Quark Expeditions is the latest cruise line to join Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the travel industry’s trade association.
Elsewhere, two luxury-yacht-style brands shared ship details. From sister publication Luxury Travel Advisor, Four Seasons shared details about its first new yacht on track for delivery in 2025. Separately, Seatrade Cruise News reported that The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection plans eight to 10 ships for multiple Marriott International brands and expects to go public in the next three to four years.
Azamara, additionally, unveiled details of its 2026 World Cruise, Oceania Cruises announced details of its 2025 summer cruise collection, while luxury boutique line Ponant introduced complimentary shore excursions.
Carnival Corporation reported record third quarter 2023 earnings of $6.9 billion. It was the first quarterly profit since the pandemic. The company continues to see strength in close-in-demand, which has enabled the company to increase its net per diem guidance to the financial community by one percentage point—up 7 percent compared to 2019. Booking volumes for the third quarter and month of September were at significantly elevated levels. The company's cumulative advanced booked position for full year 2024 is well above the high end of the historical range and at higher prices than 2023 levels.
Other takeaways? Carnival Corp.'s debt was reduced by nearly $4 billion from its peak during 2023's first quarter, and the company ended the third quarter with $5.7 billion in liquidity. The outlook for full 2023 is occupancy of 100 percent or more and bit higher per diems than projected mid-summer, based on that continuing close-in demand. All that said, it forecast a wider fourth quarter 2023 loss than what some financial analysts had expected.
Separately, one of its many brands, Carnival Cruise Line opened reservations for 400 or so cruises that will take guests to Celebration Key, its new exclusive cruise port destination in The Bahamas. Port calls will begin at Celebration Key in July 2025. Twelve Carnival ships will sail regularly from eight homeports to the destination in 2025 and 2026.
Small-ship Atlas Ocean Voyages plans to partner with Pleasant Holidays and Journese. Princess Cruises has announced two "Pacific Coast" food and wine experiences.
Travel Advisor News
Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced a new travel advisor partner program.
On Friday, 88 travel advisors plus Travel Agent, other media, Carnival Corporation executives and VIP industry guests boarded the new Seabourn Pursuit docked at PortMiami. After tours and briefings, the group ventured to the ship's Discovery Center for a joint live Zoom event with guests aboard sister Seabourn Venture in Seattle. Natalya Leahy, Seabourn's president, led guests in a toast to the two expedition ships' first-ever U.S. port calls. In a separate story Luxury Travel Advisor will look at tidbits from the briefings and what's new and different about Seabourn Pursuit.