Jetsettersblog

MSC Poesia buy-one-get-one-free Package

Luxury Mediterranean Sea voyage at exceptional price

Two for One Autumn Cruise Offers 2008

After a series of exceptional package, MSC Poesia, a flagship of MSC Cruises, joins the package in this autumn. As one of its 2008 destinations, MSC Poesia will stop at Katakolon on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, giving Olympics fans the opportunity to visit Olympia, site of the very first games.

MSC Poesia will join other MSC Cruises for an exciting and diverse range of voyages at exceptional prices this autumn, providing an opportunity to indulge in the extravagance of the cruise with relatives and friends alike. MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Musica, MSC Opera, MSC Lirica and MSC Sinifonia will be sailing to Europe throughout the season, offering you chances to grasp a glance of the panoramic views of various ports and experience firsthand the multiple dimensions of European cultures.

The extraordinary Autumn cruise ‘buy-one-get-one-free’ promotion enables keen travelers to voyage in pairs at the price of one only, room-sharing children below 18 can even travel for free.

Each destination on MSC cruise itineraries provides diversity and cultural intrigue, along with dining, shopping and sightseeing excursions. A number of world¡¦s famous heritage can be visited all the way long: Roman Colosseum, Ancient Greek Olympic Games Field, Olympia of Katakolon, picturesque architecture of Barcelona, the European little white houses of Santorini, Famous bridges and canals of Venice and the historical Marseilles port.

Built by the world’s most prestigious shipyards, every detail onboard any of the MSC Cruises ships reflects the company’s true Italian style.

MSC Cruises sophisticated on-board activities and facilities offer all a guest needs for a relaxing break - mini golf course, fitness centre, spa and massage, sauna rooms, jogging areas, swimming pools, jacuzzi, video games centre, theatre, salon, internet cafes, restaurants, disco, casino, shopping arcade, children¡¦s club and Wi-Fi facilities.

‘Buy-one-get-one-free’ Autumn Luxury Cruise

MSC Poesia (8 days/7 nights)

Ports of Call: Venice, Bari, Katakolon, Izmir, Istanbul, Dubrovnik

Embarkation: Venice
• Departs: 06/09/2008 (Sat)
Price: HKD10,690*
• Departs: 20/09/2008 (Sat) and 27/09/2008 (Sat)
Price: HKD9,130*
• Departs: 18/10/2008 (Sat) and 01/11/2008 (Sat)
Price: HKD7,650*

MSC Orchestra (8 days/7 nights)

Ports of Call: Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Tunis, Palma, Barcelona, Marseilles
Embarkation: Genoa

• Departs: 28/09/2008 (Sun)
Price: HKD8,120*
• Departs: 19/10/2008 (Sun) and 26/10/2008 (Sun)
Price: HKD7,100*

MSC Musica (8 days/7 nights)
Ports of Call: Bari, Katakolon, Santorini, Mykonos, Piraeus, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice

Embarkation: Bari
• Departs: 29/09/2008 (Mon)
Price: HKD9,130*

MSC Opera (8 days/7 nights)
Ports of Call: Trieste, Ancona, Gythion, Piraeus (Athens), Corfu, Dubrovnik
Embarkation: Trieste
• Departs: 29/09/2008 (Mon)
Price: HKD7,100*

MSC Lirica (8 days/7 nights)
Ports of Call: Genoa, Marseilles, Valencia, Tangier, Malaga, Civitavecchia
Embarkation: Genoa
• Departs: 08/11/2008 (Sat)
Price: HKD7,100*

MSC Sinfonia (8 days/7 nights)
Ports of Call: Genoa, Monte Carlo, Valencia, Valleta (Malta), Tunis (Tunisia), Civitavecchia (Rome)
Embarkation: Genoa

• Departs: 08/09/2008 (Mon)
Price: HKD9,130*
• Departs: 29/09/2008 (Mon)
Price: HKD8,120*

*The above prices exclude air-ticket, tips, port charges, fuel surcharges, government taxes and all applicable taxes.
*The above prices are applicable for 2 persons travel together only.

For more information visit www.msccruisesasia.com

MSC Cruises currently has a fleet of nine ships: MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Musica, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera, MSC Armonia, MSC Lirica, MSC Melody and MSC Rhapsody, cruising in the Mediterranean all year round, Northern Europe, Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean , South America, Indian Ocean and South Africa. The fleet will increase to 12 ships by 2009. In winter of 2008 and spring 2009, MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida will join the fleet. These will be two of the largest ships built by a European ship owner. Then in the fall of 2009, MSC Magnifica, the fourth ship in the Musica class will enter service.

MSC Cruises is a partner of the city of Venice and a member of the Club - ‘Friends of Venice’ as well as one of the supporters for the project ‘Venice Blue Flag’ which sets the standards for the carbon emissions.

Traveller’s Latest Compendium Brochure

The Classic Traveller (0800 988 5843, www.theclassictraveller.co.uk) has released its latest Travellers’ Compendium brochure, featuring an exclusive selection of special offers (with savings of up to £900 per person) as well as additional departure dates for certain holidays.

The Travellers’ Compendium also includes advance notice of some exciting new itineraries which will become available for the first time in the forthcoming Worldwide Collection brochure, due to be published in September.

Keen pricing is synonymous with The Classic Traveller and the special offers promoted in the Travellers’ Compendium brochure mean that these holidays promise exceptional value for money.

The largest saving is to be found on the Mauritius to Madagascar cruise of the Indian Ocean, which visits these two island nations along with Kenya, the Seychelles and several remote island groups aboard the Costa Europe.

This 16-day odyssey in an E2 cabin (the highest grade) costs from £2,199 per person and offers an incredible saving of up to £900 per person from the cruise line’s original brochure price for this cabin class. The cost includes flights, full-board accommodation and all applicable taxes (though excursions, tips and service charges of €70 per
person are not included).

Two other fantastic cruise options with incredible savings are the Ancient Treasures tour of the eastern Mediterranean and the Riviera Highlights cruise of the western part of the Med. These 8-day voyages of discovery both cost from £599 per person in an E2 cabin – a price that offers a £700 saving per person on the cruise line’s original brochure price for that cabin class.

The first option takes in eastern Italy, Greece, Turkey and Croatia while the second covers western Italy, Spain and Provence, with the price including seven nights’ full-board accommodation and all port taxes. Flights, transfers, insurance, tips, service charges and excursions are not included in the price.

Sticking with the watery theme, one of the most popular holidays in the programme is the 8-day Lake Maggiore & the Borromean Islands itinerary. This luxurious escape to one of Italy’s finest and most romantic lakeside settings combines seven nights in a four-star waterfront hotel with an excursion to the nearby Borromean Islands and opportunities to discover verdant gardens, alpine scenery and even the cosmopolitan city of Milan. The holiday costs from £499 per person, to include flights, transfers, accommodation on a B&B basis and all necessary taxes.

Those looking for savings on land-based tours will also find plenty of interest in the Travellers’ Compendium brochure. The 11-day Legends & Landscapes of Japan itinerary, for example, is a fully-escorted tour that combines the colourful city of Tokyo with intoxicating natural landscapes, exotic temples and a relaxing cruise on beautiful Lake Ashi. Highlights of the tour include a journey on one of Japan’s legendary Bullet Trains and a visit to the Atomic Bomb Museum in Hiroshima – a fascinating but profoundly moving experience. Departing on 6 November 2008, the holiday costs £1,699 per person (a saving of up to £130 per person), with the price including flights, transfers, accommodation, some meals, various excursions and the services of a professional guide throughout.

In addition to these special offers, the brochure also includes details of some exciting, new itineraries that are being featured by The Classic Traveller for the first time. A particular highlight is a short break to Morocco; this 5-day Marrakech & the Atlas Mountains adventure costs from just £179 per person, to include four nights’ accommodation in a four-star hotel (with breakfast), in-resort transfers and a sightseeing tour of Marrakech. Optional extras include excursions along the Berber trails into the jagged peaks of the High Atlas or a visit to one of the impressive fortresses that afford a glimpse into Morocco’s colourful history.

Flights are not included in the price.

Also new is the fascinating 12 day Pyramids, Petra and the Red Sea itinerary, a unique cruise-and-stay combination that takes in some of ancient Egypt and Jordan’s most iconic monuments. The tour begins with a visit to the incredible Pyramids of Giza and their attendant Sphinx before embarking on a six-night cruise of the Red Sea.

A particular highlight of the cruise is an optional excursion to Petra, home to the famous Treasury whose intricate façade is cut into the red sandstone of a cliff-face. The holiday costs from £1,299 per person and includes flights, transfers, all accommodation, many meals and the services of professional guides throughout.For more information or to book call The Classic Traveller on 0800 988 5843 or visit the website at www.theclassictraveller.co.uk

Where Will Europeans Fly To This Summer?

Mondial Assistance reveals the summer destinations of Europeans travelling by planeMondial Assistance is unveiling the preferred 2008 summer destinations for Europeans travelling by plane.

This ranking is based on an analysis of over 418,000 travel insurance contracts subscribed to, up until May 15th 2008. These contracts were exclusively booked on the websites of European airline companies, clients of Mondial Assistance, for flights scheduled up to September 15th 2008.

Europeans travelling by plane choose Spain as their favourite destination

For 25.3% of planned flights, Spain is the favourite destination, followed by Italy (14.1%), the U.K. (13.8%), France (9.4%), Ireland (4.6%) and Portugal (4.3%). Although France remains the leading tourist destination in the world, it only appears among the top 3 preferred destinations for the French, the Portuguese, the Swiss and the British.

The French prefer France and Southern Europe: the first three leading destinations from France are: France (21.1%), Spain (11.2%) and Italy (9.5%)

• The Germans will sunbathe in Southern Europe. 28.3% prefer Spain, 13.3% choose Italy, and only 9.5% will fly to the U.K.

• Convinced Spanish lovers, 31.7% of British vacationers will fly to Spain, 14.1% will remain in the U.K and 10.2% will spend their holidays in France.

• The Italians love their country, and 29.2% of them will visit a part of Italy by plane. Although Spain attracts 23.4% of vacationing Italians, 14.9% will spend their holidays in the U.K.

• Champions at staying-at-home, more than one third (35.8%) of all Spanish vacationers will remain in Spain, 16.9% will travel to the U.K. and 14% to Italy.

• The Irish love Spain (21.1%) and also Poland (19.2%) and the United States (8.9%).

• The Dutch will visit Spain (26.8%), Italy (18.8%) and the U.K. (9.1%).

• The Polish for the most part will travel to the U.K. (37.5%), Ireland (22.1%) and Italy (14.6%).

• As for the Portuguese, they appreciate the U.K. (25.9%), Spain (17.2%) and France (15.3%).

• The Swedish head straight to Italy (26.3%), the U.K. (24.7%) and Spain (18.6%)

• And finally, the Swiss prefer Spain (33.1%), France (12.4%) and Italy (11.6%).

10 days is the average holiday

Europeans who will travel by plane this summer will leave for an average of ten days. The Polish (13.8 days), the French (13 days), the Dutch (11.9 days), the Germans and the Irish (11 days) leave for a bit longer than the average vacationer. On the contrary, the Swedes (8 days), the British (8.3 days), the Portuguese and the Spanish (9 days), the Italians and the Swiss (10 days) take shorter holidays than the average European vacationer.

“e-Magin, our e-commerce platform, is so successful with the airline companies that today we have a unique point of view on air travel in Europe and throughout the world,” declares Erick Morazin, International Sales Director at Mondial Assistance. “As a result we can follow the most frequent destinations, booking behaviours, holiday durations, and numerous other information about air travel in real time.”

Thomson Ski and Snowboarding brochure

Thomson is offering four new resorts and four new flight routes in its newly launched Ski and Snowboarding 2008/9 main brochure.

The operator now flies passengers from Gatwick to Huesca in Spain for the resort Formigal, from Birmingham to Grenoble, from East Midlands Airport to Innsbruck in Austria and from Glasgow to Turin.

The new destinations are Spain’s Formigal, France’s Montgenevre , Austria’s Rauris and Leukerbad in Switzerland.

The brochure has 89 ski resorts in 11 countries across Europe, US and Canada. It also has a new ski wedding destination – Lake Bled in Slovenia.

Early bookers get a range of extras including 25% off, a free six-day lift pass for adults departing March 14/15 and 21/22 2009 to all chalets in the brochure and six European hotels, free crèche places, a free group place, Eurostar reductions, low deposits and £100 cash back when introducing a friend.

Prices start from £219 per person for 7 nights’ self-catering accommodation in the 3 star L’Escale Holiday Homes in Le Grand Bornand, France, including return flights from Gatwick departing on 19th January 2009 and all transfers.

European Boating Vacation Experience

Europeans have long known that a leisurely journey through Europe’s inland waterways on a self-drive boat is a truly extraordinary way to enjoy the beauty, life and culture that make each part of the Continent unique. These easy-to-operate boats allow travelers to cruise at their own pace with the freedom to stop wherever and whenever they wish to explore and enjoy their surroundings.

Americans, too, are discovering this exciting “slow travel” alternative. For those looking for a fresh, highly personalized way to experience the Europe rarely visited on conventional tours or cruises, the people at European Boating Holidays (EBH), a leading provider of self-drive boating experiences with 29 bases in France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy and Poland, offers these ‘insider’ suggestions for enhancing the European boating experience:

Bring family and friends - Sharing the trip with family and friends multiplies the fun of a European holiday. Everyone can take turns at the helm and working the lines as they cruise through countryside and towns and navigate the locks along the way. The boat also serves as a home base for spontaneous excursions on foot or on bicycles carried onboard and provides a cozy end-of-day gathering place to share stories of their day’s adventures.
EBH’s Locaboat Penichettes and Cardinal Europas are available in sizes to accommodate up to 8 people comfortably in private double cabins with en suite toilets and showers, and each boat is equipped to carry a full complement of bicycles available for rental at the EBH base.

Enjoy stretching your budget - Self-drive boats combine accommodations and transportation in an economical package that can save hundreds of dollars on hotel stays alone for a European vacation, and there are ways that you can add to the enjoyment of the boating experience while further stretching your budget. For example, every EBH boat has a fully equipped kitchen, so you can save on the cost of eating in restaurants by preparing as many - or few - meals as you want onboard using locally purchased ingredients. Also, prices for locally produced crafts that make wonderful mementoes and gifts are usually lower than the ordinary souvenirs sold in tourist hot spots.

You’ll find that a breakfast of just-baked pastries from a nearby village bakery and coffee brewed in your boat’s galley enjoyed on the deck of your boat or a picnic lunch with a good local wine under shade trees on the banks of the waterway are far more satisfying than a hotel breakfast or box lunch on a tour bus, and the keepsake you discovered by chance on a walk through a charming village will hold the finest of memories for a lifetime.

Discover the Europe tourists seldom experience - Unlike conventional tours and cruises that hopscotch between visits to popular sights and attractions, a boating holiday puts travelers directly in touch with the everyday life of the areas they visit. Shopping at local markets and visiting with lock keepers, other boaters and people in the communities along the waterways add a special dimension to this “up close and personal” experience of the Europe rarely seen by most tourists.

Unfettered by an artificial schedule, you will find it easy to adapt to the rhythms of your surroundings and develop a genuine understanding of European life and culture. Spend time walking or bicycling through towns and countryside; linger at the markets and cafes - and be sure to take lots of pictures to go with the stories you’ll have to share with friends back home!

Savor legendary cuisine - The renowned cuisine of Europe’s famous restaurants has its roots in the kitchens of the communities and countryside and the fresh ingredients sold in the local markets along the inland waterways you’ll travel on a boating holiday. Get recommendations from local tourist offices, the EBH base staff or a good guide book and take time for leisurely special meals at one - or several - that sound appealing.
And if cooking is one of your passions, a boating journey is the perfect opportunity to try some of your favorite or newly discovered European recipes using the freshest ingredients purchased at local markets. You’ll find the galley on your Locaboat Penichette or Cardinal Europa well equipped to let you experiment to your heart’s desire.

Be ready for unexpected discoveries - Europe has hundreds of deservedly well-known sights and places; it also has hundreds more delightful surprises “off the beaten path” awaiting travelers on a self-drive boating vacation. EBH base stores offer “Navigation Maps” with detailed information about each region, and the base staff as well as the people you meet along your route can also recommend special places to visit and enjoy.

Your personal discoveries could include a quiet cove in a lake for an afternoon swim or fishing from the boat, an historic castle or chateau or spectacular gardens open to the public, an out-of-the-way gallery or museum featuring remarkable pieces produced by local artists and artisans, a glimpse of unique birds and animal life in their natural habitats, a working farm that welcomes visitors for an extraordinary home-cooked meal, or simply a perfect spot that encompasses everything you’ve imagined Europe to mean. There are delightful discoveries around every bend in the waterway and in each village and town along your way, with time and freedom to discover as many as you wish.

For additional information about all the choices available from European Boating Holidays, Locaboat Holidays or Cardinal Boating Holidays, consumers and travel professionals in North American can also visit the EBH Web site at www.europeanboatingholidays.co.uk.

European Boating Holidays (EBH), based near London at Bishop’s Stortford, U.K., owns and operates the traditionally elegant Locaboat Holidays and stylishly contemporary Cardinal Boating Holidays brands of independent boating holidays.

In 2008, Locaboat Holidays will feature the exclusive Penichette boats at bases in France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy and Poland.

Cardinal Boating Holidays will offer five-star Europa Class boats in France, Germany, Holland, Italy and Poland.

For more information about EBH, Locaboat and Cardinal Boating, please visit our Website: www.europeanboatingholidays.co.uk  To contact the North American sales office, call toll-free (866) 606-5278 or e-mail to eurobh@roadrunner.com

Salzburg Lakes Bike Tour

A tour through the Salzburg Lakes region provides quiet bicycling along lake shores and through pristine countryside. Not far from the city of Salzburg, the landscape of Alpine foothills has a charm of its own.

Small peaks tower above the background of the clean lakes and invite you again and again to stop and take in the scenery. You bike past lush green meadows, mighty woods and jagged rocks and through pastures and moor lands, imperial towns and picturesque villages.

On the lake shores and along the Salzach River, the bike routes are completely flat. In-between the terrain is hilly. Depending on the route you take, one third is on cycle tracks, almost all the rest on meadow and wood paths and country lanes and on side streets with light traffic. Only a few, short sections are on streets with traffic. The tour starts and ends in Salzburg.

Included services:

hotels
luggage transfers
rental bikes

Biking: Relaxed cycling with occasional hills. Average physical condition required.

Duration: One-week

Cost: One-week tours start at EURO 565

Season: Daily mid April - mid October

Guided tours are also available.

This tour is offered by Bike Tours Direct.

Tauck Reduces Single Supplement on Cruises

Tauck World Discovery has reduced its single supplement, offering savings on a total of 28 departures of 10 different ocean and river cruise itineraries. The value is substantial, with supplements reduced by as much as 86 percent, resulting in out-of-pocket savings of up to $3,000 per itinerary.

On average, Tauck has reduced the supplements on the special departures by 65 percent, for a typical savings of nearly $2,000. The 10 European cruise itineraries offering singles savings are evenly divided between five intimate small-ship ocean cruises, and five luxury riverboat cruises.

The ocean cruises are aboard either the 60-passenger Le Ponant, which combines the romance of sail with the reliability of motorized power, or the 90-passenger Le Levant, which offers the refined ambiance of a private yacht. The river cruises feature Tauck’s all-new fleet of luxury vessels, including the MS Swiss Jewel (launching in April 2009), MS Swiss Sapphire (launched in April) and MS Swiss Emerald (launched in 2006).

Tauck’s ocean itineraries with special single pricing include the Treasures of the Mediterranean (11 days); Venice & The Dalmatian Coast (10 days); Sicily, The Amalfi Coast & Rome (11 days); Istanbul And The Black Sea (12 days); and Mediterranean Discovery (12 days). River cruise excursions include Holland & Belgium In Spring (10 days), The Rhine And Moselle (13 days), The Blue Danube (12 days), Budapest to the Black Sea (12 days) and Amsterdam to Budapest By Riverboat (15 days).

For more information, call 800-468-2825 or visit www.tauck.com

Insight Vacations 10 Percent Off Europe “Preview”

Insight Vacations is encouraging early booking with its 2009 Premium Europe & Britain Preview, and a 10 percent discount for any eligible itinerary featured in the Preview brochure.

The vacation must be booked and paid in full by Aug. 15.

The promotion is an extension of Insight’s Early Payment Discount featured in its brochure.

Typically travelers need to book and pay in full 12 months prior to departure to receive the 10 percent discount.

But the company lifted the timing restriction and now allows clients travelers to get the 10 percent Early Payment Discount regardless of their intended departure date as long as they are willing to pay in full at the time of booking.

Past Insight guests can save 5 percent on most itineraries. Insight also offers group and young traveler discounts.

Visit www.insightvacations.com/specials  for details.

For more information, contact Insight Vacations at 714-937-4990. For reservations

or more information, call 800-582-8380 and

www.insightvacations.com

Hostelling International adds features

Hostelling International (HI) introduced the world to the concept of youth hostelling and is now utilising mobile and social media to deliver its message to young travellers in the 21st century. In addition to its successful www.hihostels.com booking site, HI introduced the first hostel application for the Apple iPhone, and most recently the first hostel application for social media website www.facebook.com.

http://www.hihostels.com/ – the global HI booking site

Launched just two years, the www.hihostels.com global booking website has enjoyed phenomenal growth, with tens of thousands of satisfied customers worldwide. In this time, hostel bookings have grown by 64% while overnight stays increased by 70%. Site visitor numbers have more than quadrupled to over 1.2 million, with an average of around 40,000 unique visits per day.

The easy-to-use site offers instant online bookings at more than 1200 quality-checked hostels worldwide. And unlike many other booking sites, www.hihostels.com enables travellers to book multiple hostels in a single transaction.

hihostels on the iPhone

The very first hostel application for the Apple iPhone was launched by HI in early March, and is proving very popular.

It enables users to quickly and easily book their accommodation while on the move – select a hostel from the drop-down list to check availability, view details and photos, check maps, driving instructions etc. before completing the booking on the HI site.

Making friends @ hihostels on Facebook

As part of the HI strategy to engage with young people in the ways that are most appealing to them, HI launched the very first hostel application– friends @ hihostels – on social media website facebook (). Users simply add the to their profile in order to add their hostel stays, share travel plans and meet up with other hostellers during their journey. The application has been an instant success - more than 4000 travellers have added the application along with thousands of hostel stays.

Düsseldorf’s Breidenbacher Hof Introductory Rates

Following a transformation and May 2008 re-opening, Breidenbacher Hof, a Capella Hotel, in Düsseldorf, Germany is offering special introductory rates.

Through Aug. 31 summer rates start at €225 ($354) for a Standard Room – proving anything but standard – with beautiful views of the hotel’s lush, inner courtyard. During this introductory period, Deluxe Rooms start at €325 ($512), and Capella Rooms, with separate living quarters and guest powder rooms, start at €500 ($788).

Beginning Sept. 1 rates will start at € 275 ($433), € 425 ($669) and €800 ($1,260) for the Standard, Deluxe and Capella Rooms, respectively.

Call 877-247-6688 or visit www.capellahotels.com