Cosmopolitan Travels

Spring Break on Crown Princess

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 20:23:00 +0000

April 12-19, 2014

I thought a lot about what we should do for Spring Break, and I did think about a Mexico as a destination, but with so many people flocking there for the Spring Break the airfare prices are not very friendly in 2014. So I was thrilled that Princess Cruises returned to Los Angeles port and gave us a stunning Crown Princess for the 7 days Mexican Riviera Cruise.

(atrium)

Featuring latest innovations, Crown Princess is one of the largest Princess ships, with room for 3,080 passengers. From her nearly 900 balconies, you can enjoy sweeping views of romantic landscapes across the world. After experiencing the relaxed comfort of our intimate onboard venues, however, you may not want to explore the beauty ashore! The serenity of The Sanctuary® and the casual street café atmosphere of the Piazza may just reel you in for the day, while your nights might be filled with the great tasting food offered in the Crown GrillSM followed by a first-run film at Movies Under the Stars®.

Crown Princess Dining

Princess chefs are true culinary artists who insist on serving the very finest cuisine - and it shows. The entire Princess fleet has been inducted into the prestigious Chaîne des Rôtisseurs gastronomic society. Each chef's menu is creative and the selections change every day. Pair that with impeccable service and you're in for an unforgettable gourmet experience.

Traditional

This ship offers several formal dining rooms in the cruise tradition, with Traditional Dining at the same times for each meal, with attentive service provided by your own waiter throughout the cruise.

Botticelli Dining Room

Anytime

Anytime Dining means you aren't limited to eating at a fixed time or place on the ship. Instead, the choice of when and where you want to eat is flexible, based only on your stomach's whim.

Michelangelo Dining Room
Da Vinci Dining Room

Specialty

Our ships’ restaurants are always in big demand and this ship’s options are no exception, serving up exquisite local specialties and gourmet favorites. Reservations recommended. Cover charge applies.

Sabatini’s (Italian restaurant)
Crown Grill (steak & seafood)
Ultimate Balcony DiningSM

Casual

Want to maximize your pool time and minimize your mealtime? Get a quick and satisfying bite whenever you like at our Casual Dining eateries, or get take-out and dine by the pool.

24-hour International Café (nominal charge applies to select items)
Horizon Court Buffet and Bistro
Café Caribe
Vines (wine & seafood bar - nominal charge applies to select items)
Pizza & ice cream bar
Trident Grill (burgers & hot dogs)
Afternoon tea
24-hour room service

Crown Princess Under 18

With Princess, young kids and teens have their own kind of fun - and their own place to hang out. Our youth and teen centers are fully equipped with everything from the latest video games and movies, to arts and crafts, fooseball tables, board games and jukeboxes. And for the littlest ones, activities like kids' karaoke, pizza parties, pajama nights and more.

Kids & Teens

This ship's activities run the age-appropriate gamut for those under 18 - from Princess Pelicans (ages 3 to 7), and Shockwaves (ages 8-12), to Remix (ages 13-17).

The Fun Zone

Teen Center

Video arcade

Chill Out splash pool

Fares From (USD):**

Interior $849

Oceanview $949

Balcony $1299

Suite $1549

** Fares are per person based on double occupancy, subjeect to availabilityand capacity controlled. Government fees and taxes are per person ($75), additional and subject to change.

every stateroom receives $50 onboard credit!

(balcony stateroom)

Here is our exciting itinerary:

Day	Port / Date	Arrive	Depart
1	Los Angeles, California Saturday, April 12		4:00 PM
2	At Sea Sunday, April 13
3	At Sea Monday, April 14
4	Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Tuesday, April 15	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
5	Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Wednesday, April 16	9:00 AM	7:00 PM
6	At Sea Thursday, April 17
7	At Sea Friday, April 18
8	Los Angeles, California Saturday, April 19	7:00 AM

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Puerto Vallarta was sleepy no more; its transformation into an international resort had begun. Then director John Huston chose the village as the location for his film "Night of the Iguana," starring Richard Burton. Today, the city has its own "Gringo Gulch," a haunt of the rich and famous. Travelers are also drawn by its climate, its excellent shopping - which offers great values on leather goods, jewelry, and handicrafts - and mile after mile of palm-lined beaches.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Millennia ago, Cabo San Lucas was part of the Mexican mainland. Then a massive rupture of the San Andreas Fault sent the waters of the Pacific crashing into the newly formed depression, creating the Sea of Cortez and the Baja Peninsula. Lying at the very tip of Baja, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, Cabo San Lucas - or "Cabo" - is one of the premier resort destinations in the Western Hemisphere. Swim in the transparent waters, marvel at the wealth of marine life, relax on one of the white-sand beaches or try your hand at some of the finest sportfishing in the world.

Note: Your ship will anchor in Cabo San Lucas and use launches to transport all passengers ashore.

So give us a call at (800) 303-7901, e-mail us at dc@cosmopolitantravels.com, or text us at (310) 490-1893 and we'll see you on the ship!

Keep Calm and Call Your Travel Agent

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 21:55:00 +0000

(A little piece of my history and how I got into the business everyone thought was dead)

When I decided to open up my own agency, people couldn’t believe it. Travel agent is a thing of the past, everyone books online, people were shocked. I was the first one that booked online and with the amount of travel I was Expedia Elite Plus. And everything is fine as long as things go smoothly, but one thing you can predict in travel is that it’s unpredictable, things will happen and if you can’t go with the flow, you better have someone in your corner.

So I booked a trip for 6 in 2 suites in Roatan Honduras 4 adults 2 little kids. My little girl was 3. When we came into the hotel, it just didn’t look kept up. They gave us our rooms where the air-conditioning was leaking, and the glass door for the shower was broken and had jagged glass. How fun was that for a 3 year old! So I asked for a different room, it took hours but I got another room, with non broken shower door. However, the mattress was full of sand fleas, we looked like we had chicken P-O-X and when I turned on the water in the tub some green sludge started coming out instead of water. That was it! I was not staying there. Expedia Elite Plus has a special customer service number - as a matter of fact here it is:1-702-939-2635 you call internationally. 40 minutes on hold (with the charges per minute from the hotel (no cell signal) that ended up being a $78 phone call (never reimbursed). I was told there is nothing they can do because they can’t get a hold of the hotel management, they are closed. I told them I’m not staying there it’s not safe, they told me they can’t put me somewhere else until they hear from the management. So in the morning my husband took a taxi and found a great place we paid $2800 for the 2 suites and decided to deal with the Expedia later. I tried calling them twice more to let them know I checked out after 1 night (less than 24 hours) and I expect a reimbursement for the 6 remaining nights, they said I checked out on my own and they are not sure what can be done.

this is a photo of my little girl once we moved into the other hotel but you can tell a major bite mark on her chin by all the bugs in the other place

(by the way I wear OFF-Deep Woods as my Caribbean perfume because there are just bugs, this was infestation)

This is my baby sleeping in a clean bed, free of fleas

I decided to enjoy myself, stop wasting $$ on the phone calls that won’t result and to deal with it when I get back. To this day Expedia offers the same hotel in it’s inventory and my incident happened a 4 years ago. (I will name names if you comment or message me.)

When I got back it took 27 phone calls average call lasting about 90 minutes, I didn’t think I was out of line asking for the 6 nights back I was perfectly willing to pay for the one night I was there even if I didn’t spend 24 hours there. I received a partial refund after 8 months. Of course they offered it in Expedia credits which I refused and that delayed the refund another month for the corporate approvals. There was also some threaths on my side as I had a producer friend on the local news that wanted to do a story.

So after my little adventure, I decided I can do this better. I have opened several businesses before, did very well and decided to apply my know how to my passion. So my Cosmopolitan Travels, Inc. was conceived and born in 2010.

this was the smile I wanted to see on my customer's faces, not bug bites and cries and misery

I decided to specialize in what I love: Caribbean, South Pacific, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe and definitely cruises and the newest most popular form of travel river cruises. I am also a romance travel specialist and can arrange destination weddings. I’m about to start including South Africa as my area of expertise soon, as well, because bucket list travel is getting more and more popular.

I take about 6 business trips a year to inspect the countries, hotels on my agenda and to become one with them, because once I see it and get a vibe I can match it to the perfect consumer. The hotel in Roatan was not for me and not a family place, even though at that time (not now) Expedia had ‘family’ listed on it. I was lucky to have a credit card that I can just charge a whole another $2800, but what if the family that saved and sacrificed ended up in that hotel? And couldn’t afford to pay for a whole another vacation? I used to take a minimum of 2 vacations a year, so my tolerance was higher. Can you imagine the disappointment and devastation if a family is on the nightmare holiday and have no idea when and if there will be another vacation next year. That family was the reason I got into this business, as I’m determined to do right by them. Of course I have favorite suppliers, hotels, but I’m not paid by any of them to promote them as my top pick and push the product. I don’t have 10,000 people clicking on my website daily, my customer is personal and I want him/her back. It’s a relationship like you have with your dentist, insurance agent, lawyer, doctor - except mine comes with a lot of fun attached. Trust is important to me.

Contrary to popular belief Travel Agents do not charge a fee. We are paid by the supplier, the same way an internet booking site is paid. Chances are we will cost about the same. I have been able to even be lower. And one of the very cool things hotels cruise lines love to work with us, as we are the ally, we will help if there is a problem. If we have close relationships they will even upgrade our clients for free, because they want more happy people. Chances are if I sent them I picked the right property and with a happy traveller we are all happy.

So now that the summer is over what should you do? Several very exciting news are on the horizon for our LA area. Princess Cruises is finally back in our port and has sailings to Mexico 3, 4, and 7 days. It has a 15 day sailing to Hawaii visiting all the islands, and I even have a family Spring Break Group on the Crown Princess sailing to Mexican Riviera Puerto Vallarta and Cabo April 12-19, 2014.

Mexico is another destination people ask me. “Is is safe? I’m afraid to go.” This year alone I was in Mazatlan in January, Puerto Vallarta June, I just returned from Cancun and Riviera Maya, going to Cozumel end of August and again to Puerto Vallarta in October. 2 of those trips I am accompanied by my little girl and I feel perfectly safe. If I can put it in the plain English - any country has dangerous areas. I know I’m living in LA now for 25 years, but I really haven’t been visiting South Central a lot and some places in the Valley I have reservation crossing Sepulveda.

Mazatlan, Mexico January 2013

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico June 2013

getting ready for a sunrise swim Cancun, Mexico July 30, 2013

Riviera Maya, Mexico August 3, 2013

and how great was this a world class chef Julio Gomez-Fraile and a world class sommelier Paul Sykes personally cooking for you at a Culinary Theater Experience at El Dorado Royale less than a week ago August 2013

I was walking the streets of Jamaica with my 6 year old and felt perfectly safe. Jamaica has changed a lot in the last 5 years, the roads are better and if you just saw it as a stop on a cruise ship you haven’t seen anything yet. Of course, I know I have no business in Kingston, and I would be as reluctant to visit Kingston as South Central. So I stay where I’m supposed to stay. I don't just check in the resort and don’t leave, I want to go and see the stuff around me. I love street food (but as I have a weak stomach I try to eat it just the last day - just in case).

my little girl in Jamaica April 2013 in a hummingbird sanctuary

What do you do when you are thinking of a vacation next year? My best advice is book early! A year in advance is nothing. Deposits are small and refundable in full for a long time. You can make payments if booking with an agent, I even have bridal registry for honeymoons, and I can take payments for your reserved trip from your friends and send them gift certificates to present to you as birthday, anniversary, holiday gifts. Wouldn’t you rather have that then someone adopting a star in your name?

And most of all - SAY NO TO STAYCATION (when you take time off work and clean your garage or just stay home). This is the only life you have and it goes as a blink of an eye. I’m about to loose my father to Parkinsons and cancer. My heart is full that I took him to San Francisco (his favorite city in the world), Grand Canyon, Greece and Turkey even when maybe my money could have been better invested, because for the last 4 years he couldn't travel - now, when I’m in the position to show him the world.

my father at his last trip with his one and only granddaughter 2009 Antalya, Turkey. Priceless.

(Do you really want to clean your garage and mow your lawn during your vacation time?)

I will never regret taking him everywhere even when I couldn’t really afford it because I know that is what he will remember forever and so will I.

How can I make your dream come true?

www.cosmopolitantravels.com

800-303-7901

310-490-1893 cell (txt OK)

Jade Mountain - if you want the very best of everything

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 20:21:00 +0000

Just getting to the Jade Mountain is interesting to put it mildly. You can take a helicopter from UVF (Hewanorra Int’l St. Lucia) Airport, which is really the best way as you’ll get there really fast 10 minutes, and you’ll be able to see the Pitons from the air. If you decide to drive the last 5 miles are unpaved narrow up the hill road, and obviously it was raining cats and dogs when I was getting there.

I was in front of one of the most remarkable sites of St. Lucia and it wouldn't even photograph because of the weather.

Let's not even go through the fact that I had to treck throgh half of the country to see this resort as I was staying at Castries and Jade Mountain is in Soufreire. (UVF airport is the point Vieux Fort - FYI)

But I made it. Ahhhh....

I was just sorry not to have fantastic photos in the full sunlight, but then later on St. Lucian weather (that was always kind to me) gave me some excellent sunshine.

When you first see the structure in front of you it is remarkable! Picture really doesn’t do it justice. Same thing like when you see the pyramids of Giza up-close and personal, you feel how awesome they are.

To say that the structure is spectacular is just the beginning. The whole wonderful idea of the genius owner and architect Nick Troubetzkoy was to marry the concept of elements (earth, air, fire, water) into his building. They built it green before green was 'in', just because it achieved the perfect hamony between structure and nature. It opened in 2006.

When you walk into one of the rooms there is no blast of air-conditioning. Instead you are hugged by the cool breezes from the Caribbean Sea.

Everything is open the bathrooms are just steps above the living areas designed for you to look out while you are taking a shower or a jacuzzi. And every room has it’s own infinity plunge pool, what else could there be?

No TVs in the room, but for technology addicted - free wi-fi.

The dining is the concept as unique as the resort, here is the menu:

http://www.jademountain.com/images/JadeMountain_Club_Menu.pdf

The most important decision of the trip that will take you to this slice of heaven, will be who to bring because once you bond with a person in an environment like Jade Mountain you will never forget it and it will stay with you for a lifetime. So make it a good one.

The beach is a black sand beach. Black sand is very therapeutic for rheumatism, etc. Ancient Egyptians used to bury themselves in the black sand for various therapies. And being so rich in minerals the coral reef right outside the Anse Chastanet is spectacular for divers and snorkelers. You can snorkel and dive straight of the beach. And this comes to you from a PADI certified diver - I was just dying that I was in front of that reef and didn't dive it. (Excellent reason to come back)

(this is my new screen saver)

I’m still so very much in love with this resort, I’m definitely coming back for my own vacation.

And as a last note, Travel + Leisure Magazine just announced yesterday their World’s best hotels and I’m very happy to say that Nick Troubetzkoy’s Jade Mountain claimed the top Caribbean prize as well as making #14 of the top 50.

Their Caribbean-styled sister-resort on the same property Nick Troubetzkoy’s Anse Chastanet claimed #21 of the worlds top 50 hotels.

I absolutely adored Anse Chastanet, especially when I saw how they built a bathroom around the tree in order not to cut it down.

This one is for the bucket list!

Happy Travels!

for rates and diving, wedding, honeymoon packages call me 800-303-7901 or email me dc@cosmopolitantravels.com

My feet have been everywhere!

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 23:07:00 +0000

This is just something that started developing about a year ago. I travel a great deal for work, of course, but I do get some leisure time, as I should experience some things my clients do.

One of my favorite activities is having a drink in a lounge chair on the beach/by the pool. I am a professional, if I say it is an activity - it is. So then I rented a private cabana last year in May in Jamaica and snapped a photo of my feet overlooking the ocean.

This one:

I loved it so much that it became my FaceBook cover page. It truly represents a saying 'picture is worth a thousand words", because you can feel how fluffy were those terry sheets covering the beach mattress, the breeze from the ocean and you can almost smell salty air. It was several months later that I took similar photo.

This was Turks & Caicos in November 2012.
In the meantime I was in Mexico Cancun August 2012, Turks & Caicos end of August, back to Runaway Bay, Jamaica September 2012, but it didn't occur to me to take 'the feet photo'.

Then I started thinking that feet were not enough. There was always a tropical cocktail in my hand.

and I decided to instagram it. (Drink there is Yellow Bird, one of my favorites). And still the whole idea of every-view with feet and a drink didn't quite crystallize in my mind, so the trip to Mazatlan in January - there was no feet photo.

Then came Hawaii in January, and I took this photo. Our beach was too cold for my blood, so we did the pool, and a friend commented on this photo: how you can totally get the feeling of relaxation, and that is when it became a thing.

I even took a photo by the pool at my Country Club, when I was with my daughter and a friend with her little girl.

Then came Jamaica April 2013, when I took my little girl with me and this one was again with the yellow bird.

and the blue drink after a spa appointment in my robe.

and a waterfall pool view with a yellow bird, also Jamaica.

same thing with my daughter on a floaty on Instagram.

Puerto Vallarta, Secrets pool with a colorful drink. I asked them for something that will photograph well (but it was delicious).

and a best pina colada ever (same pool).

and a swim up bar with a view to the beach (also Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) beginning of June 2013.

this was last week in St. Lucia, couldn't decide on a drink.

and one of my favorites - St. Lucia Sandals Grande beach, sand-covered toes next to the yellow bird.

This thing just got serious.

I'm off to Cancun next month - look for more feet, drinks, beaches and pools from me.

Find your own thing. Look at something that interests you. You'll be surprised how much you'll like it when it becomes a collection.

As travels are the bookmarks of my life, these photos are so precious to me.

Happy Travels!

Truffles and Wines of Istria

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:20:00 +0000

10-day/9-night Value Packed Culinary Extravaganza - Deluxe Tour of Istria, Croatia

$2,345 per person (8 persons minimum required)

What will you see:

Zagreb-Ljubljana-Postojna-Motovun-Livade-Porec-Rovinj-Pula-Opatija-Krk-Zagreb

Designed for serious foodies and those who appreciate quality wines and good things in life.

BOUNTIFUL ISTRIA says old Roman sign inserted in wall of local high school in city of Rovinj in Istria, Croatia. That simple sign truly describes this Croatian peninsula-province, in northern part of the Adriatic at Croatia’s border with Slovenia.

If god created a perfect destination, a perfect place to live or visit, than it got to be Istria. And old Romans, they knew it, they cherished it and they immortalized it. During the mighty Roman Empire Istria was one of the main food baskets and old Romans food supply regions.

Three sides of the Istrian peninsula are surrounded by beautiful, clear and azure waters of the Adriatic. Numerous islands doted around present natural sanctuary and breading grounds for rich sea life creating an enormous base for the fishing industry. Daily fresh catch is brought to local markets, restaurants and hotels. For sea lovers this is the ultimate paradise.

Central Istria resembles very much like Tuscany. Imagine little medieval towns perched on the top of the hills surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. And the red fertile earth produces some of the best wines and olives found anywhere. In relatively small territory, there are more than 110 wineries, most of them small, family owned boutique wineries producing some incredible wines. There are numerous marked wine routes, some on dirt roads where you can hit number of these wineries in just a few hours. Olive oils are also produced using natural process in small stone mills and all of them are 100% virgin, no mix of olives, no preservatives added. "If you liked Tuscany, you’ll love Istria", said M. Robertson, one of our past clients. Add to this the region’s production of organically grown vegetables and crops, small farm and family production of the best prosciutto and home-made cheeses found anywhere in Europe.

Not until 1995 did residents of Istria realize that they were sitting on another gold mine. In late autumn that year a young man by the name of Giancarlo Zigante, discovered the biggest white truffle ever found. After alerting the media, he soon became recognized as the record holder for discovering the largest truffle ever found, weighing about 2.5 lbs. His finding was subsequently registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. From that point on, Istria became new truffles capital of the world. According to experts, Istrian truffles are of superior quality to any other truffles in the world. Following Zigante’s discovery, the buzz about truffles broke out internationally, attracting flocks of visitors to Istria from all over the world. Not only did they enjoy savoring the unique flavor of truffles, they also discovered Istria’s
excellent wines, high quality olive oils and arguably the best prosciutto in the world. Numerous small boutique wineries have sprouted throughout the region in the last 15 years. Skipping forward to the present, Mr. Zigante is a prosperous businessman and the proud owner of the beautiful B & B Zigante Inn and Zigante Restaurant, serving exceptional dishes with the precious truffles as the featured ingredient. He also owns a truffle-processing factory and a chain of retail stores featuring a range of exceptional gourmet items from Istrian truffles to olive oils to wines and more.

Incidently, Indy car driver Mario Andretti was born in Motovun.

Our specially designed tour will take you to the heart of this “gold mine.” You will stay at one of boutique hotels including the Zigante Inn, try its famous restaurant, and visit the location where truffles are harvested with experienced truffle hunters and their truffle-sniffing dogs. We will take you to many of the Boutique wineries in the region, where you will not only sample a range of local wines, you will also have the opportunity to taste and assess Istrian prosciutto and olive oils. Complementary to this delicious sensory experience, you will see one of the most picturesque towns in the whole of Europe; we’ll take you to the natural spa, Istarske Toplice, for a revitalizing spa treatment with natural springs minerals and much more.

ITINERARY

Day 1 Saturday
ZAGREB – Arrival (D)

Welcome to Croatia!
Upon arrival at Zagreb Airport, transfer to your hotel, where you’ll meet your tour guide, have dinner and a restful overnight stay at the 5* Esplanade Hotel (formerly the Regent Hotel).

Day 2 Sunday

ZAGREB–LJUBLJANA - POSTOJNA CAVES - MOTOVUN (approx. 3.5 h. drive) (B, L, D)
The Longest Day
Your morning city tour of Croatia’s impressive capital, Zagreb, will include old section of the Upper Town, the city's historical center, St. Mark's Church with its multicolored roof, the Cathedral, the Croatian National Theatre, among other sites. After lunch we’ll depart for Istria and will make a stop in Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia for brief sightseeing. On to Postojna Caves, the largest underground cave in Europe with its own railroad 140 ft under. After sightseeing and resting in Postojna Caves, we will proceed to Istria and town of Motovun/Livade, Croatia’s “Tuscany country” and the new truffles capital of the world. This is where the largest white truffle was discovered in 1999 and recorded in the Guinness’ Book of World Records. Accommodation and dinner at hotel Kastel in Motovun.

Before dinner we will treat you with a massage/spa treatment at hotel’s spa. Dinner will be also at hotel’s restaurant and here you will have a chance for the first time to try delicious Istrian prosciutto, olive oils, excellent wines and exquisite dishes made with local truffles. Dinner will also include some local Istrian wines.

Day 3 Monday

MOTOVUN – OPATIJA – ISLAND OF KRK – MOTOVUN (B, L)
Full Day Excursion by private car
In the morning after leisurely breakfast we’ll depart for Opatija, one of the oldest and most elegant tourist resorts in all of Europe. Opatija, nestled on the Croatian side of the Adriatic, was in the 18th and 19th centuries the summer
playground of European nobility. Kings, and queens, princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses gathered here for some fun and a good time. Many hotels and mansions built at that time serve today as wonderful accommodations updated with a touch of modern technology. We will stop for brief break and lunch at Plavi Podrum (Blue Cellar) one of 10 top restaurants in Croatia.

After lunch short ride (30 min.) to island of Krk, connected to mainland by several elegant bridges. After touring the island and High Tea at one of the local restaurants, we will return in late afternoon to Motovun. Evening is free for you to explore local cuisine or do fun stuff on your own. Our car and driver will be at your disposal.

NOTE: Don’t forget submit your order and consult chef for special diner for tomorrow!

Day 4 Tuesday
MOTOVUN-WINE ROUTES-POREC-MOTOVUN (B, L, D)
Full Day Excursion by private car

After breakfast we will explore some more of Istria and show you some highlights of this beautiful part of Croatia. We will take a ride to the historical town of Porec, where the Euphrasian Basilica Complex is located, one of six Croatian monuments under UNESCO’s World Heritage Monuments protection. On the way to Porec, we will stop at Baredine Caves (Jama Baredine) and see several small pretty towns along the way. Porec is also very important tourist resort town and many hotels and villas are in demand during the summer season, in particular by Europeans. After sightseeing of city and Basilica, we will stop at country restaurant for a typical Istrian meal. Needles to say, tasting of local wines will accompany the lunch.

After lunch we will stop at Zigante’s Truffle Processing plant where you will see the entire process of canning this precious ingredient. After this stop we will hit several wine routes. You will have a chance to sample and buy some incredibly good local wines. All wine tastings are included. Return to Motovun in late afternoon.
Tonight’s dinner will be at hotel Kastel and chef Ivan will personally prepare your order which you made a day before. Anything on the menu or you might want take chef’s suggestion and test his creativity (suggested). n

Day 5 Wednesday
MOTOVUN-PULA-BRIONI-ROVINJ-MOTOVUN (B, L, D)
Full Day Excursion by Private Car
After leisurely breakfast we will take a short ride to Pula, the largest Istrian city.
No, it’s not Rome! Romans built about 50 coliseums around the Mediterranean, but Pula is the best preserved anywhere. Remarkably so with just a few of the original stones missing from its walls. The structure is used today for various community and public events, including Croatia’s annual Film Festival

We will visit this colossal monument, as well as other key attractions in the area. We will also take a short boat ride to the neighboring islands of Brioni, where former Yugoslav president Tito used to spend his summers. Ironically, just a stone-throw away from this beautiful island is island of Goli Otok (Denuded Island), the infamous prison for Tito’s opposition. Before continuing to the picturesque town of Rovinj. We will have a cozy lunch on island of Briuni.

Rovinj (pronounced: ro-veen). For centuries, this sleepy little fishermen’s village has attracted international artists. It was recently featured in National Geographic’s Traveler Magazine (National Geographic Traveler magazine Best of the World 2012 –Istria) as one of 10 places to visit in 2012. The entire town, a haven for creative inspiration, could be seen as one enormous studio, with every building, every winding street, every corner an inspiration for creativity. Its narrow cobble stone streets weave like a spider web through the town and up the hillside, where the Santa Euphemia cathedral stands tall as a loyal guardian and protector of the entire region. Galleries, bistros, cafes, restaurants and boutiques lace these colorful streets decorated with hanging laundry on clotheslines spanning between old houses and dwellings inhabited by the locals. Visitors love this charming town, which is featured in Mediterra’s Croatia deluxe tour programs. We’ll take a city walking tour, climb narrow crooked streets to the top of the hill and Sta. Euphemia Cathedral. Afterwards, we will embark on a small sightseeing boat and visit several islands dotted around this town.
We will stay for dinner at a cozy seafood restaurant in Rovinj. You may choose anything on the menu and bottle of wine for 2 will be included as well.
Evening return to Motovun (30 min. ride) for overnight.

Day 6 Thursday
MOTOVUN-ISTARSKE TOPLICE-MOTOVUN (B, D)
Dinner at Zigante

Morning is free-Lunch on your own.
After lunch we will hit a few more wine routes and leisurely explore Istria. The highlight will be afternoon High Tea and spa treatment at real, natural spa and hot water springs at Istarske Toplice (Istrian Spas). Both High Tea and spa treatment is our compliments. Return to hotel late afternoon.

Tonight we will introduce you to superb truffle culinary achievements, a sensory experience to satisfy your palate. You’ll be served a full dinner at Zigante Restaurant, complemented by fine local wine. We will see also if Mr. Zigante could join us for dinner so you can hear from horse’s mouth the entire” Truffle Story.”

Day 7 Friday
LIVADE-MOTOVUN
Truffle hunt I
Pre-dawn rise and off we go “truffle hunting.” A professional truffle hunter will pick you up at your hotel and take you on your first truffle safari. You will meet his dogs, the truffle finders (on some occasions pigs are used). With their
exquisite sense of smell for the special aroma truffles emit, they start digging in the precise spot where truffles are buried deep in the damp soil, at which time the hunter guide takes over. With his hand, he will dig about 2-6 inches until he unearths the prized nuggets known as truffles. Your guide will explain everything you want to know about truffles, including the difference between white and black truffles, season of harvest and conditions for growth.
Return to hotel in time for breakfast and rest. The balance of the morning is free. Lunch suggestion: at a nearby restaurant specializing in truffle dishes.

An afternoon visit to the historical hilltop town, Motovun. You will swear you are in Tuscany. Actually, if you liked Tuscany, we guarantee, you will love Motovun and this entire area.

Day 8 Saturday
LIVADE-ISTARSKE TOPLICE-LIVADE
Truffle hunt II-Finders-keepers!

Another pre-dawn early get-up and off for another truffle hunt. Our experienced truffle diggers will take you on another truffle safari. This time, all of the truffles you find will be processed and sealed so that you can take them home with you (processing extra). Return to the hotel in time for breakfast. Balance of morning free.
After lunch we will take wine route No. 6 and visit a number of small boutique wineries. In the late afternoon, we will stop for a treat at Istarske Toplice, one of the best local natural spas. Our compliments! We will treat you to spa baths and a massage, readying you for a farewell dinner at the Castle Hotel on the hilltop of Motovun citadel.

Day 9 Sunday
MOTOVUN/LIVADE-ZAGREB (B)
Beginning of the end!
Your entire morning is reserved for leisure, shopping and relaxation. Our car and driver will be at your disposal should you wish to explore anything on your own. Late afternoon departure to Zagreb. Dinner at “Vinodol” Restaurant, one of the best Croatian restaurants and last chance to try some of Croatian interior wines. Overnight at 5-star Hotel Esplanade (formerly the Regent Hotel).

Day 10 Monday
ZAGREB
Return home
After an early breakfast, we’ll transfer to Zagreb airport for your return flight home.

HOTELS:
ZAGREB: Esplanade (formerly the Regent) 5*
MOTOVUN/LIVADE: Kastel Hotel or Zigante Inn 5*

INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICE

RT transfer in Zagreb upon arrival and departure
2 night accommodation at 5-star hotel Esplanade in Zagreb in DBL rooms
Daily breakfast in all hotels on tour
English-speaking guides locally hosted
Wine cellars and winery visits in Istria (cost of wine tasting not included unless specified)
3 Lunches and 3 dinners
Air-conditioned modern mini-bus or sedan car throughout tour
All government taxes and fees

NOT INCLUDED:

Air to/from Croatia
Meals other than those specified in Itinerary
Travel Cancelation or Travel Interruption (for whatever reason) insurance-highly recommended
Medical and personal injury insurance
Admission fees to attractions, National Parks, museums and galleries other than those specified
Items of personal nature ordered in hotels
Tips to service personnel

OPTIONAL:

OW Transfers from/to Venice to/from Zagreb or Motovun $195 per person
OW Transfers from/to Trieste to/from Zagreb or Motovun $125 per person
One hour spa treatment and massage at hotel Kastel $125
Excursion to Istarske Toplice Spa including 2 hour spa treatment $250
Full day Excursion to Trieste, Italy (by car, van or motor coach) $250
Full day excursion to Venice, Italy by hydrofoil (summer months only) or private car) $298
Dinner at typical Istrian village restaurant where all organic food prepared on open fire pit with bottle of wine for two $175
Opera/Concert evening in Zagreb National Theater (subject to scheduling) $125
Dinner at typical Croatian restaurant in Zagreb (includes bottle of wine for two) $125
“Open Dining” is another Mediterra signature service. All lunches and all dinners throughout the tour will be included in the best local restaurants, where you may choose anything on the menu (a la carte).
Travelex travel cancellation & interruption of trip Insurance - highly recommended.
Medical Emergency and Evacuation Insurance (Mediterra signature service).
Complete 8-day (7-night) Adriatic islands cruise on a small ship from $995

What an amazing itinerary!

Grab your favorite foodie friend and let's go to Istria!

(800) 303-7901 dc@cosmopolitantravels.com

Unlimited Luxury in Puerto Vallarta

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:26:00 +0000

OCTOBER 11-14, 2013

Now Amber, Puerto Vallarta

(if you click on to NOW AMBER you will be directed to my personal album of the hotel I visited June 3-7, and Puerto Vallarta will show you some of the lovely sites of the city that is so magical and enchanting.)

It took no time whatsoever to decide which gem of a resort I wanted to offer to a group of overworked friends for a long 4-day weekend.

Now Amber - a brand new resort just opened together with Secrets in April 2012. NOW folks did not disappoint - unlimited luxury is truly the name of the game - starting with the interior where every room will have a jacuzzi and a double vanity.

And not to be outdone by other properties featuring swim out suites, Now Amber has many swim out options some of them amazingly affordable.

As soon as you walk into the lobby the views from the lobby terrace are there to transport you! As a group we will have a private check in with complimentary drinks, where all our rooms will be assigned.

Unlimited-Luxury® service includes:

• Theme parties and entertainment

• Unlimited natural fruit juices and soft drinks

• Unlimited international and domestic top-shelf spirits

• 24-hour room service

• Live nightly entertainment

• No restaurant reservations required

• No wristbands required

• Expansive golden sand beach

• Infinity pool

• Jacuzzi

• Explorer’s Club for kids

• Core Zone for teenagers

• Fitness Center

• All taxes and gratuities

All-inclusive gourmet dining includes:

Carnival – International specialties served buffet style

Castaways – Grilled specialties and Mediterranean cuisine

Capers – Italian cuisine

Tamarindo – Authentic Mexican cuisine

Himitsu – Pan-Asian delicacies, adults only

Barefoot Grill – Grilled specialties served poolside

Coco Cafe – Coffee, pastries and teas served daily

as well as 24-hr room servce.

Aside from Moments (lobby bar), Manatees (swim up bar), Showtime (theater bar) and Preferred Club bar (only for the guests of Preferred Club wing), there is a stuning

Desires bar

music lounge.

The all-new, complimentary, interactive Unlimited Connectivity mobile app allows guests to stay connected to those they are with, as well as friends and family back home.

The app allows guests to make local and international calls, free of roaming charges, by connecting to the resort’s Wi-Fi. Guests can also personalize the app through social media to enhance their stay. In addition, the app can be registered as a room extension so guests can receive and make calls throughout the resort as if they were in their room.

We have an Alaska flight #258 leaving LAX (Los Angeles International Airport)at 10:25am,

arriving PVR (Puerto Vallarta Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport) at 3:45 pm. Flight is only 2hr 55 min, but there is a time change of 2 hours,

and returning with Alaska #255 Leaving PVR at 4:40 pm arriving LAX at 5:45 pm on October 14.

The price of the flight as a component of this package is $443, so we can remove it should you want to get your own airfare.

Now Amber has the left side of the hotel and welsomes everyone, and Secrets that is connected welcomes couples and adults only. So if you are traveling witout kids there are many amenities at Secrets next door that are completely child-free like child free pools, jacuzzis, etc. and they are on the same property.

(adult only side)

OUR ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICES ARE AS FOLLOWS

( including $443 airfare by Alaska, 4 days 3 nights)

$ 818 per person double occupancy Ocean-view Junior Suite
$ 854 per person single occupancy Ocean-view Junior Suite

Here is a price chart that better explains the cost in case you'd like to bring the family:

OCTOBER 11-14, 2013

single

2 people

family of 3

family of 4

Ocean View Jr. suite
land only	$411.00	$750.00	$783.00	$816.00
land & airfare	$854.00	$1,636.00	$2,112.00	$2,588.00
Per Person Price land & air	$854.00	$818.00	$704.00	$647.00

And because that is not enough

EVERY ROOM RECEIVES $100 per person** IN RESORT COUPONS!

**($200 per room max)

Resort Coupons – are applicable at the Spa (up to $40 per every 50 minute treatment, not applicable to Beauty Salon and Spa Products), for Romantic Dinners (up to $60 per every romantic dinner) scheduled with the Concierge and up to $10 for every purchase of bottled wine from wine cellars.

Resort Coupon Rules of usage –

Coupons are not accumulative, cannot be combined with each other or other promotions.

Non transferable , non refundable and no cash or commercial value

Coupons cannot be used towards private functions, coffee breaks, audiovisual, entertainment.

To reserve:

$ 818.00 per person (based on double occupancy 3 nights with airfare)

$ 100.00 deposit

$ 718.00 due 8/9/2013

$ 49.00 optional travel insurance due 8/9/2013

$ 25.00 child price optional travel insurance due 8/9/2013

Call me at 800-303-7901 e-mail me at dc@cosmopolitantravels.com or text me at 310-490-1893.

See you in Puerto Vallarta!
dc@cosmopolitantravels.com

Your iPhone Abroad

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:39:00 +0000

All my IT friends will probably laugh at this blog post, but someone needed to show me how to do this after I received $600 phone bill for data roaming and I didn't even touch my phone while it was getting crazy charges.

I promised many friends that I will post this step-by-step how to: So this is the screen when you go into your SETTINGS on your iPhone.

You will click into GENERAL and you'll get into this screen:

And then you'll click into Cellular

and then you want to turn off your cellular data to make it look like this:

You can get phone calls normally, but will abvoid international roaming data charges. My global data charges cost $20.48 per 1MB. You can get onto WIFI anywhere - and then you can use my favorite free app - VIBER. Looks like this:

Viber will let you make phone calls and send text messages to anyone that has Viber installed, so it's really easy to stay in touch with people at home or your fellow travellers.

Good luck and Happy Travels!

Cruise down Romantic Rhine

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:57:00 +0000

This one was planned for a long time, as I wanted to offer a brand new ship Avalon Artistry II - known as the suite ship. Year built is 2013!

We will be cruising down the river Rhine visiting Switzerland, France, Germany and Netherlands in a luxury brand new ship that offers such amenities as Internet corner, complimentary Wi-Fi access, fitness center, Sky Deck with premium lounge chairs, shade system, whirlpool & game area: Open-air bistro. Non-smoking interior, Elevator, Outside Viewing Deck, Headsets for all guided shore excursions with Certified Local Guide, English-speaking crew, Cruise Director, Onboard lectures, activities & nightly entertainment, Room service available featuring Continental breakfast and beverages, Hair salon, Onboard movie nights, Optional biking excursions in Amsterdam, Alternate dining experience with local specialties & lighter fare in the Panorama Bistro, Avalon Choice cruising experience, Behind-the-scenes ship tour, Choice of excursions, Leisurely, Traditional or Essential Sightseeing options, Local maps, Culture & Cruise onboard experiences, Expanded "on-demand" in-room entertainment.

Zürich to Amsterdam November 3 - 10, 2013

DAILY ITINERARY

Day 1 Zürich, Basel - Embarkation (Dinner)

Arrive in Zürich, Switzerland. Transfer to Basel (Embarkation)

Flights into Zürich must arrive before 3 pm. Your river cruise vessel is docked on the Rhine River in Basel, where France, Germany, and Switzerland meet. Before dinner, meet your crew at a welcome reception at 6 pm.

Day 2 Strasbourg, France (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Strasbourg, France

Situated on the border of France and Germany, Strasbourg is influenced by the culture of both countries and is the capital of the Alsace region. It is the seat of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. A Certified Local Guide shows you the noteworthy sights: the GOTHIC CATHEDRAL, the lovely LA PETITE FRANCE district, Place Kléber, and Place Gutenberg with the statue of the inventor of the printing press. Strasbourg is also home to the Kronenbourg Brewery. An optional excursion into the Alsace wine region is available.

Day 3 Excursion to Heidelberg, Germany (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Excursion to Heidelberg, Germany

Heidelberg is Germany’s oldest university town, of Student Prince fame, a world-famous love musical. Take pictures of the ruins of the imposing Heidelberg Castle, built of red sandstone and towering above the city, and enjoy free time to explore.

Day 4 Mainz–Rüdesheim (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Mainz–Rüdesheim

Situated on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite the mouth of the Main River, Mainz is Germany’s largest and most important wine market. The Old Town has many interesting shops, tea rooms, and restaurants, and a fountain on the Schillerplatz is decorated with scenes of the famous carnival held here every year. Gutenberg, the father of modern printing, was born here and you’ll visit the GUTENBERG MUSEUM. Leave Mainz in the late morning; during lunch, sail to Rüdesheim. This pretty little town is the perfect example of a Rhine Valley wine town. SIEGFRIED’S MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM is a real surprise! Enjoy a SPECIAL TREAT, then there’s free time to explore the Drosselgasse and pick up some souvenirs.

Day 5 Rhine Gorge–Koblenz (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Rhine Gorge–Koblenz

Downstream from Rüdesheim is the dramatic RHINE GORGE, the most beautiful stretch of river and dotted every mile with castles. Pass the legendary rock of the Lorelei, where sweet songs of local beauties lured enchanted sailors to their doom. Situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, 2,000-year-old Koblenz is the cultural and business center of the Middle Rhine region.

Day 6 Cologne (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Cologne

Cologne is the capital of the Rhineland and one of Germany’s largest cities. The soaring twin steeples of Cologne’s magnificent gothic cathedral—which took more than 600 years to build—dominate the river skyline. The Germano-Roman Museum next to the cathedral is a must for history buffs! The Old Town abounds with taverns, cafés, and shops. The favorite local beer here is Kölsch.

Day 7 Amsterdam, Holland (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Amsterdam, Holland

Holland’s capital is sophisticated and modern, with a rich and fascinating history. This delightful 700-year-old city with its elegant and classic architecture, cafés and restaurants, and lively marketplace has a distinct ambience. The works of famous Dutch masters can be seen in world-renowned museums such as the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh. There is no better way to see Amsterdam than by CANAL BOAT, cruising through the elegant grachten lined with stately homes dating back to Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.”

Day 8 Amsterdam - Disembarkation (Breakfast)

Amsterdam (Disembarkation)

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. There are optional add-ons for post cruise and pre cruise hotels.

PRICING INFORMATION -

Save $500 off the prices below when you book this cruise with Cosmopolitan Travels!

~ Cruise rates from $2,249 $1,749 - if you book with us per person based on double occupancy (CAT E) -

category E - 172 sq.ft.

~ Additional Charges for Cabin Upgrades from CAT E are Listed Below

$149 per person CAT D

$799 per person CAT B

$849 per person CAT A

$999 per person CAT P

category A,B,P 200 sq.ft.

~ Port Charges per person: $126

~ Optional travel insurance available

~ Airfare available on request for an addtional price and deposit

~ Pre & Post stays available upon request

ALWYAS INCLUDED: Complimentary beer, wines, and soft drinks at dinner; complimentary soft drinks with

lunch; Full breakfast with sparkling wine.

It is our pleasure to present this river cruise to you at an amazing value. Please contact us for more information dc@cosmopolitantravels.com 800-303-7901

Let's Eat!

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:51:00 +0000

I just got back from Maui and I kept track of what we ate and how much it costs. I have to preface this post by saying I didn't really go crazy with cocktail/wine ordering and we are really not big desert people, it was a quick trip, so it's kind of a guideline.

I have been staying a lot in luxury all-inclusives a lot lately, so I needed a bit of reality check what happens when you have to pay for all your drinks and meals. We all know Hawaii is expensive - but are we talking what I call "Tahiti Money" (I call Tahiti money anything that is hitting a $1000/day mark), or is it still more affordable than French Polynesia?

So here we go: 1st when we got to the hotel we had a fridge but nothing in it so we had to run over and buy some waters/sodas:

FRIDGE $33.14

Then after a long day of travel - we needed some cocktails and juice

COCKTAILS $44.27

Then my daughter and I went to dinner, my husband stayed in - had my daugters leftovers, one of the cocktails and chips from the airplane.

DINNER $66.25

My dinner was an appretizer, I enclosed a menu - great food Mala Wailea - where investors are Alice Cooper and Steven Tyler with lots of celebrity guests.

In the morning we got a breakfast buffet - $28.95 per adult $13.95 kids - we just got charged Marriot Rewards price 2 adults no kid charge.

BREAKFAST $61.98

My husband gets annoyed sometimes when I take food photos, so not everything is pictured.

Then lunch - sandwiches and a couple of cocktails.

LUNCH $95.00

And after an afternoon full of activities we decided to have sme cocktails and chips.

COCKTAILS $36.16

And then we went out to dinner. My husband and I shared an appetizer and we didn't order desert, my daughter's meal came with ice cream.

DINNER $200.00

I have to note this dish was excellent - well worth the $42.00 price tag. Seared sashimi in sauce of shitake mushrooms ginger black and white sesame, chives and yukon gold mash. Yum!

And then there was breakfast he next morning - I stayed at the hotel and my husband and daughter went to the Haleakala volcano for the sunrise - they had snacks I packed for the drive there and then breakfast buffet later then me, altogether 3 buffets and a $6 chmapagne.

BREAKFAST $92.93

And then there was cocktails and lunch. As we were both doing other things - I was working by the pool, my husband and daughter were sleeping I had a pool lunch and they had room service. Altogether

LUNCH $112.63

After our respective lunches, we went from the south of Maui (Wailea) to the west side Kaanapali, and had a beach day and dinner at Royal Lahaina. Sorry for the pizza and steak 1/2 eaten - they were hungry. No appetizers no deserts my dish was a 1/2 portion.

DINNER $100.00

with tip

And the next morning 3 buffets (my husband didn't let me take his food photos)

BREAKFAST $87.83

Lunch was great - poolside at the cabana. There is a $25 charge for a private cabana,but I left a $25 cash tip on it - so it evens out.

LUNCH $117.13

And then the mandatory Luau. Kids eat free, and we had an internet reservation $30 discount. I personally wasn't crazy about the food, we went there for the show. But my husband and daughter gorged themselves on brownies and cakes. We left $20 in tips so I'm counting $234.57 instead of $214.57 that says on the ticket.

DINNER $234.57

And the following was our last breakfast - I had a breakfast with our daughter and my husband had room service eggs benedict. There was a $5 cash tip for the room service.

BREAKFAST $85.61

We were supposed to arrive lunchtime the 1st day because I wanted complete meal days, but our flight was cancelled, so 1 lunch less. But I ended up doing the average cost anyway

I averaged breakfast at $82.08.

I averaged our lunches to $108.43.

I averaged dinner at $147.70

Fridge and cocktails $48.17

$7.96 I averaged daily cost of water/soda for a fride and $40.21 for cocktails

Even though the 1st dinner was just appetizer and kids' dinner - we never ordered desert or appetizers so I figured the kid's cost would about even out for 2 adults ordering for a daily average.

So the average estimated daily food cost in Hawaii for 2 people is $386.36.

That's my math, it may not apply to everyone, but its a good ballpark.

Oh, let's not forget a mandatory resort fee of $35/day and a self parking fee of $20/day, so let's add $55 to the $386.36 to make the FINAL DAILY FIGURE $441.36

I'm not saying it's not worth it - I believe in letting yourself go and enjoying your free time to the fullest, the fact that some things cost more than at home is just the nature of Hawaii, but I certainly know some people that are on a budget and will order a drink less or no appetizer and no desert to save a few bucks.

My whole point of writing this article is for those people who want to enjoy themselves on vacation to be aware what things cost and to be prepared and not have their hard earned vacation ruined.

Happy Travels!

Spring Break 2013!

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:34:00 +0000

Woo-hoo! Its' that time again - time to start hounding parents about Spring Break!

Well we thought long and hard and we prepared a great trip to

Grand Pineapple Beach Resort in Negril, Jamaica

March 23-30, 2013.

This charming property gives you authentic Negril experience, as it is walking distance to the heart of Negril.

Of course, being in Negril the beach is a true Caribbean white sand-turquiose water beach.

We have following options:

$899.10** per person in Gardenside Manor Building
$930.40** per person in Beachside Manor Building
$961.20** per person in Beach Cottage Building

all prices are based on double occupancy, prices subject to change until secured with deposit. Airport transfers, travel insurance and airfare not included.

All-Inclusive value:

Accomodations
All Meals
Unlimited Drinks
Watersports (snorkeling, kayaking, sailing & winsurfing)
Entertainment
Tips & Gratuities

We are also offering an optional pub crawl excursion that includes drinks and food so that you can immerse yourself into local culture.

And for our certified divers we have an option to do a 1-tank dive for $50 including transfer to Sandals Negril and equipmet (BCD, regulator, fins, masks, weights and tanks). For non certified divers there is a $80 resort course that includes 1 tank dive and transfers. All additional 1-tank dives are $50. And I'm talking expert staff, Newton boats and professionally maintained equipment.

(this is a photo I took snorkeling in Negril 2005, way back when I still used to snorkel)

So if you have been nice - ask Santa for a Spring Break Trip and call us at (800) 303-7901 or e-mail us. And parents, if you have a student at home who has been good, this is a gift they will remember forever.

See you in Jamaica!

Happy Travels!

Turks & Caicos Diving - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 22:16:00 +0000

I just got back from my beloved Beaches Turks & Caicos. Last time I was there was end of August 2012.

Unlike in August, our conditions were not the greatest, so we had to dive from the south side of the island. Minor inconvenience.

These were my 1st dives together with my husband since Belize October 2011, and they even let us do 2 buddy dives where it was just the 2 of us away from the group. I truly enjoyed that.

The conditions and visibility that were not ideal especially how good they can be in Turks, I was just happy to dive. To be back in the water and breathe bubbles is all I need. As most of dive masters say: you'll see water, sand and coral. Everything else is a bonus. So here are few amature photos taken by my disposable camera (or heresy for photography as far as my husband is concerned, but I'm still waiting for some underwater photos from 6 years ago, so I had to take matters into my own hands).

1st one is me, then lion fish, then me again.

But I was lucky to meet Gary Javore of Deep Blue Productions and he was nice enough lo let me use few of his photos:

I absolutely love when I see a turtle. They are so gentle and I consider them a good luck. I heard somewhere that turtle statuetes are supposed to bring financial luck to a household so I never go anywhere tropical without bringing back a carved turtle. Needless to say I have wooden turtles by dozens.

Loved seing the black tip reef sharks. They are such majestic creatures.

These fishes were HUGE! They travel in groups, and we only saw them when we dove the site called Two Step.

Thank you again, Gary for your beautiful photos.

The dive boats were great (Newton), dive staff especially Noemi, Dejan and Oats were joy to dive with. Thanks guys!

(you didn't think I was going to let a fish have a last photo in this blog?)

Happy Travels and Happy Diving!

Twitter Contest- How much will I weigh?

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 00:12:00 +0000

As in all my years, I have finally started to get more tech savvy. I was told I must get a Twitter account and I must have lots of followers.

So, I'm taking this opportunity for some fun for the both of us, as I'm leaving to spend a week atBeaches Turks & Caicos:

I will tweet a photo of my feet on the scale, yes with the number showing, and then
I will tweet the photos of what I eat and drink every day for the 7 days that I'm there.
I will also tweet if I'm doing activities, you guys know I scuba dive.
It will be up to the new followers (as now I have just 12) to guess how much weight I'm going to gain / or loose (you never know).
Whoever is the closest will win an American Express gift card from me worth $1 for every 2 new followers (if I get 100 new followers - gift certificate will be for $50, if I get a 1000 new followers gift certificate will be for $500, etc.). New followers count between now and Tuesday Nov 20 when I will do my post-trip weigh in.

So simple:

I EAT AND DRINK AND TWEET PHOTOS

I HAVE ACTIVITIES AND TWEET WHAT I'M DOING

(yes, massage is an activity)

AND YOU GUESS HOW MUCH I WILL WEIGH AFTERWARDS.

So Follow me on Twitter and tell your friends to follow me and let's make a fun game out of it!

Happy Travels!

Good luck to everyone!

Best Value in the Caribbean!

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:24:00 +0000

Three words: Sandals Grande Riviera.

It recently underwent a $60M in renovations and currently is it very aggressively priced so that I can say with confidenece: bar none - the best value in the Caribbean! Butler suites - more affordable than ever! My hunch is that a year from now these deals will not be there.

Golf: 15 minutes transfers, as well as green fees included.

Scuba diving included for certified divers.

And FOOD deserves it's own chapter. When they say culinary trip around the world - they are not kidding. Only 2 out of 15 restaurants require reservations (Kimonos - tepanyaki style asian restaurant - because of the seating configurations, and Kelly's Dockside which is Pier outdoor dining restaurant). No getting up in the morning to make specialty dining reservations only to find restaurants booked, just walk in and enjoy! I was really impressed with Neptunes (Mediterannean Seafood), and especially when I tried food at other Neptunes restaurants (Sandals Whitehouse Neptunes for example), because although some items on the menu are the same, the creativity of every chef is evident. For example crab bisque was more stock based at Riviera Grande and more cream based at Whitehouse, both of them superb, but definitelly they let their executive chefs shine.

Ingrediets are fresh, local, chefs are talented and happy - perfect gastronomic experience! And let's not forget the weekly extras:

Monday- Jamaica Day and Great House Soiree
Tuesday- Island Day & Reggae Night & Sandals Coctail Reception & Dinner
Wednesday- White Party & Chocolate Buffet (come dressed in all white)
Thursday- Talent show
Friday- Beach Party
Saturday- Caribbean Pana-rhythm at the Amphitheatre (steel pan orchestra)
Sunday- Island Romance & Lovers Game Show

Also premium liquor is included 10 bars throughout the resort, full bar at the concierge and butler categories, fridge with sodas water and beer in other categories.

Spa is another must. Sandals was just awarded Best Spa in the Caribbean by TravelAgeWest Wave Awards for the Red Lane Spa (let me sneak in one more photo of myself as I was at the award ceremony at Four Seasons Beverly Hills - the actual award is in the photo below)

There is an amazing solarium at this spa, with cascading water down the pebble walls.

And as much as I am a beach person, I know a lot of people that are strictly pool people so here is that info as well: 7 main pools and 87 (yes, eighty seven) freshwater villa swimming pool including the enromous zero-entry main Great House pool, 3 cold plunge pools and 22 (twenty two) Hot Tubs.

And Ocho Rios is the place where all the major Jamaican excursions and activities happen: Dunn River Falls, Zip Lining, Horseback riding, etc. etc.

Also, never before offered deals on groups as small as 6 rooms. Last year the deals were at the Royal Bahamian as the Balmoral Tower just opened up in March 2012. We can't even come close to those prices for bookings that are happening at this time for Sandals Royal Bahamian.

In my opinion Grande Riviera is this 2012-2013 deal to end all deals. As Gordon "Butch" Stewart (Founder & Chairman, Sandals Resorts) says: "More quality inclusions than any other resorts in the world!" Sandals Grande Riviera in Ocho Rios Jamaica certainly proves it.

Butch Stewart and myself Sandals Grande Antigua Dec 2011

(couldn't help myself)

Happy Travels!

p.s. if you want a beautiful oversized brochure of this property e-mail me your address dc@cosmopolitantravels.com and my office will mail you one.

Runaway Bay Disappointment

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:33:00 +0000

All of you that know me know that one of my greatest loves in the Caribbean is Jamaica. I'm always excited when I fly into Montego Bay.

I just got back from Runaway Bay, Gran Bahia Principe hotel that really disappointed me.

I didn't expect a lot. Sandals, Beaches or Couples - Bahia Principe is just not, but there was a lot wrong with this hotel. Let me just qualify this by saying I had a great time! It's not where you stay it's who you are with and I was there with 90 ladies and had a fantastic time.

Part of the hotel was under construction, I really don't mind construction, it didn't disrupt peace and quiet, unless you were in the spa and wanted to have a treatment with the background of jackhammers. I personally didn't have problem with my room, I was in a single occupancy so king size bed was fine with me (when the group first arrived there the hotel assigned king size beds to everyone, which was a bit awkward as that was one of the first requests made to Bahia Principe - double beds, and it took a few hours and some serious phone calls to get that changed). Pillows were a bit stone-like, but for the price point we coupldn't really expect pillow menu that one gets at El Dorado and Azul properties.

My biggest problem was the food. For me Jamaica represents and orgy of flavors and distinctive cuisine. When I was in Jamaica last in June when I toured all Beaches and Sandals on the entire island, I didn't have one meal in 9 days that I wasn't making 'mmmmm' sounds. Breakfast is breakfast - same everywhere - omelet stations, toasts, mimosas... But lunch and dinner - ouch! Unless you are in the mood for pasta, lots of colorful stuff - but nothing really of substance. Jerk chicken and pork at the beach were as my friends said "good", but I ate jerk pork at Scotchies on my way from the airport. I had really good food at Couples Tower Isle, where I was invited to lunch after a property inspection. When one stays 5 days or longer at Bahia Principe they are entitled to 2 specialty restaurant dinners. Our 1st one was at the steak house that actually ran out of steak (yes, you read it correctly the steak house ran out of steak). Let me not even mention that getting the reservations are close to impossible. And soups - beautiful Caribbean seafood chowders, bisques, creamy vegetable soups never made their appearance anywhere on any menu. Curry goat was an insult to curry and to the goat.

Bahia Principe was chosen because of the price point, as it was reasonably priced, but there are other hotels in a similar price range that would have been a suitable choice for our purpose. It's only saving grace was the pool. I personally don't do very much pool, as I have it at home, I'm in the Caribbean to experience the sea.

The beach was definitely not white sugar-like sand we are all used to in the Caribbean, it was more pebbels the size of rice and peas, but a good water shoe solves that problem. I really liked the calm water without a wave, and you can see fish right there and snorkel right off the beach. Lots of ladies didn't even want to get in the water because they didn't want to buy water shoes, the sea grass about 2 feet in was grossing them out, which is really too bad. Not the greatest beach, but in my mind much better than 80% of Cancun beaches.

The staff was also not happy. As much as they were doing their job, there was hardly any trace of the Jamaican smile and hospitality. Management was obviously doing something wrong.

As everyone knows by now, I live to breathe bubbles, so diving was a mandatory activity. I booked 4 dives (multiple package for $200), but my dives were on the annoying side. Nothing to do with the staff (great staff), but there was a couple that just got their PADI open water certification, and absolutely had no underwater etiquette. Especially the wife. She was so close to me that my fins kept hitting her, and it was very distracting. On the 3rd dive it took her 17 (SEVENTEEN!!!) minutes to get to the 45 ft. depth. Considering that the whole dive lasts about 35 minutes, that was an outrage. Divers always know that safety comes first so if something is not comfortable the dive should be aborted as not to keep the other divers from enjoying their well earned dives. The dive masters are excellent, boat drivers are great, but the diving boats are in bad shape, paint peeling, far cry from Newton Boats of Sandals and Beaches, dive staff that actually has separate boats for beginners and more experienced divers and those dives are free. My dives were still very enjoyable, in spite of my underwater company.

So Gran Bahia Principe - unfortunatelly thumbs down.

Happy Travels!

p.s. I was very kind and mild in this post I could have been a lot more detailed and graffic.

Turks and Caicos: Diving Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 22:35:00 +0000

I have been very very lucky to get invited to stunning Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean to go diving with some of my fellow travel agents from the East Coast, New England states to be exact. My flight took me from Los Angeles via Miami directly to Providenciales (or Provo, how the locals call it) located on Grand Turk Island. 10 minute drive to Beaches Resort. One word of advice the flight from Miami to Providenciales is beautiful. If you have a nice sunny day, you will fly over Bahamas, so don't sleep or play with your iPad, look out the wndow and see stuff like this:

The upper photo is Bahamas from the air the lower photo is a coral reef as we were landing to PLS airport. The airport is a little small especially crowded on the way back, but it's Caribbean so everything is worth it.

This was my diving gang. The photo is a bit blurry, that's why this is blog part I there will be part II, when I get the underwater photos, there even may be a Part III later on.

The very next day we went 8 am for our first dive. I didn't have a dive since June and diving with all new people I was a bit nervous, but after about 10 minutes, when I got my bearings and relaxed completely, I went to my underwater zen place. First thing we saw was a turtle swimming by us. Visibility - amazing, coral - stunning. And black tip reef sharks were swimming right by!

Diving can be such a calming, sensual experience. I always try to give myself a chance to swim just an inch or so over a white sand bottom and then skim the sand with my fingertips. Once you are bitten by the dive bug, you just live to breathe the bubbles...

The resort was great, food was excellent, but since diving takes so much energy there is no guilt for the calories. Here is my photo album of the resort: BEACHES TURKS & CAICOS

Happy Travels!

Only in Jamaica...

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 19:53:00 +0000

I have just returned from an amazing trip from Jamaica - went to Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Savana La Mar and Negril, and it has changed so much from the last time I was there. I'll write more about it, but I had to share an experience that can only happen in Jamaica: Pelican Restaurant in the middle of nowhere in the Caribbean Sea:

I loved it so much that I changed it to my profile company photo. What a great place. It's called Pelican, and from Sandals Whitehouse (which is about 1 hr from Negril, and about 90 minutes from MBJ Montego Bay airport) it took about 40 minutes on a catamaran (with a little snorkeling exursion on the way).

How great is this place! Ladies, no hight heels, and there are no bathrooms (it helps if you get there on a yacht or a catamaran so you have a bathroom access - I always try to travel in style)

So when we got there the first thing we did is order food as they prepare it on the spot for you. My dear lobster, you will be my lunch today. It was so delicious and super tasty.

Super small place, with lots of locals, and some souvenier stuff. I bought seashells for my daughter.

this is the guy that had all the seashells.

And of course, it was an amazing day. As much as I am a diver and would do anything to breathe bubbles, I had a choice visit this place or go diving. I can go diving anytime anyplace, this was such a unique experience. Highly recommended - it even hit my bucket list.

Happy Travels!

Sandals Love Nest

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:59:00 +0000

Honeymoon is my favorite part of getting married. Going away to a romantic location, and enjoying every moment. Every meal will taste better, every glass of champagne will be sparklier...

Created in the true spirit of romance, Sandals Resorts’ Love Nest Suites are among some of the most lavish collection of suites in the world. The most innovative designs, exotic and private settings, luxurious bathrooms, and amenities like plush terry robes, hand-embroidered Egyptian cotton duvets, plasma TVs, and the service of a personal butler are just some of the details that make the Love Nest Suites so desirable.

For me the whole concept of butler was best put by a fellow travel specialist when he said: “It is like having a genie that will grant more than just three wishes.” They go above and beyond, and will elevate a honeymoon or any vacation for that matter, from great to spectacular!

Sandals also coined one more phrase that describes it all - Weddingmoon. When you combine Wedding and Honeymoon that's what you get!

That’s how the whole concept of vow renewal got started. It was so nice people wanted to do it again. I have been talking to my husband about it for years, he is still not budging (it will be 13 years for us this July). I have been converting it to dog years, so in dog years we are married 91 years, almost a century! That deserves something special. You see, I started thinking about renewing our vows at the beach at sunset just about 5-6 days after our wedding almost 13 years ago.

Love Nest Suites are available at the following resorts:

Sandals Montego Bay
Sandals Royal Caribbean
Sandals Negril
Sandals Whitehouse
Sandals Grande Riviera
Sandals Grande Antigua
Sandals La Toc
Sandals Grande St. Lucian
Sandals Royal Bahamian
Sandals Emerald Bay

May the Romance be with you and Happy Travels!

What is on your bucket list?

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:24:00 +0000

I was recently horrified to learn that only 20% of Americans have a passport and out of those people the percentage who take their valuable and rare vacation days to clean their garage, mow their lawns or just repair stuff around their house is staggeringly high.

What kind of house project could have kept me from this:

(Giza Plateau, Egypt 1997)

or this:

(my baby's first vacation - Cancun, Mexico 2007)

or this:

(Florence, Italy - tower across the Duomo 2001)

or this:

(Chichen Itza, Mexico 2004)

There are so very many more and I am not even at the tip of my bucket list.

It is true that the only product you buy that makes you richer is travel. And because picture is worth 1000 words here is a few more:

(this is when I was 5 months pregnant way over 200 lbs - 100kg giving water to hotel cats and dogs, Bora Bora 2006)

Both my husband and I work long hours. Especially when our child was a little baby sometimes he didn’t even see her for 5 days at the time. We swore that no matter what, we will take 2 vacations with our baby every year, because those memories are priceless. Do you think she can remember that many times her father wasn't there to tuck her in or give her a goodnight kiss? I guarantee you she will remember when we took her to Mexico, Fiji, Turkey, Aruba, Honduras, Belize, Europe...

(my little girl when she was 2, Fiji)

(my little girl's first cruise)

(my little girl's first night swim and her first braided hair, Roatan Honduras)

I’m looking forward to many many more trips to come, and many times when I arrange travel for people and I use the words: “Yes, we will take this flight, this cruise...” people tend to get confused. They say: “You are not really coming with us, are you?” and I always say “Yes, I am! But only in spirit.”I take it personally that I am involved in some of the most memorable experiences in their lives.

So think of that will you remember on your deathbed: the garage that is super organized or the fabulous time you had with your loved ones, especially the little ones before they grew up and had a choice not to vacation with you?

Happy Travels!

Priceless Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:23:00 +0000

I was thinking a lot lately about my passion for travel. Where it all started and and what it means to me. It is more than obvious since I started this business I have a new lease on life, as I radiate happiness.

I managed to pinpoint it exactly when I was 4 or 5 years old, when my parents took me to Greece. It was one evening after dinner, my father and I were walking barefoot on the beach he was showing me the stars and telling me the story of Homer’s “Iliad”. He was pointing at the distance to the Aegean Sea where the ships were coming from. I was mesmerized.

When I was in my early 30s, I took my parents on a vacation to Greece. It was really nice to be walking down the beach barefoot again, at the shores of the Aegean where it all started. I am happy I was also able to take him to his favorite city San Francisco, and to take my parents and my 2 year old daughter at the time to Antalya, Turkey on a family vacation, amongst other places and vacations.

My father is 74 years now and is suffering from Parkinson’s disease. It is very difficult for him to travel, so our traveling days are most likely over. Every time I took my parents somewhere I could have done something else with the money: bought new furniture, put money into investment accounts, pay off some bills, but I didn’t. Simply because this is the stuff I will remember forever.

Happy Travels!

Are you a slave to your luggage?

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:39:00 +0000

This post comes to you from an ex-queen of overpacking. And to prove that I’m attaching a photo of my husband with his carryon luggage for our family trip to Cancun in 2007.

Aside from our baby, giant car seat, stroller, camera equipment that we carried on we had 7 (yes, seven) pieces of luggage. I can’t even tell you all the stuff I brought, all I know it took us (and by us I mean my husband because I don’t clean when on vacation) about 30-40 minutes every day to just organize the pile of stuff.

Another great example was my trip to Italy in 2001, where I had to drag all my own suitcases up and down many many many stairs because Italians don’t really believe in bell-service.

These days when I travel on my business trips I take carry-on only. Yes, I take only 2 evening dresses. Last year everyone saw me in my orange dress and black dress that I alternate every other night. And this year I promise I will buy 2 new dresses, not black and not orange. I don’t take hair curlers or flat irons, because I’m sure there will be someone in my hotel that I can borrow those things from, and if not it means it’s time for a ponytail and I just stick a large flower in my hair. 2 bathing suits, 3-4 sarongs, a couple of wrap skirts and some tang tops - that’s it. I travel in jeans, tang top and I have a huge sweatshirt that I can tie on my carry on if it’s too hot. I even manage to travel with my family with just 1 or 2 suitcases, plus diving equipment, and I’m even working on diving equipment to be shipped. When we went on a cruise when everyone was waiting 6 hours for their luggage and had to come down to dinner in shorts and t-shirt I was unpacked all set and ready to enjoy myself.

Do not underestimate the power of packing and unpacking in 15 minutes. Traveling light is such a unburdening experience.

Have a safe week and Happy Travels!

Romance is in the Air!

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:03:00 +0000

Take it from someone that got married more than once, my barefoot tropical wedding on the beach in Kaua’i couldn’t beat anything else when it came to my own personal enjoyment, romance and pure joy.

I couldn’t handle the stress of planing the wedding, flowers, seating charts and just the enormous cost of everything. Been there - done that and didn’t enjoy it. My first wedding was extremely stressful 300+ people, I didn’t know most of them and the best man’s grandma dropped dead on the dance floor. Really. Ceremony lasted 1 hr 40 minutes, everyone had a great time except me and the ill-fated grandma (but dropping dead on the dance floor is an excellent way to go in my opinion). I didn’t want to repeat the big white wedding, especially that I wasn’t crazy about it the first time around. Although my first husband and I got some seriously good gifts and lots of cash that we should have spent on a lavish honeymoon, but we didn’t unfortunately.

My current husband and I didn’t have parents with deep pockets to pay for the wedding, so we started saving. We saved and saved, but our savings were very meager compared to how much a decent reception would cost. So we decided to do the next best thing: screw the reception and wedding presents - let’s blow all the money on ourselves. To this day we didn’t receive ONE wedding present, but we had the most romantic wedding ever. We didn’t even know where are we going for dinner that night. We asked our wedding coordinator who organized everything where to go, we told him we just want really good food, we are covered with sand and we are barefoot, and we had a wedding dinner at the great restaurant with no tablecloths, blue hawaiians were flowing, lobsters, crabs and steaks were served in abundance, and it was perfect.

Whenever I visit any of the hotels I always ask for the wedding coordinator and to look at locations for weddings, honeymoon suites, and any set wedding menus. The most convenient I found so far was at Sandals and Beaches Weddings by Martha Stewart. Here are few photos of Seaside Serenade Dinner Sandals actually served for us. Their wedding coordinators are a dream to work with. No request is too big or too small.

In closing, as I’m about to embark just on my 13th wedding anniversary, no begging or pleading to my husband that 13 years in Los Angeles is like being married 25 years anywhere else will convince him to renew our vows, so I’m going to have to live vicariously through my brides as I work with their wedding coordinators. Here is 2 more photos of Martha Stweart wedding themes (daytime-better photos I was using iPhone).

Happy Travels!

Mexico Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:07:00 +0000

Lots of talk about Mexico and safety. I personally feel comfortable going to certain areas. Last year I went to Cancun and twice to Cozumel. In Cancun I hire my own driver, I have been hiring his company for 4 years now, I take my little girl with me and I feel perfectly safe.

For us on the West Coast it's the only direct flight to the Caribbean, so you can’t beat the convenience.

I am enclosing a map done by Travel Weekly that gives you areas where you should exercise caution and/or not visit. It is a shame that such a beautiful country is currently under such a crime spree, as we used to drive from Los Angeles down to Rosarito and Ensenada and San Felipe and had time of our lives.

http://www.travelweekly.com/uploadedFiles/MEXICOMAP4.pdf

I still plan vacations for my clients to Mexico with great pleasure. Anywhere we travel we should exercise common sense and caution. We are not in our country and there are some things that are different. It is a shame when people completely write of a country with such rich culture, excellent food, amazing beaches and great climate, and let’s not even talk about tequila.

Another passion of mine that has to do with Mexico is a team of fashion designers called Pineda Covalin. They have incorporated pre-Columbian and Mexican art into the finest silk. Scarves, pareos, purses, shoes, I’m salivating just when I think about it. In the photo below I am wearing Pineda Covalin silk top (red) I bought in Cancun airport boutique in 2011. Hard to find, I love flying into Cancun just to visit their store. In Playa Del Carmen they even have a store. They also have a store in Cabo Airport. Something not to be missed.

Don’t just discount all of Mexico yet.

Happy Travels!

Grab Your Girlfriends and GO!

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:45:00 +0000

This one is a very near and dear to my heart. Since I became a professional travel agent it has been very important to me to have girlfriend getaways as a regular repertoire of what my agency offers.

My first Girlfriend Getaway was WINOS (Women In Need Of Something), which has been designed by travel agents for female travel agents and their girlfriends. Last Year we had a BLAST on a cruise from New Orleans to Cozumel. There was 25 of us ladies. One of the new friends I met was Arlene, she also writes a blog and here is her take on girlfriend getaways: http://ramblingsbytiggheart.com/2011/09/30/girlfriend-getaway-awesome/ and more in depth account about meeting new friends http://ramblingsbytiggheart.com/2011/09/19/meeting-new-friends/

This year it’s WINOS @ JAMAICA! At Grand Bahia Prinipe in Runaway Bay September 20th. Email me @ DC@cosmopolitantravels.com if you are interested in joining us.

It is truly a chance for us to ‘let our hair down’ and enjoy ourselves. We rarely have a chance to spend quality time together, as we are from all different corners of the United States, and it is so nice to finally sit and break bread together after years or even just months of e-mails, Facebook or phone calls. And being in this business we are spoiled with our requests for ourselves. The worst part about WINOS - September seems so far away!

So have a glass of wine with your BFF and think about joining us. We think Jamaica will never be the same. We already have 50+ ladies signed up.

Stay warm this week and Happy Travels!

Duty Free Liquor

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:06:00 +0000

Well 1st and foremost, let me point you to the official rules Duty Free Information webpage.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/duty_free_travel_alert.shtm

There was some discussions if you are having a layover outside United States, whether you will be let on a plane with properly sealed duty free containers - and 9 times out of 10 it’s no.

So here are my 2 cents. There are several things I will go out of my way do get. My latest drink is Ron Ricardo Coconut Bahamian Rum.

Can’t get it in United States. They also make it flavored with banana, pineapple, mango etc. So when I’m in the Bahamas - I will make sure that 2 bottles come home with me.

One of the great things about Nassau airport is that you will clear US Customs right there and then, so if you have a direct flight home, you’ll be safe with your yellow 2 bottle carry on on the plane. However, if you have a layover, and you can't check it into your luggage (because your luggage is on the way to your final destination), they might take it away from you, if you can't find a way to check it.

My advice is: when in Bahamas, get your Ron Ricardo into your luggage in your hotel room if you have a layover. The fact that it will cost you 3-4 $ less at the airport is not worth your aggravation.

Other than that regular duty free liquor just because it’s less expensive is just not worth the hassle. Chances are you’ll find it cheeper in Costco.

Have a Safe Week and Happy Travels!

Cruising and safety

noreply@blogger.com (Cosmopolitan Travels) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:34:00 +0000

I feel obligated to comment on a Costa Concordia tragedy that happened last week. My heart goes out to victims and their family. I'm sure we have all been affected by the news coverage and images we have seen this last week.

However, cruising remains a very safe way to travel. My friend Arlene Pelz wrote a great in-depth article about it, so I have decided to share it will all of you. Why you should not be afraid to cruise:

In closing, we've all heard of planes that have crashed, but that didn't stop me to get on the 26 different flights in 2011 alone. Cruise industry leaders still maintain that the demand is still there and cruise enthusiasts will still enjoy their favorite mode of travel.

Have a Good Night and Safe Travels!