Collette Vacations has added 10 itineraries to its 2025 portfolio across four continents.
Destinations for the new tours include Greece; Portugal; the Balkans; England; Chile and Argentina; Namibia and South Africa; the Western Canadian Rockies; Alaska; California; and Utah.
Some examples of the offerings:
• The 13-day Gems of Greece: Athens, Naxos, & Crete tour will explore some of the country's lesser-known spots in an island-hopping adventure, with fares starting at $5,299 per person. Guests can expect a half-day boat excursion from Naxos and a hands-on cooking class in Heraklion on the island of Crete as will explore that island's olive oil mills in Chania. Departures for this itinerary begin in June 2025.
• A 16-day Namibia & South Africa: Epic Landscapes & Wildlife itinerary features visits to Etosha and Kruger National Parks as well as time spent in Cape Town. Guests on this itinerary will explore some of the largest sand dunes in the world in the Namib desert and discover much of the nature and wildlife in both Namibia and South Africa. Departures for this tour start in May 2025, and fares start at $7,499 per person.
The new tours are being added in three of Collette's five signature travel styles: classic, cruising and small-group explorations.
Classic tours are the company's flagship travel style and focus on ensuring guests see all of the must-see highlights of a destination through a guided tour with up to 44 people. Explorations are small-group trips with up to 18 people on a departure where guests enjoy more off-the-beaten-path adventures and culinary experiences plus more interactions with the locals. Cruising itineraries are aboard four-star vessels that range from river cruise ships to chartered yachts.
===============================================
Royal Caribbean International has canceled calls at Labadee, its private beach in Haiti, through September.
"Our global security and intel team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti, and in an abundance of caution, we have suspended all visits to Labadee fleetwide through September 2024. We will continue to monitor and reassess calls as needed, and will communicate updates with guests directly," said a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson.
===============================================
Riviera River Cruises has partnered with two travel companies to assist travel advisors in making transportation and hotel arrangements for their North American clients.
Tourcrafters and Auto Europe will be able to assist travel advisors when making flight, hotel and transfer arrangements for their clients. Once travel advisors book with Riviera, they will be transferred to Tourcrafters and Auto Europe if flight and hotel accommodations are needed. Auto Europe will pay commission on both services (Auto Europe owns Tourcrafters).
Travel advisors have been requesting these services, said Marilyn Conroy, Riviera's executive vice president of sales and marketing for North America.
"Like our own company, Tourcrafters and Auto Europe have decades of experience in the industry -- together, we'll be able to work with advisors to put together a more complete package for their European river cruise clients."
Prior to the new partnership, travel advisors would book flights, hotels and transfers on their own.
Riviera offers several pre- and post-cruise packages that include hotel stays and transportation to and from the cruise port.
===============================================
Brightline West broke ground this week on a high-speed rail line that will connect Las Vegas and Southern California. It is expected to open in 2028.
Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Brightline West executives and local government officials for the official groundbreaking ceremony held at the future Brightline West train station in Las Vegas.
The Brightline West route will be built within the median of I-15. The train will span 218 miles and include stops in Victor Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Brightline West trains will be fully electric and capable of reaching speeds of 200 miles per hour. Service between Las Vegas and Southern California is estimated to be a two-hour trip, about half the time it takes to drive the route.
The Las Vegas station will be located near the Las Vegas Strip on a 110-acre property that will provide convenient access to Harry Reid International Airport, the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Raiders' Allegiant Stadium.
