Travel Agent - June 9, 2008 - (Page 63)

COVER STORY seller. That he can listen to people in multiple languages doesn' t hurt. He is an observer who enjoys overhearing conversations, particularly ones that involve someone persuading another to try something new. Like an American trying an Italian-style cruise? ª We are trying to explain prosciutto vs. ham,º Zarmati likes to say. New supply is one subject needing no explanation. Costa has a nice mix of new hardware coming online. With a current fleet of 12 ships, the line is set to add five new vessels by 2012, two of which (Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica) will enter service next year. Interestingly, unlike other lines, Costa' s ships are not set to a particular size. While Costa Luminosa, debuting in spring 2009, will clock in at 92,700 tons, Costa Pacifica will be larger at 112,000 tons. Variation is a hallmark of Costa, credited with beginning the novel concept of spa cabins in 2006 on Costa Concordia. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery: Sister line Carnival Cruise Lines will debut its own take on spa cabins on its new ship, Carnival Splendor, which enters service next month. Cruising has always been one of Zarmati' s biggest passions, trumped only by his daughter Sabrina, a 24-year-old e-marketing major at Stetson University in DeLand, FL, and son, Josh, who is a bona fide exotic animal handler at Jungle Island in Miami. Zarmati' s also an avid wine collector, though nowhere near the same level as former president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines Bob Dickinson, whose private collection is rivaled by few. Zarmati' s legacy will be that of a progenitor of modern cruising (he' s already writing his memoirs), and his office could be a wing of a cruise museum, weaving the story of Carnival through pictures that are often coupled with Zarmati' s commentary. Like this gem: Meshulam Riklis, an original Carnival bankroller, sold his share of the company to Ted Arison for $1. Riklis was also the owner of the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, which he originally bought so his wife, actress Pia Zadora, could have a stage on which to sing. Owning a hotel/casino and a cruise ship, the Mardi Gras, which had unregulated gambling on board, was seen as a no-no by the Nevada Gaming Commission. ª Sell the hotel,º Zarmati says, ª lose the wife.º Zarmati' s boyhood declaration of never seeing Genoa again didn' t pan out. Obviously, neither did his announcement that he' d never step foot on a ship again. ª I believe I was destined to work at Costa,º he says. ª Three years ago I was back in the port of Genoa, on the bridge of a ship looking out. I got a tear in my eye. When I left Europe in 1959, I looked at the same horizon and said, ` I' ll never see this again.' Yet here I was, again.º Proving Thomas Wolfe wrong, Zarmati can go home again. He has to; it' s his job. I CONNECTING YOU For more information on the latest news in the cruising industry, visit www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises Interested? Request #016. http://www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises http://vacationexpress.net http://vacationexpress.net

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - June 9, 2008

Travel Agent - June 9, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor From the Publisher Pacific/Asia: Hong Kong’s Kowloon District Honors Chinese Traditions while Brandishing Cutting-Edge Style Hawaii: Nature Lovers with an Urge to Get Out and Move Flock to Kauai - Hawaii's Garden Isle Pacific Northwest: Washington State has Become the Hot New Destination for Wine Lovers New Zealand: Two New Hotels Make Queenstown Even More Enticing Las Vegas: The Coolest Places to Beat the Heat are the Exclusive Pools at Las Vegas Hotels Central & South America: A Restored Railway Line Offers a New Way to Enjoy Quito Caribbean & Bahamas: Nikki Beach Hotels' Aggressive Expansion Continues Europe: Reporting Back from the German Travel Mart in Munich Cruises: Princess Cruises Introduces a Group Amenity Feature Cover Story: Costa Cruises Delta/Northwest: The Airline Merger that Could Change the Industry Hotels: Historic Hotels are Going Green Spas: Indulging Guests, with an Environmental Focus Agent Profile: Montrose Travel Shares its Secrets Passport Online: The New Website Supports Agents, Supplies and Consortia Agenda: From Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar China Continues to Welcome Visitors Alternative Fuel for Cruise Ships News from the Caribbean ARC Launches Accreditation Program In the Spotlight Agent Access Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - June 9, 2008

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