‘Tis The Season…For A Vacation!

Christmas Island
(Jimmy Buffett’s version)

Let’s get away from sleigh bells
Let’s get away from snow
Let’s make or break some Christmas ? dear
I know the place to go
How’d you like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?
How’d you like to spend the holiday away across the sea?
How’d you like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?
How’d you like to hang a stocking on a great big coconut tree?

Chorus:
How’d you like to stay up late like the islanders do?
Wait for Santa to sail in with your presents in a canoe
If you ever spend Christmas on Christmas Island
You will never stray for everyday your Christmas dreams come true

Bridge

Chorus:
How’d you like to stay up late like the islanders do?
Wait for Santa to sail in with your presents in a canoe
If you ever spend Christmas on Christmas Island
You will never stray for everyday your Christmas dreams come true

Need I say more???

Tell Santa to contact A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel to book your trip to “Christmas Island!”

Cruise Lines Implement Fuel Surcharges

Skyrocketing fuel prices have caused numerous cruise lines to institute fuel surcharges. Carnival Corp. started the ball rolling.

Carnival Corp.has stated that due to rapidly increasing fuel prices, they have now implemented a fuel supplement fee to all voyages departing on, or after 2/1/08. The fuel surcharge will be instituted on all six brands within Carnival Corp: Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn Cruises.

The fuel surcharge of $5 per person, per day, will not exceed $70 per passenger, per sailing (and will be applied to the first and second passengers in a cabin.) The fuel surcharge will be collected at the time of the final payment. Cruises that have been already paid in full will also have the fuel surcharge applied.

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NCL Corp. will begin levying a fuel supplement fee effective on all new NCL and NCL America bookings made on or after Dec. 1. The additional fee will be $7 per person, per day, for the first and second guests in a stateroom and $3 per person, per day, for any additional guests in the same stateroom. “With oil prices skyrocketing, the fuel supplement is a necessary step for us,” said Colin Veitch, NCL’s president and CEO.

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Oceania Cruises is implementing a fuel surcharge of $7 per guest, per day, for all reservations that are not paid in full by Dec. 1, 2007. The surcharge applies to all currently published sailings through April 2009. “At the time that we set our current pricing, oil was trading at approximately $60 per barrel and it is now quickly approaching $100 per barrel,” said Bob Binder, president of Oceania Cruises. “This is the first time we have implemented a surcharge and I hope our guests will understand the root cause of this necessary action.” The fuel supplement is effective on Dec. 1 for all new reservations and existing reservations that have not applied final payment. Guests choosing to pay in full prior to Dec. 1 will be exempt from this surcharge.

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Royal Caribbean International (Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises) announced the implementation of a fuel supplement fee of $5 per person, per day on sailings for departures on 2/1/08 or after. The fuel surcharge will only apply to the 1st and 2nd passengers sailing in a cabin, and will not exceed $70 per person, per sailing. The fuel supplement fee will be due at the time of final payment. RCI will not apply the supplemental fuel fee to bookings already paid in full prior to 11/16.

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Sister companies Windstar and Majestic America also announced fuel surcharges of $8.50 per person, per day. The surcharge applies to all currently published sailings through March 2009 that have not been paid in full by Dec. 15. Majestic America said the surcharge applies to new bookings made after Dec. 15 and to existing bookings that are not paid in full by the same date.

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Crystal’s fuel surcharge is $7 per guest per day for all 2008 reservations that are not paid in full by Jan. 1. “Escalating fuel costs continue to affect virtually everyone, and the impact on Crystal Cruises’ daily operations is no exception,” said Crystal President Gregg Michel. “We set our 2008 cruise fares in late 2006, yet the price of fuel rose 66 to 70 percent from February to November 2007.” Crystal is protecting 2008 bookings that are made and paid in full prior to Jan. 1 and the current fare, without the fuel surcharge. There will be no change to the current fuel surcharge of $5 per person, per day that is currently in effect for all 2007 voyages.

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Viking River Cruises is adding a fuel surcharge of $7 per guest, per cruise night for all reservations that are not paid in full by Dec. 19. The surcharge will apply to all currently published sailings through December 2008.

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Uniworld Grand River Cruises and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines said they will implement cruise fuel surcharge. Uniworld will charge $7 per guest, per cruise night, on 2008 Europe cruise programs and $10 per guest, per cruise night, on Russia and Ukraine programs. It will waive the fuel surcharge for all existing and new bookings if paid in full by Dec. 31. “The cruise fuel surcharge has become necessary due to the rise in fuel prices, which has had a significant impact on our operation,” said Guy Young, CEO and president of Uniworld. “The implementation of the cruise fuel surcharge was a difficult decision, and we hope all our valued customers will understand the need for this increase in light of today’s global economic environment.”

Fred. Olsen will implement a fuel supplement on all cruises, effective Dec. 21. The charge will be £2.50 (approximately $5.05) per person, per day, and will apply to all new bookings made on or after Dec. 21. There will be no additional charge for passengers booked in upper berths, and there will be a cap of £50 (approximately $101) per person for long cruise itineraries.

Conde Nast Traveler Announces Reader’s Choice Awards

Conde Nast Traveler Announces Readers’ Choice Awards
Published on: Modernagent

The November 2007 issue of Conde Nast Traveler celebrates the 20th annual Readers’ Choice Awards. The results are derived from an independent poll of consumers’ preferences, the Readers’ Choice Survey. This year, many perennial favorites hold on to their top spots: Singapore Airlines is again the #1 International Route Airline, and has led this category for 19 of the past 20 years (in 1994 Swissair took the top spot) and remains the only carrier ever to earn an overall score above 90.0. San Francisco, the #1 U.S. city, has also been #1 for 17 of the past 18 years (in 1992 Santa Fe won the honor).

For only the second time in Readers’ Choice history, a perfect 100 score goes to the La Scalinatella Hotel on Capri. The hotel isn’t new and has been recognized by readers in the past, but with a 33 percent increase in votes cast from last year, the 28-room property was propelled into the number one spot Also of note are the two new categories that were added to this year’s poll. Foreign Air Route, with SilkAir earning the #1 spot, honors carriers that do not have U.S. destinations on their routes. The other new category is Hawaiian Resorts. Along with many other destinations in the Pacific Rim, Hawaii’s popularity has increased over the years and now merits it’s own category led by four Four Seasons properties.

Here are for the top three winners in each category. The complete results of the awards can be found in the November issue, on newsstands Oct. 25th. The Readers’ Choice Awards gala took place on Wednesday, Oct. 10th in New York at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Top cities U.S. are, in order, San Francisco, New York, and Charleston, S.C. Top cities (Europe) are Florence, Rome and Venice. Top cities (Australia/Pacific) are Sydney, Australia; Melbourne, Australia; and Queenstown, New Zealand. Top cities (Asia) are Bangkok, Thailand; Hong Kong; and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Top Cities (Africa/Middle East) are Cape Town, South Africa; Damascus, Syria; and Jerusalem, Israel. Top Cities (The Americas) are Buenos Aires, Argentina; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Victoria, British Columbia

Top Islands (Europe) are Mykonos & the Cyclades, Greece; Capri, Italy; and Sardinia, Italy. Top Islands (Caribbean/Atlantic) are Bermuda; St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands; and St. Barthelemy, French West Indies; Top Islands (Asia/Indian Ocean) are Maldives, Bali and Phuket. Top Islands (Pacific) are Maui, Hawaii; Kauai, Hawaii; and Great Barrier Reef Islands, Australia. Top Islands (North America) are Vancouver Island, Canada; Kiawah, S.C.; and Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Top International Route Airlines are Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic. Top Car Rental Agencies are Hertz, Enterprise and Avis. Top Domestic Route Airlines are JetBlue, Midwest and Hawaiian. Top Foreign Route Airlines: (no U.S. route) are SilkAir, Virgin Express and Virgin Blue.

Top Small Ship Cruise Lines are Regent Seven Seas, Grand Circle Cruise Line and Seabourn. Top Large Ship Cruise Lines are Crystal Cruises, Regent Seven Seas and Disney.

Top Hotels (Australia/Pacific) are Crown Towers, Melbourne; Park Hyatt Sydney; and Treetops Lodge, Rotorua. Top Hotels (South America) are Hotel Monasterio, Cuzco; Four Seasons, Buenos Aires; and Ritz Carlton, Santiago. Top Hotels (Canada) are Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City; Fairmont Vancouver Airport; and The Magnolia Hotel & Spa, Victoria. Top Hotels (Central America/Mexico) are Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Osa Peninsula; Hotel Twin Dolphin, Cabo San Lucas; and Casa Santo Domingo, Antigua. Top Hotels (British Isles) are Milestone Hotel, London; Chewton Glen, Hampshire; and The Merrion, Dublin. Top Hotels (Africa) are Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town; Cape Grace, Cape Town; and Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza. Top Hotels (Europe) are Hotel La Scalinatella, Capri; Four Seasons George V, Paris; and Four Seasons Gresham Place. Top Hotels (Caribbean/Atlantic) are Eden Rock Hotel; Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France; and The Caves, Negril. Top Hotels (Mainland U.S.) are Ritz-Carlton Chicago; The Peninsula, Chicago; and Stephanie Inn, Cannon Beach. Top Hotels (Asia) are Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, Rajasthan; The Peninsula, Hong Kong; and Oberoi Amarvilas, and Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Top Hotels (Middle East) Four Seasons, Amman; David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem; and Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Top Resorts (Africa/Middle East) are Burj Al Arab, Dubai; Mombo and Little Mombo Camps, Moremi; and Khwai River Lodge, Moremi Reserve; Top Resorts (Atlantic Ocean) are One & Only Ocean Club, Bahamas; Point Grace, Turks & Caicos; and Pink Sands, Bahamas. Top Resorts (Canada) are Pan Pacific Whistler, Village Centre; Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, Vancouver; and Four Seasons Resort, Whistler. Top Resorts Central/South America are Lodge at Chaa Creek, Macal River; Four Seasons Resort, Carmelo; and Explora Patagonia, Torres del Paine Nat’l Park. Top Resorts (Mexico) are One & Only Palmilla, Los Cabos; Secrets Capri Riviera, Cancun; and JW Marriott Resort & Spa, Cancun. Top Resorts (Hawaii) are Four Seasons Maui at Wailea; Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Big Island; and Four Seasons Lana’I at Koele Lanai. Top Resorts (Europe) are Hotel du Palais, Biarritz; Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder; and Sheen Falls Lodge, Co. Kerry. Top Resorts (Mainland U.S.) are Lodge on Little St. Simons Island; Sundance Resort, Sundance; and Inn at Thorn Hill, Jackson. Top Resorts (Australia/Pacific Rim) are Huka Lodge, Taupo; Hotel Bora Bora, French Polynesia; and Voyages Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Top Resorts (Caribbean) Curtain Bluff Hotel, Antigua; Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda; and Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, Nevis. Top Resorts (Asia) are Oberoi Vanyavilas, Rajasthan; Banyan Tree, Phuket; and Four Seasons Resort at Sayan, Bali. For more information on Conde Nast Traveler, visit www.concierge.com/cntraveler.

Barcelo La Jolla de Mismaloya Puerto Vallarta

Published on TravelWeekly 10/3/07

BARCELO HOTELS & RESORTS is investing $7.2 million to renovate the all-suite, 304-room Barcelo La Jolla de Mismaloya in Puerto Vallarta. The renovation was expected to be completed by December. A major component of the renovation will be the creation of a European-style spa with indoor-outdoor facilities. The resort’s 179 one-bedroom suites will be redesigned into two-room suites with separate sleeping and living areas, each with sleeper couches to accommodate additional guests. The resort’s presidential suites will be redesigned with new decor and bathroom upgrades; Presidential suites will add flat-screen TVs and high-speed Internet access.

For more information or to make your reservation, contact A Room With A View!

MSC Special Rates for Midwesterners

MSC Cruises Offers Special Rates to Midwesterners
published on modernagent 9/27

MSC Cruises is offering travelers flying from selected Midwest gateway cities a special air/sea rate on the Jan. 9 10-night roundtrip Deep Caribbean sailing of MSC Lirica from Fort Lauderdale. Rates begin at $1,199 per person, double occupancy, for an interior stateroom, including airfare from the following cities: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Little Rock, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville and St. Louis. Transfers, government fees and taxes are additional. Ocean-view staterooms begin at $1,399. The offer is capacity controlled and subject to availability. The Midwest air/sea offer expires Oct. 30. The sailing calls at San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Antigua, Tortola and Cayo Levantado, Dominican Republic (where guests can enjoy the line’s private destination).

Contact A Room With A View to make your reservation!

Hurricane Dean

Dean Sweeps Past Jamaica, Heads Toward Cayman
Published on modernagent.com: August 20, 2007

Hurricane Dean, as of 11 p.m. EDT Sunday, continued to sweep along the southern coast of Jamaica, with the eye of the storm passing just to the south of the island. Heavy rains and strong winds were hitting the island, though most resorts are situated on the north coast on the other side of Jamaica. Resort guests who haven’t left the island already have been evacuated to hurricane shelters. The storm was still rated as a Category 4 hurricane with winds approaching 145 miles per hour. A hurricane warning continues for Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, which remains in the storm’s path, though forecasters late Sunday night said Dean could pass to the south of the island. In the Cayman Islands, tourists were ordered to board shuttle buses for the airport. Hundreds vacationers lined up at ticket counters for special flights home, and many slept on the airport floor. Cayman Islands Gov. Stuart Jack said all but 1,500 tourists were evacuated from the British territory by Sunday afternoon.

Elsewhere, the government of Belize has issued a hurricane watch. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti from Port-au-Prince to the Haiti/Dominican Republic border. A tropical storm warning is also in effect for portions of Cuba. A hurricane watch remains in effect from Chetumal to San Felipe on the Yucatan Peninsula, including the popular resorts areas of Cancun, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya. If the storm continues on its current path, it would hit the Yucatan Peninsula as early as Tuesday. The possibility still exists that Hurricane Dean could become a Category 5 storm by Monday. In Mexico, tourists also reportedly were leaving resorts on the Yucatan peninsula and forming long lines at the airport to try to fly home. Twelve additional planes arrived Sunday to move travelers out. The state government also set up 530 shelters with a capacity of 73,000 people. Many resorts are recommending that guests scheduled to arrive this week change their plans.

Elsewhere in the wake of the storm, Barbados reported that Grantley Adams International Airport, which was closed for a 12-hour period for precautionary reasons, reopened by 9 a.m. on Aug. 17, and flights resumed shortly thereafter. Hotels across the island remain open and no damage was experienced in the accommodation sector. President and CEO of the Barbados Tourism Authority said: “I was very happy to see our hurricane preparedness plan kick in like clockwork. We are however extremely thankful that once again the outcome for Barbados was rather benign, with general business operations resuming normalcy today.”

In St. Lucia, Maria Fowell, director of tourism, reported that Hurricane Dean has caused limited structural damage to the island. Specifically, there are several uprooted trees and broken branches, and hotel pools are full of leaves, sand and branches. The roof of the children’s ward at the Victoria Hospital was blown off, but the children were safely evacuated to another part of the hospital. Fowell said there is cleanup to be completed; this will be started as soon as the wind and rain have stopped later today. No hotels have reported any major damage as yet. All visitors are safe and, in some cases, helping with the cleanup efforts. There have been two landslides — one at Barre D’ile and one at Anse La Raye. Because of the landslides, access between the north and south of the island is suspended. Several power lines are down and power will likely not be restored for another 24 hours. Airports remain closed. For more information on the hurricane and travel, see Destinations section below. For the most-up-to-date information on Hurricane Dean, visit the National Hurricane Center’s website at www.nhc.noaa.gov.

Carnival Destiny Southern Caribbean 3/2/08 - Great Group Rates!

Sail The Exotic Southern Caribbean on the Carnival FUNShip “Destiny!”

Departing from San Juan, P.R. on 3/2/08

Great Rates And a *$100/cabin Onboard Credit!!!

Cat. 4A inside cabin $483.87 per person.

Cat. 6A ocean view $603.87 per person.

Cat. 8A balcony is $773.87 per person.

All pricing based on double occupancy includes cruise fare, port charges, gov. taxes and fees and is on a first come, first serve basis.

*A minimum of 5 cabins must sail to qualify for the $100 onboard credit. If group falls below minimum, other amenities will be substituted.

Ship registry Bahamas

Airfare and Travel Protection Insurance are

Additional Upon Request.

7-DAY SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN ITINERARY

SUNDAY SAN JUAN 10:00PM

MONDAY ST THOMAS 7:00AM 5:00PM

TUESDAY DOMINICA 10:00AM 6:00PM

WEDNESDAY BARBADOS 8:00AM 5:00PM

THURSDAY ST KITTS 9:30AM 6:00PM

FRIDAY LA ROMANA 3:00PM

SATURDAY LA ROMANA 5:00PM

SUNDAY SAN JUAN 7:00AM

*Passports Required!*

Book By 7/23 For Group Pricing & Amenities!

Call Amy Johnson - Independent Travel Professional

A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel

262-424-8982 or 920-420-0435

Toll Free: 800-571-3159

Email: Amy@aroomwithaviewtravel.com

Web Site: www.aroomwithaviewtravel.com

Apple Rolls Out Summer of Love Promotion

Apple Rolls Out Summer of Love Promotion
Published on: June 6, 2007

Apple Vacations is rolling out its Summer of Love promotion for honeymooners. Newlyweds who book a honeymoon by June 30 will receive two free charter air tickets for the same time the following year. Apple’s partner properties are offering honeymoon extra values. At Secrets Resorts, Apple’s honeymooners will receive a bottle of sparkling wine, a fruit plate, fresh flowers and rose petals in their room upon arrival, special turndown service, 15 percent discount on all spa treatments, late check-out (based on availability) and champagne breakfast in bed. At Palace Resorts, honeymooners will receive a candlelight dinner, a bottle of domestic wine, a fruit basket and two t-shirts. Princess Hotels & Resorts is offering honeymooners a bottle of rum, a fruit basket and flowers upon arrival, turndown service, romantic dinner and late check-out.

Apple’s Summer of Love destinations include Cancun, Riviera Maya, Punta Cana, Jamaica and Punta Cana, and travel is valid Aug. 15-Oct. 21 with proof of marriage certificate. Once a destination is chosen, Apple offers a wide array of resorts to suit any budget.

For the honeymoon of your dreams, contact Amy at A Room With A View.

Passport Requests Backlogged Up to 10 Weeks

Passport Requests Backlogged Up to 10 Weeks
Published on: March 20, 2007

The U.S. State Department reportedly has been inundated with requests for passports. It could take 10 weeks instead of the usual six to process routine applications, according to the department. Expedited requests, which cost an extra $60 on top of the normal $97 fee, reportedly now take four weeks instead of two. About 12 million passport applications were processed in 2006, and as many as 17 million are expected this year, according to the U.S. State Department. Some 74 million Americans have valid passports. For more information, visit www.travel.state.gov.

MSC Lirica Receives 98 on Health Inspection
Published on: March 12, 2007

MSC Cruises has once again scored a high ratings from the U.S. Public Health (USPH). The MSC Lirica received a “superior” score in its most recent inspection. MSC Lirica earned a score of 98 out of a possible 100 on its March 8 USPH inspection in San Juan. This comes less than a month after MSC Opera received a score of 99 out of 100. Both ships have consistently earned “superior” scores on USPH inspections since arriving in North American waters. As part of the voluntary inspection program, the CDC reviews the levels of sanitation on all passenger cruise ships arriving at U.S. ports. Ships are rated on whether the following items meet CDC standards: water, food preparation and holding, potential contamination of food, and general cleanliness, storage and repair. A score of 86 or higher is considered “Satisfactory.”

For more information or to make a reservation, call Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel.