THE A League football season kicks off tonight, and so does Travel Daily’s tipping contest.

There’s still time to be involved and have a chance to win great prizes including a trip to the UK to see Manchester City play, thanks to Etihad Airways, Excite Holidays and Keith Prowse Travel.

Get those tips in by 7.40pm AEDT before Adelaide United face Sydney FC in Adelaide

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Source: traveldaily

THE Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released the final report into the in-flight engine shutdown of a Qantas Airbus A380 near Los Angeles last year.

The incident, on a Melbourne-bound flight on 20 May 2017, involved a loud bang & vibration about two hours after take-off, but it returned safely to LAX.

An engine inspection found corrosion of turbine blades due to chemical residue – atsb.gov.au.

Source: traveldaily

SINGAPORE’S iconic Raffles Hotel has started accepting reservations for stays from 01 Aug 2019, with rates from SG$869 per night and an expanded offering of 115 suites once the property’s current restoration is complete.

Source: traveldaily

SEALINK Travel Group has announced the purchase of superyacht Auspro which will join the Captain Cook Cruises fleet on Sydney Harbour next month.

CEO Jeff Ellison said the expansion of Sealink’s Sydney offering was part of a focus on “attracting elite clientele locally and internationally”.

“We have listened to our key trade partners, and they have asked us to deliver a boutique, intimate experience for their five-star guests,” he said.

Auspro is a 30m motor yacht with range suitable for extended overnight trips, and can accommodate up to eight passengers in ensuite staterooms, plus crew accommodation – see superyacht.captaincook.com.au.

Source: traveldaily

UNIWORLD Boutique River Cruise Collection has overnight announced the addition of four new ships by 2021.

The fleet refresh will see the new ships launch on the Nile in Egypt, the Douro in Portugal and the Mekong in Vietnam in 2020, followed by a new ship on the Volga River in Russia in 2021.

The new ships will replace existing vessels in each destination, with standards in line with its custom-built Super Ships sailing in Europe.

Uniworld also announced the renovation of its River Countess in Venice, to offer guests an “unparalleled floating hotel experience” in the city of canals.

Uniworld Australia MD Fiona Dalton said “this is just the most fantastic news for our Uniworld guests, and aligns with our commitment to maintaining our position as the number one luxury river cruise in Australia”.

Source: traveldaily

EUR 2 billion-plus order for four 500-cabin vessels.

MSC Cruises has just announced the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of four “ultra-luxury” cruise ships.

The first vessel will be delivered in the northern Spring of 2023, will have 500 cabins and have gross tonnage of approximately 64,000GT. The remaining three ships will come into service on an annual basis over the ensuing years.

The ships will introduce “ground-breaking options for guest comfort and relaxation,” according to MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago. “It is off the back of the great success of our ship-within-a-ship luxury concept that our guests asked us to enter into the ultra-luxury segment, as a natural evolution of the MSC Yacht Club,” he said.

“These ships will be able to offer unique itineraries, thanks to their size, and the guest services will be taken to another level, including our personalised MSC Yacht Club butler service, available 24/7,” Vago added.

The new order brings MSC’s pipeline of new ships to a total of 17 additional vessels to be constructed by 2027, for an overall investment of EUR 13.6 billion.

MSC Cruises Australia MD Lynne Clarke said the ship orders announced tonight would be “as close as it comes to a private yacht experience”.

More information in tomorrow’s Travel Daily and in Cruise Weekly next week.

Source: traveldaily