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| Aquila Founder Beth Hatt (left) and Vice President Melanie Colpitts (right) with Cruiseport Destinations’ Gigi Sao, Chief Operating Officer, and Jeannette Piñeiro, Chief Executive Officer, at Seatrade last year |
| The Shore Experience Can’t Be an Afterthought Anymore |
| Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence brings training and industry insight to Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 MIAMI (April 2, 2026) — Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence will partner with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) at Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 in Miami (April 12-16), delivering a week of programming, practical training and industry dialogue. Aquila will be present at the FCCA booth throughout the conference, engaging destination leaders, port authorities and cruise industry stakeholders on strategies that drive stronger guest experiences ashore. Tuesday, April 14: Whalesong Destination Award PresentationOn Tuesday, Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence will present its annual Whalesong Destination Award, recognizing excellence in cruise destination performance and long-term investment in people. Presented each year by Aquila, the award honors organizations that demonstrate a sustained commitment to strengthening the visitor experience through training, collaboration and community engagement. Previous recipients include ProColombia and Puerto Rico, recognized for their leadership in building resilient, people-centered cruise destinations. Wednesday, April 15: Hidden Performance Gaps PanelAquila Vice President Melanie Colpitts will moderate a featured panel addressing one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: gaps in destination performance that can undermine the overall cruise experience. As cruise lines continue to innovate onboard, guest expectations for shore experiences continue to rise. Elements such as port welcome, guest flow, service consistency, authenticity and value perception play a critical role in shaping satisfaction, revenue and long-term loyalty. However, variability in service standards, fragmented coordination and reactive collaboration can quietly erode results. Panelists include:Marie McKenzie, Senior Vice President, Government & Destination Affairs, Carnival CorporationAlexander Gumbs, Chief Executive Officer, Port St. Maarten GroupLeyla Öner, CEO and Co-President, Tura TurizmMatthew Weintraub, Director, Port Operations, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. As expectations continue to rise, destinations that shift from reactive problem-solving to strategic performance management will be best positioned to support the next phase of cruise growth. Thursday, April 16: FCCA Booth Training SessionsAquila will host two 15-minute training sessions at the FCCA booth #975, offering practical insights for destinations and experience operators: 10:30 a.m. — Build It Right: Designing Experiences That Drive DemandAn overview of best practices for creating authentic, market-aligned shore experiences that resonate with today’s travelers. 11:30 a.m. — Turning Meetings Into RevenueStrategies for effective follow-up that build relationships and convert conversations into confirmed business. Both sessions are free and open to Seatrade Cruise Global attendees. Aquila representatives will be available throughout the week to meet with industry partners and discuss destination performance strategies. For more information on Aquila, visit cruiseexcellence.com. |
| About Aquila Center for Cruise ExcellenceAquila is the leading destination training provider for the global cruise industry. They offer training strategies for international destinations, tour companies, tour guides, and front-line operators. With over 35 years’ experience in the cruise industry, Aquila is committed to cruise destination success through values-driven partnership with cruise lines and destinations. |
| Aquila Founder Beth Hatt (left) and Vice President Melanie Colpitts (right) with Cruiseport Destinations’ Gigi Sao, Chief Operating Officer, and Jeannette Piñeiro, Chief Executive Officer, at Seatrade last year |
| The Shore Experience Can’t Be an Afterthought Anymore |
| Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence brings training and industry insight to Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 MIAMI (April 2, 2026) — Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence will partner with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) at Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 in Miami (April 12-16), delivering a week of programming, practical training and industry dialogue. Aquila will be present at the FCCA booth throughout the conference, engaging destination leaders, port authorities and cruise industry stakeholders on strategies that drive stronger guest experiences ashore. Tuesday, April 14: Whalesong Destination Award PresentationOn Tuesday, Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence will present its annual Whalesong Destination Award, recognizing excellence in cruise destination performance and long-term investment in people. Presented each year by Aquila, the award honors organizations that demonstrate a sustained commitment to strengthening the visitor experience through training, collaboration and community engagement. Previous recipients include ProColombia and Puerto Rico, recognized for their leadership in building resilient, people-centered cruise destinations. Wednesday, April 15: Hidden Performance Gaps PanelAquila Vice President Melanie Colpitts will moderate a featured panel addressing one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: gaps in destination performance that can undermine the overall cruise experience. As cruise lines continue to innovate onboard, guest expectations for shore experiences continue to rise. Elements such as port welcome, guest flow, service consistency, authenticity and value perception play a critical role in shaping satisfaction, revenue and long-term loyalty. However, variability in service standards, fragmented coordination and reactive collaboration can quietly erode results. Panelists include:Marie McKenzie, Senior Vice President, Government & Destination Affairs, Carnival CorporationAlexander Gumbs, Chief Executive Officer, Port St. Maarten GroupLeyla Öner, CEO and Co-President, Tura TurizmMatthew Weintraub, Director, Port Operations, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. As expectations continue to rise, destinations that shift from reactive problem-solving to strategic performance management will be best positioned to support the next phase of cruise growth. Thursday, April 16: FCCA Booth Training SessionsAquila will host two 15-minute training sessions at the FCCA booth #975, offering practical insights for destinations and experience operators: 10:30 a.m. — Build It Right: Designing Experiences That Drive DemandAn overview of best practices for creating authentic, market-aligned shore experiences that resonate with today’s travelers. 11:30 a.m. — Turning Meetings Into RevenueStrategies for effective follow-up that build relationships and convert conversations into confirmed business. Both sessions are free and open to Seatrade Cruise Global attendees. Aquila representatives will be available throughout the week to meet with industry partners and discuss destination performance strategies. For more information on Aquila, visit cruiseexcellence.com. |
| About Aquila Center for Cruise ExcellenceAquila is the leading destination training provider for the global cruise industry. They offer training strategies for international destinations, tour companies, tour guides, and front-line operators. With over 35 years’ experience in the cruise industry, Aquila is committed to cruise destination success through values-driven partnership with cruise lines and destinations. |
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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
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