Jetsettersblog

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.

Delta Air Lines customers flying business class between the U.S. and London’s Heathrow Airport will enjoy the comfort of a 180-degree full flat bed on every flight beginning summer 2009. Delta customers also will have the convenience of a third daily nonstop flight between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and London-Heathrow, operated by joint venture partner Air France. The service will complement Delta’s two existing flights between New York and Heathrow and one flight between Atlanta and Heathrow and will give customers the scheduling flexibility of a morning, early evening or late evening departure. “The introduction of full-flat service onboard the Delta 767 fleet will enhance our position in the highly competitive U.S.-to-Heathrow market,” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s executive vice president-network planning and revenue management.

Effective summer 2009, Delta’s flights between the United States and Heathrow will be upgraded to feature Boeing 767-400ER aircraft with 40 new 180-degree full flat beds in the aircraft’s BusinessElite cabin. The seats, designed by Thompson Aerospace and engineered and manufactured by Contour Premium Aircraft Seating, recline to 77-inch-long beds in a one-two-one configuration giving every BusinessElite customer direct aisle access.

Delta is reconfiguring seven of its 767-400 aircraft with the full-flat beds.

In total, Delta and Air France plan to offer customers four daily nonstop flights between the United States and London-Heathrow next summer – one from Atlanta and three from New York-JFK. Delta also currently offers service between London’s Gatwick Airport and Atlanta twice daily and between London-Gatwick and Cincinnati once daily. Air France has announced that it intends to discontinue service between Los Angeles and Heathrow as it adds the new nonstop Heathrow flight from New York.

American Express Travel is partnering with Royal Caribbean International for the unveiling of the final “neighborhood” aboard RCI’s Oasis of the Seas, which the cruise line will launch in November 2009. The cruise ship’s design features “neighborhoods,” which will provide an array of experiences to cater to guests’ personal style, preferences or moods. The unveiling of the final neighborhood, available exclusively to American Express cardmembers, customers and travel agents, will take place Oct. 21 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time, via a live WebEx webcast.

The webcast will be co-hosted by Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, and Lynne Biggar, senior vice president and general manager of the American Express Consumer Travel Network. Oasis of the Seas’ neighborhoods already announced include Central Park, Boardwalk, Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, and the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center.

 For more information, call 800-297-2977 or visit www.americanexpress.com/travel

Inn Marin is offering two California wine country packages. The one-night Wine Country Tour package is available in conjunction with Pure Luxury Limousine, which provides a chauffeured Town Car for a four-hour wine country tour for two people, with advance reservations. The tour includes three to four winery stops, with all tasting fees included. Continental breakfast also is included. Nightly room rates for the package start at $431. The Vineyard at Roche Winery package includes a 90-minute, guided horseback tour through the heart of the Roche family’s 2,100-acre vineyard estate and operating cattle ranch.

The package also includes a wine tasting at the estate. Nightly room rates start at $289.50.

For more information, call 800-652-656 or visit www.innmarin.com

The Grand Del Mar resort in San Diego has unveiled its 2008 holiday packages. The two-night Holiday Shopping Spree package includes champagne and chocolates upon arrival, round-trip transportation to the South Coast Plaza or Fashion Valley, and daily breakfast for two with room rates from $995.

The two-night New Year’s Revelry package features champagne and chocolates upon arrival, two seats at the resort’s annual New Year’s Eve Gala, a New Year’s Day breakfast buffet for two and valet parking from $1,560. The Golf and Spa Retreat includes one round of golf for one player with cart and caddie at The Grand Golf Club, one 60-minute spa treatment at the resort’s spa, and daily breakfast for two from $795.

For more information, call 888-314-2030 or visit www.thegranddelmar.com

In all the bars in the world, there are so many amazing bar tenders and quirky cocktails available. Here we have put together five of the best to wet your appetite. Chin chin!

The Landings Affair

The Landings St Lucia, a luxurious five-star RockResorts property, is offering guests The Landings Affair! Situated on 19 spectacular beachfront acres on Rodney Bay, near the northern tip of St Lucia, there is no better way to relax than with this delicious cocktail.

Guests can chill out in The Yacht Haven Restaurant, with spectacular views over the azure blue Caribbean Sea, listening to tunes from a local steel drum band, while sipping The Landings Affair. Influenced by Caribbean ingredients, including blue cuacao, kokonut rum, crystal rum, pineapple juice and orange juice, the contents are shaken together and served in a coconut shell and garnished with a hibiscus flower.

The Gangster Moll

The Purple Palm at the Colony Palms Hotel, in Palm Springs Desert Resorts, was originally the fabled underworld den where nefarious enterprises were conducted by Detroit mobster Al Wertheimer of the notorious Purple Gang during the 1930s Prohibition era, (hence the name of the Purple Palm Restaurant).

The Colony Palms Hotel has recently undergone a USD16 million* (GBP 9,117,660) refurbishment and been resurrected to its vintage Hollywood glam, spun with Spanish and Moroccan influences, and is a glamorous yet understated boutique of 21st century cool with a hip new dining spot – the Purple Palm Restaurant

The Gangster Moll - created with Champagne and St Germain, and garnished with a strawberry - is served to guests luxuriating at the outdoor bar, where the view of the pool is framed by gorgeous mountain vistas, and captivates with the sheer sensuality of the setting that originally attracted Wertheimer and his cohorts.

Hole in One

Around the globe, the Fairmont name is associated with some of the world’s most thrilling golf experiences. In the Scottish countryside, the Fairmont St Andrews offers guests the toughest challenge on the course and the finest reward to celebrate the great game – the Hole in One!

The 17th Hole at the Kittocks course, Fairmont St Andrews, is renowned for being a mischievous diablo that starts with a blind tee shot and doesn’t get any easier, forcing golfers to keep their wits about them. With breathtaking views over the sea and golden beaches of St Andrews, the course lays out devilish challenges such as unseen trouble spots and deep bunkers. Inspired by The Devlin’s infamous signature hole, the Hole is One serves up Glenmorangie, one of Scotland’s finest single-malt Scotches, ‘on the rocks’ (golf balls made of ice) and is the ideal end to a hair-raising round!

Veronica’s Margarita

Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort in Los Cabos, at the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, is serving Veronica’s Margarita at its Tequila & Ceviche bar. Named after the talented member of staff who created the cocktail concoction, Veronica’s Margarita is made using the Nopal cactus - an incredible plant, native to the Baja region – and tequila.

Natives of the region have long used the Nopal cactus, as early Baja healers knew it was a bountiful plant with terrific medicinal qualities. They can be found in Latin food markets throughout Mexico. The Nopal cactus contains 17 amino acids, eight of which are essential in the human diet, fibre, minerals, and vitamins. Nopal can also help control obesity by preventing fat build-up and diminishing cellulite and fluid retention, not to mention it gives an energy boost and elevates your mood and helps detoxify the liver and the body in general.

The other key ingredient in Veronica’s Margarita is tequila. Made from the Blue Agave plant, tequila is native to Mexico and the favourite drink of the country.

High Tea Martini

The Hotel Shangri-La will be serving up the sumptuous High Tea Martini cocktail to guests, created using the ingredients; Bombay Sapphire Gin, Earl Grey Tea, Cointreau and Dundee Marmalade.

The word Shangri-La suggests the imagery of exoticism in the Orient. Hotel Shangri-La, the iconic hotel in Santa Monica, introduces its signature drink, a High Tea Martini that evokes the sights, smells and tastes of the mythical Shangri-La with its combination of Eastern and British ingredients and flavours. The High Tea Martini also complements the nostalgic tone and atmosphere that the Hotel Shangri-La embodies. Guests can feel as if they are visiting the fictional earthly paradise when sipping this orange-hued drink while gazing at a stunning sunset at the Hotel Shangri-La’s rooftop bar, Suite 700, overlooking the picturesque Pacific Ocean.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. — CordeValle, A Rosewood Resort has announced details of an exceptionally fun and luxurious retreat designed for men. CordeValle’s Men’s G.O.L.F. Getaway package provides a stylish yet distinctly non-traditional getaway in the resort’s extraordinarily beautiful natural setting, perfect for enjoying world-class golf, a full-service spa, fine dining, wine tasting, an array of outdoor activities, or simple relaxation time.

“As a world-class golf resort, we are only too aware of how seriously many golfers take the game,” said Julee Midden, CordeValle director of marketing. “We wanted to create a package that takes advantage of the beautiful setting and the many amenities we have here, but in a light-hearted way that focuses more on the pleasure of spending time with good friends than perfecting your tee shot.”

The word “golf” is said to have originated as an acronym for “Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.” This decidedly male perspective is thoroughly embraced in CordeValle’s Men’s G.O.L.F. Getaway, created for up to four gentlemen to enjoy a friendly gathering at a Fairway Home – perfect for a bachelor party, golf outing, or reunion. CordeValle’s Men’s G.O.L.F. Getaway includes components such as a “Steaks, Scotch & Cigars” dinner prepared by a private grill chef on the patio, a day of unlimited golfing, golf-themed amenities, plus a gentlemen’s nightcap each night of the group’s stay.

CordeValle’s Men’s G.O.L.F. Getaway package includes two nights in a spacious, four-bedroom Fairway Home with a cozy gathering area with fireplace, dining room, and private patio, customized welcome amenities for all, and unique culinary experiences tailored to male guests. CordeValle’s Men’s G.O.L.F. Getaway is available now through the end of this year.

The total cost of CordeValle Men’s G.O.L.F. Getaway is $6,000.00 for a party of four, exclusive of tax, resort fee, and gratuity, and is subject to availability. Component details are:

• Two nights in a Fairway Home (additional Fairway Homes are available for larger groups).
• A customized welcome basket including food products, a gentlemen’s beverage and golf-themed amenity.
• Breakfast in The Bar or at The Grill on the first morning.
• A specially-prepared, in-home continental breakfast to enjoy at leisure on the second morning.
• “Steaks, Scotch & Cigars” dinner featuring Kobe beef prepared on the Fairway Home patio by a private grill chef, plus side dishes and desserts, a selection of the finest scotches and cigars for after-dinner enjoyment.
• One day of unlimited golf including cart (forecaddie required on course, but not included; tee times based on availability).
• A $125 Sense Spa credit for each person.
• Gentlemen’s nightcap each night.

Other activities available for the Men’s G.O.L.F. Getaway guests include tennis, bocce ball, croquet, tennis, customized golf clinics, night golf, hiking, yoga, Pilates, wine tasting and vineyard tours at Clos LaChance, CordeValle’s on-site winery. Some of these activities are at an additional cost. Sense Spa appointments must be booked at least one week prior to arrival.

The Men’s G.O.L.F. Getaway package is non-refundable and not combinable with any other offers or applicable to groups. The package is available through December 31, 2008.

About CordeValle, A Rosewood Resort:

CordeValle is a haven of pampered relaxation and luxury featuring a world-class golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.;

 the finest 5-star quality club, spa, accommodations and cuisine; and the nearby Clos LaChance winery and vineyard. CordeValle combines the best of private country and social clubs with an award-winning golf resort experience.

The resort’s unique atmosphere has won it a place in the 2008 Golf Digest Index’s “World’s 50 Best Golf Resorts” list, on Condé Nast Traveler’s “Best New Hotels in the World” list and on Elite Traveler’s “Favorite Golf Course” list. CordeValle, a hidden gem nestled in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, is located at One CordeValle Club Drive in San Martin, California. More information on CordeValle, A Rosewood Resort is available by calling 408-695-4500 or visiting www.cordevalle.com

Explores Weird L.A. Crime History

WHAT: “Halloween Horrors With Crimebo the Clown ” bus tour
WHEN: Saturday October 25, 12pm-4pm

COST: $58/person, snacks and candy included MORE INFO: visit http://www.esotouric.com or call 323-223-2767

LOS ANGELES- Esotouric’s most grisly Crime Bus tour, this seasonal confection stops at the sites of the weirdest and most disgusting crimes in LA’s history, including several with a Halloween theme. Halloween Horrors features lurid crime scene photos and more sick jokes per mile than the other Crime Bus tours, and is the only no-kids-allowed tour on the schedule. Vintage crime scene photos are featured, with passengers urged to BYOBB (bring your own barf bag), always a smart idea when Crimebo the Crime Clown is in attendance.

Ghost Hosts Kim Cooper, Richard Schave and Joan Renner have dug into the archives to uncover such terrible tales as the lady dope dealer left with her eyes gouged out on Echo Park’s Lovers’ Lane, the one-time silent screen star who died alone and was gnawed on by her doggy, the trick or treat murder of the handsome hairstylist, an astrologer and a palm reader who didn’t foresee being killed by the women they loved, Silver Lake’s exploding gun shop, the poignant death of the bravest dog in Hollywood, plus visits to Bela Lugosi’s home, Crimebo’s tales of Halloween celebrations gone terribly wrong and history of holiday pranks in Los Angeles, plus light-hearted oddities like the mysterious midnight disappearance of thousands of cucumbers from a Hollywood farm.

The tour is dedicated to the memory of a brave little San Fernando Valley girl Deborah Lohr, who in 1962, accompanied by a friend dressed as a beatnik, stood too near a jack-o-lantern and had her hula costume go up in flames. Deborah’s terrible death led to many changes in how Halloween was celebrated in Los Angeles, including fireproof costumes, battery-powered lights in pumpkins, masks offering better visibility when crossing streets and greater parental supervision.

The 2008 edition of Halloween Horrors features a very spooky guest star. Jeremy Kasten is a horror filmmaker and a fetishist of L.A. history. Jeremy’s film’s include “The Attic Expeditions” (Seth Green, Alice Cooper, Ted Raimi, Jeffrey Combs), which premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival and is considered a cult favorite among horror fans. Jeremy’s second film, “All Souls Day: Dias De Los Muertos” (David Keith, Laura Harring, Danny Trejo) premiered at the 2005 Slamdance Film Festival and his third film, ”The Thirst” (Jeremy Sisto and Matt Keslar) is one of the bloodiest modern vampire exploitation films.

Jeremy has just released a remake of H.G Lewis’ “The Wizard of Gore,” starring Crispin Glover, Kip Pardue, Bijou Phillips, Brad Dourif, Jeffrey Combs and featuring the Suicide Girls. “Wizard” premiered to sold out crowds at the Los Angeles Film Festival and is a love letter to post-punk L.A. Jeremy will be showing and discussing favorite disturbing clips from horror films featuring Los Angeles. We will see the city as a background to heinous crimes as well as a stand-in for everything from sleepy suburbs to a post- apocalyptic nightmare world. It’s not for the squeamish, and can only be seen on the Crime Bus.

Passengers on this eye-opening, funny and informative tour will leave with a new understanding of Halloween and horror in old Los Angeles, and the promise of nightmares. It is highly recommended for natives and newcomers, crime and history buffs and anyone who likes to seek out the unexpected.

For more info on Esotouric, visit http://www.esotouric.com

Chuck Liddell, whose popular Avalon Walk-About tours on Catalina Island have been highly rated by Los Angeles Magazine and Orange Coast Magazine, has added tours that will focus on the spookier side of Avalon.

“Guests on my walking tours frequently ask if Catalina is haunted,” says Liddell.

“Catalina has a rich and dramatic history that dates back to before the Spanish exploration. It’s no surprise that there are a number of places in Avalon where islanders and visitors alike have had paranormal encounters.

While a number of the some 15 sites in Avalon are privately owned and not open to the public, Liddell’s Haunted Catalina tour takes visitors by the locations and is two hours full of fascinating, detailed accounts of paranormal incidents in the city of Avalon. Wear walking shoes. Garlic is optional.

Haunted Catalina Walk-About with Chuck Liddell
Daily, 4-6pm
Phone: 310.510.1356
Email: avalonwalkabout@yahoo.com
Website: www.geocities.com/avalonwalkabout

If the idea of nearly a third of a year off to go cruising sounds like your sort of a holiday, consider an amazing 101-nights from New York to Sydney and back to New York aboard Cunard’s grand Queen Mary 2 in 2010.

This ultimate in special anniversary, birthday or even retirement gifts to yourself (or an employee,) will visit 32 ports in 21 countries between January 4 and April 15 2010 and is selling through ecruising.travel at over 30-per cent below previously advertised prices.

A hotel night in New York pre-cruise, all 5-star onboard dining throughout the 101 nights cruise, a special World Cruise Celebration Dinner and complimentary World Cruise Gift, nightly Broadway-style shows and late-release movies, complimentary room service, gratuities, port charges, and transfers in New York are all included.

As well, an onboard spending credit of up to US$1000pp (depending on cabin category) is included in the price that starts from $24,999pp twin-share – a saving of $10,750pp – with free cabin upgrades on select cabin categories, and an additional 5% off for past Cunard guests.

Air travel and taxes are additional; for full information and a detailed itinerary phone 1300 369 848 or visit www.ecruising.travel

ITINERARY DETAILS: Queen Mary 2 will sail 7-nights across the Atlantic to Southampton, then Lisbon, Civitavecchia for Rome, Port Said (Cairo,) Safaga for Luxor and Karnak, Muscat, Dubai, Mumbai, Phuket, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hong Kong where she will overnight.

From Hong Kong she sails on to Shanghai, Nagasaki, Yokohama for Tokyo, Guam, Rabaul, the Whitsunday Islands, Auckland, the Bay of Islands, Sydney (overnight,) Adelaide, Perth, Port Louis in Mauritius, Durban, Cape Town (overnight,) St Helena, Rio de Janeiro, Barbados, Fort Lauderdale and New York.

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