Author: Andrea Zelinski 

After 18-plus years of sharing sales forces, Cunard North America and Princess Cruises are splitting up.  Each cruise line will have its own sales force this fall, a decision that Cunard said…

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will serve a limited-edition Dominican mamajuana (spiced rum) that Candela crafted exclusively for the luxury line.  Called Marea, the rum is an extra-aged Gran Reserva Dominican rum made with locally…

Andrea Zelinski If you need more convincing about the strength of the cruise sector, Virtuoso chimed in last week with data showing its cruise sales among affluent travelers exceeded 2019 and 2022…

Pacific Travel Partners, a subsidiary of Aurora Expeditions, has acquired Vantage Deluxe Travel’s assets, including its customer and prospect list and intellectual property. In the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Massachusetts last week,…

A delicate breeze swayed a field of expired sunflowers as dozens of people sipped wine and sampled truffle honey and pasta at a farm in Tuscany. Nearby, in a grove of poplar…

One of the big questions travel advisors have about the new Crystal cruise line is what sort of synergies it will have with its sister brand, luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent…

A&K Travel Group put the 20-year-old Crystal Serenity through a $150 million renovation ahead of its relaunch, with much of that work focused on gutting many pre-existing staterooms and combining them into…

ONBOARD THE CRYSTAL SERENITY — A year and a half after Crystal Cruises collapsed, the line roared back to life last week, debuting the first of two renovated ships. And, parent company…

The Explora I set off on its maiden voyage out of Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday. The $550 million ship is sailing to Reykjavik over seven nights.  The first ship for MSC Group’s…

ABOARD THE CRYSTAL SERENITY — For a 20-year-old ship, the Crystal Serenity has that new-car smell.  Smelling what I could only describe as conditioned leather and a hint of air freshener as…