Jetsettersblog

Windstar to sail from Venice

Luxury yacht cruise operator Windstar is to run fly-cruises from Venice next summer as part of deployment plans for 2009-2010.

Return sailings from the Italian city will be run by each of the company’s three vessels, 312-passenger Wind Surf and 148-passenger Wind Star and Wind Spirit.

The voyages will take in destinations in Croatia such as Rovinj, Split and Dubrovnik.

New ports to feature in the line’s new Voyage Planner include L’lle Rousse in France and Ischia in Italy.

Mediterranean departures next summer will run from Barcelona, Lisbon, Nice and Rome (Civitavecchia) in addition to Venice. Itineraries of between six and eight nights have been scheduled.

Greek island fly-cruises on Wind Star lead-in at £2,279 per person for seven nights between Athens and Istanbul departing the UK on July 9, 2009.

Wind Surf will operate seven-night Caribbean sailings from Barbados and Wind Spirit from St Thomas this winter. Wind Star winter itineraries cover the Panama Canal, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

The company has also re-established its Signature Collection Series featuring guest lecturers on selected cruises next year covering subjects such as wine, art, food and sports.

EEI Travel Affordable Europe Deals

EEI Travel, the private-label travel agent brand of Europe Express, is committed to providing affordable travel to destinations worldwide in spite of increases in fuel prices and the decline in the dollar.

Three of EEI Travel’s top selling package include three-night land only vacation to Rome from $309, Paris from $329, or London from $329. Additional nights, transfers, sightseeing tours, and airfare can be added to all reservations to complete the vacation itinerary.

For more information about EEI Travel’s packages to London, Paris, and Rome or to request a quote, call 800-927-3876 (6 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday, and 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT, Saturday and Sunday) or visit www.eeitravel.com

Hotel Savoy in Florence Impressionist Package

Rocco Forte’s Hotel Savoy in Florence has launched a new package that includes tickets to “Impressionism:

Painting the Light,” a new exhibition taking place at Palazzo Strozzi from July 11 to Sept. 28. Upon arrival, guests will also receive the exhibition catalogue. Painting Light will examine some of the most famous canvases of the last century, including Monets, Van Goghs, and Renoirs, looking for clues as to where the paintings were made and under what conditions.

Visitors will be able to look at these works through scientific eyes with the assistance of high-powered microscopes, infra-red and ultra-violet light to see what the traces left by brushes, pencils and spatulas can tell us.

The Hotel Savoy is a five-minute walk from Palazzo Strozzi and is steps away from the city’s other key attractions, including the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo. The package is priced from 394 euros (approx £313) per room per night based on two sharing, and including breakfast, entrance into the exhibition and the catalogue.

Call 800-988-4040 or visit www.roccofortecollection.com

AutoEurope Gas Coupon Offer

Auto Europe has extended its offer of a $30 coupon toward renters’ gas with every car rental reservation in Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy and Portugal. The offer is valid with any car category booked, minimum five-day rental period, in Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy and Portugal.

The coupon is redeemable once travel is completed and additional restrictions may apply. The offer is valid only for North American residents. For more information, click the banner below and search AutoEurope.

Guidebook Review / Moon Handbooks: Italy

Moon Handbooks out of Berkeley, CA have been consistently among the most prolific (more than 100 titles since 1973) and top quality publishers of travel guides.

Their new Italy Handbook is no exception.

New York native Alexei J. Cohen–together with contributors–has written are highly readable and informative paperback of nearly 900 pages which covers all the regions of the Peninsula in admirable detail. Particularly useful are the excellent maps and thoroughgoing index, plus a fine resource section with guidance to internet sites and further reading.

An Italian film buff who lives in Rome, Cohen has a good section on Italian films and interlaces his travel commentaries with an eye to historical, literary and artistic contexts. Moon Handbooks: Italy (First Edition, 2008) is an excellent addition to any shelf of travel books on Europe and Italy.

Moon is a division of Avaon Books, which also publishes Rick Steves’ exceptional and irreverent guidebooks about various destinations in Europe.

The Moon handbooks series include great photography, maps, an internet section for online resources, Tips for Travelers, a quick glossary, and even a language converson section and a handy index. Each section of the Italy Moon guidebook breaks down each region with current info, plus sections about people and culture, health, accommodations, services, sights,  and a trip planner. Moon’s motto is: “The Cure For The Common Trip”. and they prove it.

Jerry Nemanic, European Editor for Jetsetters Magazine.

Moon Italy Offering guidance on everything from climbing Western Europe’s highest peak to celebrating at the Carnival of Viareggio, Moon Handbooks Italy gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.

Geneva’s Hotel d’Angleterre Tamarind Dinner Deal

For the fifth year running the Hôtel d’Angleterre, Red Carnation’s hideaway in Geneva, will be hosting its annual summer sub-continental spectacular when a five-man team flies in from the Michelin-star Tamarind restaurant in London.

This three-week event runs from July 28 to Aug.16 in the hotel’s Windows Restaurant.

To encourage guests to enjoy the event, the hotel is offering a package that features: an overnight stay for two; buffet breakfast; a four-course Indian dinner; and daily newspaper of choice. Rates are from CHF640 for one night, based on two people sharing a double room, including VAT and service charges and excluding Geneva city tax of CHF 4.25 per person per night.

For bookings or further information, call +41 (0) 22 906 55 14 or visit www.dangleterrehotel.com

Croatia Hosts Summer Fests

Croatia is holding several festivals this summer. The Dubrovnik Summer Festival ( www.dubrovnik-festival.hr)  to Aug. 25, uses open-air stages to host about 80 plays, ballets, operas and musical performances, literary events, exhibitions, poetry recitals and more.

The Kastav Cultural Summer (www.kkl.hr) runs through Aug. 29 in Kastav, a small town close to the city of Rijeka on northern Adriatic coast. During summer months, Kastav becomes a center where many cultural events take place. Concerts, theater and dance performances and much more is happening in this small inland town that’s becoming more popular as a tourist destination in the past few years.

The Split Summer Festival (www.splitsko-ljeto.hr), to Aug. 14, features opera, theater, dance and music. It takes place on locations in and around the city, including the Diocletian’s Palace.

Call the Croatian National Tourist Office at 800-829-4416 or visit www.croatia.hr

Monte Carlo Fireworks Competition

Monte-Carlo International Musical Fireworks will run on July 25 and Aug. 11 and 22. This free event attracts thousands from the area to view some of the most beautiful and original fireworks around.

The competition has been held since 1966 and brings pyrotechnic specialists from around the world to show off their talent. Fireworks begin around 9:30 pm, or when it is dark.

There is good viewing from several locations: around the port sitting at a café, from the palace area or along the ramparts of Fort Antoine, and just off the Casino Terrace. The competition continues through the month of August and the winner returns Nov. 18 to create the fireworks display on the evening before the National Holiday.

Visit www.visitmonaco.com

Monte Carlo Summer Festival

The 2008 edition of the Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival will take place until Aug. 23. Two guitarists will perform at the beginning and end of the summer: Eric Clapton will bring the Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival to an end on Aug. 22 and 23.

American rock bands ZZ Top (July 21) and Chicago (July 28)

Call 800-753-9696 or visit www.sportingmontecarlo.com

Religious Travel Year of Faith Tourism

The World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) designated 2009 as The Year of Faith Tourism.

The year-long celebrations and activities will: Highlight the New Era of Faith Tourism; Increase the awareness of the personal and communal benefits of Faith Tourism;

and contribute to the overall growth and health of the global economy, travel industry, and individual travel providers.

The official host of The Year of Faith Tourism is the World Religious Travel Association, the leading organization dedicated to the $18 billion faith-based travel, tourism, and hospitality industry.

As part of its kick-off for The Year of Faith Tourism, the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) is hosting this fall the World Religious Travel Expo & Educational Conference in Orlando from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, 2008.

To learn more about The Year of Faith Tourism, visit the official website at www.faithtourism2009.com.

For more information about the World Religious Travel Association or the World Religious Travel Expo, call 800-657-1288 or visit www.religioustravelassociation.com

and www.religioustravelexpo.com