Flip Flopping the Tropics

It’s very common for couples to live together before marriage these days & accumulate all of the basic necessities of domestic life.  Kitchen appliances, bath sets, dishes, glassware, the list goes on.  We’re also getting married later in age now where a lot of those things we’ve already gotten as gifts (and lets face it, we’ve all gotten one of those items that didn’t quite suit our taste at one time or another) or bought for ourselves.  A honeymoon registry is an excellent alternative the to the typical bridal registry. 

Instead of registering for the usual pots & pans, couples register activities/excursions, room upgrades, private dinners on the beach & anything they possibly could dream of to enhance their honeymoon.  Do you want to swim with the dolphins?  Friends or family can give that to you as a GIFT…a memorable gift.  Does the butler suite not fit in your budget, do you want a couples massage ocean-side?  Register it.

In the end, it comes to you in cash but you do receive a card from the person who bought it for you.  Everyone has a little bit of difficulty finding the perfect gift & if that someone wants to contribute in making your new lives together extraordinarily special, this is the way to do it.

Access Starfish Travel’s honeymoon registry HERE.  Need honeymoon planning?  Contact us.

Carnival Cruise Lines has removed the suggested gratuities envelope for the dining room Maitre D’ from all cabins effective December 1, 2011, except for Carnival Paradise, which begins on December 12, 2011.  Even though it’s no longer expected, if the Maitre D’ (or any staff member) has given you extra special service, we suggest tipping them personally.

According to the line’s cruise director, John Heald: “They will not be part of the new $11.50 gratuity at all and there will be no announcements or videos that mention you should tip your Maitre D’.”  He also stated that the Maitre D’ crew members are happy so it appears that they’re being compensated by Carnival.

The $11.50 daily/per person gratuity is a minimum required amount.  All cruise lines encourage leaving more for any crew member who gave you outstanding service.  Happy sailing!

Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora is offering two new packages—the Romance Package and the Stay Longer – Fourth Night Free package—that are good from now to the end of 2012.

The Romance Package, valid from September 19, 2011 to December 24, 2012, is ideal for couples. Based on a five-night minimum stay, guests receive daily breakfast buffet in the Tere Nui restaurant, a dinner in the Arii Moanarestaurant, a couple’s Polynesian Massage treatment in the Spa, a romantic bath amenity, Champagne or wine and a Polynesian gift upon departure. This package is available on select overwater bungalows and beachfront villas.

The Stay Longer – Fourth Night Free package is also valid from September 19, 2011 to December 24, 2012 and offers a complimentary fourth night to guests staying three consecutive paid nights. The package also includes daily breakfast buffet in Tere Nui restaurant, and it is available on select overwater bungalows and beachfront villas.

The Resort’s accommodations include 100 overwater bungalows and seven beachfront villas, all designed with traditional thatched roofs and decorated with indigenous artwork. Dining options at the Resort range from Polynesian to French and South Pacific fusion. Families can also enjoy an array of activities, in addition to full-day complimentary programming at Kids For All Seasons (ages 5 – 12) and Chill Island for teenagers.

Our clients also receive a variety of exclusive benefits when booking with us, a Four Seasons Preferred Partner through our affiliation with Leaders in Travel, a member of the Tzell Travel Group.

Source: Travel Agent Central

To commemorate the historic New York marriage equality law, the Millennium Broadway Hotel is kicking off their “Wedding with PRIDE Package.” This deal is available for weddings as early as July 26- the official date that same sex couples can legally wed in New York.

This package puts a truly New York City spin on the wedding by setting the wedding in the historic Hudson Theater, a 1903 Art Deco landmark decorated with priceless Tiffany mosaics. This theater, where budding stars like Barbara Streisand and Louis Armstrong made their debut, is a perfect location for a memorable wedding.

The hotel has an experienced wedding event planning department, including florists, photographers, bands, DJs, sound and light specialists, and more. This team has vowed to help couples organize their wedding within just two weeks for weddings scheduled July 26 through Labor Day.

Starting at $195 per person for a reception of 100 persons or more, this package includes:

5-hour premium open bar
Champagne toast
Wine service with dinner
1 hour reception with hot / cold butler-passed hors d’oeuvre and two hot stationary stations
3-course dinner
Wedding cake
Matrimonial accommodations in a suite or premier room on your wedding night based on availability

The hotel also encourages newly wed LGBT couples to take advantage of the 15 percent PRIDE discount for accommodations before and after the wedding.

Source: Travel Agent Central

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer season to most of us.  Let’s not forget what the federal holiday is really about, commemorating those who died during their military service in all wars.

Please take a moment on Monday or any time over the weekend to thank the men and women who lost their lives fighting for our country.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend!

Jodi

If you haven’t booked your summer vacation yet, now is the time to do it.  A lot of resorts are adding some great activities; Shakira is performing at Moon Palace in Cancun, Atlantis in the Bahamas has creative culinary classes for kids, mega cruise ships have more than you can see or do in just one cruise.

Don’t wait for the ‘last minute deals’.  With soaring fuel costs, there’s no guarantee that air fares, cruise fares and the pump prices will still be within your travel budget when you decide to make plans and book.

When it comes to the hotels and resorts, the lesser expensive rooms always book first so if you are on a tight budget, it’s best to secure those as early as possible.  Most of the time, at a non-refundable rate, hotels and resorts  have ‘early booking bonuses’ which will give you extra amenities.  It’s best to take advantage of that opportunity.

There isn’t any way to avoid the possibility of fuel surcharges with the cruise lines.  They all have a disclaimer that they can reinstate it at any time with rising fuel costs.  Aside from that, booking early is highly advised for the same reason as with hotels and resorts…the lower cost cabins sell out quickly as well as the cabins located mid-ship where most experienced cruisers prefer to be.

Planning a trip to Disney?  If you’re utilizing their dining plans, you’ll want to make your dining reservations as early as possible, especially if it’s for one of the character meals such as Chef Mickey’s Buffet or Cinderella’s Royal Table.

The best deals aren’t always the last minute ones, whether it’s a cruise, honeymoon, weekend jaunt or week-long family vacation.  If you’re thinking about traveling anywhere, book it now.

Atlantis is more than just an awesome water park where you can swim with dolphins.  No other resort in the Bahamas can boast that it has 9 fine dining restaurants, 11 casual venues, and 8 cafes.   You can enjoy a variety of exquisite cuisines from celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay, Nobu Matsuhisa, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Recently aired was the 4-part finale of Bravo’s ‘Top Chef All Stars’ that was shot on location at Atlantis.  These episodes included the largest panel of finale guest judges ever with Wolfgang Puck, Curtis Stone, Morimoto, Michelle Bernstein, Hubert Keller, Alfred Portali, Eric Ripert, Art Smith, Lorena Garcia and one of my favorites, Lidia Bastianich.  I hope they’ll have more celebrity chef guests in the future as the culinary vacation trend grows.

Atlantis has always had a great variety of fun activities for kids of all ages;  Wizardology, Lego Construction, game & performance rooms to name a few.  Adding to that menu is the new culinary adventure program ‘Cooks@Play’ for kids aged 6-12 with 2 or 3 hour hands-on cooking experiences creating everything from decadent desserts or painted pizza masterpieces.  If your child loves to help you out in the kitchen, this program is ideal for them.  Make sure you get a picture of them in their chef’s hat.

Atlantis has some amazing new dining plans starting from $50 a day and for a limited time, kids 11 and under can eat & stay free when you purchase one of them.

Situated on the equator, Ecuador is the smallest country in the Andean Highlands. Despite its size it is probably the world’s most bio-diverse country, crammed with an astounding variety of wildlife, birds and vegetation existing in the contrasts of climatic zones. Within a short time the traveler can experience dramatic changes in scenery, temperature and altitude, journeying between Pacific Coast beaches and the rainforest; to the charming capital city of Quito surrounded by ice covered volcanoes; and to colorful highland markets that add character and warmth to the windswept highlands of the Andes Mountains.

Source: Gogo Worldwide Vacations

Cozumel is one of four islands that surround Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.  Cruise ships fill the port with travelers who are eager to have their pictures with the Mayan ruins in the background, shop duty free & snorkel among the coral reefs.

Known famously for Jacques Cousteau’s discovery of Palancar Reef, divers flock to Cozumel to submerge themselves in the depths of the Caribbean Sea to explore the untouched beauty of the underwater world.  You can reserve a spot on a dive boat with a private company or have the concierge at your hotel/resort book the excursion for you.  (Your travel agent is also capable of doing this for you.)

You can visit Cozumel three ways; via air by your preferred carrier, cruise ship from several ports, or by ferry (just $12 per person round trip) in Playa del Carmen which is just 30 minutes south of the Cancun Int’l airport.  Marinas are available for those who are fortunate enough to sail the seas on chartered or privately owned vessels.

If you prefer that your bed be on land rather than floating, there are several resorts to accommodate whatever kind of vacation you seek; all inclusive, boutique hotels, private villas, & vacation rentals.  Do your research or contact your travel professional, some of the beaches at the resorts can be very rocky but all will have a fabulous view & a lounge chair waiting for you.

I absolutely love this Caribbean island!  Located outside of the hurricane belt and 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela, it is a beautiful destination to be seen.  You can’t see the Venezuelan coast on the horizon but looking out into the azul waters trying sure is relaxing. 

Aruba has pre-clearance services through U.S. Customs which allows return flights back to the U.S. to be considered domestic flights.  This means you clear Customs when departing Aruba with only one stop during the inspection process and ensuring you don’t miss your connection (if you have one) in the U.S.

The island has two types of accommodations, high-rise and low-rise hotels/resorts.  Most of these resorts offer two types of meal plans, all inclusive (AI) and European Plan (EP).  Some offer one or the other.  I’m not going into the meal plans right now, it’ll have to be a separate blog entirely because I do have a lot to say about dining around Aruba…and yes, it’s GOOD!

High-rise hotels are located in the Palm Beach area of Aruba, close to the northern end of the island.  The low-rise hotels can be found not far before them.  Beaches are wide along all of them with calm crystal clear waters to swim or snorkel in.  Which do I recommend?  Well that depends on what you’re looking for.  High rises obviously house more people meaning a more crowded beach but also with more activities available.  The low rises are more intimate, less crowded with a quaint feel, perfect for romantic getaways or spa retreats.

One resort, the Renaissance, is located in the town of Oranjestad with it’s own private island that can only be accessed by their ferry shuttle in an ‘underground tunnel’.  It’s an open air tunnel, you can see it from the street.  I don’t mean to single this resort out in any way but it does stand alone with uniqueness.  Unpacking your bags here will give you easy access to shopping, casinos and nightlife in addition to their secluded beach.

Each hotel has an individual personality to accommodate every type of traveler; luxury, boutiques, eco-conscious, condos, and quaint traditional Dutch.  Check back for Part 2, the true Dutch experience, dining around.