Jetsettersblog

SeaDream Yacht Club’s 112-guest SeaDream I will depart from Hamburg on May 28 after a 20-day dry-dock renovation. The work included laying new carpeting in all public areas, suites and staterooms. The golf simulator was upgraded, a new Jacuzzi was installed, new cushions were added to all the chairs at the outside dining area, while new upholstery was installed on all the Balinese beds on Deck 6 and the seating areas around the Top of the Yacht Bar.

All staterooms will be freshly wallpapered, and the woodwork will be sanded and re-varnished. The hull was pressure washed and repainted and the tenders have also been upgraded.

SeaDream President Bob Lepisto said “maintenance at regular intervals of time is the key to providing these vessels a long and efficient life at sea.” He added that “much of the work being done is not necessarily visible, and that includes changing out air conditioning units, steel and pipe work, upgrades to galley equipment, etc.”

On May 28, SeaDream I departs on an 11-night voyage to Bergen, Norway. For more information, call 800-707-4911 or visit www.seadream.com

Apple Vacations added weekly nonstop flights to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from Lansing Capital Regional International Airport in Lansing, Mich. The Friday morning flights on Sun Country Airlines start Dec. 23 and end April 6, 2012. This winter, Apple Vacations will also fly three weekly flights to Cancun and Sun. morning flights to Jamaica.

A pioneer in the development of tourism to the Dominican Republic, Apple Vacations introduced many American travelers to this colorful vacation paradise in the 1990s. By 2007, Apple Vacations had delivered 1 million passengers to Punta Cana, and more than 2 million vacationers to the Dominican Republic overall. Today, Apple Vacations is the world’s largest vacation company to the Dominican Republic, operating 850 exclusive vacation flights annually from U.S. cities throughout the East, Midwest and Texas, in addition to nationwide scheduled airline service. In 2009, Apple Vacations was presented with the Dominican Republic’s Tourism Award for its outstanding contributions to the development of tourism.

Punta Cana’s appeal is bolstered by its modern and luxurious resorts and spas; 19 golf courses designed by Pete Dye, P.B. Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent Jones, Gary Player, Tom Fazio and Nick Faldo; watersports including sport-fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving; colorful restaurants and vibrant nightlife; shopping, local handicrafts and art; the spirit and charm of the Dominican culture; and 40 miles of spectacular sugar white beaches. No resort in Punta Cana, The Coconut Coast, is higher than the tallest palm tree. More than 60 resorts that range from comfortable and budget-friendly to luxurious and posh sit on a long stretch of white sand beach.

For more than 40 years Apple Vacations has provided vacation packages from U.S. departure cities nationwide to vacation destinations throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Europe, as well as top ski resorts throughout the U.S..

Luxury adventure travel company Travcoa reports that demand for travel to China has increased significantly for late 2011 and early 2012 departures, for both small-group and independent travel, compared to recent years. The company attributes the increase to the recent unrest in North Africa and the Middle East which has redirected travelers to other regions. As a result, Travcoa will increase capacity to China in early October to meet consumer demand.

According to Travcoa’s president, Jerre Fuqua, travel to China had waned for a period following the 2008 Summer Olympics, but rebounded sharply earlier this year as unrest in popular tourist destinations such as Egypt escalated. “China has always been a strong part of our portfolio,” said Fuqua, “but it’s clearly picked up over the past few months.” The company operates three Escorted Journeys to China including 13- and 21-day itineraries which explore key highlights and feature a Yangtze River cruise, plus a 22-day Silk Road adventure through western China and Central Asia in September.

Prices start at $5,475 per person based on double occupancy. Limited availability remains for the 2011 Escorted Journey departure dates except Oct. 3.

The company recently opened reservations for all 2012 dates. Demand for China in terms of private arrangements for independent travelers has also increased over the same period.

Travcoa will conduct a live, online webinar highlighting its 2011 and 2012 journeys to China on Wednesday, June 1, hosted by Travcoa travel director, Sharon Zimmerman. To register for the webinar call 800-992-2003 or visit www.travcoa.com/china.

Travcoa has been leading luxury adventures and in-depth explorations of exotic destinations since 1954. The company offers three types of travel experiences around the globe — small-group Escorted Journeys with comprehensive itineraries guided by professional travel directors; pre-designed and priced Independent Journeys for travelers who prefer an exclusive traveling party and their own departure date; and bespoke Tailor-Made Journeys that are crafted to individual traveler specifications. For more information, call 800-992-2003 or visit www.travcoa.com

The Omni Fort Worth Hotel is offering a Kimbell, Picasso and Braque Exhibit package to coincide with the international debut of the Kimbell Art Museum’s exhibition “Picasso and Braque: The Cubist Experiment, 1910-1912.” The package includes two tickets to the exhibition and breakfast for two daily in the hotel’s Cast Iron restaurant. The package is valid throughout the run of the exhibition, May 29 through Aug. 21.

For more information, call 800-843-6664 or visit www.omnihotels.com

Beaches’ four resorts in Turks & Caicos and Jamaica are offering a variety of special programs and events throughout the fall season, including military programs, single-parent family specials, stage shows and scuba diving parties. For example, guests who book a seven-night stay during in the fall travel receive up to one night free and up to 65 percent off regular rates. Guests who book a fall vacation at Beaches Negril Resort & Spa in select categories by May 26 will also receive a $150 credit at the Red Lane Spa.

Military families who book a three-night stay at any Beaches location by Oct. 25, 2011, for travel from Aug. 23 to Oct. 31, 2011, will receive an extra 15 percent savings in addition to all existing fall promotional rates. Military families can also now invite military and non-military friends and families to travel with them and enjoy the same savings in up to three rooms. During Beaches’ Single Parent Fun (SPF) months, from Aug. 23 to Oct. 31, 2011, the single supplement fee of up to $200 per night is waived at all four resorts with a minimum three-night stay. Guests who travel during Beaches’ three exclusive Single Parent Family Fun weeks, taking place on Sept. 5 to 11, 2011; Sept. 19 to 25, 2011; and Oct. 1 to 7, 2011, can participate in special activities including a beach bonfire and movie, beach Olympics and a complimentary Martha Stewart Crafts Studio postcard class.

Beaches Turks & Caicos will offer a Girls Getaway Package from Oct. 13 to 17, 2011. Priced at $1,199 per person, the package includes a welcome cocktail party with Kinect for Xbox 360, a private catamaran cruise, beach yoga, skincare classes by Dermalogica, island dance classes, a beach bonfire pajama party, a jewelry and champagne soiree, a 10 percent discount at the gift shop, a $200 Red Lane Spa voucher and a free 5-by-7-inch photograph.

Families with young children traveling to Beaches Resorts this fall will enjoy exclusive events, including “Sesame Street’s Gordon & Elmo Live!,” featuring the original performers on stage at Beaches Turks & Caicos, Oct. 1, 2 and 3; at Beaches Boscobel, Oct. 5; and at Beaches Negril, Oct. 8 and 9, plus Halloween-themed activities and a special stage show entitled “Sesame Street’s Countdown to Fall-O-Ween.”

For more information, call 800-BEACHES, or visit www.beaches.com

The Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort in the Bahamas has launched its first all-inclusive package, featuring meals, beverages, watersports and more. The package is available with minimum three-night stays booked and completed by Dec. 22, 2011. Rates start at $479 per night (double occupancy) for adults, $50 per night for children 5 to 12 years old and $75 per night for kids age 13 to 17. Children age 4 and under stay, eat and play free.

The package also features water sports presented by Aquamarine Water Sports, complimentary access to the resort’s fitness center, local phone calls and Internet access. When booking the “All-Inclusive Package,” mention rate code LAPKG1. For more information call 866-716-8106 or visit www.sheratonnassau.com/all-inclusive.

The Caravelle Hotel’s latest green initiative starts in June when the hotel launches an eco-meeting package that will provide companies with an environmentally friendly venue to talk shop in Ho Chi Minh City.

Green practices highlighted in the package include an electricity-saving scheme that makes use of natural daylight, purified water served in jugs rather than plastic bottles, and the absence of paper products typically supplied by the hotel. Additional equipment can be arranged by the hotel as needed.

The Caravelle Eco-Meeting Package is priced at a net rate of $34 per person for half-day meetings, and $39 per person for full-day meetings. For every person booked on an Eco-Meeting Package, a donation of $2.30 will be given to the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Conservation of Nature and the Environment, to fund the printing of comic books on environmental and nature conservation for Vietnamese primary students.

Since the start of its Green Initiatives program in 2008, the Caravelle has implemented energy-saving measures throughout its 335 rooms, switched to green cleaning products and, starting last year, recycled 40 percent of its wastewater.

Its efforts earned the Caravelle internationally recognized ISO certification in January 2011. The hotel now has its sights on Earth Check certification, the premier standard for environmental sustainability worldwide.

For more information, call 011 84 8 3823 4999, email bqsales@caravellehotel.vnn.vn  or visit www.caravellehotel.vnn.vn

Iguazú Grand Resort, Spa & Casino is offering a new honeymoon package designed for GLBT couples.

The packages feature a couple’s chocolate massage, daily breakfast in bed and excursions to both the Argentinean and Brazilian sides of the falls.

The “Go Both Ways” packages also includes three nights’ accommodations in a junior suite; a welcome drink at check-in; a complimentary upgrade; a bottle of champagne upon arrival; roundtrip transfer to the Argentinean side of Iguazu Falls with a Great Adventure boat ride; a candlelit dinner for two with a bottle of Malbec, in-room on a private balcony; roundtrip transfer to the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls; breakfast in bed each morning; and hotel transfers to and from the airport. The packages are priced at $1,475, based on double occupancy.

For more information, call 011-54-3757-498-050 or visit www.iguazugrand.com

The Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra is offering a four-day “Luxury Wedding Fair,” to be held at the hotel from June 2 to 5. The fair will celebrate the art of weddings with workshops, one-on-one consultations and displays by local and regional creators. The event marks the first luxury international wedding exhibition in Cambodia and is proof of the country’s growing appeal as a romance destination.

Some of the most reputable names in the wedding industry — including Malaysian company The Wedding Planners, and couture wedding collection designers La Flaire — collaborated with the Sofitel for the event. The fair is open to the public on June 5, when the Sofitel grounds will be adorned in La Flaire signature themes, such as Oriental Chic and Summer Breeze, while cake decoration demonstrations, models in designer gowns and classical band strollers will entertain the crowd. Displays will be set up and vendors on hand for consultation with prospective brides and grooms. For more information, visit www.sofitel.com

On June 9, the Lanesborough, London is inviting epicureans and wine connoisseurs to taste some of Burgundy’s finest Premier Crus and Grand Crus wines at The Lanesborough’s Michelin-starred Apsleys, a Heinz Beck Restaurant

. The seven-course tasting menu consists of a selection of wines supplied directly by Domaine Leflaive to ensure prime quality, including Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon ler Cru 2004, Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1999 and Bâtard-Montrachet 1995. Each is paired with the three Michelin-starred cuisine of Chef Heinz Beck, in an ongoing property commitment to offering bespoke experiences in an unforgettable setting. Adam Brett-Smith of Corney & Barrow will be on-hand throughout the dinner to speak to each of these rare vintages.

For more information, call 011 44 (0)20 7259 5599 or visit www.lanesborough.com