Monday, January 16, 2012
Family Vacation Without The Mini Van
Monday, January 9, 2012
Free Admission to National Parks
The National Parks Service announced that admission to all National Parks will be free January 14 through 16 as a celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.
As a reminder, the National Park Service will also waive admission fees on 14 other days in 2012: National Park Week (April 21 to 29), Get Outdoors Day (June 9), National Public Lands Day (September 29), and the weekend of Veterans Day (November 10 to 12).
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Best destinations to attend cultural and arts events in the US
By Randy Colt
Chicago Cultural Center in Chicago, Illinois
This is among the Chicago’s popular attractions and regarded as the most comprehensive arts showcases in the US. At the same time Chicago Cultural Center is US first free municipal cultural center. It features over a thousand programs and exhibitions that cover the huge area of the visual, performing, and literary arts.
First Friday Art Walks in Denver Colorado
Denver is among the many states in the US that opens its door to public every 1st Friday of the month for public events like gallery openings and social and political networking. These events are created to attract people to the downtown and liven the art community.
Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan
Interlochen attracts more of the young citizens all over the world with its comprehensive academics along with its added curriculum in arts and the latest program in comparative arts. During the school year Interlochen holds a series of performances and summer festivals.
Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, Missouri
Every year there are about three hundred thousand visitors that frequent Maumeier situated in Sunset Hills, Missouri. It has more than seventy outdoor sculptures and features a 2.3km walking trail, summer camps, and outdoor movies too. It also has a gallery indoors and amphitheater that is used for performances.
Downtown Art Walk in Los Angeles, California
This art walk in LA happens every second Thursday monthly with a self-guided tour of the exhibits in downtown LA. Here you will see art galleries, public museums, as well as the non-profit art venues. From only around 75 visitors back in 2004 there are now more than 15,000 visitors frequent the Downtown Art Walk.
Open Studio Weekend in Vermont
It is intended to promote creativity and foster experimentation in various atmospheres like cultural exchange, freedom of expression and conversation. All artists from Vermont open doors to public during the Memorial Day weekend where artistic & creative work can be viewed.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts – San Francisco, California
YBCA is a contemporary arts center located in San Francisco featuring visual art, film and video, and performance that celebrates all known artists around the world as well as the diverse communities of the Bay Area. YBCA is also the same center that Apple Inc. used for the launching of their iPhone and iPad.
Art in the Parks in New York City
Various groups of art organizations and artists work together to present traditional and experimental art to the public in different locations. Their works of art are displayed in major parks, playground, and even traffic islands.
St. James Court Art Show in Louisville, Kentucky
The show normally happens during the first weekend of October that features over 700 artisans from different places in the US. It’s a famous free public outdoor annual arts and crafts show that started back in 1957. Aside from the various items for sale it also draws in local politicians, charities, publishers, and others to promote themselves to the public.
Viernes Culturales in Miami Florida
This is a festival that happens monthly celebrating the Litthe Havana of Miami and it’s a surprising blend of old and new. There are art fairs, domino games and cigar rollers, salsa dancing, and a free tour to the Little Havana.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas Fails Nov. 18 Health Inspection
Royal Caribbean International’s Monarch of the Seas failed a health inspection on Nov. 18 with a score of 85. The list of infractions included food stored at incorrect temperatures, soiled dishes, missing safety signs, and fruit flies near preparation and serving areas.
The Centers for Disease Control’s Vessel Sanitation Program rules that a score of 86 or higher is viewed as “satisfactory,” while 85 and lower is “unsatisfactory.” On its last inspection, on July 8, Monarch of the Seas scored a 97.
“At Royal Caribbean International we have high health standards for all our guests and crew,” the company responded. “Therefore, we are extremely disappointed to learn that Monarch of the Seas only received a score of 85 during its last inspection conducted by United States Public Health (USPH). Over the last four years, Monarch of the Seas has not scored lower than 95 on any of her most recent eight inspections. Additionally, our recent fleet average score is over 97.
“Royal Caribbean is working closely with USPH to correct and remedy the deficiencies found aboard Monarch of the Seas that caused the low score. We have already submitted our corrective action report for the USPH inspection to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We are confident that Monarch of the Seas will receive a passing score when the ship is re-inspected, which we expect will take place within the next few weeks.”
Change of travel plans? There’s a fee for that
Changing your mind, your plans and your tickets is increasingly costly for travelers, and more lucrative for travel businesses. But new airline passenger rights go into effect Jan. 12, which allow travelers to hold a reservation without payment or to cancel it without a penalty for 24 hours after the reservation is made.
For travel plans, buy-right-now seems utterly inappropriate. Booking plane tickets in particular brings with it so many other considerations: Can you get a hotel room for those dates? Can the other members of your group travel those particular days and times? Will someone be available to take you to the airport for that departure time? Have you forgotten that you need to be at work, or that you already have tickets to a concert on one of those days? Changing your mind, your plans and your tickets is increasingly costly for travelers, and more lucrative for travel businesses - not just airlines, but throughout the industry. There is some good news when it comes to air travel. New passenger rights go into effect Jan. 12. They allow travelers to hold a reservation without payment or to cancel it without a penalty for 24 hours after the reservation is made, if the reservation is made more than a week before the flight’s departure date.Monday, January 2, 2012
Norwegian Spirit to Host Rascal Flatts Concert
Here’s one for the country fans: On March 2, while NCL’s Norwegian Spirit is docked in Cozumel, chart-topping country act Rascal Flatts will perform an intimate acoustic performance on board, its first ever on a cruise ship. The concert will take place during Spirit's February 26, 2012, western Caribbean cruise from New Orleans.
To promote the performance (and the band), radio stations in more than 20 major US and Canadian markets are holding on-air contests whose top prize is tickets for the 7-night cruise, VIP tickets to the concert, a meet-and-greet with the band, and airfare to New Orleans. Regular passengers booked on the ship can attend the concert too — for a price. NCL is offering a VIP package for $150 per person that gets the ticket-holder into a private cocktail reception where they can meet and have their photo taken with the band, and get an autographed souvenir. Standard tickets are available for $50 per person and guarantee a seat in the ship’s Stardust Theater for the concert. Guests can book their tickets online before their sailing (as they would a shore excursion) or buy tickets onboard, subject to availability.
Staterooms are still available for the sailing on a limited basis, with rates starting at $549 per person.
For bookings and more info call Supreme Clientele Travel (407)413-9578
Windstar’s Wind Surf Returns from Dry Dock with New Look
Back in September, Windstar wowed us with renderings of the new look it intended to put in place aboard its three ships. Now it’s wowing us with pictures, following a recent renovation of its biggest ship, the 312-passenger Wind Surf. Check out the difference between yesterday’s staterooms and suites and today’s:
A standard Wind Surf stateroom, pre-refurbishment
A standard Wind Surf stateroom today
A pre-refurb suite . . .
. . . and a post-refurb suite
And here’re a couple more shots, detailing the new look of Wind Surf’s corridors.
The refurb is the first half of a planned two-part renovation, targeting the ship’s staterooms, suites, bridge suites, and corridors. A second round, to take place in fall 2012, will transform the ship’s public spaces, including the Lounge, Restaurant, alternative restaurant Degrees, Veranda buffet restaurant, Compass Rose bar, WindSpa, and Pool Bar.
Wind Surf is already back in service, offering a season of eastern Caribbean sailings. Fleetmates Wind Star and Wind Spirit will undergo similar complete refurbishments of staterooms, owner’s suite, corridors, and public spaces following their respective Costa Rica and Caribbean winter seasons. Afterward, both ships will begin their Mediterranean seasons, Wind Spirit starting April 15, 2012, and Wind Star beginning April 29, 2012.
Go Away, Soon, And Cheap with Supreme Clientele Travel
The holidays depress some people. Sometimes, those people like to go on vacation to become un-depressed. Here’re a few extra-good offers for quick getaways, coming up soon.
- Celebrity Millennium, 2-night Bahamas cruise round-trip from Miami, visiting Nassau. Departs January 5, 2012. Per-person fares from $134 (oceanview), $139 (veranda), $169 (Concierge class). Info here.
- Celebrity Millennium, 4-night Western Caribbean cruise round-trip from Miami, visiting Key West and Cozumel. Departs January 19, 2012. Per-person fares from $229 (inside), $279 (oceanview), $329 (veranda), $349 (Concierge class). Info here.
- Celebrity Millennium, 5-night Western Caribbean cruise round-trip from Miami, visiting Falmouth (Jamaica) and Grand Cayman. Departs January 14, 2012. Per-person fares from $229 (inside), $269 (oceanview), $389 (veranda). Info here.
- Costa Concordia, 7-night Mediterranean cruise, round-trip from Savona (Italy), visiting Marseille (France), Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Cagliari (Sardinia), Palermo (Sicily), and Civitavecchia/Rome (Italy). Departs January 21, 2012. Per-person fares from $399 (inside). Info here.
- NCL Norwegian Jewel, 7-night Bahamas & Florida cruise, round-trip from New York, visiting Port Canaveral (for Orlando and the Space Coast beaches), Great Stirrup Cay (private island), and Nassau. Departs January 28, 2012. Per-person fares from $349 (inside), $379 (outside), $519 (balcony), $599 (suite). Info here.
- Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas, 3-night Bahamas cruise, round-trip from Miami, visiting Nassau and CocoCay (private island). Departs January 6, 2012. Per-person fares from $179 (inside), $199 (outside). Info here.
- Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas, 4-night Bahamas cruise, round-trip from Miami, visiting Key Westm, Nassau, and CocoCay (private island). Departs January 16, 2012. Per-person fares from $269 (inside), $309 (outside). Info here.
- Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas, 4-night Bahamas cruise, round-trip from Miami, visiting Key Westm, Nassau, and CocoCay (private island). Departs February 6, 2012. Per-person fares from $299 (inside), $339 (outside). Info here.
For bookings and more info call Supreme Clientele Travel (407)413-9578
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