Celebrity Cruises' Two New Destination Rich Voyages

MIAMI – December 20, 2013 – Modern luxury line Celebrity Cruises has created two new, destination-rich voyages for guests on Celebrity Century in 2015. The new sailings will replace three previously scheduled 12- and 14-night sailings in Asia in order to reposition the ship to Europe for the 2015 season.

The new itineraries – a 14-night voyage from Singapore to Dubai departing March 22, 2015, and a 15-night Suez Canal cruise departing Dubai for Rome April 5, 2015 – will feature destinations upscale travelers consider among the most appealing in the region, and offer the perfect combination of immersive experiences on land and luxurious days at sea. Vacationers also have the unique opportunity to enjoy an extended modern luxury vacation onboard Celebrity Century by sailing back-to-back, from Singapore to Rome, for 29 nights of Celebrity’s delectable, award-winning cuisine, impeccable service and engaging entertainment.

The 14-night sailing from Singapore to Dubai will feature visits to Muscat, Oman; Cochin, India; and three ports entirely new to Celebrity: New Mangalore, Goa (Mormugao) and Mumbai (Bombay), India; capped with an overnight stay in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The new 15-night voyage from Dubai will be highlighted by passage through the Suez Canal and visits to Ashdod, Israel; and Rhodes and Athens (Piraeus), Greece, ending in Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy.

Guests with bookings on Celebrity Century’s previously scheduled cruises departing March 22, April 5 and April 17, 2015, are being contacted by Celebrity Cruises, and offered the opportunity to be re-accommodated on the two new voyages or on their choice from among 12 itineraries in Asia on Celebrity Century or Celebrity Millennium in 2015. Guests who opt to re-book will be able to do so at the lowest available rate if moving to selected sailings in like accommodations, and will receive an onboard credit of $200 per stateroom or $400 per suite.

To review the wide variety of sailings open on Celebrity Century in Asia, Alaska, the Caribbean, the Pacific Coast and South Pacific from now into 2015, visit the Celebrity website at www.celebrity.com.

About Celebrity Cruises:
Celebrity Cruises’ iconic “X” is the mark of modern luxury, with its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationers’ precious time. Celebrity Cruises' 11 ships offer modern luxury vacations visiting all seven continents. Celebrity also presents immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity is one of six cruise brands operated by global cruise vacation company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE, OSE: RCL). For more information, dial 1-800-437-3111, visit www.celebritycruises.com, or call your travel agent.

Sea Cloud Cruises Focuses On Its Windjammers

Hamburg, 19 December 2013: Sea Cloud Cruises, the Hamburg operator of small, sophisticated cruises, has sold its river yacht River Cloud II. The vessel will be handed over to the buyer at the end of the 2014 season. Sea Cloud Cruises will then focus all its attention on the field of ocean-going cruises with its two windjammers Sea Cloud and Sea Cloud II.

Growing competition in the field of river cruises has made marketing of the River Cloud II increasingly difficult in recent years. While the two windjammers, which are sailed traditionally by hand, have a unique selling point in the field of ocean-going cruises, and are consequently very successful in the niche, emphasizing the high quality standard of the River Cloud II in the market has become ever more challenging.

Sea Cloud Cruises has been a global leader in the cruise world since 1979. The 82-year-old four-masted bark Sea Cloud with its high quality standard serves as the model for all other passenger ships that are part of the operator´s fleet. Only recently, the Sea Cloud and Sea Cloud II were again ranked among the top five boutique ships by the Berlitz Cruise Guide.

South African Airways Awarded Top Honor By Biz Mags

Triple Crown of Awards Maintains SAA’s Position 

as Africa’s Most Awarded Airline, and Lands it in Hall of Fame

Fort Lauderdale, FL (Dec. 18, 2013) – South African Airways (SAA) was named Best Airline to Africa by three respected business travel magazines in North America, reaffirming its long-standing position as Africa’s most awarded airline and preferred carrier for business travel to the continent. The triple crown of awards was bestowed in December, after readers of the magazines voted SAA as their favorite airline to Africa.

Premier Traveler Magazine’s readers named South African Airways as “Best Airline to Africa,” and “Best Airline in Africa,” while those of Business Traveler Magazine honored SAA as the “Best Airline to Africa.” The readers of Global Traveler Magazine named SAA as “Best Airline in Africa” for the 10^th consecutive year, which earned South African Airways a spot in the magazine’s coveted Hall of Fame. Each magazine is read by “road warriors” who travel consistently throughout the globe, and have cultivated a true understanding of what it takes to provide a comfortable and convenient travel experience.

“The readers of these three prestigious magazines are truly discriminating and difficult to impress, given their extensive travel to all corners of the globe,” said Marc Cavaliere, executive vice president, North America & Alliances, for South African Airways.  “It is certainly a feather in our cap to be named their favorite airline to the African continent, and to even earn a spot in Global Traveler’s Hall of Fame. We will work hard to continue to earn their loyalty and praise by offering the most convenient schedules and the most comfortable amenities from North America to the African continent.”

About South African Airways

South African Airways (SAA), Africa’s most awarded airline, operates to 42 destinations worldwide, including daily nonstop flights from New York, and daily direct flights from Washington, DC (via Dakar) to Johannesburg. In its domestic market SAA has an extensive schedule operating 660 flights in total per week between Johannesburg – Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth, from its Johannesburg hub, as well as code-shared flights between Lanseria – Cape Town and Durban. SAA offers more frequencies than any other airline in South Africa. Regionally, SAA offers 26 destinations across the African continent including Abidjan, Accra, Blantyre, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Cotonou, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Douala, Entebbe, Harare, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, Lilongwe, Livingstone, Luanda, Lusaka, Maputo, Mauritius, Nairobi, Ndola, Pointe Noire, Victoria Falls and Windhoek. SAA’s international network creates links to all major continents from South Africa through 11 direct routes and code shares, with daily flights from Johannesburg to London (Heathrow), Frankfurt, Munich, Mumbai, Perth, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, Washington, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. SAA has codes share agreements with 27 other airlines across the markets it serves, including partnerships with United, US Airways, Air Canada and JetBlue in North America, which offer convenient connections from more than 30 cities to SAA’s flights. SAA’s core business is the provision of passenger airline and cargo transport services together with related services, which are provided through SAA and its four wholly owned subsidiaries: SAA Technical; Mango its low cost carrier; Air Chefs, the catering entity of SAA and South African Travel Centre (SATC). SAA is a Star Alliance member which offers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries. SAA is the winner of the 'Best Airline in Africa’ Award in the regional category for eleven consecutive years. Mango and SAA hold the number one and number two successive spots as South Africa’s most on-time airlines. For more information, call 1-800-722-9675, or visit www.flysaa.com.

Seaborne Airlines Moves Headquarters To Puerto Rico

ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dec. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Seaborne Airlines announced today that it has reached agreement with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to relocate corporate headquarters from St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to San Juan, Puerto Rico, as part of a multi-faceted arrangement. Under the agreement, Puerto Rico will take an equity position in the airline and have two seats on the Board of Directors of the parent company of Seaborne, Coastal International Airways. Seaborne Airlines has committed to the creation of 400 jobs in Puerto Rico. 150 of the 400 positions will be added in Puerto Rico in the first quarter of 2014. This will bring total Seaborne employment in Puerto Rico to 250 people. The move is contemplated to be complete by March, 2014.

Seaborne will also add a number of routes important to Puerto Rico's tourism and export growth. On December 12, the carrier started service from San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport to La Romana in the Dominican Republic. On January 15, the carrier will add service from San Juan to St. Kitts and Nevis. On February 14, Seaborne plans to begin service from San Juan to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. On March 1, new service from San Juan to St. Maarten, Seaborne's 16th airport will launch. These San Juan routes are being serviced by four additional Saab 340B, 34-seat aircraft. Seaborne anticipates having a fleet of 16 Saabs based in Puerto Rico.

No change to existing routes, or Seaplane operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is planned as a result of this agreement.

The agreement also calls for rebranding of Seaborne's San Juan-based operations.

"There is little that is more important to economic development than global air access" said Gary Foss, president and chief executive officer of Seaborne Airlines. "This agreement will strengthen Puerto Rico's ties with the rest of the Caribbean and position Seaborne as being Puerto Rico's favorite airline, for connecting customers from our partner carriers, or for customers traveling to or from Puerto Rico to neighboring islands". Seaborne operates as an American codeshare partner in select markets at San Juan and has interline connecting agreements with JetBlue Airways and coming soon with Delta Air Lines.

"Seaborne's thanks go out to the leaders of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico who have made this day a reality", said Foss.

"We happily welcome Seaborne Airlines relocation to Puerto Rico, with their new hub of operations in San Juan, and our new partnership with Coastal International Airways. This partnership is important for reconnecting Puerto Rico to the Caribbean islands and also is an investment in jobs, commerce, new business opportunities and economic development. We have, in a year, recuperated routes that were discontinued during recent years in the Caribbean and now we are strengthening our position as the main hub in the region and connection to the United States", said Governor Alejandro Garcia-Padilla.

South African Airways Salutes Tata Nelson Mandela!!!

 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.”

 

Johannesburg, South Africa (06 Dec 2013) - We salute Tata Nelson Mandela as the father of South African democracy, and acknowledge that South African Airways (SAA) today is the leading carrier on the African continent due to his iconic and legendary statesmanship.

 

Tata Mandela is the father of nations, a revered global icon, a revolutionary, a diplomat, a former President and a beacon of greatness that is celebrated all across the world. This is a man who compassionately offered close to seven decades of his life serving others. He sacrificed 27 years of his freedom to ensure that all South Africans are free.

 

Each of us can learn from his commitment and selflessness in serving the people of South Africa. His infinite wisdom helped this country to achieve its greatest achievement yet – to free ourselves from the shackles of Apartheid and transform into, in an exemplary and peaceful manner, a democracy.

 

Tata Mandela is a brilliant South African light that illuminated the world with his ideologies that resonate with the areas that are most critical to all of us at SAA. These include equal rights for women, honouring our nation’s children and the ability to pursue excellence and transcend race.

 

In isiXhosa we salute Tata Madiba as iQhawe la maQhawe: A Nation’s Hero, a Man among Men. From a lineage of royalty, he has elevated our entire nation to royalty. His memory lets us carry ourselves as Kings and Queens of our vibrant nation. Let us continue to fight for the spirit of equality and also be grateful for the myriad of opportunities that we have now because of this African legend. It is because of this global South African icon that the South African national carrier can connect people from all over the world and from our beloved South Africa.

 

In his memory we will continue taking our country’s proud flag of freedom and our icon’s legacy across the globe. It is because of this father of many nations that SAA is able to help build South Africa into a country that we can be proud.

 

In his memory, let us always pursue excellence.

 

Let us inscribe his words on our hearts: "Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom."

 

Monwabisi Kalawe

SAA Group CEO

 

About South African Airways

South African Airways (SAA), Africa’s most awarded airline, operates to 42 destinations worldwide.

In its domestic market SAA has an extensive schedule operating 660 flights in total per week between Johannesburg – Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth, from its Johannesburg hub, as well as code-shared flights between Lanseria – Cape Town and Durban. SAA offers more frequencies than any other airline in South Africa.

Regionally, SAA offers 26 destinations across the African continent including Abidjan, Accra, Blantyre, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Cotonou, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Douala, Entebbe, Harare, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, Lilongwe, Livingstone, Luanda, Lusaka, Maputo, Mauritius, Nairobi, Ndola, Pointe Noire, Victoria Falls and Windhoek.

 

SAA’s international network creates links to all major continents from South Africa through 11 direct routes and code shares, with daily flights from Johannesburg to London (Heathrow), Frankfurt, Munich, Mumbai, Perth, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, Washington, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. SAA has codes share agreements with 27 other airlines across the markets it serves. SAA’s core business is the provision of passenger airline and cargo transport services together with related services, which are provided through SAA and its four wholly owned subsidiaries: SAA Technical; Mango its low cost carrier; Air Chefs, the catering entity of SAA and South African Travel Centre (SATC).

 

SAA is a Star Alliance member which offers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries. SAA is the winner of the 'Best Airline in Africa’ Award in the regional category for eleven consecutive years. Mango and SAA hold the number one and number two successive spots as South Africa’s most on-time airlines.

 

SAA Vacations® Celebrates Release Of 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' With Mandela-Themed Vacation Package

Starting at Just $2,599* (rest. apply), 10-Day “Mandela’s Journey to Freedom” Takes Travellers through South Africa’s Path to Freedom

Fort Lauderdale, FL (Dec. 5, 2013) - South African Airways Vacations® (SAAV) has introduced a new package to celebrate the release of the film “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”  The 10-day “Mandela’s Journey to Freedom,” packaged starting at $2,599* (restr. apply), will take travellers in the footsteps of the new South Africa’s founding father, visiting places where key moments of the struggle for freedom took place.  The package highlights include a cultural tour of various townships in Cape Town, as well as Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. Other features include a tour of Liliesleaf, the ANC’s military headquarters which was featured in the film. The package concludes with the moving and inspiring Journey to Freedom tour, which includes visits to the Hector Pieterson Museum and the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, among other significant points of interest.  This poignant and meaningful package includes deluxe accommodations at the Protea Hotel Victoria Junction in Cape Town, and the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! in Johannesburg’s Melrose Arch.   To book the “Mandela’s Journey to Freedom” tour, call 855-FLY-SAAV, or visit http://flysaavacations.com/south-africa-travel/mandelas-journey-to-freedom/.

“As a South African, I’m incredibly proud to introduce the ‘Mandela’s Journey to Freedom’ vacation package in conjunction with the release of this important movie. We’ve taken great care to include those places where key moments of Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid struggle took place, including Liliesleaf, where the infamous raid was carried out, as well as Robben Island, where you visit his prison cell and can imagine the isolation that prisoners felt,” said Terry von Guilleaume, president of SAA Vacations. “We’re also very excited about the release of the film ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,’ and are proud to have also partnered with the film’s distributors, The Weinstein Company, to raise funds to benefit the Nelson Mandela Foundation.”

The film “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” is based on Nelson Mandela’s best-selling autobiography and is now is select theatres, with the film being in full release on Dec. 25^th. SAA Vacations, South African Airways and The Weinstein Company have partnered to raise funds to benefit the Nelson Mandela Foundation by auctioning off “Mandela’s Journey to Freedom” packages for two, plus two Premium Business Class tickets on South African Airways. The packages will be available for bidding from Dec. 7^th-17th.  For more information, visit http://givingworks.ebay.com/mandela-long-walk-to-freedom/.

About SAA Vacations^®

A division of South African Airways (SAA), the national airline of South Africa and Africa’s most awarded airline, SAA Vacations^® is highly regarded for its wide array of affordable luxury packages to Africa, and uses SAA’s extensive route network to create packages for travel throughout South Africa, Botswana, Victoria Falls, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and East Africa. The program is managed and fulfilled by Destination Southern Africa (DSA), which was founded in 2001 and offers an extensive portfolio of tour programs with a variety of hotels, game lodges and safari companies throughout Southern Africa.  DSA was one of three tour operators in the U.S. that was officially appointed by MATCH to develop and sell travel packages for soccer fans visiting South Africa for the FIFA 2010 World Cup, making it a partner with extensive knowledge and know-how in planning the perfect African vacation.

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Terms & Conditions

Mandela’s Journey to Freedom

Price is per person based on required double occupancy. Valid as of October 23, 2013 for departures on a Sunday from New York or Washington, D.C. between January 10 - May 31, 2014 and August 11 - December 09, 2014 with the same itinerary available at higher prices during other travel periods. Price for other departure cities and/or travel dates may vary. Subject to availability and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Prices are valid for new bookings only, are not retroactive and may change without notice. Baggage and optional service fees, cancellation charges and other restrictions may apply. Package includes all government and airline imposed taxes and fees.

16th Annual Los Angeles Times Travel Show Set

Alyssa Milano, Adam Richman, Henry Rollins and 

Arthur Frommer to Headline Los Angeles Times Travel Show

Program Schedule and Advance Tickets for 16^th Annual Travel Fest Available Now

LOS ANGELES – November 6, 2013 – Los Angeles Times Travel Show, the must-attend Southern California travel event of the year, today announced that Alyssa Milano (UNICEF Ambassador, host of “Project Runway All Stars”), Adam Richman (host of “Adam Richman’s Fandemonium,” author of “America the Edible”), Henry Rollins (musician, activist, author of “Smile, You’re Traveling”) and Arthur Frommer (publisher of more than 340 Frommer’s travel guides) will headline the 16^th annual festival on January 18^th and 19^th, 2014 at the L.A. Convention Center. The program schedule and tickets are available now at latimes.com/travelshow.

“Travel provides endless opportunities to collect experiences and develop a deeper connection to the world,” said Catharine Hamm, Editor of The Times Travel section, which recently won its fifth SATW Lowell Thomas Award for best travel print publication. “We look forward to Travel Show each year, where we can share stories with fellow travelers, trade tips that make each journey more enjoyable, and get inspired to plan trips to new destinations.”

This year’s show will feature an expanded LA Times area where award-winning journalists will host salons with their favorite experts on international sports events, major music fests and useful travel tech, as well as a presentation on The Times’ “Postcards From the West” series. The Travel Smart stage has a full schedule of mini-seminars on the best of Europe for 2014, getting the most from your vacation budget, staying connected on the road, travel safety and the latest in alternative lodging. Over at the Flavors of the World kitchen, acclaimed chefs will treat audiences to cooking demos and samples of regional cuisine. Attendees will also be entertained by live cultural performances and have access to a screening room showing short videos, including reader-submitted vacation movies.

Providing a wide variety of ideas and places to explore, plenty of ways to discover how to become a better traveler and the services needed to go just about anywhere, Travel Show is a once-a-year opportunity to satisfy wanderlust. Land Vacations by Cruise Planners, American Express Travel Representatives, will be on site ready to create itineraries and book travel. Destinations near and far will offer advice for planning visits, show-only special packages and giveaways throughout the weekend. The latest travel accessories and tech will also be well represented.

Los Angeles Times Travel Show is produced in collaboration with MSE Management and IMG Worldwide. Tickets are $8 in advance (use code Travel2014) or $10 at the door; Times members have access to two-for-one tickets. LA Times’ 3^rd annual trade day for travel professionals will be held January 17^th. For tickets and more information, go to latimes.com/travelshow. Connect via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ LATimesEvents (#travelshow).