AmaWaterways Adds ‘Cooking with Mamie’ to Paris and Normandy Cruises

Royal Caribbean has officially opened Royal Beach Club Santorini, marking the company’s first private destination in Europe and extending a strategy it has already begun testing in the Caribbean. Rather than developing a private island from scratch, the cruise giant has introduced a curated beach club experience as a paid shore excursion in one of the Mediterranean’s most in-demand cruise ports. The new product is being sold as the Ultimate Santorini Day, a bundled excursion that combines beach access with visits to two of the island’s most famous towns, Oia and Fira.

The concept is different from the traditional private island model that cruise lines have used for years in the Caribbean. In Santorini, Royal Caribbean has taken over an existing beachfront site and turned it into a branded, all-inclusive day experience for its own passengers, as well as guests sailing on Celebrity Cruises and Silversea. Local Greek residents may also purchase access, depending on availability. The result is a more controlled environment within a public destination, one that allows the cruise line to shape the guest experience more directly in a port long associated with crowding and uneven satisfaction.

That context is important. Santorini remains one of the Mediterranean’s most recognizable cruise calls, but it has also struggled with congestion, logistics bottlenecks, and visitor crowding for years. Royal Caribbean’s move suggests the company sees beach clubs not only as premium upsell products, but also as a way to improve how passengers experience challenging ports. Instead of simply dropping thousands of guests into a crowded destination and hoping for the best, the line is trying to create a more managed, higher-value alternative.

The beach club itself is built around a stretch of Santorini’s volcanic black sand shoreline and is designed as a full-day beach-first experience. Guests receive transportation, reserved loungers with umbrellas, access to beach facilities, complimentary Wi-Fi, and food and drinks included in the pass price. The dining offer centers on Greek and Mediterranean flavors, with buffet-style meals and quicker bites such as gyros and salads. House wine, local draft beer, and nonalcoholic drinks are also part of the package, along with a DJ-led atmosphere that pushes the space toward a beach club rather than a simple shore excursion stop.

What makes the product more commercially interesting is that it blends exclusivity with destination touring. The Ultimate Santorini Day is not just about lounging on the beach. It also includes time in Oia, known for its blue domes and cliffside views, and in Fira, the island’s main town. That mix gives Royal Caribbean a more complete excursion product and may help justify the premium positioning.

This is Royal Caribbean’s second beach club overall, following the opening of Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau. More are planned, including future projects in Lelepa and Cozumel. With Santorini now open, the company is making it clear that beach clubs will be a major part of its private destination strategy, not just in the Caribbean but in Europe as well.

Celestyal is moving from crisis management to commercial recovery after both of its ships safely returned to the Mediterranean, clearing the way for the line to restart Athens departures at the start of May.

The return ends a 49-day operational stoppage tied to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a disruption that left the small Greek cruise line effectively stranded in the Gulf and forced it to cancel all of its March and April sailings. In a sector that has spent the past few years rebuilding from the pandemic, Celestyal’s shutdown stands out as the longest cruise interruption since that era.

The line’s two ships, Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey, had been operating in the Arabian Gulf when the war began on February 28. One was in Doha and the other in Dubai on a turnaround day, meaning guests were due both to disembark and embark. According to executives, some passengers were able to get on and off the ships on that first day, with disembarking guests placed in hotels before a much larger repatriation effort began.

Over the next 10 days, the company coordinated with dozens of embassies to help return passengers from 27 countries home, while also working to move as much crew as possible out of the region or position them to rejoin later.

That effort bought time, but not certainty. For weeks, Celestyal did not know when its ships would be able to leave the Gulf and head west through the Suez Canal. The brief window that opened on April 17 and 18 allowed both vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz and return to the Mediterranean, where they are now set to begin new sailings from Athens on May 1 and May 2.

A Summer Restart With Work Still to Do

The immediate operational crisis may be over, but Celestyal’s commercial challenge is only beginning. The company says business has more than doubled week over week since the ships escaped the Gulf, a sign that consumer confidence is returning now that there is more certainty. Still, executives have acknowledged that the disruption has left gaps in the summer program, especially in June, July, and August.

That means the line is now preparing promotional activity and price action to rebuild momentum, while also re-engaging the travel trade that had been helping drive strong growth before the war. Before the shutdown, Celestyal said its wave season had been especially strong, with advisor bookings rising sharply and May departures still relatively well booked even during the crisis. September through November are also reportedly looking stronger than peak summer, suggesting that the market has not rejected the brand, but that it may need help converting late-booking customers into summer guests.

For a small operator, that matters. Celestyal’s niche has been destination-led Mediterranean and Gulf cruising rather than large-scale, volume-heavy deployment. When disruption hits a company of that size, the commercial effect can be magnified quickly.

The Bigger Question Is Winter 2026-27

The more strategic issue now is what Celestyal does next in the Arabian Gulf. The region had become an important winter niche for the company and, by its own account, a successful one. But after the events of the past two months, the line is reviewing its Gulf itineraries for winter 2026-27, with a decision expected soon.

Executives have suggested that Celestyal cannot simply jump into a new region for one season and then shift again. As a smaller brand, it needs multiyear visibility to build awareness and confidence in a destination. That makes the next decision especially consequential. Returning to the Gulf would signal faith in the long-term market. Moving elsewhere would require a careful repositioning effort.

For now, the line’s message is that it is back, stable, and operating at full strength from May. But the real test will be whether it can fill ships this summer and define a winter strategy that turns a highly disruptive chapter into something sustainable.

Outrigger Hospitality Group is making one of its clearest long-term statements about Hawaii with a $100 million transformation of its flagship Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort. The project is being framed as the largest single-property renovation in the company’s history and as a major step in pushing the brand further into what it calls “barefoot luxury” – a positioning built around oceanfront design, local culture, and a more elevated resort experience without losing the relaxed identity that has long defined Outrigger.

That message matters because Hawaii’s visitor industry is still operating in a more uneven environment than it did before the pandemic. Demand remains strong in many segments, but the market has also been shaped by softer performance from some international source markets, higher travel costs, and broader uncertainty around consumer spending. In that setting, a $100 million reinvestment in a legacy Waikiki property is not just a renovation story. It is a signal that Outrigger sees Hawaii, and Waikiki in particular, as central to its brand future.

The resort sits on one of the most iconic stretches of Waikiki, directly tied to the early history of modern surf culture and to the legacy of Duke Kahanamoku. Outrigger is leaning heavily into that identity. The company says the transformation will reconnect the hotel more deeply to the ocean, surf heritage, and the cultural history of the land itself.

Design references will include the Apuakehau Stream, a historic freshwater waterway that once flowed through Waikiki to the sea. The project is also being developed in close collaboration with local artists, designers, and cultural practitioners, giving the renovation a more place-specific tone than a standard luxury refresh.

A Flagship Upgrade Without Closing the Doors

One of the most important details is that the resort will remain open and fully operational during the transformation. That allows Outrigger to continue generating business from one of its most valuable assets while gradually introducing the new product. Newly reimagined guestrooms are expected to debut in the third quarter of 2026, with the broader transformation of public areas and guest spaces to follow.

The scope goes beyond rooms. The arrival experience and public spaces will be redesigned, and the Voyager 47 Club Lounge will expand to three times its former size. That lounge, with its elevated views of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, is expected to become one of the clearest symbols of the resort’s repositioning. At the same time, Outrigger is keeping some of the property’s most important anchors intact. Duke’s Waikiki, Hula Grill, and Blue Note Hawaii will all remain open, preserving the familiar energy that has made the resort a long-time favorite for both visitors and local residents.

A Bigger Strategy Behind One Hotel

The Waikiki investment also sits inside a much broader Outrigger capital strategy. The company has outlined a $450 million global investment plan through 2026, covering property upgrades in Hawaii and across its wider beachfront portfolio in places such as Thailand, Fiji, Mauritius, and the Maldives. That makes the Waikiki overhaul part of a wider brand modernization effort, but also confirms that Hawaii remains the emotional and commercial center of the group.

For Outrigger, this is not about turning a historic resort into something unrecognizable. It is about updating a legacy property so it feels more relevant to today’s traveler while doubling down on the cultural and geographic identity that made it valuable in the first place. In a resort market where many brands still chase generic luxury cues, Outrigger is betting that a more rooted version of premium hospitality will travel further.

Air France has officially launched a new nonstop seasonal service between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Las Vegas, giving one of America’s biggest tourism and convention markets a direct link to one of Europe’s most important aviation hubs. The route began on April 15 and will operate three times a week through October 24, 2026, using the Airbus A350-900.

The schedule is clear and business-friendly.

Flight schedule (local time):

• AF0056: departs Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 1:40 p.m., arrives in Las Vegas at 3:35 p.m.
• AF0057: departs Las Vegas at 5:50 p.m., arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 1:05 p.m. the following day.

That timing gives travelers from France and the wider European market a convenient same-day arrival into Las Vegas, while the return service offers an evening departure from Nevada and a next-day arrival into Paris for onward connections. For Air France, that matters because Las Vegas is not being added as a niche experiment. It becomes the airline’s 19th destination in the United States and 26th in North America, placing the city more firmly inside the carrier’s transatlantic network.

This is also the first time Air France has operated regularly scheduled service to Las Vegas. Until now, the airline’s relationship with the destination had been shaped mainly by charter flights tied to CES, the annual technology trade show that brings a major international crowd to Nevada every January. Airport officials in Las Vegas described the new route as the natural evolution of that partnership, showing that a convention-driven connection can grow into a broader seasonal market.

For Las Vegas, the significance goes beyond one airline announcement. The city has worked hard to present itself not only as a gaming capital but also as a global destination for sports, entertainment, conventions, and gateway tourism into the American West. A nonstop Paris service supports all of those ambitions. It gives European travelers easier access to the city and makes Las Vegas a more competitive option for international meetings, incentive travel, and premium leisure trips.

The route also fits into a broader Air France-KLM strategy in Nevada. Las Vegas is already served year-round by KLM from Amsterdam, so the addition of Paris gives the group two strong European gateways into the market. That improves flexibility for travelers and strengthens the city’s position with visitors arriving from France, Benelux, and other parts of Europe through connecting traffic.

Air France is also using the route to showcase its latest onboard product on the A350-900, pairing the launch with a message around comfort, innovation, and French hospitality. That positioning makes sense in a market like Las Vegas, where tourism is heavily built around experience and presentation.

For now, the service is seasonal. But if demand holds through the summer and into the fall, this Paris-Las Vegas route could become one of the more closely watched transatlantic additions in the U.S. leisure and events market this year.

Frankfurt Airport has officially opened Terminal 3, marking one of the biggest infrastructure upgrades at a European hub in recent years. The new terminal arrives as Frankfurt looks to strengthen its role as one of the continent’s most important international gateways, adding capacity for up to 19 million passengers a year in its first phase.

For an airport that handled more than 57.5 million passengers last year, the launch is not only about creating more space. It is about redesigning how airlines, transfers, retail, and passenger services work inside a more modern airport environment.

The transition will happen in stages. Airlines currently operating from Terminal 2 are set to move to Terminal 3 over the coming months, with 57 carriers expected to shift in phases through early June. Among the first airlines moving are Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, and Qatar Airways.

Lufthansa Group and its Star Alliance partners, including Air Canada and United, will remain in Terminal 1. Condor is scheduled to move later, in summer 2027. That means Terminal 3 will quickly become a major base for non-Lufthansa international flying, especially on routes tied to Asia and the Gulf.

A New Passenger Flow for Frankfurt

Terminal 3 has been designed as far more than an overflow building. Its seven-level main terminal and the first two piers, H and J, are meant to create a more complete airport district, one that feels more like a self-contained urban space than a standard terminal corridor. The architecture and passenger layout are intended to support the idea that airports now function not only as transit points but as destinations in their own right.

Connectivity is central to that vision. The new Sky Line people mover links Terminal 3 with the rest of the airport system, allowing passengers to travel between terminals in just a few minutes. For Frankfurt, this is critical because transfer traffic remains one of the airport’s biggest strengths. Terminal 3 is also built with direct road access, substantial parking capacity, and public transport links that support both local and connecting demand.

The early operating schedule is modest, with only a limited number of arrivals and departures on the first day, but the significance lies in what comes next. As more airlines relocate from Terminal 2, the passenger experience at Frankfurt will become more spread out but potentially more efficient, especially for long-haul international travelers.

Technology, Retail, and the Premium Push

Fraport is also using Terminal 3 to modernize the airport experience. The terminal includes automated luggage drop systems and security lanes equipped with CT scanners, intended to speed up screening and reduce passenger friction. One major traveler-facing improvement is that electronics such as laptops can remain inside hand luggage during checks, and larger liquid allowances are expected to make the process smoother than in older terminals.

Commercially, Terminal 3 is designed to raise the airport’s premium profile as well. The building includes dozens of shops, restaurants, and service outlets, covering everything from quick food options to higher-end dining and fashion retail. SkyTeam has also opened a major new lounge in the non-Schengen area, complete with showers, workstations, relaxation zones, and upgraded food service, signaling that Terminal 3 is being positioned as a premium international facility rather than a secondary building.

For Frankfurt Airport, Terminal 3 is ultimately a long-term bet on growth. It expands capacity now, with room to eventually rise to 25 million annual passengers in a future phase, and gives the hub a stronger platform to compete for global airlines and high-value travelers. In a European market where airports are increasingly judged on efficiency, retail quality, and transfer experience, Terminal 3 is meant to show that Frankfurt is planning for a much bigger future.