Archive for the 'Caribbean' Category
40% off Marriott and Renaissance leisure rates in Caribbean, Mexico & Costa Rica Resorts
November 2, 2009 10:55am
If you are a hotel chain snob, you’re going to want to put aside your inclinations and have a second look at this amazing deal. Marriott and Renaissance are offering 12 of their properties in the Caribbean, Mexico and Costa Rica at 40% off during high season this winter. So what? This hotel offer includes the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa (pictured) a winner of the AAA Five Diamond Hotel Award for 2009. If you go to the Paradise by Marriott website, you can’t miss the sale. It has a great name that I wish other hotel and resort providers would adopt—”Life begins at 40%.”
Deal: Use promo code LLF to get 40% off leisure rates starting at:
JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa - $209 (usually starts at $349 without the deal)
CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa - $149 (usually starts at $249 without the deal)
CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort - $131 (usually starts at $219 without the deal)
Participating properties: St. Kitts Marriott, Frenchman’s Reef Marriott, Grand Cayman Marriott, Aruba Renaissance, Aruba Marriott, Curacao Marriott, Curacao Renaissance, San Juan Marriott, JW Marriott Cancun, Casa Magna Cancun Marriott, Puerto Vallarta Casa Magna Marriott and Los Suenos Marriott.
Family travel: Get a free cruise when you book an Adventures by Disney vacation
October 27, 2009 5:58am
Adventures by Disney is giving away a three-night Disney Cruise to the Bahamas when you purchase a vacation on select Adventures by Disney trips to Europe, China, Australia, Costa Rica and the American Southwest. There are 19 itineraries to choose from including “Southwest Splendors in the Grand Canyon,” “Safari to South Africa,” “Path to Pura Vida” in Costa Rica and “Taming the Last Frontier” in Alaska.
I thought I’d look into some trips close to home as a way of keeping the cost down, but even Adventures by Disney trips in Northern California had starting costs of $3,279 for adults and $2,949 for children for a weeklong trip to Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and San Francisco. The trip includes accommodations, many meals and VIP touches that Disney vacations are known for. When I looked for prices on 3-night Disney Cruises to the Bahamas, I saw rates starting at $1,464 per person for a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom departing Jan. 7, 2010. I found a range of dates to choose from in both the Adventure trip and the Disney Cruise to the Bahamas vacation.
Caribbean Columbus Day Sale - Save up to 70% off visits to destinations discovered by Christopher Columbus
October 12, 2009 10:55am
Columbus Day is the kind of holiday that sneaks up on you. When you wake up your biggest questions might be, do I get the day off; are the banks open and will the mail get delivered? CheapCaribbean gives us good cause to ask another question—what insanely gorgeous Caribbean islands did Christopher Columbus discover? Because right now, stays at them are on sale for two more days. You can even learn something about Christopher Columbus’ voyages because they categorize their sale by destinations in his first through fourth voyages.
Deal: CheapCaribbean’s Columbus Day Sale has packages up to 70% off and starting at $279 per person for five nights including flights + hotel, pre-tax, in the Bahamas. The sale lets you choose from these destinations: Bahamas, Puerto Plata, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Santo Domingo Dominican Republic, Antigua, St. Kitts, Puerto Rico, St. Martin/Maarten, Punta Cana Dominican Republic, La Romana, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Curacao, Costa Rica and Belize, Jamaica and Cayman Islands.
Tested: I tested a four-night deal to Puerto Rico and staying at the Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa, a Wyndham Grand Resort. The promotion had a starting price of $379 per person, pre-tax. Departing from Los Angeles (LAX) the price came to $651 per person (on United) or $1,533 total after taxes.
U.S. Virgin Islands celebrates new United States quarter with 25-cent hotel rooms
October 12, 2009 5:56am
If you thought the $19 “Survivor” offer from San Diego’s Rancho Bernardo Inn during summer was cheap, here’s a new travel deal that will really surely raise an eyebrow. Not $10. Not $5. Not even as low as $1 per night. Believe it or not, nine properties in the U.S. Virgin Islands are offering rooms for only 25 cents per night.
The special price is to celebrate their new quarter. For the first time, there will be a United States quarter for the U.S. Virgin Islands (pictured below). And no, you don’t have to get yourself all the way out there just to spend one night for 25 cents. You can count on this special rate for three days. This is a great opportunity to spend some time on the beaches of St. Croix, St. John or St. Thomas.
Deal: To get the “2009 CENTsational Sale,” book a three-night, air + hotel package and get three nights at only 25 cents per night, pre-tax. The deal also entitles you to the following “25″ themed offers:
> $25 per person dining credit
> $25 per person activities credit
> Virgin Islands commemorative quarter Scotiabank coin set
Last-minute Club Med resort deal in October: Mexico, Bahamas, Caribbean
October 7, 2009 11:09am
There are still three more weeks in the month. Consider that when you hear that Club Med is offering a last-minute travel deal to Mexico, Bahamas and the Caribbean. Three-night getaways with departure dates this month start at $249 per person for its resorts at Cancun Yucatan and Ixtapa Pacific, Columbus Isle and Punta Cana, and Turkoise (adults only). But the sale is good for stays up to six nights, plus the seven-night Bahamas special.
Deal or no deal? When the sale crossed my desk, the first thing I noticed was that it was offering flights to the Bahamas for only $1 on Spirit Air. My gimmick detector went off, but I couldn’t help testing it anyway. The deal is valid on seven-night trips to Columbus Isle for flights out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., (FLL) on Oct. 24 and 31 and Nov. 7. I tested booking the trip online for a departure on Oct. 24, and the total price for the all-inclusive trip including the flight for one person came to $1,352. Note that in this deal the single supplement is being waved for select room grades.
Top 10 snorkeling spots: Catalina, Hawaii and more
September 22, 2009 8:56am
Grab your goggles and flippers and head for Lover’s Cove on California’s Catalina Island, which rates among the top 10 places to snorkel in a list compiled by Coastal Living Magazine. Papalaua Wayside Park on Maui, Hawaii, was another entry on the magazine’s list in the July-August issue.
The snorkeling spots, compiled by underwater photographer Tanya Burnett-Palmer, are all in the U.S., Central America and Caribbean. The complete list includes Dean’s Blue Hole, Long Island, Bahamas; Buck Island, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; Crystal River, Fla.; Rockhouse, Negril, Jamaica; Pigeon Cay, Honduras; Stingray City, Grand Cayman Island; Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Belize; and Bimini Islands, the Bahamas.
The article says Catalina’s Lover’s Cove is a “protected area [that] sports kelp forest, rock reef, and a menagerie of cool-water inhabitants. Guides and operators can help you in by boat, or try heading out on your own from the Pebbly Beach access stairs; just don’t forget your flag marker.”
—Rosemary McClure, Special to the Los Angeles Times
Photo: Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas is prized for its snorkeling. Credit: Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
Happy Hour links: Santa Monica Pier centennial fireworks reminder; personal advice for the Bahamas; important iPhone travel tips
September 4, 2009 5:05pm
> I’d have to say that Ben & Jerry’s is worth paying $2 for on a flight. Thank you Delta. Scott McCartney over at the Wall Street Journal’s airline blog Middle Seat catches up on the decent food options being served to coach passengers.
> A reminder that there will be a big fireworks show on Sept. 9 to celebrate the Santa Monica Pier’s 100th birthday. Here’s a photo gallery of the local icon.
> I wish there was a travel website all about the people you should know in cities around the world. Mollie Chen’s post over at Concierge.com is a great start: Five People to Know in the Bahamas.
> Are you hungry? Enjoy the food art pics of Insane Sandwiches over on the Happy Hotelier blog.
> Have iPhone will travel? Karen Torme Olson offers some important travel tips she wish someone had given her before she hit the road with her beloved smart phone.
—Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
(Photo: Santa Monica Pier: Saturday afternoons nearly always draw crowds during the summer; Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times / Aug. 8, 2009)
Fitness is just a phone call away at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
September 4, 2009 5:55am
Road warriors who want to stay in shape while they travel won’t have to worry about packing their sneakers and sweats anymore.
The new Fairmont Fit program, sponsored by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, has more than 5,000 pairs of Adidas sneakers, thousands of T-shirts and shorts and complimentary MP3 players loaded with hundreds of brassy exercise tunes. The program is available to members of the chain’s loyalty program, the Fairmont President’s Club.
The President’s Club, which has free membership, keeps members’ workout gear sizes on file, or participants can list their sizes when calling for a hotel reservation. The fee is $10 per stay, or is complimentary for those who stay five times or 10 nights per year.
In addition to having clothing available, the program issues yoga mats and stretch bands for those who prefer exercising in their rooms to a visit to hotel fitness centers. Clothing and footwear are delivered to the room upon a guest’s arrival. Workout gear is available for the duration of the stay and can be replenished at any time.
Discovery Channel offers adventure trips inspired by shows
August 19, 2009 10:55am
If you’re hooked on the Discovery Channel, you might enjoy the network’s new venture into reality travel for viewers: Discovery Adventures.
The travel site offers soft-adventure-style trips to 18 domestic and international destinations that will “immerse viewers in the diversity of cultures as seen every day on Discovery Channel,” said Elizabeth Bakacs, a spokesman at Discovery Channel. Travelers will be able to explore regions featured on programs such as “Man vs. Wild” (Costa Rica, Mexico, Alaska), “Out of Egypt” and “Discovery Atlas” (China).
“Each tour is developed to include off-the-beaten-path experiences and deeper exploration into the history and traditions of each destination, delivering a non-traditional tourist vacation,” said Bakacs.
Trip lengths are from three to 24 days, with prices starting at $499 per person, excluding airfare.
— Rosemary McClure, Special to the Los Angeles Times
Photo: The ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru are featured on some of the new Discovery Adventure trips. Credit: Courtesy of Discovery Adventures
Pleasant Holidays offers cancel-for-any-reason coverage
August 6, 2009 10:26am
Pleasant Holidays, the giant package-tour operator based in Westlake Village, this week began offering cancel-for-any-reason coverage to customers who book its trips to Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica.
Unlike its regular Protection Plan, which refunds trip deposits if you cancel for reasons such as illness, death or job loss, the new Cancel Anytime Protection Plan Plus covers you for virtually any unforeseen cause, said Jack E. Richards, president and chief executive.
The downsides: Cancel Anytime Protection costs more (starting at $119 instead of $89 per adult) and reimburses you for only 80% instead of 100% for many of the covered causes. And of course, as with all such plans, there’s plenty of fine print.
For plan details, visit Pleasant Holidays’ website, call (800) 448-3333 or contact your travel agent.
— Jane Engle, assistant Los Angeles Times Travel editor
Photo: Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve in Hawaii. Credit: Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times
