Jetsettersblog

MSC Cruises Adventurous Excursions in Caribbean

MSC Cruises is offering a number of adventurous excursions on its 2008-09 Caribbean itineraries. Shore excursion options include exploring by motorcycle, bicycle, ATV, horseback, snorkeling, scuba diving, glass-bottomed kayak and ziplining. MSC Orchestra’s seven-night Western Caribbean roundtrip sailings from Fort Lauderdale (Jan. 24, Feb. 21, March 7 and March 21) call at Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Cayo Levantado, Dominican Republic, the line’s private island paradise.

Among the shore excursion options available in Cozumel exploring in a Jeep caravan, a dune buggy tour along coastal roads and through tropical jungles, swimming with dolphins in natural ocean coves and a trip to XCaret Natural Adventure Park, the largest ecological park in Latin America. In Grand Cayman, shore excursions include Stingray City, a certified two-tank boat dive, and an introductory scuba lesson. Cruise-only rates begin at $539 per person, double occupancy.

On MSC Orchestra’s April 18 seven-night Eastern Caribbean sailing, shore excursions in St. Maarten include horseback riding on the beach, an ATV experience, a tour by both catamaran and Swiss Army Jeep, a Harley Davidson experience and riding in an yacht on an America’s Cup-like course.

Cruise-only rates begin at $519 per person, double occupancy. MSC Lirica’s 10-night Deep Caribbean cruises (departing Fort Lauderdale Jan. 23, Feb. 12, March 4, March 24 and April 13) offer horseback riding on the beach in Antigua or a catamaran ride to Paradise Reef for snorkeling. While in Antigua, for example, guests can go.

Cruise-only rates begin at $799 per person, double occupancy. The ship’s “Caribbean Featuring Panama” 10-night sailings (departing Fort Lauderdale Feb. 2, Feb. 22, March 14 and April 3) offer a dolphin swim program in Costa Maya and a mangroves ecological tour via canoe in Cartagena. In Puerto Limon, guests can explore the rainforest by bicycle or wagon or on a zipline.

Cruise-only rates begin at $849 per person, double occupancy. With the line’s “Kids Sail Free” offer, kids age 17 and under sail free when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare-paying adults.

Seabourn Odyssey Special Shoreside Experiences

The Yachts of Seabourn has announced a selection of special shoreside experiences during the Seabourn Odyssey’s inaugural world cruise.

Full World Odyssey guests are invited to stay overnight and attend a gala Bon Voyage Ball at the St. Regis hotel in Fort Lauderdale the night before departure. Five additional complimentary events are reserved solely for guests who book the full world cruise. Guests embarking in Los Angeles days will enjoy four of them.

An additional seven ports will feature complimentary Exclusively Seabourn shoreside experiences, to which all guests onboard will be invited, regardless of the length of their voyages.

The full world cruise events begin Jan. 18, 2010, with a catamaran cruise from Cabo San Lucas to seek some of the six species of whales that gather each year in the Sea of Cortez. On Feb. 6, full world cruise guests are invited to an evening of cocktails, Tahitian music and dance, and a special feast under the stars in Papeete, Tahiti.

In Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 24, guests are invited on a private sunset dinner cruise of Sydney Harbor and a performance at the Sydney Opera House. Hong Kong will be the site of the next world cruise event on March 15: a Chinese bazaar at the Aberdeen Marina Club. And on March 29, guests will participate in a Thai cultural celebration of food and entertainment in Phuket.

The complimentary shoreside events are part of a menu of benefits included for full world cruise guests, along with a complimentary pre-cruise Bon Voyage event and luxury overnight before departing, door-to-door private car transfers, roundtrip first-class airfare or air credit, Personal Valet luggage shipping service and shipboard credits of $2,000 per suite. There will also be special gala celebrations and gifts for guests onboard during the voyage.

The Exclusively Seabourn experiences for all guests onboard will include an afternoon tour of Cultural Cartagena in Colombia’s Caribbean port city, A UNESCO World Heritage Site; a re-creation of “Aloha Boat Days” at Honolulu’s Royal Hawaiian Hotel; a Maori cultural discovery experience at Lyttelton (Christchurch), New Zealand; an introduction to the arts and cultures of Borneo’s 32 diverse ethnic groups at Kota Kinabalu; a visit to the Sanctuary of Truth at Pattaya, Thailand, from Bangkok; an evening at an oasis near Dubai; and a sortie from Sharm el Sheikh into a sheltered valley in the Sinai desert for tea, traditional folkloric music and dance at a Bedouin encampment.

For those not wishing to take the entire World Odyssey, segments from 16 to 69 days are available, several of which also offer value-added benefits.

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

Visas not necessary in Ecuador

The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, ordered that starting this month, visas will not be required for citizens of any nationality who intend to enter Ecuador for tourism and stay for a period of 90 days.

Avenida de los Volcanes implements tourism road signs

The municipalities of Ruminahui, Mejia and the metropolitan district of Quito form a territory with several touristic alternatives for activities such as mountaineering, hiking, horseback riding, bird watching, camping, photography and educational activities, as well as services offered by the local population.

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.

SERRA VERDE EXPRESS CURITIBA TO PARANAGUÁ

If you enjoy traveling by train and to be in contact with nature, from Curitiba (Capital of the State of Paraná) you can make a fantastic train trip, starting at the heights of the Paraná plateau, going down through the Atlantic Rainforest to the picturesque colonial town of Morretes, with the possibility to go as far as to the port city of Paranaguá. There are two trains departing on a daily basis from Curitiba: at 8 a.m. the regular train and at 9 a.m. the tourist train (equipped with air conditioning).

The train arrives in Morretes by lunch time. Tip: in one of the typical restaurants lining the river that runs through the town, try “BARREADO” (traditional local dish of beef stewed in a sealed clay pot for 24 hours). Be ready for a feast…

If you must, the train returning to Curitiba leaves at 3:00pm. However, having time, stay overnight in one of the “pousadas” (inns) of Morretes. Linger the evening and savor the charm of the town and the riverside walk, the local live music and some of friendliest people you’ll ever hope to meet. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, this region offers eco-tourism options: many trails (easy as well as mountainous), waterfalls, rivers and spectacular flora and fauna in and around the rainforest of Marumbi State Park.

If you go further (by train) to Paranaguá, from there you can catch a ferry to Ilha do Mel (Honey Island), one of the sweetest eco-paradise islands of the South coast of Brazil.

Operated by Serra Verde Express, the whole train trip (Curitiba to Paranaguá) takes a total of 4 hours (110 km), crossing 13 tunnels (through granite) and 67 bridges. The journey owes its appeal to the engineering feats accomplished in the construction of the railway (1885) as well as to the natural beauty and cultural attractions along its path.

According to “Lonely Planet”, the train trip from Curitiba to Paranaguá as a must see in Brazil!

TAM EXTRA FLIGHTS TO BUENOS AIRES

Until August 10th, TAM will temporally offer extra flights from Recife, Porto Seguro, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires. TAM operates presently 49 weekly flights to Buenos Aires, with departures from Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo. With the new announced flights, there will be a total of 56 weekly flights to Argentina.

Spirit Airlines flies from Bogota and Armenia to Florida

The airline informed that it will begin daily flights between Bogota and Fort Lauderdale starting July 24th. The route from Armenia would begin operating at the end of this year. The fourth destination to which it will fly in Colombia will be San Andres, in order to connect it with the United States as of May, 2009.

Avianca flies between Bogota and Santo Domingo

Avianca will begin its new service of direct flights on the Bogota - Santo Domingo - Bogota route. In this way, the Colombian airline connects Colombia with this Caribbean island with four weekly flights.

Direct flights to Washington

Avianca is expanding its network of connections to destinations in the United States with five weekly flights on the Bogota – Washington – Bogota route.

With the operation of this new route, Avianca will offer 80 weekly flights to those who travel to different parts of the United States. Passengers on-board will be able to carry on two pieces of luggage with no additional cost.

Cruz del Sur new routes from Peru

Arrival of foreign tourists increased by 12.3% in first quarter

In the first quarter of this year, Peru registered 502,942 arrivals of foreign tourists through the country’s borders, according to information provided by the General Directorate of Immigration and Naturalization (DIGEMIN) and analyzed by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.

Inti Raymi will be translated into English, French and Spanish

For the first time, the Inti Raymi ceremony will be simultaneously translated into English, French and Spanish. Participants will receive translation equipment so that it will be easier for them understand this festivity, which is celebrated each June 24th. EMUFEC S.A., Cusco’s municipal company for festivities has placed 3,800 seats on sale to attend Inti Raymi in the esplanade of Sacsahuaman.

Historian maintains that Machu Picchu was discovered by a German in 1867

According to a study carried out by the historian Paolo Greer, the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu was discovered by the German Augusto Berns 44 years before the North American explorer Hiram Bingham arrived in the area (in 1911).

LAN Peru will increase flights from Trujillo to the city of Tumbes

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) informed that the airline Lan Peru announced its decision to operate flights to Tumbes. The flights will begin next June 25th and will be carried out as an extension of the flight that Lan Peru’s aircraft currently make to Trujillo.

Cruz del Sur new routes

Cruz del Sur will reopen the service Lima – Paracas – Ica – Nasca at 4.30 am (full day) and Nasca – Arequipa at 3 p.m. With these new frequencies, tourists and the general public will have more travel options besides those already existing to visit the circuit known as “the magical route of the south.”

Hotel Libertador Paracas will open at the beginning of 2009 after an investment of US$23 million

The inauguration of the new Hotel Libertador Paracas is scheduled for the first quarter of 2009 and will require an investment of US$23,055,752. It will have a constructed area of 17,197.88 m2 and 34,136.29 m2, with a new structure that will comply with the highest international standards.