Princess Cruises Honors Veterans Day with Military Onboard Credit Program

Active Personnel and Veterans Eligible for Shipboard Credit

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (November 11, 2010) – In recognition of Veterans Day, Princess Cruises is promoting the line’s military onboard credit program for active and retired military personnel. The credit, which ranges from $50 to $250 per stateroom depending on the length of the cruise, is available to members of the United States and Canadian armed forces with appropriate service identification. “As I discovered when I recently wrote about my own military experience on our company blog, we have a large number of veterans among our passengers,” said Alan Buckelew, Princess Cruises president and CEO. “We want to honor all military personnel this Veterans Day and thank them for their service.” The line’s military personnel onboard credit program is available to active military personnel plus retired and disabled military veterans with proper verification as follows: Active personnel currently serving in the following service divisions:  Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves, Canadian National Defense (military verification certificate) Retired personnel defined as:  Enlisted personnel or officers with a minimum of 20 years of service, medically retired or 100% disabled (blue or tan uniformed ID card/Canadian white N.D. 21 ID card) Veterans with an Honorable Discharge serving a minimum of 2 years or 6 months in an active war zone in any of the United States service divisions listed above or Canadian National Defense (DD 214 plus current photo ID) The onboard credit amount is $50 for cruises 6 days or less, $100 for cruises of 7-13 days, or $250 for cruises of 14 days or longer, offered on a per stateroom basis. To request the military personnel onboard credit, eligible persons should apply no later than one week prior to the cruise departure date. I am sailing on the Star Princess beginning next week.  Stay Tuned for the review!   Please call us for current sailings, pricing and availability!

New Luxury on Land in Utah of all places !!!

For some reason when I think of going to Luxury Resorts my mind doesn't immediatly go to Utah.  Maybe for skiing, yes,  but desert I think more Palm Springs, Scottsdale, etc.  But here is a place we might want to take a venture to if you are West Coast and looking for something close and different.

Amanresorts Unveils Plans for Luxury Villas in Utah's Canyon Country

 

It's not oceanfront; it's not ski-in-ski-out; neither is it St. Moritz, Turks & Caicos, Bali or the plains of the Serengeti. It's deep in the heart of America's wonderland.

This is Canyon Country - more specifically this is Amangiri, Amanresort's latest jewel. Developed by the Canyon Equity Group of Larkspur, CA, Amangiri which opened in the fall of 2009 has created an unprecedented buzz in the marketplace with virtually every major media outlet racing to the destination and writing about it.

Tucked into the red canyons with spiraling rock formations, Amangiri is located a stone's throw from Lake Powell and is surrounded by some of the world's greatest natural wonders and national monuments: The Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Grand Staircase Escalante, Zion National Park and the mighty Colorado River, to name a few. Overnight, Amangiri transformed this 600-acre high-desert oasis into a world-class destination which has rapidly become an uber-luxury "Mecca" for the highly discriminating vacationer.

Adjacent to the 34-room resort, 28 spectacular villas will be developed, the first 17 of which are just being released for pre-sale to the public. One "show villa" is under construction scheduled for completion in early 2011. Designed by famed New York-based German architect, Annabelle Selldorf, the look and feel of these Aman Villas will be similar to the resort and will blend seamlessly into the surrounding canyon topography. The base villa will be approximately 7,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor space and will have four spacious bedrooms and bathrooms. The villa buyers will then have the option of individualizing the spaces while maintaining the integrity of the Aman design template. All the villa owners and their guests will be entitled to all the amenities and facilities of the resort and its concierge service and then some.

The villas are available for viewing at a newly launched website whose unprecedented technology enables surfers to view the villa design and the astounding surrounding landscapes as seen from each villa lot. Full details of the villas at Amangiri are available at www.villasatamangiri.com. 
  Contact us for details.  I am sure we will be headed out for a visit soon!

Disney Dream Nears Completion with 'Float Out' at Meyer Werft Shipyard

First of two new ships for Disney achieves milestone, moves closer to maiden voyage










PAPENBURG, GERMANY, (Oct. 30, 2010) – After 20 months of construction, the Disney Dream cruise ship floated out of the enclosed building dock at the Meyer Werft shipyard today, completing a major construction milestone. The ship was greeted by thousands of visitors lining the shore to see the newest Disney Cruise Line ship, which features the first water coaster at sea and other cruise industry firsts designed to build upon Disney’s commitment to delivering unparalleled family cruises.

The “Float Out” is a special maritime event that celebrates the ship’s final stages of construction, where exteriors become complete and final touches are assigned to interiors. In true Disney-style, the celebration was punctuated with a fireworks display and the appearance of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. The Disney Dream is scheduled to sail its maiden voyage on January 26, 2011, from Port Canaveral, Fla.


“Today marks a monumental milestone and begins the first of the finishing touches for the Disney Dream as we prepare to welcome guests aboard our newest ship,” said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line. “Our guests are counting down to the maiden voyage, and in just 88 days, they will get to experience all that the Disney Dream has to offer.”





The Disney Dream is the first of two new ships being built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The Disney Fantasy is also currently in production and is scheduled to set sail on its maiden voyage on April 7, 2012.





“Today is a day of great pride for all of us at the Meyer Werft shipyard,” said Bernard Meyer, managing partner of Meyer Werft. “To finally see the largest ship this yard has ever built floated out and nearly complete is an inspiration within itself, and that coupled with the pixie dust Disney is known for, made this a truly magical moment for all involved.”

The Disney Dream will remain alongside Meyer Werft’s outfitting pier in the shipyard harbor for about two weeks, while testing is completed on the ship’s stabilizers, rudders and other functional features, and work on the ship’s interior areas continues. The ship is scheduled to leave the Meyer Werft shipyard and be conveyed down the River Ems, the second weekend in November, where its destination is the North Sea at the port of Eemshaven, The Netherlands.



Disney Dream Innovations


Known for establishing the family cruise market when the Disney Magic debuted in 1998, Disney Cruise Line continues to build upon this success with a focus on the legacy and heritage of The Walt Disney Company’s most known assets – master storytelling, world-class entertainment and legendary guest service. In addition to all of the features Disney Cruise Line is known for, the Disney Dream will have several new notable innovations for guests to enjoy.







■AquaDuck, a first-of-its-kind water coaster, is an exhilarating, high-speed thrill ride that combines all the ups and downs of a roller coaster with all the twists and turns of a water slide.


■Magical Portholes offer a “virtual window” to the world for inside staterooms, with a real-time view outside the ship where high-definition cameras feed live video to each stateroom.


■Enchanted Art immerses guests in Disney storytelling and looks like other hanging art pieces around the ship, but is actually a framed LCD screen with technology that recognizes a guest is present.


■Remy, an exquisite top-deck restaurant, only for adults, with incredible ocean views and French-inspired, gourmet cuisine by two award-winning chefs.




New Itineraries



With the addition of two new ships, Disney Cruise Line is able to more formally expand its itineraries to new destinations, including Alaska, while continuing to offer cruises to some of the line’s most popular itineraries.



The Disney Dream will sail three-, four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Fla., while sister ship Disney Fantasy, is set to sail seven-night alternating eastern and western Caribbean itineraries, also from Port Canaveral, beginning in 2012. The Disney Magic will continue sailing seven-night eastern and western Caribbean cruises, before returning to the Mediterranean for another summer of cruising in this region in 2011. The Disney Wonder will begin 2011 by repositioning to the West Coast of the U.S., sailing seven-night Mexican Riviera cruises from the Port of Los Angeles, while spending the summer sailing first-ever Alaskan itineraries from Vancouver.



Based in Celebration, Fla., the Disney Cruise Line experience is focused on providing a setting where families can reconnect, adults can recharge and kids can immerse themselves in worlds of fantasy only Disney can create. Most recently, the company was recognized as the top cruise experience by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Disney Cruise Line was voted the No. 1 cruise experience in the magazine’s 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards in the mega-ship category.

Need to rent a car in Europe?

This is a great program for those with long term stays in Europe.  They also offer short term rentals.
Call us for details.

Auto Europe is offering savings for long-term car rentals, 17 days or longer, with its Buy Back Program featuring over 19 factory new Peugeot models. “For any traveler staying for longer than two weeks in Europe, such as with a villa rental or extended stay, a Buy Back is the most practical way to save on your car rental,”said Eric Ledroux, Auto Europe’s president.



The program includes new vehicle models and equipment that increase fuel savings and enhance the driving experience, Auto Europe says. Features include new automatic gearboxes similar to a Tiptronic automatic transmission that can save 8 percent on fuel versus a full automatic transmission and 4 percent fuel savings versus a manual gear transmission. The gearboxes are also better rated for anti pollution records with lower CO2 emissions, Auto Europe says.



Rates begin at $39 per day. The benefits of a Peugeot Buy Back include rates that are tax free with non-deductible and fully comprehensive insurance, the ability to travel into most former Eastern Bloc countries with no additional fees, unlimited mileage, 24 hour road side assistance and delivery can be arranged at most major airports and cities throughout Europe, according to Auto Europe.



In addition, minimum rental age is 18 with no maximum age limits. The factory new vehicles with zero mileage can be delivered to select cities throughout France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.



Auto Europe is also offering free delivery and collection outside of France on select models for reservations now through December 31 on 45 days or longer contracts that end in 2011.



The sample rate shown is a daily rate based upon a 45-day lease of the four-door, four passenger Peugeot 308 premium, manual transmission for deliveries in Paris. Rate subject to change and additional restrictions may apply.

Auto Europe services over 8,000 car rental locations in 130 countries worldwide. In addition, through their tour division, FlyInternational.com they offer scheduled airfare to Europe with over thirty carriers and service three-, four- and five-star worldwide hotels.