HURRAY, HURRICANE SEASON CAME AND WENT - QUIETLY

12/2/20099:38:18 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

We can finally uncross our ultimate fingers as we celebrate the passing of the 2009 hurricane season. And what a mild season it was, thank goodness. We experienced no major storms and had not a single passenger displaced or inconvenienced. We did have have one close call at the very end of the season with a destination wedding in Riviera Maya, Mexico, but Ida passed at least 50 miles east of the coast and was mild to begin with. We had agents in the area at the time who reported wind and dark skies for one day, but that's it.

The nine named storms formed in the Atlantic are the fewest since 1997, when there were eight. And for the first time in three years, no hurricane struck the U.S. mainland or a Caribbean island. The calmer season was due to the El Nino factor, a cyclical Pacific Ocean warming phenomenon that creates atmospheric conditions hostile to Atlantic hurricanes and prevents storms from strengthening. Now that we celebrated 2009 briefly we can begin fretting about hurricane season 2010.

DISNEY CRUISE LINE EXPANDING CASTAWAY CAY

9/25/20097:15:07 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

Cruise, Disney

Disney Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, is undergoing a major enhancement. The new amenities are scheduled to be complete by summer 2010, in time for five-night cruises aboard the Disney Wonder, with two stops at Castaway Cay, and the Disney Dream cruise ship which starts sailing in early 2011. Castaway Cay is consistently rated by Disney Cruise Line guests as their favorite port of call. Walt Disney Imagineers designed Castaway Cay with areas and activities for every member of a family, while not detracting from the natural beauty of the 1,000-acre island.

The Castaway Family Beach will be extended by more than 700 feet. The New Cookies Too family lunch buffet will serve all-you-can-eat barbeque, rotisserie chicken, burgers, grilled fish, fresh salads, flatbreads, ice cream, complimentary soda and more in a covered pavilion steps from the expanded family beach. The new Sand Bar beach bar will serve drinks such as the signature Konk Kooler, other tropical concoctions, cold beer and non-alcoholic beverages. The Flippers & Floats will rent inner tubes, snorkels, masks and fins. The new Buy the Sea Shore merchandise location will sell exclusive items along with towels, sunscreen and other beach essentials, a complement to the island’s other merchandise location, She Sells Sea Shells & everything else. There also will be a new water feature called Pelican Plunge. The 2,400-square-foot floating platform, located within swimming distance from shore, celebrates the island’s native pelicans. Nautical rope, cargo nets, buoys, signaling flags and starfish-like ornamentation adorn the platform. There also will be two water slides -- an enclosed corkscrew slide and a 140-foot-long open slide that end with a splash into the lagoon. A giant “bucket dump” delivers hundreds of gallons of water, soaking guests. Four water cannons let guests take aim at floating nautical targets approximately 20 feet away.

On the island, a new 2,400-square-foot water play area called Spring-a-Leak appears to be the remnants of a washed-away beach dwelling leaning in the direction of the prevailing winds. As guests enter the storm-ravaged structure, they are greeted by dripping pipes, broken plumbing and hissing misters. A splash pad is the focal point and gives the impression of water pooled on the ground. Water jets squirt, spray and saturate guests. Shade is provided by leftover pieces of the corrugated steel roof, aged and distressed fabric and the occasional palm tree growing up through the floor foundation. The hub of youth activities on the island, Scuttle’s Cove, will feature a new water play area for kids to enjoy as part of supervised youth activities. A 1,200-square-foot freshwater soft deck area has an array of pop jets, geysers and bubblers. Overhead, shade sails circle the area while marine props -- a captain’s wheel, boat oars, life preservers and nautical rope -- complete the castaway theme.

Also planned are 20 private cabanas. The premium rental cabanas include an option to add personalized service from a cabana host. The majority of the 325-square-foot cabanas will dot the far side of Castaway Family Beach, giving views of the Disney ship from the cabana’s large front patio deck. A handful of private cabanas will be located on Serenity Bay Beach, exclusively for adults. Each cabana is furnished with cushioned chairs, chaise lounges, side tables and a dining table. Other features include a refrigerator, lockable storage unit, outside freshwater shower and sail cloth for shade on the deck. Amenities included with a cabana rental include non-alcoholic beverages, suntan lotion and towels. A variety of a la carte services and packages will be offered, including food and beverage options.

The Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure will be moved to a different location in the lagoon, adjacent to the existing Gil’s Fins & Boats beach rental. Once complete, guests will be able to swim and interact with stingrays in a larger area within the private lagoon. Hide Out, a new secluded area on the island for teens, is located off the beaten path, but near the beach, activities, food, ice cream and refreshments. Da Shade Game Pavilion offers table tennis, foosball, billiards and basketball. The new shaded structure is centrally located, near Castaway Family Beach.

Three new massage cabanas will be added to the adults-only Serenity Bay Beach. Adults can book a therapeutic massage, or couples massage, at one of eight private cabanas overlooking the ocean. Guest transportation will be provided via tram. Additional tram paths will be created and a new Pelican Point Tram Stop will be located farther down Castaway Family Beach, near most of the new additions to the island. Marge’s Barges & Sea Charters Dock will be expanded to accommodate additional excursion boats for parasailing, fishing tours and more. The cruise ship dock at Castaway Cay eliminates the need to tender, making the ship accessible throughout the day. To accommodate the line’s larger new ships, additional mooring dolphins will be installed to lengthen the dock.

DISNEY TO OFFER ALASKA CRUISES

9/14/20099:54:19 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

Alaska, Cruise, Disney

Disney Cruise Line is headed to Alaska for the first time in 2011, operating 7-day cruises roundtrip from Vancouver on the Disney Wonder. A total of 18 departures will include the ports of Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and visit Tracy Arm Fjord.

In preparation of the Alaska sailings, Disney will add a venue to the Disney Wonder - Outlook Cafe, a 2,500-square-foot area atop deck 10 that will allow guests to view the marvelous Alaska scenery through floor-to-ceiling curved glass windows. A spiral staircase will connect Outlook Cafe to the existing Cove Cafe one deck below. The 65-seat lounge will be added to the Wonder during a renovation in October.

Before and after the summer season in Alaska, the Wonder will sail 7-day Mexican Riviera cruises out of Los Angeles to Los Cabos, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. ULTIMATE CRUISE & VACATION will be able to book the 2011 Alaska cruises beginning Sept 28, 2009.