Don Walker, co-president of iCruise.com; Camille Olivere, senior vice president of sales at Norwegian Cruise Line; John Diulus, vice president of sales at NCL; and Uf Tukel, co-president of iCruise.com celebrate the donation to All Hands Volunteers.
iCruise.com (also known as WMPH Vacations), a leading online retailer for cruises and travel services, announced it raised $10,000 for All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response, an organization dedicated to rebuilding communities impacted by natural disasters. iCruise.com donated a portion of every Caribbean Cruise booked from October through December. In partnership with iCruise, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ltd committed to match every donation up to $1.25 million.
"Driving tourism to the Caribbean Islands – especially those that were untouched by the Hurricanes – is one of the best ways to help support and fuel the impacted islands' economies," said Uf Tukel, Co-Founder and Co-President of WMPH Vacations. "With 70% of the Caribbean Islands untouched, or minimally affected by hurricanes, there is still plenty of the Caribbean for visitors to experience the islands and support the local economy. We are proud that we were able to drive tourism to the Caribbean while also donating funds to a great cause."
"The Caribbean is a special destination for our clients and our company," said Don Walker, Co-President of iCruise.com. "We send over 25,000 clients to the Caribbean each year on a variety of different itineraries. Our hearts went out to the people in these destinations after the hurricanes hit and we wanted to do whatever we could to help. We thank our employees for taking the time to research, market and recommend the Caribbean to their customers, and our clients who gave the Caribbean what they really needed – their business."
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, partnered with All Hands and Hearts and set a goal in September to raise $2.5 million for the Hope Starts Here hurricane relief program. Under Hope Starts Here, the company committed to match up to $1.25 million dollars from its valued guests, team members, suppliers and partners – like iCruise.com - in order to substantially help All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response, a 501(c)3 non-profit relief organization to deliver early relief response for the Florida Keys, and rebuild safe, resilient schools in the Caribbean islands impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The company announced this week that they have in fact surpassed their goal, with $1,251,313.40 raised to date by the brand's employees and industry partners.
"We are incredibly touched and thankful for the generosity of our friends and partners at iCruise.com that have helped us reach our goal of raising $2.5 million to support hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean," said Camille Olivere, senior vice-president of sale for Norwegian Cruise Line. "Together, we are very proud and honored to help enrich the lives of our youth by enhancing and rebuilding schools in communities affected by last year's hurricanes."
About All Hands and Hearts– Smart Response
All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response effectively and efficiently addresses the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. By listening to local people, and deploying our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, we rebuild safe, resilient schools, homes and other community infrastructure.
About WMPH Vacations
WMPH (We Make People Happy) Vacations is an award-winning travel agency specializing in cruises and resort vacations. Based in Delray Beach, Florida, WMPH Vacations has delivered the best value on cruises and vacation packages to more than 600,000 clients since opening in 2004. The company is a top producer for all major cruise lines, including Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, MSC Cruises, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, and Royal Caribbean. WMPH Vacations also operates under a number of owned and partner brands including iCruise, CruiseCheap, and more. Today, WMPH Vacations is a member of the Cruise Lines International (CLIA) and the Cruise Industry Hall of Fame.
