Cruise360 Recap: Day Three

Our third day in Fort Lauderdale at the world’s largest cruise conference focused mostly on the cruise lines themselves.

Our day began with Carnival Corporation & plc, the parent company for the World’s Leading Cruise Lines, hosting us for a fun and informative breakfast. Tables were assigned one of the company’s brands and represented that cruise line during the interactive games. We were at the Carnival Cruise Line table, while others were representing Princess Cruises, Costa, Holland America Line, Cunard, or Seabourn. Our own Scott McAlister was brought up on stage to play “Guess the Price” and even won one of the prizes.

Following breakfast, it was time for the cruise line showcases. The bulk of the conference today revolves around these sessions. Each cruise line gets about 15-20 minutes to share an overview of their brand and what’s new with their products and ships. It’s a great way to find out the key info we need to help better offer the right cruise for each client.

Here are the cruise lines from the morning sessions and some notes about each:

MSC Cruises – You might know the name MSC from the world of shipping, but they are quickly becoming one of the world’s largest cruise companies. Later this year, they will launch their 17th cruise ship. MSC is about to launch a new luxury product based on their popular “ship within a ship” concept called the MSC Yacht Club. MSC will be offering some Canada & New England sailings this fall. They will also be opening a private island & marine reserve, Ocean Cay, later this year. You can also enjoy Cirque du Soleil onboard MSC Meraviglia. This fall, MSC will have four ships sailing the Caribbean (including Cuba) from Miami.

Avalon Waterways – Avalon is the river cruise line owned by the Globus Family of Brands. The Avalon Saigon sails the Mekong with only 18 cabins, meaning just 36 passengers for this unique voyage. They also have a 56-passenger ship on the Ganges. No matter where you sail with them, they are now “all-suite” on the rivers. Starting in 2020, you’ll be able to customize your river cruise experience like never before with “Your Way” by Avalon. You’ll be able to add additional time on land or even a Globus or Monograms land package to extend your stay. And with Avalon Choice, you choose how you see things at each stop along the river, from active excursions or discovery adventures to something more laid back and relaxing. The choice is yours.

Tauck River Cruises – “How you see the world matters.” This is Tauck’s tagline but also their philosophy. They have 9 ships on 5 rivers with 32 journeys and hundreds of departure dates. Tauck has its roots in land tours, where they are an industry leader. Now those exceptional land experiences are being included as part of the river cruise experience. This year, Tauck will add new itineraries for the popular Christmas Markets in Europe. Why Tauck? First, it’s all about the destination. Plus all itineraries are fully guided and all-inclusive. And by all-inclusive, they mean it. No options are sold. Ever. And you get exclusive access, like visiting the Louvre in Paris — after hours and without the crowds. That’s the Tauck difference.

Ponant Yacht Cruises & Expeditions – Ponant may be new to the US market, but they have over 30 years of experience cruising the world. The goal of Ponant is to capture the “spirit” of sailing. They are a world leader in expedition cruises and have over 200 expedition leaders on staff. One of the unique features Ponant offers is the world’s first underwater lounge on a cruise ship. By the end of 2021, they will have 12 ships with over 400 cruise options visiting over 450 ports and all seven continents. The line also has an “open bridge” policy, meaning you can visit the captain, crew, and naturalists when you wish.

Norwegian Cruise Line – One interesting thing about Norwegian is that they are one of the few larger ship cruise lines to offer studio cabins, meaning accommodations for a single passenger without the dreaded single supplement. The Haven is their premium product, taking the suite experience to a whole new level. Their “Free at Sea” offer gives you the freedom to choose what perks you want on your cruise instead of being stuck with an amenity you might not use. And when you sail in The Haven, you get them all. Norwegian Sky has been completely refurbished and now looks similar to one of their newer ships, Norwegian Bliss.

Oceania Cruises – Oceania is implementing the largest refresh of their ships in their history, with the Regatta class ships all getting a complete bow to stern makeover. If you thought those ships were amazing before (and they were), just wait until you see the re-designed spaces, especially the beautiful accommodations. This project will be completed by the middle of 2020. On the Oceania class ships, Ralph Lauren is working to redesign some of the larger owners suites and these look amazing. The other exciting thing is that new ships are coming – Allura Class – with the first one being delivered in 2022. The new ships will be similar in size to Marina and Riviera. This project is called “OceaniaNext.”

Regent Seven Seas Cruises – Regent cruisers are immersive explorers. They don’t just visit a destination – they experience it like nobody else. Cruises range from 7 nights to the 113-night World Cruise. There is a wide variety of dining options and you dine where you want, when you want at no additional cost. The gratuities are also included so you don’t have to worry about taking care of the staff at every turn. 98% of their rooms have private balconies at well and you can even get free or upgraded air on many cruises. We toured one of their ships at a previous Cruise360 conference and were extremely impressed.

Riviera River Cruises – Our friends from Riviera must think we’re stalking them at this point — and maybe we are since we’re so impressed by their brand. On Day One we attended another of their presentations and blogged about that, plus we were honored to be their guests at last night’s Hall of Fame Gala. You may not know the name – but we encourage you to ask us about this fantastic option for your next river cruise.

After the morning sessions, it was time for General Session 3 including lunch. Our final keynote address came from Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises. Following his speech, it was time for another panel discussion. This one had a cool twist – as each panelist was introduced, they played a short two-question version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” with questions based on their brands. It was a clever way to get the audience involved and learn more about each brand. The Small Ship Cruise Panel included Kristian C. Anderson, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection | U by Uniworld; John Delaney, President, Windstar Cruises; Joe Leon, Vice President, Field Sales – The Americas, Silversea; Alex Pinelo, Vice President of Sales, AmaWaterways; Doug Seagle, Vice President of Sales, North America, Seabourn; and Jana Tvedt, Executive Vice President, Riviera River Cruises.

Following the final general session, we headed back to the “classroom” for more cruise line showcases. The afternoon seminars featured:

Carnival Cruise Line – We are so proud to have three great Carnival ships year-round in Galveston. We are their second-largest port behind Miami and very proud of their commitment to Texas. One of their new initiatives this year is WUATA – Why Use a Travel Advisor? They’re spending a lot of money and time promoting the value of travel advisors and why they always recommend booking with us. You’d think the cruise lines wouldn’t want to share the revenue but they understand the value we bring to the equation and we couldn’t be happier that they are celebrating it.

Princess Cruises – With 18 beautiful ships and hundreds of ports worldwide, they are a destination leader, especially in Alaska and Europe. Their next ship, Enchanted Princess, arrives next summer, and Medallion Class cruising is available onboard several ships and expanding to more vessels soon. The Ocean Medallion is a small disc, roughly the size of a quarter, that becomes your digital passport to the world. This intuitive device opens your stateroom door, helps you navigate the ship, order drinks, and so much more.

Holland America Line – With over 110 countries and over 425 ports of call, Holland America visits some of the most sought-after places on the planet. They are also known for their Alaska product, both on land and the sea. With new features like Music Walk and the Rolling Stone Rock Room, Holland America is the perfect premium choice for guests of all ages. They also just recently had Oprah Winfrey serve as Godmother for their newest ship, which we will tour on Sunday.

Cunard – Probably the most exciting news from Cunard is their new ship coming in 2022, but unfortunately there aren’t many details available. But we’re told they will start spilling the beans within the next six months or so and we couldn’t be more excited. Cunard has also expanded their Canyon Ranch Spa offerings from just one ship to all of them, rebranding them as the Mareel Wellness & Beauty experience.

Seabourn – Just announced, the line has contracted hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany to create the indoor and outdoor guest areas of its two new ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ships being built by T. Mariotti and due to launch in June 2021 and May 2022, respectively. Tihany was the creative vision behind the luxury yacht inspired interiors on Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation, the line’s two newest ships, which have been welcomed to the fleet to wide acclaim. He also designed interiors for The Grill by Thomas Keller restaurant on Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, and Seabourn Quest.

Costa Cruises – We don’t hear much from Costa, as they are primarily an Italian product, but they do offer cruises seasonally from Miami. They are the third-largest brand in the Carnival portfolio and fifth-largest cruise brand in the world. They say if you want to feel like you’re in Italy, step onboard one of their ships. Italy will move with you, no matter where you’re actually sailing. Of course, the perfect Costa journey just might be a cruise in the Mediterranean.

Crystal Cruises – Known for their luxury cruise ships, Crystal now has a wide portfolio of cruise offerings including those iconic vessels, their river cruise product, and even a yacht experience. Plus, a new luxury ship, Crystal Diamond, is in the planning stages and will begin construction soon. Cruises range in length from 6 days to over 130 days, with segments of various lengths in-between. Crystal is also all-inclusive with the exception of shore excursions, the spa, and your SECOND trip to any specialty restaurant. Their 2022 World Cruise – Myths, Marvels & Monuments: A Cultural Mosaic – is now on sale and available in five different versions depending on where you begin.

Celestyal Cruises – If you’re looking for the best Greek Isles itinerary, look no further than Celestyal. Founded in the early 1970s as Louis Cruises, today Celestyal Cruises is the preeminent cruise line for the Greek Islands and Turkey. Apart from the established and well-known 7 day itineraries, they are the only mainstream operator enabling travelers to see the best of the Eastern Mediterranean with 3 and 4 day cruises The short sailing time in between destinations means that you spend more time on what matters the most – the authentic Greek destinations. Celestyal also partners with leading land providers including Globus to package their cruises with Greek land extensions.

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours/Emerald Waterways – Scenic is a completely all-inclusive product, to the point where they don’t even take your credit card when you come onboard. Scenic is part of a family of two river cruise brands, with Emerald Waterways being their more budget-friendly and contemporary brand. Even at the more economical level, there’s a lot included in your cruise. No matter which you choose, you’ll enjoy a top-notch river cruise experience with an Australian company that has a solid reputation for delivering quality and value.

Following a full day of seminars, we were treated to a welcome reception by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitor’s Bureau with light bites and drinks set against the backdrop of the awesome marlin fountain that sits at the entrance to the Broward County Convention Center.

Tomorrow, we head to Miami to tour the first of two ships this weekend – Carnival Horizon. She’s the sister ship to Galveston’s Carnival Vista, and we can’t wait to see the differences between the two. We’ll have plenty of photos to share tomorrow. Until then, goodnight from Fort Lauderdale.