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Welcome to the newly remodeled Nassau Cruise Port, a destination that has undergone extensive renovations and emerged as a top choice for travelers seeking a remarkable vacation experience. This transformation has revitalized the port and repositioned Nassau as a must-visit location on every adventurer's list. Get ready to be impressed as we dive into the remarkable features and unforgettable experiences that await you.

Watch a video tour of the brand new Nassau Cruise Port, click here for exclusive tips & tricks:

Nassau Cruise Port Facilities

As you step into the Nassau Cruise Port, you'll find yourself immersed in a world of state-of-the-art facilities designed to enhance your cruise experience. The terminal amenities and services have been carefully curated to ensure that every aspect of your journey is seamless and enjoyable.

The Arrivals building sets the stage for what lies ahead, boasting impressive architectural elements that leave a lasting impression. From there, you can explore the fascinating Junkanoo Museum, a place where you can delve into the rich cultural heritage of the Bahamas. Prepare to be captivated by the vibrant displays and exhibits that showcase the colorful traditions of the island.

The Port Marketplace, home to legacy tenants from the previous marketplace, presents an array of retail and dining options. With 40 retail stores and 10 food and beverage outlets, this vibrant space caters to all your shopping and culinary desires. You'll find something to satisfy every craving from unique souvenirs to delectable local cuisine.

Transportation within the port has been made convenient and hassle-free with the addition of a new ground transportation area. Whether you're looking for a taxi to explore the island or a guided tour to uncover hidden gems, the port has you covered.

Attractions and Activities

One of the highlights of the Nassau Cruise Port is the Retail stores as you make your way through the Port Plaza, a vibrant hub that promises many authentically Bahamian goods for visitors. Explore the diverse range of shops and boutiques that line the Port Plaza, each offering its own unique treasures. Dive into the world of My Ocean, where you'll discover exquisite handcrafted jewelry, and soaps inspired by the mesmerizing beauty of the Bahamian waters. Bahamas Hand Prints showcases stunning textiles and artwork that capture the essence of the islands. And don't forget to pay a visit to Graycliff, a renowned boutique offering a curated selection of fine cigars and spirits.

But the Port Marketplace and Port Plaza are not just about shopping; it's a place where the spirit of the Bahamas comes alive. These areas lead you into the Port Amphitheater, this is where you can immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere as live music performances fill the air, creating a captivating backdrop for your exploration. And if you're lucky, you might even witness the exhilarating rush of a Junkanoo performance, a lively street parade showcasing the Bahamas' pulsating energy and cultural heritage. If you see a “rush out” dancers will be wearing the same type of elaborate costumes that you can learn about within the Junkanoo Museum.

For those arriving in style with a yacht, the West Marina is a haven waiting to be explored. With 14 slips specifically designed for yachts, this marina offers a premium experience for boating enthusiasts. And keep an eye out for the exciting additions coming soon, including a signature restaurant that will be positioned near the west marina. Prepare to indulge in delectable flavors while enjoying the picturesque views of the marina.

The new Nassau Cruise Port is a destination that promises to leave you in awe. Many guests have described the transformation as unrecognizable from their previous visits. With its remarkable facilities, delightful attractions, and lively atmosphere, it has firmly established itself as a great port of call. Whether you're indulging in retail therapy, immersing yourself in the vibrant cultural scene, or simply basking in the beauty of the surroundings, the Nassau Cruise Port offers an impressive and unforgettable experience for your next cruise vacation.

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Hong Kong Returns to Its Position as Asia’s Cruise Hub with 160 ship calls from 16 cruise lines for Robust Restart of 2023 Cruise Season

Hong Kong (April 18, 2023) – The Hong Kong Tourism Board is seeing a strong comeback with international cruise ships berthing and homeporting in the city.  Since the beginning of 2023, Hong Kong has resecured the advantages that make it appealing for international cruise lines, including the restart of non-stop air from the US, signifying a full resumption of Hong Kong’s cruise scene and recognition as Asia’s cruise hub. Visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2023 achieved about 30% of the average quarterly figure before the pandemic, according to the latest figures announced by Hong Kong Tourism Board.  

“For the restart of the 2023 cruise season, Hong Kong secured over 160 ship calls from 16 globally recognized cruise lines. This recovery signifies tremendous confidence in the destination by the cruise industry and their guests seeking a return to a favorite destination they can enjoy by land and sea,” said Hong Kong Tourism Board’s MICE & Cruise General Manager, Kenneth Wong.  

Silversea Cruises’ Silver Spirit sparked the start of the cruise season in Asia as the first international cruise line to return to Hong Kong in almost three years. “Hong Kong constitutes one of the most important ports in Asia for Silversea Cruises and our discerning guests, who appreciate the enriching experiences, the welcoming people, and the spectacular cityscape that awaits them on each call to the destination,” said Adam Radwanski, Silversea’s Managing Director, Asia Pacific.    

The visits and deployments from Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and the year-round homeporting of Resorts World Cruises highlight the city’s potential for accommodating a variety of cruise products, as well as the flight network’s availability for development of fly-cruise turnaround itineraries for short-haul and long-haul markets. 

International airlines are driving visitors to Hong Kong with service resumption, including United Airlines’ nonstop service to and from Hong Kong, joining Cathay Pacific as the dominant air carriers from the U.S. 

To accommodate the vast growth in aviation, the Hong Kong International Airport is implementing an expansion plan for the three-runway system which when the project is completed, will be able to handle 30 million more passengers a year by 2030.    

Hong Kong has been a standout setting for cruise lines to develop new products and entice new clientele from the enormous Mainland market of 86 million people who zip in from cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area via High Speed Rail and the iconic Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the longest sea crossing in the world. 

According to Wong, “Hong Kong is an amazing setting for cruise guests to fully explore the region during pre and post cruise stays.” New developments that await cruise passengers include the new Hong Kong Palace Museum in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, with a collection of more than 900 priceless treasures from the Palace Museum in Beijing, and M+, Asia’s first truly global museum of contemporary visual culture. The iconic Peak Tram with panoramic views from Victoria Peak has been given a makeover, with new sixth-generation tram cars and a renovated terminal with full-immersion video experience.  

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Top Things to do in Tampa Bay 2021 (Before Or After Your Cruise!)

What happens when the port of departure is a destination within itself? Well, we put it to the test and see what Tampa bay is really like for a pre-cruise adventure we explore the city from Ybor city to the riverwalk staying in great locations and seeing how much we can explore to enhance our cruise experience prior to our cruise.

There really is so much to see and do that you will want to consider checking it out as well thank you so much for Visit Tampa bay for extending this opportunity for us to experience what it's really like. If your cruise sails out of Port Tampa Bay, I highly recommend spending some time in the city! It is extremely navigable and welcoming to cruise passengers pre or post-cruise!!

International Mall -Bay Street (closer to the airport)

Gearing up for a weekend of Latin cuisine we opt for an evening at the International Mall on Bay street. Loads of dining options are even more dining than shopping to check out. Many of the dining options there have outdoor seating and some even semi outdoors to battle the elements. We grabbed some light bites to eat and enjoy some of the atmospheres here to kick off our arrival into the city and get ready for our cruise!

Breakfast at Hotel Haya

Conveniently this is our meeting spot location for our walking tour with Ybor City Walking Tours so after grabbing some quick fuel for our day we are ready to meet our tour guide Max, a lifelong local to the area who is able to educate us on the history of Ybor City and teaching us fun facts!

Here's an example of a knowledge bomb! Ybor city might be known for the nightlife and the bars being open until 3 a.m but in most recent years the area has shifted to become a more industry town, centered around tech. I loved the nuggets of knowledge that we learned and we couldn't even take a few steps without seeing our first cigar factory one of the many that we will see throughout Ybor City.

The founder of Ybor City, Vincente Martinez, looking over his creation of one of the biggest industrial towns in all of America completely centered around one major industry cigars!

I really couldn't help but laugh at how many chickens are roaming around the city they have free reign as they are protected by the city.

Immigrants came to Tampa and were encouraged by Mr. Ybor to make the move. Promising them the ability to work in his cigar factories and have nearly free housing so these casitas look a little bit different from what we know as casitas on the pool decks of cruise ships today!

Head over to Cuban National Territory!

That's right! This small corner lot it's actually owned by Cuba. You can walk in enjoy the garden but don't get your hopes up too high if getting your passport stamped that's not actually going to happen. It's said that Ybor City is really the birthplace of the Cuban revolution. According to Max, our tour guide from Ybor City Walking Tours, the last owner of this land when he died he turned over the deed back over to Cuba and that's why it's Cuban owned.

Visit the oldest restaurant in Florida- The Columbia -

Fun fact the restaurant has been family owned since 1905
The restaurant is huge for starters, this place is like a maze there are little nooks and crannies and different dining rooms throughout so after your meal, go wander off and you might find some interesting art like a room full of portraits from a royal family you never heard of!

On the weekends it is busy for lunch! They had many delicious food options to choose from!

Sangria made right at the table was a hit along with the salad that they chopped and dressed right in front of us! Both a production and fun way to see what some of their special ingredients are!

Overall the food was super tasty, and delicious! And don't be alarmed when you see white asparagus in the Seafood Paella! Our waiter made quite the impression after casually whispering in my mom's ear after noticing the look on her face of not being able to place what was on her plate! (I can't wait to recreate this incredibly hilarious moment around Thanksgiving dinner)

Explore more of Tampa with the Pirate Water Taxi!

I actually took a short walk from the Aloft hotel so it just took about 10 minutes to get down there leisurely walking to see some sights. The pirate water taxi has 15 stops and is a great way to get across the city to visit different restaurants, museums, and other sites and attractions!

I was happy that the boat ride was narrated but fun facts about the area as you cruise on past landmarks. For example a nugget I adored learning about: if you're familiar with the sport Crew, collegiate teams will come down to Tampa in the winter to practice rowing because it's too cold where they go to school. They have the tradition of marking up the walls with their team spirit. The University of Tampa is along the river as well. I thought this was really neat as I've seen this similarly done before with cruise line employees marking up the rock walls in Skagway, Alaska.

I learned that you can actually purchase your ticket at any stop so that's pretty cool and you can purchase it right away or if you purchase it online ahead of time and then show them. You don't have to go down to the main ticket booth as I did.

Our hotel was the Aloft Tampa. A fantastic location in downtown Tampa. This hotel is a great spot because it's located right on the riverwalk, so you can walk or take a water taxi! Additionally super centrally located being only just about two blocks from the streetcar as well!

Inside the hotel there is a nice bar and lounge, it's even dog friendly inside and with a pool so lots of amenities and a nice location to enjoy.

Go explore Armature works- An upscale food hall with more dining options than I can choose from!

I was super surprised how family-friendly it is and actually, a lot of people were out and about and enjoying it. I spoke to one of the greeters at the door and she said it is the busiest on the weekends but they're actually open all throughout the weekdays too.

Depending on the weekend there's a lot of different activities that are going on like little miniature golf and little festivals and carnivals that are fun for the kids and the families to come out and enjoy.

Delicious sushi and boba at amateur works

Clang, Clang goes the trolley!

I'm a super fan of the streetcar because it can take you all around town, from channel side all the way up to Ybor city and around to the different stations throughout Tampa. It's a great way to see the city and keep you a little bit warm or cool as it is temperature-controlled. They are running every 15 minutes which is super nice and they are free to ride. You do have to wear a mask though inside the trolley and they will hand them to you if you don't have one.

Sparkman Wharf restaurants are actually shipping containers that have been repurposed to be these small food outlets. Enjoy a bite to eat at the intimate dining gardens and beer garden. Such a fun way to upcycle and provides an incredibly fun vibe here in Sparkman Wharf. In the evening listen to live music.

Getting around Tampa is so incredibly easy, for any type of traveler. Again the streetcar and water taxi were a hit in my book made my trip so easily navigable. I'm looking forward to coming back to Tampa again and continuing

I found that there is really so much to do and fun to be had and explore. Even though I've been to Tampa before, there is still more to see and do! I'm looking forward to coming back again to continue the fun activities. The city truly makes it easy for you to extend your cruise vacation prior to or post-cruise to enjoy a bit more of your vacation!

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Seatrade Cruise Global celebrated its 35th year as the cruise industry’s leading conference.

The first official day of the conference happened to be World Tourism Day! Quite a fitting holiday to help kick off the weeks’ events!

Here are my highlights and takeaways from attending the workshops and sessions, along with the keynote presentation!

SeaTrade Cruise Global Panel Discussion

Port Agreements in a Covid World

• Return to the cruise industry, with protocols and vaccinations we discuss the strides to make it back to “normal”

• From the consumer perspective, the price is right. The post-cruise reviews and ratings have been as high as pre-pandemic.

• Vaccines are becoming available for younger and younger people. General talk and buzz about requirements for those up to 5 years old may come in the future.

• As ratings from many cruise lines are so high. The crew is so happy and overall a great time to cruise.

• Mask wearing on a cruise ship. In parts of the ships you have to wear a mask but the key takeaway is that vaccination levels are going up. Mask mandates in ports of call are dependent on the destination’s local government and authorities. Port of calls may not require masks to be worn everywhere. Guests can expect to where one in restaurants, shuttle buses, etc.

Now is the time to celebrating cruising worldwide! People are back traveling and one of the best ways to travel. We will continue to make progress and keep everyone as safe as possible and not move backward

Training Case Study Session- Panel discussions included virtual speakers.

The Changing Dynamics of Shore Excursions

In this conference pannel discussion we learned the focus is as followed:

• Common sense protocols

• Understanding areas of high risk.

• Reducing areas of high contact.

• Exploring the destination while still having fun!

• What's changing for shore excursions for the guests- Belfast, Irland is the only port that is open currently in Irland.

Cooperating is huge to get additional ports up and running. Challenging and ever-challenging, day-to-day operation. Much goes into it from the venues, coach operates, and tour guides. Many moving parts and challenges to overcome.

Overall a fantastic season, resulting in amazing feedback. Although numbers are small with the number of first guests back to cruising, there have been early openings for shops that were exclusive for cruise guests.

Oozing with positivity

Embracing and leaning into the cruise restart.

These areas (in Northern Irland) rely on cruise ships. "We never realized how much we relied on the cruise industry."

Destinations are looking forward to additional ports fully opening next year, to welcome more guests back. They have had a taste of the reopening and can't wait for more.

Training Case Study Session, St. Maarten #WeAreBack;

Challenges- St. Maarten was the first cruise port of call to have crusie visiters back. All ports of calls have to find solutions for varying challenges that they face.

• Meeting the new protocols

• Eliminating touchpoints

• Transportation issues- getting guests on coaches

• Varied Government restrictions

• Excursions by Celebrity- “bubble tours”- very specific communication and requirements had to be made to the guest beforehand and the moment they walk into their stateroom. Expectations of what the experience would be like.

• Free flow- independent tours- the destination also puts guidelines in place.

All of these challenges were referred to as “Teething problems”, requiring patience or dealing with the growing pains of getting it all back up and running.

State of the Cruise Industry Keynote-Presentation

Alanna at Keynote Presentation; State of the Global Industry

This presentation is the largest session and always happens on the second day of the conference. After the keynote, the expo floor will officially open. We heard from top cruise line leaders.

Piefrancesco Vago Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, “We haven't lost sight of our need to press forward with environmental needs while dealing with other challenges.” (Referencing even with covid challenges)

Cruise Industry Leaders at Keynote Presentation

As an industry, we are pushing for environmental sustainability

Kelly Craighead- President of CLIA

• The focus is on reinventing the industry. Not focusing on getting back to "normal"

• Innovative solutions are key. Looking to unite and collaborate with the cruise community.

• The commitment to health and safety will define the industry's success.
  
  

Focusing on how cruising is different than other types of vacations and experiences out on the market-

The crew is tested and vaccinated. This isn't the same for any market.

The thing that is common between many cruise lines, is the science-led health & safety protocols that are working. This has been essential in setting a standard and raising confidence. All in place because they have put people first as they are looking to allow people to see the world.

Socially distanced and masked attendees of the State of the Global Industry Keynote

Public policy is setting a clear ideal for the future.

Richard Fain- President of Royal Caribbean Group

We don't compete with each other [cruise lines] as much as we compete with all the other types of vacations, hotels, etc. Which takes away dollars from the cruise industry

His thoughts on the competition of Virgin Voyages. Are you nervous?- Richard Fain- CEO of Royal Caribbean Group-

“Having Virgin come in, adds to the impact that the cruise industry has. We will get our fair share. They are adding more demand than their fair share.

The real competition is land-based vacations. That is the competition and big screen TV purchases.”

Cruise Industry Leaders at Keynote Presentation

What would be your advice to Richard Branson CEO of Virgin Voyages- to Arnold Donald- CEO of Carnival Corporation

Listen to your prospective guest and listen to the travel agent's perspective. The guests and those who have been in (the cruise industry) for a long time will guide you to do well.

Pierfrancesco Vago Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises

How do you size up the competition? To Pierfrancesco CEO MSC Cruises

Virgin is a great brand and will help the market. Wishes them luck.

Richard Fain- CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, on Covid Vaccine Booster Shot-

Too many people are currently putting the focus on the booster. Everyone is receiving so much advice and it's confusing.

He described that their focus is that the guests receive an enjoyable vacation. And the excitement that the cruise line is moving in the right direction with each week more ships are coming back online.

“Every day we are getting further and further about how safe it is and the protocols are working.”

How close are we to require people and crew to needing the 3rd shot- Richard Fain- CEO of Royal Caribbean Group-

“A booster will only be needed if the CDC guidelines require it.”

“People who have cruised a lot are comfortable being back at sea. Because they know and trust the protocols and can see the enhanced protocols that are implanted and in place."

It's people who haven't cruised who don't understand. The most powerful marketing material is word of mouth. Lifelong memories are still being made.”

“1st timers cruisers are coming! The messaging is working that it is so much safer than anyone understood.”

— Richard Fain CEO of Royal Caribbean Group

• 1st timers cruisers are coming! The messaging is working that it is so much safer than anyone understood.

• What makes it different and worth being so proud of is the emotional impact of the crew.

• Crew members were crying! So excited to be back! It is contagious!! And remarks have been overwhelming and moves us forward.

• We aren't through [the woods] yet. We have to keep the community communication up to push us forward.
  
  

Richard Fain- states that they essentially aim to be back to 100% capacity with Royal Caribbean Group by the end of the year.

Alanna at Seatrade Cruise Global

I hope you enjoyed the snip bits of what it was like to attend Seatrade Cruise Global. It is such a unique opportunity to hear directly from the industry and, cruise lines leaders!

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