Jetsettersblog

The Outrigger Reef on the Beach in Waikiki is offering an Ocean Promotion package starting at a nightly room rate of $249 double through Dec. 21. Included is a choice of a stand-up paddle surfing lesson or a catamaran sailing tour (a snorkel sail in the daytime or a sunset sail in the early evening).

For more information, call 800-688-7444 or visit www.outriggerreef.com

The Honua Kai Resort & Spa in the Kaanapali Resort area of Maui has extended is Manager’s Special at 35 percent off published rates in Ohana, one- and two-bedroom suite categories, based on availability.

The Manager’s Special rates, which start at $260 per night, are now valid through June 11.

For more information, call 888-718-5789 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hawaii Time,

or visit www.honuakaimaui.com

The Halekulani in Waikiki has announced that reservations for its La Mer and Orchids restaurants are now available via OpenTable.com.

Diners are now able to utilize the capabilities provided by OpenTable.com to book tables at La Mer and Orchids with access to real-time availability. Individuals looking for an elegant dining experience can reserve a table at La Mer, Hawaii’s longest consecutively ranked AAA Five Diamond restaurant.

Those who want a more casual dining experience can book Orchids, which serves contemporary seafood dishes in an oceanfront setting.

For more information, call 800-367-2343 or visit www.halekulani.com  or www.opentable.com

The Makena Beach & Golf Resort on Maui has announced its 2010 wedding ceremony packages, which start at $4,500 plus tax and gratuity.

The Polynesian Alii (Royalty) package includes a bride’s lei, a three-tiered wedding cake, a bottle of champagne, a Hawaiian musical duo, a royal Hawaiian bridal procession, a bamboo arch decorated with tropical flowers, a aisle of sprinkled flower petals, a sound system, three hours of photography and a portrait, two hours of videography, a limousine pickup from Kahului Airport, and a 50-minute massage for two.

The Hawaiian Classic package features a bride’s lei, a three-tiered wedding cake, a bottle of champagne, a classical duo, a wedding arch, an aisle sprinkled with flower petals, a release of two white doves, three hours photography and a portrait, and two hours of videography.

The Royal Princess package includes a bridesmaid’s bouquet, a best man’s lei, a three-tiered wedding cake, a bottle of champagne, a Polynesian processional trio and solo guitarist, a wedding arch, an aisle sprinkled with flower petals, and two hours of photography and a portrait.

The Makena Kuuipo (Sweetheart) package features a two-tiered wedding cake, a bottle of champagne, a Hawaiian solo guitarist and two hours photography with a portrait.

All packages include assistance with the marriage license and event coordination. Other standard package offerings are a choice of wedding site and ceremony coordination, an officiant, a ceremony rehearsal, a bridal bouquet, a groom’s maile lei intertwined with tuberose, seating for 20, a Hawaiian keepsake wedding certificate, an in-room gift, and fresh floral turndown on the wedding night.

Wedding dinner receptions start at $50 per person for plated dinners, while buffets start at $70 per person.

For the honeymoon, the new Kuuipo (Sweetheart) package starts at $219 per night and includes a fresh flower lei greeting, champagne and strawberries brought to the room on the day of arrival, and breakfast in bed each morning.

For wedding packages and receptions call 800-368-8444 or email makenaweddings@benchmarkmanagement.com

For general information and reservations, call 800-321-6284 or visit www.makenaresortmaui.com

The Battleship Missouri Memorial has reopened in Pearl Harbor on Oahu after an $18 million dry-docking project, which included maintenance and preservation work.

The ship, which was the site of the Japanese surrender to the U.S. during World War II, has a refurbished hull, a fresh coat of paint and cathodic protection and humidity detection technologies.

In addition, tour routes, signage, special event capabilities and ADA accessibility have all been upgraded, including refurbished restroom facilities.

The visitor experience has also been overhauled.

The memorial has introduced the Mighty Mo Pass, an all-in-one ticket that includes a single admission, plus a choice from one of the following tours previously priced in addition to admission:

the Mighty Mo Tour (35-minute guided tour);

the Guide2Go iPod Tour (audio-visual tour using the Apple iPod touch corresponding to shipboard signage);

the Acoustiguide Tour (audio-only tour also corresponding to signage);

or the option to tour the battleship at one’s own pace along a variety of self-guided tour routes.

For $25 more, guests can upgrade to the Battle Stations Tour, a new, 90-minute guided tour that focuses on battle readiness sea for officers and sailors.

Only Battle Stations Tour participants can see the inside of Turret No. 1, an engine room, a plotting room and the “Broadway” (an internal corridor that extends two-thirds of the length of the ship).

Children must be age 10 or older for this tour.

For more information, call 877-644-4896 or visit www.ussmissouri.org  Read the Jetsetters Magazine feature about Might Mo.

Virgin Limited is introducing the Necker Nymph, a DeepFlight three-person aero submarine. Likened to an underwater aircraft, this open cockpit winged sub is the first of its kind to hit the market.

Designed and built by Graham Hawkes of Hawkes Ocean Technologies, Necker Nymph represents a new class of high-performance, positively buoyant vehicles that safely extend the overall capabilities of scuba, while offering the unique experience of underwater flight.

Unlike all conventional subs which use ballast to sink in the water, Necker Nymph uses downward ‘lift’ on the wings to fly down to depth.

Available either when chartering Necker Belle, the luxury, 105-foot catamaran, or when staying on Necker Island, underwater flight on Necker Nymph allows guests to discover ancient shipwrecks, fly side-by-side with dolphins or view whales.

The open cockpits afford 360-degree viewing for occupants.

Dives can last up to two hours.

Guests follow standard SCUBA procedures and will be trained/accompanied by a certified Necker Nymph pilot.

Importantly, like all DeepFlight subs, Necker Nymph has near-zero environmental impact.

Its positive buoyancy prevents the sub from landing on a reef, and its low light and noise emissions ensure the fragile ocean ecosystems remain undisturbed. When taking Necker Belle for seven nights’ exclusive hire, the sub is available at a weekly rate of $25,000.

For bookings, call 011-44 (0)208-600-0430 or visit www.virginlimitededition.com

The Landings St. Lucia, A RockResort, unveiled a new fine-dining restaurant, The Palms, which provides another culinary option for guests of the beachside all-suite resort.

In addition to The Palms, guests can dine at The Beach Club restaurant and bar, which has undergone a transformation. Located in the grand entrance pavilion as an extension of the open-air Viscount Lounge,

The Palms menu features sustainable cuisine with Caribbean flavor, offering the latest seasonal produce and seafood purchased from local St. Lucian farms.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays for dinner, guests can watch live performances by a classical pianist during their meal.

Adorning the walls of the restaurant are pieces of original art work by artist Llewellyn Xavier, a St. Lucia native, who produced each piece in the collection using recycled materials.

In addition to the 28-seat open-air dining room, there is a private room available for special events. Executive Chef Richard Tonks’ menu includes potted pork and duck appetizer with pickled vegetables and potato pancakes, and oven-roasted lobster accented with anchovy, garlic and olive butter.

The signature dish is shredded braised lamb shanks wrapped in lettuce girolles, shallots and merlot sauce.

The resort has also restructured The Beach Club, which now offers a more casual setting for guests.

With “no shoes required” as the overall concept, the beachside restaurant serves three meals a day featuring Caribbean fare such as callaloo soup and jerk pork tenderloin. The Beach Club has also introduced a Happy Hour with local beer on tap, a pool table, dartboard, Bocce ball and horseshoes. Live Calypso island-inspired music will be offered on Friday nights.

For more information, call 877-657-ROCK or visit www.rockresorts.com

Delta Air Lines will start nonstop service from New York-JFK to the Cayman Islands on June 12.

Flights will operate once a week on Saturdays using the 160-seat Boeing 737-800.

The new service is launching at the same time that the Caymans is offering a family-oriented summer promotion.

The Cayman Islands 2010 summer promotion will be valid for travel May 15 to Sept. 6, 2010, and includes discounted accommodations, activities, meals, car rentals, attractions, and more.

Booking updates will be available soon. For more information, visit www.delta.com  or www.caymanislands.ky

It’s that time of the year again when thousands of revelers flock to the island of Trinidad for what is described, by many, as one of the most colorful pre-Lenten celebrations in the world, Trinidad Carnival.

At Trinidad’s Carnival, visitors are free to join in, sing, dance and are completely part of the event.

In 2010, Trinidad Carnival culminates on Feb. 15 and 16.

Carnival was introduced to Trinidad by the French in 1783 in the form of elaborate masquerade balls thrown by plantation owners. Banned from the festivities, the African slaves would hold their own celebrations using rituals and folklore while imitating their masters’ behavior.

Once slavery was abolished in 1838, the freed Africans took their Carnival celebration to the streets and, as each new immigrant population entered Trinidad, a new flavor was added to the festivities.

The Kiddies Carnival takes place on Saturday, Feb. 13.

This is when thousands of children take to the streets.

Kids participate from as early as parents can get them into costume, sometimes even strollers are decorated. Panorama also takes place on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Panorama is the annual competition for the national instrument, the steel pan.

Preliminary contests are held throughout the country in the weeks leading up to Carnival. The finals are held on the Saturday night before Carnival officially begins and represents the ultimate test of pan beating.

The best of the best compete in front of the crowd of spectators and judges.

Each band performs one song for the allotted time of 10 minutes. Winners are awarded in the categories of best small, medium and large band.

The Kings and Queens Costume Competition takes place on Sunday, Feb. 14.

The costumes, weighing between 50 and 200 pounds, usually depict dragons, butterflies or insects with glowing eyes and antennas.

Designers spend months creating costumes that can reach up to 30 feet high. Upon presenting their works of art to judges, designers enhance their stage show presence and their chance of winning with special effects such as lasers, fog, light shows, fireworks and musical sound effects.

J’Ouvert takes place on Monday, Feb. 15.

This is the official start of Carnival, and it takes place before dawn on Carnival Monday. Revelers dress in old clothes and cover themselves in oil, grease, paint, chocolate and/or mud and parade through the towns and villages of Trinidad to the sounds of soca and calypso until the sun comes up.

Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 15 and 16, consists of thousands of people “jumping up” in the streets of Port of Spain. Band members wear glittery, colorful, scantily clad costumes. Each band has its own historical, mythological or tropical concept with various sections of the band depicting aspects of the theme.

Bands are judged in three categories — small, medium and large band — and winners are announced after all the bands have been judged. The grand champion is crowned Masquerade Band of the Year.

For more information, call 800-816-7541 or visit www.goTrinidadandTobago.com

Delta Vacations is discounting a vacation to Barbados at 40 percent off. Now through Feb. 28, Delta Vacations is offering 40 percent off a hotel stay at one of Almond Resorts’ Barbados properties, including Almond Beach Village, Almond Beach Club and Almond Casuarina.

Additionally, by booking five nights or more travelers will receive a $100 spa credit at one of these premier all-inclusive resorts.

The deal is good for travel through Dec. 20.