors will help it determine.

“We have no clue what the number will be because we will market enough to fill our ships,” Hamilton said. “We are going to come to you guys and ask, what do you need?”

Selling more expensive cruises than those offered by its mainstream competitors requires real experts who can explain the value proposition to customers. “Marketing is at the heart of everything we do,” Hamilton said. “We want you to work with our sales team to come up with the best possible plan. We want to be a true partner; we are here to support you and we ask you to support us.”

NCL last week announced that it will pay commissions on NCFs starting with sailings departing May 1, 2023, and booked more than 120 days out—but travel advisors must file a marketing plan to be eligible.

Hamilton stressed at the conference that while the initial announcement said it was for bookings made after January 1, the offer has been made retroactive, so bookings made today are eligible.

Posted In: Top Headlines

ncl-prima-ship-exterior

Here’s a Christmas present your clients might want to consider. Getting a jump on what promises to be a wild Wave Season, Norwegian Cruise Line announced its “Greatest Deal Ever” Black Friday Sale: a month-long second-guest-sails-free promotion.

Combined with the existing Free at Sea program, the offer means your client can bring along a spouse or other guest at no cost—not even for airfare or wifi. (And combined with the offer it made earlier this week, it means travel advisors can get commissions on what used to be non-commissionable items.)

NCL said the offer will run from today through December 5, and applies to any voyage to any destination on any of its 18 ships.

The promotion can be combined with the Free At Sea program, which offers six perks at no extra cost:

  1. Free unlimited open bar
  2. Free specialty dining
  3. Free shore excursions credits
  4. Free WiFi
  5. Free airfare for the second guest when airfare is purchased for the first guest
  6. Discounted rates for friends and family, which offers guests three and four, regardless of age, to sail free or at a reduced rate of $99 per person based on select sailings when sharing a stateroom with guests one and two.

Posted In: Top Headlines

Waldorf Astoria Mexico

Hilton today announced the official opening of the Waldorf Astoria Cancun, its second Waldorf in Mexico—and the 200th Hilton in the Caribbean and Latin America.

On 100 acres just 10 miles from the airport and 19 from the Cancun Hotel Zone, the oceanfront property is managed by Hilton and owned by PHH (“Parks Hospitality Holdings”).

The hotel is designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), using elements like textured glass, inlaid pearl shell accents, and illuminated crystal in “undulating forms that mimic the sea,”—as well as the signature Waldorf Astoria clock. There are 173 rooms, including 33 suites designed for entertaining and a President’s Suite with a dining room that seats ten and two plunge pools.

Its restaurants include the signature Malpeque, headed by Executive Chef Stuart Roger, the Peacock Alley Lounge, the Chaya brasserie, the alfresco Mexican JA’O, and the pool bar.

There’s a full spa with an outdoor pool and more than 68,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, shared with Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort. The larger Azul Ballroom can accommodate 2,000 guests and the smaller ballroom holds 30 to 380.

Hilton now has 90 properties in Mexico, including four opened in the last year: The Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort, Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya, Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive Resort and Motto by Hilton Tulum. Hilton welcomes guests at nearly 90 properties across Mexico. There are 30 Waldorf Astorias worldwide.

Posted In: Top Headlines

Tropical Storm Nicole

It’s going to be another tough travel day in Florida and the Caribbean, as airports and beach towns close and cruise lines scurry to avoid Tropical-Storm-soon-to-be-Hurricane Nicole.

American Airlines yesterday issued a travel alert for 20 airports in the eastern Caribbean and Florida and allowed customers to rebook without change fees.

In Florida, where Nicole is expected to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, both Orlando International and Orlando Sanford International Airports will close at 4 pm. Melbourne Orlando International Airport will close at 2 p.m. and Daytona Beach International Airport will close from 12:30 p.m. Wednesday until 4 a.m. Friday.

Officials have ordered mandatory beachside evacuations for Volusia County, which includes Daytona Beach and Palm Beach County, and suspended Sunrail service.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will close Wednesday for the day, but its other parks will remain open. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.

At sea, a number of cruise itineraries have been affected, including Carnival Liberty, which skipped a planned visit to Nassau in the Bahamas and will stop in Cozumel rather than private island Princess Cays. Carnival Elation also switched from Princess Cays, to Freeport.

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas skipped scheduled stops at Port Canaveral, Nassau, and CocoCay, stopping instead at Labadee, Haiti. Liberty of the Seas bypassed Nassau and CocoCay in favor of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, and Independence of the Seas went to Falmouth, Jamaica. Independence of the Seas skipped CocoCay.

Posted In: Point-to-Point

When the feds removed COVID testing before embarkation regulations a few months ago, most travel advisors and cruise execs cheered. Bookings exploded—in some cases exceeding pre-pandemic levels—and some stock analysts saw relief from the vast debt the Big Three has amassed.

On September 22, Jack Stebbins reported on CNBC that total debt was 35 billion for Carnival, 25 billion for Royal Caribbean, and 14 billion for Norwegian. This is much less than their stock values that day, which were $11.01 billion, 11.18 billion, and 5.61 billion, respectively—less than half of what the companies owed. The article said that the cruise lines’ best hope is the luxury cruise market, which is not as sensitive to economic downturns. This luxury market is centered on “small ships,” with fewer than 1300 guests.

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Posted In: Top Headlines

Island of Bermuda

The bane of travelers and their advisors headed to the Caribbean is in its final days. Bermuda this week will end its requirement for travel authorization forms and the $40 per person fee that goes with them.

Effective November 14, the country announced it will “streamline the overall travel experience for visitors,” who no longer will be required to provide proof of vaccination or insurance. Instead, the island will return to its pre-Covid process, which requires only a free online form (available at www.BermudaArrivalCard.com.)

“The form captures visitor data, generating critical tourism statistics for the country and provides visitors, who opt-in, with relevant, timely communications to enhance their stay. The Bermuda Arrival Card is a simple online form that can be completed in mere minutes prior to travel to the island,” the announcement said.

Travel advisors cheered the change and said it would help Bermuda tourism in the long run.

“Excellent news and long overdue,” said Paul Barton of Expedia Cruises in Victoria. “It was an awkward, poorly implemented and relatively expensive process. This removes the final barrier to open up Bermuda to fully welcome tourists again. “

“Glad to see this change!,” agreed Dream Vacations franchise owner Melissa Stolz in Goshen, NY. “I have had to move many of my regular Bermuda sailors and regular visitors elsewhere to land trips that did not have restrictions and a fee.”

“Sadly, it’s a little too late, though. Bermuda has missed their season,” said Kim Kellar at Cohasset Travel in Cohasset, MA. “Being from Boston, our clients look to Bermuda for late spring through early fall. The extra hoops, expense and testing required by Bermuda have absolutely put off clients to other island destinations. Obviously, being a small island with limited medical facilities (many Bermudians actually come to the US for medical care), they had to do what they felt was right to protect their citizens. Just sad it comes so late in the season.”

But Stephen Todd, CEO of the Bermuda Hotel Association, noted that the change, originally scheduled for November 30, actually was moved up to capture “a crucial time before the US Thanksgiving travel period. This is a time when we anticipate welcoming visitors looking to take advantage of the current Fall into Winter promotions. It should also support demand in time for the return of three additional direct flights from Miami, JFK, and Toronto.”

There is not a day gone by that I do not stop to think how lucky I am to have “stumbled” into a career that has allowed me to stay at five-star hotels, get paid to visit over 19 countries, meet many hundreds of nice people, take numerous cruises on both sea and river, and do it all by verbally sharing my experiences along the way.

Of course, there were more than a few downsides along the way. I remember one night in particular, sitting in my hotel room in Kansas City thinking to myself, “It is 7pm on a Tuesday and I am about to take the elevator down to the ballroom to talk to a room full of strangers. I’d rather be home with my wife. What am I doing here?”

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Posted In: Editorial Musings

Over the years, I have seen it all. I have seen airline commissions dwindle and finally be eliminated. The Internet has done its best to thwart me. Tour operators have now become my competitor by selling directly to my client. And cruise lines kept lowering their fares while raising their fees so they could pay less.  With all that, imagine my surprise when I saw this subject line in my e-mail. Read the rest of this entry »