Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence

Another season is well underway in our Living Lab in Saint John!

Every cruise season gives us the opportunity to learn, test new ideas and keep improving the experience for both our guests and our cruise partners. From welcoming first-time ship visits to supporting our guides and operations team, the Living Lab is where we put continuous improvement into practice every day.

This season, we're looking forward to welcoming:
• 55+ cruise ship calls
• 140,000+ cruise visitors to Saint John
• 60,000+ guests on Aquila tours

While we share what we've learned with destinations and operators around the world through the Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence, it all starts here in Saint John, where we've been welcoming cruise guests for more than 35 years.

What happens to a cruise destination when things don’t go according to plan?

Last week, Ambra Attus, Aquila’s Director of Impact, Growth and Development, joined a panel at the International Seminar on Strategic Disaster Preparedness for Airports, Ports & Communities 2026 in the Dominican Republic, speaking on “Challenges for Cruise Destinations Under Adverse Conditions.”

Her message was clear: the biggest risk isn’t the disruption itself — it’s losing customer trust when the response falls short. That trust is built long before a crisis through preparation, training, empowerment and communication.

Resilience depends on every part of the destination ecosystem being ready to act. So, where does your destination need to build resilience?

Over 20 years in hospitality across the Dominican Republic and the United States — Tania Padilla knows what it takes to make people feel genuinely cared for. 🌟

As one of Aquila's global trainers, Tania brings experience from both frontline guest services and back-of-house operations, giving her an understanding of hospitality from every angle. For the past decade she has focused on the luxury yacht sector, coordinating charter events for local and international clients and building service systems designed for high-end, high-pressure operations.

What she brings to every room is genuine care for the people in it.

Some words of wisdom from Ambra Attus on what real hospitality sounds like 🎙️

Ambra has spent over 25 years in tourism and if if there's one thing she has learned, it's that language is a gateway to genuine human connection and deeper understanding, helping people feel seen, understood, and truly welcome.

She got into all of this on the Speaking Tongues Podcast recently: multilingual training, cultural awareness, and why stepping outside your comfort zone is often where the best connections happen.

🎧 Full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/36em1eKiOtZ9njqe7xR1Le?si=de435751f599406e

Great week in Dominica for the 2026 Cruise Stakeholders Symposium! 🇩🇲

Our Director of Impact, Growth & Development, Ambra Attus, joined regional colleagues to share practical approaches to destination development and exchange ideas on strengthening cruise tourism across the Caribbean.

Beyond the sessions, she also had the opportunity to experience the Nature Island firsthand and see what makes Dominica such a memorable destination.

A big thank you to Discover Dominica Authority for the warm welcome and a fantastic event!

Greg Crick spent 15 years navigating some of the most challenging moments the cruise industry has ever faced. 🛳️

As Director of Family Assistance and Care Team programs at Holland America Group, Greg managed crisis response across multiple large-scale emergencies - including the Diamond Princess and Grand Princess during the global pandemic. He built his career around ensuring that when the unexpected happens, guests are taken care of and the company's reputation is upheld.

That experience is what he brings to Aquila's work with cruise destination stakeholders and frontlines - practical, hard-won knowledge that no classroom can replicate.