After over 25 years with Worldwide, Jim Castle has retired. Stepping into the position of President and CEO, Steve Bloss is excited about the growing future of the company. Steve will also remain as President of Charter & Incentive Sales. Diana Bloss will remain as Vice President and Director of Operations. We wish Jim all the best in his retirement.




 

Recently we traveled to Bangkok to take part in the IT&CMA trade show where we partnered with Celebrity for the second year. This has been an exciting opportunity for both companies to break into the growing Asian market and meet new clients.  Steve had the opportunity to speak to a group of about 30 members of the media about the growth of the cruise industry in Asia, and the growing demand for cruises further afield for the Asian Incentive Market

• Last month we took part in the IMEX trade show in Las Vegas, partnering with Lagoon Group (a wonderful DMC group out of St Maarten). We enjoyed another highly successful year at this show.

• Coming up in November is the IBTM World Show (formerly the EIBTM Show) in Barcelona, which we have attended for over twenty years. This year Avalon, Celebrity, Crystal,  Silver Seas, Sea Dream, and Windstar will be joining us at our booth. We look forward to seeing many of you there.  Should you be in Barcelona please stop by our booth #L-16. 

• The Worldwide team is currently out on a charter on the Celebrity Summit. Over the next several weeks we have ship inspections on the following vessels: Celebrity Infinity, the new Holland America Koningsdam, NCL Escape, and the Royale Clipper. Look for our reviews in the January newsletter.

 
We recently had a small group return from a Danube cruise on the AMA Serena.  Here is what they had to say:
By unanimous vote, our little group thought it was SPECTACULAR!  Here’s a little recap of our thoughts . . .
Physical Ship – Obviously being one year old, the physical ship is modern, clean and crisp. 
Suites – The BB Class suites were very well laid out with nice amenities.  The bathrooms were spacious, the cabin lighting was bright & attractive, the bedding was fresh and very comfortable, the closet and storage space was adequate, the colors were attractive and the balconies were comfortable.
Service – Everyone was quite helpful and very attentive to our needs.  The front desk personnel were well informed and always available.  The room steward was efficient and helpful with special requests.  The dining room staff was always friendly and accommodating.  In addition to remembering our names, they shared personal antidotes & stories and were helpful with any special dietary needs.  The cruise coordinators were well organized and made embarking and disembarking painless.  The tour guides in the ports spoke very good English, were well informed and cordial.  They also kept the group size down to a very manageable size and the headsets always made it easy to hear their narratives.  The Cruise Director and staff were friendly and helpful.  The entertainment was fun, lively and interesting. 
Ports – the port selection was well organized mixing both small, quaint villages with the major cities like Budapest and Vienna.  In addition to very good guides and tours, ample time was allowed for shopping and exploring the ports on our own. 
Prague – the extension to Prague was very worthwhile.  Having never been there, we were very happy we decided to go.  
Finally, we received numerous accolades for selecting this particular cruise line and ship.  For the price and value, this was a great suggestion! 
As usual, Worldwide came through for us and we greatly appreciate it!
Thanks for all you did to make our little Danube group trip such a huge success!
Susie & Vin
 

 
We are in the process of revamping our website for 2017 and will be switching to quarterly newsletters to bring you the most up to date news. We wish everyone a wonderful Holiday season, and as always thank you for being valued clients.

For further details call 954 452 8800 or email sbloss@cruiseco.com