Press & News

CruiseWorld Rolls Out Applications for Coveted STAR Program
Travel Professional News – May 19, 2025
CruiseWorld by Northstar continues its commitment to advisor development with the STAR (Select Travel Advisor Recognition) Program.

Travel Advisors Discuss Challenges, Opportunities During CruiseWorld Conference
TravelAge West – November 2, 2023
Travel advisors discussed best practices and challenges facing their businesses during the advisor-only session at the 14th-annual CruiseWorld conference. Flight cancellations and delays, setting boundaries with clients, and using technology tools like Travefy, ChatGBT, and AI were some of the topics that were discussed.

At CruiseWorld, Norwegian Cruise Line execs explain NCF plan
Travel Weekly - November 6, 2022
Norwegian Cruise Line said travel agents will earn close to 40% more in commissions through its plan to pay on noncommissionable fees (NCFs) for advance bookings, but company executives made clear at CruiseWorld 2022 Friday that there are strings attached.

Looking for family-travel options? These travel companies have ideas
Travel Weekly - November 4, 2022
Every family is different, and so were the pitches for their next vacation by one cruise line and four land-resort companies at the Perfect Pitch: Multigenerational Travel panel event at CruiseWorld.

Black Travel Advisory Board: Industry should do more to increase diversity
Travel Weekly - November 4, 2022
While Travel Weekly parent Northstar Travel Group was praised for forming the Black Travel Advisory Board in 2020, members of that board told the CruiseWorld audience here that the industry could do much better to increase Black representation.

Pitching small ships and river cruises: Tackling client questions
Travel Weekly - November 4, 2022
Travel advisors who sell small-ship and river cruises often must manage client expectations about price and water levels. Marketing and sales pros gave tips on how to do that during a Pitch Perfect session at Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld on Friday.

The luxury-cruise pitch: Spinning client scenarios into vacation gold
Travel Weekly - November 4, 2022
Luxury cruising can make for a fitting vacation, but it can be a challenge to pair clients with a product and a destination that is right for them. That was the heart of the discussion at the Pitch Perfect: Luxury panel at CruiseWorld here.

CEOs take the stage at CruiseWorld -- what was the show's big buzz?
Travel Weekly - November 4, 2022
Our annual CruiseWorld show brings to the stage the top executives from the major cruise companies. This year the CEOs of Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings talked with editor in chief Arnie Weissmann about their sales and product priorities against the backdrop of major news announcements: the elimination of some noncommissionable fares by Norwegian Cruise Line; Royal Caribbean Group's Q3 profit; Carnival Corp.'s appeal for first-time cruisers.

Thinking big: Royal Caribbean's Bayley talks world cruise and Icon at CruiseWorld
Travel Weekly - November 4, 2022
Two years ago, during the dark days of the pandemic, Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley proposed that the cruise line do a 274-day world voyage. Colleagues were more than skeptical.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO on Q3 performance: 'We crushed it'
Travel Weekly - November 4, 2022
"We crushed it." Those were Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty's first words in his conversation on stage with Travel Weekly editor in chief Arnie Weissman at CruiseWorld 2022 on Thursday afternoon, his reaction to the company's third-quarter earnings report released earlier that day. The report was Topic No. 1 during their talk.

Advisors trade tips on how to turn social posts into travel sales
Travel Weekly - November 3, 2022
Everyone knows the power of social media, but not every travel advisor knows how to wield it. How to turn social media posts into bookings was the chief conversation among travel advisors at the Wednesday afternoon Think Tank session at CruiseWorld. The forum, a longtime tradition at CruiseWorld, puts conferencegoers together to speak directly to their peers and trade ideas, frustrations and solutions.

Cruise sales 'masterminds': What will be on our minds in three years?
Travel Weekly - November 3, 2022
f you could wave a magic wand, what will people be talking about at CruiseWorld three years from now? That was the question asked by Northstar Travel Group senior vice president of marketing Mary Pat Sullivan to a panel of cruise line sales executives during the Masterminds session at CruiseWorld 2022.

Carnival Corp. execs tell advisors to sell the value
Travel Weekly - November 3, 2022
With high inflation and the threat of a recession, what's the best way to market and sell cruises? The question was posed to Carnival Corp. executives on the Presidents Panel at Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld on Wednesday, and Princess Cruises president John Padgett had a quick answer.

How Travel Advisors Can Effectively Market — and Earn Money — Through YouTube
TravelAge West - November 17, 2020
Although it still featured all the usual suspects, CruiseWorld 2020 looked a little different this year.

This Travel Advisor Sold More Destination Weddings This Summer Than Last Summer
TravelAge West - November 16, 2020
There once was a time when weddings and honeymoons seemed to be a recession-proof industry. And even though the general logic is correct — folks will continue to fall in love, make lifelong commitments to each other and celebrate — the way that marriages can be commemorated has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooped up clients are ready to trade up to a luxury cruise, execs say
Travel Weekly - November 16, 2020
The pool of prospective clients for a luxury cruise will expand when people who have been cooped up at home decide to channel their vacation time and dollars into a no-holds-barred luxury trip.

Now's the time to seize opportunity, Norwegian CEO tells agents
Travel Weekly - November 13, 2020
Now is the time for travel agencies to expand their talent pool and deepen relationships with suppliers, said Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Harry Sommer.

A full cruise recovery? Opinions vary on when that might happen
Travel Weekly - November 13, 2020
During Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld this week, top-level cruise line executives have been asked when the cruise industry might begin to resemble what it was prepandemic.

River lines pitch small-ship size and stringent standards
Travel Weekly - November 13, 2020
The safest way to send clients to Europe next year is on a river cruise -- that's what Crystal River Cruises managing Walter Littlejohn director told advisors during CruiseWorld on Friday.

MSC chief says Europe cruising can be a 'blueprint' for other restarts
Travel Weekly - November 12, 2020
MSC Cruises' successful restart in Europe proves that not only can cruising be done safely during the pandemic but that it creates a safer environment than many shoreside places, said MSC CEO Gianni Onorato.

Build momentum for groups before marketing
Travel Weekly - November 12, 2020
Suzy Schreiner, the owner of Azure Blue Vacations, has a tip for "getting groups going:" Layer the approach to clients by building momentum with the idea of a cruise or itinerary and waiting to introduce the marketing.

A Critical Conversation about being a travel advisor now
Travel Weekly - November 12, 2020
Kimberly Wilson Wetty, owner and co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel first joined the agency -- founded by her mother, the agency's namesake -- in 1995. She still vividly remembers that week: It was the one in which airlines began capping, then cutting, agency commissions.

Two advisors awarded for their uplifting stories at CruiseWorld
Travel Weekly - November 12, 2020
Uplift on Friday named not one, but two, winners of the CruiseWorld Uplifting Travel Advisor of the Year contest at CruiseWorld: Sue Slater, owner of Presto Magic Travel in St. Louis, Mo., and Maurisia Jeffers, owner of Travel Cruzan in Plantation, Fla.

As a sailing alternative, all-inclusives pitch their 'land cruises'
Travel Weekly - November 12, 2020
For clients in search of a cruise alternative this year, travel advisors should consider an all-inclusive resort, said Justin Heckman, Club Med’s director of sales for the U.S. eastern region, during Thursday’s Pitch Perfect web panel at CruiseWorld.

Royal will look to expand restart in the Caribbean
Travel Weekly - November 12, 2020
Despite all the talk about cruise lines primarily using their private destinations when they first resume service, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Richard Fain said that Royal's ships will make every effort to return to the rest of the Caribbean as soon as possible.

Carnival chief knows the world is counting on cruising
Travel Weekly - November 11, 2020
Speaking to hundreds of travel advisors in virtual attendance at Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld 2020, Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald discussed the impact of the global cruise shutdown on the various stakeholders that depend on cruising, including destinations and travel advisors.

Sell what you need to in order to survive, cruise execs tell agents
Travel Weekly - November 11, 2020
Given the symbiotic relationship that cruise lines and travel advisors have enjoyed, it might sound strange for cruise executives to encourage advisors to book travel outside of cruising. But that is exactly what they did on Wednesday at CruiseWorld, the Northstar Travel Group-sponsored event held virtually for the first time this year.

Carnival Corp. execs talk to advisors about the cruise comeback
Travel Weekly - November 11, 2020
Carnival Cruise Line is likely to be the first of Carnival Corp.'s nine brands to resume service in North America, CEO Arnold Donald told attendees of Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld 2020.

CruiseWorld moves virtual for November 2020
Travel Weekly - September 22, 2020
Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld has moved to a virtual event for 2020 due to a number of factors related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Registration Opens for November CruiseWorld
Travel Weekly - November 17, 2020
Registration for Travel Weekly's 10th annual CruiseWorld event, taking place Nov. 11 to 13 in Miami Beach, is now open.

Andy Stuart Says NCL’s Partners First is Here to Stay
Travel Weekly - November 15, 2019
That was the message that retiring Norwegian Cruise Line president and CEO Andy Stuart delivered in his parting address on the closing day of CruiseWorld 2019.

River Line Executives Pitch Advisors in the CruiseWorld Audience
Travel Weekly - November 15, 2019
A group of river cruise line executives took to the stage at CruiseWorld for the first time, and they were joined by two travel advisors who asked them to "pitch" potential client opportunities on their respective lines.

CEO Conversations: Carnival Corp.'s Donald on Stability and Innovation
Travel Weekly - November 15, 2019
Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald told an audience at CruiseWorld that being the largest cruise company in the world comes with two key advantages -- stability and innovation -- that help Carnival's brands deliver industry-leading results.

MSC and Hurtigruten Detail their Green Initiatives
Travel Weekly - November 15, 2019
Cruise lines are cutting carbon emissions, reducing single-use plastics and campaigning to restore endangered coral reefs around the world, an audience at CruiseWorld learned on Friday.

RCCL Presidents Tackle Overtourism, Luxury, Female Leadership
Travel Weekly - November 15, 2019
Cruise line presidents from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. brands took on the subject of overtourism, the evolution of luxury cruising and female leadership during a panel at CruiseWorld.

CEO Conversations: RCCL's Fain on Designing Ships for the Future
Travel Weekly - November 14, 2019
To illustrate the high cost of changing cruise ships in the shipyard after they've already been designed, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. chairman and CEO Richard Fain told an audience at CruiseWorld that one yard owner has his own private yacht.

Buzz and Enthusiasm at Exhibitor Showcase
Travel Weekly - November 14, 2019
The exhibitor showcase at CruiseWorld was buzzing Thursday afternoon as travel advisors had a chance to interact with more than 250 suppliers and, just as importantly, their peers.

Culture and Cuisine Take Center Stage in Immersion Session
Travel Weekly - November 14, 2019
CruiseWorld this year offered attendees the chance to delve into a specific type of travel during a series of Travel Experience Immersions. Travel advisors could choose from panels on culinary and cultural experiences; adventure and experiential travel; luxury travel; or family and multigenerational experiences.

Carnival Corp. Presidents' Panel Features Ashford and Duffy
Travel Weekly - November 13, 2019
Cruise line presidents get a lot of mail from guests, and Holland America Line president Orlando Ashford reserves the last half hour of his day to read some of the comments sent his way.

Sales Executives Preach Positivity for Election Year
Travel Weekly - November 13, 2019
The presidential race and its historically negative effect on the travel business was top of mind for cruise line sales executives at CruiseWorld 2019.

WUATA Campaign: And the Winner is...
Travel Weekly - November 13, 2019
A six-month contest organized by Carnival Cruise Line to find the country's most trusted travel advisor culminated on the opening day of CruiseWorld with Carnival's announcement of the winner.

A Sneak Preview of CruiseWorld’s Content
Travel Weekly - June 23, 2019
This year's CruiseWorld, to be held November 13 through 15 in Fort Lauderdale, will offer a plethora of opportunities for travel advisors to grow their knowledge of the industry, expand their networks and complete training and certification programs.

Registration Open for CruiseWorld 2019
Travel Weekly - April 19, 2019
This year's event, which takes place Nov. 13 to 15 in Fort Lauderdale, will include exciting general sessions featuring industry leadership, supplier training programs, peer-led workshops, a variety of ship inspections, and a diversified Exhibitor Showcase.

Travel Weekly’s STAR Program Returns to CruiseWorld
Travel Weekly - March 21, 2019
Following the tremendous success of last year's CruiseWorld, the STAR (Select Travel Advisor Recognition) Program will be back once again for Travel Weekly's 2019 CruiseWorld event. The application to participate is now available.

Agents Bid on Vacations in Game Show Session at CruiseWorld
Travel Weekly - November 11, 2018
Travel Planners International (TPI) and its vice president of sales and marketing, Jenn Lee, closed CruiseWorld in style on Friday afternoon with a travel-themed version of game show "The Price is Right."

Del Rio: Free Air at NCL a 'Continuation' of Free at Sea Program
Travel Weekly - November 9, 2018
"It's a continuation, an evolution, an expansion of the Free at Sea program," said Frank Del Rio, CEO of parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, who addressed travel agents here at CruiseWorld.

Cruise Execs Asked: What Traveler Isn’t A Fit?
Travel Weekly - November 9, 2018
It's an unusual question that cruise line leaders answered on Friday during the Presidents' Panel at CruiseWorld.

A New Feature at CruiseWorld: TW Tech Talks
Travel Weekly - November 9, 2018
Luke Gibson, director of product for Trisept Solutions and VAX VacationAccess was speaking on stage at CruiseWorld this week, introducing a new facet of the show: TW Tech Talks.

CruiseWorld Trade Show: Old and New Friends
Travel Weekly - November 9, 2018
For beginners, CruiseWorld is a chance to start making connections. For veteran attendees, it's a family reunion of sorts. They all came together Thursday afternoon for the trade show, where the floor buzzed with hundreds of advisers and over 200 suppliers.

CruiseWorld, Day 2: Musical Performances Continue with 'Hairspray'
Travel Weekly - November 8, 2018
On Broadway, the classic musical "Hairspray" runs for about three hours, intermission included. At CruiseWorld, it lasted about 10 minutes, but encapsulated the story from start to finish.

Royal Caribbean’s Liberty Highlights Port and Destination Investments
Travel Weekly - November 8, 2018
Jason Liberty, CFO of parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., outlined the strategy in a talk here to travel agents attending CruiseWorld, a Travel Weekly event.

Sales and Marketing ‘Masterminds’ Tout Agents Value
Travel Weekly - November 8, 2018
Cruise line representatives on Wednesday trumpeted the value that travel advisers bring to consumers and cruise lines alike during the Mastermind Sales & Marketing Secrets of Success at CruiseWorld

At CruiseWorld, Arnold Donald Tackles Topics from Brands to Overtourism
Travel Weekly - November 8, 2018
Editor in chief Arnie Weissmann and Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald chatted during Wednesday’s General Session.

Think Tank Delves into River and Expedition Cruising at CruiseWorld
Travel Weekly - November 8, 2018
Agents tackled a number of topics on river and expedition cruises Wednesday during CruiseWorld's annual Think Tank here, hosted by Rob Huffman, Scenic Group's vice president of U.S. sales.

Celebrity Cruises to bring Glamping to the Seas
Travel Weekly - November 8, 2018
Details about top-deck sleepovers aboard the Flora, Celebrity Cruises' 100-passenger expedition ship under construction in the Netherlands, were announced at Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld on Thursday by Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior vice president of sales, trade support and service.

Pitbull Performance Caps First Day of CruiseWorld
Travel Weekly - November 7, 2018
Travel advisors attending the 2018 CruiseWorld event here got a rare treat: a private concert by one of pop music's big names -- Pitbull.

Carnival Day to Kick Off CruiseWorld 2018
Travel Weekly - October 26, 2018
Carnival Corp. and all of its brands are the opening day General Session sponsor this year for Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld.

Royal Caribbean Brings Shipboard Entertainment to CruiseWorld
Travel Weekly - October 19, 2018
Royal Caribbean International will bring the award-winning entertainment from its Symphony of the Seas to the CruiseWorld stage to close out the General Session on Nov. 8.

Norwegian Cruise Line Sponsors Pitbull Performance at CruiseWorld
Travel Weekly - October 12, 2018
Pitbull, the Grammy Award-winning global superstar and the godfather to the Norwegian Escape, is scheduled to perform Wednesday, Nov. 7, at CruiseWorld. 

CruiseWorld’s STAR Program Sold Out
Travel Weekly - October 5, 2018
Travel advisor positions are sold out for the 2018 STAR program. The program has filled earlier than ever before: Over 1,300 applications were received for the 250 positions available. 

Register now for CruiseWorld and Save
Travel Weekly - September 17, 2018
Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld event will be here before you know it, and registration prices will increase after Sept. 28. 

Expand Your Professional Knowledge at CruiseWorld
Travel Weekly - August 8, 2018
The programming for Travel Weekly's CruiseWorld is now live. The full event features C-suite keynote speakers, supplier workshops, peer-to-peer training, a one-day Exhibitor Showcase, sponsored meal functions, ship inspections and significant networking opportunities.

Travel Advisers Shine as Part of CruiseWorld STAR Program
Travel Weekly - June 28, 2018
Nearly 200 travel advisers have already been accepted to the 2018 CruiseWorld STAR (Select Travel Advisor Recognition) program, and there have been over 1000 visits to the STAR application. Interested advisers should apply soon, as only 250 spots are available.