MSC Cruises has recently appointed Neil Palomba as new Chief Operations Officer of MSC Cruises USA, its affiliate in the United States, with a mission to manage day-to-day operations of the Fort Lauderdale-based North American general sales and marketing arm of MSC Crociere SA, as well as to organize the U.S. operations. Mr. Palomba has established himself as a vital member of MSC Cruises during a key period for the company’s growth and has shown exceptional organizational and managerial skills within the company.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has donated $35,000 to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Education Foundation to support and initiate an internship program for Caribbean nationals seeking to further their education in the tourism and hospitality industries. The cruise line has also committed to a five-year program with an additional $25,000 each year to sustain the program.

An August security scare that forced British Airways to call off hundreds of flights is set to cost it a figure in the neighborhood of $190 million, a newspaper reported earlier this week. The Observer said a fall in the number of premium transatlantic travelers was behind the heavier cost, which the weekly said is set to cut BA’s half-yearly profit by as much as 10 percent.

Effective November 1, all applicants for visitor visas (non-immigrant visas, or NIVs), including applicants at the U.S. Embassy in Barbados, will be required to use the Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF). The typewritten or handwritten DS-156 NIV application form used to date will no longer be accepted as of November 1. The system will only accept an appointment request after the applicant enters the barcode number generated at completion of the EVAF.

Consumers continue a three-year upward trend of shopping for hotels online and booking electronically, according to TravelCLICK’s consolidated second-quarter eTRAK results. The data shows the Internet contributed 37.3 percent, or 7,605,440 reservations, of the total Central Reservation Office (CRO) reservations at major hotel brands, a 19.9 percent increase compared to the same period in 2005.

Oscar Cruces has been named Director General of Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort, the only luxury all-inclusive AAA Five-Diamond resort in Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Mr. Cruces brings more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry to his new position at Grand Velas, a member of Leading Hotels of the World. As Director General he’ll oversee all aspects of the hotel, from day-to-day operations and food and beverage to marketing and sales.