Jetsettersblog

Elite Island Resorts, the Caribbean hotel group, is offering a Christmas Holiday promotion — book clients for one week and they receive three additional free nights.

The Three Holiday Bonus Nights offer is valid from Dec. 21 to Jan. 5. Plus the Kids Stay, Play & Free promotion with select room categories on Antigua is combinable with this offer. “Elite Island Resorts decided to implement ‘Three Holiday Nights Free’ program to offset rising airfares this season. We want to ensure our resorts are both affordable and accessible, and this program represents a 30 percent savings for stays during the holidays. We hope that travelers can find more affordable airfares with the extra flexibility of three additional free nights during the peak Christmas holiday week,” said Steven Heydt, president of Elite Island Resorts.

The following per person adult double occupancy rates are valid per night for the 10-night stay and reflect the three-bonus night’s savings: Antigua, All Inclusive Galley Bay Resort & Spa, starting at $347; St. James’s Club & Villas, two kids stay free featured, starting at $240; and The Verandah Resort & Spa, two kids stay free featured, starting at $222; British Virgin Islands, Tortola, MAP Plan Long Bay Beach Resort & Villas, starting at $218; The Grenadines, Palm Island, starting at $312; St. Lucia, Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort, starting at $310; and the Village Inn, starting at $110.

For more information, call 800-345-0356 or visit www.eliteislandresorts.com

Windstar Cruises this fall and winter will operate in the Caribbean with the 312-passenger Wind Surf and the 148-passenger Wind Spirit. The Wind Spirit sails roundtrip from St. Thomas on seven-day sailings to St. John, St. Martin, St. Barts, Tortola, Jost Van Dyke and Virgin Gorda.

Cruise rates begin at $1,949 per person, based on double occupancy. The Wind Surf offers seven-day sailings roundtrip from Bridgetown, Barbados, on northbound and southbound itineraries. The northbound itinerary includes St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Martin, St. Barts, Basse-Terre, Iles des Saintes and St. Lucia. The southbound itinerary includes Bequia, Dominica, St. Lucia, Mayreau, Grenada and Tobago. Cruise rates begin at $1,799 per person, double occupancy.

Windstar offers holiday sailings on Wind Spirit and Wind Surf. Wind Spirit’s seven-day holiday cruise departs St. Thomas on Dec. 20 and is priced from $2,249 per person, double occupancy. Wind Surf’s seven-day holiday voyage departs Bridgetown Dec. 21 and visits Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, Dominica and St. Lucia. Cruise rates start at $2,149. Wind Surf’s seven-day New Year’s cruise departs Bridgetown on Dec. 28 and visits Tobago, Trinidad, Grenada, Martinique and St. Vincent. A New Year’s Eve party will feature party favors, live music, official countdown by the captain and champagne toast. Cruise rates start at $2,149.

Clients will save up to 35 percent when they book a 2009 winter getaway with Spirit Vacations to a Couples Resort in Jamaica. Clients enjoy free value-added inclusions such as off-site excursions, scuba diving, glass-bottom boat tours and more. Sample deals to the all-inclusive Couples Resorts with Spirit Vacations include Couples Tower Isle, where guests receive 35 percent off all-inclusive rates in a deluxe garden room on Monday departures, March 16 through 30. A three-night stay is priced at $991 from Fort Lauderdale; $1,009 from Orlando or Tampa; and $1,048 from Atlanta, Atlantic City, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Myrtle Beach, New York/LaGuardia or Washington, D.C./Reagan National.

Couples Negril guests will get 25 percent off in a deluxe garden room on Monday departures, Jan. 5 through Feb. 9 and Feb 23 through March 30, on three-night stays of $1,016 from Ft. Lauderdale; $1,034 from Orlando or Tampa; $1,073 from Atlanta, Atlantic City, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Myrtle Beach, New York/LaGuardia or Washington, D.C./Reagan National.

At Couples Sans Souci, guests will receive 25 percent off an ocean suite on Monday departures, Jan. 5 through Feb. 9 and Feb. 23 through March 30, on three-night stays: $1,046 from Ft. Lauderdale; $1,064 from Orlando or Tampa; $1,099 from Atlanta, Atlantic City, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Myrtle Beach, New York/LaGuardia or Washington, D.C./Reagan National. At Couples Swept Away, guests will receive 20 percent off a garden suite on Monday departures, Jan. 5 through Feb. 9 and Feb. 23 through March 30, on three-night stays: $1,098 from Ft. Lauderdale; $1,116 from Orlando or Tampa; $1,155 from Atlanta, Atlantic City, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Myrtle Beach, New York/LaGuardia or Washington, D.C./Reagan National.

Spirit Vacations offers complete vacation packages to destinations throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, Central and South America, Mexico and the United States.

Frenchmans Lookout, located on the Caribbean island of Tortola, is offering a Thanksgiving special. Five nights for a group of 10 people starts at $10,715 or $215 per person per day and includes airport and ferry transfers, breakfast each morning, one full day on a captained yacht and a Thanksgiving dinner. For seven nights, the price is the same, but the package includes two days on a yacht with captain, and five hours of massage. Four percent gratuities and 7 percent tax are not included. For parties of eight, the five-night package is $268 per person per night. Both five- and seven-night packages are also available for other time periods.

Frenchmans Lookout sits on one of the highest points on Tortola’s west end. It is a two-story Carolina house with a grand wrap-around porch on each floor. Richard Friedman purchased it in 2001 and after several years of remodeling and refurbishing has turned it into an ultra-comfortable Caribbean House. Each of the five bedrooms — four upstairs and one on the ground floor — open out onto a wrap-around verandah. On the main floor are a comfortable living room with music and entertainment center and a newly renovated and well-equipped kitchen. Across the foyer is the dining room with mirrored closet doors reflecting the surrounding sea. Thanksgiving dinner will be served by a private chef.

 For more information, call 800-783-6904 or 866-940-0200 or visit www.frenchmanslookout.com

Costa is letting kids sail for free when traveling with their parents in the Caribbean this winter.

This offer is available on 12 sailings — including Christmas and New Year’s — aboard the Costa Fortuna, which departs from Fort Lauderdale on alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean routes each Sunday.

 Fares for parents begin at $669 per person. Costa features a children’s program, or “Squok Club,” structured to accommodate younger guests from a variety of backgrounds.

Squok is the plush mascot of the club, a mix of dolphin and shark.

The 105,000-ton Costa Fortuna has a double-occupancy capacity of 2,720, 11 bars, four restaurants, a theater extending over three floors, three swimming pools, a casino, disco, ballroom and a gym.

The British Virgin Islands, about 60 miles east of Puerto Rico, like many Caribbean countries this fall experienced a decrease in airlift when daily flights from San Juan dropped from 10 to three on American Airlines’ American Eagle.

After a series of negotiations with American Eagle, the BVI announced that AE will increase airlift to four weekday flights and five weekend flights, available for booking via the travel network SABRE.

British Virgin Islands delegation headed by Premier Ralph O’Neal met with an American Eagle management team to further discuss airlift between the BVI and San Juan. The discussion resulted in two additional flights to the BVI including a daily flight, which will depart San Juan at 5:55 p.m., and a weekend flight that will depart Puerto Rico at 11:30 a.m.

The BVI delegation will continue to lobby for additional flights including overnight options for Thanksgiving.

Through separate negotiations, Caribbean airline LIAT has reached an agreement with the BVI government to provide three daily flights between the destination and San Juan.

These additional flights provide both an early morning departure, 9:35 a.m., for San Juan and a late evening departure, 7:55 p.m. for Beef Island.

For more information, call 800-835-8530 or visit www.bvitourism.com

The CTO UK Chapter has now released its 56-page 2009 Guide to the Caribbean. The team’s UK Chapter will, in the coming weeks, be launching the full colour, glossy, A4 publication, circulating it to 50,000 consumers and members of the travel trade.

The CTO’s main fulfilment piece for the UK and Ireland, the guide will be sent out in response to all enquiries made to the CTO London office. The CTO UK team will also distribute the guide at all the trade and consumer shows they attend in order to communicate the latest news and factual information on the region’s 32 destinations, helping and encouraging agents and consumers to plan travel to the Caribbean with increased knowledge and insight.

To guarantee penetration of the UK and Irish travel trades the guide has also been distributed within BMI’s Selling Long Haul publication, thereby reaching travel agencies, home workers, online agencies and tour operator reservation, contracting and marketing departments.

The guide will be used throughout the year for a range of further purposes, from training to sales packs, direct mailings and other promotions.

In addition to the printed publication an exact downloadable electronic copy will exist online which can be viewed on www.caribbean.co.uk

The contents of the guide including chapters on island hopping, regional news, beaches, nature the green side of the Caribbean, diving, exploring, family holidays and business facilities, as well as a detailed factfile on each of the 32 destinations.

Julia Hendry, the CTO’s director of marketing for the UK and Europe, said, “Our guide is the definitive manual to the entire Caribbean region and we’re delighted that the CTO UK Chapter will have so many opportunities and channels to distribute the 2009 edition.

“We’re particularly pleased that next year’s guide is going to be available electronically as we’re acutely aware of the importance to both the trade and consumers of online access to travel information and news.

“The CTO UK Chapter looks forward to using the guide for training and marketing throughout the year and continuing in our endeavours to continually raise awareness of the countless faces of the Caribbean and its colourful charisma which we are confident will keep drawing visitors despite the current economic difficulties.”

SeaDream Yacht Club has published an update of 2009 Caribbean winter and European summer itineraries. “Bookings for 2008 continue to sell briskly at good yields, and 2009 shows a strength that belies the economic headlines,” said Larry Pimentel, president, CEO and co-owner of SeaDream. “As in previous years, 2009 will find our small, sleek, 50-couple yachts sailing in the Caribbean in the winter months and European waters in the summer. They will call not only at vibrant port cities (for pre- and post-voyage visits), but at small and exclusive seaside towns and villages where the big passenger ships can’t go. Calling at small yachting ports is a specialty of ours.”

In the Caribbean from January through April, the two SeaDream mega-yachts will sail in the British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico’s Virgin Islands, French West Indies, Netherlands Antilles and the Windward and Leeward Islands. Embarkation and debarkation ports include San Juan, St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Maarten and Miami on a westbound transatlantic crossing. In Europe from May through October, SeaDream I and II will sail in the Mediterranean, the Adriatic Sea, the Aegean Sea, up into Croatia and down to Tunisia. Embarkation ports include Barcelona, Seville, Tenerife, Lisbon, Nice, Monte Carlo, Rome, Venice, Athens and Dubrovnik. SeaDream will also call on the ports of Miami, Palm Beach and Key West in 2009.

New ports in 2009 are Dewey, Culebra in Puerto Rico’s Virgin Islands; Honeymoon Beach and Water Island, USVI; Cooper Island, BVI; Coconut Grove, Nevis; Samana, Dominican Republic; and Deshaies, Guadeloupe.

Many Caribbean port calls include overnights, such as St. Bart’s. SeaDream is also offering more active land options. Examples are bone-fishing off Anegada and rainforest hikes on Nevis, in addition to kayaking, biking, deep-water fishing, small catamaran racing, beach horseback riding, golf (at Anguilla’s new upscale golf course) and swimming in a bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico’s Virgin Islands.

New ports for 2009 for SeaDream’s European sailings are Formentera, Spain; Lipari, St. Margherita and Trieste, Italy; Le Lavandou, Antibes, Port Vendres, Sete, Bandol and Menton, France; Piran, Slovenia; Vis, Croatia; La Goulette and Tunis, Tunisia; Katakolon, Elafonisos, Aigina, Chania and Crete, Greece; and Ponta Delgada, the Azores. The European schedule includes more calls at what has been termed the new Mykonos — Naousa village on the Greek island of Paros.

 Guests can also combine the Greek Islands with Croatia on voyages between Venice and Athens.

For more information, visit www.seadream.com

22-day Panama Canal Cruise from only $4,995!

Applicable Cruises

8328 + 8329 Round-trip Miami 12/01 22 Days
Normal Combo Fares Special Combo Fares Combo Savings
Category C: $6,745 $4,995 $1,750
Category B: $7,980 $5,995 $1,985
Category A: $8,605 $6,395 $2,210
Category AA: $9,350 $6,995 $2,355
Embark on a round-trip Miami 22-day combo cruise and enjoy fares from just $4,995. Relish a truly incredible Caribbean vacation, from the verdant shores of Tortola and Aruba to the quaint Creole-style villages of St. Barts.

In Turks and Caicos, snorkel and dive at one of the world’s largest network of coral reefs. Plus, enjoy two remarkable days transiting the magical Panama Canal.

On board, enhance your experience with our Mind, Body & Spirit Theme Cruise on voyage 8329, featuring comprehensive instruction in yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi and expert guest lectures including a wellness seminar from the Cleveland Clinic.

Sail to the Caribbean on a marvelous 22-day cruise with the World’s Best and discover why the difference is Crystal clear.

Norwegian Cruise Line is promoting 11 holiday cruises in November and December in various destinations. While on board, guests can dine on holiday feasts in their choice of 12 restaurants and perhaps book a suite or villa with flexible space for the family. All NCL ships feature holiday caroling by members of the staff, Christmas Eve services, and a holiday show in which both crew members and children participate.

For Thanksgiving on Nov. 27, ships are adorned with Thanksgiving decorations. Thanksgiving-themed menus are available in the main dining rooms, featuring such items as smoked duck breast, pumpkin soup, roast turkey with chestnut sage dressing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin cheesecake. For Chanukah, at sundown Dec. 21, a rabbi will be aboard each ship to conduct services for the holiday period, and a menorah will be placed in a central location and lit each day to commemorate the eight-day celebration.

For Christmas, select public areas will be outfitted with holiday decorations. Crew members stage an interactive holiday show in the ship’s theater, while the cruise director and staff sing carols. A priest and a minister are onboard each ship to conduct Christmas Eve services, and Santa hands out gifts on Christmas Day.

 NCL ships offer holiday-themed menus in the main dining rooms with dishes such as honey-glazed Black Forest ham with sweet potato mash, roasted turkey with apple and apricot stuffing, pumpkin soufflé and a pear and chestnut torte. On New Year’s Eve, guests will enjoy a special menu in the main dining rooms, including foie gras, Blue Point oysters and oxtail. Party-goers are given hats, noisemakers and streamers. Each ship’s captain leads a special countdown from the bridge to usher in the new year.

Among NCL’s holiday cruises are the Norwegian Pearl’s seven-day Western Caribbean voyages from Miami departing Nov. 23, Dec. 21 and Dec. 28; fares start at $549. The Norwegian Jewel will operate a nine-day Southern Caribbean from Miami Dec. 26, with prices starting at $1,549. The Norwegian Jade offers a 14-day Eastern Mediterranean roundtrip from Barcelona departing Dec. 21, with fares from $1,699. The Norwegian Star will operate seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles, departing Nov. 22, Dec. 20 and Dec. 27; fares start at $699.