Week ending Sunday Nov 23

As we near the end of the year, then there has been no slowdown in news from the cruise industry.

Last weekend was the 2014 CLIA UK & Ireland River Cruise Convention in Amsterdam, featuring 7 river cruise ships and a barge.  Some great coverage from trade media partners Travel Weekly on a number of stories.  Here Lucy Huxley, moderator at the Convention, tells us that river cruise offers a great opportunity: read here.

We used the Convention to announce that we would be adding river cruise brochures to our Brochure Bank this year - and we would be adding river ships to the Meet the Fleet Guide in the new year.  We will also be holding a special River Cruise Masterclass in 2015, and a special river cruise campaign.  Red here.

More coverage here of the river sector, this time from TTG on some of the changing river cruise landscape and how UK companies are reacting to the increased demand: read here

The other big news of the week was the purchase of Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises by Norwegian Cruise Lines.  And one of the first impacts of that is the promotion of Francis Riley  - congratulations to him!  Read here.

And whilst the big new launch this autumn was Quantum of the Seas, Royal has announced that Majesty of the Seas is to head to Pullmantur: read here.  Over at MSC Cruises meanwhile MSC Armonia is off on her first voyage since being stretched: read here.

And finally - great to read the latest thoughts from CLIA UK & Ireland Chair Jo Rzymowska - this time on the trend for cruise lines to launch their post-Christmas campaigns early: read here