Discover the River Cruise Difference

THE RIVER CRUISE DIFFERENCE

Peaceful and scenic, river cruising offers a smooth, gentle ride along the
world’s most remarkable waterways. Supreme comfort and convenience
make it the premier way to experience magnificent cities, historic villages
and little-seen enclaves. From your stateroom balcony, endless natural beauty
combines with evolving views of the colorful local scenery. Castles and
fortresses tower on both sides, as if you could reach out and touch them.
When your ship docks in the heart of town, stroll ashore for included excursions
 or set off to explore on a complimentary bicycle. Unpack just once then settle
 in as each destination comes to you. With no need to navigate from place to
 place, you’ll find a sense of adventure and a sense of home all in one vacation
.

Unpack Once and Get Comfortable Visit different cities and countries while your hotel travels with you. A river cruise offers the amenities of a first-class hotel from which you’ll never feel uprooted. Discover local delights on shore then return to your large, stylish stateroom. Relaxation comes easy. Watch the scenery slip by from your balcony as you leisurely sail to your next destination.

Dock Right in the Heart of Historic Cities Enjoy the excitement of waking up in a new town, docked just steps from markets, museums and landmarks. Ships rest close to the town center so you can easily sample local culture and favorite past times. Simply walk off the ship and into the heart of the city. Take a guided excursion or instantly blend in with daily life.

Discover the World’s Most Scenic Waterways Cruise through some of Europe’s oldest cities or on the world’s most scenic waterways. These were the original highways between great cities built along the water’s edge. Over the course of your journey, you’ll find yourself surrounded by rolling vineyards, hilltop castles and time-honored cities. Vibrant locales not accessible by sea or that can take hours to reach by motor coach are up close and personal on a river cruise.

Intimate Environment, Inclusive Value With river vessels accommodating a mere 150 passengers, you will never wait in a long line to board or disembark. Smaller tours and intimate meal settings with open seating create a warm, personal atmosphere accentuated by five-star service. Your inclusive vacation provides incredible, value from the champagne breakfast and free-flowing hand-selected European wines with dinner to a fleet of bicycles, free Internet access, included sightseeing excursions and live cultural entertainment onboard. On a river cruise, your vacation’s price tag doesn’t keep adding up.

A Smooth, Relaxing Way to Cruise Constant, soft-flowing river waters are always peaceful and smooth, so leave any fears of motion sickness behind. Take a dip in the pool or sink into the bubbling whirlpool, get pampered with decadent spa services or enjoy live music in the lounge. The deck invites at any time with a fresh river breeze and unforgettable changing scenery.

Questions or comments regarding a River Cruise?? Call Jessica Dempsey of Cruise Planners today. We are an award winning American Express Representatives.

 631-780-6195

Is Mexico safe for traveling?

Mexico has been getting a bad rap lately. The media seems to be scaring the American public rather than educating them with their coverage of recent events in Mexico. I traveled alone to Cancun, Mexico last year and felt completely safe. I strongly suggest you always take precautions no matter where you travel, whether its New York City, Paris-France or Cancun- Mexico.  Many people have traveled to Mexico and have enjoyed their vacations without encountering any problems. Just be careful and have a wonderful time.
The Mexican Government makes great efforts to protect visitors to the major tourist areas such as Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Cozumel and Los Cabos. These areas have not seen the drug related violence and crime reported in the Northern border regions. The distance from the Cancun area to these areas of violence is approximately the distance from New York City to Chicago.
The people of Mexico are so lovely and the cultural sights and beauty of over 6000 miles of coastline should not be missed. Be informed but do not miss this destination! Next blog I will offer some basic tips for safe travel.

Until next time....


Jessica Dempsey
JD Travel Planning

http://www.jdtravelplanning.com/

Riu Palace Paradise Island Review

I wanted to share a  Riu Palace Paradise Island Review, this was submitted by a client of mine. This is a beautiful newly renovated all-inclusive resort just 2 1/2 hrs from New York City. The Riu Palace Paradise Island is right next door to the Atlantis Resort, you can visit the Atlantis and use their facilities(additional fee).

Riu Palace Paradise Island Review


I Soooooo want to go again and that's when it occurred to me that I never sent you a review.

Rooms in pristine condition- brand new, no signs of wear, spacious (we had a two room suite).

We had one bigger bedroom- with a fairly large common space in between- connecting to the smaller bedroom. Both rooms had a very large closet, and a huge dresser with more than enough space to fit all our clothes.

The hotel was small enough so that you could walk out of the elevator, cross the lobby and step right into the pool area- if you forgot something in your room it was very quick to run in and get it (which I loved!) without it feeling overly crowded.

The food was fine- although after about 18 meals you do start to get tired of all that eating LOL! We were in and out the buffet all day- for cookies, fries, jello or just to cool off for a few minutes. The only complaint about the place would be the one night we went to sit down dinner and the food was just horrible and cold and took FOREVER to come out. but no big deal, we just went to the other restaurant and had buffet :) AGAIN.

They would stock the fridge with water and soda whenever requested. And room service too!

They had a fairly big sports bar- with a nice bar, pool table, and this is where they had three or four computers that I never waited on to get access to. In this area they also had a fridge with sandwiches, salads and fruit. Oh, and a neat little nacho and cheese station- which was all available 24/7.

The entertainment at their club was fantastic every night- we saw all the shows. All but one was kid friendly.

The beach was beautiful and we did the banana boat ride only. Well, me and my sister did sneak down for an early morning massage on the beach one day too!

The pool was clean and every day there were activities run by the hotel- bingo, dance lessons. The staff there was great- one young guy was ALWAYS around and mingling with the guests- he was a doll and a gentleman. He would jump in the pool and play with the kids if you asked him to (which we did).

BTW!!!!! The weather was absolutely perfect!!!!!!! Thank you again for all your help and patience, especially while we were in the Bahamas!

Thanks to my client for sharing this amazing Riu Palace Paradise Island Review.

Until next time....
Jessica Dempsey
JD Travel Planning
http://www.jdtravelplanning.com/

Going Green

Going Green!


I know many people are very aware of how we need to respect our earth and are taking different initiatives to go green. I get many requests from clients for hotels that are going green and practicing sustainable tourism. There are many resorts now going green but I decided I would focus on one brand today as I just visited these resorts and really got a feel for their going green initiatives. The El Dorado Spa Resorts and Hotels by Karisma are GOING GREEN!

Some examples of ways they are green:

• A 70,000 square foot Greenhouse at El Dorado Royale produces all vegetables, herbs and flowers grown in tropical climates. The produce services all El Dorado and Azul Hotels, so you know those sweet delicious Cherry Tomatoes in your salad are right from the greenhouse.


• Water saving devices in all suites and public areas

• Hydro jets installed in all toilets to reduce amount of water used

• Water treatment process to reuse water for gardens

• Solar panels heating 40 - 100% of the water at each resort

• Ozone laundry system, eliminating harmful chemicals

• LED light bulbs used throughout the property

• El Dorado Spa Resorts and Hotels have taken extensive measures to ensure that all garbage is separated and recycled properly including dangerous waste, organic items, glass and paper

• All chemicals used are biodegradable

• All air conditioners use Ecofreeze which saves approximately 30% electricity

• Staff education on the importance of recycling, how to do it and encouragement of staff to bring their household recyclable items to the hotels to be properly recycled

If you are looking to book your next vacation and experience a beautiful luxury all inclusive resort that is practicing sustainable tourism, look no further. As a Karisma Resorts specialist I can help you plan the vacation experience of a lifetime!

Greenhouse

Cherry Tomatoes

Awesome staff giving us the tour

Mint leaves for your MOJITO

Brides Dress Rehearsal

BRIDE'S DRESS REHEARSAL

Spend 3 Nights and 4 Days - This is a fantastic way to view the resorts, and yes there are 7 of them, check out the wedding locations, taste the food and experience the warm welcome from the people of the Mexican Riviera.

Contact Jessica Dempsey - GIVC,  a Karisma Resorts specialist to book this amazing offer! Call today 631-780-6195

Details:

For only $399 per couple, brides and grooms who have not yet booked their destination wedding can stay for 3 nights at their hotel of choice and have the opportunity to taste different cake options, sample menu items and even view the various locations and setups for their ceremony and private events.

This promotion is good for any El Dorado Spa Resort or Azul Hotel by Karisma, and is offered once a month for the rest of 2011.

Azul Beach Resort

Here are the dates:                                                                    
August 25

September 22

October 20

November 17


Azul Beach Sky Wedding

December 15

And here are the highlights of this promotion:                        

Upgrade to best available room upon arrival

Complimentary honeymoon & anniversary package during stay

Cake tasting, food samples & private event setup

$500 food & beverage credit after 10 rooms or more are booked

Meet executives and hotel staff

Romantically decorated suite

And more!


Terms & Conditions

This promotion is combinable with the Bride & Groom stay free promotion. No coupons may be used on these bookings. Transfers included between resorts only, airfare and airport transfers are not included. GIVC points cannot be used to pay for this package. GIVC will not receive points for this booking. Not valid if wedding date is held or deposited. Travel agents are not permitted to attend. $500 credit will not apply to groups with less than 10 rooms. All couples will be required to sign a disclaimer at check-in stating that they will attend a site inspection of the host hotel as well as a presentation at El Dorado Royale on Saturday. *Clients who want to travel outside of selected dates will be required to pay the current hotel rate at the time and will not receive the $500 towards the food & beverage portion of any private event they book. Booking must be made 30 days in advance; space is limited.

Traveling solo

Traveling along with Me, myself and I

Traveling solo is an awesome way to see the world, meet new people and spend some time with yourself! Sometimes we need to do this to recover from a life event or sometimes “I just want to go someplace where I can just marvel at something” as said so perfectly by Ms. Julia Roberts.

In the past, the thought of being a solo traveler on a cruise ship meant taking out a loan just to pay for the cabin. Thank goodness for NCL who introduced “Epic Studios” last year when the awesome Norwegian Epic debuted. Talk about marvel! The studios are designed specifically for the solo traveler but more importantly so is the pricing. No more double occupancy requirements and single supplements that can double the cost that is typically 200% of the cruise fare because you must pay for the absent “roommate”. The concept was such a hit that they’ll be more to come when Norwegian introduces more new ships in the coming years. Royal Caribbean followed when it unveiled cabins for solo travelers with the revamped Radiance of the Seas this past June.

But it doesn’t stop there. Several cruise lines are catching on. While they may not have specific designed cabins for a single passenger, they are offering reduced single supplements or waiving it altogether. Avalon Waterways is celebrating the new movement by offering river cruises for the solo traveler on select itineraries in October. Ah, a cruise experience through the Danube River with me, myself and I! Now that has my name written all over it.

Why the sudden change in cruising? Some of us just enjoy traveling alone. What do you want to marvel at? Let us know.

Until next time,



Jessica Dempsey
JD Travel Planning

Creating memorable vacations everyday, let yours be next.....

Oceania Marina Review

I had the opportunity to tour the beautiful Oceania Marina today in NYC, what an amazing ship! Fine cuisine at sea with 6 restaurant choices including Jacques, the first restaurant at sea for Jacques Pepin, Canyon Ranch Spa Club, Bon Appetit Culinary Center(a hands-on gourmet culinary program), and the Artist Loft.  Staterooms and suites are nice in size and are beautifully decorated with hardwoods, rich fabrics and designed for comfort. The feel onboard is country club elegance with a guest to crew ratio of 1.57 to 1.  Canyon Ranch Spa Club is new to the Oceania Marina and in addition to massages and other treatments they offer lectures and cooking demonstrations and Canyon Ranch cuisine options in the Grand Dining Room. There is a large fitness center with optional classes as well to help you stay in shape.  Oceania is the destination specialist with many overnight visits and extended port stays.  If you appreciate fine cuisine and gracious service along with amazing destinations the Oceania Marina is for you.

 To see all of my photos from the Oceania Marina click here

Jessica Dempsey

Cruise Planners

http://www.jdtravelplanning.com/