Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Looking for a place to unwind? - Johor, Malaysia from RM99

Looking for a place to unwind? - Johor, Malaysia from RM99.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

World cruise liner comes a-calling at Mormugao

Panaji: M V Aida Cara, a German passenger vessel on a world cruise docked at the Mormugao port on Friday morning. The vessel arrived from Mumbai and about 1,000 German passengers stepped off the ship for a day-long tour, said Freedom Holidays, the company designated as handling agents for the visit.

"We expect seven consecutive international cruise arrivals this season," says Martin Joseph, managing director, Freedom Holidays.

The tourism industry says Goa can expect at least 15 international cruise liners this season. Last season, the state saw 11 cruise arrivals.

Meanwhile, the tourists visited churches at Old Goa, temples at Mangueshi and Mardol in Ponda, the Dudhsagar waterfalls in the hinterland, a jungle jaunt at Tambdi Surla and even managed a trip to Bat Island off Vasco. The vessel set sail for Mangalore at 6 pm.

"If Goa has a dedicated cruise terminal with a passenger lounge, it can tap into a huge market," Joseph said. "The pier was dusty with black powder as coal had been unloaded there the previous night. We had to put a carpet to maintain cleanliness. Dust was flying around, even the tourist coaches were black," he said. "We missed out on the Volvo Ocean Race which went to Kerala. Goa was being considered as a stopover as it is an internationally known destination," Martin said.

The tourism industry also says that Goa needs more tourist guides with fluency in languages such as

German, French, Spanish and Italian. Martin says, "Yes, since we have a shortage of such guides here

we have to get them from Bombay and Delhi, and they charge exorbitant rates. It is actually a great employment opportunity to be tapped in a tourism destination like Goa. Housewives and youngsters can

learn foreign languages and work as part-time interpreters and guides."

Incidentally, there were no representatives from the government nor the tourism department to receive the first cruise as is done with the first charter flights for the season.

Aida Cara's journey originated from Hanover port in Germany and its passengers are on a world cruise spanning 120 days. The itinerary includes shore excursions at Egypt, Muscat, Dubai, Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Colombo, Penang-Malaysia, Bangkok-Thailand, Hong Kong, and a return to Germany.

Aida Cruises cater mostly to German speaking passengers. The company's Aida Diva also plans to extend its reach from the Arabian Gulf to include a 11-night Christmas cruise to Mumbai and Goa.

The Aida Cara, which arrived in Goa, has nine passenger decks, a pool, fitness centre, 540-seat theatre, 391 outside cabins of which four have balconies, 202 inside cabins, and can carry 1,000- odd passengers supported by a crew of 370.

Friday, October 23, 2009

POPULAR CRUISE DESTINATIONS

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Cruise Ship Ocean Village Two Embarks on Final Voyage



The Ocean Village cruise ship Ocean Village Two will depart on its last voyage tomorrow (22/10).

The ship will sail from its summer home in Crete for a 23-day cruise to Singapore, where it will dry dock before emerging as the Pacific Jewel.

The vessel will start its new life as the Pacific Jewel from December, sailing out of Sydney for P&O Cruises Australia. The original Ocean Village ship will be joining its stable mate down under next year, sailing under the name of Pacific Pearl.

Carnival Corporation, which owns both the Ocean Village and P&O Cruises lines, announced last year that it would be phasing out the Ocean Village brand and passing its ships onto P&O Cruises Australia. The surprising announcement came just 18 months after the Ocean Village Two was launched in April 2007.

Ocean Village is renowned for making cruising more accessible to holidaymakers with its dress-down style, contemporary entertainment and casual dining. Gill Haynes, head of communications for Ocean Village, said: “Ocean Village has enabled us to take people to sea who never thought they would enjoy a good holiday on a ship.”

The Ocean Village Two’s last voyage will visit Egypt, Oman, Dubai, India and Malaysia before docking in Singapore. On board entertainment will be provided by a wealth of tribute acts including Robbie Williams, Cher, Elton John and the Bee Gees. TV chef James Martin will board the ship in Dubai and provide a number of cooking demos in the Bistro. The ship’s popular circus show on deck will also be running; the show is so popular that P&O Cruises will be keeping the rig attached to the ship and providing circus shows of its own.

All in all, the OV2’s final cruise is set to be a memorable one.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Cruise News

Ocean Village Two Embarks on Final Voyage
Ocean Village Two Embarks on Final Voyage
Thursday, October 22, will be a day of mixed emotion for Ocean Village fans. On that date, Ocean Village Two will set sail from its summer base of Heraklion, Crete, for the last time -- embarking on a 23-night voyage to Singapore where it will enter dry dock, before emerging as Pacific Jewel.

In December, the vessel will start a new life, sailing out of Sydney, forP&O Cruises Australia. The ship will sail from, and be marketed to, that region.

It's been almost exactly a year since Carnival announced it was phasing out the Ocean Village brand and transferring its ships to P&O Cruises Australia. The bombshell dropped just 18 months after OV2 joined the fleet, named in Southampton in April 2007 by sisters Jodie and Jemma Kidd. The reason given for pulling the plug? Carnival U.K. CEO David Dingle said that the company needed to "recognise the need to maximise profit performance from our assets."

In many ways, the Ocean Village brand has served to revolutionise U.K. cruising, with its dress-down style, contemporary entertainment and casual dining.

"Dress code and fixed dining arrangements were big 'keep out' signs deterring a lot of people," the line's head of marketing communications Gill Haynes told Cruise Critic. "Ocean Village has enabled us to take people to sea who never thought they would enjoy a good holiday on a ship." As many as 60 percent of passengers on any one cruise were and still are newcomers.

Although it's not time for the final curtain yet -- the original Ocean Village still has a winter and a summer season to run before it joins its former stable-mate down under as Pacific Pearl -- the last voyage of OV2 promises to be a good one.

Apart from the fact that it's taking casual cruising for the first time through the Suez Canal to Egypt, Oman, Dubai, India, Malaysia and Singapore, there is a big line up of talent onboard. "We've got all the best tribute acts we've ever had: Cher, Lionel Ritchie, the Bee Gees, Robbie Williams, Sting, Elton John, Lulu and Freddie Mercury," said Haynes.

Eighties disco diva Jaki Graham will be singing and TV's James Martin will be onboard from Dubai, doing cookery demos and whipping up modern British classics in the Bistro. The line's signature circus show on deck will wow passengers under a tropical moon -- it's been such a success that P&O Australia is keeping the complex rig attached to the top deck and offering circus shows of its own.

And what does the future hold for "people who don't do cruising" when the original Ocean Village retires a year from now? Will they upgrade to P&O Cruises' Ventura or Oceana, both offering a more laid-back spin on the traditional P&O experience? Switch to NCL's Freestyle fleet? All squeeze onto Thomson's smaller Island Escape? Where will you go? Let us know!

--by Sue Bryant, Cruise Critic contributing editor

Experience Malaysia today with asia-hotels-Malaysia


Paragon Travel Limited, a premiere internet hotel guides and reservation systems operating company, has recently lauched asia-hotels-malaysia.com. Asia-hotels-malaysia is a one-stop hotel online booking and travel guide in Malaysia. Malaysia, one of the most pleasant countries to visit in Asia, is a haven of beaches, from powdery sand stretches to black sand beaches. People are very warm, hospitable and charming in Malaysia. The bustling and modern Kuala Lumpur, which is home to the twin Petronas Towers (the world's tallest building) is Malaysia's capital. Top destination stops include Penang, Langkawi, Melaka and Tioman. Take a trip to Malaysia now. Book your hotel room with asia-hotels-malaysia.com.

About the author: I'm currently Business Development & Marketing Associate for Paragon Travel Ltd.

Friday, October 16, 2009

AGI, partner commit $1.6B in tourism investments



Filed Under: Investments, Tourism

MANILA, Philippines--Tycoon Andrew Tan’s holding firm, Alliance Global Group Inc., is investing up to $1.6 billion within the next five to six years in two integrated tourism developments—“Newport City” in Pasay and “Bay Shore” at the Manila Bay reclamation area.

“We want to be the largest tourism player in the country,” AGI president Kingson Sian said in a presentation during the company’s stockholders meeting held on Thursday at the newly opened Newport City tourism estate.

“We are very bullish about the tourism industry in Asia and there is no reason why the Philippines cannot be a major player in this industry,” Sian said.

The 25-hectare Newport City is a joint venture between AGI subsidiary Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. and Star Cruises Ltd., the world’s third largest cruise line operator and part of the Genting Berhad group of Malaysia. The joint venture committed to invest P30 billion in this project.

Sian said Newport City would be positioned as the gateway to Philippine tourism owing to its proximity to the NAIA 3 terminal.

The tourism estate in Newport City, named Resorts World Manila (RMW), will feature a full array of entertainment facilities and services designed to attract domestic and international tourists.

Under the plan, RMW will have about 1,500 hotel rooms, including the recently opened Marriott Hotel and two other hotels under construction—Maxims Hotel and Remington Hotel.

There will also be a 1,000-seat Newport Performing Arts theater, four high-end cinemas, luxury shopping arcade and a four-story retail mall, gaming areas, restaurants, spas and dance clubs.

Newport City is expected to generate about 10,000 tourism-related jobs by 2011.

Travellers is embarking on another large-scale tourism development within the 90-hectare Entertainment City Manila, called the “Bay Shore,” which may include a theme park.

Sian said $1.6 billion in investment was the group’s commitment to Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

P&O Cruises Aurora Grand Voyage 2010 - explore the Red Sea



On Tuesday the 5th of January P&O cruises classic Liner Aurora embarks Southampton at the beginning of its annual Grand Voyage.
Taking 104 days the Ship leaves Northern Europe and the cold and damp of a gloomy January behind heading to Spain and then on into the Mediterranean visiting Barcelona and Athens.
Next it’s Egypt and the Suez Canal transit, with time to stop off and visit Cairo and the Pyramids at Giza. Sail on into the Red Sea and spend a day at Egypt’s international beach resort of Sharm El Sheikh, with Sunshine now all the way as you relax on deck cruising down the Red Sea and through the Gulf of Aden and onto Oman and its capital Muscat. Experience Arabia and the contrast of the wealthy modern Arab world alongside the old world of Aladdin in what was once the Arabian seas major trading port with classic mosques and Arab merchants selling everything from rugs to spices from India.
No Cruise in the Arabian Sea can be complete without a visit to the modern metropolis that is Dubai, now competing to be the new world capital claiming the best hotels, the tallest buildings and the biggest airports, you name Dubai has it.
Next cruise on down into the Indian Ocean and onto to another continent, India, a short distance from Arabia when you look at the map, but a complete world away. Enjoy a full day  experiencing  Asia and the stunning city that is Mumbai, with a superb old colonial waterfront. Why not try a Bombay gin & tonic in the Bar of the famous Taj Mahal Palace and Tower!
Leaving Mumbai behind, the Far East cruises towards us down the Indian coast across the Bay of Bengal and into the Strait of Malacca before arriving at Port Klang in Malaysia for the stunning cosmopolitan city of Kuala-Lumpur. It’s onwards now to Singapore, another famous old colonial city. Known these days for being a world financial centre and modern metropolis as well as the international crossroad for air and sea trade.
Either continue on this Grand Voyage to Australia, Japan, Thailand, South Africa and home to Southampton on the 19th April. Or if time is precious, Dreamcatcher Cruising can offer an extra special 27night section of this cruise leaving the ship in Singapore. World cruises don't come any better than this; prices from £1999 including flights home to the UK from Singapore.  
 

Media Contact Information

Name: Dreamcatcher Travel
Website: dreamcatchertravel.co.uk
Email: info@dreamcatchertravel.co.uk
Phone: 01254 240440
Address: Fern Court
22a Moor Lane
Clitheroe
Lancashire
BB7 1BE
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Country: United Kingdom

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Cruise Indonesia, Malaysia & Thailand with Costa Cruises


Airfares, 2 Nights in Singapore & 14 Night Cruise

A trip to the East is no ordinary holiday. It means getting off the normal tourist trail to discover age-old civilisations and highly varied landscapes and cultures which exercise a powerful fascination: unspoilt beaches, teeming cities, the exuberance of nature and the inherent grace of the local people.
Your Package Includes:
  • Return economy class airfare to Singapore flying with Singapore Airlines
  • 1 night's accommodation at the Allson Hotel, Singapore, including breakfast
  • 14 night cruise aboard the Costa Allegra in an Inside Cabin (Category I1)
  • All onboard meals, entertainment and gratuities

  •  
    1 night's accommodation at the Allson Hotel, Singapore, including breakfast
  • Transfers throughout
  • Taxes and port charges
Valid for sale to 30 November 2009. Valid for cruise departure form Singapore 06 February 2010.
Ask your Harvey World Travel consultant about the many sightseeing opportunities we have available.
For more fantastic Cruise Holiday deals click here.
HOLIDAY MONEY
When going overseas be sure to pack your Travelex Cash Passport available from all Harvey World Travel outlets. Access your money at over one million Visa ATM's around the world. Ask a consultant to find out more about the safer, more convenient way of taking cash overseas.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Travel Insurance has not been included in this package but is highly recommended to be taken out when you book by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Please quote WEB when booking.
Price Guide
Departing FromPrice From 
Perth$3061Select This and Continue
Melbourne$3163Select This and Continue
Adelaide$3178Select This and Continue
Sydney$3180Select This and Continue
Brisbane$3183Select This and Continue
Terms and Conditions
SOME AGENTS MAY CHARGE AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE FEE AND THESE VARY BETWEEN AGENTS. Price is per person twin share. Airfare related charges, fees and taxes are included as at 21 September 2009 but do not cover any charges or taxes imposed directly by third parties. Valid for sale to 30 November 2009. Valid for cruise departure 06 February 2010. Airline seats and cabins are subject to availability at time of booking. Book SQ in N class. A surcharge may be imposed for credit card transactions. Price does NOT include travel agent service fees. Prices and information are correct at time of issue and subject to availability and change at time of booking. Prices may fluctuate due to changes in charges, taxes and currency. Prices are correct at time of issue and are subject to availability at time of booking. Special conditions and seasonal surcharges may apply depending on date of travel. Please note that prices are subject to change so travellers are advised to contact their local Harvey World Travel shop to confirm pricing and conditions prior to making a booking. This offer may be withdrawn at any time without notice by the relevant wholesaler. For current information on travelling overseas and official Government travel advisories visit www.smarttraveller.gov.au

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Legend of the Seas: 3 Night Best of the Malaysia Cruise