Jetsettersblog

Wimco Villas Can Arrange Spa Treatments

Wimco Villas announces a relationship with La Ligne de St. Barth to provide in-villa spa and massage treatments in all of its 260 private luxury villas on the island of St Barts in the Caribbean. A Caribbean vacation is all about relaxation, and with this agreement, licensed massage specialists will come with their own equipment right to guests’ private villas. Wimco clients can decide to have the service performed outside by the pool, or in their air-conditioned bedrooms, whatever best suits their desires.

“The in-villa spa service provided by La Ligne de St. Barth enhances our villa guests’ vacation experience,” says Stiles Bennet, Wimco Villas’ Director of Marketing.

“When our reservationists are booking a villa, they suggest to a client that a spa treatment on the morning of the first full day of their vacation is the perfect way to jump-start the journey to relaxation.”

Wimco notes that this service also provides a guarantee of discretion, satisfaction and security. By partnering with a licensed spa and massage treatment specialist, with pre-screened technicians, Wimco is assuring their clients peace of mind as well as deep relaxation.

Villas is an award-winning luxury villa company, providing access to some of the world’s most beautiful and exceptional villas in Italy, the South of France, Mykonos.

In the Caribbean Wimco Villas represents over 260 villas on St Barths and offers an expansive selection of villas throughout the region including St Martin, Barbados, Anguilla, Jamaica, British Virgin Islands, Mustique, Nevis and the Cayman Islands.

 

Island Destinations 3 Night Jamaican Escape

Luxury travel wholesaler Island Destinations is offering a three-night getaway for two to Royal Plantation in Jamaica, starting at $1,095 per room, representing 33 percent savings. Included in the escape is an Ultimate Exclusive value-add offer: one sunset sea voyage for two with private captain, bottle of champagne and chocolate dipped fruit assortment available only when booking through Island Destinations.

Royal Plantation is an adult only, all-suite beach resort hidden amidst the beauty of the Ocho Rios Riviera. The three-night escape also includes: Private roundtrip airport transfers from Montego Bay or Kingston; roundtrip transfers to golf course; weekly cocktail party with full open bar; refreshing “mangosas,” chilled towel service, rosewater face and body misting and cucumber eye cooling by an unobtrusive beach butler.

Rates for the three-night stay start at $1,095 per room. An all-inclusive plan is also available starting at $2,386. The offer is valid for new bookings through Dec. 15 and for travel through Dec. 31. For reservations and information, call 888-454-4422 or visit www.islanddestinations.com

Carnival Cruises Ocho Rios Attraction

Carnival Corp. & plc partnered with Rain Forest Trams Ltd., a local bank and businessmen to develop Rainforest Bobsled Jamaica at Mystic Mountain, a new eco-friendly attraction in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

The facility is slated to welcome its first visitors in a soft opening on July 1, 2008. Grand opening festivities are set for late July. Rainforest Bobsled Jamaica was developed by Mystic Mountain Ltd., a partnership between Rain Forest Trams Ltd and Jamaican businessmen Horace A. Clarke, and O.J. and Michael N. Drakulich, Carnival Corp. and the Development Bank of Jamaica.

The multimillion-dollar tourism attraction features a Jamaican Bobsled ride through the tropical forest, a chairlift journey, a zip-line ride through the treetops, an island culture and heritage center, and mountaintop dining and shopping venues.

Rainforest Bobsled Jamaica at Mystic Mountain covers more than 100 acres stretching from the Coast Road entrance near Dunn’s River Falls to more than 700 feet above sea level at the peak of Mystic Mountain. The site supports a diverse ecosystem of natural springs, tropical foliage, native trees and colorful bird species. Mystic Mountain’s tours and rides have been designed to have minimal environmental impact and physical footprint.

Custom-designed bobsleds inspired by the Jamaican Olympic bobsled teams of the 1980s and ’90s travel on winding stainless-steel rails on a 3,280-foot gravity-driven ride. The bobsled track was laid to avoid disturbing the natural landscape. Riders control their rate of descent with a handbrake. At the end of the ride, the bobsled slides to a stop and is slowly pulled back by cable to the top of the mountain, completing the entire circuit in approximately six minutes.

The Rainforest Sky Explorer is a state-of-the-art chairlift. The ascent skims the top of the trees on the way to the 700-foot peak of Mystic Mountain. The Rainforest Zip-Line Tranopy Tour covers virgin areas of the mountain, flying through the canopy via a zip line along a series of interconnected tree- and land-based platforms.

The tour ends at the mid-station of the Rainforest Sky Explorer chairlift, which returns zip-line riders to the park entrance. At the summit of Mystic Mountain is the Jamaican Railway Station & Mystic Pavilion. Designed by Jamaican architect Ann Hodges, the traditional three-story building is a replica of an early 20th-century Jamaican railway station.

The site provides views of Jamaica’s north coast and the hills and valleys of St. Ann. The 9,000-square-foot multilevel rail station features a lookout tower with panoramic views of Ocho Rios and the harbor, a bar and restaurant, retail outlets, and a photo shop while serving as the boarding point for Bobsled Jamaica.

For more information, visit www.rfat.com

Holland America Cruises New Pan-Asian Restaurant

Holland America Line’s new Eurodam features a new Pan-Asian restaurant called Tamarind. The 144-seat restaurant will serve reservations-only lunch and dinner. The complimentary lunch menu will feature dim sum, an assortment of Asian dumplings and fusion sauces for dipping.

Soup and salad, as well as desserts-such as green tea tiramisu and mango sorbet-will also be included on the lunch menu.

For dinner, guests can order Asian-inspired cuisine off of the menu or choose Rijsttafel, a Dutch adaptation of the traditional Indonesia dinner. To complement the traditional offerings at Tamarind, Master Chef Rudi Sodamin has created Asian-inspired entrees.

The Silk Den, a new lounge adjacent to Tamarind, will overlook the magradome, offering guests a view of a new, poolside water feature. A full menu of Asian-themed specialty cocktails including Sakétinis will be served.

Dinner at Tamarind will cost $15 per person with the Rijsttafel costing $20 per person. Lunch is complimentary.

The 2,104-guest Eurodam was christened July 1 in Rotterdam with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, followed by a maiden voyage in the Baltic region.

The ship will offer its first trans-Atlantic cruise and sail Canada/New England in the fall, followed by Caribbean itineraries for the remainder of 2008.

Delta Vacations, SuperClubs Offer Discounts

Delta Vacations is marking the beginning its new management by Travel Impressions by partnering with SuperClubs to offer savings of up to $100 at participating resorts.

Clients who book four- or five-night packages, double occupancy, will get $50 off the total booking.

Clients who book six nights or more, double, will receive $100 off the total booking. This offer is valid on all room categories for bookings until  Sept. 30 for travel July 2 to Dec. 15.

This offer is valid for both land-only and air-inclusive new bookings. Certain blackout, weekend and holiday peak surcharges apply.

The following SuperClubs resorts are participating in the Super Savings promotion: Breezes Bahamas in Nassau, Breezes Curacao Resort, Spa & Casino in Curacao and Breezes Runaway Bay Resort & Golf Club, Breezes Montego Bay, Grand Lido Braco Resort & Spa, Grand Lido Negril Resort & Spa, Hedonism II, Hedonism III and Starfish Trelawny Resort & Spa, all in Jamaica.

For more information, call 800-221-6666 or visit www.deltavacations.com

Future Vacations New Price Match Policy

Future Vacations launched a new Price Match policy. Under terms of the new policy that will match any competitor’s price on comparable vacation packages within three hours, ensuring that travelers always receive the best value for their vacation dollar.

Travel agents or consumers who book a Future Vacations package and find a lower price on a comparable package elsewhere can call Future Vacations’ new Price Match Hotline – 800-373-7801 – and speak directly to a Price Match Specialist for immediate service.

Comparable packages must feature the same airline, hotel, room category, travel dates and inclusions (e.g.: rental car, ground transfers, theme park/show tickets, etc.). For the fastest service, calls must be made during the following Price Match business hours: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 7 pm EST and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm EST.

Calls made outside of these hours will receive a return call the following business day. If Future Vacations is unable to match the price of a package, travelers will receive a $25 travel credit for future use.

The Price Match Policy is effective now and until further notice on all packages in the Future Vacations portfolio, which spans the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East.

For telephone reservations, call 800-456-2323.

Holiday Inn Resorts Aruba, Jamaica Winter Savings

Holiday Inn Resorts Aruba & Jamaica are giving travelers the gift of savings for resort stays during the winter 2008/2009 Holiday Season.

Savings of 20 percent off published rates are available at both properties for bookings made now for travel between late-December 2008 and early-January 2009.

All-inclusive rates at the Holiday Inn Resort Montego Bay start as low as $199 per person, per night based on double occupancy. Aruba all-inclusive rates start as low as $353 per person, per night (double).

Applicable travel dates at the Holiday Inn Resort Montego Bay are from Dec. 21, 2008 to Jan. 3, 2009. Applicable travel dates at the Holiday Inn Resort are Dec. 23, 2008 to Jan. 3, 2009.

Both properties require a minimum five-night stay; no blackout dates apply. The 20 Percent Sale is effective immediately and will remain in place until further notice. Promo code 120 must be provided to receive savings.

Group bookings are ineligible. For reservations and more information, call 800-HOLIDAY or visit www.caribbeanhi.com

Beaches Fall Family Package

Beaches Resorts’ Fall Family Reunion Package is available for travel to Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa, Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club and Beaches Negril Resort & Spa between Sept. 1 and Nov. 4.

The package features discounted rates of up to 40 percent off regular rack rates and two nights free on seven-night bookings, a family reunion concierge, available to assist with dining reservations and optional excursions, photo sessions, Red Lane Spa appointments, a private cocktail reception, a private dining experience featuring a personalized menu, family reunion activities, a family portrait session courtesy of Beaches Resorts’ Snap Shots studios and a complimentary 5 x 7 family photograph, private check-in for the entire family;

and, upon departure, a special farewell cake. Prior to the trip, families will also receive complimentary “Save the Date” family reunion postcards and t-shirts.

As an added bonus, those who visit during the fall can also take advantage of Beaches Resorts’ WonderFALL celebration featuring new programs for the family including: Sesame Street Stage Shows; Family Learning Adventures, hosted by the experts at Sesame Workshop; Grandparents Month activities; Live Show with Gordon and Elmo (select dates in September); and Beaches Dive-in Movies.

A minimum of five rooms must be reserved to qualify for this special offer.

YEAR OF THE REEF WITH SPECIAL CONTEST

Explorer Ventures announces “Ventures into the Reef,” a series of competitions in recognition of International Year of the Reef (IYOR 2008). They are inviting people to share their underwater adventures in celebration of the beauty and excitement that reefs provide. There are three categories in which people can participate; best underwater photo, best topside photo and best trip commentary.

To enter the Explorer Ventures “Ventures into the Reef” contests, participants need to fill out a simple entry form and submit their photo(s) and/or trip commentary electronically.

The competition is free. Photos must have been taken between August 31, 2007 and August 31, 2008 and the trip commentary must be from a trip taken within the same dates. The winning entries will be showcased online and will be included in a 2009 Explorer Ventures “Ventures into the Reef” calendar.

The winners of each competition will receive a $500 credit* towards a future trip on any Explorer Ventures boat in Australia or the Caribbean as well as five copies of the 2009 Explorer Ventures calendar.

There are prizes for the runners up as well. For entry forms and complete information, visit this website or email contest@explorerventures.com

*$500 credit can be used on Caribbean Explorer I, Caribbean Explorer II, Turks and Caicos Explorer II, or Nimrod Explorer.

The credit must be used before December 31, 2009, is non-transferable and cannot be substituted.

AGGRESSOR FLEET AIRLINE DEPARTMENT

Booking international flights to exotic destinations is now easier with the help of Aggressor Fleet’s own Airline Department and newest travel expert specialist, Katharina (Kathy) Walker, who boasts over 28 years of airline reservations experience.

Kathy has extensive knowledge and training in airline ticketing software networks including Pars, System 1, Data’s, Worldspan, Delta Term and CMS. As an international airline specialist and travel agency manager,

Kathy knows all aspects of airline travel and the extensive needs of international and group travelers. Aggressor Fleet’s European clients will appreciate her fluency in the German and Croatian languages.

To book your next flight through the Aggressor Fleet Airline Department, you may contact Kathy at airtravel@aggressor.com  or by phone at 800-348-2628 or (985) 385-2628.