ON THE OHIO RIVER_After spending the night in Louisville at The Brown Hotel, we were on our own until 3 pm, when we would board a bus for the short drive to the port. Some in our group opted to take American Queen’s premium tour of Churchill Downs. It gave me a chance to write and Pam an opportunity to shop. American Queen runs their own fleet of modern buses, which also provide “hop on-hop off” tours …
LOUISVILLE, KY._Today brings good news and not so good news. The good news is, our travel from Palm Beach to Louisville was uneventful. Going through security at PBI was a snap (our first time to use TSA Precheck — worth every penny). Our Delta flights took off on time and arrived early, both in Atlanta and Louisville. From the Louisville airport, we were able to catch a shuttle to our next stop, the Brown Hotel, where American …
In less than 24 hours, we are scheduled to leave on the first leg of our next cruise adventure, one that in our 25 years of cruising, we’ve never experienced: An American riverboat sailing. For the next week or so, we’ll be on the Ohio River sailing aboard the world’s largest riverboat, American Queen, as guests of American Queen Voyages (AQV). Our only previous river cruise was in Germany, where we had a wonderful time. Our cruise …
DORAL, FL_When Windstar Cruises, who operate a fleet of small, luxury cruise ships, decided to move their company headquarters from Seattle to Florida, they took great pains to find the perfect location. “We looked at 30 different properties,” said Windstar President Christopher Prelog, “but from the first moment I walked through the doors and looked at the space — yes, that’s it.” Prelog was referring to their new headquarters here on the fifth floor of Doral Concourse, …
MIAMI BEACH_Even though 2022 hasn’t hit the halfway point, it’s already been a big year for Carnival. The cruise line marked its official 50-year anniversary in March, announced all its ships were back at sea in May, and here at Seatrade Cruise Global, revealed details for the upcoming launch of its newest Excel-class vessel, Celebration. Addressing the media at a press conference were Carnival President Christine Duffy, along with Glenn Aprile, Carnival’s Director of New Build and …
MIAMI BEACH_In line with the main theme here at Seatrade Cruise Global — “Welcome Back to the Ship” — PONANT Americas CEO Navin Sawhney told assembled media, “We are thrilled to have most of our ships back in the water.” Despite the effects of the pandemic, Sawhney said the only French-flagged cruise line “has surged forward over the last three years, nearly doubling the size of our fleet,” which today is 13 ships. During that time, they …
MIAMI BEACH_Small ship, luxury expedition cruising is one of the fastest-growing segments in the industry, especially in the wake of the pandemic. Here at Seatrade Cruise Global, media got more details from one of the newest entrants, MSC’s Explora Journeys. Explora Journeys CEO Michael Ungerer talked about how MSC’s first foray into the luxury cruise market has been in the works for over two years, and its first ship, Explora I, will launch in May, 2023. Ungerer …
MIAMI BEACH_When we think LG, we picture TVs and appliances, right? But as the South Korean-based electronics giant makes new inroads into the cruise industry, you can also add ultra-realistic displays, signage and even robots to the mix. The company was here at Seatrade Cruise Global to reinforce their commitment to cruising, and Senior Account Manager Tracey Estes talked about how LG is bringing their expertise to the cruise industry “in a variety of ways.” Of course, …
MIAMI BEACH_Whether you call it yachting or cruising, SeaDream Yacht Club’s two ships — SeaDream I and SeaDream II — have earned numerous accolades and industry awards for providing a five-star, all-inclusive, small-ship experience for their guests. Here at Seatrade Cruise Global, SeaDream Public Relations Manager Adrienne D’Annunzio gave the media an update for the Norway-headquartered company, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. At the top of what’s new is the recent upgrade just completed on SeaDream …
MIAMI BEACH_American Cruise Lines promotes “Closer to Home” with its fleet of paddlewheelers, modern riverboats and coastal ships navigating U.S. waterways. Now, with “Project Blue,” the pre-eminent American cruise line will be closer to home than ever. Here at Seatrade Cruise Global, company president and CEO Charles B. Robertson spoke to the media about the new initiative. “Project Blue started as a design challenge to create a boat small enough for New England harbors and stable enough …
Heidi, Editor-In-Chief
