TC hears that Royal Caribbean International is already thinking of ordering a fifth Freedom-class ship; it only recently placed an order for its fourth from Finland's Aker shipyard. The 160,000-ton Freedom-class ships have been so successful for the line and are thought to be so popular overseas, with anticipated success in Europe this summer, that the line is apparently talking about taking the mega-megaships to its growing markets in Asia and Australasia.
Owners of a former European cruise line might be getting back in the game. TC hears that the former owners of a Greek cruise line that closed its books in the 1990s after being bought by a large cruise company might resurface in the Mediterranean as a luxury, small-ship cruise brand.
MacNair Travel Management last week moved its headquarters from one Old Town site to another in Alexandria, Va. That alone wouldn't raise TC's eyebrow, except that the building address struck a chord: 1101 King St. Turns out MacNair will be sharing a building with ASTA's headquarters. TC thought briefly that ASTA might be the agency's landlord, but it turns out they're merely neighbors, with separate entrances.
Vail, Colo., plans to recruit some of its workers from Puerto Rico for the next winter ski season. Visas for returning international workers recently expired, and officials fear that the affluent resort town may not get all the visas it needs for bus drivers and parking lot attendants next winter. Workers from Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, would not need visas or passports, but they'd certainly need boots and mittens.