Travel Impressions $25 per Booking Bonus, and Other Supplier Updates
Attend Travel Impressions Virtual Tradeshow; Get $25 per Booking Bonus
Travel Impression has scheduled its second virtual tradeshow for Tuesday, March 16 from 1 to 5 p.m. EST. Themed “Friends & Family,” this show offers travel agents selling tips for targeting the family niche market, as well as showcases the best hotels and destinations offering family-friendly vacation options.
Travel agents who participate in the tradeshow can earn an extra $25 per booking in the form of an American Express Gift Cheque when making air/land reservations at any hotel participating in the tradeshow. Bookings must be a minimum of three nights, and include airfare and Cancel for any Reason Travel Protection. The offer is valid on reservations made March 16 to 23, for travel April 1 to Dec. 17. The redemption form can be found in the Travel Impressions Friends & Family booth, as well as in the Media Center.
Space is limited and agents must register via ww.travelimpressions.com/friendsandfamily.
Agents will be able to visit each exhibitor’s booth and virtually chat with representatives at the booths, as well as in the auditorium and lounge areas. Furthermore travel agents can download documents offered at each booth, such as brochures, selling tips, hotel information and family vacation package details to an online briefcase that they can save to their personal computers.
Also during the tradeshow, Travel Impressions’ president and CEO Steve Gorga will provide an update on the latest company information including the current business outlook, new destinations and helpful online tools and resources.
Travel Impressions also is offering four-night hotel packages to New Orleans in conjunction with the 41st Annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, taking place April 23 to May 2.
The packages include roundtrip private van airport/hotel transfers, hotel accommodations for four nights, hotel tax and service charges. Participating hotels include Holiday Inn French Quarter, French Quarter Chateau Lemoyne, InterContinental New Orleans, Loews New Orleans Hotel, Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, and W New Orleans.
Travel agents earn an extra 1% bonus commission when booking travel packages online with Quest for Agents at www.TravelImpressions.com.
Apple Vacations Kicks of Spring SuperSale
Apple Vacations has kicked off its national SuperSale, a three-week sale during which Apple offers its best prices, and added values, for spring and early summer travel to Mexico, the Caribbean and Hawaii.
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Prices start at $599.99 for a full, all-inclusive week at Natura Park Beach Eco-Resort & Spa in Punta Cana, including roundtrip air from Baltimore, Chicago O’Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and St. Louis.
From $699.99, vacationers to the Riviera Maya can enjoy junior suite accommodations at the Gran Bahia Principe Coba, including free unlimited greens fees and air from Baltimore, Dallas/Ft. Worth or St. Louis.
Packages are also available to the Iberostar Tucan in Playa del Carmen, the Grand Palladium Colonial and Kantenah Resort & Spa in the Riviera Maya, the Royal Solaris Los Cabos, the Allegro Nuevo Vallarta in Riviera Nayarit and Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel in Hawaii.
Visit www.applevacations.com for complete listing of packages and booking terms.
Brendan Offers Biz Class Upgrade to Rome
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Brendan Vacations is offering business class upgrades to Rome on Alitalia from $249 on select Independent and Escorted vacations in Italy.
Two the applicable vacations are the independent Romantic Rome, a five-night package exploring Rome, and Italian Dream, a seven-night escorted tour taking in Rome, Venice and Florence.
For more information, visit www.brendanvacations.com.
Crystal Adds Cosmonaut Training Excursion
Crystal Cruises has added a one-night excursion to Russia’s former top secret Cosmonaut Training Center, Star City. Guests can train like modern Russian Cosmonauts experiencing extreme G Forces and weightlessness, as well as a “Final Challenge” that incorporates an authentic space suit and being submerged in 54,000-square feet of water.
Four distinct Crystal Adventures, available from St. Petersburg with five Crystal Symphony summer Baltic voyages, take passengers to Star City. The programs include roundtrip air transportation from St. Petersburg to Moscow, overnight hotel accommodations and a full-day Moscow city tour.
Cosmonaut training fares range from $4,359 up to $32,995 for “The Final Challenge.”
For more information, visit www.crystalcruises.com or call (800) 446-6620.
Princess Announces 2011 Europe Program
Princess Cruises has unveiled its largest Europe season ever for 2011, with more ships, departure choices and itinerary options than in previous years. In total, seven ships will offer 42 itinerary choices, including seven new routes, with calls at more than 135 ports.
In addition, Princess has enhanced overnight offerings to give passengers extra time in Venice, Istanbul, St. Petersburg, Alexandria, Dublin and Edinburgh on various routes.
Among the line’s new routes is an expanded 11-day Scandinavia & Russia itinerary featuring ports such as Oslo, Berlin, Stockholm and a two-day stay in St. Petersburg. The season also features new seven-day Interlude voyages that can be combined for longer sailings, visiting boutique ports in the Mediterranean.
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The Ruby Princess returns with the line’s signature 12-day Grand Med itinerary and Greek Isles routs, while the Star Princess also cruises the Mediterranean, taking over the 12-day Egypt, Greek Isles and Med itineraries. The Emerald Princess returns to Europe with the new 11-day Scandinavia & Russia itinerary, and the Crown Princess sails to the British Isles on two 12-day itinerary options, as well as voyages to Norway and Iceland from seven to 12 days.
The Grand Princess offers three new itineraries featuring a selection of Mediterranean and Northern Europe voyages, ranging from seven to 17 days. The small ship Ocean Princess offers new seven-day Greek Isles and Mediterranean Interlude itineraries, while sister ship Pacific Princess sails to the Holy Land and Black Sea, and offers experiences in Egypt, Israel, Ukraine, Greece and Turkey.
Among the new ports Princess ships will be visiting are Aahus, home to the tallest cathedral in Denmark; Motril for Grenada; Sete, France; the resort city of Aghios Nikolaos on Crete; and Antwerp, Belgium.
Princess also offers three European cruise/tours, which combine certain sailings with a fully-escorted land tour to the Italian destinations of Rome and Florence, Ireland’s west or a four-city tour of Budapest, Vienna, Prague and Berlin.
The 2011 Princess Europe season opens for bookings on March 25. Launch fares for seven-day Europe sailings start at $1,199 pp.
For more information, visit www.princess.com.
Beaches Turks & Caicos Certified for Disabled Diving Program
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Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa has expanded its resort programming for persons with disabilities and is now offering a tailored disabled scuba diving program.
A team of twelve dive instructors from the resort underwent an intensive training course that will allow guests to participate in three specialized programs. Disabled guests can now become certified in Handicap Scuba Association (HAS) Basic Open Water Scuba Diving, HAS Junior Open Water Scuba Diving and HAS Open Water Dive Buddy.
For more information about Beaches, visit www.beaches.com.
Silversea Offers Savings & Free Air
Silversea is offering up to 60% savings and free air and transfers on select Caribbean Silver Cloud and Silver Shadow sailings.
Departures include: Silver Shadow seven-day roundtrip Barbados, departing March 30, from $3,102; Silver Cloud eight-day roundtrip San Juan, departing March 31, from $2,718; Silver Shadow 11-day Barbados to San Juan, departing April 6, from $3,678; Silver Shadow seven-day San Juan to Ft. Lauderdale, departing April 21, from $2,758; and Silver Shadow 15-day Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles, departing April 28, from $4,838.
For more information, visit www.silversea.com or call (800) 722-9955, option 2.
Windstar Offers New Med Excursions
Windstar Cruises is offering new Mediterranean shore excursions for 2010.
New excursions include: wine tasting in Patrimonio; a visit to a collection of Carthaginian and Roman ruins and baths in Sardinia; viewing of and boat ride through caves in Vlghada and Alepotrypa, Greece; a speed boat cruise to Vis and Biseva Islands in Hvar, Croatia; two-hour sightseeing cruise on Skada Lake in Montenegro, the largest lake on the Balkan Peninsula; and seven others.
Six new Concierge Collection excursions are also available including a drive in a Ferrari F430 Spider along the Mille Miglia in Rome.
From April through November, Windstar ships sail seven-day Med voyages departing Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome, Athens, Nice, Venice and Istanbul.
Windstar’s shore excursions and Concierge Collection excursions can be booked in advance at www.windstarcruises.com.
Key Tours Has Italy Discounts
Key Tours announced discounts on its most popular Italy programs that are booked a paid in full by March 19, according to Arthur A. Kienle, director of sales and business development.
They include $300 off per couple on the nine-day Scents of Italy, and $150 per couple off the prices of three tours: the nine-day Borromini to Rome, Siena, Florence, Pisa, Venice, San Marino and Assisi; the 12-day Bernini to Rome, Siena, Florence, Pisa, Venice, San Marino, Assisi, Sorrento and Capri; and the nine-day Sicilian Fantasy to Palermo, Cefalu, Reggio Calabria, Taormina, Mount Etna, Catania, Siracusa, Ragusa, Caltagirone, Piazza Armenina, Agrigento, Mazara del Vallo, Marsala, Erice, Segesta, Monreale and more.
To order Key Tours 2010 brochures call (800) 576-1784. Travel agents can also create and download their own online brochures at www.keytours.com.
Cruise West Announces 2011 Patagonia Voyages
Cruise West will offer four Patagonia sailings in 2011 aboard the mv Via Australis. The new eight- or 10-night journey highlights hotspots in Chile by land, as well as cruising from Punta Arenas, Chile to Ushuaia, Argentina (or reverse).
The journey includes two nights in Santiago, a full day tour of Casablanca Valley and Valparaiso, before heading out to sea for a five-night cruise. In Argentina, the tour includes one night in Buenos Aires. The 10-night program includes two extra nights in Puerto Natales.
Choose from four departure dates: Jan. 26 and 31 and Feb. 5 and 10, 2011. Prices start at $6,095 per person for the eight-night and $6,795 for the 10-night program and include internal flights, all excursions and hotel nights as listed.
Clients can save $600 per person by paying in full by April 30. For more information call (800) 689-1783.
HAL’s Ryndam Receives Signature of Excellence Enhancements
After completing a 17-day drydock Holland America Line’s ms Ryndam is the latest ship in the fleet to receive the line’s Signature of Excellence enhancements. Among the improvements are the addition of the stylish lounge Mix, a multi-themed area with three separate bars; a Showroom at Sea with several new productions; the complimentary Italian eatery Canaletto; and a complete new stateroom and bath design.
Also added is an upscale luxury jewelry shop called Merabella.
Completing the enhancements, all Ryndam’s staterooms received new carpeting, soft goods and completely renovated bathrooms with new vanities and cabinetry. Sixteen staterooms near the spa became “spa staterooms,” as well.
The onboard Explorations Program also has expanded its menu of entertainment and education programs.
For more information, visit www.hollandamerica.com or call (877) 724-5425.
Continental Launches California/Hawaii Flights
Continental Airlines began new flights from Los Angeles and Orange County to Maui and a flight between Orange County and Honolulu on March 7.
The new daily flight from LAX to Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG) departs at 5:05 p.m. and arrives at 8:45 p.m. The return flight departs Maui at 10:15 p.m. and arrives at LAX at 5:45 a.m. the next day. Also, the airline began a second daily flight between Los Angeles and Honolulu.
The new Orange County-Maui flight operates four times weekly, departing John Wayne Airport (SNA) at 5:40 p.m., arriving at Maui’s Kahului Airport at 9:25 p.m. The return flight departs Maui at 12:10 a.m., arriving at Orange County at 7:45 a.m.
The new daily flight from Orange County to Honolulu departs at 9:00 a.m. and arrives in Honolulu at 12:45 p.m. The return flight departs Honolulu at 2:00 p.m. and arrives at Orange County at 9:35 p.m.
Delta Adds JFK/Grenada Flight, Exuma Flight
Delta will begin non-stop service from New York’s JFK airport to Grenada on June 5. The flight will operate twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays). It will depart JFK at 1:15 a.m. and arrive at Maurice Bishop International Airport in Grenada at 6:05 a.m. The return flight from Grenada will be at 7:15 a.m., arriving at JFK at 12:35 p.m. Each flight will offer 16 First Class seats and 144 Coach Class seats.
Beginning June 13 Delta will also offer non-stop flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to George Town Exuma International Airport (GGT) on Wednesdays and Sundays. Flight 5607 departs Atlanta at 10:55 a.m. and arrives in the Exumas at 1:17 p.m. Flight 5606 departs the Exumas at 2:00 p.m. and arrives in Atlanta at 4:34 p.m.
EuropeToo Offers Europe & Russia Sale
EuropeToo, a division of Isramworld, is offering special prices on select Central Europe and Russia tours. If reserved before April 30, clients can save $100 per person.
Select tours include: six-night Russian Trio to Moscow, Novgorod and St. Petersburg; eight-night Dalmatian Sunshine; nine-night Imperial Cities, visiting Prague, Vienna and Budapest; 12-nigth Panorama to Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, Warsaw, Berlin & Prague; and the 18-night Journey to Majestic Capitals.
All tours include guaranteed prices with guaranteed departures; deluxe, first class and superior first class hotels; fully escorted; local guides in each city; daily breakfast, plus other meals depending on itinerary; transportation and sightseeing via deluxe motor coach; roundtrip transfers and hotel taxes and service fees.
For more information visit www.europetoo.com or e-mail info@europetoo.com.
