‘Carnival Salutes Our Troops’ Promotion Offers Cruises Starting at $219 Per Person
MIAMI (April 28, 2008) – In honor of Memorial Day, Carnival Cruise Lines is offering active and retired military personnel an opportunity to book up to three "Fun Ship" staterooms for themselves and their friends and family members at special discounted rates.
The new "Carnival Salutes Our Troops" promotion is available in conjunction with a wide variety of three- to 12-day "Fun Ship" voyages to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii and Europe, departing between now and Dec. 31, 2009, from 20 different departure points. Reservations must be made between May 1-31, 2008, to qualify.
Military personnel and their friends and families can take advantage of the following special rates: $219 per person for three-day cruises to the Bahamas and Baja Mexico; $229 per person for four-day cruises to the Bahamas, Caribbean and Mexico; $279 per person for five-day cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Mexico; $479 per person for seven-day cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska; and $829 per person for 12-day cruises to Hawaii and Europe.
"The new ‘Carnival Salutes Our Troops’ promotion is our way of recognizing the tremendous efforts of the brave men and women who serve in our armed forces," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO.
The promotion is valid for individual bookings only, capacity controlled and not applicable with any other discount offer. Military personnel must provide proof of service during the reservations process to be eligible for the special rates. Certain other restrictions apply.
Carnival is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 "Fun Ships" operating three- to 18-day voyages to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe, and South America.
The line currently has three new ships scheduled for delivery between now and 2011. The first of those, the 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor, is scheduled to enter service in Europe July 2, 2008.
For additional information and reservations, give me a call.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Pre Reserve Specialty Restaurants on RCCL
Freedom of the Seas will be the first of the Royal Caribbean ships to allow guests to make advance reservations for the specialty restaurants. The rest of the ships in the fleet will follow shortly.
Please call me for more information!
Please call me for more information!
Friday, April 25, 2008
NCL new entertainment on the JADE
NCL Introduces New Entertainment on Norwegian Jade
Published on: April 25, 2008
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has introduced new entertainment on Norwegian Jade as part of the ship's year-round deployment in Europe. The new entertainment includes four off-Broadway musicals, the show "Tony n' Tina's Wedding," an expanded "The Second City" comedy show, and a classical dance production by choreographer Twyla Tharp.
In addition, Norwegian Jade is the first NCL ship to feature Freestyle 2.0 enhancements, including new menus in the restaurants, upgraded bedding and enhanced activities programming, including NCL "U" enrichment classes, themed parties, sports programming and enhanced youth programs. On Norwegian Jade, NCL has replaced the traditional cruise director with both a master of ceremonies and a guest activities director. The master of ceremonies is a professional entertainer who hosts all evening events while the guest activities director coordinates the ship's daytime activities. In addition, the entertainment scheduling has been changed to allow guests more flexibility and choice each evening. The nighttime production shows are offered twice per cruise, but only one performance per evening, in contrast to the traditional offering of one production show being offered twice per night. In addition, most evenings there is a second show that includes acrobatics, action comedy and magic. All shows are performed live with the accompaniment of the Norwegian Jade orchestra.
Norwegian Jade's new Freestyle Entertainment includes "Smokey Joe's Café, The Songs of Leiber and Stoller"; "SHOUT! The Mod Musical"; "And the World Goes ‘Round: The Songs of Kander & Ebb"; "Showdown," a mock reality singing competition; "Sinatra Suite," a two-dancer ballet choreographed by Tharp; "The Second City International Cabaret," a seven-member improvisational group; "Tony n' Tina's Wedding" about a traditional Italian-American wedding with audience members as guests; and "Bar Central," a piano lounge. New Freestyle 2.0 activites include NCL "U", which includes offerings focused on four areas: Digital Age & Technology; Destination Education; Food, Wine and Spirits; and Comedy & Humor. Guests can choose seminars such as digital photography, destination discovery overviews, mojito making, tequila tasting, French pastry making, 30-minute Italian meals, corporate world improv tips, and improv for kids. Guests can party to the wee hours with two new themed nighttime parties: NCL's White Hot Night and NCL's Monte Carlo Night. Held in the Spinnaker Lounge on Norwegian Jade, the White Hot Night is a dance party where guests are asked to wear white. Monte Carlo Night is held in the casino. Outside on deck, guests are treated to sailaway parties throughout the cruise. Drink flags have been added on all deck chairs with witty sayings such as "I'm unwinding. (Please don't make me walk to the bar)." In addition, cold towels are delivered regularly throughout the day, and crew members are equipped with Evian spritzers to cool off guests. All new sports activities have been designed to make the sports deck more interactive. These activities include basketball tournaments, fitness classes such as body sculpting and stretch-and-relax, scheduled walks with the activities staff, and scheduled shuffleboard, table tennis and human-sized chess games. Kid's Crew hours have been expanded and run from 9 am through to 10:30 pm on both port and sea days. As part of Freestyle 2.0, table games, Nintendo Wii and Xbox video game consoles have been added to the Teen Lounge.
Published on: April 25, 2008
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has introduced new entertainment on Norwegian Jade as part of the ship's year-round deployment in Europe. The new entertainment includes four off-Broadway musicals, the show "Tony n' Tina's Wedding," an expanded "The Second City" comedy show, and a classical dance production by choreographer Twyla Tharp.
In addition, Norwegian Jade is the first NCL ship to feature Freestyle 2.0 enhancements, including new menus in the restaurants, upgraded bedding and enhanced activities programming, including NCL "U" enrichment classes, themed parties, sports programming and enhanced youth programs. On Norwegian Jade, NCL has replaced the traditional cruise director with both a master of ceremonies and a guest activities director. The master of ceremonies is a professional entertainer who hosts all evening events while the guest activities director coordinates the ship's daytime activities. In addition, the entertainment scheduling has been changed to allow guests more flexibility and choice each evening. The nighttime production shows are offered twice per cruise, but only one performance per evening, in contrast to the traditional offering of one production show being offered twice per night. In addition, most evenings there is a second show that includes acrobatics, action comedy and magic. All shows are performed live with the accompaniment of the Norwegian Jade orchestra.
Norwegian Jade's new Freestyle Entertainment includes "Smokey Joe's Café, The Songs of Leiber and Stoller"; "SHOUT! The Mod Musical"; "And the World Goes ‘Round: The Songs of Kander & Ebb"; "Showdown," a mock reality singing competition; "Sinatra Suite," a two-dancer ballet choreographed by Tharp; "The Second City International Cabaret," a seven-member improvisational group; "Tony n' Tina's Wedding" about a traditional Italian-American wedding with audience members as guests; and "Bar Central," a piano lounge. New Freestyle 2.0 activites include NCL "U", which includes offerings focused on four areas: Digital Age & Technology; Destination Education; Food, Wine and Spirits; and Comedy & Humor. Guests can choose seminars such as digital photography, destination discovery overviews, mojito making, tequila tasting, French pastry making, 30-minute Italian meals, corporate world improv tips, and improv for kids. Guests can party to the wee hours with two new themed nighttime parties: NCL's White Hot Night and NCL's Monte Carlo Night. Held in the Spinnaker Lounge on Norwegian Jade, the White Hot Night is a dance party where guests are asked to wear white. Monte Carlo Night is held in the casino. Outside on deck, guests are treated to sailaway parties throughout the cruise. Drink flags have been added on all deck chairs with witty sayings such as "I'm unwinding. (Please don't make me walk to the bar)." In addition, cold towels are delivered regularly throughout the day, and crew members are equipped with Evian spritzers to cool off guests. All new sports activities have been designed to make the sports deck more interactive. These activities include basketball tournaments, fitness classes such as body sculpting and stretch-and-relax, scheduled walks with the activities staff, and scheduled shuffleboard, table tennis and human-sized chess games. Kid's Crew hours have been expanded and run from 9 am through to 10:30 pm on both port and sea days. As part of Freestyle 2.0, table games, Nintendo Wii and Xbox video game consoles have been added to the Teen Lounge.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
New Royal Caribbean Genesis Ship
The newest and largest Royal Caribbean class of ships will be introduced in 2009.
Here is a sneak preview:
http://www.royalcaribbean-genesis.com/main.html
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL BEGINS COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH OF PROJECT GENESIS WITH FIRST REVEAL
Miami, April 15, 2008 – After much anticipation for details on Project Genesis, Royal Caribbean International today announced the first of many neighborhoods that will encompass this new ship launching in late 2009. This first announcement is just the beginning of Royal Caribbean’s brand promise to provide guests with more choices, more amenities and more ‘WOW’ experiences to create the perfect cruise vacation. The neighborhood, called Central Park, is a new element and will be revolutionary in its design, as the center of the ship opens to the sky and features lush, tropical grounds spanning the length of a football field. The creation of distinctive neighborhoods is an original concept for the cruise line and will provide vacationers with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences in various locales based on their personal style, preference or mood. Details of Central Park are as follows:
• 254 Park view balcony staterooms (4 wheelchair accessible)
• 80 Park view window staterooms
• 7 restaurants, cafés and bars
o 150 Central Park
o Giovanni’s Table
o Central Park Café
o Chops Grille
o Vintages wine bar
o Canopy bar
o Rising Tide bar
• Boutique shops and outlets showcasing upscale merchandise including:
o The Parkside Gallery, with original artwork for purchase, and Picture This, a portrait studio
• Landscaped with tropical foliage, including seasonal flowers, shrubs and trees
o The Pergola Garden – interpretive plant garden featuring vegetation from Caribbean locales
o The Sculpture Garden – integrates artwork from international artists
o The Chess Garden – provides large scale pieces for a game of chess or checkers
• On-site horticulturist
When she launches in late 2009, Project Genesis will be the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. An architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass 220,000 GRT, carry 5,400 guests, and feature 2,700 staterooms. The ship will sail from her home port in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In 2010, she will be joined by a sister ship.
Here is a sneak preview:
http://www.royalcaribbean-genesis.com/main.html
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL BEGINS COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH OF PROJECT GENESIS WITH FIRST REVEAL
Miami, April 15, 2008 – After much anticipation for details on Project Genesis, Royal Caribbean International today announced the first of many neighborhoods that will encompass this new ship launching in late 2009. This first announcement is just the beginning of Royal Caribbean’s brand promise to provide guests with more choices, more amenities and more ‘WOW’ experiences to create the perfect cruise vacation. The neighborhood, called Central Park, is a new element and will be revolutionary in its design, as the center of the ship opens to the sky and features lush, tropical grounds spanning the length of a football field. The creation of distinctive neighborhoods is an original concept for the cruise line and will provide vacationers with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences in various locales based on their personal style, preference or mood. Details of Central Park are as follows:
• 254 Park view balcony staterooms (4 wheelchair accessible)
• 80 Park view window staterooms
• 7 restaurants, cafés and bars
o 150 Central Park
o Giovanni’s Table
o Central Park Café
o Chops Grille
o Vintages wine bar
o Canopy bar
o Rising Tide bar
• Boutique shops and outlets showcasing upscale merchandise including:
o The Parkside Gallery, with original artwork for purchase, and Picture This, a portrait studio
• Landscaped with tropical foliage, including seasonal flowers, shrubs and trees
o The Pergola Garden – interpretive plant garden featuring vegetation from Caribbean locales
o The Sculpture Garden – integrates artwork from international artists
o The Chess Garden – provides large scale pieces for a game of chess or checkers
• On-site horticulturist
When she launches in late 2009, Project Genesis will be the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. An architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass 220,000 GRT, carry 5,400 guests, and feature 2,700 staterooms. The ship will sail from her home port in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In 2010, she will be joined by a sister ship.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Celebrity Cruises to Limit Smoking
Celebrity Cruises Revamps Smoking Policy First premium cruise line to join trend toward cleaner-air environment
Miami - (April 10, 2008 ) - Cruise enthusiasts may praise the virtues of "sea air," but to many of them, what matters more is clean air. As more hotels and restaurants worldwide implement stricter smoking policies in order to promote healthier air, Celebrity Cruises also is taking action. Beginning October 1, 2008, guests on Celebrity's ships will enjoy fresher air as a result of a new policy that disallows smoking in Celebrity's staterooms or on stateroom verandas. The policy also will reduce the number of public areas in which guests can smoke onboard.
"We are proud to be the first premium cruise line to set a new standard toward creating an environment of cleaner air on our ships," said Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. "We pay careful attention to what our guests have to say, and approximately 90 percent of them have told us they are non-smokers. By increasing the number of smoke-free areas onboard while still designating areas for those who smoke, our aim is to make the onboard experience as pleasant as possible for all of our guests."
The new policy, created after Celebrity polled past guests, will result in a cleaner, fresher and healthier environment on Celebrity's ships. Designated indoor areas where guests can smoke cigarettes include the port side of one lounge per ship and a designated slot machine area in each ship's casino. The new policy also designates outdoor areas where guests can smoke. These include the port side of the pool deck and sundecks on each ship, the port side of the Sunset Bar on Celebrity Century and on Celebrity's Millennium class of ships, and the port side aft outside of Winter Garden on Celebrity Galaxy and Celebrity Mercury. Celebrity's new Solstice class of ships, launching with Celebrity Solstice late this year, will follow the new policy beginning with the first sailing. Celebrity Solstice's Lawn Club and the Sunset Bar at the Lawn Club will not allow smoking. Violations to Celebrity's smoking policy may result in a $250 cleaning fee charged to the guest's onboard account and may also be addressed through the line's guest conduct policy.
The new policy will go into effect on Celebrity's fleet on the first day of the first sailing to follow October 1: • Celebrity Galaxy, Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Mercury - October 3 sailings
• Celebrity Summit - October 4 sailing
• Celebrity Constellation - October 5 sailing
• Celebrity Century, Celebrity Millennium - October 6 sailings
• Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox - upon ship launch
Celebrity currently allows guests to smoke in staterooms, on stateroom verandas and in a number of indoor and outdoor public spaces. The exception is Celebrity Xpedition, the 92-person mega-yacht sailing year-round in the Galapagos Islands, which operates under a stricter policy than the rest of the fleet, allowing smoking only on the ship's outer decks, in designated areas.
Miami - (April 10, 2008 ) - Cruise enthusiasts may praise the virtues of "sea air," but to many of them, what matters more is clean air. As more hotels and restaurants worldwide implement stricter smoking policies in order to promote healthier air, Celebrity Cruises also is taking action. Beginning October 1, 2008, guests on Celebrity's ships will enjoy fresher air as a result of a new policy that disallows smoking in Celebrity's staterooms or on stateroom verandas. The policy also will reduce the number of public areas in which guests can smoke onboard.
"We are proud to be the first premium cruise line to set a new standard toward creating an environment of cleaner air on our ships," said Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. "We pay careful attention to what our guests have to say, and approximately 90 percent of them have told us they are non-smokers. By increasing the number of smoke-free areas onboard while still designating areas for those who smoke, our aim is to make the onboard experience as pleasant as possible for all of our guests."
The new policy, created after Celebrity polled past guests, will result in a cleaner, fresher and healthier environment on Celebrity's ships. Designated indoor areas where guests can smoke cigarettes include the port side of one lounge per ship and a designated slot machine area in each ship's casino. The new policy also designates outdoor areas where guests can smoke. These include the port side of the pool deck and sundecks on each ship, the port side of the Sunset Bar on Celebrity Century and on Celebrity's Millennium class of ships, and the port side aft outside of Winter Garden on Celebrity Galaxy and Celebrity Mercury. Celebrity's new Solstice class of ships, launching with Celebrity Solstice late this year, will follow the new policy beginning with the first sailing. Celebrity Solstice's Lawn Club and the Sunset Bar at the Lawn Club will not allow smoking. Violations to Celebrity's smoking policy may result in a $250 cleaning fee charged to the guest's onboard account and may also be addressed through the line's guest conduct policy.
The new policy will go into effect on Celebrity's fleet on the first day of the first sailing to follow October 1: • Celebrity Galaxy, Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Mercury - October 3 sailings
• Celebrity Summit - October 4 sailing
• Celebrity Constellation - October 5 sailing
• Celebrity Century, Celebrity Millennium - October 6 sailings
• Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox - upon ship launch
Celebrity currently allows guests to smoke in staterooms, on stateroom verandas and in a number of indoor and outdoor public spaces. The exception is Celebrity Xpedition, the 92-person mega-yacht sailing year-round in the Galapagos Islands, which operates under a stricter policy than the rest of the fleet, allowing smoking only on the ship's outer decks, in designated areas.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Rainbow Beaches
For the most unique color beaches check this out:
We get to see rainbows all the time when it rains, but we're always looking up at them. How many times do you get to look down and see one?"
As the owner of a luxury concierge service, Lisa Batkin considers her primary responsibility to deliver "sights that 99.9% of the people in the world haven't seen before." Thus, she booked one adventurous client a skydiving trip at Australia's Fraser Island, known for its sand cliffs and "Rainbow Beach." More than 70 different colors of sand have been identified on this little-known island—most of them in the cliffs, which from a near distance oddly resemble massive scoops of rainbow sherbet.
Though no beach yet discovered can beat Fraser Island for variety, colored sand beaches are actually not as rare as you might think. Long-ago volcanic activity, crushed-up coral or nearby gemstone troves can cause sand to assume different shades. If you're dedicated, you might be able to seek out every color in the rainbow.
Which is not to say white doesn't count: Australia's Whitehaven Inlet has some of the finest, whitest silica sand on the planet. But to get a more solid footing on rainbow sand, the first and most obvious stop is Hawaii. Thanks to its unique geology, this easy-to-access paradise has more colored sand beaches than anywhere else in the world. The islands are essentially formed from inactive (or still-active, on the Big Island) volcanoes that rose upward from the island floor more than 10 million years ago.
"Sand variation in Hawaii results from the islands' wide variety of geological sources and processes," says Kauai geologist/nature guide Chuck Blay. "Glassy, jet-black sand is produced when molten lava flows directly into seawater and fragments violently. Green sand is produced by the concentration of olivine crystals eroded from basaltic lava rocks."
Hawaii's beaches are such a phenomenon that several University of Hawaii geology researchers study them specifically. None, however, are exactly on the main tourist trail. Probably the one that gets the most traffic is the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park, just off the Hana Highway on Maui.
Further along the highway, Hana Town has a red sand beach. Officials don't like to talk about it for two reasons: it's not on an official trail, and it's somewhat dangerous to access. Should you be a rope-crossing sort of person, the path starts right by the Hana Hotel cottages. If you like to play it safe, Kauai's famed red dirt offers approximately the same visual effect, only with comparatively tame potential consequences. (Your white shirts could be stained beyond repair.)
The Big Island has black sand beaches as well as a bizarre green sand beach called Pu'u Mahana on the south end of the island. Crushed olivine crystals lend the sand its distinctive hue. There's another green sand beach at Mahana Bay on the Big Island.
Hawaii can't claim the world's nicest black sand beach, though. Bacacay Beach on the east side of Albay in the Philippines sports a 100-kilometer stretch of black sand. Not all of it is postcard-perfect, but broad expanses of it offer comparatively fine-textured sand and calm, swimmable water.
The green sand beach at Punta Cormorant is one of approximately 200 visitor sites in Galapagos National Park. Though accessible (not all of the sites are), it's not the headline attraction. "Probably this island is best known for two things," says Allie Almario of adventure tour company Myths and Mountains. "The first is Post Office Bay, which is a tradition started by whalers in 1700s" whereby passing ships would use a barrel on the shore as a pick-up or drop-off point for their international letters. "Even to this day visitors still drop off postcards," says Almario.
"Also," says Almario, "Punta Cormorant is known for its flamingo lagoons." The lagoons and their Day-Glo inhabitants are located near the green sand—all in all, quite a colorful daytrip if you can make it.
Bermuda only has one variety of colored sand, but the pink beaches on this honeymooners' paradise are so lovely and vivid, they've gained worldwide acclaim. Bermuda resorts build entire experiences around their distinctive natural setting. At the "flip-flops required" 9 Beaches, the canvas cabanas on Paradise Pier offer Easter egg-hued views of blue water and pastel shore; while at picturesque Cambridge Beaches, a variety of special services are designed to play up the romance factor. (Hint: If you're lucky enough to make it to Cambridge Beaches, request a bottle of hibiscus-infused champagne to sip at sunset. The world will never look rosier.)
Though the Bahamas' pink sands are known amongst a certain traveling set, Eleuthera has managed to avoid the development craze that turned neighboring Nassau and Grand Bahama into package-holiday hot spots. Slowly but surely, Eleuthera is allowing a few luxury developments onto the island. However, tourism officials at the local and state level are working directly with developers to ensure that the natural resources (among them, the colored sand beaches) are well-treated.
Barbuda, too, has its fair share of pink sand: Ten miles of pink sand beaches, protected by barrier reefs, grace the island's southwestern shore.
That's just the beginning. If you're really of a rainbow-chasing mind, journey along California's Central Coast, hunting for semi-precious gems in Cambria's Moonstone Beach and digging your toes in Pfeiffer's purple sand. (Or, to quote local travel writer Charyn Pfeuffer, it's "perfectly powdery and a most dreamy shade of mauve.") Explore the undeveloped park islands of Goa, India, where explorers report finding sands of gold and silver.
Sidling up to a sliver of sand of a certain hue could also enhance your well-being. Everyone knows how wearing a certain color can change your mood. In the same vein, lounging on a green sand beach versus a pink or black sand beach could subtly change your outlook on life. We turned to Hawaiian color therapist Peri Enkin for her unique spin on rainbow beaches. "When you look at the rainbow, you're talking about the whole," she says. "It's the integration of all your dreams and vision." And due to its purplish hues, a walk up and down California's Pfeiffer Beach (to give just one example) could well "bring out knowledge and wisdom," Enkin says. Of course, you have to get there first—we can help with that part.
Check out this link for the slide show!
http://www.forbestraveler.com/islands-beaches/rainbow-beaches-slide.html
We get to see rainbows all the time when it rains, but we're always looking up at them. How many times do you get to look down and see one?"
As the owner of a luxury concierge service, Lisa Batkin considers her primary responsibility to deliver "sights that 99.9% of the people in the world haven't seen before." Thus, she booked one adventurous client a skydiving trip at Australia's Fraser Island, known for its sand cliffs and "Rainbow Beach." More than 70 different colors of sand have been identified on this little-known island—most of them in the cliffs, which from a near distance oddly resemble massive scoops of rainbow sherbet.
Though no beach yet discovered can beat Fraser Island for variety, colored sand beaches are actually not as rare as you might think. Long-ago volcanic activity, crushed-up coral or nearby gemstone troves can cause sand to assume different shades. If you're dedicated, you might be able to seek out every color in the rainbow.
Which is not to say white doesn't count: Australia's Whitehaven Inlet has some of the finest, whitest silica sand on the planet. But to get a more solid footing on rainbow sand, the first and most obvious stop is Hawaii. Thanks to its unique geology, this easy-to-access paradise has more colored sand beaches than anywhere else in the world. The islands are essentially formed from inactive (or still-active, on the Big Island) volcanoes that rose upward from the island floor more than 10 million years ago.
"Sand variation in Hawaii results from the islands' wide variety of geological sources and processes," says Kauai geologist/nature guide Chuck Blay. "Glassy, jet-black sand is produced when molten lava flows directly into seawater and fragments violently. Green sand is produced by the concentration of olivine crystals eroded from basaltic lava rocks."
Hawaii's beaches are such a phenomenon that several University of Hawaii geology researchers study them specifically. None, however, are exactly on the main tourist trail. Probably the one that gets the most traffic is the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park, just off the Hana Highway on Maui.
Further along the highway, Hana Town has a red sand beach. Officials don't like to talk about it for two reasons: it's not on an official trail, and it's somewhat dangerous to access. Should you be a rope-crossing sort of person, the path starts right by the Hana Hotel cottages. If you like to play it safe, Kauai's famed red dirt offers approximately the same visual effect, only with comparatively tame potential consequences. (Your white shirts could be stained beyond repair.)
The Big Island has black sand beaches as well as a bizarre green sand beach called Pu'u Mahana on the south end of the island. Crushed olivine crystals lend the sand its distinctive hue. There's another green sand beach at Mahana Bay on the Big Island.
Hawaii can't claim the world's nicest black sand beach, though. Bacacay Beach on the east side of Albay in the Philippines sports a 100-kilometer stretch of black sand. Not all of it is postcard-perfect, but broad expanses of it offer comparatively fine-textured sand and calm, swimmable water.
The green sand beach at Punta Cormorant is one of approximately 200 visitor sites in Galapagos National Park. Though accessible (not all of the sites are), it's not the headline attraction. "Probably this island is best known for two things," says Allie Almario of adventure tour company Myths and Mountains. "The first is Post Office Bay, which is a tradition started by whalers in 1700s" whereby passing ships would use a barrel on the shore as a pick-up or drop-off point for their international letters. "Even to this day visitors still drop off postcards," says Almario.
"Also," says Almario, "Punta Cormorant is known for its flamingo lagoons." The lagoons and their Day-Glo inhabitants are located near the green sand—all in all, quite a colorful daytrip if you can make it.
Bermuda only has one variety of colored sand, but the pink beaches on this honeymooners' paradise are so lovely and vivid, they've gained worldwide acclaim. Bermuda resorts build entire experiences around their distinctive natural setting. At the "flip-flops required" 9 Beaches, the canvas cabanas on Paradise Pier offer Easter egg-hued views of blue water and pastel shore; while at picturesque Cambridge Beaches, a variety of special services are designed to play up the romance factor. (Hint: If you're lucky enough to make it to Cambridge Beaches, request a bottle of hibiscus-infused champagne to sip at sunset. The world will never look rosier.)
Though the Bahamas' pink sands are known amongst a certain traveling set, Eleuthera has managed to avoid the development craze that turned neighboring Nassau and Grand Bahama into package-holiday hot spots. Slowly but surely, Eleuthera is allowing a few luxury developments onto the island. However, tourism officials at the local and state level are working directly with developers to ensure that the natural resources (among them, the colored sand beaches) are well-treated.
Barbuda, too, has its fair share of pink sand: Ten miles of pink sand beaches, protected by barrier reefs, grace the island's southwestern shore.
That's just the beginning. If you're really of a rainbow-chasing mind, journey along California's Central Coast, hunting for semi-precious gems in Cambria's Moonstone Beach and digging your toes in Pfeiffer's purple sand. (Or, to quote local travel writer Charyn Pfeuffer, it's "perfectly powdery and a most dreamy shade of mauve.") Explore the undeveloped park islands of Goa, India, where explorers report finding sands of gold and silver.
Sidling up to a sliver of sand of a certain hue could also enhance your well-being. Everyone knows how wearing a certain color can change your mood. In the same vein, lounging on a green sand beach versus a pink or black sand beach could subtly change your outlook on life. We turned to Hawaiian color therapist Peri Enkin for her unique spin on rainbow beaches. "When you look at the rainbow, you're talking about the whole," she says. "It's the integration of all your dreams and vision." And due to its purplish hues, a walk up and down California's Pfeiffer Beach (to give just one example) could well "bring out knowledge and wisdom," Enkin says. Of course, you have to get there first—we can help with that part.
Check out this link for the slide show!
http://www.forbestraveler.com/islands-beaches/rainbow-beaches-slide.html
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
When Airlines Go Belly Up
This is taken from today’s Wall Street Journal.
THE MIDDLE SEAT
By SCOTT MCCARTNEY
When Airlines Fail, Fliers Have Few Protections
Law's Lapse Leaves Carriers With Little Incentive to Honor Tickets From Defunct Rivals
April 8, 2008; Page D1
Airlines have a new attitude toward customers of failed carriers: It's your loss, not ours. With more airlines folding these days, the impact on consumers can be severe.
Passenger carriers are no longer required to honor tickets of failed competitors because Congress let a government protection for travelers expire in 2006. So when Aloha Airgroup Inc., ATA Airlines Inc. and Skybus Airlines Inc. all shut down last week, some airlines, including the nation's two biggest, refused to accept stranded ticket-holders.
That is a big change for consumers. They used to be able to buy tickets on struggling airlines with reasonable expectations that either the airline would keep flying if it went bankrupt, or other airlines would honor tickets for a small fee. Now, consumers need to be far more careful in picking airlines, especially for tickets bought months in advance.
AMR Corp.'s American and UAL Corp.'s United, struggling themselves under high oil prices, said they would accommodate Aloha, ATA and Skybus ticket-holders only if they purchased a new ticket for their travel.
The carriers said they did offer tickets at discounted prices rather than full-fare, last-minute purchase prices. United said it offered a one-way fare of $275 from Honolulu or Maui to Los Angeles with no advance-purchase requirements, for example, and $475 from Honolulu to Chicago. American said it waived advance-purchase requirements so Aloha, ATA and Skybus ticket-holders could get discounted inventory if available.
But the reality is that at least some customers paid very steep prices. The Maui News reported several customers at Maui's airport said they had to pay $900 each for one-way tickets from Maui to Los Angeles on American. A spokesman for American, Tim Wagner, says it is possible there was no advance-purchase inventory left when those customers called.
"We didn't have a code-share relationship of any kind with any of these airlines, so anything we do to offer people a discount is basically out of the 'goodness of our hearts,' " Mr. Wagner said. "Any discount we give is revenue lost, and we won't be getting anything out of their bankruptcies. So in a $100-a-barrel oil environment, anything that any airline does is generous."
Other airlines, including Delta Air Lines Inc., Northwest Airlines Corp., Continental Airlines Inc. and US Airways Group Inc., have been offering standby seats to stranded ticket-holders, but only if travelers pay fees that could run up to $400 or more for round-trip travel with connecting flights.
And those standby offers -- $100 per flight segment -- won't be around very long at all. US Airways limited its offer to flights during the first week after ATA's shutdown. For travel after this Thursday, travelers have to buy new tickets.
Hawaiian Airlines offered free standby service for Aloha ticket-holders -- but only for travel over the first four days after Aloha's March 31 shutdown. Hawaiian, a unit of Hawaiian Holdings Inc., didn't make the same offer to ATA customers, largely because it didn't have any empty seats left to offer. The carrier did add some extra flights for ATA customers, but required the purchase of new tickets. For a San Francisco-Honolulu one-way flight, the fare for ATA refugees was about $320, a spokesman said.
The lack of government safeguards, coupled with more-frequent failures, makes struggling airlines riskier for consumers. Carriers that run out of money are finding no new cash is available to keep flying during a restructuring because of the credit crisis and lack of airline investors. So they have to shut down.
Maxjet Airways, Aloha, ATA and Skybus have all folded. Champion Air, a charter carrier, says it will cease operations in late May. Others may be circling the drain as well.
Congress had protected airline passengers against disruptions such as these shutdowns, but that ended in November 2006, according to the Department of Transportation. Now, a DOT spokesman says, "We encourage other airlines to honor tickets when they can."
That's something airlines have historically done. But when tough times threatened to kill that tradition, Congress wrote it into law. In November 2001, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Congress required airlines to rebook passengers from failed airlines for a handling fee, which the DOT set at $25 one-way and raised to $50 one-way in 2005. The law also gave consumers 60 days to ride standby at $50 each way.
But after lobbying by airlines, Congress let the requirement expire. Airlines argued they shouldn't have to suffer financially from failed competitors. Carriers that accept tickets from failed airlines can file claims in bankruptcy court for reimbursement, but they rarely collect anything on those tickets. And by protecting passengers from risk, Congress propped up dying airlines, hurting competitors who either had to match fire-sale prices or lose customers.
Travelers who bought tickets on now-failed airlines with credit cards do have some protection under the Fair Credit Billing Act. If the airline doesn't deliver the service you bought, your credit-card company has to refund the ticket purchase -- you must dispute the charge within 60 days. Credit-card companies are prepared for refunds -- they require troubled airlines to maintain cash reserves so there is a pool of money available to cover refunds.
Travelers who bought tickets through code-share arrangements have more options -- the airline that sold the ticket should accommodate you. If you bought a United ticket for travel on its partner Aloha, United will rebook you free (but not if you bought the same flight from Aloha). Southwest Airlines Co. sold tickets for flights actually flown by ATA, its code-sharing partner, and promised to re-accommodate customers holding Southwest tickets on Southwest or other airlines.
The Hawaiian islands took a double hit with the recent shutdowns because both Aloha and ATA fly there from the West Coast. Indeed, some of the airline stinginess in accommodating customers results from the fact that most of the routes where ATA and Aloha overlapped with competitors were on long trips to the islands. With limited seats and long flights, airlines were loath to give seats away cheap to bankrupt-airline customers.
Many travelers will undoubtedly pay more as a result of the collapse of two discounters to Hawaii. The cheapest price offered yesterday for a San Francisco-Honolulu non-stop trip this coming weekend was $1,404 round-trip on United, according to Orbitz.com. For the first weekend in May, the cheapest non-stop price available was $789 round-trip on Hawaiian.
Other carriers could eventually add capacity in those markets -- Hawaiian has already said it will begin flying to Oakland from Honolulu on May 1, jumping in on a route flown by both ATA and Aloha. But prices are likely to remain at least marginally higher.
Storrs Warinner, a retired airline captain from Las Vegas, had ATA tickets to Hawaii for December, and now he isn't sure what to do. He did call his credit-card company and was told the ATA charge would never even appear on his bill. As for replacing the tickets, he had hoped other carriers would step in and offer good deals to build new loyalty, or at least cheaper prices to fill new flights. But so far, prices are high, and no carrier has stepped in to replace ATA's non-stop Las Vegas-Honolulu service.
"I'm torn. I think probably people [airlines] will move into the market, but I don't know if I have guts enough to see what's going to happen," Mr. Warinner said.
THE MIDDLE SEAT
By SCOTT MCCARTNEY
When Airlines Fail, Fliers Have Few Protections
Law's Lapse Leaves Carriers With Little Incentive to Honor Tickets From Defunct Rivals
April 8, 2008; Page D1
Airlines have a new attitude toward customers of failed carriers: It's your loss, not ours. With more airlines folding these days, the impact on consumers can be severe.
Passenger carriers are no longer required to honor tickets of failed competitors because Congress let a government protection for travelers expire in 2006. So when Aloha Airgroup Inc., ATA Airlines Inc. and Skybus Airlines Inc. all shut down last week, some airlines, including the nation's two biggest, refused to accept stranded ticket-holders.
That is a big change for consumers. They used to be able to buy tickets on struggling airlines with reasonable expectations that either the airline would keep flying if it went bankrupt, or other airlines would honor tickets for a small fee. Now, consumers need to be far more careful in picking airlines, especially for tickets bought months in advance.
AMR Corp.'s American and UAL Corp.'s United, struggling themselves under high oil prices, said they would accommodate Aloha, ATA and Skybus ticket-holders only if they purchased a new ticket for their travel.
The carriers said they did offer tickets at discounted prices rather than full-fare, last-minute purchase prices. United said it offered a one-way fare of $275 from Honolulu or Maui to Los Angeles with no advance-purchase requirements, for example, and $475 from Honolulu to Chicago. American said it waived advance-purchase requirements so Aloha, ATA and Skybus ticket-holders could get discounted inventory if available.
But the reality is that at least some customers paid very steep prices. The Maui News reported several customers at Maui's airport said they had to pay $900 each for one-way tickets from Maui to Los Angeles on American. A spokesman for American, Tim Wagner, says it is possible there was no advance-purchase inventory left when those customers called.
"We didn't have a code-share relationship of any kind with any of these airlines, so anything we do to offer people a discount is basically out of the 'goodness of our hearts,' " Mr. Wagner said. "Any discount we give is revenue lost, and we won't be getting anything out of their bankruptcies. So in a $100-a-barrel oil environment, anything that any airline does is generous."
Other airlines, including Delta Air Lines Inc., Northwest Airlines Corp., Continental Airlines Inc. and US Airways Group Inc., have been offering standby seats to stranded ticket-holders, but only if travelers pay fees that could run up to $400 or more for round-trip travel with connecting flights.
And those standby offers -- $100 per flight segment -- won't be around very long at all. US Airways limited its offer to flights during the first week after ATA's shutdown. For travel after this Thursday, travelers have to buy new tickets.
Hawaiian Airlines offered free standby service for Aloha ticket-holders -- but only for travel over the first four days after Aloha's March 31 shutdown. Hawaiian, a unit of Hawaiian Holdings Inc., didn't make the same offer to ATA customers, largely because it didn't have any empty seats left to offer. The carrier did add some extra flights for ATA customers, but required the purchase of new tickets. For a San Francisco-Honolulu one-way flight, the fare for ATA refugees was about $320, a spokesman said.
The lack of government safeguards, coupled with more-frequent failures, makes struggling airlines riskier for consumers. Carriers that run out of money are finding no new cash is available to keep flying during a restructuring because of the credit crisis and lack of airline investors. So they have to shut down.
Maxjet Airways, Aloha, ATA and Skybus have all folded. Champion Air, a charter carrier, says it will cease operations in late May. Others may be circling the drain as well.
Congress had protected airline passengers against disruptions such as these shutdowns, but that ended in November 2006, according to the Department of Transportation. Now, a DOT spokesman says, "We encourage other airlines to honor tickets when they can."
That's something airlines have historically done. But when tough times threatened to kill that tradition, Congress wrote it into law. In November 2001, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Congress required airlines to rebook passengers from failed airlines for a handling fee, which the DOT set at $25 one-way and raised to $50 one-way in 2005. The law also gave consumers 60 days to ride standby at $50 each way.
But after lobbying by airlines, Congress let the requirement expire. Airlines argued they shouldn't have to suffer financially from failed competitors. Carriers that accept tickets from failed airlines can file claims in bankruptcy court for reimbursement, but they rarely collect anything on those tickets. And by protecting passengers from risk, Congress propped up dying airlines, hurting competitors who either had to match fire-sale prices or lose customers.
Travelers who bought tickets on now-failed airlines with credit cards do have some protection under the Fair Credit Billing Act. If the airline doesn't deliver the service you bought, your credit-card company has to refund the ticket purchase -- you must dispute the charge within 60 days. Credit-card companies are prepared for refunds -- they require troubled airlines to maintain cash reserves so there is a pool of money available to cover refunds.
Travelers who bought tickets through code-share arrangements have more options -- the airline that sold the ticket should accommodate you. If you bought a United ticket for travel on its partner Aloha, United will rebook you free (but not if you bought the same flight from Aloha). Southwest Airlines Co. sold tickets for flights actually flown by ATA, its code-sharing partner, and promised to re-accommodate customers holding Southwest tickets on Southwest or other airlines.
The Hawaiian islands took a double hit with the recent shutdowns because both Aloha and ATA fly there from the West Coast. Indeed, some of the airline stinginess in accommodating customers results from the fact that most of the routes where ATA and Aloha overlapped with competitors were on long trips to the islands. With limited seats and long flights, airlines were loath to give seats away cheap to bankrupt-airline customers.
Many travelers will undoubtedly pay more as a result of the collapse of two discounters to Hawaii. The cheapest price offered yesterday for a San Francisco-Honolulu non-stop trip this coming weekend was $1,404 round-trip on United, according to Orbitz.com. For the first weekend in May, the cheapest non-stop price available was $789 round-trip on Hawaiian.
Other carriers could eventually add capacity in those markets -- Hawaiian has already said it will begin flying to Oakland from Honolulu on May 1, jumping in on a route flown by both ATA and Aloha. But prices are likely to remain at least marginally higher.
Storrs Warinner, a retired airline captain from Las Vegas, had ATA tickets to Hawaii for December, and now he isn't sure what to do. He did call his credit-card company and was told the ATA charge would never even appear on his bill. As for replacing the tickets, he had hoped other carriers would step in and offer good deals to build new loyalty, or at least cheaper prices to fill new flights. But so far, prices are high, and no carrier has stepped in to replace ATA's non-stop Las Vegas-Honolulu service.
"I'm torn. I think probably people [airlines] will move into the market, but I don't know if I have guts enough to see what's going to happen," Mr. Warinner said.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Continental Airlines charges for 2nd checked bag
This was bound to happen..... here it is
$25 Fee for Second Checked Bag
Continental Airlines is implementing a $25 fee for customers checking a second bag when traveling on certain Economy fare tickets. The fee will apply for tickets purchased on or after April 5, 2008 for travel commencing on or after May 5, 2008 within the 50 U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. Certain customers will be exempt from paying the new fee and will be allowed to check second bags free of charge (bags must meet weight and size restrictions). These customers include:
OnePass Elite members
SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus members
Any customer traveling on a ticket purchased in Y class of service
Continental Airlines Presidential Plus credit card holders
Active military personnel traveling on orders
Customers traveling with the above exempt customers are also exempt as long as they are traveling in the same reservation. This exemption will not apply to group reservations including 10 or more customers.
All customers may continue to check one bag free of charge. Additionally, there is no charge for car seats, strollers and wheelchairs.
$25 Fee for Second Checked Bag
Continental Airlines is implementing a $25 fee for customers checking a second bag when traveling on certain Economy fare tickets. The fee will apply for tickets purchased on or after April 5, 2008 for travel commencing on or after May 5, 2008 within the 50 U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. Certain customers will be exempt from paying the new fee and will be allowed to check second bags free of charge (bags must meet weight and size restrictions). These customers include:
OnePass Elite members
SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus members
Any customer traveling on a ticket purchased in Y class of service
Continental Airlines Presidential Plus credit card holders
Active military personnel traveling on orders
Customers traveling with the above exempt customers are also exempt as long as they are traveling in the same reservation. This exemption will not apply to group reservations including 10 or more customers.
All customers may continue to check one bag free of charge. Additionally, there is no charge for car seats, strollers and wheelchairs.
Airline Bankruptcies this week
This week alone, 4 airlines have declared bankruptcy
- Aloha Airlines
- ATA
- Champion
- Skybus
Alitalia is having major issues since a planned merger with Air France fell through.
Yes, the price of fuel is outrageously high- as we all know as we fill up our cars and that is likely a contributing factor but not the only reason these airlines shut their doors. One of the other is competition.
Aloha has been around for 60+ years. GO Airlines was a new start up from Mesa Airlines offering low cost flights between the Hawaiian Islands with smaller planes. In order to compete, the other inter island airlines had to lower prices. With the price of fuel, coupled with the higher operating costs, Aloha left thousands of travelers scrambling for alternate flights when they shut down on Monday with only 24 hours notice.
My clients have been re-accomodated on different airlines since I book all of my clients through reliable tour operators who have been working day and night to re-assign airlines. Those who booked on their own, or thru online agencies may not have fared as well. Money may be lost, much more money might need to be laid out and they are probably spending many hours trying to take care of this.
There are 2 suggestions that I can make in instances like this:
1. take out travel insurance to protect your vacation investment
2. continue to book your vacations through me, since I will only book through reliabe tour operators and will look out for your best interests.
Yes, it was an interesting few days in the world of travel!
- Aloha Airlines
- ATA
- Champion
- Skybus
Alitalia is having major issues since a planned merger with Air France fell through.
Yes, the price of fuel is outrageously high- as we all know as we fill up our cars and that is likely a contributing factor but not the only reason these airlines shut their doors. One of the other is competition.
Aloha has been around for 60+ years. GO Airlines was a new start up from Mesa Airlines offering low cost flights between the Hawaiian Islands with smaller planes. In order to compete, the other inter island airlines had to lower prices. With the price of fuel, coupled with the higher operating costs, Aloha left thousands of travelers scrambling for alternate flights when they shut down on Monday with only 24 hours notice.
My clients have been re-accomodated on different airlines since I book all of my clients through reliable tour operators who have been working day and night to re-assign airlines. Those who booked on their own, or thru online agencies may not have fared as well. Money may be lost, much more money might need to be laid out and they are probably spending many hours trying to take care of this.
There are 2 suggestions that I can make in instances like this:
1. take out travel insurance to protect your vacation investment
2. continue to book your vacations through me, since I will only book through reliabe tour operators and will look out for your best interests.
Yes, it was an interesting few days in the world of travel!
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