Jetsettersblog

Martinique continues to gain in popularity as a Caribbean cruise destination as evidenced by the 20 percent increase in cruise passenger arrivals projected by the Martinique Promotion Bureau/CMT USA for the upcoming 2009-10 peak winter season. Muriel Wiltord, director-Americas for the Martinique Promotion Bureau/CMT USA, said,

“Even in these challenging economic times, cruising remains a great value, and with cruise travelers continually seeking new and more exotic ports of call, Martinique is in a strong position to see added growth in the years to come.”

Cruise ships call on Martinique in the heart of downtown Fort-de-France, the island’s capital city and the capital of the Caribbean when it comes to shopping.

The best of Parisian fashion, jewelry, porcelain, perfumes and other fine goods are here, and for U.S. travelers most of it is available at a 20 percent discount.

Select stores offer the discount to visitors who make purchases using major U.S. credit cards or traveler’s checks.

Excursions highlighting the island’s ecotourism wonders, rich cultural history, snorkeling, golf, award-winning rum distilleries, and more are also available.

Cruise lines featuring Martinique in 2009-10 itineraries include Azamara Cruises, Holland America Line, MSC Italian Cruises and Silversea Cruises. For more information, call 212-838-6887, email info@martinique.org  or visit www.martinique.org

Vietnam’s Princess d’Annam Resort & Spa debuts a new menu every single day. “There is no default menu,” said Jean-Philippe Beghin, general manager of the resort on Ke Ga Bay near Phan Thiet on Vietnam’s south-central coast.

“In the same way that performance artists feed off their audience, we’ve charged our chef and f&b manager with acquiring new information about that day’s group of guests and using that information to develop that evening’s menu.”

This new “consultative approach” to dining is one of the hallmarks of the Princess d’Annam. The 57-unit, all-villa resort opened earlier this year with a mission to establish itself as one of Vietnam’s most individual properties.

Two to three times a week, Chef An and Mounon shop in the local fishing village.

As often as not, they’re accompanied by guests who want to review the catch and query the local fishermen. The Princess d’Annam’s kitchen specializes in both Vietnamese and French cuisine. Each evening’s menu includes choices from either tradition.

One recent menu included pan-fried prawns marinated with lemongrass and seafood risotto as the Eastern option and roasted lamb tenderloin as the Western option.

The 57-unit, all-villa resort is located on Ke Ga Bay, 90 miles from Ho Chi Minh City. The property features three classes of accommodation, from the 75-square-meter Mandarin Suites to the 185-square-meter, two-story Empress.

For more information, call 011-84 8 3845 5990, email dosm@princessannam.com  or visit www.princessannam.com

Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau
CONTACT: Bonnie Char
TEL: 435-586-5124, ext. 15
E-MAIL: maria@netutah.com
WEB: www.scenicsouthernutah.com

CEDAR CITY, Utah–The Cedar City-Brian Head area of southern Utah boasts some of the best snow in the country and the terrain of Cedar Mountain east of the city, including Dixie National Forest and Cedar Breaks National Monument, are considered among the best un-groomed trails in the country for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.

The Alpine Pond Trail at Cedar Breaks starts on a seasonally closed highway at the junction of Highways 143 and 148. From the trailhead parking area, it is a 4½ mile journey round trip. Along the way the yurt at the ranger station offers hot cocoa.

The only access to this part of Cedar Breaks National Monument in the winter is via cross country ski, snow shoe or snowmobile.

Four miles along Highway 14 southeast of the National Monument is the Deer Valley Non-Motorized Winter Recreation Area, which currently features six miles of marked trails, plus many unmarked side loops.

The trails at Deer Valley by Navajo Lake are not open to snowmobiles and are slated for future grooming and expansion. Other trails in the area include Rattlesnake Trailhead, Midway Trail and Bristlecone Pine Trail, all located in the Dixie National Forest.

All of these trails are at 9-10,000 feet elevation, so the snow builds up quickly, but the weather is very changeable. Detailed maps and trail condition information is available from the local Cedar Mountain Nordic Ski Club at www.cmnsc.org 

For more information on winter activities, as well as lodging and events, call the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau at 800-354-4849.

iPhone and iPod Touch users can now download the newly released, free La Quinta app at the iTunes App Store. The application quickly and easily finds a La Quinta hotel near a location based on the latest GPS mapping technology.

Now anytime, anywhere users can book a room at a La Quinta hotel, change an existing reservation, get driving directions to/from the hotel, view photos and get detailed service and amenity information. In addition, La Quinta Returns members can access their account to earn rewards and book free nights online. To get additional information about a specific hotel, users can click-to-call any hotel directly. To download the free La Quinta app, visit www.LQ.com/iPhone

The Obadon Hotel Group, management company of the Brazilian Court Hotel & Beach Club, announced that The Omphoy Ocean Resort is officially open with rates starting at $149 per night, making it the first new hotel development on Palm Beach in nearly 20 years and the only beachfront boutique hotel on the island.

With a signature restaurant by James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein, an exhale spa and a design centered around the luminescence and movement of water,

The Omphoy brings the essence of the New York and South Beach boutique hotel experiences to Palm Beach. Michelle Bernstein makes her first foray into Palm Beach with the debut of her signature restaurant — Michelle Bernstein at The Omphoy.

Exhale spa’s skin care menu is inspired by a quest toward transformational products and therapies that not only focus on preventative skin healing but on moral and environmental integrity as well. The 134-room property also boasts private poolside cabanas.

For more information, call 561-540-6440 or visit www.omphoy.com

Experience Eleven Exciting Cruise Itineraries For 2010 Onboard Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Two Expedition Ships, Ms Hanseatic & Ms Bremen

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has published the new 2010 brochure for its two expedition ships MS HANSEATIC and MS BREMEN, highlighting almost a dozen bilingual (English/German) adventure cruises for next year including the Antarctic Circle, the Northwest Passage, Kamchatka, Norway and Spitsbergen, as well as island paradises in the Indian Ocean.

MS HANSEATIC, the world’s only 5-star expedition ship and the BREMEN, a 4-star expedition ship, were created to provide intensive exploration in the most elegant surroundings for a maximum of 184 guests (HANSEATIC) and 164 guests (BREMEN). Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is offering guaranteed cruise prices for UK passengers, avoiding price fluctuations due to floating exchange rates.

Well equipped for travel in difficult waters, both ships hold the highest ice class ranking for passenger vessels (E4). Their shallow drafts and high manoeuvrability allow the ships to enter waters larger cruise vessels cannot reach. Trips with Zodiacs, professional expedition guides, lecturers and experts on the travel destinations make every expedition informative and interesting.

The dedicated bilingual cruises included in the 2010 brochure ensure English-speaking passengers feel comfortable from the moment they step onboard.

Documentation in English onboard includes: daily programs, menus, announcements, lectures/video presentations and safety drill instruction. Wherever possible, shore excursions in the port of call are offered in English on a group or individual basis.

Brochure Highlights – Cooler destinations

Probably the most sought after expedition trip in the world, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will take guests to the Antarctic Circle on the HANSEATIC in February 2010, and will cross the Antarctic Circle in January 2011 on both the BREMEN and on the HANSEATIC.

Trip logistics: from Ushuaia to Puerto Montt, 12 February to 7 March 2010, 23 days, with stops at the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Orkney Islands, South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula; cruise only rates start at £7553 per person

In August 2010 the HANSEATIC will sail the legendary Northwest Passage itinerary. This will be the only Northwest Passage voyage available on the expedition cruise market in 2010.

Trip logistics: from Kangerlussuaq to Nome, 16 August to 11 September 2010, 26 days, with stops in Greenland, Cruising in Disko Bay, Baffin Island, Devon Island, Barrow Strait, Northwest Passage and Alaska; rates starting at £11536 per person including the charter flight Hanover – Kangerlussuaq.

Fjords, Glaciers and the Midnight Sun are especially radiant between June and August. MS BREMEN will offer a 16-day Expedition Norway and Circumnavigation of Spitsbergen.

Trip logistics: from Travemuende to Tromsoe, 27 June to 13 July 2010, 16 days, with stops in Norway and the Norwegian fjords, circumnavigation of Spitsbergen, cruising off Bear Island and the Lofoten Islands; rates start at £4279 per person including the charter flight Tromsoe – Hanover.

Home of sea eagles and brown bears, the Kamchatka Expedition cruise in September 2010 onboard MS HANSEATIC will take guests on a unique trip to Japan and the Kuril Islands. This 19-day itinerary departs from Nome, Alaska (via charter flight from Vancouver (included) and ends in Yokohama/Japan.

Trip logistics: From Nome to Yokohama, 8-30 September 2010, 21 days, with stops in Alaska, Chukchi Peninsula, Chukotka, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, Japan; cruise only rates start at £6725 per person.

Brochure Highlights – Island Paradises

Warm water voyages are also a highlight in the BREMEN’s calendar. The expedition cruise between Mahe and Mauritius features the exotic Indian Ocean.

Trip logistics: From Mahé to Mauritius, 15 to 29 November 2010, with stops in Seychelles, Comores, Madagascar, Reunion Island and Mauritius; cruise only rates starting at £3657 per person.

The cruise only prices include:

• Full board on the ship
• Soft drinks from the mini-bar in the cabins refilled daily
• Lectures with experts including precaps and recaps for every zodiac or shore excursion
• Zodiac excursions and landings
• On board equipment for free use includes: snorkelling equipment, Nordic walking poles, bikes and kayaks (Bremen)
• Waterproof warm parkas and rubber boots for use whilst onboard
• Travel cancellation and bankruptcy insurance

For more information on these and other Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ exciting destinations and itineraries, visit www.hl-cruises.com  

Three new tour operators are brochuring a range of Cayman holidays in 2009 and 2010.

The Turquoise Holiday Company (www.turquioseholidays.co.uk ) is featuring Cayman as its exclusive Caribbean island, and will tailor-make boutique honeymoons and holidays to Little Cayman and in private villas.

The Eden Collection has added the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman to its luxury travel portfolio (www.edencollection.co.uk), and for a wide range of holidays from budget upwards on Grand Cayman, call Premier Holidays (www.premierholidays.co.uk).

With over 100 private villas and homes to rent throughout Cayman, what could be more appealing than a professional massage on the beach followed by a privately catered dinner party, Cayman-style?

These fabulous services are now available to make your home-from-home even more luxurious. ‘Catering Cayman’ is a very special private catering service run by Caymanian chef Sharon Ebanks and her daughter.

They will create a delicious menu, take over your kitchen and banish you to the beach until your gourmet spread is served before clearing up and leaving your kitchen spick and span. They will even serve children first – and the ladies’ macaroni cheese is a sure fire winner with all the family.

www.cateringcayman.ky

Meanwhile, mobile masseuse Phyllis Logue (345-928 7282) will bring her massage table to your own stretch of beach and set-to with her skilful touch as you doze under the shade of a palm tree and listen to the waves lapping on the shore.

For more information on the private villas visit www.caymanvillas.com

Cayman Sea Elements is a new eco-tour company set up by marine environmentalist and dive instructor Marnie Laing and her husband Danny.

Tours for children from as young as one up to experienced divers explore the precious and extraordinary mangrove forests that line the shores of Grand Cayman, filled with sea creatures including upside down jelly fish, baby barracudas, sea horses and wonderful, endemic birdlife. Under Marnie’s instinctive and expert guidance, small groups will love the most tranquil and hidden side of Cayman’s shoreline. Tours from US$30, half price for children and under fives free. www.caymanseaelements.com

Cotton Tree – four cottages, modern yet Caymanian in style, providing the last word in luxury with a dedicated concierge service.

Located in secluded, private land on the pristine north shore of West Bay, Cotton Tree guests can relax in the fresh water pool, enjoy treatments in the open air spa pavilion, partake in on-site art and cookery lessons or explore the precious stretch of coastline which offers exceptional snorkeling and diving.

http://www.caymancottontree.com

Keen divers are queuing up to invest time and money in Lighthouse Point, a new ecologically sustainable dive lodge .

Not only does it have the highest possible green credentials, but it is also a stunning example of old Caribbean architecture with unobstructed views of the Caribbean Sea from private balconies, and shore diving from the front door. Units are available to buy from August from US$500,000 and rentals are available from US$599 per week.

The shore diving is among the finest in Grand Cayman with an abundance of reefs littered with historic undersea artefacts.

www.lighthouse-point-cayman.com