Norwegian Cruise Line will kick off the new year with a cruise industry first: an upgrade program that allows passengers who have paid for a cruise to bid for an upgrade to a higher-category stateroom. 

The Norwegian Upgrade Advantage program has the blessing of a group of top travel agents after a 60-day beta test in advance of its February 8 launch. Their feedback was all positive, including the fact that the entire system is automated and requires no travel agent intervention, keeps them in the communication loop at all times, and pays commissions on the enhanced fare, Norwegian’s senior sales VP Camille Olivere told TMR. So what’s not to like?

“This truly is brand new, and our beta test was super-successful,” Olivere said. “After final payment guests can bid on an upgrade and there’s a little dial that will show them in red, yellow or green the likelihood their bid is going to be accepted. When we offer the upgrade to the guest we email the travel agency of record, so they see the guest has been offered the ability to upgrade, and if the bid is accepted we notify the agency. The agency has to do absolutely nothing.”

Once guests’ bids are accepted, they are assigned to an available cabin at a higher level—“inside to outside, outside to balcony, balcony to a suite or The Haven,” Olivere said—but cannot choose the exact stateroom to which they are assigned. 

The idea is not completely new in the travel industry, of course; companies from Priceline to airlines to hotels offer upgrade bidding programs. But it is a first for a major cruise line. And while Olivere—who returned to Norwegian in November after two years at Club Med and World Travel Holdings—takes no credit for dreaming it up, she is excited to be on board as it rolls out. 

“It’s truly awesome,” she said. “It offers the ability for guests to pay a reasonable price, and also gives the agent more commission on the additional revenue. It’s all done online and the agent automatically gets the additional commission.”

Olivere noted that travel professionals were always top of mind as the program was put together, and their feedback was solicited and incorporated in the final product. “We wanted to make sure we had all the commission together and that it worked, that it would benefit the guest and the agent in every way.”

While of course Norwegian is “encouraging everyone to participate,” any agency that does not want to offer it to customers can simply opt out. 

“It’s an idea born really out of trying to solve the question of how do we let our guests take advantage of the best part of our ships in a way that is easy. And of course it was launched in a spirit of Partners First. We always take a view through the lens of our travel partners before we launch something to make sure it is beneficial for our travel partners as well as their guests.”

Upgrade Advantage will launch on the large ships (Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Epic) and Pride of America on February 8, followed by the remainder of the fleet by the end of the second quarter. 

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Heart of Yellowstone National Park Getaway

You will take in the immense beauty of Yellowstone on a fully-guided tour that will bring you to Old Faithful, the beautiful Paint Pot Nature Trail, and many opportunities for wildlife viewing.

Trip Highlights:

5-day intermediate car rental
2 nights' accommodations in Salt Lake City
2 nights' accommodations in Yellowstone National Park
Sightseeing tour of Yellowstone National Park

10 New Hotels Coming to the Caribbean

The pace of new hotel development in the Caribbean hasn’t slowed in recent years as more investors jump into the Caribbean and management companies continue to expand. That means there’s another exciting slate of new hotel properties set to come on stream in the Caribbean this year, from large resorts to far-off luxury outposts. Here are 10 hotels we’re excited about for 2017 from around the Caribbean.

Park Hyatt St. Kitts

One of the region’s most anticipated new hotels, the 126-room (including 48 suites) Park Hyatt will likely open its doors sometime in the spring of 2017. But when it does, it will immediately be one of the Caribbean’s highest-level properties, ushering in a major new property and elevating St. Kitts in the global travel market.

Shore Club TCI

The new Shore Club is bringing a new level of design and luxury to the Turks and Caicos Islands, a remarkable mix of traditional Caribbean architecture and modern chic, with 106 suites on the spectacular Long Bay Beach.

Sailrock, Turks and Caicos

Another hot new property in the TCI, Sailrock is set on the largely undeveloped island of South Caicos, with a mix of beachfront villas and ridgetop suites.

Baha Mar, Bahamas

It’s the rare property that makes it onto the New Hotel list three different times, but here’s hoping the third time’s the charm for the long-stalled Baha Mar. In its newest iteration under new owner CTFE (which owns Rosewood), the hotel is eyeing a “phased opening” in April with a casino hotel, convention center and golf course.

Royalton Saint Lucia

In a big boost for St. Lucia’s all-inclusive sector, Royalton is targeting an early 2017 debut for its new pair of properties, including Royalton St. Lucia and the adults-only Hideaway at Royalton St. Lucia.

Royalton Negril, Jamaica

Along with its St. Lucia push, the company is also debuting a similar pair of resorts in Negril, Royalton Negril and Hideaway at Royalton Negril (adults-only), on a similar early 2017 time frame.

UNICO 2087, Mexico

Set to debut later this year, the UNICO will be an adults-only all-inclusive with 448 guest rooms, four restaurants, pools, a convention center and a host of ocean-view rooms.

Grand Lido Negril, Jamaica

The rebirth of a once-legendary Jamaican resort, this hotel will be a similarly au-naturel property with just 26 ocean-facing suites.

Itz’ana Resort, Belize

The boutique resort and residential development Itz’ana is slated for a spring 2017 debut on Belize’s Placencia peninsula with a small collection of waterfront bungalows and larger units, along with a signature restaurant, a “Rum Room” and a private island club.

Habitation Jouissaint

More of a rebranding than a full-fledged new hotel, Haiti’s Habitation Jouissant is slated to join Marriott’s Autograph Collection, a major boost for one of the Caribbean’s most rugged destinations; Hamed Rodriguez Architects is leading the hotel’s expansion plans, with International Design Concepts on the interiors.

History of Christmas Markets in Germany

The Christmas market originated in what is now Germany. Open-air street markets have a long history dating back long before anyone celebrated Christmas. In Europe in the Late Middle Ages special winter markets, often open only for a day or two in early winter, offered townspeople a chance to stock up on food and supplies to tide them over in the cold months. An example is Vienna’s Dezembermarkt, first held around 1294/1296. Similar “Wintermärkte” also took place elsewhere in Europe, but they were not really Christmas markets.

With time, craftspeople began setting up stands at winter markets to sell baskets, toys and woodcarvings. There were also booths for almonds, nuts, roasted chestnuts, gingerbread and other baked goods. These items were often purchased as gifts to be given out for Christmas or on New Year’s Day. These winter markets were the precursor of contemporary Christmas markets. Claims that the first documented genuine Christmas markets were found in Munich (1310), Bautzen (1384) and Frankfurt am Main (Weihnachtsmarkt am Römerberg, 1393) have recently been called into question. Those may not have been real Christmas markets, but winter markets similar to the ones described above.

Dresden may have one of the strongest claims to the first genuine Christmas market. The Striezelmarkt in Dresden dates back to 1434. If not the oldest, it is certainly one of the oldest and most authentic Christmas fairs in Germany.

Steve's Travel Tips #32 - Pizza in Italy

Royal Caribbean Discontinuing Dynamic Dining on Anthem of the Seas

Royal Caribbean will be discontinuing Dynamic Dining on Anthem of the Seas starting with the November 27, 2016 sailing.  Another change that’s likely to be popular with Royal Caribbean passengers is the introduction of formal nights to the cruise ship for the first time.

The cruise line said that the reason for this change, was feedback that they received from their guests.  

Starting on November 27, 2016, Anthem of the Seas will offer the My Time Dining program that has both traditional and flexible options.  There will also be new, upgraded dinner menus on the cruise ship.

All active bookings on or after November 27 will automatically convert to the new dining program.  RoyalCaribbean.com now describes dining on Anthem of the Seas as: “Seek out more than 15 dining options like; Jamie’s Italian by one of Britain’s most famous food exports, Chef Jamie Oliver, Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine, Chops Grille American steakhouse, Izumi Japanese Cuisine and Michael’s Genuine Pub”.  Quantum of the Seas is the now only ship that has Dynamic Dining as the description of the dining on RoyalCaribbean.com.

Beginning with the November 27 sailing on Anthem of the Seas, each cruise will have either one or two formal nights, depending on the length of each voyage.  There will be four main restaurants on Anthem of the Seas: Chic, Silk, Grande, and American Icon.  American Icon and Silk will be designated for passengers who choose My Time (anytime dining) while Chic and Grande will be used for passengers who choose traditional dining (early and late seating).

Passengers will be assigned to dine in one of the four main restaurants for the entirety of their cruise.  The ship offers several specialty dining options that are also available.

Royal Caribbean has the following description for the new dining on Anthem of the Seas:“New, upgraded dinner menus will be introduced each evening in all four main dining restaurants. Each restaurant will feature distinctive, new dishes alongside your clients’ classic favorites shared between the four restaurants. Every night there will be a new, upgraded dinner menu to explore, offering delectable dishes to tantalize the palette of even the savviest foodie.”

View Anthem of the Seas Dining FAQ

Royal Caribbean will be making adjustments to the entertainment schedule to better line up with the evening dining options. They will also be adding more staff to iFly and North Star to give passengers an expanded hours of operation.  This will allow more passengers to experience these two popular attractions.

Families and Ecotourism: A Natural Fit

Just as the 100th birthday of the National Park Service is casting a spotlight on U.S. national parks in 2016, we can expect an enhanced emphasis on ecotourism throughout 2017—declared the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations. 

To be sure, the idea of ecotourism isn’t a new one—it’s already known as one of the fastest growing segments in the tourism industry. Put that together with family travel—another of the industry’s rapidly growing segments—and the time is ripe for family vacations that include ecotourism. 

At its core, the concept of ecotourism is simple. According to The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), ecotourism is defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education."  

And, as with so many segments of tourism, the line blurs easily, with ecotourism overlapping with adventure travel, wellness travel and voluntourism, to name just a few other popular segments that often go hand-in-hand with ecotourism. 

For some, ecotourism means a group of millennials climbing Mount Everest; for others, it’s a month-long safari tour of South Africa—but for most, it’s a natural integration of the unique environmental and cultural aspects of any destination into a vacation experience.