Huge Savings on NCL Fly/Cruise/Tour

CRUISE experts ecruising.travel are offering savings of nearly $7000 per couple on a 37-night fly/cruise/rail/ tour package through the Americas - departing Sydney  on April 16, 2013.

The deal is great value as it includes return air fares with Delta Airlines, 28 nights aboard the Norwegian Pearl, three nights in Las Vegas, two at the Hilton in Miami, a night in each of Seattle, Vancouver, Banff and Kamloops and two days travelling through the Canadian Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer.

The new price of $7,439 is available until sold out and also includes all meals and entertainment on the ship, meals on the train, airport transfers and all port and air taxes.

After the stay in Miami Norwegian Pearl departs for a stop in Columbia before passing through the Panama Canal to Costa Rica. It then makes three port calls in Mexico and calls on Los Angeles and San Francisco on the way to Seattle.

The ship then spends several days cruising the waters of Alaska with stops at Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan before returning to Seattle for a road trip to Vancouver to join the Rocky Mountaineer.

More details from ecruising.travel on 1300 369 848 or check-out www.ecruising.travel

Relax and unwind with a top drop at Distil - lebua Hotels & Resorts, Bangkok

Believe it or not, amidst the hustle and bustle of buzzing Bangkok, high above the action below, sits an elegant escape – and its name is Distil. 

Positioned regally on the 64th floor as part of exciting entertainment destination The Dome at lebua – the fine food and wine hub of Bangkok's leading all-suite luxury hotel, Tower Club at lebua – Distil is the place to find what you can't find anywhere else.

Sprawling over 650 square metres, Distil is renowned for its refined and decadent ambience, all set to the sounds of chilled tunes spun by fabulous resident DJs.

Serving only premium drinks and luxury food items, the emphasis at Distil is on ensuring visitors enjoy only the finest of everything.

Nowhere else in Thailand will you find Martin Miller's gin, Havana Club Selección de Maestros Rum, Absolut 100 vodka, Martin Miller's gin, L'Or Martell Cognac, Royal Salute 100 cask whisky and Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute whisky as well as exclusive champagne of G.H Mumm Rene Lalou 1999, G.H Mumm Grand Cru and Perrier-Jouët, Blason, Rosé.

Adding to the air of exclusivity and indulgence is Distil's Oyster Bar, serving only the finest fresh Eagle Rock, Pickering Passage, Hama Hama and Fines de Claire oysters, flown in twice a week from the US and France.

Besides oysters, Distil dishes up delectable sushi and sashimi alongside the world's finest Iranian Caviar, including: Almas; Beluga Impérial Huso Huso; Ossetra Royal Réserve and Sevruga Royal Réserve.

And to complete the experience, why not enjoy one of Distil's authentic hand-rolled Cuban cigars on the open-air Cigar Terrace, which boasts exquisite views over the Chao Praya River and glittering city skyline below.

lebua Hotels & Resorts are currently offering a Stay Longer! Save More! Package starting at AUS$190++ per room per night*. The package includes daily buffet breakfast and Tower Club privileges including exclusive to lebua Bvlgari amenities (coming in April: amenities by Acca Kappa), complimentary soft drinks in the in-room mini bar, in-suite broadband access, priority dining reservations at the Dome and exclusive use of the Tower Club lounge where complimentary canapés, alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks are served daily from 6am-6pm and afternoon high tea served daily from 3-6pm.

Additional privileges include complimentary upgrade from a Tower Club City View suite to Tower Club Riverview suite with late check out for those staying for one night.

For those enjoying extra nights, lebua Hotels & Resorts will not only include the complimentary upgrade but also include a one way Airport transfer to or from the hotel (max 3 persons).

*This package is available until 27 December 2012 and subject to availability. Rates are based on single/double occupancy and subject to a 10% service charge and applicable government taxes per night. (Dress code at Tower Club Lounge and The Dome is smart casual).

For reservations, please call: +66 (0) 624 9555 or email reservations@lebua.com

About lebua Hotels & Resorts

A luxury hotel chain with properties in Bangkok, New Zealand and India, lebua Hotels & Resorts is internationally acclaimed for its innovative business strategies and use of cutting edge research and technology. Rated within the top 1% of companies in the world in terms of Customer Satisfaction by TNS research (TRM*M Index), lebua's business management strategies have been the active focus of discussion in several top business schools including Harvard, Kellogg, INSEAD, NYU, Columbia and IIMs. Currently, it is in the subject of a case study at Harvard Business School.

With its restaurants rated among the world's best, lebua has broadened its horizons to include a luxury lodge in New Zealand, and now plans to expand into Europe, the Caribbean and additional parts of India, with a luxury period property just outside of Paris and an all-suite luxury boutique property in Saint Martin as well as hotels in India.

P&O Cruises Kicks A Goal for AFL Fans

Giant screens on P&O ships will host live AFL games

Just four weeks after launching live NRL coverage across its fleet, P&O Cruises has today announced AFL games will join the sports line-up onboard its ships, giving fans the chance to catch both footy codes at sea.

For the entire 2012 season, Friday night AFL matches, as well as the final series and grand final, will be shown on the giant outdoor screens and in other public areas on P&O Cruises’ three ships.

Sture Myrmell, Vice President of Hotel Operations for Carnival Australia, which operates P&O Cruises, said the cruise line was thrilled to offer passengers access to live AFL games.

“Australians love their sport and we’re delighted that P&O Cruises can bring them even closer to the action onboard our ships,” Mr Myrmell said.

“Since announcing the NRL agreement the other week we’ve been inundated with feedback from our passengers keen to see AFL games onboard as well so we know this news will be well received.”

Under the agreements, AFL games will screen Friday night and NRL matches will run over Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

“Whichever code our passengers follow – NRL or AFL – we’re now bringing the action to them live wherever they are cruising,” Mr Myrmell said.

P&O Cruises’ three ships – Pacific Jewel, Pacific Pearl and Brisbane-based Pacific Dawn – offer the only year-round sailings from Australia.

For more information contact a licensed travel agent or P&O Cruises on 13 24 94 or visit www.pocruises.com.au

Save hours on your travel research. Get brochures delivered to your door for free. Digital option too.

Warning on Credit Card Travel Insurance

Thousands of Australian holidaymakers are exposing themselves to unnecessary risk by relying on travel insurance coverage offered through their credit cards.

Travel insurance leader, Travel Insurance Direct (TID) (www.travelinsurancedirect.com.au) has warned that policies offered by credit card providers are often very limited and highly qualified.

Some require that travellers purchase all airfares in full on their credit card before cover is valid, while others demand that 50 per cent of prepaid travel, including airfares and hotel bookings, must be made using their card.

“Credit card providers often offer complementary travel insurance cover as a perceived “bonus” for their elite cardholders,” TID General Manager Ian Jackson said.

“Yet their policies are generally inflexible, impractical and contain a minefield of issues which are not apparent unless you go digging. Sadly many holidaymakers don’t realise this until they try to make a claim.”

Mr Jackson said the Federal Government’s Smart Traveller website (www.smartraveller.gov.au) specifically advised holidaymakers to check the terms and conditions of any travel insurance offered through credit cards.

Examples of common travel insurance restrictions imposed by credit card providers include:

o A requirement that a specified amount of the holiday be paid for on the credit card to activate the policy.
o No coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma or diabetes. Some credit card policies refuse to cover any pre-existing conditions while others require holidaymakers to make a special application for additional coverage and pay a surcharge if approved.
o Conditions on claims while travelling. For instance, with one major credit card holidaymakers needing emergency medical assistance while travelling are required to produce a copy of their credit card statement showing their return airfare payments before they can gain approval for support.
o Limits on length of coverage. Most credit card providers have a strict 90-day coverage limit for any one trip and will not allow policyholders to extend their coverage while they are travelling.
o No cover for business travel or for items used for any business purpose.
o Strict limits on sporting activity such as boating and white water rafting.

Mr Jackson said many holidaymakers found it difficult to obtain the full details of their credit card cover and were not provided with their policy or emergency contact details.

“As a specialist travel insurance company we constantly hear tales of woe from consumers who’ve assumed they have full coverage through their credit card only to discover that it falls short, leaving them to carry the cost.

“In the words of the Department of Foreign Affairs, if you can’t afford travel insurance you can’t afford to travel. Consumers should always carefully evaluate any “free” insurance offers and remember that wide-ranging travel insurance policies are actually very reasonably priced, particularly when you consider the peace of mind they deliver.”

Save hours on your travel research. Get brochures delivered to your door for free. Digital option too.

Vivid LIVE Stage Door Tour at Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House has announced The Vivid LIVE Stage Door Tour, marking the first time Sydney Opera House has offered bespoke backstage tours drawing content from a major festival.

Departing from Stage Door at 6pm each night throughout Vivid LIVE, these intimate tours will offer exclusive access into Sydney Opera House theatres, backstage corridors and possibly even dressing rooms - all bound to be abuzz with festival fever.

Along the way visitors will gain insider knowledge about what it takes to bring Vivid LIVE to life, as well as learning more about this year’s acts including Karen O in STOP THE VIRGENS, Florence + the Machine, Janelle Monae, The Temper Trap and PVT.

The Vivid LIVE Stage Door Tour wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the famous Lighting the Sails, which sees the House transform into an icon of colour and light via digital mapping technology. The tour will take an up close look at designs by multi-award winning German design collective, URBANSCREEN.

Tickets to The Vivid LIVE Stage Door Tour will be extremely limited, with only ten departures over the ten days of the Vivid LIVE festival.

The Vivid LIVE Stage Door Tour includes:

• A souvenir Vivid LIVE Stage Door Tour lanyard
• A welcome drink after the tour
• 1 hour behind-the-scenes tour and sneak peek at some of the Vivid LIVE venues, backstage and Lighting the Sails

Tour tickets are sold separately to Vivid LIVE shows.

Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House (25 May – 3 June) is part of Vivid Sydney (25 May – 11 June), the city’s annual celebration of light, music and ideas.

Tour Details

Dates: May 25 - June 3, 6PM

Price: $55 per person

Bookings: sydneyoperahouse.com (02) 9250 7250

Save hours on your travel research. Get brochures delivered to your door for free. Digital option too.

Captain Cook Cruises Mother's Day Cruise Magic

Thank mum for everything she does for you this Mother's Day, Sunday May 13, by treating her to a special breakfast, lunch or dinner cruise on the picturesque Sydney Harbour with Captain Cook Cruises.

Start her day with a relaxing Sunday Breakfast cruise which includes a delicious hot and cold buffet selection and tea and coffee.  The Sunday Breakfast cruise departs from No 1 King Street Wharf at 9.00am and from Jetty 6 Circular Quay at 9.30am.

The Sunday Breakfast cruise is $55 per adult and as a Mother's Day bonus, one child under 15 years is free with every paying adult.

If mum's a seafood lover you can't go past the Seafood Buffet Lunch cruise featuring a delicious buffet to satisfy every mum's taste. The Seafood Buffet includes fresh Sydney rock oysters, ocean king prawns, succulent fish and mussels, plus a wide range of non-seafood and vegetarian dishes dessert, cheeses and coffee

The Seafood Buffet Lunch onboard the MV Sydney 2000 features full commentary on all the harbour sights and departs at 12 noon from No 1 King Street Wharf, returning at 1.45pm and at 12.30pm from Jetty 6 Circular Quay, returning at 2.20pm. The cruise is $75 per person and one child under 15 years is free with every paying adult.

For a real treat for mum Captain Cook Cruises is offering a Mother's Day Long Lunch cruise. Over this three hour cruise Mum can indulge in a delicious three course Contemporary Australian a la carte dining menu and enjoy all the amazing Sydney Harbour sights with relaxing ambient music being played in the background.

The Mother's Day Long Lunch cruise departs at 12 noon from No 1 King Street Wharf, returning at 3.30pm and at 12.30pm from Jetty 6 Circular Quay, returning at 3.45pm. The cruise is priced at only $85 per person, with a free upgrade to guaranteed window seating whilst seats last. An open bar of Tooheys beer, Tyrell's house bottle wine (still & sparkling) and soft drinks is available for an extra $25 per person. .

If mum loves dancing she can dance the night away on the signature Captains Club Dinner and enjoy magnificent views and a superb three-course contemporary Australian a la carte meal including tea and coffee. With access to the open Star Deck mum can delight in 360 degree views of Sydney Harbour.

The Captain's Club Dinner cruise departs at 7.00pm from Jetty 6 Circular Quay Circular or at 7.30pm from No 1 King Street Wharf and is a special Mother's Day price of only $99 per person. That's a saving of over 25% plus receive a free upgrade to guaranteed window seating whilst seats last. For an extra $25 per person an open bar of Tooheys beer, Tyrell's house bottle wine (still & sparkling) and soft drinks is available.

 
For further information and bookings, please contact Captain Cook Cruises +61-2-9206 1111, Email: dine@captaincook.com.au or visit www.captaincook.com.au.  

 

Easter Bunny Comes to Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures

School Holiday Offerings

Try the Ultimate Day Pass – Great VALUE

Easter Bunny will hand out loads of easter eggs and play games with the kids over the Easter school holidays. “Kids love Easter Bunny who’s all fluffy and white, and good fun” says Neredith Elliott Illawarra Fly General Manager “and with free entry for grandparents plus the Ultimate Day Pass it’s an affordable great day out”.

There’s two Easter Egg hunts with the Easter Bunny at the Illawarra Fly Visitor Centre:

Sat 7th April

Sun 8th April

12 noon each day

“There’s a sense of excitement and adventure at each of the Easter Egg hunts, so many eggs to find” says Elliott.

Afterwards Easter Bunny will take a walk on the longest and highest steel canopy walk in the world.

Enjoy the panoramic views high above the escarpment across the South Coast. “The 45m tower is a big hit being one of the highest points to view the beautiful coastline” says Elliott.

Not only can kids have fun over Easter, they get to learn about the rainforest with interpretive signage and they also get to burn off all their energy.

Bring the Grandparents for FREE

Bring your grandparents! Any grandparents who bring their grandchild to the Fly over Easter will get free entry. Yes that’s right, if two grandparents bring their grandchild, both grandparents get in for the price of one child! This is perfect for the Grandparents to take all their grandkids for a day in the Australian bush.

Ultimate Day Pass - $84

Great for families or groups with kids. Not only great value for families, think about two mums or two dads with four kids between them – they only pay $42 for each family group. It doesn’t have to be mum & dad.

This school holidays bring the kids for an outing at the Treetop Walk and let them run free. It’s a great educational experience with loads of space and an exhilarating walk amongst the treetop canopy overlooking the south coast.

It’s the longest and highest treetop canopy walk in the world.

The Ultimate Day Pass provides exceptional value, including:

• Airwalk pass for 2 adults & 4 children
• iFly Ranger kit for each child
• iFly Meal deal for each child (popper, hot chips, Ice block & toy)
• 2 sandwiches & 2 regular coffees

You can purchase the Ultimate Day Pass on entry to the Fly.

Wet Weather Challenge – 50% off regular admission on rainy days

The Southern Highlands is home to the NSW southern rainforest region. The rainforest is a diverse and spectacular environment, with Illawarra Fly encompassed within this beautiful Australian rainforest landscape. There are wet weather days highlighting the rainforest experience.

To encourage people to visit during wet weather days and to truly experience the beauty of the rain forest, Illawarra Fly has created the Wet Weather Challenge. The kids will love being out of the house, all warm and waterproof running around on the treetop walk.

Go to our facebook website, like us and all the details will be provided. We will use Facebook to call out when the challenge is on!

Ponchos can be purchased for $3. Just bring an umbrella and enjoy the forest in its true glory.

After your awe-inspiring walk, take in the ambience of café 106 and enjoy the varied menu with a coffee or glass of wine.

Head to Illawarra Fly for the Easter school holidays for loads of entertainment and fun.

Located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, less than two hours from Sydney or Canberra, Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures offers a unique way to experience the rainforest with breathtaking views from the Illawarra Escarpment overlooking the beautiful South Coast from Wollongong to Kiama.

Illawarra Fly is at Knights Hill, near Robertson in the Southern Highlands above the South Coast – why not take a tour of the Grand Pacific Drive, take in the Fly, eat lots of easter eggs, head to Robertson and check out the famous Pie shop then cruise back home. It’s a relaxing, interesting and fun day out, or take a break and spend a few days.

More information on Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures can be found at www.illawarrafly.com or phone 02 4885 1010

Save hours on your travel research. Get brochures delivered to your door for free. Digital option too.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL DOUBLES SHIP PRESENCE IN THE UK FOR 2013

Adventure of the Seas to join Independence of the Seas during her fifth season in Southampton

Royal Caribbean International is celebrating an addition to its summer 2013 deployment in the UK; the 3,114-guest Adventure of the Seas will join sister ship, the 3,634-guest Independence of the Seas, who will be based in Southampton for her fifth season. 2013 will be the first year that Royal Caribbean International will have two cruise ships based in the region. Royal Caribbean International first based a ship in Southampton in 2005 with the 2,435-guest Legend of the Seas and has since steadily increased its capacity with larger and larger ships calling the cruise city home.

The addition of Adventure of the Seas to Royal Caribbean International's UK deployment sees the cruise line offering more Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Iceland, Baltics and Canary Island cruises than ever before. In 2008 the world's largest cruise ship at the time – Independence of the Seas – launched from Southampton and has remained based from the port during the spring and summer months of the year ever since.

When Adventure of the Seas arrives in Southampton on May 24, 2013, the ship will offer a series of seven, 12, 13, 14 and 16 night cruises, with itinerary highlights including:

•                      A seven-night France and Spain cruise departing May 24, 2013 and calling at Vigo, Gijon, and Bilbao, Spain; and Le Havre (Paris), France.
•                      A 14-night Mediterranean Cities cruise departing on July 7 and October 13, 2013 with ports of call including Malaga, Cannes, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Cartegena, Lisbon and Vigo.

Independence of the Seas is scheduled to arrive in Southampton on May 2, 2013, fresh from a dry dock enhancement and will offer a series of new short itineraries, including:

•                      A two-night cruise to Le Havre (Paris), France
•                      Three and four-night cruises to Zeebrugge (Bruges), Belgium and Le Havre (Paris), France.

Other itineraries for Independence of the Seas include:

•                      Six and eight-night cruises to Norway
•                      14-night Norway and Cork cruises
•                      Various 14-night Mediterranean cruises
•                      12 night Canary Islands cruises.

Fares for Independence of the Seas' fifth UK season start from $2,329 per person for a 14-night Italian Mediterranean sailing, and June 15, 2013 departure. This roundtrip cruise from Southampton takes in luxurious ports of call including Gibraltar, Provence, Florence/Pisa, and Rome, and also has departure dates on 13 July and 10 August 2013.

And fares for Adventure of the Seas' maiden season start from $1,929 per person for a 12-night Baltic cruise (based on 13 June 2013 departure).  Destinations featured include Oslo, Copenhagen, Tallinn, Helsinki and an overnight stay in St. Petersburg.

For additional information or to make reservations, call your travel agent, call 1800 754 500 or visit www.royalcaribbean.com.au. Travel professionals Travel can call 1300 754 500 or visit www.cruisingpower.com.

UNIQUE NEW PORTS IN 2013 WILL HAVE YOU TRULY SEADREAMING

SEADREAM Yacht Club will make a complete circumnavigation of the Black Sea in August next year, make a rare visit to Cyprus – and for the first time when visiting St Tropez, offer guests "wet landings" by small craft right onto famous Pampelonne Beach… THE place to see and be seen on the French Riviera.

The 13-night circumnavigation of the Black Sea aboard the boutique 56-stateroom SeaDream I will depart Istanbul on August 17 2013, visiting Nessebar in Bulgaria, Sulina on the Danube Delta in Romania, Odessa, Sevastopol, Yalta (overnight) and Novyi Svit Bay in the Ukraine, Sochi in Russia, Batumi (Georgia,) and Turkey's Trabzon, Sinop and Amasra before returning to Istanbul.

Early Bird booking prices begin from US$10,167pp twin-share, a one-third saving on the brochured US$15,268pp twin-share lead-in. Air travel is additional.

The visit to Cyprus will be part of a 10-night sailing aboard SeaDream I on October 2 2013 from Piraeus (Athens) through the premier of the Greek Islands to Turkey's Turquoise Coast and back to Piraeus, with prices starting from US$7609pp twin-share – a near-forty per cent Early Bird discount on the brochured US$12,510pp twin-share lead-in; air travel is additional.

SeaDream I and SeaDream II will make a number of visits to St Tropez in the European summer of 2013, with their first-ever "wet landings" right onto Pampelonne Beach, and with the mega motor-cruiser yachts staying late in St Tropez for guests to enjoy the lively night life.

For full details see travel agents or visit www.seadream.com

SEADREAM Yacht Club's SeaDream I and SeaDream II each have just 56-staterooms for a maximum 112-guests served by 95-crew, with prices including open bars, wines with lunch and dinner, nightly cocktail gatherings, complimentary watersports (in ports where permitted,) a  fitness centre, 30-course golf simulator, mountain bikes for shoreside excursions, gratuities, ocean-view accommodations, and world class cuisine.

 

Huge Savings On Asian Cruise

HUGE SAVINGS ON ASIAN CRUISE

AVID cruise fans will really appreciate the value for money now available on Royal Caribbean's 46-night Beijing to Sydney voyage which has been reduced by more than $3000 to just $6059 from ecruising.travel

The deal includes economy air fares from Sydney and Melbourne to Beijing with Air China, cabin and all meals and entertainment on Voyager of the Seas and two nights' accommodation at Raffles in Beijing. The cruise starts on October 8.

The voyage begins at Tianjin and cruises to Fukuoka in Japan, Jeju in South Korea, Ziamen and Hong Kong in China and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam before spending two days at Bangkok's port of Laem Chabang.

After a visit to Singapore, Voyager returns for two more days in Bangkok and another in Ho Chi Minh City before making several stops in Australia (Port Hedland, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Hobart) before cruising Fjordland in New Zealand and stopping at Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington before proceeding to Sydney.

The price also includes land transfers, a full day Mutianyu Great Wall tour, port charges and taxes, as well as full use of facilities on Voyager such as golf simulator, spa and fitness centre, casino, rock climbing and ice skating.

More details from ecruising.travel on 1300 369 848 or check-out www.ecruising.travel