Teri West, Travel Weekly Journalist Profile

Articles

All paws on deck! Meet Royal Caribbean's 'chief dog officers'

1 week ago | travelweekly.com | Teri West

Sailor, a 3-month-old golden retriever, will be the ship's resident puppy and the cruise line's second "chief dog officer."The concept debuted with chief dog officer Rover on the Icon of the Seas, the first ship in the Icon class, as a way to bring a different element of joy and fun onboard for guests and crew members, said Kara Wallace, Royal Caribbean International's chief marketing officer.
Celebrity will spend $250 million to upgrade its Solstice-class ships

1 week ago | travelweekly.com | Teri West

Celebrity Solstice will be the first of the five ships transformed, and the work will be completed by March, the line said. The ships will get a new Boulevard Lounge that will host activities like trivia, candlelit concerts and dueling pianos. It will be next to a new Boulevard Bar. The line will also introduce a new sports bar, Celebrity Barcade. The two new restaurants will be Trattoria Rossa and Fine Cut Steakhouse, the latter of which can be found on the line's Edge-class ships.
Sales executive departs MSC Cruises for Virgin Voyages

1 week ago | travelweekly.com | Teri West

Koreen McNutt is the new vice president of agency and business development, and Kristy Woolums is now senior director of national strategic accounts for North America. McNutt joins Virgin Voyages from MSC Cruises, where she was commercial sales officer and senior vice president of sales and trade engagement. She previously worked at Expedia Group. Additionally, the vice president of growth and international sales and marketing, Stephen Hopkins, will now also handle sales acceleration.
Norway considers cruise tax

1 week ago | travelweekly.com | Teri West

Though the legislation previously targeted hotels, campsites and short-term rentals, the country's ruling Labour Party now intends to include cruises and campervans in the tax, the English-language outlet reported. The Labour Party has not yet determined a desired tax rate, and the Centre Party is not on board with the change, according to the report. The tax would not apply nationwide but would rather be one that municipalities could opt into.
CLIA sues Alaska cruise port Skagway over new tour tax

1 week ago | travelweekly.com | Teri West

Skagway now taxes the full price that cruise lines charge their passengers for shore excursions (including the cruise line's commission), when before it taxed the excursion's base price only. Skagway's assembly passed the tax ordinance in December, and CLIA sued on behalf of cruise lines on May 8.
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection reveals more details about the Luminara

1 week ago | travelweekly.com | Teri West

The 452-guest Luminara will display 731 pieces from artists including Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder and David Hockney. Ritz-Carlton said it commissioned about 65% of the art just for the Luminara. Ritz-Carlton said a suspended light sculpture will be the ship's standout piece, spanning seven stories and illuminating the aft staircase atrium. The art will complement marble and walnut interiors. Expect a pallet of soft blues, warm greys and ocean hues with bronze and ruby accents.
The Grand Lucayan overhaul is a $827 million bet on cruise tourism

1 week ago | travelweekly.com | Teri West

Concord Wilshire Capital signed a $120 million deal with the Bahamian government on May 15 to purchase the Freeport property. A massive redevelopment plan includes a waterpark and beach area hosting live music for passengers on all cruise lines. The project will also include a hotel, casino and golf course.
CLIA's State of the Industry: There's growth on those seas

1 week ago | travelweekly.com | Teri West

The association published its annual State of the Industry report May 22, a document full of statistics that show just why it has been touting such an optimistic message about cruise popularity around conferences this year. Pretty much every major statistical category in the report shows growth in interest in cruising. The global passenger volume increased by 9.3% between 2023 and 2024, to about 35 million people.
MSC Cruises introduces fixed-price specialty dining and restaurant packages

2 weeks ago | travelweekly.com | Teri West

Guests will pay an additional charge for special menu items like Ozaki beef. Two restaurants will still have a la carte ordering available: Kaito Sushi and Hola! Taco and Cantina. Specialty dining packagesIn another new development, guests can purchase specialty dining packages with up to four restaurants for select cruises departing Miami, Port Canaveral and New York this summer. The option will be available for remaining eligible ships by next April, MSC said.
Will the younger generation pay extra for cruising sustainably?: Travel Weekly

2 weeks ago | travelweekly.com | Teri West

Cruise executives and advisors who specialize in these products told me that while customers may care about sustainability, the destination itself and the price are still their primary concerns. If one line was to charge an extra fee for sustainable efforts, it could lose customers to a competitor, they said. But that story may change in the decades to come, as younger generations mature, grow their wealth and start talking with their money.