Viking ‘longship’ to cruise Seine for the first time.

Viking River Cruises is bringing its new longship design to France’s Seine River for the first time early next year, giving cruisers a chance to dine al fresco in the heart of Paris.

The line’s Viking Rinda will be deployed on the eight-day “Paris and the Heart of Normandy” itinerary, which sails from Paris to Rouen and back, starting March 23.

One feature that distinguishes the longship model from previous Viking river vessels is the indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace restaurant on the ship’s bow that lets diners have a meal outside.

 

The design also provides for true two-room suites (there are nine), ecologically friendly hybrid engines, on board solar panels, and an organic herb garden on the Sun Deck.

The itinerary calls for a day and a half of touring in Paris. Other stops include Giverny, made famous by Impressionist painter Claude Monet, and World War II battlefield sites along the Normandy beaches. Prices start at $1,356 per person.

Ready for you next cruise? Call us today at 877-229-6008 or 757-229-6008.

Visit us on the web at www.vipleisuretravel.com

River cruise fares you’ll ‘fall’ for.

Fall is a particularly good time to take a river cruise in Europe, the U.S., and elsewhere.

Grape harvests are in full swing in France, where fruit dangling from vines is carefully plucked this time of year. Colorful leaves are on display in the Columbia & Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest and on stretches of the Mississippi and its tributaries. And Germany puts on its biggest, can’t-miss-it party of the year — Oktoberfest.

Plus, the summer crowds disappear and prices, in some cases, come down.

Check out these fall river cruises.

Columbia & Snake: Experience fall foliage and waterfalls as you trace the route of Lewis & Clark on the Columbia, Snake and Willamette rivers. Ships on the route include Un-Cruise Adventures’ 88-passenger S.S. Legacy, a replica steamer with Heritage guides who provide a narrative for guests. Fares for a one-week cruise start from $3,195 per person, through November.

Hudson Valley: Explore the legend in Sleepy Hollow in celebration of Halloween, as you cruise on the Hudson on American Cruise Lines’ 100-passenger American Star in October, fares from $3,810. You’ll also see nature’s colorful fall display as you visit places that also include Catskill and West Point.

Mississippi: Experience Thanksgiving on the Mississippi and help feed the hungry. American Cruise Lines is making a donation of $50 to the Connecticut Food Bank for every booking on the one-week Thanksgiving sailing of Queen of the Mississippi, from New Orleans to Memphis. Onboard passengers will partake in a feast of Thanksgiving favorites; fares from $4,320.

Tennessee River: Cruise between Chattanooga and Memphis or Nashville and take in beautiful landscapes of red and gold leaves American Queen Steamboat Company’s 436-passenger paddlewheeler American Queen is on the route in October, fares for nine-day cruises from $2,549 – an October 24 departure brings the bonus of a Country Music theme.

Bordeaux: Pay homage to French wine making on a cruise from Bordeaux to vineyards and legendary chateaux. On the Chateaux, Rivers & Wine itinerary of Viking River Cruises you can visit places including Medoc, Margaux, Pomerol and Saint-Emilion. The cruises are on the 190-passenger “Longship” Viking Forseti, round-trip from Bordeaux. Fares from $3,056.

Mekong: October is one of the best months to visit Vietnam – the dry, hot weather hasn’t quite come yet and the rainy season is ending. Get an extraordinary history lesson as you cruise on the Mekong in Cambodia and Vietnam. Aqua Expeditions’ 40-passenger luxury river ship Aqua Mekong, with a plunge pool and bar on the observation deck, debuts later this month. Fares for a weeklong cruise from $7,000.

Rhine: See fairytale towns, castles, cliffs and vineyards along this legendary waterway – a 50-mile stretch of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Do a one-week cruise between Basel, Switzerland and Amsterdam on Uniworld’s luxurious, 154-passenger S.S. Antoinette, from $2,849.

Danube: Pack your bags now or plan for next year for a cruise on the Danube and do a side trip to Munich for Oktoberfest (through October 4), to visit throngs visiting brewery tends to sample the suds. Or wait until late November and combine a cruise with visits to Germany’s famous Christmas markets. A seven-day cruise on the 166-passenger Avalon Waterways”Suite Ship” Avalon Illumination, between Budapest and Nuremburg, is priced from $2,899.

Douro River Valley: Cruise in Portugal and Spain aboard Viking’s Viking Hemming or Viking Torgil and learn about port wine as your observe the harvest of steeply terraced vineyards. The cruises are from Porto. Choose a Thanskgiving holiday cruise and enjoy a traditional feast onboard. Limited availabity remaining (book now for next year). Fares from $2,256.

Irrawaddy: Explore the “hot” exotic destination of Myanmar, and its legendary pagodas, aboard AmaWaterways’ brand new AmaPura, an all-suite, 56-passenger ship debuting in late November. The cruises are from Yangon and Mandalay; fares for a 10-day cruise from $4,899. Also debuting in the market later this fall is Sanctuary Retreats’ all-suite, 40-passenger Sanctuary Ananda; fares for a three-day sailing from $2,244.

Ready to book your river cruise? Call us today at 877-229-6008 or 757-229-6008.

Visit us on the web at www.vipleisuretravel.com

Best cruises for Fall Foliage.

One of Mother Nature’s best shows takes place along the Eastern Seaboard in late September and October when colorful leaves are on full display. Cruises provide views of peak foliage in New England and Canada.

You can visit places including Acadia National Park in Maine and the St. Lawrence Seaway in Quebec, without the detraction of highways filled with other leaf-peepers. Bonus: From your ship you’re also likely to spot migrating humpback whales.

There are also other places to see colorful foliage, including along the cruising routes in the Pacific Northwest, Hudson Valley and along the Tennessee River.

Here are the best cruises for viewing fall foliage.

Royal Princess: This beautiful year-old, 3,560-passenger Princess Cruises ship, with its expansive Piazza and fountain pool, cruises round-trip from New York (Brooklyn). The one-week itineraries include port calls in St. John, New Brunswick, tony Newport, Rhode Island, Boston, Bar Harbor and Halifax. From $999.

Regatta: Cruise on this 694-passenger Oceania Cruises ship between New York and Montreal on 10- to 12-day itineraries that visit Newport, Portland (Maine), Boston and Bar Harbor as well as ports in Atlantic Canada, with some cruises including Corner Brook, Newfoundland. An October 10 sailing gets you to Saguenay National Park, the great tree-lined fjord, which cuts through what may be the oldest rocks on the planet. From $2,949.

Brilliance of the Seas: Check out the views from the rock-climbing wall aboard this 2,112-passenger Royal Caribbean ship, as you cruise for a week, round-trip from Boston to Portland, Bar Harbor, St. John and Halifax, fares from $599.

Seabourn Quest: Enjoy suite accommodations onboard Seabourn’s 450-passenger luxury ship as you cruise between Boston and Montreal, on one of four 10-day itineraries. You’ll overnight in Quebec City, visit Charlottetown, Halifax, Bar Harbor and Saguenay, and also spend time in the scenic St. Lawrence River and the Quebec cities of Baie-Comeau and Gaspe. Fares from $3,999.

Maasdam: This 1,258-passenger Holland America Line ship sails from both Boston and Montreal on seven- to 14-day itineraries, either round-trip or one-way. You visit Bar Harbor, Maine (for Acadia), cruise into the narrow channels of the St. Lawrence Seaway, with colorful leaves on both sides, and visit ports including Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Fares from $599.

Norwegian Gem: Cruise from New York on a one-week itinerary that includes port calls in Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, St. John and Halifax. Fares are from $699. While onboard thisNorwegian Cruise Line ship, visit the bowling lanes in the retro-chic Bliss Ultra Lounge.

S.S. Legacy: See colorful leaves, deep gorges and waterfalls as you trace the route of Lewis & Clark on the Columbia, Snake and Willamette rivers. Un-Cruise has booked historians and Heritage guides are to provide guests with a narrative. The 88-passenger ship, a replica of a steamer, does one-week sailings from Portland, Oregon through November. Fares from $3,195.

American Queen: Red and gold leaves create beautiful landscapes on the Tennessee River. Cruise between Chattanooga and Memphis or Nashville in October on this 436-passengerAmerican Queen Steamboat Company paddlewheeler on nine-day itineraries, priced from $2,549. The October 24 departure is a Country Music-themed sailing.

American Star: This 100-passenger ship operated by American Cruise Lines has October sailings from New York through the Hudson Valley, getting you to places including Sleepy Hollow, Catskill and West Point. Fares from $3,810.

Crystal Serenity: Do a five- to 30-day cruise in luxurious surrounds onboard this 1,070-passenger Crystal Cruises ship. Most of the sailings are from Quebec City or New York, but there’s also a five-day sailing from Halifax to New York, priced from $1,780, that visits Bar Harbor, Boston and Newport. A new feature is running tours in select ports of call – including an escorted 5k run on scenic carriage roads in Acadia National Park.

Ready to book your Fall cruise? Call us today at 877-229-6008 or 757-229-6008.

Visit us on the web at www.vipleisuretravel.com

Carnival adds longer cruises from Baltimore

Industry giant Carnival will offer 10- to 14-night cruises out of Baltimore starting in October 2015 — a first for the line.

The Miami-based company says the voyages on the 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride, announced today, will include both round-trip sailings from the city and one-way sailings between Baltimore and San Juan.

The new cruises include an 11-day exotic southern Caribbean cruise from Baltimore to San Juan departing on Jan. 17, 2016 that stops at Grand Turk, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, and St. Croix.

Also new to the schedule is a 10-day exotic eastern Caribbean cruise from San Juan to Baltimore departing Jan. 28, 2016, that calls at St. Thomas, Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia; St. Kitts and St. Maarten; and a 14-day eastern Caribbean cruise round-trip from Baltimore March 13, 2016, that features eight different island destinations: Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, Dominica, St. Lucia, Martinique, Antigua and St. Maarten.

Until now, Carnival only has offered seven-night cruises from Baltimore.

Carnival today also announced plans for new five-Day Bermuda sailings from Baltimore that will feature two days in Bermuda. There will be just two of the trips, departing on Oct. 26, 2015 and April 10, 2016.

In addition, Carnival says it plans three six-day Bahamas cruises from Baltimore in 2015 and 2016 that will feature stops in Freeport and Nassau. Departure dates are Nov. 30 and Dec. 20, 2015, and Feb. 14, 2016.

Carnival says the 2015 and 2016 schedule from Baltimore also will include a series of eight-day voyages that include stops in Grand Turk, the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay and Nassau. Departure dates are Oct. 18 and 31, and Dec. 26, 2015, and Feb. 20, and April 15 and 23, 2016.

A special six-day East Coast U.S. and Bahamas cruise from Baltimore featuring the line’s first-ever scheduled in-transit call to Charleston, S.C., as well as Port Canaveral, Fla., Nassau, and Freeport, will be offered Nov. 22, 2015.

The Carnival Pride is slated to undergo a multi-million-dollar makeover before the voyages begin.

Ready to book your next cruise? Call us today at 877-229-6008 or 757-229-6008

Visit us on the web at www.vipleisuretravel.com

10 Worst Tourist Scams

A recent posting on Just the Flight warned travelers of 40 tourist scams prevalent around the world. Wow—that’s a long checklist. Fortunately, many of the 40 are “variations on a theme,” and a comparable posting of 10 scams from Cheapflights.com is more realistic. Yes, none of the 10 or even the 40 is really new or innovative, but they bear repeating, anyhow.

Fake Police: A street merchant may put something in your hand or around your wrist, then, when you try to give it back, complain that you’re trying to steal it. A uniformed policeman—fake—happens to be passing by and threatens to arrest you if you don’t pay for what you supposedly stole. Variations include trumped-up arguments with taxi drivers and merchants.

Fake Valuables: A vendor on a Bogota street offers to sell you “emeralds” at a fraction of the going price. A related scam: You’re standing in line to buy a ticket for something and someone offers to sell you a “better” ticket and avoid the line.

Distraction Theft: The list of 40 scams includes many variations on this basic theme. Someone distracts you while an accomplice picks your pocket or goes through your baggage. The scenarios are endless: kids swarm around you asking for money, someone “accidentally” spills something on you, someone punctures the tire on your rental car and pilfers your stuff while supposedly “helping” you change the tire, someone throws a doll dressed up like a real baby at you. The list goes on and on, and it can happen almost anywhere.

Taxi Tricks: When you hop in a cab and ask to go to a specific restaurant, hotel, or shop, the driver tells you it’s “closed” but offers to take you to a “better” one. At best, the new place is a long trip; at worst, it’s a rip-off joint in partnership with the driver.

The Fake “Gift”: A street musician hands you what appears to be a “free” CD, asking you to check out his/her music, then, after you have it, demands payment, even when you try to return it. Variations apply to just about any item.

Photo Finagling: Someone offers to take a picture of you and your companion with your camera—and runs off with the camera. Or you pose with a picturesque but apparently willing local, who then turns mean and demands a fee.

Fake Friends: You go to a bar and a friendly group of locals asks you to join them. Then, after a few rounds, they suddenly depart, leaving you with a padded bill.

PIN Theft: A casher surreptitiously takes a picture of your credit card, or someone who “helps” you at a foreign ATM notes and remembers your PIN for later theft use.

Old-Fashioned Pickpocketing: Pickpockets don’t need elaborate scams or set-up scenarios. They can get as close to you as they need to on crowded public transit, intercity trains, and in busy shops.

Currency Capers: A merchant counts out your change correctly, accidentally drops it, retrieves it, and hands you a substitute wad that’s a bit lighter. Or you get a mix of counterfeit and real bills.

You can easily avoid some of these scams. If you can’t tell the difference between an emerald and a fragment of green glass, don’t buy “emeralds” on the street. Assume anything someone tries to sell you on the street is either a fake or carries a grossly inflated price. Know enough about the local geography that you can tell when you’re being “taken for a ride.” Dress modestly and try to fit in with the locals. Avoid constant glances at guidebooks or maps. But those strategies work only in obvious situations.

Yes, most locals you encounter are honest and genuinely want to help. But you need to remain alert at all times. Sad to say, but “paranoia is its own reward.” As an obvious tourist, you have to be aware that you might be targeted in just about any situation.

Ready to book your next vacation? We can help you in deciding where to go. Call us today at 877-229-6008 or 757-229-6008.

Visit us on the web at www.vipleisuretravel.com

10 Reasons Travel Agents Are Better Than the Internet

Credit: Shutterstock

While you might put travel agent right up there with VCR repair man and video store clerk on the list of jobs that have gone the way of the Yellow Pages, there’s a reason you still see them wedged into strip malls between your dry cleaner and the new VaporZone. Turns out that — even in a world where everybody coordinates their own vacation plans — travel agents account for about one-third of the travel industry’s revenue. Seriously, in 2014. Who knew.

Not only can they do things the Internet can’t, but they also still collect a lot of their fees from vendors, which means… best part, they don’t even charge you! Which is why we’ve compiled these 10 reasons you might want to go old-school and let a travel agent plan your next trip.

1. They know whether you’re actually getting a good deal.
Since 90 percent of the airline tickets you buy are for a domestic flight to see your parents, your knowledge of the relative value of a flight to London is, how shall we say, limited. A travel agent, however, books, like, 74 of those a day and will know immediately if the $600 whatever website told you is a “smoldering price” is actually reasonable.

2. Travel agents know where to go in a city, or know someone who does.
If you don’t happen to be headed to one of Thrillist’s 30 cities, it helps to have a reputable resource available who knows the best restaurants, dive bars, or cockfighting arenas without having to sift through a thousand ridiculous reviews about how the waitress didn’t bring the table enough bread. Since they book trips all the time, TA’s know this stuff like the back of their hands. And if they don’t, they’re one call away from getting you an answer.

Credit: Flickr User Jason Tester Guerrilla Futures

3. They’ve got your back when it comes to flight delays/cancellations.
Try calling a website when your flight gets cancelled and the line to rebook stretches through the terminal. Even if you get through to the airline directly, they still don’t have a clue who you are. Call your travel agent, though, and they’ll get you squared away on another flight while you get squared away at the airport bar.

4. They can actually get you seats together, on the same flight, for the same price.
Rather than spend a week on a group text trying to coordinate your big Splashin’ Safari Water Park Summer vacay, only to book your flights separately online and find you’re all sitting next to different people who clip their toenails (and paid different fares), a travel agent can get your entire group the same ticket price, with seats together, on the same flight.

Credit: Flickr User Mystic Country CT

5. They can get you VIP status without being a VIP.
Restaurant supposedly booked for months? Yeah, that’s no issue for a travel agent. Need a table at the hottest club in Sioux Falls? They’ve got more promoters on speed dial than a South Beach swimsuit model. Thanks to the relationships they maintain across the tourism industry, they can also score you tix to special tours, private tastings, and other events the Internet doesn’t even know about. Or, if it does, has hidden so deep it’ll take you hours to find out about them.

6. And speaking of hours on the Internet, TAs do all the research for you.
Websites don’t seem to understand that when you say “search nearby airports,” it doesn’t mean “I’m totally fine with being the guy who asks my roommate for a ride to an airport 75 miles away so I can save $45”. Travel Agents know your airport preferences, and won’t tease you with cheap flights that involve leaving and returning to airports that’re in different states. Unless you want them to.

7. They get better prices, first
That $49 one-way flight your email update indicated was a “fresh new deal” was actually available to your travel agent last week, because they have better relationships with airlines and wholesalers. Which also means their prices are… ready for this… usually better than online. Especially for complicated or premium fares.

Credit: U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Europe District

8. They do more than book flights.
That African safari looks like a great time, but you do realize it requires a lot more legwork than just pressing “Buy Now” on the roundtrip ticket to Kinshasa, right? In addition to visas, you’ll likely require a series of semi-crippling inoculations before you go, too. Unsure where to go for either visas or shots? Well, lo and behold, guess who can set both of those up for you?

9. They have Southwest’s prices too.
Fun as it is planning your flight, calculating baggage, seat selection, and water fees, then repeating the whole process on Southwest.com to seeing if it’s cheaper, a travel agent can do the comparison shopping for you. And he or she can do it with any other airline that doesn’t play the online search engine game.

10. No-hassle 24-hour changes
“Non-refundable” on your online reservation — be it a flight, hotel reservation, Duck Tour, whatever — usually means you have 24 hours to make changes without penalty. Most people don’t realize this. Yes, even a “non-refundable” airline ticket can be changed. The only catch, you have to actually call and deal directly with the airline. Or, instead of spending hours on hold listening to “all agents are currently busy”, you can let your travel agent happily fix the ticket. Your call.

Ready to book your next vacation? Call us today at 877-229-6008 or 757-229-6008.

Visit us on the web at www.vipleisuretravel.com

The Only Way to Fly!

It’s the time of year when many of us are planning to head off on a summer vacation adventure! Exciting to be sure, but sometimes vacation time can wreak havoc on our healthy lifestyles that we have cultivated all year. If you follow our blog you may have seen posts in the past about how to have a healthier vacation.

Think back…have you ever taken a long road trip, shoveled in the junk food the entire time, and got to your destination just in time for a food coma and huge headache in the morning?  Yeah, I thought so!  I did it back in the day, too, and felt so bad that I didn’t enjoy the journey one bit.  Well, no more!  I work hard at health, and I now enjoy the benefits of eating well, drinking lots of water, and consuming alcohol in moderation.

So let’s talk about that a little bit.  What, in your opinion, makes a great vacation?  For me, it’s doing active and fun things, eating great local food, getting out in nature, and maybe even meeting the locals.  It’s NOT drinking myself silly by a pool, piling fries and burgers on my plate, or lying in a lounge chair getting a fried body.  Here are just a few ideas for making the kinds of choices on your next adventure that will guarantee amazing memories for a lifetime.

The Packing 

I love the challenge of getting into a carry-on.  But if you have to check a bag, make sure all the stuff you can’t afford to lose come with you to your seat on the plane!  I use Juice Plus capsules…fruit and veggies are the best medicines in the world, and these always travel with me, along with my Complete bars.  You might have another brand you love, but be sure to pack healthy snacks for the travel days.  Airplane and airport food is getting better, but it can be a real struggle on the road.  I also carry a Brita filter water bottle for extra protection at roadside stops and to refill on the other side of security.  This is also handy when outside the US.  I find that fortifying my system before I go with primadophilus is also helpful.  If you eat dairy, you could try Greek yogurt, too.

The Travel

Whether you are flying or driving, you’ve got to move!  It’s so dangerous to sit for long periods of time.  I know people who drug themselves to fly…very bad idea.  You know how dry the air is on planes?  OMG, you have to suck down water constantly to avoid the dehydration headache when you land.  It’s bad enough that your head wants to pop sometimes as the aircraft descends!  I KNOW you are a little nervous, or just excited to be on vacation, but avoid the alcohol both the night before AND while flying.  That glass of wine will taste that much sweeter when you arrive in paradise, and you will be so glad that you drank all that water and feel so GOOOOOD!

That will make you get up to use the bathroom or stop at the rest area.  Take a short hike.  Do some stretches.  Make little circles with your toes (I like to trace the alphabet, or move to the music).   Shrug your shoulders to your ears, and drop them down.  Roll circles with your shoulders forward and backward.  Slowly roll your head.  Stretch your arms to the ceiling.

Remember mom telling you to eat your vegetables?  She was right!  New studies are finding that since our earth is being depleted of important minerals for farming, that we actually need to eat up to 20 servings a day now to get the same nutrition our grandparents did from their veggies!  Yikes!  So whatever you do, go on a treasure hunt at the buffet for all the pretty food…lots of color on your plate.  Avoid the “white” foods that are considered to be inflammatory.  Drink at least as much good quality water in ounces as half your body weight each day.  By all means, enjoy that glass of vino now.

Find the gym right away to learn when the classes are held.  Walk the stairs on the ship to see all the great art.  Take a walk on the beach.  Swim in the ocean.  Have your travel agent book a kayak adventure or zip-line.  Swim with the dolphins or whale sharks.  Scuba or snorkel.  Hike in the mountains.  Ride a bike.  Get out and LIVE LIFE!  Roam around the city without a purpose.  (Please always be aware of your surroundings, obviously, and don’t bring  expensive jewelry.)  Find a little cafe around the corner and communicate with the locals.  It’s a good bet they want to practice their English, and you might get a brief lesson in the local language.  You may even get an invitation to meet them after work at their favorite dance club.

The Memories

Which vacation will you remember more…the one where you sat on the beach and read the next book in that series you love?  Or the one where your whole family went on a catamaran to snorkel with the stingrays?  Stretch yourself the next time you travel.  If you are not athletic, no worry!  Prepare a little bit by walking regularly a month or more before the trip.  Ask your travel planner to research the nature and fun activities you can arrange before you leave, or ask your concierge when you arrive.

Ready for your next vacation? Call us today at 877-229-6008 or 757-229-6008.

Visit us on the web at www.vipleisuretravel.com

Summer Deals on Beachside Caribbean Resorts

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

Summer is in full swing, and typically Caribbean resorts are offering some of their very best vacation value packages during the dog days that precede the fall and winter travel seasons. Some Caribbean resorts close their door during the height of the U.S. summer, preferring to spend the slower summer season upgrading their accommodations in advance of the busier fall and winter travel seasons.

As a result, leisure travelers will find the resorts that remain in full operation during the summertime are offering some of the best packages they extend at any time all year.

The powdery white sand, calm blue waters and panoramic unobstructed views found at Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos create a stunning backdrop for a collection of upscale resort properties located across the five mile-long beach.

One of these, the Somerset on Grace Bay, is offering “Endless Summer” packages featuring savings of up to 30 percent off stays of five nights or longer to travelers who make reservations by July 31, 2014 for stays from Sept.1 through Dec. 19, 2014.

Packages are available for all of the resort’s villa accommodations, from a 1,400 square-foot, one bedroom villa to a 5,300 square foot, five bedroom penthouse, and include daily continental breakfast. Five-night packages start at $2,100 for a one-bedroom Garden Villa accommodating two adults and four children 12 and younger

Villas feature marble floors and bathrooms, large living areas, gourmet kitchens with Viking appliances, washer and dryer, and private patios or balconies. Complimentary resort amenities include infinity edge and reverse-current lap pools, a fitness center with a steam room, in-room Wi-Fi, bicycles, snorkeling equipment and kayaks.

Another upscale Grace Bay Beach property, the Seven Stars Resort, is offering a “July Flash Sale” featuring 50 percent off nightly rates on oceanfront accommodations for travelers who book by July 15, 2014. The offer applies to stays throughout July.

Seven Stars’ spacious and stylishly appointed accommodations feature marble bathrooms, large furnished bedrooms and living spaces, and gourmet kitchens with granite counters, GE monogram appliances, and Nespresso machines.

Sailing lessons, reef snorkeling and scuba diving instruction and excursions and guests also receive complimentary use of Hobie Cats, kayaks, and snorkeling gear. The resort also offers complimentary bike rentals, yoga classes and bocce ball.

A third Grace Bay Beach property, The Alexandra Resort, is offering a pre-paid vacation package through which travelers can pre-pay for a vacation in full and save 10 percent off the resort’s best available rates. The special applies to one- and two-bedroom suites and the resort’s four-bedroom penthouse.

Pre-paid vacation special rates start at $237 per night for a one-bedroom garden view suite accommodating two adults and two children. The Alexandra Resort features complimentary amenities and services including a daily activity program, complimentary use of non-motorized water sports, tennis courts, property-wide Wi-Fi and a concierge desk. The resort also features a lagoon-style swimming pool, a kiddie’s pool, the Spa Sanay, a Caicos Dream Tours excursions desk and the Pelican Kids’ Club.

Residents of Antigua and Barbuda are fond of saying the island has 365 beaches, one for every day of the year. The Grand Pineapple Beach Antigua, set along a secluded 1,600-foot white-sand beach, is offering discounted rates starting at $250 per couple, per night for guests who book stays of three nights or more through July 25, 2014. The offer applies to travel through 2016.

The intimate 200-room resort features four dining options including the Outhouse, a hilltop barbecue shack whose daily opening is announced by a flag placed on the shack’s roof. Water sports and other activities are also available. The resort’s open lobby features hand-carved plantation furniture.

Ready to book your next vacation? Call us today at 877-229-6008 or 757-229-6008.

Visit us on the web at www.vipleisuretravel.com

The 10 Best Caribbean Cities For Food

  Every Caribbean island has its share of great eateries. But if you’re visiting a Caribbean destination solely for food, you generally like to have a high concentration of restaurants all within a short radius. So we thought we’d put together this year’s ranking of the 10 best cities in the Caribbean for food (as opposed to a list of best islands for food, which might look a bit different). These cities are culinary metropoles; foodie destinations in their own right.

1. Port of Spain, Trinidad

The diverse roots of Trinidad and Tobago have had a great deal of impact on the foods you will find on the islands. With influences for the Dutch, British, French, African, and Indian, the foods have evolved into a gastronomical smorgasbord of flavors.

Top Restaurants: BUZO Osteria Italiana, Prime, and Chaud

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2. San Juan, Puerto Rico

Eating in Puerto Rico is sure to lure you away from the kitchen in your villa. There are so many restaurants you’ll be hard-pressed to decide where to go next. With its strong Spanish influence, much of the local fare in Puerto Rico is spicy in nature.

Top Restaurants: Marmalade Restaurant & Wine Bar, Café Cola’o, and Punto de Vista

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3. Kingston, Jamaica

For a night you’ll never forget, try some Jamaican fare beside the backlit waterfalls at The Ruins, or go native at Bibibips with authentic Jamaican food served to the beat of live reggae music. You can find food options from nearly every ethnicity in and around Jamaica, and prices to accommodate every pocketbook.

Top Restaurants: Devon House I-Scream, Terra Nova Hotel Restaurant, and EITS Café

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4. Fort de France, Martinique

The cuisine on Martinique can be both satisfyingly traditional, with herb seasoned French foods, and also compellingly innovative, with inventive chefs blending European, Asian, and African influences into mouth watering Creole creations. Traditional French delicacies such as caviar and foie gras are prepared along with steak with a bordelaise sauce (a beef or veal and red wine sauce) and fine French wine.

Top Restaurants: Bacchus Bar, La Cave a Vin and Garage Popular

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5. Kralendijk, Bonaire

Dining on Bonaire provides a wide variety of cultural experiences. The Dutch brought the European flavors of smoked meats and wonderful cheeses. And not to be left out, Surinam, a former Dutch colony, mixed in the great flavors of Dutch Indonesia, as well as Chinese, Indian, Thai, and African. All these combine to make local dining spicy, rich, and unusual.

Top Restaurants: Casablanca, Bistro De Paris and Cactus Blue

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6. Nassau, Bahamas

Dining in the Bahamas is as diverse as the islands themselves. Low-key beachfront dives cater to barefoot, swimsuit-clad guests, while upscale restaurants have some of the finest dining in the Caribbean. You can run out on the sands and grab a casual bite to eat. With tastes and flavors ranging from Caribbean to European to American, every palate will be satisfied, and there are also plenty of opportunities for trying new and exciting flavors.

Top Restaurants: Bahama Grill, Café Matisse and Athena Café & Bar

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7. Christiansted, St Croix

Downtown Christiansted and the Christiansted boardwalk are renowned throughout the Caribbean as a haven for foodies. Here you’ll find the largest and most diverse concentration of restaurants and bars. On St Croix dining is a leisurely experience and food is meant to be savored. Following your meal, bar hop along the boardwalk and enjoy the views and the fresh salty air.

Top Restaurants: Galangal, Jaccar Organic & Natural Sorbets and Tavern 1844

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8. Willemstad, Curacao

Dine beneath the boughs of magnificent old trees, on the terraces of restored mansions and plantation houses, or on the ramparts of 18th-century forts. Curacaoans partake of generally outstanding fare, with representation from a remarkable smattering of ethnicity.

Top Restaurants: The Wine Cellar, Mangos and Restaurant Rozendaels

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9. Grand Case, Saint Martin

If you want stupendous French food, head to the tiny surprise of Grand Case in St. Martin. This quiet town looks like absolutely nothing when you drive through it. Half of the restaurants are located directly over the beach (the others are across the street with no view at all), so your views are stunning if choose to dine on that side of the street.

Top Restaurants: Bistrot Caraibes, L’Auberge Gourmande and La Villa Restaurant

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10. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The city’s culinary repertoire includes Spanish, Italian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Japanese, and nueva cocina Dominicana(contemporary Dominican cuisine). If seafood is on the menu, it’s bound to be fresh. Some of the best restaurant choices are not in the tourist zones but in the business districts of the modern city and in the upscale residential neighborhoods where the wealthy capitaleños reside.

Ready to book your next vacation/cruise? Call us today at 877-229-6008 or 757-229-6008.

Visit us on the web at www.vipleisuretravel.com

Silversea plans another epic world cruise for 2016

Luxury line Silversea is planning another epic world cruise for 2016 that will include stops at 51 ports across six continents.

The 115-day voyage on the 382-passenger Silver Whisper will kick off Jan. 5, 2016 in Fort Lauderdale and end in Venice, Italy on May 1, 2016.

After leaving Fort Lauderdale, the Silver Whisper will head westward through the Panama Canal to South America and the Pacific, stopping in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Chile as well as several Pacific islands and New Zealand. From there, the ship will visit Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar before heading across the Bay of Bengal to Sri Lanka and India.

From India, the Silver Whisper will head to the Middle East for several stops before transiting the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean.

Silversea’s 2016 World Cruise will include stops in Australia, Asia and the Middle East.(Photo: Silversea Cruises)

 The voyage has been designed to offer extended time in many of the ports, with late departures from many of the stops and overnight calls in 13 locations including Lima, Peru; Sydney; Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon, Myanmar. It opens for bookings today.

Fares for the 115-day world cruise start at $59,950 per person, based on double occupancy. The price includes a pre-cruise overnight stay at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami, business class air to reach the ship (or an air credit), transfers, a $4,000 on-board spending credit per cabin, complimentary laundry service, and an Internet package.

Ready to book your cruise? Call us today at 877-229-6008 or 757-229-6008.

Visit us on the web at www.vipleisuretravel.com