11 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise

11 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise From Baltimore, Maryland

Booking Sailing Date: Oct 18, 2010 Through: Oct 29, 2010 Book By: Sep 21 2010 10:59PM # of Nights: 11 Ship:  Celebrity Mercury Line:  Celebrity Cruises ID: 2067038 from  $699.00  (USD)  Per Person Category Oceanview stateroom Exciting Deal: Can only be booked Tuesday 09/21/2010

Overview Day Port Arrive Depart 1 Baltimore, Maryland    4:00 PM 2 At Sea      3 At Sea      4 Labadee, Haiti  10:00 AM 4:00 PM 5 San Juan, Puerto Rico  3:00 PM 10:00 PM 6 Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas  8:00 AM 6:00 PM 7 Basseterre, St. Kitts  8:00 AM 6:00 PM 8 Philipsburg, St. Maarten  8:00 AM 5:00 PM 9 At Sea      10 At Sea      11 At Sea      12 Baltimore, Maryland  7:00 AM    Number of Nights: 11 Itinerary Map 11 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise The Dutch and French left their mark on this heavenly slice of tropical delight. St. Maarten's beaches are among the region's most breathtaking, but do try to catch your breath. You'll need it when you first lay eyes on the caves and majestic cliffs of Cupecoy Beach. For shopping, St. Maarten's duty-free emporiums and the quaint French boutiques of Marigot are all you could ever want. Duty free is the name of the game here. Bargains can be had all over the island. From trinkets to that perfect something you've been looking for to go over the fireplace mantel, St. Thomas is a shoppers paradise. Bluebeard the pirate may have been a cutthroat, but he understood the concept of location, location, location. Visit his castle at Magen's Bay and see for yourself. Travel Date Range Price From   Information       Oct 18, 2010 - Oct 29, 2010 $599.00     Inside Stateroom Gua... Oct 18, 2010 - Oct 29, 2010 $699.00   Category Oceanview s...

Colombia Plane Splits in Three Upon Crash Landing

Aug. 16 (Bloomberg) -- A Boeing 737 airliner with 131 people aboard split in three during a crash landing at Colombia’s San Andres island after being struck by lightning. Police said it was a “miracle” that only one person died.
“It’s a miracle,” Gen. Orlando Paez of Colombia’s national police told Caracol Radio. “The pilot’s professionalism prevented the plane from going off the runway.”
The Aires jetliner crash landed at 1:49 a.m. local time at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla airport on the Caribbean resort island, Colombia’s national police said in a statement.
Three Brazilian nationals and an American were among those injured on the flight between Bogota and the island, Paez told Caracol.
Paez said the plane spun out of control when it was struck by lightning 80 meters before landing at the mainly English- speaking Colombian island about 140 miles (225 kilometers) east of Nicaragua’s coastline.
All those who received injuries are out of harm’s way and expected to fully recover, Caracol Radio reported. The one fatality was a woman who died of a heart attack after the plane crashed.
To contact the reporters on this story: Matthew Bristow in Brasilia at mbristow5@bloomberg.net


Innovation-Creation-Activation

Your Guide to Skiing South America

We understand if, lately, your mind has been on the Southern Hemisphere: The World Cup. That Brazilian model from last night. And, of course, ski season. Herewith, five critical South American slopes for your summertime shredding needs.

THE DEEP SOUTH Cerro Castor, Near Ushuaia City, Argentina Your journey to the world's southernmost ski area will start in Buenos Aires. Four hours later (by air), you'll be in Ushuaia City, just 20 minutes (by coche) to Cerro Castor. There, you'll find dry, fluffy powder and (most crucially) a surprising 2,500-foot vertical. You'll après-ski by feasting on local king crabs, then hitting some discos and an area casino. For après-gambling, you're on your own. Season: July 1 through November 1

LATER CRATER Caviahue, Neuquén Province of Argentina Getting here isn't easy (fly 1,500 kilometers from Buenos Aires, then shuttle 360 kilometers from Neuquén), but nothing worth doing ever is. You'll be rewarded with an off-piste run from the Copahue Volcano's crater to its base, and (should that not prove as relaxing as we'd imagine) natural hot springs. Season: Now through September 30

MAJOR 'PAGNE Ski Portillo, Near Santiago, Chile Your one rule of the slopes: first chair, last call. Here might be the best place to fully abide by that motto—it's the oldest and highest ski resort in South America, and famous for that smooth, dry powder you know as champagne. At night, you'll be happy to know that the local hotel scene provides plenty of the other kind of champers. Season: June 26 through October 2

DUE PENITENTES Penitentes, Near Mendoza, Argentina Sure, you've skied bigger places, but this place's 3,000-foot vertical is among the continent's highest. To help you tackle it, you'll have access to a heli-ski (ask 'em to buzz the locals), and a handful of four-star hotels at the base. They're ski-in, but you might not want to try that with the heli-ski. Season: June 18 through October 1

CHILE OUT Valle Nevado, Near Santiago, Chile Nearly 7,000 acres of powder. Easy access to heli-skiing. But enough about your estate. Let's talk about this place, the largest ski resort in South America. There, you'll experience the above, and more than half its terrain is designated advanced to expert—thus making it an ideal place to begin your defense of that gold you took in Vancouver. Season: Now through October 1

Experience Fun in the Sun in Los Cabos

Los Cabos, Mexico .. As the days become shorter and summer months come to a close, travelers begin to plan their winter getaways, ready to escape the cold for sun, sand and surf. This year, vacationers need not look any further than the white sand shores of Los Cabos, located at the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula. Renowned for its world.class sport fishing, championship golf courses, luxurious spas, first.class service, endless array of activities on both land and sea and much more, Los Cabos is the perfect solution to anyone’s winter travel worries. Whether it is a fun family getaway, romantic retreat, special celebration or weekend escape that brings you to Land’s End, the destination’s beautiful hotels and resorts can offer an array of incredible travel packages valid through 2010 to fit your travel needs: Families, honeymooners, mature travelers, golfers, eco.tourists, artists, photographers, sightseers and others find what they are looking for when they visit Los Cabos. Located at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, Los Cabos offers travelers an exotic escape within easy reach of most U.S. cities. With non.stop flights or convenient connections available from Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Missouri; Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York/Newark, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, California, Seattle and more, Los Cabos is both accessible and exciting.
	Hotel Vistazul Suites & Spa Package: Enjoy & Relax Package Three night accommodations in a charming, one-bedroom suite One 30-minute massage for two Daily breakfast for two Complimentary internet access 20% discount on spa treatments 15% discount at the restaurant Package price is $500 Offer valid for travel from January 2 to June 30, 2010
	Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort Package: Baja Paradise Welcome margarita upon arrival Daily breakfast for two Guaranteed upgrade at time of booking; based on availability Offer valid through April 30, 2010; a two-night minimum stay required Rates begin at $775 per night
	Marina Fiesta Resort Package: Early Booking Save 40% off on all room categories for travel from January 5 - December 15, 2010 Book now through September 30, 2009 to receive savings
	Marquis Los Cabos Package: Family Package 2 tastefully decorated Junior Suites or Private Pool Casitas with ocean front view, comfortable balcony for dining, hydro massage bathtub and separate shower Marquis Los Cabos signature welcome drink Rental car with Budget Rent-A-Car (does not include insurance) Daily Amenity Marquis breakfast, discreetly delivered to your suite through a private niche, consisting of a thermos of steaming coffee, a basket of freshly baked breads and fresh seasonal fruit 1 Private Dinner for 6 People in the Beautiful Casita or on the Beach of Marquis Los Cabos with a Private Astronomer explaining the sky the way the Mayan and Aztecs looked at it 1 Private Yoga Class for 6 people Experience our Yacht with a choice of a snorkeling or sunset tour Souvenir of the moment captured as a family or friends portrait Walk under the ocean with your family or friends and have a chance to touch the colorful fish and wonderful marine life under the Pacific Ocean. Includes daily service charge, tips and local and federal taxes Package rate begins at $215 dollars per person, per night
	ME by Melia Cabo Package: Altar'd States  Three night stay in a Level Suite - premium accommodations with private floor manager, separate check-in and a private lounge Airport transfer Welcome champagne amenity Two Bali beds reserved by the pool Two complimentary cocktails for the group Custom bachelorette surprise gift in the room Other special rates and upgrades are available Offer valid for travel from now through December 23, 2010 Package rate starts at $354 per night

Burgers and Massages on an Island Beach

	Descanso Beach Club
	You'll go a long way for a burger on the beach. But you'll go even farther if, instead of fries, it comes with a massage in a private cabana. And maybe supersized with some free Wi-Fi and a kayak. So we thought you'd like to hear about the new incarnation of Descanso Beach Club, now open on Catalina Island. Basically, this is an island lunch spot that has been completely reimagined as an all-day beach retreat. You'll want to head straight for one of the new private cabanas (they fit six), your home for doing nothing, in a swimsuit, for the rest of the day. As the sun lolls by overhead, you'll be greeted by a very nice person, ready to offer you some Catalina Ceviche, a half-pound burger or a rubdown whose only soundtrack is the crashing waves. You can even catch up on some email with your toes in the sand. But if you do start getting antsy, wander over to one of Descanso's two new outdoor bars, and on Fridays and Saturdays (starting June 25) you can drop your own steaks on a monstrous 25-foot grill. You'll also be happy to hear this is now Catalina's home for kayak rentals, snorkeling gear... and taking to the zip line. Your move, In-N-Out.

Extreme Spelunking in Puerto Rico

Aventuras Tierra Adentro You usually know what to expect from your vacation—the beach will be sandy, the accents will be alluring, and the minibar will be laughably inadequate. But sometimes you just need to take a dangerous, exhilarating leap into the pitch-black unknown. Literally. Welcome to Aventuras Tierra Adentro, your chance to climb, zip-line and free-jump your way through some of the largest caves in the Caribbean, taking reservations now. This is an underground trek incorporating all the spry athleticism and scuttling wildlife of Indiana Jones, minus the giant boulder. But first you've got to hike through the Caribbean jungle. You're seeking a series of five zip lines that'll send you careening across a ravine, over a winding stream called Rio Camuy... and straight into the mouth of a gaping 100-foot crater. At which point you may want to switch on that helmet lamp. For the next few sunlight-free hours, you'll slog through lakes of mud, float down an underground river and scale 250-foot cliffs with just a carabiner and a few metal footholds to speed you along. Your guide has been around since the '80s, so you can trust him... even when he positions you at the edge of a cliff and tells you to jump blindly into the complete and utter darkness below. Theoretically, you'll splash safely into an unseen underground lake. Still, we'd try to stay on his good side. resource: urbandaddy.com

Chichi Jima Island Horizon Hotel Ogasawara Archipelago, Japan

Sometimes you just have to get out of town... and sometimes you have to get out of hemisphere.

Preferably to an island utopia 600 miles from civilization, where you'll share the crystal-clear water with only dolphins, sea turtles and some awe-inspiring 60-year-old shipwrecks.

Welcome to Chichi Jima Island, home to one of the most spectacular and least seen diving sites in the world.

First things first: you'll have to get there. After a warm-up flight to Tokyo, you'll then board the Ogasawara Maru, a once-weekly ferry that's the only way on or off the island... and your home for the next 26 hours. You'll want to book a berth on the boat a couple of months in advance (it'll come with four bunks)—otherwise you'll be sharing the cabin floor with fellow travelers who may have differing notions of personal space.

And finally, you'll get what you came here for—four antique Japanese battleships brought down by torpedoes and dive bombers some 60 years ago and gathering coral in the shallow waters off the coast ever since. You'll want to allot a full three days to see them all, dodging dolphins and sea turtles along the way.

When you've had enough dive time, you can catch the spectacular sunset over freshly caught sashimi-style whitefish (or the local favorite, turtle soup) at Hotel Horizon, the only place on the unspoiled island with a Miami-style deck scene.

For booking information please email wecare@freedumbtravels.com

Innovation-Creation-Activation

Get TripIt Pro

"Recently, when a storm hit Atlanta, TripIt Pro told me my flight was canceled. I ran to the rental car area to get a car 15 minutes before the cancellation was posted by the airline. I made it home that night. Many had to sleep in the airport."

John B, Dallas, TX


With TripIt Pro you get...

Mobile Alerts
Get alerts on your mobile device when you have flight delays, cancellations and gate changes.

Alternate Flights
Find alternate flights fast when you need a different route to your destination.

Inner Circle
Use the inner circle to automatically update people about your travel plans.

Point Tracker
Use point tracker to keep track of all of your frequent traveler rewards.

Resource: TripIt


Innovation-Creation-Activation

Google getting into the Travel Industry??

A low-profile software company in Cambridge may be worth $1 billion to Internet search giant Google. Well, ITA claims to handle more than 65 percent of the sales transactions on airline websites, including six of the 10 largest US airlines’ sites.

A Google purchase of ITA would help the dominant search engine compete with Microsoft’s upstart Bing search service, which has a prominent travel area that uses ITA software and features tools like ticket price predictors.
PhoCusWright’s Philip Wolf said: “What this rumored deal signals is that you can’t be serious in search without doing a better job with airlines to search, shop, and buy travel. . . . A combination of Google and ITA would be positioned to create a whole new standard for online travel sites.’’
Google could use ITA Software’s tools, which help users find online flight information, to compete with travel-search features offered by Microsoft. The companies are tussling for share in the U.S. market for online travel, which generated $88.4 billion in sales last year, according to Sherman, Connecticut, travel consulting firm PhoCusWright Inc.
“Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information, and ITA does that for travel,” said Henry Harteveldt, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc. in San Francisco.

Resource: Boston Globe

Innovation-Creation-Activation

Downhill from Here Volcano Surfing in Nicaragua

Volcano Boarding through Tierra Tour León, Nicaragua As your Icelandic friends can tell you, volcanoes are nothing to kid around with. They're big, they're filled with molten rock, and, from time to time, they like to show off for the outside world. But you've never let the threat of a little lava stand in the way of a good time. Introducing Volcano Boarding, your chance to take a high-speed slide down the sandy slope of a Nicaraguan rumbler, running now. Basically, this is your chance to find the same rush of speed you get in the Swiss Alps—only someone swapped those well-traversed snowy peaks for 1,600 feet of volcanic pebbles. A brave outfit called Tierra Tour will bus you to a peak known as Cerro Negro, hike with you to the top and outfit you with the necessary jumpsuit, pads and good wishes—and then you tear down the rough slope on a snowboard-style wooden plank. (You need something tougher than a regular board to stand up to this terrain.) The last eruption was in 1999, disrupting boarding for a solid two days, and there could be another any day now. So you'll want to watch your back—or request a toboggan-style board that'll rocket you down at up to 40 miles an hour. Which we're pretty sure is faster than lava. Note: Volcano Boarding, booking trips now, more info here

Belize's La Terazas Resort Offering Dive Packages

Las Terrazas offers luxurious oceanfront Belize villas and condos for sale in Ambergris Caye, Belize. The Las Terrazas Resort in Belize is offering a “Snorkel & Dive” package featuring five nights’ accommodations in a one-bedroom, two-bath Laguna cabana, with children 12 and under staying free in same unit, plus roundtrip land and water transfers from San Pedro Airstrip to the resort, and a dockside welcome beverage upon arrival. Also included are two one-tank reef dives and a half-day snorkel trip for two to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley. The package also includes the use of kayaks and hobie cats plus high-speed Internet access in each unit The package costs $555, based on double occupancy and is valid for travel from May 1 to June 30, 2010. For more information e-mail wecare@freedumbtravels.com

Sheraton Nassau Beach Offers Wedding Specials

Couples who book their wedding at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort by June 30, 2010, will receive the following bonuses: a one-level room upgrade for the bride and groom; $100 resort credit per room for guests who stay four nights or more; $650 off a wedding package for weddings held Monday through Thursday; complimentary two-night stay for the wedding couple who spends $120 per person (exclusive of service charges) for the reception as well as book a minimum five-night stay; 5,000 Starpoints awarded upon departure for every 10 room nights consumed in the guest block; one Starpoint for every dollar in contracted food and beverage and room rental, up to 100,000 Starpoints; and the option to use earned Starpoints immediately, which includes using the earned points towards the honeymoon.

The bonuses can be combined with any of the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort’s wedding packages, including the basic Simple and Elegant Wedding Package, which starts at $1,850 and includes marriage officer, affidavit, marriage license, certified copy of marriage license, personal escort to the Registrar General, tropical bouquet for the bride, groom’s boutonnière, wedding site and set-up, room amenity and personal wedding consultant. The resort’s wedding consultants can specially tailor packages to the couple’s budget and needs, with additional add-ons available such as flowers, decorations, music, photography and videography. For more information or reservations e-mail wecare@freedumbtravels.com

Antigua's Hermitage Bay All-Inclusive Resort Offers Weekly Cooking Lessons

 

Antigua's Hermitage Bay Offers Caribbean Cooking Lessons

Antigua’s Hermitage Bay’s Executive Chef, and Jamaican native, Dezi Banham will offer culinary classes to demonstrate how Caribbean cooking techniques can be implemented back home. Following in the footsteps of the Italian “Slow Food Movement,” where emphasis is placed on farm to table practices, Banham combines the island’s local resources with Caribbean flare. “When cooking for our guests, I strive to capture the essence of family dinners prepared by my mother and grandmother,” said Banham.

Each week Banham will educate guests on how to prepare a range of refined Caribbean classics found on Hermitage Bay’s menus. The recipes chosen are prepared with ingredients mainly found on-island including fruits from the nearby fruit farm, mussels hand-picked just off-shore and herbs and vegetables from the resort’s new organic garden. Recently cultivated, Hermitage Bay’s organic garden was developed to minimize the harmful effects of importation and maximize the many natural resources available on island. For further culinary education, tours of the garden -- where native Caribbean vegetables like okra, calalloo and dasheen are grown in addition to essential ingredients like rosemary, thyme, mint and onions -- are available to guests complimentary. Culinary classes are offered complimentary when booking an all-inclusive stay at Hermitage Bay. Contact wecare@freedumbtravels.com for booking information.

Christ the Redeemer Statue Closed to Public

Brazil Christ the Redeemer statue cut off by mudslides

The iconic Christ the Redeemer statue has towered over Rio de Janeiro for the past eight decades

Rio de Janeiro's towering Christ the Redeemer statue has been closed to the public after landslides that hit Brazil, killing some 250 people.

     Access to the statue was cut off for the first time in its 80-year history as roads were blocked by debris.
More bodies have been uncovered as rescue workers search through the wreckage of shanty towns buried after torrential rain caused the mudslides.
     The death toll may rise as 200 people are still missing, officials say.
     They have also warned that further landslides are possible, given the saturated soil.
Analysts say ramshackle shanty towns built on steep hills are most at risk. Most of the landslide victims were residents of shanty towns, where about a fifth of Rio de Janeiro's population live.
On Tuesday, search crews found more bodies buried in homes by a massive landslide that hit a shanty town outside Rio de Janeiro city.
Indefinite closure
     Towering over Rio de Janeiro, the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue was named one of the new wonders of the world in 2007, and is visited by two million tourists a year.
It was cut off when Tijuca National Park's Corcovado mountain on which it sits was hit by severe mudslides, park officials said.
     Park director Bernard Issa said he hoped it would reopen "within one or two months".
     The landslides in and around Brazil's second biggest city were set off by downpours that began last Monday - the area's heaviest rainfall for decades.
     Work is under way to clear the debris and mend roads, and Rio de Janeiro state's governor said as many as 150 bodies could still be underneath the mud in the Morro do Bumba shanty town.
Set in the municipality of Niteroi, across the bay from the city of Rio, Morro do Bumba was built on top of a disused landfill, making it prone to landslides.
     Rio de Janeiro's Mayor, Eduardo Paes, said families were being evacuated from high-risk areas.
He said 4,000 families had been made homeless and 10,000 houses remained at risk.
     Mr Paes estimated the total cost of repair work would be at least $113m (£73m).

Courtesy of BBC News

Kentucky Court Dismisses Suit Against Online Travel Companies

A Kentucky court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the city of Bowling Green against Hotels.com, Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity claiming that the companies owed back occupancy taxes to the city. Warren County Circuit Court Judge Steve Alan Wilson agreed with the online travel companies (OTCs) contention that the taxes can be levied only on the physical establishment that provides sleeping accommodations. The judge said in his opinion that if governments want to levy this kind of tax, they must do so through their legislatures, not through the courts. Including this case, the online travel companies have now won nine of the 10 court decisions on these issues.

"We are pleased and gratified that the court recognized that online travel companies neither own nor operate hotels and thus should not be liable for hotel occupancy taxes. We hope that other municipalities will recognize the growing body of legal decisions in favor of the industry on this issue and work through cooperation, rather than litigation, to increase local tourism,” said Andrew Weinstein, spokesman for the Interactive Travel Services Association.