Jetsettersblog

Icelandair said it will resume seasonal service from Minneapolis-St. Paul on May 11 through Oct. 9, 2010.

This year, as a part of a newly revised summer schedule, the airline will offer daily flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Iceland from June 13 through Aug. 22, 2010 with connections to more than 20 destinations in Europe.

Icelandair offers service to Iceland from Boston, New York-JFK, and Seattle, and seasonal service from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Orlando Sanford, Halifax and Toronto.

Connections through Icelandair’s hub in Reykjavik are available to over 20 destinations in Scandinavia, the U.K. and Continental Europe.

For more information, call 877-I-FLY-ICE or visit www.icelandair.com

The annual Iceland Food and Fun Festival will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland, Feb. 24 to 28, 2010.

This year’s sponsors include Icelandair, Reykjavik Pure Energy, Icelandic Agriculture and Iceland Naturally along with 14 of the top chefs from around the world as they compete for the 2010 Food & Fun Chef of the Year award. Chefs from the U.S., Canada and Europe will be teamed up with the most prestigious Icelandic chefs and given the finest Icelandic ingredients to create their masterpieces.

Each team will prepare one lamb dish, one fish dish and one dessert.

These meals will be served at the finest participating restaurants across the city of Reykjavik until the grand judging.

To close the weekend’s festivities, a gala awards event will be held on Feb. 28 featuring a recap of Food and Fun 2010 and the top chefs of the year.

An international jury of 10, made up of chefs, journalists and industry people, will judge the competing dishes to give out four awards for 2010.

In addition to the grand prize of “Food and Fun Chef of Year,” prizes will also be awarded for the best fish dish, best meat dish, and best dessert.

While in Iceland, the chefs, guests and participants will enjoy all the fun Iceland has to offer as well. Riding snowmobiles, hiking glaciers, taking in the breathtaking sights along the Golden Circle Tour, and nightlife will all be on the menu.

For more information, call 877-I-FLY-ICE or visti www.icelandair.us

Hurtigruten has responded to its passengers’ interests with an expanded roster of theme cruises for 2010, all of which take place aboard modern vessels along Norway’s fjord-filled, 1,250-mile west coast, on six- to 12-day sailings between Bergen and Kirkenes.

Fares for theme voyages range from $1,205 to $8,042 per person, double.

Theme voyages combine music, history, the culinary arts, national celebrations and traditional arts and crafts with informative talks and activities.

“Celebrations in the Arctic” will feature the New Year’s countdown on the North Cape, Europe’s most northern point, along with dancing, fireworks and a midnight toast.

The 12-day sailing departs Dec. 27, 2010, with fares from $2,190 to $6,662. “The Rhythm & Fabric of Life” will showcase traditions of the Norwegian culture, mixing music, crafts, dance and folk culture.

Guests can learn to folk dance and see how traditional instruments are made.

The seven-day voyage, departing April 11 and Sept. 23, is priced from $1,697 to $4,981.

“Lords of the Fjords” recalls when the Vikings ruled the waters and land. Onboard experts, including documentary filmmaker Klaus Kiesewetter, will teach passengers about Viking history and culture.

The seven-day voyages, departing April 7 and April 14, are priced from $1,697 to $4,981. The 10-day “Special Norwegian Fjords” visits 12 of Norway’s most spectacular fjords from the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent, U.K., across the North Sea to Stavanger, the oil capital of Norway. Fares for the April 9 departure range from $1,568 to $4,703.

“Tastes & Sounds of the Fjords” is a series of choir, jazz and classical concerts, cooking lessons and wine tastings. Departing April 15 and Sept. 16, fares for the six-day voyage range from $2,097 to $4,676. “Norway’s Big Day Out” is a celebration of Norway’s May 17 Constitution Day. Children’s parades and festivities take place across the nation and guests learn about the country’s history from experts.

Six May departures of 12 days are offered at fares from $2,374 to $8,042. “Hall of the Mountain King” explores the life of Edvard Grieg, Norway’s renowned composer, through performances by pianist Rune Alver and talks by lecturer Eilif B. Lotveit.

Departures are Oct. 10 and Oct. 16; fares for the seven-day cruises are $1,697 to $4,981. “The Ice-Breakers” will focus on two of Norway’s greatest explorers — Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen. Guests will hear from lecturer Arne Kertelhein as the ship follows the explorers’ Norway routes on cruises departing Oct. 11 and Oct. 18. Fares for the seven-day itinerary are $1,697 to $4,981.

“Birds of the Nordic Coast” takes place as millions of migrating birds return to the Arctic for nesting, including puffins, kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills, cormorants, Arctic skuas, northern fulmars, Northern gannets, and sea eagles.

The six-day voyage departs May 20; fares range from $1,306 to $4,423.

For more information, call 800-323-7436 or visit www.hurtigruten.us

Auto Europe has launched a full-service car rental reservation mobile website.

Travelers can reserve car rental services, look up their current reservations or jump over to their main website for additional services on a web-enabled phone or PC.

With one click, car rental services can be arranged at over 4,000 locations worldwide including airport, hotel and downtown locations.

Simply select your rental country, pick up city, dates of travel, transmission and car category and from there, choose the car rental that best suits your needs.

If you already have a reservation but need to change or review your services, visit Reservation Look Up on the mobile site and enter your voucher number, and driver’s first and last name.

There is also a full FAQ section and information to contact Auto Europe if you have any questions about your reservation or using the site.

For additional services, select Full Site.

For more information,

visit www.autoeurope.com/mobile

Trafalgar is offering an extension on two special offers for 2010 Europe and Britain summer vacations.

Clients who book and pay in full by Jan. 29 can take advantage of free companion airfare (plus tax up to $190) to Europe on air-inclusive summer vacations.

Or, clients may choose savings up to $728 per couple on Europe land vacations with Trafalgar’s 5 percent Early Payment Discount when summer tours are booked and paid in full by Jan. 29. All 2010 Europe tours are available online at www.trafalgartours.com/europe  as well as in Trafalgar’s 2010 First Class Europe & Britain, CostSaver and Family Experiences brochures.

For more information, call 866-544-4434 or visit www.trafalgartours.com/europe

Brits take inspiration from BBC1’s ‘Life’ with one in four taking their holiday lead from nature programmes

Featuring dramatic scenery and irresistible wildlife, animal loving Brits can’t get enough of Sir David Attenborough’s on screen expeditions and are following in the footsteps of their favourite nature correspondents, thanks to programmes such as BBC1’s Life.

As the ten-part series continues to capture the imagination of a nation, a quarter of Brits (25 per cent) are claiming that nature programmes have inspired their holiday choices, according to new research released today by travelsupermarket.com. Safaris are the animal related holiday of choice (38 per cent), closely followed by whale and dolphin watching (36 per cent), swimming with dolphins (26 per cent) and – perhaps surprisingly – polar bear spotting (16 per cent).

Bob Atkinson, travel expert at travelsupermarket.com, said: “Inspiration comes in many forms and nature programmes clearly have their part to play when it comes to choosing a holiday.

“There are countless options available to our animal loving nation from jungle trekking to whale watching, and destinations where tourists can get close to nature are becoming increasingly accessible to the masses.

“Whether you’re travelling with young children and want to introduce them to nature in a family friendly environment, or looking for a polar bear adventure, you can ‘do an Attenborough’ and experience all the excitement of mixing with animals.”

People aged between 60 and 69 were revealed as the likeliest group to indulge in a little bird twitching (13 per cent compared to a national average of eight per cent) in places such as the UK as well as all over the world. And compared to just under a quarter of men (23 per cent), nearly a third of women (30 per cent) would like to swim with dolphins.

The top ten nature holidays were revealed to be:

1. Safari (38 per cent)
2. Whale/dolphin watching (36 per cent)
3. Swimming with dolphins (26 per cent)
4. Polar bear spotting (16 per cent)
5. Scuba diving (15 per cent)
6. Gorilla watching (15 per cent)
7. Orang-utan watching (14 per cent)
8. Jungle trekking (13 per cent)
9. Snorkelling (13 per cent)
10. Panda watching (11 per cent)

Top ten destinations to realise your nature holiday dreams:

1. Safari – most popular destinations being Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa
2. Whale/dolphin watching – most popular destinations are California, New England coast, Norway, South Africa, Iceland and Gibraltar
3. Swimming with dolphins – Florida, the Bahamas and Australia
4. Polar bear spotting – cruises from Vancouver to Alaska
5. Scuba diving – Bahamas, Red Sea, Thailand and Grand Cayman
6. Gorilla watching – Uganda and Rwanda
7. Orang-utan watching – Borneo
8. Jungle trekking – Thailand, Borneo, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Malaysia,
9. Snorkelling – Thailand, Red Sea, The Bahamas, Grand Cayman
10. Panda watching – China

“Live in harmony with nature” is the theme of the 2010 Romantik Hotel & Restaurant Guide, which features 205 hotels and restaurants in 10 European countries. Of the hotels showcased, 16 are new for 2010. In Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland, there are new Romantik hoteliers, who enjoy advantages like improved marketing using various channels at home and abroad, an increased occupancy and the experience exchange with other hoteliers. For more information, call 800-650-8018 or visit www.romantikhotels.com

SAVE up to 30 per cent – The Most Beautiful Voyage in the World

MyPlanet has announced a massive saving of up to 30 per cent on selected voyages and dates for its popular Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Voyage product – a cruise renowned for its breathtaking scenery as it follows Norway’s dramatic coastline from the ports of Bergen in the south to Kirkenes in the far north.

“This is a spectacular journey that has well earned the reputation as ‘the most beautiful voyage in the world’ – the dramatic scenery and the endless small inlets with their towns and villages and rich cultural heritage make this one of the most unique travel experiences,” MyPlanet Product Manager Maria Esteves said.

The 30 per cent early bird discount applies to all new bookings made by December 31, 2009, for the 12 day Norwegian Coastal Voyage ‘Bergen to Bergen via Kirkenes’ cruises departing between Jan 1- April 14 and Sept 15-Dec 31, 2010. Passengers are offered a further 10 per cent reduction if they have travelled with Hurtigruten in the last 3 years.

For those travelling from April 15-Sept 14, 2010, up to 15 per cent early bird discount applies.

“If this has always been on your client’s wish list, we urge them to take advantage of this one-off offer and make the journey to this stunning region,” Esteves said.

Book Early & Save up to 20 per cent on Hurtigruten’s voyages to remote Greenland and Arctic

Hurtigruten has introduced a 10% cent early bird discount on its 9 day ‘Greenland – Glaciers and Icebergs’ product – a voyage that encompasses the pristine beauty of the remote Arctic Circle.

“This is an experience of a lifetime; mountains covered in snow, stunning ice fjords, lush green valleys, traditional small towns and settlements and of course the wildlife – it is a journey into another world, the land of the midnight sun,” MyPlanets Maria Esteves said.

The 10 per cent early bird discount is valid for all bookings made by December 31, 2009 for departures from July 29-August 12.,

The cruise includes cabin of choice aboard the specially built explorer ship MS FRAM, all meals onboard, return flight Copenhagen-Kangerlussuaq, 8 days of cruising, transfers and a range of Greenland excursions.

Other Arctic voyages include 13 night ‘Southern Greenland’ departing July 16 – save 20 per cent; 14 night ‘Voyage to the Inuit North’ departing August 19 – save 10 per cent; 11 night ‘South and East Greenland’ departing Sept 2 – save 20 per cent; 10 night ‘East Greenland & Scoresby Sund’ departing Sept 13 – save 20 per cent.

“These voyages showcase this remote, untouched region of the world in comfort and style. Our ship, the MS Fram, can take you to its remote corners to offer you an absolutely unique perspective that really makes it a trip of a lifetime,” Esteves said.

Reservations and enquiries on 1800 221 712 or visit www.myplanetaustralia.com.au

Hurtigruten is offering polar bear water dips at both poles –

Antarctica; the Arctic’s Spitsbergen, Greenland; or Norway’s Vardø on the Barents Sea.

During Antarctica’s summer months, guests aboard Hurtigruten’s Fram can take a dip off the volcanic Deception Island.

The average temperature of this natural ocean pool is a bracing zero degrees Celsius.

However, geothermic activity does mean that bathers can occasionally feel a current of water above freezing.

During the North Pole’s summer, guests aboard the ship can entertain a quick jump into the waters of Spitsbergen’s Magdelenefjord.

And those spending eight to 15 days exploring Greenland can have a brief splash in the sea around Uummannaq, a small town 360 miles north of the polar circle.

In addition, a Norwegian Coastal Voyage cruise extension that makes its way to Norway’s Vardø on the Barents Sea, where guests can float in a survival suit while their team leader dives for the evening’s meal of king crab.

For more information, call 800-323-7436

or visit www.hurtigruten.us