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Viking® is celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary and its leadership in travel. To commemorate the anniversary, Viking has released a new video message from Chairman Torstein Hagen as he reflects on the company’s key milestones since its founding on August 5, 1997. The new video can be viewed here on Viking’s website, as well as here on Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, Viking.TV. All this week, Viking.TV daily programming has centered on Norwegian culture and history as a tribute to the Hagen family’s Norwegian heritage.
“I am proud of all that we have accomplished in these 25 years. First, we invented modern river voyages; then, we reinvented ocean voyages with our destination-focused approach; now, we are perfecting expedition voyages and exploring all seven continents—in comfort,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “To every member of our extended Viking family of guests and employees: happy anniversary and thank you. These first 25 years have been very good, but we are just getting started.”
This milestone year has also been one of significant launches for the company. In January, the company debuted Viking Expeditions and the first of two purpose-built expedition vessels, the Viking Octantis®, which is currently sailing its inaugural season in the Great Lakes. In the spring, the company welcomed eight new Viking Longships® and its newest identical ocean ship, the Viking Mars®.  This month, Viking is launching three purpose-built vessels for the Mekong, Nile and Mississippi Rivers, and by the end of the year, will have also welcomed a second identical expedition ship, the Viking Polaris®, and another identical ocean ship, the Viking Neptune®.

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Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Co-Chairman of the A&K Travel Group, Cristina Levis, CEO of A&K Travel Group, and executives from shipbuilder Fincantieri welcomed the arrival of the recently acquired ‘Crystal Symphony’ and ‘Crystal Serenity’ to Trieste, Italy, where the ships are being refurbished.
Mr. Lefebvre took the opportunity to formally announce, on behalf of himself and Co-Chairman Geoffrey Kent, the appointments of Jack Anderson as President of Crystal Cruises and Bernie Leypold as Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations.
“Geoffrey Kent and Manfredi Lefebvre are icons and innovators in luxury travel,” Anderson said. “With their ownership, leadership and vision for these ships and the award-winning Crystal Cruises brand, we are embarking on a new and exciting chapter.  We and the entire Crystal Cruises family look forward to welcoming guests again soon.”
“It is an honor to join the new Crystal Cruises with a commitment to not only recreate, but enhance the sophisticated luxury service, cuisine, entertainment, and shore experiences in collaboration with our sister company, Abercrombie & Kent,” Bernie Leypold added.
“We welcome the return of members of our loyal and well-trained Crystal crew to our family and they will be given priority in the hiring process.” ADVERTISEMENT“There are extensive refurbishments planned for both ‘Crystal Symphony’ and ‘Crystal Serenity’ that will elevate the customer experience.  Some staterooms will be combined, creating more butler suites and reducing overall guest capacity,” explained Cristina Levis.  “This will bring a gracious new feeling of spaciousness to the restaurants and public areas.”
The CrystalCruises.com website will soon provide further updates on appointments, ship enhancements, new itineraries and employment opportunities.

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inCruises co-Founders & co-CEOs Michael Hutchison & Frank Codina
Premier cruise membership club inCruises International has exceeded the one million mark in Members, demonstrating the strong and growing demand for its subscription-based travel model.
This milestone reflects the company’s successful expansion into new markets worldwide, with Members now in 196 countries. inCruises is introducing consumers to the lifestyle and value of cruising, plus providing a way to save monthly for travel while earning Reward Points that further increase savings. The occasion also follows the spring launch of inStays™, expanding Member access to more than 25,000 hotel, resort and cruise offers.
“Exceeding one million Club Members is a significant event in our company history. We are truly honored by the passion of our Partners and Members in sharing their love of cruising with others and growing the inCruises community,” said Michael “Hutch” Hutchison, co-Founder and co-CEO of inCruises. “When we launched Club Membership in 2016, our goal was to make seeing the world more accessible to everyone, and reaching this milestone proves it’s resonating.”
Every monthly Club Membership payment is matched with double Reward Points by inCruises. Members can exchange Reward Points at the time of booking for payment towards the lowest publicly available retail price of a cruise, hotel, or resort. Bookings are made directly through inCruises’ easy-to-use platform, which is available in 17 languages. Members’ Reward Points never expire.
“inCruises has successfully created a new way to plan for and maximise savings on cruise travel,” said inCruises co-Founder and co-CEO, Frank Codina. “With more than one million Members worldwide embracing our model, we are well-poised for continued growth. We are constantly innovating, and many exciting things are on the horizon to bring even more value to our Members, Partners, and travel providers.”ADVERTISEMENTIn addition to Club Membership, inCruises also offers the chance to travel for free through its Independent Partner Program. Partners can earn compensation for sharing the inCruises Membership advantages with others.

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Swan Hellenic’s SH Vega sets sail for Arctic after naming ceremony More

In honour of this year’s World Oceans Day, Australia’s award-winning travel adventure company Aurora Expeditions has announced an exclusive release of ten additional staterooms on its February 2023 Antarctic Climate Expedition, led by renowned oceanographer, marine biologist, explorer and conservationist Dr. Sylvia Earle.
Applications for these sought-after spots are open to all that are interested, with Aurora particularly welcoming registrations of interest from thought-leaders in the fields of science, art, education and economics, alongside inquisitive teenagers and corporate executives.
Limited to about 100 expeditioners from around the world, this Climate Expedition is led in partnership with Ocean Geographic and will confront the consequences of environmental change, the warming climate, and the loss of sea ice in the southern polar region whilst visiting some of the most spectacular wilderness regions of Antarctica.
Comprising conservationists, high-profile personalities and ocean luminaries, the summit will raise public and government awareness of the splendour and importance of the Antarctic, whilst also formulating an outcome of 23 resolutions to inspire transformative change for global net-zero emissions by 2050.
“February 2023 will be a moment in time of a gathering of great minds, a brains trust, for commitments to resolve what it takes to move from where we are now to a better future,” says Dr. Earle.ADVERTISEMENT“The importance of this expedition is to get people together who have different gifts, talents, capabilities, and powers, and come back with a commitment to take a new direction. It’s meant to provoke thought that will lead to action.”
Other outcomes will include a series of lectures, a feature documentary, exhibitions, and a book
“This is a unique opportunity to be part of a pivotal and far-reaching expedition,” says Aurora Expeditions’ CMO Hayley Peacock-Gower.
“We invite you to discover the beauty and majesty of Antarctica, whilst being part of the legacy that can have a real impact on creating a sustainable and habitable planet.”
The groundbreaking 12-day Antarctic Climate Expedition starts on February 13, 2023, with 2 nights and a full-day conference in Ushuaia, Argentina followed by a 9-day voyage on board Aurora Expeditions’ brand-new ship, the Sylvia Earle, and ends with a post-voyage night in Punta Arenas, Chile.
Named in honour of Dr. Earle, the new purpose-built ship where the Antarctic Climate Expedition will take place is intended to be a floating ambassador for the conservation of the planet. Certified 100% Carbon Neutral and outfitted with a dedicated, fully equipped Citizen Science Centre amongst many other modern amenities, the ship also pays tribute to six pioneering female conservationists from around the world alongside Dr Earle, who are honoured on each of the ship’s public decks: Joanna Ruxton, Dr. Asha de Vos, Hanli Prinsloo, Dr. Carden Wallace AM, Bernadette Demientieff and Sharon Kwok. 
Aurora Expeditions was nominated as World’s Leading Polar Expedition Operator 2021 World Travel Awards.

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Aurora Expeditions has released a bumper season launch, with its new 2023/24 Antarctica season giving adventurous travellers even more options for exploring the white continent, as well as a new selection of 2023 Arctic and the British Isles voyages aboard the Sylvia Earle.
Aurora Expeditions’ new Antarctica season features dozens of departures across both vessels in the company’s fleet, purpose-built expedition ships the Greg Mortimer and the brand-new Sylvia Earle. Aurora’s classic voyages feature alongside six new and innovative itineraries including:
Antarctic Explorer Express a 9-day voyage tailored for travellers seeking a briefer adventure to the Antarctic Peninsula
Circle and Weddell an 18-day voyage aiming to tick two major Antarctica boxes off travellers’ lists – crossing the Antarctic Circle and venturing into the infamous Weddell Sea
Travellers looking to explore the Arctic and British Isles during 2023 will also have several new itineraries to choose from.
Svalbard in Depth offers extra time for deeper and genuine exploration in this magical region
Iceland, Jan Mayen, Svalbard offers a combination of breathtaking contrasts as passengers sail across the Arctic Circle to the High Arctic
Complete Northwest Passage voyage will attempt to sail the full length of the Northwest Passage from West Greenland to Nome, Alaska over 30 days
In the British Isles, new voyages include Ireland & Scotland Discovery, set to explore Ireland’s rugged west coast, the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland Islands over 17 days whilst the Jewels of Coastal UK will discover historically significant and wildlife-rich lands dotted along the coastline from Portsmouth to Aberdeen.
“We are thrilled to launch our new Antarctica season, where we have continued to build on our pioneering heritage in exploring this region,” commented Hayley Peacock-Gower, CMO of Aurora Expeditions.
“Alongside our well-loved classic itineraries, we have continued to innovate and offer new and varied ways for our expeditioners to discover this awe-inspiring destination, whether it be via our numerous fly-sail options, voyages ranging from 9-24 days, or the introduction of new itinerary combinations that are not offered by other operators in the market. In the Arctic and British Isles, Aurora Expeditions’ expeditioners are also being given a wealth of new wild and remote voyages to choose from, all sailing on our brand-new vessel, the Sylvia Earle.ADVERTISEMENT“We look forward to bringing out the adventurer in each of our expeditioners across our upcoming voyages, with our Expedition Team helping to push their boundaries and inspiring deeper exploration, understanding and connection to some of the most important and awe-inspiring locations within the natural world.”
The new season complements the previously announced new 2023 voyages including the company’s first expedition to the Islands of the Atlantic, including Cape Verde, the Canary Islands and the Azores, while other new highlight itineraries include the Northern Lights Explorer, offering superb opportunities to witness the natural phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis, and Across the Arctic Circle, combining three unique worlds on one unforgettable journey from Scotland to Norway.
Aurora Expeditions was nominated as World’s Leading Polar Expedition Operator 2021 by World Travel Awards.

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AIDA Cruises has been pooling its social and cultural activities under the umbrella of AIDA Cruise & Help since 2019. With the support of guests and crew, numerous schools in developing and emerging countries have already been built to improve the future prospects of local children. AIDA Cruises is also involved in numerous other social, cultural and ecological projects, both internationally and regionally.
The latest project close to the heart is the newly opened RTL Children’s House in Rostock, which AIDA Cruise & Help is supporting with a donation of 25,000 euros. “RTL – Wir helfen Kindern” project sponsor and “Cobra11” star Erdogan Atalay celebrated the opening of the RTL children’s house “Die ARCHE Rostock” together with Arche founder Bernd Siggelkow and numerous children at the end of May 20222. Hansjörg Kunze, Vice President Communication & Sustainability at AIDA Cruises, personally presented the check at the opening. “The AIDA family helps wherever we can provide better future prospects for as many socially disadvantaged children and young people as possible. We are pleased to be able to support the first RTL Children’s House in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and to be part of the important work against child poverty in Germany,” said Hansjörg Kunze. The 19th RTL Children’s House is a place for up to 50 socially disadvantaged children from now on, where they receive a hot meal and homework help free of charge every day, as well as sustainable support through numerous leisure programs.
As part of AIDA Cruise & Help, the employees of the AIDA Customer Center and AIDA Cruises are also socially active for refugees from Ukraine. They have founded an initiative for collecting and distributing donations in kind. At the “Anchor Point,” those affected can cover their daily needs, from clothing and household goods to children’s and hygiene items. The drop-in center receives Ukrainian refugees three days a week. The Rostock-based cruise company’s aid offering is now spread over around 700 m² of office space in the AIDA Customer Center.
Together with AIDA guests, crew members and partners, AIDA Cruise & Help has been able to launch 32 school construction projects in the poorest parts of the world to date. In the coming months, new schools for local children and young people will be built in Wanu (India), Ambatondrazaka (Madagascar), Shiladevi (Nepal) and Silay City (Philippines).

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