Red Letter Getaways

River Cruise - Avalon Waterways

Avalon Waterways, an award-winning river cruise company and part of the Globus Family of Brands, will debut two ships this year. Like sister-ship Avalon Panorama, the new Avalon Vista and Avalon Visionary are called “Suite Ships,” each with two full decks of suites.

Panorama Suites measure 200 square feet and Royal Suites are 300 square feet. All staterooms have European-style duvets, Egyptian cotton linens, marble-accented bathrooms and L’Occitane en Provence bath products.

Along with upscale accommodations, all Avalon sailings feature meals inspired by local ingredients, and the company recently introduced more healthy options, including low-calorie, low-sodium and sugar-free fare. Light breakfasts are set out for early and late risers, and there’s also a hearty breakfast buffet with made-to-order egg stations and complimentary sparkling wine for mimosas. Lunch buffets boast an array of delicious selections, and casually elegant dinners include multiple courses and complimentary wine, beer and soda.

MSC Yacht Club

Exclusivity and Privacy in a World of Choice…Introducing MSC Yacht Club

MSC Cruises is renowned worldwide for exceptional quality and attention to detail. MSC Yacht Club, currently available on MSC Splendida, MSC Fantasia and MSC Davina takes this to unprecedented new heights as an exclusive ship within a ship, a haven of peace and refinement with a unique private club ambience and signature butler service. Guests will travel the Mediterranean in true Italian elegance and style in a santuario esclusivo - exclusive sanctuary - at sea. MSC Yacht Club guests live in a world without compromise, pampered in their own lavishly-appointed Top Sail Lounge and The One sun deck and pool complex, a panoramic private restaurant and designer suites located on decks 12, 15 and 16.

Yacht Club Exclusives:

• Opulent private reception area, lounge, pool and bar solely for MSC Yacht Club guests 24-hour Butler and Concierge service
•  Sophisticated private restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner with open seating and complimentary selection of wine and beverages
• Complimentary selection of wine, spirits, mineral water, specialty coffees and soft drinks in the MSC Yacht Club                
• Fresh menu selections served in the Top Sail Lounge and The One Pool & Bar area, as well as a special 24-hour room service menu
• Private embarkation with luggage assistance from our Butlers and priority debarkation
• Direct private elevator and entrance to the MSC Aurea Spa, oceanview fitness centre and MSC Aurea

Book a standard balcony suite & receive:

A FREE UPGRADE TO A MSC YACHT CLUB SUITE &
A $100 ONBOARD CREDIT PER SUITE!

Barcelona or Rome, MSC Splendida, April to Nov 2012
7 NIGHTS FROM $2,049 *USDpp.

Barcelona, MSC Fantasia, March to Oct 2012
7 NIGHTS FROM $2,049 *USDpp.

Venice, MSC Divina, June to Oct 2012
7 NIGHTS FROM $2,249 *USDpp.

* Some restrictions apply 

For information please contact info@redlettergetaways.com

Paul Gauguin Cruises

m/s Paul Gauguin Awards & Accolades: Conde Nast Top 5 small Luxury cruiseship, Best South Pacific itinerary,World’s most scenic cruises,Gold Magellan award small ship category, Stern’s guide 6-star rating, Best food and best shore excursions.

For inquiries, please email to info@redlettergetaways.com or visit www.redlettergetaways.com

The World’s Top 5 Ports

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Portuguese navigators arrived in Brazil’s Guanabara Bay in January 1502, mistaking it for a river’s mouth and calling it Rio (river) de Janeiro (of January).  Today, the most visited place in the southern hemisphere is called “The Marvellous City,” and at every turn Rio lives up to its nickname. 

BARCELONA, SPAIN

Barcelona is the premier cruise port in Europe and its revitalization for the 1992 Olympics made it the place to be on the continent.  From the human parade on the Old City’s Las Ramblas promenade to La Boqueria, the most exciting urban cornucopia of produce in the world, the Catalonian capital is a sensory feast.  A picturesque location, Europe’s bext-preserved Gothic Quarter, Gaudi’s delightfully cheeky architecture, and galleries with the treasures of Miro, Tapies aand Picasso make Barcelona visually stunning indoors and out.  The dramatic landmarks of Sugarloaf Mountain and the Christ statue lording over urban beaches like Copacababana and Ipanema are only the beginning.  Food and wine with a Latin flair; sensual samba dance; the pulsating rhythms of traditional music; the Bacchanalian Carnival; and passionate, cosmopolitan, friendly people are the intoxicating ingredients for the this sexy, sophisticated Brazilian cocktail.

HONG KONG, CHINA

Wooden “sampan” boats bobble beside huge ocean liners in Victoria Harbour.  Crumbling tenements stand defiantly next to high-rises of ultra-modern Hong Kong Island.  Mysterious alleys emerge from behind luxury hotels.  Some of the world’s most sophisticated restaurants coexist with street-side food stalls. Massive shopping malls juxtapose the famed markets of Kowloon Peninsula.  This is Hong Kong: an intriguing interplay of the exotic and technically advanced, an enticing fusion of ancient Eastern culture and frenetic Western innovation.

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

The marine capital of Russia, “Piter,” as it is known by locals, seduces all who gaze upon her grand facades, glittering spires, and gilded domes.  Lose yourself and the more than three million artistic treasures and imperial interiors of the Hermitage Museum.  Cruise the canals for a boatman’s perspective of the city’s architecture and bridges.  Enjoy a world-class opera or ballet performance at the beautiful Marlinsky Theatre. Admire the Grand Cascade’s symphony of fountains at Petrodvorets.  Take St. Petersburg’s contemporary pulse at the modern art gallery complex of Loft Project Floors and the legendary Pushkinskaya 10.  Behold this “City of Tsars,” this Northen Venice.

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

At its heart, Dubrovnik is an Adriatic seaport.  Today, it is an elite destination.  Its walled medieval city beckons visitors to walk its 1.3-mile stretch and observe red-tile roofs from 14th- Century ramparts eighty feet above ground level.  Below, narrow side streets radiate from the marbled Stradun, intersecting with cobbled pathways packed with religious sites, historic architectural spots, al fresco restaurants, inviting courtyards, and even some residences.  From George Barnard Shaw, “those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik and find it.”

Celebrity Tuscan Grille Chop-Chop Salad

1 Head radiccio lettuce 
1 Head romaine lettuce
1 Head iceberg lettuce
3 Plum (Roma) tomatoes (dice1/2 in.)
2 Stalks celery (dice 1/2 in.)
1 Cucumber (dice 1/2 in.)
2 Cobs corn (grill)
2 Avocados (dice) 
3 Hard-boiled eggs (slice)
6 oz. sopressata (julienne)
6 oz. pancetta or bacon (crispy)
2 Endive
1 cup red radish (cube)

3 tbsp. Italian dressing

2 oz. fresh chives (chop)

To serve the salad, layer an even amount of all the ingredients in 6 salad bowls, add your favourite italian dressing an garnish with the chopped chives. Serves 6.

American Express Oceania Cruises - Cruise Privileges Program

Oceania Cruises recently joined the American Express Cruise Priveliges program.  The following amenities now are available to guests who book with an Platinum or Centurion card:

• $300 shipboard credit per stateroom
• Premium wine-tasting event 
• complimentary bottle of wine from the wine-tasting menu
• Dedicated 800 number

In addition… 

New Beverage Packages - Fulfilling a request that many of you have made, the cruise line is introducing two new beverage packages that guests may purchase for cruises beginning with each ship’s first 2012 departure.

• House Wine and Beer - with Meals Only ($29.95 per guest per day)
• Open Bar ($49.95 per guest per day)

For bookings and reservations, please contact info@redlettergetaways.com

New Disney Ship on the Horizon - March Break

The new Disney Fantasy will make her debut in March 2012  with 1,250 staterooms and the capacity to hold 4,000 guests plus 1,450 crew and cast members. Fourteen decks high and 1,115 ft in length, the 130,000-ton vessel is designed with families in mind. The needs of younger guests will be catered by Youth Clubs which will provide many interactive programs for all ages. Dining options will include adults-only restaurants and entertainment will range from spectacular live musical shows to first-run movies in 3-D at a number of venues. There’ll be three swimming pools (one for adults only, one for kids, one for the families).

Disney Fantasy will sail on 7-Night Caribbean Cruises. Disney Dream sails on 3, 4, 5-Night Bahamian Cruises. Disney Wonder and Magic sail on 7-Night Mexican Riviera, 15-Night Hawaiian Cruise. 

Don’t wait, start planning for your March break family getaway, contact info@redlettergetaways.com for more details.

Free 2-Night Constellation Cruise Fare Offer

Go Channel hopping in modern luxury. Free 2-night Constellation cruise fare* for our English Channel Cruise.

Take advantage of our free 2-night Constellation Fare Offer and sail the English Channel for 2 nights free departing on September 5, 2012. Simply book either the 12-night Scandanavia and Russia Cruise departing August 24, 2012 (prior to the English Channel sailing) or the 12-night Immersive Europe Wine Cruise departing September 7, 2012 (after the English Channel sailing), and unwind as you sail through this historical rich area of the world.

Book before December 16, 2011 to take advantage of our FREE 2-NIGHT Constellation Cruise Fare Offer.

For reservations or more information, please contact:

Winnie Hung
info@redlettergetaways.com
or call 647-345-2900

Celebrity Cruises - Wine Cruise + FREE 2NT English Channel Cruise Group Sale. .

We just released group space today for the Sep 7 Wine Cruise on Celebrity Constellation.  This is the sailing that qualifies for the free 2-Nights English Channel cruise Sep 5-7.

Group space will sell out quickly, so act fast!Here is the pricing and procedures for booking these back-to-back cruises:

1.  Call me directly to setup group space on Constellation Sep 7, 2012 (Tel 1.647.345.2900).

2.  Hold up to 16 staterooms (no deposit) or more than 16 staterooms (with $50/booking deposit due within 30 days)

Here is our current group availability and pricing at our special GRPX rates:

Interior                    

• Cat 10        $1569 Interior                      
• Cat 9          $1589 Interior             
• Cat 7          $1739 Ocean-view              
• Cat 6          $1779 Ocean-view                    
• Cat 2A        $2269  Veranda                 
• Cat C3        $2449 Concierge                  
• Cat C2        $2509 Concierge

PLUS: 

Port charges        $310
Taxes/Fees          $118

 3.  Hold an equivalent inventory of group space on Constellation Sep 5/2012 (2NT Amsterdam-London sailing) - Disregard the pricing they offer you, since the pricing will eventually be adjusted to FREE when booked as a back-to-back with the Sep 7 sailing

- Taxes/Fees payable are $66 

2 NIGHT FREE CRUISE OFFER ENDS DECEMBER 16 (individual and group bookings must be named and deposited no later than this date)

Additional Wine Cruise Sailings

These unique Wine Cruise itineraries are available throughout the fall, and Oct/Nov are cheaper than Sep…for more budget-conscious type of cruisers, you may want to consider booking a second group for the lower season.