awarded the “Innovative Shorex of the Year” award. The ride has been described as thrilling, with guests dropping 1,050 feet in elevation from the top of Sentry Hill over a 2,800foot span, guaranteeing the ride of a lifetime. “HANGING WITH THE LOCALS” A HIT IN ST. CROIX FCCA President Michele Paige and other cruise executives from the FCCA Operations Committee joined members of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism in experiencing the wonders of St. Croix in October. Among the highlights of the group’s visit was “Hanging with the Locals,” a tour that showcases some of the island’s most authentic and memorable Crucian art, crafts, food and delicacies, and other experiences. Throughout the Territory, tour operators, vendors and industry stakeholders are investing in enhancing the USVI experience for cruise ship passengers.

CHUKKA CARIBBEAN ADDS NEW ADVENTURES FOR MONTEGO BAY New and exciting adventures now available to Montego Bay cruise passengers! Chukka Caribbean Adventures, the leading tour operator in the Caribbean, just added two new tours: Catamaran Sail & Snorkel and Power Snorkel Adventure. By continuously expanding, Chukka promises their guests a reason to return. FORE! DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SINKS FOURTH TITLE AS GOLF DESTINATION OF THE YEAR FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN Dominican Republic has been voted the “2019 Golf Destination of the Year for Latin America and the Caribbean” by tour operator members of the Global Golf Tourism Organization IAGTO. This is the fourth time the country has been recognized as the go-to destination for golf travel by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators). “Golf is an integral part of our tourism, and we are elated that our golf offerings continue to be recognized in interna-

tional markets,” said Magaly Toribio, Marketing Advisor for the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism.

DELIVERING SERVICE EXCELLENCE THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN Aquila’s Center for Cruise Excellence has been in the Caribbean extensively over the last few months delivering the FCCA Customer Service Training to frontlines in Barbados, Belize, Blue Lagoon (Nassau), Grenada, Guadeloupe, and three ports in Jamaica, where Aquila also presented a customized training program to vendors of the craft markets in three ports. To learn more, reach out to Claudine@ CruiseExcellence.com. A NEW IMPETUS OF EXCELLENCE FOR GUADELOUPE’S CRUISE TOURISM Following the results of a survey carried out among passengers and crew members last year, Guadeloupe commissioned the FCCA Customer Service and Frontline Training, with Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence President Beth Kelly Hatt conducting the training on Oct. 26. The hands-on, on-site program focused on improving guests’ first impressions by equipping the ‘frontline’ of cruise tourism, including taxi drivers, VTC, Tour guides and bus drivers, with the tools to deliver warm welcomes and unforgettable memories and stories.

EXCELLENCE IN BARBADOS, TRAINING FOR 120 FRONTLINE PERSONNEL TO HELP INCREASE GUEST SATISFACTION Excellence is now synonymous with 120 new “destination ambassadors” in Barbados thanks to Aquila’s FCCA Customer Service and Front Line Training. Taking place in

Barbados in September, the training session educated many interacting with guests— from greeters to transportation providers— how to streamline the experience and deliver the service excellence expected by cruise passengers, which not only helps make the best possible impression for guests, but also encourages more spending and better ratings, reviews and likelihood of return visits for destinations. AVIOMAR TOUR GUIDES COMPLETE TRAINING Aviomar Adventours is pleased to announce that 27 of its tour guides have completed the Aquila´s Tour Guide Excellence Training program. This is an important milestone that represents not only that those individuals met the challenge of accreditation, but also that Aviomar remains intended to consistently uphold the principles of quality improvement and customer satisfaction. AMERIMED CONTINUES TO RAISE BAR FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN THE CARIBBEAN Amerimed Hospitals continues to raise bar for healthcare providers in the Caribbean. The newest addition to our hospital in Playa del Carmen is a new Scenaria 128slice ST scanner by Hitachi. As always, our patients and partners in the industry can rely on Amerimed for consistent outcomes and outstanding care. MICHELLE FREIDMAN NAMED NEW MINISTER OF TOURISM FOR THE STATE OF YUCATAN As of Oct. 1, Michelle Freidman is the new Minister of Tourism for the State of Yucatan. Miss Freidman is committed to the continual growth of cruise tourism in the State of Yucatan, as well as the development of the Port of Progreso as a cruise destination. FOURTH QUARTER 2018 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 77