Montreal, August 10, 2018 — Transat, Canada's leader in holiday travel, lets vacationers sail on their favourite shade of blue on the world’s most majestic seas and rivers with its 2018-2019 cruise package program. The tour operator has made many additions to its all‑in‑one program, including roundtrip flights with Air Transat, transfers and the cruise. This year’s additions include more than 10 new ships, cruise line Princess Cruises and Cartagena as a port of embarkation. Moreover, there will once again be cruises sailing out of San Juan (Porto Rico), and new river cruises will be available as excursions.
“With the growing popularity of our all-in-one cruise package program, we’re always seeking new partners and specific itineraries to fine‑tune our program and please all of our customers, from families with young children to millennials looking for an adventure at sea,” explains Annick Guérard, Chief Operating Officer at Transat. “Booking a cruise package with Transat means benefitting from Flight Protection and the inflight experience of Air Transat, named World’s Best Leisure Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards.”
Exciting itineraries, with many additions
From Tampa to Guadeloupe to San Juan, vacationers can enjoy the splendour of the Caribbean thanks to 46 itineraries on 16 different ships, from seven ports of embarkation. With cruise line Pullmantur Cruises, Transat is adding an all-new itinerary sailing out of Cartagena, which will showcase the wonders of Costa Rica and Panama. Good to know: Fans of all-inclusive packages will now be able to add alcoholic and non‑alcoholic beverages to Transat cruise packages offered by Costa in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, as with Pullmantur Cruises.
People can sail the Mediterranean Sea and its many shades of blue to destinations such as Barcelona and Marseille, not to mention Rome and Venice, thanks to Transat’s 16 itineraries and choice of 13 ships. It’s a simple, pleasant way to discover several major European cities in one trip. And when it comes to navigating through Europe, river cruises are hard to beat. Transat’s 11 itineraries, offered with CroisiEurope, are an excellent way to get a feel for a destination and explore typical villages, given the ships’ more intimate vibe and stops in the heart of the cities and villages visited.
Furthermore, Transat will now offer new European river cruises that are ideal for making a cross-Atlantic trip even better, much like an excursion. In Andalusia (Spain) and Venice (Italy), for example, travellers can extend any travel itinerary with a cruise lasting from a few days to more than a week. These cruise packages are an ideal complement to an Air Transat flight, a vacation package or a tour.
Useful tips in the brochure and on the website
For the latest Cruise brochure, Transat’s experts have carefully selected ships and itineraries that will delight both seasoned cruisers and first-timers. Each cruise line is presented according to its specific features, and every ship’s personality is looked at in detail. This makes it easy for travellers to choose THE package that best fits their definition of what a vacation should be. A casual dress code? Lots of activities for the whole family? A foodie’s delight? A relaxing ambiance? Everyone will find their dream cruise in Transat’s program. Whether a vacationer wants to try the freedom of open waters with Norwegian Cruise Line, pure fun with Carnival or a Mediterranean experience with MSC Cruises, Transat has just the right cruise voyage.
To help people properly plan their holiday at sea, Transat presents a list of things to consider or not forget, making it easier to prepare and set off with peace of mind. People travelling with their families will be happy to find detailed explanations on what features various ships have for toddlers, kids and teens, which will allow mom and dad to make an informed decision.
Transat advantages
With Flight Protection, travellers are sure to get to their port in case of a flight or ship delay. In addition, with Transat, travellers can make the fun last by adding a hotel stay to their adventure at sea. Under certain conditions, they can move up their departure date up to 14 days before their cruise or postpone their return up to 14 days after their journey at sea, at no extra cost. As the brochure clearly indicates, the selection of hotels that can be paired with the various itineraries offers greater choice. Finally, passengers who book a Caribbean or European cruise package benefit from an additional baggage allowance—an extra 5 kg for a total of 28 kg.
About Transat
Transat A.T. Inc. is a leading integrated international tourism company specializing in holiday travel. It offers vacation packages, hotel stays and air travel under the Transat and Air Transat brands to some 60 destinations in 26 countries in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. Based in Montreal, the company has 5,000 employees. Transat is firmly committed to sustainable tourism development, as reflected in its multiple corporate responsibility initiatives over the past 10 years, and was awarded Travelife Partner status in 2016 (TSX: TRZ).
Recent distinctions and awards (2017-2018)
- Named World’s Best Leisure Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards
- Ranked by Atmosfair among the world’s Top 20 airlines for energy efficiency
- Voted Best Leisure/Charter Airline and Best Tour Operator at the Agents’ Choice Awards presented by Baxter Travel Media
- Voted Best Airline and Best Tour Operator at the Trophées Uni-Vers awards organized by the Association des Agents de Voyages du Québec
- Ranked among Canada’s Best Employers and second-best airline on Forbes magazine’s 2017 list
- Named one of the Best Corporate Citizens in Canada by Corporate Knights
Contact: Marie-Annick Lalande, Public Relations and Marketing Advisor - Transat Tours Canada - 514-987-1616, ext. 4076