Cruise Industry News's update on American Cruise Lines

While river cruising is well established outside the United States, it continues to grow in this country. One of the leaders in the space American Cruise Lines just launched their newest boat. Cruise Industry News updated the progress of paddlewheller America. The finishing touches are almost ready and the boat will be the third active ship for the line.

Celebrity makes history with American female captain

The Captain can often be a relatively anonymous to your typical cruise passenger. You hear the voice once or twice over the address system. Maybe you attend the Captain's cocktail party. But overall, they often seem cut from the same mold and rarely standout (in a good or bad way). Remembering Kate McCue won't be a problem for future passengers on the Celebrity Summit. Starting in August, McCue will take over as captain of the ship, becoming the first American female Captin on a major cruise vessel.

Only 37, McCue quickly rose through the ranks at Celebrity's sister company Royal Caribbean. Her success is also validation of Celebrity's focus on to advancing the role of women in leadership. (The company already has a female CEO.) Good luck to Captain McCue and to all those who sail with her this summer.

AIDA embraces onboard social media

As other cruise lines expand their wi-fi and internet access, AIDA announced something different. Their passengers can soon buy packages with access to various social media platforms for a flat rate. This seems like a smart move which will make for a better cruise experience and better marketing for AIDA.

Customers say they want more access to the internet onboard but much of that want is just social media. They want to keep in touch with friends and family and also want to share their adventures at sea. By enabling the social media sites and presumably blocking other sites, AIDA can save on bandwidth and keep customers happy. The posts, likes, pics and tweets will also help AIDA. Each message sent makes cruising top of mind and also makes it more accessible. 

Due to AIDA's ties with Carnival, this is probably a test for other cruise lines. Let's hope it goes well so we can all start sharing everything we did on our next cruise.

20 years of AIDA

Cruise Industry News noted an important anniversary for AIDA Cruises: 20 years! Due to their German focus, many North Americans might not be as familiar with AIDA, but their mid-size ships with a youthful focus, bring a unique mix to the Carnival family.

The anniversary celebration includes a 10 ship, 20,000 passenger toast and a new ship generation coming later this year. Congrats to AIDA and more continued success ahead.

Cruise Industry News's Photos: Prinsendam

Cruiseindustrynews.com provides great coverage of industry topics and the business of cruises. But they also have stuff that appeals to those dreaming of their next trip. Are you a Holland America fan? Cruise Industry News has some exclusive photos of the Prinsendam. You can see the former Royal Viking Sun in docked in Portugal. For more pics, go to cruiseindustrynews.com.