An update on the power of cruising worldwide, news from Holland America. Scenic, Avalon and AmaWaterways, plus updates on Air Canada bag fees, cancelled vacation programs for Cuba and a California World Cup guide. All in today’s blog post.
CRUISE NEWS AND VIEWS
THE POWER OF CRUISING
In a new report, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) highlights the positive impact that cruise tourism delivers for communities and destinations around the world.
“Cruising for Impact” demonstrates how cruise tourism acts as a powerful driver of opportunity, supporting local livelihoods, strengthening communities, and creating long-term value in coastal and port destinations.
The cruise industry contributed $98.5 billion (all figures USD) to global GDP and generated $199 billion in total economic output, supported 1.8 million jobs, and delivered $60.1 billion in wages in 2024, underlining its scale and global reach.
A key finding of the new report — based on data from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) — indicates that more than 60% of cruise passengers return to destinations they first discovered via cruise, demonstrating how the sector not only connects travellers to new places, but helps sustain long-term tourism demand and ongoing benefits for local communities.
The MSC World Europa cruise ship. JIM BYERS PHOTO
As well, “Cruising for Impact” reveals the depth of cruise tourism’s integration with local economies, with over 1.4 million jobs supported onshore. It further shows that for every 20 cruise passengers, one full-time job is supported globally, directly linking visitor demand to livelihoods across destinations.
HOLLAND AMERICA EVOLUTIONBuilding on strong momentum and record performance, Holland America Line announced Holland America Evolution, a bold multiyear investment to thoughtfully reimagine six ships. Representing the most ambitious guest experience update in the company’s 153-year history, Evolution will deliver a comprehensive bow-to-stern revitalization while bringing the best of its Pinnacle Class ships across most of the fleet.  Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam. Photo Courtesy Holland America Line. The multiyear renovation will take place ship by ship, delivering substantial transformation focused on expanding onboard choice, adding restaurant and bar options, and refreshing and reinventing key guest spaces — including new stateroom and suite categories — while maintaining the spacious design and intimate ship feel guests value most. Evolution will span the four Holland America Vista Class ships — Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, Westerdam and Noordam — and the two Signature Class ships, Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam. The company will invest over $500 million across these ships for enhancements to guest spaces and additional staterooms and suites that will add capacity and provide more choice for guests. AVALON WATERWAYS’ PERSONALIZED EXCURSIONSAccording to the Avalon Waterways’ recent Wish List Survey of nearly 10,000 travellers, 99% of cruisers say having a variety of shore excursions is important when selecting a river cruise. With its guest-first philosophy, Avalon Waterways recognized this shift early, building its river cruise model around personalization long before flexibility became an industry trend. Through Avalon Choice Excursions, guests can select how they want to experience each destination with included Classic, Discovery and Active experiences as well as countless opportunities for independent exploration. I was on the Avalon xxx for a trip along the Danube River in Europe in 2022 and had a fabulous time. SCENIC CRUISE EXPANSIONNine new ships will join the Scenic Group’s fleet over the next two years, as the luxury cruise line marks its 40th anniversary. OpenJaw.com reports the expansion began with the debut of Emerald Kaia earlier this month and will be followed by the launch of Emerald Astra in May. Additional vessels, both river and ocean-going, will be unveiled in 2027 and 2028, including the Scenic Ikon Discovery Yacht and Emerald Xara. The cruise line’s Scenic Eclipse II will also expand its reach in the coming years, returning to Australia. It’s a move the company said reflects Scenic’s three-year growth roadmap and the expansion of its luxury yacht collection. |
AMAWATERWAYS AMBITIOUS EXPANSION
AmaWaterways has announced its most ambitious expansion to date, growing its global fleet to more than 50 ships by 2032, with 15 new ships in Europe and more than 60 percent capacity growth beyond the region, including new ships in Africa and Asia.
Durnstein Castle is a marvelous spot on the Danube River in Austria. JIM BYERS PHOTO
This builds on a fleet of 31 ships currently in operation, with three new ships already announced for 2027 across the Rhine, Danube and Mekong. In Europe, AmaWaterways had confirmed eight new ships and is now adding seven more, including one in Portugal, reflecting sustained demand across its core markets. The company is also strengthening its presence in Africa with one additional ship on the Chobe River and two new ships on the Nile in Egypt, with one set to debut in 2026.
I had a great cruise with AmaWaterways in the Bordeaux region of France a few years ago.
AIRLINE NEWSAIR CANADA INCREASES BAG FEESAir Canada is following US carriers by hiking the fee for checked baggage for Economy Basic, Standard and Flex fares. The airline’s updated policy applies to passengers within Canada, travelling to or from the US (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands), as well as to or from Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America. In Economy Basic and Standard, the fee for the first bag is now CA/US$45 and CA/US$60 for the second. In Economy Flex, the first checked bag is free and the second is now charged at CA/US$60. Prior to April 13 of this year, the standard Economy Basic, Standard checked bag fees on Canada, US and sun routes were $35 for the first bag and $50 for the second. That means a 28% increase for the first bag and a 20% increase for the second bag. WESTJET/SUNWING CUBA CANCELLATIONSSunwing Vacations Group wich includes, Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations and Vacances WestJet Quebec will extend the pause of operations to Cuba for the 2026 summer season to include Varadero and Cayo Coco. At this time, all operations in Cuba have been cancelled from June 20, 2026, through October 9, 2026 (inclusive) for all gateways/airports.  A street in Havana, Cuba. Alexander Kunze/Unsplash Photo Services to Varadero and Cayo Coco will resume as scheduled on October 10, 2026. Service to Holguin, Santa Clara, Cayo Largo and Cienfuegos will resume on October 25, 2026. Sunwing Vacations Group continues to offer convenient flight options from key gateways across Canada to a wide range of popular sun destinations across Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. BEST FIRST-CLASS CABINSMSN recently carried a story ranking the best first-class cabins in the sky. Singapore Airlines took home top honours, followed by Emirates, Air France, Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa. I don’t have as much experience up front as I would like, but I can vouch for Emirates business class, as well as Turkish Airlines, Air Canada and Air New Zealand.
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CALIFORNIA WORLD CUP GUIDE
A convertible ride on the Golden Gate Bridge. Photo Courtesy San Francisco Travel Association.
Visit California has launched a new content hub for travellers that makes planning a trip to the Golden State for the FIFA World Cup this summer completely turnkey. The resources that have been made available include:
- A Consumer Landing Page that includes tournament details like match times, locations, ticketing tips, and more
- A collection of ready-made, tailored Custom Itineraries for World Cup fans
- An Industry Landing Page to equip partners with resources ahead of this summer
- Website visitors can also use Visit California’s built-in AI-powered itinerary planning tool Mindtrip alongside these new resources
The destination also just released its new 2026 Road Trip Guide, offering even more inspiration and guidance for travellers looking to experience California to the fullest.
