September 16, 2004

TIMES TRAVELS

Royal Caribbean’s newest ship makes
U.S. debut in Boston

Royal Caribbean Inter-national’s newest ship, Jewel of the Seas, offers guests a chance to enjoy the fall foliage and historic charms of New England and Canada from Boston. This fall, she will offer one seven-night and four 10-night cruises from Boston’s Black Falcon Cruise Terminal to ports including Bar Harbor, Portland, Saint John and Halifax.

Guests aboard Jewel will experience each destination with all five senses through Royal Caribbean’s Explorations! shore excursions program. The diverse menu of options allows guests to tailor their trip, whether it’s touring the Moosehead Brewery in Saint John, taking a walking tour in Quebec City, exploring the Halifax coast on a sea kayaking adventure, or keeping a look out for marine mammals during a whale-watching cruise in Bar Harbor.

Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas begins
10-night cruises from Boston

Guests on Jewel of the Seas enjoy unobstructed views of the spectacular landscapes afforded by Jewel’s nearly three acres of exterior glass, delivering the sun, sea and coastal scenery right into dining rooms and lounges throughout the ship. Jewel sparkles with ocean-facing glass elevators and floor-to-ceiling windows in most public areas, as well as the highest percentage of balcony staterooms in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. Throughout the ship, guests will discover she also shines bright when it comes to entertainment, dining, activities and art.

For more information and reservations, call the Travel Desk in Almaden at (408) 723-0283, or visit their Web site at www.traveldeskonline.com.

Spectacular Vegas-style revues featured on new Carnival Valor

Two high-energy Las Vegas-style revues, “Far From Over–The 80s” and “Nightclub Express,” will be featured aboard Carnival Cruise Lines’ new 110,000-ton Carnival Valor, which is scheduled to begin year-round seven-day Caribbean service from Miami Dec. 19, 2004.

Produced by Carnival Productions, the company’s in-house entertainment group, the new shows take center stage in Carnival Valor’s 1,400-seat medieval-themed Ivanhoe Show Lounge, which will feature the latest in shipboard technology, “fly-in” scenery capabilities, a turntable stage with built-in lifts allowing for multiple sets, a multi-million-dollar sound and lighting system, including laser pods, pyrotechnic displays, and a rising orchestra pit. 

For more information and reservations, call the Travel Desk in Almaden at (408) 723-0283, or visit their Web site at www.traveldeskonline.com.

Windstar sailing ship announces 2005 Panama Canal itinerary

Windstar Cruises combines the drama of transiting the Panama Canal with the elegance of cruising aboard a sailing ship to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience aboard the Wind Star on four new itineraries in 2005. “A Panama Canal transit continues to be a must-do trip for many of today’s most sophisticated travelers, and we deliver a luxurious experience that is fascinating and pampering,” says Tom Russell, Windstar’s vice president marketing and sales. “The intimate size and unique style of Wind Star—a masted motor sailing yacht that is truly 180 degrees from ordinary—provides an up-close-and-personal perspective of this dramatic event.”

The cruise line will offer two 14-day voyages between Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, and Bridgetown, Barbados, with departures on March 26 and November 19. Each itinerary combines the intrigue of a Canal transit and the beauty of exotic destinations in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Two December sailings between Puerto Limon and Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, also showcase Panama Canal, including a 10-day holiday cruise departing December 17, and an 11-day New Year’s cruise taking to sea on December 27.

For more information and reservations, call the Travel Desk in Almaden at (408) 723-0283, or visit their Web site at www.traveldeskonline.com

—By Sean Eastwood