Jul 22, 2008
Leisure Larry has announced his first package for the autumn: $1,600 including round-trip air, two nights' hotel, and a seven-night cruise
I interviewed Larry Fishkin, aka "Leisure Larry," of Travel Themes and Dreams (www.travelthemesanddreams.com) by phone on my Sunday program last weekend. He's the veteran cruise broker who, until ten years ago, had led the industry in the depth of the discounts he offered for ocean-going cruises (in a company called The Cruise Line, Inc.). A Miami resident, he knows almost everyone in the cruise world, and apparently parlays those contacts into big advantages.
Ten years ago, Fishkin sold The Cruise Line, Inc. to a conglomerate, and devoted the intervening time to various other activities in travel. He has now returned to the fray (last week, as recently as that!) with a new website. And the initial listings on his website are of various cruises offered at a major discount.
But starting in the next several days, he advised me, he will be supplementing the standard cruise prices with "cruise packages" combining round-trip air from the U.S., two hotel nights at the embarkation port, and then a seven-night cruise, for an amount that will represent the largest reduction off published rates that the industry presently knows. By combining airfare and hotel stays together with a cruise, he will be able to avoid the cruise lines' strictures against openly reducing the cruise price to below the levels sold by the cruise line itself (no one will be able to tell what they're paying for the cruise as contrasted with the air and the hotel stay).
He advised me that his first package, going up in just a few days, will be a round-trip flight to Barcelona occurring on autumn dates, two nights at a good Barcelona hotel, round-trip port-to-ship transfers, and seven nights on a Mediterranean ship of Norwegian Cruise Line, all for $1,600-some-odd, but plus taxes and fuel surcharge. Since the round-trip autumn air fare to Barcelona is itself at least $1,200 per person, you are getting the hotel nights and the cruise at an unprecedented low price.
I'm predicting that about two days from now (we're the first blog to make the announcement), you'll be able to book that package or gain additional information about it, by either accessing the website or phoning tel. 877/870-7447.
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Ten years ago, Fishkin sold The Cruise Line, Inc. to a conglomerate, and devoted the intervening time to various other activities in travel. He has now returned to the fray (last week, as recently as that!) with a new website. And the initial listings on his website are of various cruises offered at a major discount.
But starting in the next several days, he advised me, he will be supplementing the standard cruise prices with "cruise packages" combining round-trip air from the U.S., two hotel nights at the embarkation port, and then a seven-night cruise, for an amount that will represent the largest reduction off published rates that the industry presently knows. By combining airfare and hotel stays together with a cruise, he will be able to avoid the cruise lines' strictures against openly reducing the cruise price to below the levels sold by the cruise line itself (no one will be able to tell what they're paying for the cruise as contrasted with the air and the hotel stay).
He advised me that his first package, going up in just a few days, will be a round-trip flight to Barcelona occurring on autumn dates, two nights at a good Barcelona hotel, round-trip port-to-ship transfers, and seven nights on a Mediterranean ship of Norwegian Cruise Line, all for $1,600-some-odd, but plus taxes and fuel surcharge. Since the round-trip autumn air fare to Barcelona is itself at least $1,200 per person, you are getting the hotel nights and the cruise at an unprecedented low price.
I'm predicting that about two days from now (we're the first blog to make the announcement), you'll be able to book that package or gain additional information about it, by either accessing the website or phoning tel. 877/870-7447.
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Jul 21, 2008
Did you know you could visit New York's Museum of Modern Art for free (one night a week)?
Visitors to New York City will obviously consider the city's famed Museum of Modern Art (an overwhelming collection of the past century's masterworks) to be a must-see, but many are deterred from stepping in by a hefty $20 per person admission fee. Other great museums of Manhattan theoretically charge as much, but also advise that the fee is simply a "suggested" donation, and I know a great many residents who simply drop a single dollar bill into the admissions box at institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and then saunter gaily inside without being challenged by the ticket takers.
That can't be done at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), which is a privately owned, and not city-run, attraction. There, $20 means $20.
But, Friday evenings at MOMA, from four to eight, are "Target nights" when the nation's Target stores pick up the tab, and admission is therefore free of charge. That policy is known to a great many parsimonious New Yorkers, but certainly not to all, and is unknown (as best I know) to almost all out-of-town visitors. So I feel good about alerting you to the fact that Fridays from 4-8pm, you can visit one of the world's great museums for free.
Don't fail to take advantage of this big opportunity.
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That can't be done at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), which is a privately owned, and not city-run, attraction. There, $20 means $20.
But, Friday evenings at MOMA, from four to eight, are "Target nights" when the nation's Target stores pick up the tab, and admission is therefore free of charge. That policy is known to a great many parsimonious New Yorkers, but certainly not to all, and is unknown (as best I know) to almost all out-of-town visitors. So I feel good about alerting you to the fact that Fridays from 4-8pm, you can visit one of the world's great museums for free.
Don't fail to take advantage of this big opportunity.
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Labels: arts, deals, new york city
Jul 16, 2008
Late August and early September are a window of opportunity for reduced vacation costs all throughout the U.S. travel market
It's July 15, the very peak of the peak season, when every bed, seat and berth is supposed to be full. But travel falls off sharply towards the end of August(when a great many schools have already re-commenced, and children have returned to their homes from camp or vacationing. And even on some earlier dates in August, softness is found in travel bookings, and bargains begin to emerge.
Last-Minute Cruises
In cruises, I find a great many top opportunities listed in VacationsToGo.com (www.vacationstogo.com) and the other big cruise discounters, even to such popular places as Alaska. Here are five last-minute openings on VacationsToGo:
Last-Minute Las Vegas
Vegas always slumps in late August and early September, a) because it's beastly hot there, and b) convention activity hasn't resumed after the summer hiatus, and no large groups are yet coming to this city of big meetings. I've already written about the late-summer bargains on LasVegasAdvisor (www.lasvegasadvisor.com), starting with rooms for as little as $19.99 at the off-Strip-but-quite-serviceable Palace Station Hotel. And right on the Strip in late August/early September, you can enjoy weekday stays at the Tropicana for as little as $39 per room per night, for $50 at the Excalibur, and for $65 at the cushy Luxor. You'll get the best rates if you register with various hotels directly on their websites and thus invite them to periodically e-mail their best offers to you.
Last-Minute Orlando
More and more elementary schools begin their school years before Labor Day, and thus bring families back home from their vacations in late August. Business slumps at that time to the theme parks and the cheap motels in Kissimmee, adjoining Orlando, offer rooms rates (sometimes for a family of four) as low as $35 and $40 a night.
Last-Minute Barbados
The extraordinary Best of Barbados program, flagrantly subsidized by the Barbadian government, offers its very lowest prices in September, when one-week air-and-land packages cost as little as $326 per person from Miami, using the Bayfield House Hotel. Remember that prices shoot upwards by from $100 to $200 the moment October is reached. All the major tour operators -- Liberty Travel, Vacation Travel Mart, Cheap Caribbean -- offer these rates and feature them on their websites.
August/September Gas Rebates
And finally, keep in mind that most accommodations search engines -- like Hotels.com (www.hotels.com), BookIt (www.bookit.com), BedandBreakfast.com (www.bedandbreakfast.com)-- are giving valuable gas rebates to persons who book a weeklong late-summer stay using their services.
Late August and early September are when the cost of vacationing declines all over the U.S.
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Last-Minute Cruises
In cruises, I find a great many top opportunities listed in VacationsToGo.com (www.vacationstogo.com) and the other big cruise discounters, even to such popular places as Alaska. Here are five last-minute openings on VacationsToGo:
- August 18 and August 25 departures of the Island Princess, 7 nights in Alaska, $535
- August 10 departure of Holland America's Vaandam, 7 nights in Alaska, $605
- August 29 sailing of the Carnival Spirit, 7 nights in Alaska, $599
- August 14 sailing of the Carnival Victory, 4 nights from New York City to Canada, $449
- August 30 sailing of the Carnival Liberty, 7 nights to the Caribbean, $479
Last-Minute Las Vegas
Vegas always slumps in late August and early September, a) because it's beastly hot there, and b) convention activity hasn't resumed after the summer hiatus, and no large groups are yet coming to this city of big meetings. I've already written about the late-summer bargains on LasVegasAdvisor (www.lasvegasadvisor.com), starting with rooms for as little as $19.99 at the off-Strip-but-quite-serviceable Palace Station Hotel. And right on the Strip in late August/early September, you can enjoy weekday stays at the Tropicana for as little as $39 per room per night, for $50 at the Excalibur, and for $65 at the cushy Luxor. You'll get the best rates if you register with various hotels directly on their websites and thus invite them to periodically e-mail their best offers to you.
Last-Minute Orlando
More and more elementary schools begin their school years before Labor Day, and thus bring families back home from their vacations in late August. Business slumps at that time to the theme parks and the cheap motels in Kissimmee, adjoining Orlando, offer rooms rates (sometimes for a family of four) as low as $35 and $40 a night.
Last-Minute Barbados
The extraordinary Best of Barbados program, flagrantly subsidized by the Barbadian government, offers its very lowest prices in September, when one-week air-and-land packages cost as little as $326 per person from Miami, using the Bayfield House Hotel. Remember that prices shoot upwards by from $100 to $200 the moment October is reached. All the major tour operators -- Liberty Travel, Vacation Travel Mart, Cheap Caribbean -- offer these rates and feature them on their websites.
August/September Gas Rebates
And finally, keep in mind that most accommodations search engines -- like Hotels.com (www.hotels.com), BookIt (www.bookit.com), BedandBreakfast.com (www.bedandbreakfast.com)-- are giving valuable gas rebates to persons who book a weeklong late-summer stay using their services.
Late August and early September are when the cost of vacationing declines all over the U.S.
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Labels: deals
Jul 11, 2008
Need an ultra-cheap cruise vacation this coming December? Consider sailing out of Charleston, South Carolina
Back in mid-June, I wrote about three, one-week-long, December cruises of the Norwegian Majesty out of Charleston, South Carolina, selling for as little as $399 per person in inside cabins. And I said these might well be the cheapest cruises currently offered in all the world of cruising. I expected, quite frankly, that all three would quickly sell out.
Well one of them -- the departure of December 20 -- apparently did sell out (at that low-ball price). But two others, to my surprise, are still available at the $399 rate. If you'll phone America's Vacation Center (tel. 888/420-1035; www.americasvacationcenter.com), you should still be able to book the departures of December 6 or December 13 from Charleston. These, again, are 7-day sailings going to Freeport, Nassau, Port Canaveral, and a private island in the Bahamas, and they also involve two days simply at sea. And while the itinerary is not the most exotic of routes, the ship is a fine and comfortable vessel, and $399 for seven nights is a remarkable price, probably cheaper than living at home. If you've never been on a cruise, you might also use this easy-to-reach U.S. port for your debut.
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Well one of them -- the departure of December 20 -- apparently did sell out (at that low-ball price). But two others, to my surprise, are still available at the $399 rate. If you'll phone America's Vacation Center (tel. 888/420-1035; www.americasvacationcenter.com), you should still be able to book the departures of December 6 or December 13 from Charleston. These, again, are 7-day sailings going to Freeport, Nassau, Port Canaveral, and a private island in the Bahamas, and they also involve two days simply at sea. And while the itinerary is not the most exotic of routes, the ship is a fine and comfortable vessel, and $399 for seven nights is a remarkable price, probably cheaper than living at home. If you've never been on a cruise, you might also use this easy-to-reach U.S. port for your debut.
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Jul 9, 2008
Bargain of the Day: Another weird (and cheap) repositioning cruise, this time for 12 nights from New Orleans to Boston for $769
A week ago, I wrote about the strangest cruise ship itinerary in my experience, a Norwegian Cruise Line sailing from New York to Miami taking 12 nights (because the ship lengthened the itinerary to wander through the Caribbean before heading back north to Miami). You can find it in our posts of a few days back.
Well it seems that Norwegian Cruise Line has all sorts of strange needs to keep its ships active, and the next such example takes place on April 19, 2009, when the 2,000-passenger, relatively-new (1999) Norwegian Spirit departs from New Orleans to visit Mexico (the Costa Maya), Guadeloupe (Santo Tomas Castillo), Belize City, Willemstad (Curacao), and Bermuda (Hamilton), before proceeding north to Boston to end this itinerary lifted from the kind of wanderings you'd expect on The Flying Dutchman of old (six days are spent simply at sea).
The cost for all 12 days: $769 per person in inside cabins, plus $380 in taxes, port fees, and fuel surcharge. Even including taxes, port fees and fuel surcharges, you are paying only $95 a day for a glamorous cruise filled with meals, snacks, entertainment, sports, port visits, and the brisk sea air.
You can buy this strange -- but quite intriguing--opportunity from White Travel Service of West Hartford, Connecticut (tel. 800/547-4790; www.whitetravel.com).
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Well it seems that Norwegian Cruise Line has all sorts of strange needs to keep its ships active, and the next such example takes place on April 19, 2009, when the 2,000-passenger, relatively-new (1999) Norwegian Spirit departs from New Orleans to visit Mexico (the Costa Maya), Guadeloupe (Santo Tomas Castillo), Belize City, Willemstad (Curacao), and Bermuda (Hamilton), before proceeding north to Boston to end this itinerary lifted from the kind of wanderings you'd expect on The Flying Dutchman of old (six days are spent simply at sea).
The cost for all 12 days: $769 per person in inside cabins, plus $380 in taxes, port fees, and fuel surcharge. Even including taxes, port fees and fuel surcharges, you are paying only $95 a day for a glamorous cruise filled with meals, snacks, entertainment, sports, port visits, and the brisk sea air.
You can buy this strange -- but quite intriguing--opportunity from White Travel Service of West Hartford, Connecticut (tel. 800/547-4790; www.whitetravel.com).
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Jul 8, 2008
September is shaping us as the best possible time in years to visit China -- that's how bad the post-Olympics slump is predicted to be
A British website read by travel professionals -- TravelMole (www.travelmole.com) -- is filled with dire predictions about how bad things will be in China when the Olympics have ended (August 24). The country is full of new hotels that haven't really been marketed for the post-Olympics period. And making things worse is a phenomenon that no one really understands: the fact that, historically, cities and countries hosting the Olympic games enjoy diminished tourism in the immediate aftermath of that event.
Says the European Tour Operators Association, as quoted in TravelMole:
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Says the European Tour Operators Association, as quoted in TravelMole:
A report from the association claims to reinforce the conclusions of a study published two years ago by ETOA that hosting the Olympics typically stalls tourism growth... Latest data from Greece and Australia suggests that tourism to the host country is harmed even more than to the host city, according to ETOA.So contact: China Focus (www.chinafocustravel.com), Chinaspree.com (www.chinaspree.com), RIM-PAC International (www.rim-pac.com), Ritz Tours (www.ritztours.com), Pacific Delight Tours (www.pacificdelighttours.com), smarTours (www.smartours.com), and all the other specialists to China -- and book an immediate trip! China will never again be as cheap, nor will its hoteliers be as frantic to greet you.
Greece has failed to keep pace with neighbours Croatia and Turkey and the performance gap is widening, with the growth in visitor arrivals trailing that of Turkey by more than 20% a year since the Athens Olympics.
Following the 2000 Olympics, visitors to Australia declined for three years in a row, while tourism to the prime competitor destination, New Zealand continued to grow consistently, ETOA said.
[W]hat has been seen in city after city over the past Olympics are unrealistic expectations, which are ultimately met with real shortfalls in demand.
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Jul 3, 2008
How bad is business in Las Vegas? Try $20 for a double room at a decent (though off-Strip) hotel
Our friends at LasVegasAdvisor (www.lasvegasadvisor.com) have just advised that room rates in Sin City are currently at "their lowest points since 2003." They go on to say:
Now, not every weekday in July is that cheap (though many are). And there are extra charges, like a $4.95 "amenities fee". But scattered throughout the summer are Sunday-through-Thursday-night dates when accommodations in Las Vegas are almost absurdly low for rooms of such quality. (Weekends are always higher). And the price of an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner at Palace Station can occasionally drop during the same period to $6.99.
If you can only resist gambling, you'll live well in Las Vegas for some of the cheapest charges in America.
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In an extensive survey of 84 casino-hotels ... [we] found that more than half (47) had available rates of $50 or less in July. And it's not only the lower-tier hotels... Our survey found prices below $90 at Luxor, MGM Grand, Flamingo, Hard Rock, Mirage, Palms, Planet Hollywood, and Paris. Meanwhile, a less comprehensive rate check of comparable accommodations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Orlando yielded only one hotel with a sub-$50 rate.You'll confirm that news by going to the website for Palace Station (www.palacestation.com), a big, off-Strip hotel. the box at the top of its main page carries rotating ads. Choose #3 and you should see "Internet Only Special -- $15 off regular room rates." Click that box, and then go to July 8 (7/8), where you'll find a room rate for that day of $19.99!
Now, not every weekday in July is that cheap (though many are). And there are extra charges, like a $4.95 "amenities fee". But scattered throughout the summer are Sunday-through-Thursday-night dates when accommodations in Las Vegas are almost absurdly low for rooms of such quality. (Weekends are always higher). And the price of an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner at Palace Station can occasionally drop during the same period to $6.99.
If you can only resist gambling, you'll live well in Las Vegas for some of the cheapest charges in America.
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Labels: accommodations, deals, las vegas
Jul 2, 2008
To bolster the case for flying Southwest Airlines, take a look at their $29 airfares -- yes, $29
Though I'll be ousted from high society for saying so, I recently touted the growing advantage of flying within the U.S. on the inelegant, crowded, and awfully unsophisticated Southwest Airlines (www.southwest.com). It's the only major U.S. carrier to have remained profitable in 2008 to date, and its prices will continue to undercut all the others by a fair margin.
As further proof of that, you might want to know that Southwest is still charging only $29 for non-stop, one-way flights between close-in cities purchased at least 21 days in advance. Those amazing rates are available from: Austin, Texas (to and from Houston); Birmingham, Alabama (to and from Nashville or New Orleans); Boise, Idaho (to and from Spokane, Washington); Chicago Midway (to and from Indianapolis); Corpus-Christi, Texas (to and from Houston); Dallas, Texas (to and from Tulsa); Houston, Texas (to and from Austin or Corpus Christi or San Antonio); Indianapolis, Indiana (to and from Chicago); Jacksonville, Florida (to and from Tampa Bay); Nashville, Tennessee (to and from Birmingham); New Orleans, Louisiana (to and from Birmingham); San Antonio, Texas (to and from Houston); Seattle, Washington (to and from Spokane); Spokane, Washington (to and from Boise); Tampa Bay, Florida (to and from Jacksonville); and Tulsa, Oklahoma (to and from Dallas).
Now to those $29 oddities you'll have to add the federal excise tax of $3.50, a September 11 security fee of $2.50, and airport-assessed passenger facility charges of $4.50. And the far more usual Southwest one-way fares, nowadays, are $89, $149 and $179, not requiring such a long advance purchase as the $29 specials. Indeed, for a much longer flight requiring stops en route, you can even pay as much as in the low $300s nowadays on Southwest.
But you can almost always be sure of paying considerably less than the other airlines charge. Swallow your pride, travel to those out-of-the-way airports, and join the homey folks who rush to board each flight.
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As further proof of that, you might want to know that Southwest is still charging only $29 for non-stop, one-way flights between close-in cities purchased at least 21 days in advance. Those amazing rates are available from: Austin, Texas (to and from Houston); Birmingham, Alabama (to and from Nashville or New Orleans); Boise, Idaho (to and from Spokane, Washington); Chicago Midway (to and from Indianapolis); Corpus-Christi, Texas (to and from Houston); Dallas, Texas (to and from Tulsa); Houston, Texas (to and from Austin or Corpus Christi or San Antonio); Indianapolis, Indiana (to and from Chicago); Jacksonville, Florida (to and from Tampa Bay); Nashville, Tennessee (to and from Birmingham); New Orleans, Louisiana (to and from Birmingham); San Antonio, Texas (to and from Houston); Seattle, Washington (to and from Spokane); Spokane, Washington (to and from Boise); Tampa Bay, Florida (to and from Jacksonville); and Tulsa, Oklahoma (to and from Dallas).
Now to those $29 oddities you'll have to add the federal excise tax of $3.50, a September 11 security fee of $2.50, and airport-assessed passenger facility charges of $4.50. And the far more usual Southwest one-way fares, nowadays, are $89, $149 and $179, not requiring such a long advance purchase as the $29 specials. Indeed, for a much longer flight requiring stops en route, you can even pay as much as in the low $300s nowadays on Southwest.
But you can almost always be sure of paying considerably less than the other airlines charge. Swallow your pride, travel to those out-of-the-way airports, and join the homey folks who rush to board each flight.
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Jul 1, 2008
Norwegian Cruise Line continues to offer the most and deepest bargains at sea
Amid a torrent of discounted cruise offers, hardly any cruise lines offer sharper reductions than Norwegian Cruise Lines. Most of these are funneled through an internet discounter called Online Vacation Center (tel. 800/329-9002; www.onlinevacationcenter.com), and increasingly the offers are not limited to inside cabins without portholes, but apply to ocean view, balcony-equipped staterooms of high quality.
Currently, Online Vacation Center is offering seven-night sailings in outside, balcony-equipped cabins on board the Norwegian Dawn from Miami, and on board the Norwegian Star from Los Angeles, for $699 per person, a remarkable value.
From Miami, the sailings on the Norwegian Dawn for that price leave on November 29, December 6, and December 13 of this year and on January 3, January 10, and January 17 of 2009. The itinerary: to Samana, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Great Stirrup Cay (the latter being a private island). $699 per person for a balcony cabin.
From Los Angeles on the Norwegian Star, the departures are on October 4, 11, 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and December 6 and 13 of this year. The itinerary: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. $699 per person for a balcony cabin.
For a higher $749 per person (in an outside balcony), Online Vacation Center will send you on a seven-night sailing of the Norwegian Pearl to Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel, and Great Stirrup Cay, leaving round-trip from Miami on October 12, 19, 26, November 9, 16, 30, and December 7 and 14 of this year.
And finally, for $899 per person in an outside balcony cabin, Online Vacation Center will send you on a seven-night sailing of the Norwegian Gem round-trip from New York on December 6 and 13 of this year, visiting Port Canaveral, Great Stirrup Cay, Nassau, and Grand Bahama Island.
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Currently, Online Vacation Center is offering seven-night sailings in outside, balcony-equipped cabins on board the Norwegian Dawn from Miami, and on board the Norwegian Star from Los Angeles, for $699 per person, a remarkable value.
From Miami, the sailings on the Norwegian Dawn for that price leave on November 29, December 6, and December 13 of this year and on January 3, January 10, and January 17 of 2009. The itinerary: to Samana, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Great Stirrup Cay (the latter being a private island). $699 per person for a balcony cabin.
From Los Angeles on the Norwegian Star, the departures are on October 4, 11, 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and December 6 and 13 of this year. The itinerary: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. $699 per person for a balcony cabin.
For a higher $749 per person (in an outside balcony), Online Vacation Center will send you on a seven-night sailing of the Norwegian Pearl to Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel, and Great Stirrup Cay, leaving round-trip from Miami on October 12, 19, 26, November 9, 16, 30, and December 7 and 14 of this year.
And finally, for $899 per person in an outside balcony cabin, Online Vacation Center will send you on a seven-night sailing of the Norwegian Gem round-trip from New York on December 6 and 13 of this year, visiting Port Canaveral, Great Stirrup Cay, Nassau, and Grand Bahama Island.
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Jun 19, 2008
A sale offering an astonishing round-trip airfare to India for only $549 is currently being offered for purchase during the next two-and-a-half days
It sounds too good to be true (and may well be!), but at a time of year when round-trip fares to India are nearly $2,000, there's a way to go there at one-quarter the price -- if you act immediately (within somewhat less than 72 hours). Specifically, if you book autumn trips through a travel agent before Friday night of this week, you can buy a round-trip seat on Air India to Mumbai and other Indian cities for as little as $549 (leaving mid-August to mid-September) and $599 (mid-September to the end of October). While those dates are partially during the monsoon season, numerous old-hands at travel in India will confirm that the rains (a couple of hours a day) don't really interfere with your enjoyment of that exotic sub-continent.
Now what I've just reported is what the consumer press is announcing. They tell you to book the fare by going to www.airindia.com. Once there, you will find not a single word on the subject! It is only when you phone one of Air-India's toll-free numbers (tel. 800/223-7776, 888/359-2412, or 800/625-6424) that a reservationist located in India will advise you that the sale is called One Price India and that it can be purchased only through a travel agent.
I'm dubious about prices as incredible as these. But I would be remiss not to pass on the word. If you have ever hankered to visit India (one of the world's most fascinating countries to tour), and can make a firm decision in the next three days, you really should give One Price India a try.
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Now what I've just reported is what the consumer press is announcing. They tell you to book the fare by going to www.airindia.com. Once there, you will find not a single word on the subject! It is only when you phone one of Air-India's toll-free numbers (tel. 800/223-7776, 888/359-2412, or 800/625-6424) that a reservationist located in India will advise you that the sale is called One Price India and that it can be purchased only through a travel agent.
I'm dubious about prices as incredible as these. But I would be remiss not to pass on the word. If you have ever hankered to visit India (one of the world's most fascinating countries to tour), and can make a firm decision in the next three days, you really should give One Price India a try.
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Jun 17, 2008
Internet "deal" newsletters don't always have the best deals
Our friends at Beat of Hawaii (www.beatofhawaii.com) have done a devastating job on those e-mailed newsletters that consist solely of so-called special bargains on the airlines and from tour operators. Many of these newsletters are paid by the supplier (the airline or the tour operator) to convey news of special deals, and that they are not objective, unpaid listings of top bargains of the sort that this blog and one or two other journalistic services provide. In fact, Beat of Hawaii points out that by the time the e-newsletter has posted its deals, the airlines have themselves undercut them.
By way of proof, Beat of Hawaii cites a special one-way airfare appearing on Travelzoo on June 11 of $447 between Los Angeles and Maui, and says:
By way of proof, Beat of Hawaii cites a special one-way airfare appearing on Travelzoo on June 11 of $447 between Los Angeles and Maui, and says:
No Deal: I priced airfares on four of the cities listed in the Travelzoo Newsletter and found significantly better deals for the same dates of travel.Write and read comments about this post.
- Boston: Travelzoo deal: $996. Northwest offered $725.
- Charlotte: Travelzoo deal: $908. American priced this at $556.
- Chicago: Travelzoo deal: $1,020. Check out Alaska at $860.
- Indianapolis: Travelzoo deal: $952. Northwest comes in low at $665.
Jun 16, 2008
Is $399 per person the world's lowest price for a seven-night sailing of a large ship? Seems so.
Eager to draw attention to every record-breaking travel bargain, I can't fail to mention the December 6, 13 and 20 sailings from Charleston, S.C., of the Norwegian Majesty of Norwegian Cruise Line, on which inside cabins are currently being sold for $399 per person, double occupancy, by a cruise discounter called America's Vacation Center (tel. 888/420-1035; www.americasvacationcenter.com). These are seven-night sailings on a standard cruise ship, going from that South Carolina port to Freeport, Nassau, and a private island in The Bahamas; and Port Canaveral; and spending two days simply at sea en route, before returning to South Carolina. If price is your sole criterion, and you're looking for the single most relaxing week of your life, this could be the way to do it.
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Jun 11, 2008
Those astonishing, under-$500 air-and-land packages to Barbados are currently limited to the month of September -- when they're the cheapest vacations
Subsidized by the government of Barbados, which scarcely attempts to conceal its involvement in the promotion, "The Best of Barbados" brings you round-trip air to that elegant and faraway island, and seven nights of accommodations at beachfront hotels, with breakfast daily, for rates as low as $485 from New York and for as little as $399 (and less) from gateways like Charlotte, North Carolina. You have probably been among the many travel-savvy people who have blinked their eyes, and disbelieved what they were seeing, when they spotted the prices of this heavily-advertised program.
The rates are correct, but the dates aren't often revealed until you move into the process of booking the bonanza. If you'll go to such websites as that of CheapCaribbean.com (tel. 800/915-2322; www.cheapcaribbean.com), or Liberty Travel (tel. 877/823-7777; www.libertytravel.com), you'll discover that the remaining dates of availability are all in the month of September, and sometimes only in the latter half of September. I'm not criticizing that policy of limiting an offer which would otherwise bankrupt that island-nation if it were too generous, but I am pointing out a sensible caution. "The Best of Barbados" is perhaps the most spectacular bargain in travel today (it's offered at near-unbelievable prices from scores of U.S. cities), but it's limited in time. Hold your breath until you first realize it's only in September (and sometimes only for limited dates in September) when you can obtain air-and-land to Barbados for a cheaper price than to any other tropical island.
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The rates are correct, but the dates aren't often revealed until you move into the process of booking the bonanza. If you'll go to such websites as that of CheapCaribbean.com (tel. 800/915-2322; www.cheapcaribbean.com), or Liberty Travel (tel. 877/823-7777; www.libertytravel.com), you'll discover that the remaining dates of availability are all in the month of September, and sometimes only in the latter half of September. I'm not criticizing that policy of limiting an offer which would otherwise bankrupt that island-nation if it were too generous, but I am pointing out a sensible caution. "The Best of Barbados" is perhaps the most spectacular bargain in travel today (it's offered at near-unbelievable prices from scores of U.S. cities), but it's limited in time. Hold your breath until you first realize it's only in September (and sometimes only for limited dates in September) when you can obtain air-and-land to Barbados for a cheaper price than to any other tropical island.
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And still they come -- trans-Atlantic packages designed to overcome the current fear of European prices. Turkey is the latest bonanza
As trans-Atlantic travel slows, one tour operator after another is designing package offers to overcome the current worry about the cost of European travel. The latest entrant is Gate1Travel (tel. 800/682-3333; www.gate1travel.com), which has produced a dilly: round-trip airfare from New York to Istanbul, Turkey, including all fuel surcharges, and four nights' accommodation with breakfast daily at a four-star Istanbul hotel, for as little as $749. (You can extend the stay for only slightly more, and fly out of numerous other U.S. cities for reasonable add-on fares.)
Specifically, the $749 price is available for departures on September 11 and throughout the month of October. The rate goes up to $829 on September 18, $869 for September 25, and $959 for September 4. When you consider the distance flown, and that airfare alone to a less-distant city like Rome would be higher than $1,000 on those dates, you can see that pencils have been sharpened to create the rate. Taxes, fees, and security charges add only $120 more.
This may be the first in a series of attempts to make a short trip to Europe affordable, and it's a pretty impressive start, especially when you consider that some trans-Atlantic airlines are charging $260 for round-trip fuel surcharges alone. To one of Europe's cheaper destinations -- Turkey -- and in a high season period, you can still take a quick trip for only $749.
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Specifically, the $749 price is available for departures on September 11 and throughout the month of October. The rate goes up to $829 on September 18, $869 for September 25, and $959 for September 4. When you consider the distance flown, and that airfare alone to a less-distant city like Rome would be higher than $1,000 on those dates, you can see that pencils have been sharpened to create the rate. Taxes, fees, and security charges add only $120 more.
This may be the first in a series of attempts to make a short trip to Europe affordable, and it's a pretty impressive start, especially when you consider that some trans-Atlantic airlines are charging $260 for round-trip fuel surcharges alone. To one of Europe's cheaper destinations -- Turkey -- and in a high season period, you can still take a quick trip for only $749.
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Jun 10, 2008
You realize how slow things are (in travel) when you spot a price of only $999 per person for a balcony cabin on an upscale ship cruising Alaska
A startling travel surprise is the sale of outside, balcony-equipped cabins on two excellent Holland America ships -- the Oosterdam and the Westerdam -- for $999 per person. That rate is for high-season dates, on the Oosterdam sailing round-trip from Seattle on July 12, 19 and 26 and on August 2 and 9; and on the Westerdam sailing round-trip from Seattle on July 13, 20, and 29, and on August 3 and 10, with each ship going to Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Victoria (Canada), and Glacier Bay (the Westerdam) or Hubbard Glacier (the Oosterdam). In a slow travel season when we've seen many sharp cruise discounts, these particular rates (on premium ships, a notch above the standard Carnival/Royal Caribbean/Norwegian level) are well out of the ordinary.
You can book the $999 price from Online Vacation Center by either phoning 800/329-9002, or by going to www.onlinevacationcenter.com. And you might consider falling back on this opportunity if you haven't yet made vacation plans for the summer. Cruising round-trip from Seattle is a budget-worthy way to solve your vacation needs.
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You can book the $999 price from Online Vacation Center by either phoning 800/329-9002, or by going to www.onlinevacationcenter.com. And you might consider falling back on this opportunity if you haven't yet made vacation plans for the summer. Cruising round-trip from Seattle is a budget-worthy way to solve your vacation needs.
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May 30, 2008
Want an example of Nicaragua's rock-bottom rates? How about $90 a day per person, including everything, at the country's best five-star resort?
Most observers would claim that the very best beach resort in Nicaragua is the 230-unit Spanish-owned Barcelo Montelimar Beach Hotel on two miles of white sands fronting the Pacific Ocean (all about 35 miles from the airport of Managua). In addition to that remarkable beach, it has the largest swimming pool in Latin America, a casino, nightly entertainment, several à la carte restaurants in addition to a buffet restaurant, and every conceivable sea sport and associated entertainment.
For a double room in July, including all three meals a day, unlimited drinks, unlimited sea sports and recreation, the cost is about $90 per day per person. Single persons traveling alone can often obtain a single room with all-inclusive arrangements (three meals and unlimited drinks) for about $110 a day.
Most observers would also claim that these rates undercut any other equivalent, five-star hotel in Central America. You can learn more at www.barcelo.com, or at www.barcelomontelimarbeach.com.
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For a double room in July, including all three meals a day, unlimited drinks, unlimited sea sports and recreation, the cost is about $90 per day per person. Single persons traveling alone can often obtain a single room with all-inclusive arrangements (three meals and unlimited drinks) for about $110 a day.
Most observers would also claim that these rates undercut any other equivalent, five-star hotel in Central America. You can learn more at www.barcelo.com, or at www.barcelomontelimarbeach.com.
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I've got two new cruise bargains for you to consider, each time on ships better than the usual species
Whether or not one cruise ship is better than another is often a hard question, and not always easily determined. But one thing is fairly sure: ships of Celebrity Cruises and Holland America Cruises are almost always higher in quality (in food, service, cabins and various amenities) than ships of Carnival Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, or Norwegian Cruise Line. Therefore, when bargains are offered for a Celebrity or Holland America sailing, attention should be paid.
1) An August 31 departure of a Holland America ship cruising the coast of Alaska, for $549 per person, is one such top opportunity. Earlier this week, I wrote about an end of June sailing of a Holland America ship for an astounding $399 per person. But that's awfully soon. For travelers needing more time to prepare, a near-equivalent is a $549 price per person for a seven-night sailing of Holland-America's upscale Zaandam leaving Vancouver on August 31, and proceeding along the Alaskan coast to Seward, entering famous Glacier Bay along the way. This one's offered by VacationsToGo.com (tel. 800/338-4962; www.vacationstogo.com), listed as Fast Deal#27747, and because Vacations to Go has also quoted a price of $499 in other media, you might do well to name the $499 rate as what you're seeking, when you call. Even for $50 more, this is a big opportunity.
2) A 10-night sailing of the Mediterranean, round-trip from Barcelona and leaving on October 10, 31 and November 21, aboard the elegant Celebrity Century, with outside ocean-view cabins available for $919 per person, is an equivalent marvel. The ship stops in Nice, France; in the port for Florence/Pisa, Italy; near Rome (Civitavecchia); Naples/Capri; Valletta; and Tunis, before returning to Barcelona, and the 10-night duration means that you're paying below $100 a day for a high-quality ship. This one's offered by Online Vacation Center (tel. 800/780-9002; www.onlinevacationcenter.com), and apparently needs to be booked by end of day on June 1, just shortly from now (though who knows how firm is the deadline?).
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1) An August 31 departure of a Holland America ship cruising the coast of Alaska, for $549 per person, is one such top opportunity. Earlier this week, I wrote about an end of June sailing of a Holland America ship for an astounding $399 per person. But that's awfully soon. For travelers needing more time to prepare, a near-equivalent is a $549 price per person for a seven-night sailing of Holland-America's upscale Zaandam leaving Vancouver on August 31, and proceeding along the Alaskan coast to Seward, entering famous Glacier Bay along the way. This one's offered by VacationsToGo.com (tel. 800/338-4962; www.vacationstogo.com), listed as Fast Deal#27747, and because Vacations to Go has also quoted a price of $499 in other media, you might do well to name the $499 rate as what you're seeking, when you call. Even for $50 more, this is a big opportunity.
2) A 10-night sailing of the Mediterranean, round-trip from Barcelona and leaving on October 10, 31 and November 21, aboard the elegant Celebrity Century, with outside ocean-view cabins available for $919 per person, is an equivalent marvel. The ship stops in Nice, France; in the port for Florence/Pisa, Italy; near Rome (Civitavecchia); Naples/Capri; Valletta; and Tunis, before returning to Barcelona, and the 10-night duration means that you're paying below $100 a day for a high-quality ship. This one's offered by Online Vacation Center (tel. 800/780-9002; www.onlinevacationcenter.com), and apparently needs to be booked by end of day on June 1, just shortly from now (though who knows how firm is the deadline?).
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May 29, 2008
Would you believe a price of $399 per person for a seven-night cruise of Alaska on board an upscale Holland America ship?
$399 -- I'll tell you where to get it in a moment -- is probably the lowest price ever offered for a ship of high quality, sailing a classic itinerary of Alaskan waters (which includes a day in Glacier Bay, the high point of all such cruises) and for a high season date. The Volendam of Holland-America sails on June 22 from Seward, Alaska, and finally arrives -- after hitting all the highlights of the Alaskan coast -- on June 29 in Vancouver. And the line has apparently made arrangements with Cruises Only (tel. 800/CRUISES; www.cruisesonly.com) to sell inside cabins for only $399 per person, based on two persons traveling together.
The only other date when the Volendam will be substantially reduced in price is on its similar, southbound departure of August 17, when inside cabins will be sold for only $699 per person.
The Cruises Only website carries a headline claiming that it will also arrange "up to" $300 of free-of-charge purchases (drinks and the like) aboard the Volendam, but then makes no more specific reference or promise later on. It's important to inquire about this when you reach a telephone reservationist at Cruises Only.
You'll also want to scan the map of the ship's voyage that appears in the website.
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The only other date when the Volendam will be substantially reduced in price is on its similar, southbound departure of August 17, when inside cabins will be sold for only $699 per person.
The Cruises Only website carries a headline claiming that it will also arrange "up to" $300 of free-of-charge purchases (drinks and the like) aboard the Volendam, but then makes no more specific reference or promise later on. It's important to inquire about this when you reach a telephone reservationist at Cruises Only.
You'll also want to scan the map of the ship's voyage that appears in the website.
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May 28, 2008
Heard about those round-trip airfares of $270 from the east coast to Hawaii? They lasted less than 24 hours
A considerable number of blogs were breathlessly reporting, as of yesterday morning, that United and Continental had introduced miraculous airfares of $270, round-trip between Newark or Houston, and Honolulu, for persons booking at least 21 days in advance, actually traveling after mid-August, and going only on certain specific weekdays. Imagine! $135 one-way between the east coast of the U.S. and Oahu!
I heard the news first, to their credit, on Beat of Hawaii (www.beatofhawaii.com), the smart, new website for Hawaii enthusiasts. In announcing these sensational rates, the two authors of Beat of Hawaii took pains to emphasize that fares like those would disappear in a day.
No such caution was exhibited yesterday by various purveyors of airfare bargains, who all announced these rates and urged you to consider them -- apparently, at your leisure. Never has there been a more dramatic sale, caught by bloggers who spend their lives pulling up airfares, but totally unmentioned in a single press release or other announcement by the airlines themselves.
Last last night, it became obvious why the airlines hadn't trumpeted the bonanza. I can only assume they assigned about four seats to the $270 price, because as of today, the $270 airfare has disappeared from the internet. If you'll look at one of the replies to our own post you'll see a message from Beat of Hawaii confirming that the $270 has been replaced by fares three and four times as high.
To my knowledge, no other blog has advised their readers that the airfare no longer exists. Sorry about that.
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I heard the news first, to their credit, on Beat of Hawaii (www.beatofhawaii.com), the smart, new website for Hawaii enthusiasts. In announcing these sensational rates, the two authors of Beat of Hawaii took pains to emphasize that fares like those would disappear in a day.
No such caution was exhibited yesterday by various purveyors of airfare bargains, who all announced these rates and urged you to consider them -- apparently, at your leisure. Never has there been a more dramatic sale, caught by bloggers who spend their lives pulling up airfares, but totally unmentioned in a single press release or other announcement by the airlines themselves.
Last last night, it became obvious why the airlines hadn't trumpeted the bonanza. I can only assume they assigned about four seats to the $270 price, because as of today, the $270 airfare has disappeared from the internet. If you'll look at one of the replies to our own post you'll see a message from Beat of Hawaii confirming that the $270 has been replaced by fares three and four times as high.
To my knowledge, no other blog has advised their readers that the airfare no longer exists. Sorry about that.
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May 22, 2008
Will wonders never cease? Try $380 round-trip to Hawaii from the west coast
Here's an oddity: without the slightest publicity, Continental Airways (www.continental.com) has quietly revised the price of its round-trip airfare to Hawaii from Los Angeles, in late summer, to $380. The fare is good for flights from August 18 until pre-Christmas; it requires a seven-day advance purchase; and it is at least $160 cheaper than the next, lowest, end-of-summer airfare offered by Hawaiian Airlines. I owe this discovery to the blog known as Beat of Hawaii (www.beatofhawaii.com), whose authors apparently make random passes at the websites of the Hawaii-bound airlines, simply inserting dates at random to see what they get. This is probably a price for a limited number of seats, and will undoubtedly get withdrawn after a few days, but if you act now, you can assure yourself of an awfully cheap Hawaiian vacation.
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Labels: airfare, deals, hawaii
May 21, 2008
Starting in July, you can take an ocean cruise (a short one) on a modern ship, for only $229
Got $229? If that's all you have, but you're determined to enjoy a bit of a respite, you'll want to consider booking the 2,000-passenger Norwegian Sky (formerly the Pride of Aloha) out of Miami. Norwegian Cruise Line has just announced that it will be shifting that fairly new (nine years old) ship to the waters of Florida, and operating 3-night and 4-night cruises throughout the year.
The three-night trips, departing Fridays, will sail from Miami to Nassau, Grand Stirrup Cay, and back. The four-night trips, departing Mondays, will sail to Grand Bahama Island, Nassau, and Great Stirrup Bay (the last-named being a private island in the Bahamas).
Book the three-night trip and you'll pay only $229 per person in inside cabins. It's a poor man's special, and a nice change of pace.
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The three-night trips, departing Fridays, will sail from Miami to Nassau, Grand Stirrup Cay, and back. The four-night trips, departing Mondays, will sail to Grand Bahama Island, Nassau, and Great Stirrup Bay (the last-named being a private island in the Bahamas).
Book the three-night trip and you'll pay only $229 per person in inside cabins. It's a poor man's special, and a nice change of pace.
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May 20, 2008
Sound the trumpets for the world's best airfare bargain: it's to Bali!
I caught this one courtesy of Jane Wooldridge, travel editor of the Miami Herald, who points out that Cathay Pacific has quietly reduced its round-trip fare between New York and Bali to $865 (same price as is offered from Los Angeles and San Francisco round-trip to Bali). You'll need to book by May 31, and travel on selected dates in September through November (see the details by clicking on "Deal of the Month" at www.cathayusa.com), but you'll go at an unprecedented price.
You can, of course, do almost as well by booking an air-and-land package to Bali through Roe Gruber's Escapes Unlimited (www.escapesltd.com). But her arrangements are usually for short-term stays only (like a week or two). Here, you can go to Bali for a month, let's say, and enjoy some of the lowest lodging and food costs of any destination -- as well as the enchanting atmosphere and graciousness of the Balinese. Bali (especially the central uplands around the town of Ubud) is one of the few places to really deserve the description of island paradise.
While checking the Cathay Pacific website, you'll also note that this top-rated carrier is continuing to offer its 2008 All Asia Pass for $1,099 per person from either New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco (no extra charge from New York). And what does that bring you? Round-trip air to Hong Kong, as well as round-trip air between Hong Kong and Bali, Singapore and Tokyo. It's a world's wonder, a ticket to the best of Asia, four capitals, for one airfare outlay of $1,099.
You can, of course, do almost as well by booking an air-and-land package to Bali through Roe Gruber's Escapes Unlimited (www.escapesltd.com). But her arrangements are usually for short-term stays only (like a week or two). Here, you can go to Bali for a month, let's say, and enjoy some of the lowest lodging and food costs of any destination -- as well as the enchanting atmosphere and graciousness of the Balinese. Bali (especially the central uplands around the town of Ubud) is one of the few places to really deserve the description of island paradise.
While checking the Cathay Pacific website, you'll also note that this top-rated carrier is continuing to offer its 2008 All Asia Pass for $1,099 per person from either New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco (no extra charge from New York). And what does that bring you? Round-trip air to Hong Kong, as well as round-trip air between Hong Kong and Bali, Singapore and Tokyo. It's a world's wonder, a ticket to the best of Asia, four capitals, for one airfare outlay of $1,099.
May 19, 2008
In planning a Caribbean vacation this summer, be sure to check the offerings of Liberty Travel
There was a time when Liberty Travel (tel. 800/897-9999; www.libertytravel.com) was always the cheapest to the tropics. During my own years as a tour operator, I used to rub my eyes when I saw the rates that this competitor offered for a weeklong stay at various Caribbean resorts. On one occasion I even called the president of Liberty Travel to suggest that a price in his ad might be a typographical error. He burst into laughter. I subsequently learned that Liberty's power with the public enabled them to get unbeatable airfares from American Airlines and rock-bottom rates from the hotels they used. No one else could come close.
In more recent years, Liberty hasn't seemed to play the price leader, and you would often find lower rates from much smaller firms. But that seems to be changing. Recently acquired (just two months ago) by a rich Australian conglomerate, Liberty's current prices are again quite impressive, and though they don't always undercut those of Vacation Travel Mart (www.vacmart.com), Apple Vacations (www.applevacations.com), or CheapCaribbean.com (www.cheapcaribbean.com), they frequently give battle to those firms. The Aussies are apparently intent on reestablishing Liberty's cost-cutting reputation.
All this is by way of suggesting that when you begin to plan a trip to Cancún, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Barbados and the like, you should always check your tentative decision by learning what Liberty will charge for the same trip (and though Liberty's offices are mainly along the eastern seaboard, they quote air-included prices from every major U.S. city as far west as Los Angeles). You do that easiest by simply going to Liberty's website, or by phoning its 800 number.
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In more recent years, Liberty hasn't seemed to play the price leader, and you would often find lower rates from much smaller firms. But that seems to be changing. Recently acquired (just two months ago) by a rich Australian conglomerate, Liberty's current prices are again quite impressive, and though they don't always undercut those of Vacation Travel Mart (www.vacmart.com), Apple Vacations (www.applevacations.com), or CheapCaribbean.com (www.cheapcaribbean.com), they frequently give battle to those firms. The Aussies are apparently intent on reestablishing Liberty's cost-cutting reputation.
All this is by way of suggesting that when you begin to plan a trip to Cancún, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Barbados and the like, you should always check your tentative decision by learning what Liberty will charge for the same trip (and though Liberty's offices are mainly along the eastern seaboard, they quote air-included prices from every major U.S. city as far west as Los Angeles). You do that easiest by simply going to Liberty's website, or by phoning its 800 number.
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Labels: caribbean, deals, websites
May 14, 2008
Among the dividends of LasVegasAdvisor are listings of the best values in Sin City
I earlier wrote about the popular website called TravelWorm, which specializes in revealing reduced-price hotel rooms in all the major U.S. resort locations, but does that best for Las Vegas. Among its competitors is LasVegasAdvisor (www.lasvegasadvisor.com), which also reveals hotel discounts but is just as well known for its up-to-date descriptions of the city's best non-hotel values. These are utterly factual but tremendously amusing, too, and trying them out is a practice far more entertaining, in my view, than spending time at the gaming tables. Here are the 10 current champions:
1) 99¢ for a shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate casino.
2) $6.95 for a complete steak dinner at Ellis Island: a 10-oz. sirloin with salad, green beans, choice of potato, and fresh, microbrewed beer.
3) A $1.49 breakfast special at the four "Wild" Station casinos (Wild Wild West, Wildfire, Gold Rush, and Magic Star): two eggs with sausages, hash browns, and toast).
4) $100 in "free play" for signing up at the Hoosiers players club, including free entrance to the raunchy Bobby Slayton comedy show.
5) $10.95 for steak dinner at the Gold Coast casino: a 16-oz. T-bone with five sides and a glass of beer.
6) Reduced-price, $10.95 admission to the Magic Show at Greek Isles.
7) $13.95 to $24.95 for an all-you-can-eat buffet at the Mirage casino in center Strip: the best and highest quality buffet in all the city, says LasVegasAdvisor.
8) Reduced-price, $19.95 admission to the Comedy Stop at the Tropicana (note by A.F.: whose parent company recently filed in Chapter XI bankruptcy).
9) The entertainment viewable from the Fontana Bar of the Bellagio Hotel, where purchase of a $6 drink entitles you to sit at that bar all evening.
10) $9.99 for the Prime Rib special at Mr. Lucky's Coffee Shop in the Hard Rock Hotel, where you can order additional slices of beef for as long as you can finish them.
Who said that Las Vegas was just about gambling?
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1) 99¢ for a shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate casino.
2) $6.95 for a complete steak dinner at Ellis Island: a 10-oz. sirloin with salad, green beans, choice of potato, and fresh, microbrewed beer.
3) A $1.49 breakfast special at the four "Wild" Station casinos (Wild Wild West, Wildfire, Gold Rush, and Magic Star): two eggs with sausages, hash browns, and toast).
4) $100 in "free play" for signing up at the Hoosiers players club, including free entrance to the raunchy Bobby Slayton comedy show.
5) $10.95 for steak dinner at the Gold Coast casino: a 16-oz. T-bone with five sides and a glass of beer.
6) Reduced-price, $10.95 admission to the Magic Show at Greek Isles.
7) $13.95 to $24.95 for an all-you-can-eat buffet at the Mirage casino in center Strip: the best and highest quality buffet in all the city, says LasVegasAdvisor.
8) Reduced-price, $19.95 admission to the Comedy Stop at the Tropicana (note by A.F.: whose parent company recently filed in Chapter XI bankruptcy).
9) The entertainment viewable from the Fontana Bar of the Bellagio Hotel, where purchase of a $6 drink entitles you to sit at that bar all evening.
10) $9.99 for the Prime Rib special at Mr. Lucky's Coffee Shop in the Hard Rock Hotel, where you can order additional slices of beef for as long as you can finish them.
Who said that Las Vegas was just about gambling?
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May 13, 2008
Would you believe a price of $499 per person for a Mediterranean cruise of seven days, round-trip from Barcelona? Hint: it's on a ship of NCL
I recently called Norwegian Cruise Line a "hungry" company, and more proof of that has come from an announcement by White Travel Service (tel. 860/233-2648; www.whitetravel.com) that they will be making cabins available on the October 20 and November 2 sailings from Barcelona of the 2,400-passenger Norwegian Gem, an almost brand-new ship, for as little as $499 per person -- which is surely an unprecedented low price for the popular Mediterranean. On the same ship's November 9 sailing, they will be charging only $10 more -- $509. In each instance, the cruise is seven nights in duration.
Now some of this comes about because of dates. Most Americans will not want to be away over Election Day (which is on November 4 this year). And the other two sailings are scheduled at a time when the weather can be chilly in the Mediterranean (in fact, most cruise lines don't sail that late in the year in European waters).
But it's also a fact that Norwegian Cruise Line has been a hard-luck company this past year, suffering losses while other comparable lines were racking up profits. Recently, a private equity firm has made a large investment in NCL, and ships are being massively improved and altered. Other giant new ships are presently in construction for NCL.
But NCL's sale of cabins at such cut-rates, through a Connecticut cruise discounter, is nevertheless telling -- and good news for cruise bargain-hunters.
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Now some of this comes about because of dates. Most Americans will not want to be away over Election Day (which is on November 4 this year). And the other two sailings are scheduled at a time when the weather can be chilly in the Mediterranean (in fact, most cruise lines don't sail that late in the year in European waters).
But it's also a fact that Norwegian Cruise Line has been a hard-luck company this past year, suffering losses while other comparable lines were racking up profits. Recently, a private equity firm has made a large investment in NCL, and ships are being massively improved and altered. Other giant new ships are presently in construction for NCL.
But NCL's sale of cabins at such cut-rates, through a Connecticut cruise discounter, is nevertheless telling -- and good news for cruise bargain-hunters.
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May 12, 2008
Late November and early December: 14-night re-positioning cruises from Europe to the Caribbean that include airfare
A re-positioning cruise -- moving a ship from one continent to another, when seasons change -- is among the great bargains of travel. Because they spend many days simply at sea, such cruises are not entirely popular and are therefore priced at sacrificial rates to fill their cabins. But they are not always as cheap as might first appear, because they sometimes require the outlay of a high airfare to reach the port of embarkation or to fly home from the port of disembarkation.
That's why a recent shift of policy on the part of Online Vacation Center (tel. 800/329-9002; www.onlinevacationcenter.com) is so important . O.V.C. is now including round-trip airfare to and from your home city in the total price of the cruise, providing only that you leave from, and return to, either Miami, New York, Newark or Washington, D.C. Thus, on a re-positioning cruise that starts in Spain and ends in San Juan, it will fly you -- at no extra charge -- to Spain, and later home from San Juan.
And this policy prevails on the high-quality ships of Celebrity Cruises, an cruise line with top amenities and food.
On November 28, 2008, O.V.C. will fly you to Barcelona to board the Celebrity Summit for a 14-night cruise to other ports in Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands, then crossing the south Atlantic to St. Maarten, and ending in San Juan, from which you'll be flown home free. The total cost for a balcony-equipped outside cabin: $1,859 per person, including the round-trip air and all airport-to-hotel transfers.
On December 4, 2008, it will fly you to Rome to board the Celebrity Galaxy for a 14-night cruise through the Mediterranean to Morocco, then to the Canary Islands, and then across the south Atlantic to the British Virgin Islands and San Juan, from which you'll be flown home. The total cost for an ocean-view cabin will be $1,569 per person, including round-trip air and all airport-to-hotel transfers. (That's slightly more than $100 a day, including air, which is almost cheaper than living at home).
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That's why a recent shift of policy on the part of Online Vacation Center (tel. 800/329-9002; www.onlinevacationcenter.com) is so important . O.V.C. is now including round-trip airfare to and from your home city in the total price of the cruise, providing only that you leave from, and return to, either Miami, New York, Newark or Washington, D.C. Thus, on a re-positioning cruise that starts in Spain and ends in San Juan, it will fly you -- at no extra charge -- to Spain, and later home from San Juan.
And this policy prevails on the high-quality ships of Celebrity Cruises, an cruise line with top amenities and food.
On November 28, 2008, O.V.C. will fly you to Barcelona to board the Celebrity Summit for a 14-night cruise to other ports in Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands, then crossing the south Atlantic to St. Maarten, and ending in San Juan, from which you'll be flown home free. The total cost for a balcony-equipped outside cabin: $1,859 per person, including the round-trip air and all airport-to-hotel transfers.
On December 4, 2008, it will fly you to Rome to board the Celebrity Galaxy for a 14-night cruise through the Mediterranean to Morocco, then to the Canary Islands, and then across the south Atlantic to the British Virgin Islands and San Juan, from which you'll be flown home. The total cost for an ocean-view cabin will be $1,569 per person, including round-trip air and all airport-to-hotel transfers. (That's slightly more than $100 a day, including air, which is almost cheaper than living at home).
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The world's hungriest cruise company would seem to be Norwegian Cruise Line: Their bargains are unbeatable
It's one of the world's few cruise lines to recently report several quarters of losses rather than large profits. For whatever reason (and many of its problems stem from an ill-fated positioning of three ships in the Hawaiian Islands), Norwegian Cruise Line hasn't done well in recent years. Now, with additional financing from a "private equity" group, it is frantically building new and giant ships and refurbishing old ones. But until the public becomes sensitive to its many comfortable improvements, it appears that NCL is doing more than its fair share of discounting.
Go to www.americasvacationcenter.com, click on "deals," and then go to the section listing discounted prices for Norwegian Cruise Line. Starting in late September and through most of November, 7-night sailings of the Caribbean from New York, Miami and Philadelphia, and 7 night-sailings of the Mexican Pacific coast, almost invariably start at $499 and $599 per person for inside cabins. Go to the Mediterranean during the same period of time (late September through most of November) and you'll find that seven-night sailings of the Mediterranean are available for $669 and $699 per person. Given all the recent fuel-related increases in the cruising world, the fact that one-week Caribbean sailings for as little as $499 per person (that's with five meals a day) and $599 are still available on Norwegian Cruise Line (up to $699 in the Mediterranean) is quite remarkable and shows that NCL is fighting hard for business.
Americas Vacation Center can also be reached by phone, tel. 888/420-1035.
Now perform the same exercise using www.vacationstogo.com. Go to any Norwegian Cruise Line ship sailing the tropics in October and November. The great majority of those departures are available at discounts of as much as 60%. Go to Norwegian Cruise Line sailings in the Mediterranean during the same period, and you'll find discounts of 50%, 56% and even 67% -- breathtaking reductions.
Here's a travel phenomenon that can result in low-priced vacations of high quality.
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Go to www.americasvacationcenter.com, click on "deals," and then go to the section listing discounted prices for Norwegian Cruise Line. Starting in late September and through most of November, 7-night sailings of the Caribbean from New York, Miami and Philadelphia, and 7 night-sailings of the Mexican Pacific coast, almost invariably start at $499 and $599 per person for inside cabins. Go to the Mediterranean during the same period of time (late September through most of November) and you'll find that seven-night sailings of the Mediterranean are available for $669 and $699 per person. Given all the recent fuel-related increases in the cruising world, the fact that one-week Caribbean sailings for as little as $499 per person (that's with five meals a day) and $599 are still available on Norwegian Cruise Line (up to $699 in the Mediterranean) is quite remarkable and shows that NCL is fighting hard for business.
Americas Vacation Center can also be reached by phone, tel. 888/420-1035.
Now perform the same exercise using www.vacationstogo.com. Go to any Norwegian Cruise Line ship sailing the tropics in October and November. The great majority of those departures are available at discounts of as much as 60%. Go to Norwegian Cruise Line sailings in the Mediterranean during the same period, and you'll find discounts of 50%, 56% and even 67% -- breathtaking reductions.
Here's a travel phenomenon that can result in low-priced vacations of high quality.
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May 9, 2008
More about the sharp decline in tourism to Las Vegas, and the resulting rise in discounts at all sorts of hotels, casinos, and restaurants
To get a current picture of the tourism situation in Las Vegas, you can go to my own favorite website on Sin City: Las Vegas Advisor (www.lasvegasadvisor.com). It's published by a friend (we sharply disagree about everything dealing with Vegas) named Anthony Curtis, who first came here as a professional gambler but then turned to travel journalism when nearly every casino barred him from playing at their tables (he won too consistently).
Las Vegas Advisor is mainly known for its current listing of bargains on its main menu page (left-hand column, down a bit) called "Today's Hot Deals," in which it describes hotel offers from $33 a room and up, and air-and-land packages costing as little as $283. But my favorite feature is its blog by Jean Scott called Frugal Vegas in which she currently draws attention to the wholesale price-cutting by Vegas casinos in the face of declining business:
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Las Vegas Advisor is mainly known for its current listing of bargains on its main menu page (left-hand column, down a bit) called "Today's Hot Deals," in which it describes hotel offers from $33 a room and up, and air-and-land packages costing as little as $283. But my favorite feature is its blog by Jean Scott called Frugal Vegas in which she currently draws attention to the wholesale price-cutting by Vegas casinos in the face of declining business:
Hotel prices are coming down all over the place, even at the top resorts. We recently received an e-mail room offer from the Palms for $49, including free admission to the Ghost Bar or Rain, 20% off spa services, and $25 in free slot play. True, it was for a few specific dates, but it is an example of how players who search diligently can find all sorts of bargains, not just on rooms but on food and shows.Unhappily, Ms. Scott also points out that the financially troubled casinos are cutting back on their food quality and the copious servings of their buffets, citing a report she recently received from a reader:
The cutbacks that I am seeing just in the past year are astounding. I live next door to a guy who is a manager at U. S. Foods, which delivers virtually everything casinos use in their food and beverage departments. They are the primary vendor to 70% of the hotels here in Las Vegas. He says their business is down 20%. First, the cuts came from the small bars and taverns that closed their kitchens due to the smoking ordinance. Then, the vast majority of taverns that still serve food have seen their business shrink to a fraction of what they had been doing.It's a buyer's market out there, and an opportunity for crazed gambling addicts to cut the hotel-and-meal costs of their visits to this mindless place.
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May 8, 2008
Airfares to Hawaii have taken a big hit from a) the bankruptcy of ATA and Aloha Airlines, and b) the increased cost of fuel; here's how to cope
The probability that the disappearance (through bankruptcy) of ATA and Aloha Airlines would cause airfares to Hawaii to rise sharply, has been confirmed. Catharine Hamm, travel editor of the Los Angeles Times, has performed a useful service by making test bookings on Los Angeles-to-Hawaii flights for scattered summer and autumn dates, and has found a general increase of at least $100 round-trip. Summer round-trip fares, which recently ran around $700, are now about $800. And to make things worse, Delta Airlines has just announced a $110 round-trip fuel surcharge on flights to Hawaii, bringing some summer prices up to $910, round-trip between Los Angeles and Honolulu.
Although off-season (autumn) fares are considerably better and occasionally drop to as low as $425 (to which the $110 fuel surcharge must still be added), it's important to stress the word "occasionally." It's important to experiment with different dates to find economical off-season fares to Hawaii, although the September prices are usually far below those of July and August. The lesson of all this is to postpone your Hawaii vacation, if possible, until September-November, when the total round-trip cost (airfare plus fuel surcharge) can often be as little as $535 and occasionally $425 (plus fuel surcharge).
The other smart alternative, as Ms. Hamm points out, is to buy an air-and-land package to Hawaii rather than airfare alone. Pleasant Holidays, the major tour operator to Hawaii from the West Coast, is still charging only $500 or thereabouts for round-trip airfare from Los Angeles and five nights of hotel accommodations in Oahu or Kauai (Maui costs $25 more). But here, too, you'll need to anticipate a $110 fuel surcharge.
The sharp rise in the cost of oil (which hit $120 a barrel yesterday) is having a heavily adverse impact on travel. You can minimize the effect of that hit by traveling off-season (autumn to Hawaii), being flexible in your schedule (experimenting with different dates as you scan the airfares), or by purchasing package arrangements.
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Although off-season (autumn) fares are considerably better and occasionally drop to as low as $425 (to which the $110 fuel surcharge must still be added), it's important to stress the word "occasionally." It's important to experiment with different dates to find economical off-season fares to Hawaii, although the September prices are usually far below those of July and August. The lesson of all this is to postpone your Hawaii vacation, if possible, until September-November, when the total round-trip cost (airfare plus fuel surcharge) can often be as little as $535 and occasionally $425 (plus fuel surcharge).
The other smart alternative, as Ms. Hamm points out, is to buy an air-and-land package to Hawaii rather than airfare alone. Pleasant Holidays, the major tour operator to Hawaii from the West Coast, is still charging only $500 or thereabouts for round-trip airfare from Los Angeles and five nights of hotel accommodations in Oahu or Kauai (Maui costs $25 more). But here, too, you'll need to anticipate a $110 fuel surcharge.
The sharp rise in the cost of oil (which hit $120 a barrel yesterday) is having a heavily adverse impact on travel. You can minimize the effect of that hit by traveling off-season (autumn to Hawaii), being flexible in your schedule (experimenting with different dates as you scan the airfares), or by purchasing package arrangements.
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Labels: airlines, deals, hawaii
Calling all couples! You can honeymoon at nearly any Club Med in June at 50% off
Here's a sign of how badly the current economic slowdown has affected resorts in the Caribbean. Club Med has just announced that from now until June 22, they will accommodate couples (honeymooners or just-plain-couples) at nearly any Club Med in the western hemisphere (or south Pacific), for stays of two weeks, at 50% off. Specifically, two will stay for the price of one, May 9 to June 22, at the Club Meds at Ixtapa (Pacific coast of Mexico); Punta Cana (Dominican Republic); Cancún (Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico); La Caravelle (Guadeloupe, French West Indies); Columbus Isle (Bahamas); Buccaneer's Creek (Martinique, French West Indies); Bora Bora (Tahitian Islands, French Polynesia); Sandpiper (east coast of Florida, USA); and Turkoise (Turks and Caicos Islands).
That considerable bargain is called the "Two-Week Couple's Special" and can be booked at www.clubmed.us or by phoning tel. 800/CLUBMED.
If you know a couple planning a honeymoon in June, you might alert them to this excellent opportunity, which will result in an ultra-cheap but high quality resort stay of two weeks' duration.
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That considerable bargain is called the "Two-Week Couple's Special" and can be booked at www.clubmed.us or by phoning tel. 800/CLUBMED.
If you know a couple planning a honeymoon in June, you might alert them to this excellent opportunity, which will result in an ultra-cheap but high quality resort stay of two weeks' duration.
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May 2, 2008
In May and June, prices for five-night air-and-land packages to theDominican Republic will hit rock-bottom
What makes a May/June package from Miami's Vacation Travel Mart (www.vacmart.com) so special is that its under-$500 price is ava