Cruise, Organisations & Operators,

TUI River Cruises has announced a brand-new River Nile cruise set to commence in Winter 2024 with exclusive TUI charter flights to Luxor from London Gatwick and Manchester Airports.The exciting expansion means that the river cruise line will add a fully refurbished five-star ship, to be named TUI Al Horeya, which means ‘freedom’, to operate seven-night, all-inclusive round-trip sailings from Luxor. TUI Al Horeya can accommodate 145 passengers and offers 74 cabins including singles, standard cabins and suites.
Two flights per week will operate from London Gatwick and Manchester to Luxor; a city which encompasses a mesmerizing blend of history, architecture, and culture. The new routes is exclusive to TUI, which will be the only tour operator to offer direct, non-stop flights from the UK to Luxor which will operate weekly on a Thursday from 7th November 2024 until 24th April 2025.

Chris Hackney, managing director of TUI River Cruises said: “TUI River Cruises is going from strength to strength, and we are so excited to introduce this latest offering on the Nile which we are confident our customers will love.
ADVERTISEMENT“A cruise along the Nile offers a serene and unforgettable experience with lush landscapes, traditional villages, and other iconic landmarks such as the Luxor and Edfu Temples. With year-round sunshine, Egypt is the perfect destination for exploring ancient history and allowing guests to immerse themselves in a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

He continued, “The name TUI Al Horeya was chosen to ensure we kept local connection to Egypt, as it is our only TUI River Cruise ship which will stay in the one country. TUI Al Horeya in Arabic means ‘freedom’, signifying the freedom the water brings to explore which is a great representation of what river cruising is all about.”

Dedicated licenced Egyptologists will be on hand throughout the trip to enhance the customer experience to be on hand to answer any questions. The modern and contemporary ship will boasts a top deck swimming pool, two whirlpools, an entertainment area, restaurant, Al Fresco dining, lounge bar, wellness studio and a boutique shop.

Like the rest of the fleet, TUI Al Horeya will include a day and night entertainment programme, as well as offering customers a wide range of excursions which have been curated by industry experts, guaranteed to transport visitors back in time to the era of pharaohs and dynasties.

There will be two set excursions included within the sailing package price, this includes the Temple of Horus in Edfu and the temple of Kom Ombo. To ensure that customers have as much flexibility within their cruise, a range of excursions will be on offer in Luxor and Awan for them to choose from. Options include:

Discovering the Temples of Karnak and Luxor with the Sphinx Avenue, a strikingly graceful piece or architecture on the banks of the Nile;Experiencing a sound and light show at Karnak Temple, which recounts the history of Thebes and the lives of pharaohs;Visiting the Nubian Village, located on an Island, and sail on a traditional felucca, a canvas-sailed boat;Touring the High Dam, Obellsk and Phllae Temple, which was built in 1960
TUI Al Horeya is the latest addition to the TUI River Cruise fleet, which currently has three adult only ships. The announcement of this new destination comes on the back of strong demand from customers, with bookings increasing by 40 per cent compared to last year. To meet demand for Winter 2024, all three European ships will be going on sale for festive sailings and will include two new seven-night itineraries over New Year’s Eve; the ‘New Year Sail Away’ itinerary on-board TUI Isla, with New Year’s Eve spent in Cologne and ‘Sail into the New Year’ itinerary on TUI Maya, with new year’s celebrations in Frankfurt. This is in addition to the existing ‘New Year on The Rhine’ itinerary on Skyla.

The first Legends of the Nile itinerary will set sail on the 7th November 2024:
Day 1: Luxor
Day 2: Luxor
Day 3: Edfu
Day 4: Kom Ombo
Day 5: Aswan
Day 6: Aswan
Day 7: Luxor
Day 8: Luxor

Available from £1399 based on two adults sharing a Deck 2 Superior French Balcony cabin on an All-Inclusive basis. Price includes flights from London Gatwick airport on the 5th December 2024, and transfers. To find out more about this holiday or to book go to tui.co.uk/river-cruises, visit your local TUI holiday store or download our app.

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Royal Caribbean Group Strengthening a decades-long commitment to ocean conservation and environmental research efforts. Royal Caribbean Group has announced a four-year extension of its investment in OceanScope, an open-source data program that provides scientists with critical information to study climate and ocean conservation. Collaborating with key program partners including the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, NASA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the program’s renewal on World Oceans Day builds on over 20 years of groundbreaking ocean and marine life research from Royal Caribbean Group ships.
OceanScope leverages a unique, comprehensive suite of oceanographic and meteorological instruments, located onboard Royal Caribbean Group ships, that generates continuous, simultaneous collection of the ocean’s vital signs such as the structure of currents, sea surface temperature, carbon dioxide concentrations, and salinity taken along the repetitive ship routes – which allows scientists to monitor changes on scales of seasons, years, and even decades.
“At Royal Caribbean Group, every day is World Oceans Day – and we are thrilled to renew a program as impactful to oceanic research as OceanScope,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “We’re dedicated to sustaining our planet and delivering the best vacations, responsibly – and our decades-long support of this unique initiative is testament to that. We can’t wait to see how OceanScope, and our scientific collaborators progress our understanding of ocean health and conservation.”
OceanScope’s open-source database is available to the international scientific research community worldwide. The resulting data products and peer-reviewed research are key to informing ocean and conservation policy.
Launched in 2002, the program helped verify for the first time that ocean acidification – a reduction in pH over an extended period of time caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere was occurring in the Caribbean Sea but at varying rates. Ocean acidification is detrimental to calcifying organisms such as oysters, clams, sea urchins, shallow water corals, deep sea corals, and calcareous plankton, and an ongoing concern for the entire food web.ADVERTISEMENTExtending OceanScope on Royal Caribbean Group ships helps ensure ongoing monitoring and changes of key ocean and atmospheric processes in critical ecosystems.
“We are most grateful to renew our successful collaboration with Royal Caribbean Group,” said Dr. Peter Ortner, research professor of marine biology and ecology at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science. “This is an extraordinary example of how private industry, academic research institutions, and government agencies are collaborating to amass an incredibly valuable dataset highlighting the intricate connection between the ocean, atmosphere, and climate.”
As of 2023, data has been collected from over 100,000 nautical miles sailed from four ships, traveling across the Caribbean Sea, Galapagos, North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Flora and Celebrity Equinox are currently providing data to scientists at NOAA, the University of Miami Rosenstiel School, and the community at large. Royal Caribbean Group intends to share the program’s learning to its more than eight million guests annually in an effort to increase ocean literacy.
“NASA is excited to revive its long-standing partnership with OceanScope, which is a valuable player in the Agency-led efforts to understand Earth climate today, and inform humanity for what waits tomorrow. Looking at Earth’s ocean’s from space and leveraging in situ observations enabled by projects like OceanScope is what allows us to build robust knowledge of ocean’s role in climate, which controls our planet’s heat, energy, and water,” said Dr. Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, lead of NASA’s Climate Variability and Change Focus Area and program director of the NASA Ocean Physics program at NASA HQ, Washington, D.C.
“Sustained and systematic operations with automated instruments on a variety of platforms, including this innovative collaboration, is a key to maintaining and strengthening the World Meteorological Organization’s and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s Global Ocean Observing System to which NOAA is a major contributor,” said Rik Wanninkhof, a NOAA senior scientist and ocean carbon expert at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. “In particular, the CO2, surface temperature and salinity data from Royal Caribbean Group’s ships are major contributors to these ocean observing networks to determine the ocean’s carbon sink strength and ocean acidification.”
Royal Caribbean Group’s conservation work extends beyond OceanScope, with the company championing a broader commitment to sustaining the planet as part of its SEA the Future platform. Royal Caribbean Group is actively working to decarbonize its business through innovation, collaborative partnerships and a transition to cleaner fuels, smarter technologies, and improved energy efficiencies. Ultimately, the company’s efforts are driving toward – Destination Net Zero – a commitment to reach net-zero by 2050 and to deliver a net-zero emissions cruise ship by 2035.
To learn more about Royal Caribbean Group’s efforts to sustain our planet, energize communities and accelerate innovation, please visit http://www.royalcaribbeangroup.com/SEAtheFuture.

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The initiative builds on the success of the first Global Youth Tourism Summit, held in Sorrento, Italy, in 2022, and will see the creation of the MSC Foundation Youth Lab, a specially-equipped venue on the advanced new eco-ship. One of the core programmes to be offered in the Youth Lab will be “GYTS for MSC: A Sustainable Future for Our Next Generations”, designed in close partnership with UNWTO.
The programme will deliver 12 daily two-hour activity sessions on key subjects ranging from ocean health, recycling and climate change to sustainable tourism and social media, all focused on the “sustainability challenge”. The activities have been designed to leave the youths free to learn, create and express themselves according to their interests and ideas for the future.
“We are proud to build on the tremendous success of the Global Youth Tourism Summit in Sorrento by extending our partnership with UNWTO to promote youth empowerment and sustainability education,” commented MSC Foundation Executive Director Daniela Picco. “The new MSC Foundation Lab on MSC Euribia will offer an innovative venue for children and teenagers to engage in sustainability-focused activities. Our new custom-designed programme ‘GYTS for MSC: A Sustainable Future for Our Next Generations’ has been specially conceived to empower young people to learn, create, and express themselves while addressing key sustainability issues such as marine conservation, climate change and responsible tourism. By making our young guests the centre of these activities, we aim to raise awareness of the challenges facing humanity and equip our next generations with the tools they need to create a better world.”
Alessandra Priante, Director of the Regional Department for Europe at UNWTO added: “After the immense success of our first Global Youth Tourism Summit, which brought together children from every corner of the world, we are very excited that GYTS will not only go across borders but also across the seas and oceans. We are grateful to the MSC Foundation for their continued support in highlighting the central role that youth can play in building a sustainable tourism of the future. We are proud to support MSC as they continue to educate and empower children and youth to become more conscious, committed and engaged.”
The MSC Group is committed to taking comprehensive action through the MSC Foundation to raise awareness of the big challenges facing humanity and to provide its young MSC Cruises guests with tools that inform and motivate through an understanding of its programmes and initiatives across four focus areas: the Environment (including marine conservation), Education, Community Support and Emergency Relief. This includes inviting young cruise guests to become Junior Ambassadors of the Foundation and running dedicated activities that equip them to voice the right of our younger generations to live in a better world.ADVERTISEMENT

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Disney Cruise Line announced today the inaugural dates and select itineraries for its new island destination in The Bahamas, headlining a season full of new and guest-favorite itineraries around the world in summer 2024. Along with the first sailings to Lighthouse Point, families will be able to choose magical vacations to bucket-list destinations that include the Mediterranean, northern Europe, Alaska and the Caribbean.
“We are delighted to take families to new places during the summer 2024 season, including our newest island destination at Lighthouse Point in The Bahamas,” said Sharon Siskie, senior vice president and general manager, Disney Cruise Line. “We’re also thrilled to return to Europe with new ports of call and offer exciting adventures to Alaska and the Caribbean. All of these Disney Cruise Line sailings provide the unique experiences that our guests have come to expect from Disney, from world-class dining and dazzling entertainment to character encounters and legendary guest service.”
Bookings open to the public March 30, 2023. For more details, visit the Summer 2024 itineraries page of disneycruise.com. https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/featured/2024-summer-itineraries/
First Sailings to Lighthouse PointIn June 2024, Disney Cruise Line will debut its newest Bahamian destination on the island of Eleuthera at Lighthouse Point. Guests sailing aboard the Disney Magic from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will discover a vibrant beach retreat designed with families in mind, infused with the color and energy of Bahamian artistry, and developed with a commitment to conservation at its core.
A seven-night inaugural sailing aboard the Disney Fantasy from Port Canaveral, Florida, on June 8 will allow guests to be among the first to make a splash in the crystal-clear waters of this new destination at Lighthouse Point. This ultimate Disney Cruise Line island destination itinerary will feature two stops at Lighthouse Point and one day at Castaway Cay. On June 6, a three-night preview cruise on the Disney Magic from Fort Lauderdale will offer a sneak peek of Lighthouse Point with limited access to some areas.ADVERTISEMENTFollowing the inaugural voyage, Lighthouse Point will be a featured port of call on select three-, four- and five-night sailings to The Bahamas and Caribbean on the Disney Magic out of Fort Lauderdale. These itineraries will vary stops between Lighthouse Point and Castaway Cay, with five special departures including both Disney Cruise Line island destinations.
New European DestinationsDreams will come to life for Disney Cruise Line guests in summer 2024 as the Disney Dream returns to premier European destinations in the Mediterranean, Greek Isles, British Isles and popular locales in the Norwegian Fjords and Iceland.
These sailings will feature a number of new ports of call, including Valencia, Spain; Haugesund, Norway; and Hamburg, Germany, along with three Mediterranean destinations that will return for the first time since 2014: Catania, Italy; Kusadasi, Turkey; and Valletta, Malta.
Mediterranean and Greek Isles cruises from Barcelona and Civitavecchia (Rome) will range from five to 11 nights, while northern Europe and British Isles sailings will offer itineraries anywhere from three nights to one 12-night voyage that includes the Norwegian fjords, three days in Iceland and an overnight stay in Reykjavik.
Adventures in AlaskaCruises to Alaska from Vancouver, Canada, will return on the Disney Wonder from May through September 2024, offering more chances for families to experience the natural splendor and adventure of “The Last Frontier” with five-, seven- and nine-night sailings. Majestic wildlife and stunning scenery in iconic places like Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and glacier viewing along the Stikine Icecap will blend with Disney’s world-class entertainment, dining and guest service to create a family-friendly vacation that celebrates the spirit of Alaska both on land and on board.
Tropical Escapes to The Bahamas and Caribbean from Port CanaveralThe Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish will travel to sun-kissed islands throughout The Bahamas and Caribbean in summer 2024. All sailings on these Port Canaveral-based ships will feature a visit to Castaway Cay, a picturesque private island oasis in The Bahamas that offers something for everyone in the family, from fun and relaxation to adventurous water activities.
The Disney Wish will feature three- and four-night Bahamian vacations, while the Disney Fantasy will sail to popular ports in the eastern and western Caribbean on seven-night cruises. One five-night Disney Fantasy voyage in July will take families to Nassau with two stops in Castaway Cay, while a special 10-night southern Caribbean sailing will give families another opportunity to visit Lighthouse Point with additional visits to the islands of Antigua, St. Lucia, Dominica, Tortola and Castaway Cay.
To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, visit disneycruise.com.

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Costa Cruises presents the C|Club 2023 cruises, two unique event-cruises with a programme of activities designed exclusively for members of the Italian company’s loyalty programme.These two cruises are already special from the itineraries: fourteen days on board of Costa Favolosa in June discovering the most beautiful destinations in Norway, to the legendary Lofoten Islands, illuminated by the midnight sun, and in September among the colours, scents and flavours of Tunisia and Morocco. The first departure is scheduled for 25 June, the second for 23 September 2023.
The programme of activities for C|Club members includes exclusive gastronomic experiences, new excursions, shows, themed parties, surprises, as well as special guests.
On the first of the two cruises, bound for Norway, chefs Bruno Barbieri and Ángel León, who together with Hélène Darroze sign Costa Cruises’ gastronomic excellence, will be on board the Costa Favolosa, starring in show cooking and demonstrations, with dishes never offered before. In particular, Ángel León will focus on cuisine linked to the sea, while Bruno Barbieri on how to propose a more sustainable cuisine, avoiding waste. Other taste-related events will be dedicated to specific on-board gastronomic proposals and the discovery of local culinary traditions.
Every evening there will be a party on board, with great shows and performances by internationally renowned artists. For example, the dIRE sTRATO cover band will offer a musical journey through the atmosphere and sound of the legendary British rock band Dire Straits.  Then, the cruise will propose theme parties and fun competitions between guests.
The itinerary of this first C|Club cruise heads north to discover the wonders of Norway: spectacular fjords, villages nestled between green mountains and blue sea, and the picturesque Lofoten Islands. Beautiful destinations, illuminated by the unique phenomenon of the midnight sun, when the light never sets. To discover the traditions of these locations and experience them like a true “local”, new shore excursions have been specially designed. And on board, a travel expert will reveal to guests many curiosities and anecdotes to “taste” each visit.The experiences that will be offered to C|Club members are truly unique: in Stavanger the most inaccessible fjords can be explored by speedboat; Lofoten can be discovered by kayak in the evening, with the sun still high; from Åndalsnes one can choose a tour to an alpine hut to taste typical Norwegian products; in Trondheim it can be experienced a “Viking’s day”.ADVERTISEMENTThe programme of C|Club 2023 cruises on board of Costa Favolosa will be further enriched with surprises, new activities and exceptional guests. In particular, the second of the two cruises, in September, will set off to discover the most beautiful and characteristic cities of the western Mediterranean, with two unmissable destinations, Morocco and Tunisia, for a real journey of the senses. Among the planned calls are Tunis, Tangier, and Casablanca, which – with a call of a day and a half – will lead to Marrakech. And then Cartagena, Malaga, Cadiz, Barcelona, Marseilles, Savona, Civitavecchia/Rome, and Palermo, among cities of art, ancient ruins, beaches, colourful markets, traditions, and spicy flavours.
To stay up-to-date on C|Club 2023 cruises, just visit the Costa Cruises websites. Bookings are available in travel agencies or also through the Costa Cruises websites. To participate in the members-only programme, all you need to do is register for the C|Club before making your reservation, via a special section of the Costa Cruises websites.
Costa Favolosa C|CLUB 2023 Itinerary – 25 June 2023Ijumiden (The Netherlands), navigation, Stavanger (Norway), Molde (Norway), Andalsnes (Norway), sailing, Bodo (Norway), Narvik (Norway), Leknes (Norway) with one-and-a-half day call, navigation, Trondheim (Norway), Maloy (Norway), sailing, Bremerhaven (Germany), Ijumiden (The Netherlands).
Costa Favolosa C|CLUB 2023 Itinerary – 23 September 2023Savona (Italy), Civitavecchia/Rome (Italy), Palermo (Italy), Tunis, navigation, Cartagena (Spain), Tangier (Morocco), Casablanca (Morocco) with one and a half day call, Cadiz (Spain), Malaga (Spain), navigation, Barcelona (Spain), Marseille (France), Savona (Italy).

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Silversea Cruises®, the leading ultra-luxury and expedition cruise line, has introduced new direct private charter flights for 28 Arctic and Greenland sailings in 2023 and 2024.Guests sailing on select Silver Endeavour℠, Silver Wind®, and Silver Cloud® voyages will benefit from a more seamless journey via London, New York, Montreal, and Oslo to some of the Arctic’s most remote destinations – such as Longyearbyen, Kangerlussuaq, Pond Inlet, and more. The latest innovation from Silversea Cruises enhances ultra-luxury cruising’s most diverse and extensive Arctic offering, which comprises 37 itineraries to over 110 destinations between 2023 and 2025.
As part of the most complete and seamless journey to the Arctic, Silversea’s guests can enjoy private executive transfers to and from the airport; convenient connections via London, New York, Montreal, and Oslo; and warm welcomes by Silversea representatives throughout the journey. Guests opting for both Silversea’s door-to-door and port-to-port offerings will fly to the Arctic on private charter flights, with an enhanced service throughout, a superior culinary offering, premium beverages, and bespoke in-flight entertainment. When required by the itinerary, overnight luxury accommodation will be included as standard with both port-to-port and door-to-door fares. Once in the Arctic, guests will be transferred to their luxury vessel rested and ready to explore.
“Building on our all-inclusive expedition offering—which is the most comprehensive in the industry—we are pleased to introduce new private charter flights to the Arctic and Greenland to enhance the seamlessness of our guests’ journeys,” said Massimo Brancaleoni, SVP Global Sales at Silversea Cruises. “Silversea is committed to innovation and we are always looking for ways to enhance the travel experience for our guests, including the pre- and post-cruise journey. Not only do we unlock the Arctic’s most remote regions with unique destination expertise and some of the most luxurious ships at sea, but we do so in unparalleled comfort and convenience. Complementing our private executive transfers between home and the airport, our new offering of private charter flights will allow our guests to focus on enjoying their Arctic adventure from the moment they leave their homes.”
Silversea’s Arctic cruises define transformative travel. Travelling aboard three of the cruise line’s ultra-luxury ships—including the new-to-fleet Silver Endeavour, the world’s most luxurious expedition ship—guests enjoy all-inclusive comfort, enrichments from the cruise line’s expedition experts, and access to some of the region’s most off-the-beaten-path destinations. Guests might spot polar bears and whales, visit Inuit communities, or brave the ‘polar plunge,’ among other immersive experiences—all the while enjoying the signature level of comfort for which the cruise line is renowned.
For more information on Silversea’s Arctic and Greenland voyages, visit:https://www.silversea.com/destinations/cruises-arctic-greenland.htmlADVERTISEMENT

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The MSC Group and the MSC Foundation have organized an urgent response to support the population in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.A wide effort is underway across the MSC family and the company is closely coordinating with the Turkish authorities, the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Vatican. MSC Aurelia, normally used as a passenger and vehicle ferry, departed from the Port of Naples on 16 February heading for the port of Iskenderun (Alexandretta).
MSC Aurelia, with a cargo capacity of 40 trucks and 400+ cars, loaded basic necessities and first aid items collected by the MSC Group and the MSC Foundation, together with the Rava Foundation. The cargo onboard includes 60 pallets of medical supplies, food, hygiene items, warm clothing and blankets, as well as toys and crayons for children. An additional 50 boxes of thermal shirts are being carried on behalf of the Vatican.
We express our gratitude to the EcoEridania Group for participating in the initiative with an in-kind donation and for assisting with logistics for the relief shipment.
Once it reaches its destination, the MSC Aurelia will be available as emergency accommodation, providing the impacted communities with over 1,000 beds and leisure spaces including a restaurant and cinema, as well as video-game entertainment for children.
In addition, thanks to the collaboration between the MSC Foundation and the UN Refugee Agency – also known as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – a further 100 containers carrying first aid supplies (including blankets, mattresses, sleeping bags, kitchen sets, jerry cans and lamps) are departing from Jordan via Haifa, the headquarters of the UN Refugee Agency’s warehouses. The containers will be destined for Gaziantep and other cities hit hardest by the earthquake and will be at the disposal of the relief workers already onsite caring for survivors.ADVERTISEMENTFurthermore, MSC Türkiye has set up temporary accommodation at Iskenderun port using empty containers for 300 MSC Group employees and their families who unfortunately lost their homes in the earthquake disaster. MSC Türkiye is also arranging for the distribution of food, beverages and items to meet basic needs. In the same way, the MSC Group, in cooperation with the Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs, is carrying and providing thousands of empty containers to four of Türkiye’s hardest-hit provinces: Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Hatay and Kahramanmaraş. The containers will provide temporary shelter for the earthquake survivors.
The support of the MSC Group and the MSC Foundation also includes a global fundraising campaign among employees of the group. Every donation by an employee of MSC will be matched by the MSC Foundation and will be used to support organizations working on reconstruction projects in Türkiye and Syria.
“We feel a strong sense of obligation to act promptly in order to support the people most in need by all means. We are a part of a global organization that can set in motion a large-scale operation by involving foundations and associations that we collaborate with all around the world. As soon as the terrible earthquake in Türkiye and Syria struck, we immediately took action to collect funds, supplies and food, which we can deliver on our ships within a short period of time. This is where the valuable collaboration with the Francesca Rava Foundation comes in, which we thank for immediately joining this initiative. The departure of MSC Aurelia from the port of Naples is an initial example of what we are doing, while we keep on working to provide associations and governments with what we can, so that by sea and by land some comfort can reach those who are presently living in dire situations and, in the future, for the rebuilding of cities and the environment. It is not the first time that MSC Foundation and the MSC Group have been on the front lines of emergency relief operations: in 2022, we provided extraordinary funding worth millions of euros to offer aid to refugees from Ukraine and led eight emergency relief initiatives in nine countries, strengthening our global emergency capabilities,” said Daniela Picco, Executive Director of the MSC Foundation.
Mariavittoria Rava, President of the Francesca Rava Foundation, said: “We are wholeheartedly close to the children and families affected by this immense tragedy, which brought back memories of the terrible earthquake that destroyed the very poor Haiti in 2010. As always in emergencies, Francesca Rava Foundation’s goal is to act quickly and in agreement with local institutions and partners, as was the case on this occasion also with Joy For Children Aps and Salaheddini Eyyubi Yardim Dernegi, which have already been operating for several years on the Turkish-Syrian border. I am deeply grateful to the MSC Foundation for this important and valuable synergy, which allows us to bring further concrete help to the earthquake victims. In emergencies, it is always very important to identify the most urgent needs right away and develop targeted and timely action. To continue to help we need funds: stay close to us, together we can make a difference in the lives of those who suffer. Thank you.”

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Cunard has reported that in the first week of January it has booked more guests than any equivalent period in the last decade.The luxury brand has seen strong booking momentum across 2023 and 2024 sailings, with summer itineraries and Queen Anne’s maiden season proving to be particularly popular with guests.Carnival UK president, Sture Myrmell said, “Following two of our strongest booking periods in 2022, we have seen unparalleled bookings during the start of Wave.”
“We’ve increased our marketing investment significantly, including the use of TV advertising for the first time as we reach and appeal to new audiences.”
“It’s clear that guests are looking forward to stepping back on board both in the UK and across all our global markets.”
For more information about Cunard, or to book a voyage, visit www.cunard.com.

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