The Big Boat, The Big Easy And More Travel News: This Week's JimBits

Ama Waterways on Thursday released highly anticipated images of its revolutionary new ship - AmaMagna - celebrating her arrival as she set sail on an inaugural voyage from Vilshofen, Germany to Budapest, Hungary. The brain child of AmaWaterways' president and co-founder Rudi Schreiner, AmaMagna surpassed guests' expectations on embarkation day with the highest level of luxury and generous personal space of any ship on the rivers. The first-ever photos of AmaMagna's public spaces showcase the stunning design and elegant décor of a multi-level lounge and Main Restaurant, which features floor-to-ceiling windows. They also provide a first look at new dining venues - the Al Fresco Restaurant and Jimmy's, the latter of which is named in honour of the late Jimmy Murphy, one of AmaWaterways' original co-founders and co-owners.

"Dreams are fueled by an individual's passion but usually accomplished through the creativity and hard work of many," said Schreiner. "This ship represents a labor of love for so many people who contributed groundbreaking ideas, as well as a lot of hard work that was done by the team to bring my dream project to reality."

At an exclusive Oktoberfest welcome event in Vilshofen, Captain Jan de Bruijn, Cruise Manager Dragan and Hotel Services Manager Guido greeted AmaMagna's first guests, many of whom were loyal AmaWaterways cruisers anxious to be among the first to experience the newest member of the family.

The delighted reactions of our guests and travel partners when they embarked on this cruise is genuinely rewarding," said Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-founder. "With the choice of four distinct dining venues, five bars, elegant lounges and exceptional accommodations, AmaMagna has been designed for those seeking a fresh, contemporary and dynamic take on river cruising. This beautiful ship has a direct appeal to ocean cruisers, who are accustomed to the luxury of expansive personal space and a wide variety of leisure activities during their vacation."

AmaMagna is twice the width of traditional river cruise ships, yet welcomes only 20 percent more guests, allowing generous personal space - with more than half of the 98 staterooms designated as suites measuring between 355 and 710 sq. ft.

The newly founded Club Med Travel Professionals Advisory Board held its first official meeting this week at Club Med's Montréal office in its new collaborative space called "Le Lab". Composed of nine Canadian travel experts, the Board includes the following travel advisors:

Salwa Bariche, Cinquième Saison

Francine Martin, Voyages Régence

Karen Fine, Flight Centre

Béatrice Charmettant, Voyages Claudelle

Jennifer Brousseau, Sportvac

Marie-Ève Cloutier, Club Voyages Tourbec Vaudreuil / Lapointe

Nathalie Guilbert, Groupe Voyages VP

Michelle Green, Travel Edge

Martine Phaneuf, Vacances Le Faubourg

Selected by Club Med, these professionals represent the vast range of expertise and experience in today's travel industry; from family vacations in the Caribbean, to ski trips, group trips and getaways around the world. Club Med created this board to include its travel partners in discussions on the company's global strategies, challenges, newest resort offerings and travel innovations.

"We created the Travel Professionals Advisory Board to facilitate communication between our brand and our loyal travel partners," said Jacinda Lowry, National Sales Director of Club Med Canada. "We hope these interactive meetings will enable our partners to collaborate with the company and have them contribute to Club Med's future direction and success."

Air Transat, named the 2018 World's Best Leisure Airline, is pleased to announce that it will add New Orleans, Louisiana, to its portfolio of fall and winter destinations. Beginning in November 2019, the airline will offer two direct flights a week from Montreal, giving travellers a chance to experience the festive atmosphere of jazz clubs or a contemplative stroll along the Bayou.

"With the steady demand for New Orleans, Air Transat is pleased to be the only airline to offer non-stop service from Montreal to this unique vacation destination, and to be enhancing its offering for next winter with this distinctive option," says Annick Guérard, Chief Operating Officer, Transat. "Adding this new route strengthens Air Transat's status as a Canadian leader in leisure travel while also providing greater flexibility to business travellers visiting Louisiana, who will have the option of extending their stay."

Air Transat will fly twice a week to New Orleans, on Thursdays and Sundays, beginning Nov. 3, 2019. Details of Air Transat's 2019 winter flight program will be announced shortly.

Leading small-group adventure tour operator, G Adventures, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announce the launch of a program to raise awareness of Thailand. The multi-channel program launches in May and runs through to June.

"Thailand is a top destination among Canadians and one of G Adventures' best-selling regions. No surprise given how varied the country is," said Aizaz Sheikh, G Adventures' Canadian Marketing Director.

"Most first-time visitors are often drawn to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and many of the southern islands - and rightfully so as these areas have many unique and distinct characteristics about them - but they also make for great gateways to Thailand's most amazing hidden gems," said Puangpen Klanwari, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Canada Office. "What we love about G Adventures' Thailand tours is that they not only take the visitors to well-known areas, but they also give visitors a chance to explore Thailand's emerging destinations for a truly local experience."

To encourage bookings, agents' clients can save 15% on select Thailand trips between May 14 - June 10, 2019. For every traveller booked on a Thailand trip during this period, agents will earn one entry into a draw to win a spot on G Adventures' Northern Thailand Explorer tour (flights excluded).

G Adventures offers 54 Thailand tours across seven travel styles.

Silversea Cruises has opened general sales on 54 new itineraries for winter 2020/2021. Offering guests an increased range of unique destinations for the winter season, the new collection of voyages will include 20 maiden calls. It incorporates unforgettable experiences in the Caribbean, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, and South America, enriching the cruise line's industry-leading pole-to-pole offering.

Comprising the winter itineraries of Silver Muse, Silver Whisper, Silver Shadow, Silver Spirit and Silver Moon ­­­- an ultra-luxury sister ship to Silver Muse, due to join the fleet in August 2020 - the new collection of voyages will showcase both iconic and rare experiences the Caribbean, springtime in Asia, and the best of both Australia and South America on respective circumnavigations, among other remarkable experiences. Simplifying guests' journeys, travellers will enjoy complimentary round-trip economy class flights, or business class upgrades starting from USD $199 per leg, and transfers on virtually all voyages in the new collection (exceptions and market-specific conditions may apply).

"Feedback on our new winter 2020/2021 voyages has been exceptional," said Barbara Muckermann, Silversea's Chief Marketing Officer. "Once again, we have pushed boundaries to unlock unique travel experiences for our guests, in the world's most amazing destinations. From iconic to exclusive, intrepid to relaxed, the range of experiences on offer with Silversea perfectly caters for the discerning tastes of our distinguished guests."

Clients looking to bypass a European Summer escape and instead try the quieter off-peak season will be happy with the announcement of Trafalgar and Costsaver's Autumn, Winter and Spring (AWS) trips.

41 itineraries across 27 countries on offer, the brands connect clients with Europe's best experiences, people and destinations with these year-round and Winter specific itineraries. With a selection of tried and tested favourite trips being offered again for 2019/2020, Trafalgar and Costsaver are proud to announce six brand new trips in line with clients' demand for more Europe options year-round. Also, reiterating its #AgentsFirst philosophy, the AWS programs feature both brands together in one handy "upside down" brochure, with solutions galore for selling seasonal travel.

With overtourism causing an increase in pressure on destinations, the brands recognize the importance of year-round travel experiences, with Trafalgar and Costsaver's trips offering incredible opportunities regardless of when clients are looking to travel.

"We've crafted our trips with the best travel experiences in mind, no matter the season," says Michael Unrath, Head of Product for Trafalgar Europe. "Smaller towns and communities can often struggle during the quiet seasons when the summer crowds die down for the year. We're proud to be able to take our groups to many of these destinations, offer experiences that bring Europe to life and connect with the amazing locals and communities that make these destinations so special, at any given time of year," he said.

New trips include the 7-day Best of Scotland to uncover Scottish greats in one of Trafalgar's most popular countries, taking in Glasgow, the Highlands and Edinburgh. Client favourites like a 'Be My Guest' experience at the 15th century home of the Wood Family on Lake Loch Ard to private whisky tastings, a day trip to the Isle of Skye and sightseeing are all on offer, packed with plenty of fun and classic Scottish locals.

The Port of Québec has launched its earliest international cruise season with the arrival of Hurtigruten's MS Fram at the Ross Gaudreault Cruise Terminal. The expedition vessel is the first of its kind to call at the Port which has an expanding season and facilities to accommodate a variety of ship sizes and types.

Hurtigruten, the world's greenest cruise line and world leader in expedition cruises, operates a growing fleet of 16 ships exploring spectacular destinations around the world such as Antarctica, South America and Caribbean, Canada, Northwest Passage, Svalbard, Greenland and Norway.

As the rest of the Hurtigruten fleet, MS Fram is custom built for expedition cruises - often to ports where bigger ships can't go. MS Fram features Hurtigruten's signature Expedition Team, hand-picked experts in a variety of fields creating a deeper understanding of the areas the ship visits.

"As we are expanding our fleet, we are also expanding our number of destinations. Québec is not only a must-see destination in itself, it is the ideal gateway to areas such as St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes," said Hurtigruten's John Downey.

It's officially six months from the launch of MSC Grandiosa, MSC Cruises' newest megaship that will be christened in Hamburg this November! She is the first of the Meraviglia-Plus class ships featuring even more staterooms, public spaces and additional features. And, Swedish TV star Michelle Hunziker will be leading the glamorous ceremonies, her second time hosting since MSC Seaview's naming ceremony. A few of the MSC Grandiosa's key highlights include:

· The iconic Mediterranean Promenade is at the heart of the ship. Under the 323-ft.-long LED sky, guests can enjoy a varied entertainment program as well as being able to shop, eat and drink.

· Two brand new, never before seen shows from Cirque du Soleil at Sea. The shows are created by world-leader in live entertainment, Cirque du Soleil as part of a unique long-term with MSC Cruises.

- MSC Grandiosa will feature the world's first virtual personal cruise assistant, ZOE. This artificial intelligence service will answer guest questions in the comfort of their staterooms, a ground-breaking feature of the connected cruise experience, MSC for Me.

- MSC Grandiosa takes the onboard shopping experience to a new level, with the indoor promenade at the center of that experience. Here, in the shopping mall-style boutiques, guests will find their favorite brands of clothing, jewelry, technology and more, all at unbeatable prices.

Canadians have a new, easy way to get to one of Europe's most fashionable cities.

Air Italy this week launched direct flights from Toronto to Milan, the fashion capital of Italy and the gateway to the Italian lake district.

Toronto is the fifth North American destination for Air Italy, which also flies to New York, Miami, Los Angeles and SanFrancisco.

The Toronto-Milan flights will operate every day of the week except Thursday until Oct. 25 using Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The business class features lie-flat seats; always a bonus for trans-Atlantic flights.

Air Italy on Thursday announced they have signed Pam Ann as a global brand ambassador for the airline.

Pam Ann, the hugely popular and well-known irreverent comedy airline persona of comedienne Caroline Reid, will, among other activities, be the star of the airliine's upcoming Safety Video.

"Pam Ann is an airline industry legend," said Rossen Dimitrov, Air Italy Chief Operating Officer, "We are delighted to have her on board. Caroline's irreverent wit and humour, her cult-following both inside and outside the industry, and her insightful comedy will undoubtedly help us grow our brand and fanbase.

Orlando tourism officials on Thursday a historic milestone for the U.S. travel industry as Orlando released news of a record-setting 75 million annual visitors in 2018. The increase of 4.2% over the prior year once again solidifies Orlando's lead position as America's most-visited destination. Visit Orlando, the region's official destination tourism and marketing organization, shared the news as part of National Travel & Tourism Week to a gathering of more than 1,000 tourism and community leaders.

"It was another record-breaking year for Orlando with both domestic and international visitation," said Visit Orlando President and CEO George Aguel. "We saw strong gains from all of our core countries, particularly from Latin America. This success is a testament to the special appeal of our destination that continues to grow and evolve, as well as our strong commitment to strategic marketing initiatives."

All of Orlando's key international markets experienced growth in 2018 including Canada with 1,211,000 visitors, an increase of 3.3%.