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| Vol 5 , Issue 1 | January 2011 | |
Greetings!
I just don't know where November went... This is clearly evident by the tardiness of the newsletter! Better late than never?
In this newsletter, we look at Sandals, telephone travel scams, must see Caribbean beaches and the best bathrooms at sea... Grab a beverage, put your feet up and enjoy... |
| Sandals Montego Bay | |
Awesome food, great service & 3 novels... can it get any better? We spent Dec 10th to 17th at the Sandals Montego Bay resort. I profiled Sandals Luxury Included Resorts in the November newsletter so I won't dwell on the generalities here. If you'd like to read the November article, just check the archive. So... Sandals Montego Bay... The experience begins right at the airport as you are ushered into a Sandals lounge to await transport to the hotel. The lounge offers beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) to guests while they wait... I didn't have time to finish mine! Check in was a breeze.
 We had, what Sandals calls, a "Honeymoon Water's Edge Concierge Room" which ultimately means that our front yard was the ocean! The picture shown here to the left was the view out our window. The hot tub right outside our room was perfect for those cool Jamaican December evenings! The food at the resort was fabulous... At the Oleander Room (white glove service by Robert!) I think I had the best steak I've ever had!  Gary, the bartender at the main bar, consistently offered incredible service right down to the drink he called a "Liz Special", for my daughter who visited for a couple of days. We finally coaxed the ingredients out of Gary on our last day... no quantities though so it will take some testing for her to figure that out! The grounds are lush and beautiful with lots of little intimate areas to sit and enjoy the surroundings.  Water sports abound... water skiing, tubing, kayaking, hobiecats, snorkeling, scuba diving, glass bottom boat tours, and windsurfing... all included. And land activities that include tennis, billiards, giant chess, basketball, beach volleyball, table tennis, darts and lets not forget the gym. All in all, it was a fantastic week. If you'd like to see more pictures, click here to view the Facebook album.
For more information on the Sandals resorts, click here. Contact me anytime to book your Sandals Luxury Included Vacation. |
| Great News for Nexus Cardholders | |
Global Entry System now available at several US airports
Nexus members are now able to take full advantage of the Global Entry program at no extra charge. 
Global Entry allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers via automated self self-service kiosks upon arrival in the United States and is currently available at 20 of the major U.S. international airports.
Please login to your Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) account at https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov to find out what you must do to take advantage of this exciting new program.
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Midwinter Kitchen Concert Giveaway | |
from my networking group - Success Network
The Midwinter Kitchen Concert is a fundraising event in support of the North York Harvest Food Bank. The goal... 5,000 lbs of food!
The 2nd annual concert takes place Saturday 5 February 2011 at the Delta Toronto East Hotel at Kennedy Road/401 at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6:45pm.
And... I have 2 tickets to give away! If you can attend on 5 February, just send me an email with Midwinter Kitchen Concert in the subject line and tell me your "best story of giving". Please send your email by January 25th.
In addition, tickets can be purchased on the Midwinter Kitchen Concert website at www.midwinterkitchenconcert.com.
Present your ticket and your donation for the food bank for admission.
This year the concert features Two Roads Home and Ceol Cara.
Bryan Williston and Abby Zotz are Two Roads Home, a guitar and voice - based folk duo that has been performing together for over twenty years. Their music can be characterized as warm, sophisticated folk pop with Celtic roots, but not exclusively committed to the traditional. Fusing elements of traditional folk with bluegrass, country, Appalachian and popular music, the sound of Two Roads Home reflects the comfort and history they share.
Ceol Cara, pronounced ("key-OLE KAR-uh") is an Irish (Gaelic) phrase meaning "music friend ". The band formed in early 2005 through newly bonded friendships with the sharing of music at song circles. The four band members each currently live in the Niagara area and have been active in the music scene for many years. Everyone contributes vocally in rich textures and harmonies covering a variety of Celtic, Traditional, Shanties and Canadian music. Known for their personalities on stage and the fun and energy that they have performing together, Ceol Cara continues to grow in popularity around Southwestern Ontario.
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| Hotel Nacional de Cuba | |
By Bruce Parkinson, TakeOff Eh!
"While the newcomers [in Havana] are modern hotels in grand old buildings, Havana's Hotel Nacional is a grand old hotel in a grand old building that celebrated its 80th anniversary on December 30th.
For some, that's a drawback - online reviews complain of musty smells and tired beds - but that wasn't TakeOffEh's experience during a December visit to revel in the Havana Jazz Festival.
While the city itself is in some ways a throwback to the days before the Revolution in 1959, Hotel Nacional carries you right back to the 1930s, when the Mob ruled and Cuba was America's naughty playground. Organized crime legends like Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano are inseparable from the hotel's history and Francis Ford Coppola memorable recreated a massive gangster gathering in the hotel in Godfather II.
The long driveway is lined with pre-1959 American cars, now serving as taxis.
At one time. the Hotel Nacional was home to a Meyer Lansky-run casino that was as profitable as anything in Las Vegas. So it's not surprising that the property took on a very different symbolic role..."
To read the full article by Bruce, click here.
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| NCL CEO on Undercover Boss | |
By Johanna Jainchill, Guest Editor of The Cruise Log
Cruisers can expect some changes [most have already been made] on the Norwegian Epic after Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan spent two weeks on the ship posing as a crewmember for the CBS reality TV series Undercover Boss.
"To see our customers having a ball was what we hoped for when we launched the new ship," he said after helping teach passengers to dance during the Epic's White Hot party.
Despite some digs, such as a member of the recreation staff saying she didn't think Sheehan had ever interacted with a woman before, at the end of the show the crewmembers that trained Sheehan in his various tasks were all rewarded, some with promotions, others with cruises for them and their families. To read the full article, please click here. |
| Tidbits | |
Good or interesting information that doesn't require a whole article!
Tips for travelling with your laptop (I rarely leave home without mine!)... click here
Ski Naked... and 10 more things you can no longer do!
Click here for the story.
A salsa band, dancing schoolchildren and showgirls in bikini tops and feather headdresses welcomed some 1,500 tourists on a British cruise liner that officials described as among the biggest ships to visit Cuba in years. The story can be read here.
Bugsy Siegel's Las Vegas - Sin City's underworld past is the focus of the new Mob Experience. Then there's the Mob Tour. And coming soon: the Mob Museum... click here
Mystery Vacations...Hmmmm...Not sure I'm that brave!
Click here to read about it.
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| Questions & Answers | |  Q - "Is it safe to visit Mexico?"
A - This is a common question these days because of all the press time given to the problems in Mexico.
The answer is... for the most part yes. Common sense must always prevail.
If you are wandering around dripping with jewelry, flashing a was of cash or on unlit streets late at night, you are definitely making yourself a target.
The US/Mexico border areas are not as safe due to the recent increase in drug crimes. Travel by land through the Mexican states that border the US is not recommended.
The resort areas are, without question, safe for tourists.
Send your questions to Janna. |
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