Tropical Weather Update
August 31, 2010 - 11:00 PM EST
Royal Caribbean International Due to the forecasted path of Hurricane Earl, Royal Caribbean International is altering the current itineraries for Monarch of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas. Monarch of the Seas was unable to call on CocoCay, Bahamas today. The ship will now sail directly to Nassau, Bahamas were it will stay until midnight Wednesday, September 1. The ship will spend Thursday at sea as it returns to Port Canaveral on Friday, as scheduled. Monarch of the Seas is currently sailing a four-night itinerary, which departed Port Canaveral on August 30. Majesty of the Seas will now extend its port call in Key West, Florida today until early tomorrow morning. It will spend the remainder of Wednesday at sea, and call into Nassau on Thursday, September 2. The ship will return to the Port of Miami on Friday, as scheduled. Majesty of the Seas is currently sailing a four-night itinerary, which departed the Port of Miami on August 30. Enchantment of the Seas called on San Juan, Puerto Rico Sunday, as scheduled, but will cancel its call at St. Thomas on Monday in order to avoid inclement weather from the storm. Instead, the ship will call at Samana, Dominican Republic on Monday, August 30 and Labadee, Haiti, on Tuesday, August 31. The ship will spend Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at sea as it returns to Baltimore on Saturday, as scheduled. Enchantment of the Seas is currently sailing a nine-night Caribbean itinerary, which departed Baltimore on August 26. Oasis of the Seas will be unable to make its scheduled port calls to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas on Tuesday, August 31 and Phillipsburg, St. Maarten on Wednesday, September 1. The most recent forecast simply places the storm too close to these ports of call during the time Oasis of the Seas would be sailing there. The ship will now call at Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Oasis of the Seas is sailing a seven-night Caribbean itinerary, which departed Ft. Lauderdale on August 28. Freedom of the Seas will be unable to make its scheduled port calls to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas on Wednesday, September 1 and Phillipsburg, St. Maarten on Thursday, September 2. The most recent forecast simply places the storm too close to these ports of call during the time Freedom of the Seas would be sailing there. The ship will call CocoCay, Bahamas on Monday, as scheduled, spend Tuesday at sea, and call into George Town, Grand Cayman on Wednesday. On Thursday, the ship will visit Cozumel, Mexico. The ship will spend Friday and Saturday at sea as it returns to Port Canaveral, Florida on Sunday, as scheduled. Freedom of the Seas is currently sailing a seven-night Caribbean itinerary, which departed Port Canaveral on August 29. Celebrity Cruises & Azamara Club Cruises Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises are closely monitoring the path and progress of Hurricane Earl to ensure our guests enjoy safe and comfortable cruises, and to make certain our ships steer clear of the storm. The safety of our guests and crew members is always our foremost concern. At this time, no Celebrity Cruises or Azamara Club Cruises ship is being affected by tropical weather. We will continue to closely monitor weather conditions and will update this information if there are any changes.

Comment (0)

Comment (0)

Comment (0)

Carnival Magic to have pub, Italian specialty restaurant

By: Johanna Jainchill

August 24, 2010

The 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic will feature the first ropes course at sea as well as Carnival Cruise Lines' first pub, serving its own private-label beer.

Calling the 130,000-ton ship its most innovative to date, Carnival said the Magic would have an outdoor sports complex with a ropes course, an outdoor weightlifting area and a giant water dump bucket.

The ship will also feature a new specialty restaurant, Cucina del Capitano, or the Captain’s Kitchen. Carnival says the restaurant pays homage to the Italian lineage of its captains and recognizes that its ships were built in Italy.

Carnival’s first Italian specialty restaurant will feature recipes selected by Carnival’s captains as well as archival photography from their personal collections. Dinner will carry a surcharge. During the day, the space will be utilized as a complimentary made-to-order pasta bar.

The Carnival RedFrog Pub will have a Caribbean vibe, said Carnival, and serve ThirstyFrog Red, a private-label draft beer. The100-seat indoor/outdoor pub also will feature a Caribbean menu and Caribbean rums.

"With a nod to Carnival Magic’s Caribbean itineraries which kick off in November 2011, RedFrog Pub’s décor is decidedly British West Indies meets Key West, evoking the warmth and friendliness of a local island watering hole," Carnival said.

Check out all our Carnival cruise specials on www.wilcoxtravel.com .

Comment (0)

SANDALS SELECT MEMBERS FLY FREE AND SWOOP UP BONUS POINTS IN THE BAHAMAS

~ Sandals Select Members Enjoy the Extended Companion Flies Free Promotion and Are Eligible for Up to 5,000 Bonus Points ~

Sandals Resorts is now offering its most loyal guests, members of Sandals Select, bonus points for immediate redemption when booking a stay at either resort in the Bahamas – Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island or the new all-butler Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas. Sandals Select members taking advantage of the recently extended Companion Flies Free promotion will receive two flights for the price of one. Returning guest will also be awarded 5,000 bonus points ($125 value) for travel until December 15, 2011. The Companion Flies Free promotion applies to new bookings from major gateways in the United States and requires both passengers to be booked on the same flight and itinerary. In order to qualify for the returning guest promotion of 5,000 bonus, guests must book a minimum three-night stay by August 31, 2010  in a third category room or higher. The Sandals Select Program consists of more than 400,000 members of returning guests eligible for exclusive savings and redeemable points.  Please refer to promotion code BAH2010*.

In addition to Sandals Select points, Sandals Resorts’ most loyal guests are also eligible to receive additional savings this fall through the resort company’s current “Up to 65% off” promotion.  Available to all guests, this promotion offers savings on regular room rates of up to 65%, while guests who extend their stay to seven nights will also receive One Night Free on their stay. As with all Luxury Included® vacations, guests of Sandals Resorts enjoy luxurious accommodations, fine dining options, premium brand wine and spirits, watersports, nightly entertainment,  airport transfers and all resort taxes and fees.

Comment (0)

Can hotel guests really help save the environment? Guests participating in Starwood Hotels & Resorts Make a Green Choice program did. In an 8 month period, they voluntarily saved 14 million gallons of water, 67,000 kilowatts of electricity, and reduced chemical usage by 19,000 gallons in pilot program at 150 properties. The Make a Green Choice program offers guests the opportunity to opt out of daily housekeeping. Starwood plans to roll out the program to all Westin and Sheraton hotels later this month. Guests who participate will be offered a food and beverage credit or 500 reward points.

Other hotel companies are offering a reduced level of housekeeping. In a recent pilot program at Best Western, nearly 40% of guests opted out of daily housekeeping. Indications are that both conservation and convenience are the driving force behind the success of the program.

"In the midmarket, customers at times felt that housekeeping was a distraction for them, not a benefit," Ron Pohl, VP of brand management and member services for Best Western said. "As we dug deeper into that point, we found that housekeeping typically offered to clean rooms at inconvenient times for the customer, and the level of service they provided was not always aligned with expectations. After all, we've all had that knock on the door at 8 a.m. that woke you up, or that knock when you're right in the middle of getting ready."

Days Inn, part of the Wyndham brand, asks guests if they want limited housekeeping, which amounts to changing linen on request or every third day. Towels are installed in the bathroom to encourage guests to reuse their towels. The limited housekeeping option works well for both the hotels and the consumers.

Best Western has seen a rise in customer satisfaction, at the same time that the number of housekeeping days has been reduced. Pohl said Best Western raised the cleanliness standard at their properties. "We wanted to make sure we didn't send the message that we are allowing housekeeping to do less cleaning."

While guests are offered the option of limited housekeeping, full housekeeping is standard with all reservations.  

Comment (0)

If daydreams of your trip Paris include wandering through the Louvre, floating down the Seine, or a day at the Palace of Versailles, consider purchasing a Paris Pass. The Paris Pass not only includes admission to 60 of the city's top attractions, but moves you to front of the line in many places, giving you more time to savor the delights in the City of Lights.

Passes are good for 2, 4, or 6 days. Check with your travel agent for the best option for your visit to Paris.

• Free Entry to over 60 Museums, Art Galleries, Monuments and Attractions
  

• Free Metro Travelcard- Unlimited travel in zones 1-3

• Special offers and extra discounts
  Huge Savings 

Attractions include

For more information, visit http://www.parispass.com/

Comment (0)

There are many ways to experience Hawaii. From a resort, sipping a fruity drink, underwater, wondering at tropical fish and reefs, sailing the blue waters, but maybe the most spectacular and thrilling is a ride with Island Helicopters, based on the island of Hawaii.

Owner Curt Lofsted says, "From the gorgeous hidden valleys to the hidden beaches of the Na Pali Coast OR Waialeale Crater, with its 3,500 foot waterfalls dropping down around you as you fly inside, Kauai is the perfect island for a helicopter flight, since the most awesome scenery is deep within its interior and otherwise inaccessible."

You can be one of a handful of people that experience one of the earth's most awesome sights in person. The blockbuster film Jurassic Park brought Manawaiopuna Falls into theaters and homes in the dramatic opening and closing scenes, but Island Helicopters spent 5 and a half years obtaining permission to land here. Guests can now fly with them in between the valley's sheer walls and up close and personal with the thundering water. Island Helicopters has exclusive rights to land here. While the engine cools down, you can stand in the same spot as the stars from the movie, and have the place to yourself, with 5 other passenger. After 25 minutes when you'll have time for photos and be learn about the area and its history- it was the site where ancient Hawaiian Royalty traveled to speak to spirits, you'll get an overview of one of Hawaii's most dramatic and varied landscapes.

Comment (0)

Mega cruise ships have a new home in Bermuda where cruisers can walk off the ship and relax at the beach, snorkel, enjoy a drink or shop. The Bermudan government spent $50 million preparing a facility for ships over 700 feet in length at the very tip of the country in the West End district of Royal Naval Dockyard, known locally as Dockyard. The two other ports, the capital city of Hamilton, and St. George's, can handle smaller ships.

Tourism is a major part of Bermuda's economy, and cruise ships brought over 360,000 passengers to Bermuda last year, 90% of them through the port of Dockyard. The new port has changed the itineraries of some of the Bermuda sailings, instead of one or two days at each of the smaller ports, ships are staying a longer time at Dockyard, giving passengers a chance to settle in and try a variety of experiences from one port.

Snorkel Park Beach is within walking distance of Dockyard and has a watersports rental facility with snorkel gear, jet ski rental, and more. The marked snorkel trail is good for beginners and experienced snorkelers. Food and drinks are available at Hammerheads, and as well as souvenirs shops. A favorite among passengers is the Dolphin Quest Experience- where you can interact with 12 dolphins. 

To experience the best that Bermuda has to offer in the arts, visit

• Bermuda Arts Center- one of Bermuda's premier art galleries with 4 working studios
• Bermuda Clayworks- for pottery, jewelry, wall hangings, and sculptural vases, with working studio. Look for the handcrafted house plaques seen all over the island
• Bermuda Craft Market- the largest on the island has over 60 artists
• Dockyard Glassworks- watch artists and apprentices mold molten glass into something beautiful

History buffs will enjoy the Royal Naval Dockyard, built 200 years ago as an extension of the Royal British Navy. Some of the buildings have been restored. The Commissioners House, built mostly of cast iron constructed in England from detailed drawings, is now a museum.

Many cruisers take high speed ferries to either Hamilton, a 15 minute ride, St. George's, which is a 30 minute boat ride. The catamarans can carry 350 passengers. A bus ride to the famous curved, pink stretch of sand, Horseshoe Beach is 30 minutes.  

Comment (0)

Comment (0)