Cruise line Star Clippers has unveiled its summer 2027 programme, introducing 27 new ports of call across its three-ship fleet, the largest expansion in the tall-ship line’s history.
To celebrate, the team is running a December “advent calendar” competition on its closed Facebook groups, where agents can guess a newly featured port each day. Daily winners will receive a £10 Starbucks voucher, while all participants are entered into a grand prize draw for a 2026 FAM trip place. The winner will be announced after Christmas via Facebook and email.
Fay McCormack, General Manager of the UK GSA, said the expansion reflects the brand’s commitment to offering both fresh discoveries and returning favourites: “As a tall-ship cruise line, we can access smaller, more remote ports, expanding our offerings beyond guests’ expectations. Educating the travel trade is key, so we’re excited to reward one engaged agent with a FAM trip place.”
Agents can join the regional Facebook groups to take part in the competition. They are:
facebook.com/groups/nicsouthwest
facebook.com/groups/southeastmidlands
facebook.com/groups/Northscotlandandnireland
£200 off 2027 Trafalgar sailings
Trafalgar has released sales for its 2027 river cruise season aboard Trafalgar Verity and Trafalgar Reverie, following strong demand ahead of the brand’s debut sailings. Individual, group and charter bookings are now open, supported by a £200-per-couple agent incentive.
The 2027 programme enhances Trafalgar’s signature land-first approach with new extensions in Lucerne, Prague and Budapest. Guests on Best of the Rhine and Amsterdam will enjoy added time in Lucerne, while Best of the Danube introduces a stay in Prague. Travellers can also book pre- or post-cruise stays in Lucerne or Budapest to complete a wider Central Europe journey.
Christmas Market cruises return for 2027, offering festive sailings through Europe’s rivers and historic holiday towns.
Kelly Jackson, Managing Director EMEA, said the early release gives agents a valuable head start to secure bookings and seasonal incentives.
Australia summer season revealed by Princess
Princess Cruises has revealed its 2027-28 Australian summer season, headlined by Royal Princess, Grand Princess and Sapphire Princess, offering sailings to New Zealand, the South Pacific and around Australia.
The season’s standout is a new 94-day Circle Pacific voyage on Grand Princess, adding 14 extra nights and 12 additional ports compared to the 2027 sailing. The itinerary takes in 44 destinations across 13 countries, with highlights including French Polynesia, Fiji, Hawaii, Alaska, Vietnam and Japan, plus overnight stays in Hong Kong, Singapore and Bali.
Sapphire Princess will return to Western Australia, homeporting in Fremantle and making Princess the only large premium cruise line to base a ship in the state for 2027-28. From there, guests can choose short breaks, Coral Coast sailings, Indonesia itineraries and extended Kimberley voyages featuring overnight stays in Broome.
Across the season, Princess will offer multiple homeports in Sydney, Brisbane, Fremantle, Auckland, with selected departures from Melbourne and Adelaide and visit 57 destinations across 13 countries.
Fares for a 10-night Coral Coast sailing on Sapphire Princess, departing Fremantle on January 2, 2028, start from £844pp.
AmaWaterways enhances agent portal
AmaWaterways has rolled out major enhancements to its Travel Agent Portal, giving agents instant, round-the-clock booking capability and greater flexibility when securing client travel.
For the first time, agents can now confirm staterooms instantly by paying deposits via credit card directly through the portal even outside office hours. Provisional holds for up to seven days remain available, alongside support from the line’s River Cruise Consultants.
The cruise line has also expanded its regional flight offering, with a fixed £75pp supplement now applicable to all UK airports except the Channel Islands. Agents simply select their clients’ preferred airport, and AmaWaterways will source suitable flights based on the London/Manchester package fare.
Once deposits are paid, flight details are confirmed within 48 hours. Cruise-only bookings remain an option for full flexibility.
Deposits made by credit card do not lock clients into using the same payment method for the final balance.
ROL partners with Riviera on river cruise portfolio
ROL Cruise has announced a new partnership with Riviera Travel, strengthening its river cruise portfolio with an expanded range of itineraries across Europe and beyond.
The collaboration follows strong interest from ROL Cruise’s recent river survey and brings customers access to Riviera’s collection, known for spacious ships, curated itineraries and expert tour managers. The line’s popular routes span the Douro, Rhine, Rhône and Danube, combining luxury with cultural immersion.
A key highlight of the partnership is the addition of dedicated solo traveller offers including attractive no-single-supplement options, designed to meet growing demand among ROL’s guests.
ROL Cruise teams are now undertaking specialist product training to ensure the Riviera portfolio is delivered with the expertise customers expect.
