This week in the cruise industry saw two big new river cruise ships move forward, as well as some major updates for an entirely new river cruise brand.
The American Queen Steamboat Company announced that Marissa Applegate will be the godmother of the brand’s newest vessel, the all-suite American Duchess.
Applegate is the daughter of company chairman John Waggoner. She will lead the ship’s christening ceremony on August 14 in New Orleans, after which it will depart on its inaugural voyage up the Mississippi River, with stops in Natchez, MS, Vicksburg, MS, Memphis, TN, Paducah, KY and St. Louis, MO, before disembarking in Red Wing, MN, near the northern terminus of the river.
In Europe, this week Crystal River Cruises welcomed its first “Rhine Class” ship to the fleet, the Crystal Bach. The line celebrated an official handover ceremony in Wismar, Germany, attended by Crystal President and CEO Edie Rodriguez, as well as several local dignitaries.
The 55-suite Crystal Bach will sail the Rhine and Moselle Rivers between Amsterdam and Frankfurt, as well as between Amsterdam and Basel, stopping in ports in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.
Finally, U by Uniworld, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection’s new Millennial-focused river cruise brand, is gearing up for its debut with a couple of new announcements this week. The brand announced that Contiki, a tour operator that specializes in selling travel to Millennials, will sell itineraries on the new river cruise brand. Both brands are owned by the same parent company, The Travel Corporation.
U by Uniworld also appointed Petra Nemcova, a model and philanthropist, as the brand’s new “Guardian Angel,” which aims to be a different take on the traditional “godmother” concept for cruise ships. Nemcova will take part in the brand’s preview sailing, which will take place October 7 – 11, and the brand will support the Happy Hearts Fund, an organization founded by Petra following her experience during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to rebuild safe, resilient schools in areas impacted by natural disasters.
Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for the latest cruise news, trends and updates.
Related Stories
Travel Agents Reveal Top Insights About Sailing Ship Cruises
Forecast: Be Prepared for Above-Average Hurricane Season
Agents Earn Up to 15 Percent Commission With Carnival’s Challenge