Jetsettersblog

Spirit Airlines has launched new nonstop service to four cities from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, including Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit and New York LaGuardia, with new daily service to Orlando beginning on Nov. 10, 2011.

The new service to Boston includes one daily flight plus a second daily flight seasonally; to Dallas/Fort Worth, twice daily flights plus a third daily flight seasonally; to Detroit, two daily flights; and to New York LaGuardia, one daily flight plus a second daily flight starting in September. To celebrate the new service Spirit is offering fares from $9 each way based on roundtrip purchase on Friday, Aug. 19, available only at www.spirit.com.

“We are thrilled to be adding service from Chicago to five new cities and are excited to be giving even more consumers the opportunity to save money on travel. Our ultra low base fares with a range of optional services for a fee allows customers the freedom to choose only the extras they value,” said Spirit Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Barry Biffle.

“We commend Spirit Airlines for substantially increasing its U.S. travel destinations from O’Hare International Airport,” said Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino. “New air service to the Chicago market is an important part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s vision to bolster Chicago’s leading position in the global aviation system while creating new economic opportunities. Spirit’s focus on sustainability, including the efficiency of its modern fleet, and energy conservation programs at Spirit headquarters, are a great fit with Chicago’s green initiatives and the CDA’s strong commitment to the environment.” For more information, visit www.spirit.com

InnerSea Discoveries has acquired the 76-passenger Wilderness Explorer, formerly the 86-guest Spirit of Discovery operated by shuttered Cruise West. After significant renovations, the ship will sail between Juneau and Sitka, Alaska, beginning summer 2012.

“There’s no doubt about the demand for active, hands-on explorations in Southeast Alaska,” said Dan Blanchard, principal and chief executive officer.

“We quickly sold out our first season. This ship fits in nicely with our fleet, and we are starting renovations now to add new amenities and spaces fitting our style of active adventures.”

The company also revealed that its American Safari Cruises division is acquiring the Safari Legacy, formerly Cruise West’s Spirit of ’98. Preliminary plans are for it to operate summers in Alaska’s Inside Passage beginning in 2013 and fall and spring on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The company also recently acquired the Safari Endeavour, which will begin operations in Alaska in 2012.

Beginning June 2, the Wilderness Explorer will sail weeklong cruises with three days in Glacier Bay National Park. A National Park Ranger will stay aboard the ship for the three days to provide interpretation on the area’s history, culture, geography, flora and fauna. The park ranger, along with shipboard expedition guides, will also lead guests on hiking and kayaking expeditions within Glacier Bay.

Other areas to be explored include Icy Strait, Chichagof Island and Peril Strait. In May and August, two-week cruises between Seattle and Juneau will be offered.

Three cabin categories consist of 21 Trailblazer, 13 Pathfinder and 4 Explorer cabins. Bed configurations include twin or queen with more beds made convertible during the renovation. Cabins will feature flat-screen televisions with DVD players, iPod docking stations and eco-friendly bath amenities. All cabins feature a window.

During renovation, two hot tubs will be added on the bow and the aft sun deck. A sauna and exercise equipment will also be added to the aft sun deck. The lounge bar will be expanded with the addition of 10 taps serving microbrews and cask wine. A swim step will be added to the ship’s main deck aft. The extra space will serve as a launch pad for excursions and host a kayak launch platform that can launch five kayaks at a time.

The adventure cruises offer stand-up paddle boarding, skiff explorations and whale watching. Snorkeling gear is available for a fee. Flexible itineraries and few set port times allow the ships to seek out wildlife and maximize viewing time for guests.

Other shipboard amenities include complimentary on-deck yoga classes, a large resource library, a DVD library and board games. A professional masseuse is part of the crew and massages are available for a fee. An underwater camera mounted on the ship’s bow will stream video from the underwater world to televisions in all guest rooms and the lounge. Meals feature fresh ingredients including locally caught Alaskan seafood. The guest to crew ratio is 3-to-1.

Prices for the seven-night cruises aboard the Wilderness Explorer start at $3,095 per person, double occupancy, and include transfers and all activities except optional excursions. Not included are port charges of $167 per person per week, massages, spirits and gratuities.

For more information, call 877-901-1009 or visit www.innerseadiscoveries.com  or www.americansafaricruises.com

Costa Cruises is offering lead-in fares starting at $399 per person on select seven-night Eastern and Western Mediterranean sailings in November and December 2011.

The offer is good on seven-night Eastern Mediterranean cruises roundtrip from Venice, Italy, aboard Costa Victoria, as well as seven-night Western Mediterranean cruises roundtrip from Civitavecchia (Rome) on Costa Concordia and Costa Magica.

The $399 fare also is available on a Western Mediterranean cruise over Thanksgiving aboard Costa Magica; Thanksgiving cruises are priced from $449 on Costa Concordia and Costa Serena.

For more information, call 800-GO-COSTA or visit www.costacruises.com

The One-Million Rand Wedding package is being offered by the boutique Oyster Box Hotel in South Africa. The two-night/three-day packages include activities and services, travel, entertainment and accommodation for both the couple and their guests.

The offerings can highlight champagne and oysters on tap, helicopter trips, excursions, pre-wedding parties and meals, jewelry, travel costs, transfers and more.

On Day 1, the couple will be transferred from the airport to the hotel in a Rolls-Royce. At the hotel, final arrangements will be made with the wedding coordinator, and they will meet their butler who will assist them for the duration of their stay. Accommodation will be provided in two sea-facing rooms, and on the wedding day, the butler will transfer their luggage to the Presidential Suite. Before joining their guests, the couple will take a microlight trip along the coast, passing the Umhlanga lighthouse, and then swim with dolphins.

Wedding guests will receive transfers to the hotel by vintage car, champagne, oysters, strawberries and chocolate fountains throughout the stay; use of the spa; flowers and fruit in rooms; and mini bars stocked with top brands.

Day 1 also includes a pre-wedding spa party for the female guests, a welcome by Zulu dancers, a cocktail party, and a gourmet seafood evening, served at the pool.

Day 2 (the wedding day) includes a champagne breakfast; the bride and female guests will be assisted with hair and make-up; nine holes of golf for the groom and up to three guests; and the wedding takes place in the garden gazebo.

Guests assemble in the garden for drinks and canapés while the bride and groom arrive by boat, and take a horse-drawn carriage to the hotel. Photographers and a videographer will record events, with the lighthouse opened for a private shoot.

After the ceremony, the celebrations begin, featuring a four-tiered wedding cake, a personalized bottle of wine for each guest, a full open local bar, champagne reception and seven-course banquet paired with wines.

The bride and bridesmaids will each receive a local pearl pendant. A four-piece band will play during the reception, which ends with a sky lantern release into the night.

Day 3 includes a gourmet breakfast on the Lighthouse Terrace; guests receive a parting gift; luxury transfer to flights home; the bride and groom will receive an oil painting of the Oyster Box by a local artist; and the bride and groom to spend two nights at Phinda to see the Big 5, inclusive of transfers.

This package is offered as two options — a small intimate wedding with private wedding ceremony and wedding breakfast for up to 20 guests plus four deluxe bedrooms (in addition to the accommodation for the bride and groom) for three nights, or a wedding ceremony and wedding breakfast for up to 60 guests, plus accommodation for bride and groom for three nights.

For more information, call 011 31 514 5000 or visit

www.oysterboxhotel.com

or www.redcarnationhotels.com

Contact African Travel Inc. at www.africantravelinc.com for exceptional safari honeymoon packages, or contact your travel agent that works closely with the premier African tour operator.

London’s Lanesborough’s Timeless Weekend Getaway includes Sony VAIO laptops in all guest rooms, wireless Internet and email access, unlimited movies on demand, fresh fruit and mineral water replenished daily, change of clothing pressed on arrival, tea and coffee served on arrival and with wake up calls, and 24-hour butler service. The package is for those that reserve minimum of two nights arriving on Friday or Saturday. Weekend Rates start at £250 ($400).

The hotel’s Taste of Luxury Getaway includes English breakfast, wine and petite fours on arrival; Sony VAIO laptops in all guest rooms; wireless Internet and email access; unlimited movies on demand; fresh fruit and mineral water replenished daily; tea and coffee on arrival and with wake-up calls; and 24-hour butler service. The package must be reserved for Friday, Saturday and Sunday arrivals. Weekend rates start at £395 ($330). For more information, call 800-999-1828 or visit www.lanesborough.com

LutherCountry in eastern Germany is promoting the Luther Route, a circular trail that joins two towns that are significant in the history of the Reformation. One is Lutherstadt Eisleben, where Martin Luther was born and where he died. The other is Lutherstadt Wittenberg, regarded as the heart of the Reformation. Both are situated between Berlin and Leipzig in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, which celebrates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

Marked with a medieval-looking green L, the 250-mile Luther Route links 40 important towns, villages and sites, such as Halle (Saale), Mansfeld Lutherstadt, Dessau, and Woerlitz. But there are also well-signposted local walks. In Lutherstadt Wittenberg, for example, the Luther Path not only highlights seven important sites, but doubles as a prayer or meditation trail. Travelers can start with the Castle Church, where Luther nailed his 95 Theses, his demands for reform, to the door. The trail includes the Fountain in the Cranach Courtyard, where Lucas Cranach, the great medieval painter, worked. It continues past the grand entrance to the Town Hall. Nearby, at the Town Church is a memorial to the Jews. You also visit the Leucorea, the university where, in 1514, Luther studied the Bible, finding “understanding, insight, and truth.” For more information, visit www.lutherstadt-wittenberg.de.

In Eisleben, clients can rent a bicycle ($6 a day) and get out into the surrounding countryside. The Lake Trail, a 20-mile loop round Suesser See (lake), is nice and flat, with apricot orchards. Stop for coffee in the pretty village of Seeburg, with a castle and a terrace overlooking the water. Or they can choose the 20-mile Castle Trail (Burgtour) that leads to Burg Bornstedt. In this centuries-old castle, days gone by are recreated by “knights and ladies,” dressed up in medieval armor, helmets and shields. For more information, visit www.visit-luther.com

Düsseldorf Tourism is putting the city’s art legacy at the center of a promotion and stimulating the promotion with packages. A major show of almost 400 pieces at Düsseldorf’s Museum Kunstpalast, from Sept. 24 through Jan. 22, highlights the best works of some of the most influential international artists drawn to work and study at Düsseldorf’s Art Academy from 1819 to 1918. The city’s tourism office is offering Art in Düsseldorf packages starting at 75 euros ($106) per person per night, including hotel, breakfast and local transportation. For more information, visit www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en/art-in-duesseldorf-2011.

The exhibit reflects the strong international pull the academy had on painters and sculptors from all over the world, including U.S. artists Emanuel Leutze and Albert Bierstadt, Iwan Schischkin from Russia, Hans Frederik Gude from Norway, and Fanny Churberg from Finland, and shows cross-influences from other leading painting schools in the U.S. and Europe (e.g., the Hudson River School). The show also addresses a period in which the Düsseldorf School of Painting found a modern direction — especially under the influence of Eugen Dücker, who taught there from 1872 — and found its strongest expression through a group of avant-garde artists, called “Sonderbund” (Special Association), founded 1909. For more information, visit www.smkp.de/ausstellungen/ausblick/weltklasse-die-duesseldorfer-malerschule-1819-1918.html  or www.visitduesseldorf.de

The Munich Tourist Office is offering special city tours on foot entitled “Paths of Faith through Munich” for all visitors with a particular interest in religious buildings and questions of faith. The tours were developed in cooperation with the Bavarian Pilgrimage Office. They pass through places connected to the Catholic, Protestant, Greek-Orthodox and Jewish faiths. A bicycle tour to pilgrimage stations outside Munich’s old town can be booked through the corresponding bicycle tour provider Spurwechsel.

For more information, call 011-089-6924699, email info@spurwechsel-muenchen.de  or visit www.spurwechsel-muenchen.de  or www.muenchen.de

British Airways cabin crew are now using the latest iPad model to bring a new dimension to customer service. The iPads enable cabin crew to have prior awareness of customer preferences and a greater understanding of each customer’s previous travel arrangements, allowing them to offer a truly personalized service.

The iPad lets crew quickly identify where each customer is seated, who they are travelling with, their Executive Club status and any special meal requests. It gives cabin crew a whole library of information at their fingertips, including timetables, safety manuals and customer service updates. It also means any issues can be logged with ground-based colleagues around the network prior to departure so solutions can be delivered while the flight is airborne.

When all the passengers have boarded and just before the doors are shut, cabin crew are currently handed a long scroll of paper, listing up to 337 customers. With the new iPads, cabin crew will simply refresh their screen when the doors have closed through wireless 3G networks and they will have a complete list of passengers on board.

Bill Francis, British Airways’ head of in-flight customer experience, said, “The iPad is already allowing us to offer a more personalized onboard service, but the possibilities for future development are endless. We’re receiving great feedback from cabin crew and customers already. It allows the crew to offer the thoughtful service they want to deliver and customers are treated as valued guests.”

The iPad is currently being tested with 100 cabin crew with the aim to roll it out to all senior crew members across the airline in the coming months. For more information, visit www.ba.com.

Travel Experts Design the Perfect Private Journey Just for You

Smithsonian Journeys announces new customized travel created for the independent traveler. Smithsonian’s new Private Departures are customized private journeys designed by an experienced team of travel planners and based entirely on the interests, schedule, pace and budget of traveling families or friends. This opportunity to travel independently with Smithsonian will appeal to many Baby Boomers who are ready to create a trip of a lifetime, often inspired by milestone moments such as a special birthday, anniversary, retirement or family reunion. More information on Private Departures, including sample itineraries to Peru, India, Africa and private Alaska cruises, can be found at http://www.SmithsonianJourneys.org/private-departures  or by calling 1-877-547-1701.

Experts will listen to traveler preferences, age ranges, and activity levels and then suggest must-see highlights and activities for the selected destination. Travel can be customized to be an action-packed adventure or a leisurely vacation, and incorporate specialized activities such as favorite sports interests, cooking lessons and behind-the-scenes access to sites. These customized tours will also be enriched by top local experts and guides. Travelers can also request a Smithsonian expert to accompany them throughout their vacation. All Private Departures are enhanced with a traditional Smithsonian educational focus to increase visitors’ understanding of their destination.

Travelers will select from luxury accommodations, boutique hotels, up-scale lodges or simple comfortable accommodations to create the ideal style for their budget. Air travel arrangements, local cuisine and private transfers with escorts are also part of the customized package. Experts will organize all the choices into a seamless, cost-effective customized vacation that maximizes vacation time and eliminates the hassle of travel planning for the guests. Peace of mind is also assured by round-the-clock support from the U.S.-based travel specialists as well as on-site representatives.

Private Departures is just one way that Smithsonian Journeys is meeting the demands of today’s sophisticated travelers, who are known for their diverse interests, budgets and styles of travel. “We’re delighted to offer these new services,” said Smithsonian Journeys Director Amy Kotkin. “Many of our travelers have mentioned that they would like to bring their entire family or special group of friends on a private Smithsonian tour. Now we have a way of fulfilling those desires and to create memorable learning vacations for couples, families and friends.” Private Departures is an ideal way for Baby Boomers to celebrate a milestone birthday with friends-such as a surprise balloon safari and champagne breakfast in the Serengeti. Journeys travel experts can create a romantic anniversary in Morocco, with a private candle-lit dinner overlooking the souks of Marrakech. Their experts can also plan the ideal retirement celebration, such as exploring the Inca wonders of Machu Picchu as the sun rises over the mountains, or discovering palaces of the Maharajahs and tracking Bengel tigers in India as a family adventure.

About Smithsonian Journeys
Smithsonian Journeys (http://www.SmithsonianJourneys.org) is the Smithsonian Institution’s travel program, with more than 40 years dedicated to life-enriching experiences worldwide. The Smithsonian is known for “Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery,” which is central to Smithsonian Journeys and its expert-led international and domestic tours featuring exclusive access and unforgettable experiences. All 2012 travel options can be seen at http://www.SmithsonianJourneys.org/2012 , featuring more than 200 departures to 80 countries worldwide, or by calling toll-free 1 (877) 338-8687.

About Smithsonian Institution
Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities. There are 6,000 Smithsonian employees, including approximately 500 scientists, and more than 6,500 volunteers. There were approximately 30 million visits from around the world at the Smithsonian in 2010 with more than 188 million visits to the Smithsonian websites. The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at 137 million.