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Greetings!
My apologies... It seems I skipped the June & July Newsletters! I hope you are enjoying the fantastic summer as much as I am. It won't be long before we're shoveling show again! That said, there are some great early booking bonuses and promotions for the fall/winter season. In this newsletter, we look at... and, as always, a few tidbits. Grab a beverage, put your feet up and enjoy... |
| Cruising the Mississippi River | |
By Harriet Baskas, NBC News contributor
Fans of river cruising have a new option for exploring the Mississippi River.
The Queen of the Mississippi, a new paddlewheel riverboat operated by American Cruise Lines and built specifically for the river, launches on Saturday in New Orleans.
The five-deck, 150-passenger sternwheeler has modern amenities such  as elevators, Wi-Fi and satellite TV, along with other features reminiscent of Victorian-era river cruising, such as a calliope. "There's no pool or casino, but there are large staterooms, a library, a putting green, lectures and musical entertainment," said Charles Robertson, president and CEO of American Cruise Lines.
The launch of the new sternwheeler is part of a comeback this year for cruising on the Mississippi. The traditional form of river travel was absent for at least four years due to the economic downturn and to heightened shipboard fire safety regulations that cruise lines avoided by retiring rather than retrofitting historic vessels such as the Delta Queen, the Mississippi Queen and the American Queen.
The launch of the Queen of the Mississippi "is a massive big deal," said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of cruise review site Cruise Critic.com. "With this new riverboat and the refurbished 436-passenger American Queen, which the Great American Steamboat Company returned to the river in April, the Mississippi is back on track as a river cruising destination."
The Queen of the Mississippi will make its first seven-night, roundtrip cruise between New Orleans and Vicksburg, Miss. After that, the schedule includes...
To see the full article, click here.
To book, please email or call anytime.
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| Supplier Highlight - Sandals Resorts | |
Luxury Included
It seems fitting that, after spending a milestone birthday in June at Sandals in St. Lucia, that we should look at the Sandals resorts this month.
 A Sandals Luxury Included Vacation gives you everything you'd find at any five-star luxury resort; the only difference is everything in INCLUDED!
Sandals includes more choices on land and sea - from unlimited golf  with complimentary green fees (caddies are mandatory and not included - caddie fees are very reasonable) to motorized water sports including the Caribbean's most comprehensive scuba diving program (up to two dives per day!).
 Sandals includes anytime dining at up to 15 specialty restaurants per resort, each with a different ambiance - all with top chefs.
Only Sandals includes four varieties of Beringer wines - Napa Valley's  oldest and most respected winery. (An extensive wine list is available for other bottle purchases). An impressive array of premium brand liquors is also included at up to 10 bars per resort, while poolside and beachside cocktail valet service is included and available at all resorts.
When it comes to luxury accommodations, Sandals offers more choices  - up to 26 different categories per resort - including the most unique and creatively designed "Love Nest" suites. Only Sandals offers butler category rooms including personal butlers - all trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers.
It's the award-winning Sandals Luxury Included Difference that makes all the difference!
For more information or to book a Sandals vacation, please email me anytime.
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World's best Distillery Tours | |
Spending an afternoon at a distillery can offer an unprecedented peek  into a spirit's lineage, place in history and production. It can also lead to interesting discoveries, like how a favorite whiskey, for instance, matures in barrels that once held sherry, port or even rum.
Many tours start at the very beginning. From barley destined for whiskey to sugarcane earmarked for rum, raw ingredients lay a foundation for an experience that excites-and challenges-all the senses.
These facilities also happen to be located in beautiful places. Pack your bags and get a taste of the spirited life at these ten distilleries that are worth the trip.
From scenic Scotland to urban Brooklyn to the rolling hills of Kentucky, take a trip to one of these ten distilleries for a behind-the-scenes look at a spirited tradition.
Click here to see slide show
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| Hotel Hell | |
By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY
"Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay suggests that we - the consumer - are partly to blame for poor hotel service.
Why? We're too polite, reports the Vancouver Sun.
 Ramsay spoke to a gathering of TV critics in Beverly Hills recently in advance of Monday's debut of his "Hotel Hell" reality series on the Fox channel.
In the series, we'll see the "Hells Kitchen" star known for ranting and raving check into bug-infested, rundown hotels and B&Bs and try to whip them into shape.
Along the way, we'll see him rant about duvet bed covers that haven't been cleaned in more than a year and rage at hotel owners who mistreat their employees.
Ramsay's advice to consumers, according to the Sun:
"We need to complain more. We need to be out there more...
To read the full article, please click here
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Tidbits | |
Neat stories that just don't need a full article!
Delta Air Lines is pulling the plug on its Comair regional subsidiary... click here
First look at cantilevered shower on Celebrity Cruises ship... click here
Virgin Australia to flight crew: Be less sexy, don't say 'mate'... click here
Crime museum workshops solve mysteries, bust myths... click here |
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Janna Guay CTC ACC
Travel Professionals International |
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