Mickey is Cruising out of all sorts of Ports starting in 2012!

Take a look at the great home port opportunities that The Disney Cruise Line will begin to offer in 2012.  It will be easy to set sail with Captain Mickey and the gang now from the Big Apple, Galveston, Tx, Seattle, Washington & a great 15 night cruise from LA to Hawaii & back.  Of course, Disney will still have it's Port Canaveral cruises out of Florida and California.

So take a weekend getaway or good long break and sail with the Disney gang on their fabulous ships, the Disney Fantasy, the Disney Wonder & Magic and of course the newest ship in their fleet, the Disney Dream.

To quote Mickey's pal Goofy, "Gwarsh, that is wonderful that Disney is bringing the ships to a port near you"!

Bon Voyage!

Joyce

J & J Travel Service LLC

Cruises Sailing from New York, NY
Board the Disney Magic in The Big Apple and sail away to picturesque ports in the tropics or Canada.

8-Night Bahamian Cruises

• Port Canaveral, FL (the gateway to Walt Disney World Resort)
• Nassau
• Disney's own Castaway Cay
• And 4 fun-filled days at sea

5-Night Canada/New England Coast Cruises

• Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Saint John, New Brunswick
• And 2 glorious days at sea

Weekend Getaways

• Or board a weekend getaway that departs from New York City and goes out to sea for 2 blissful days!

Voyages that Set Sail from Galveston, Texas
Depart the southern charms of Galveston on the scintillating 7-night Western Caribbean cruise featuring:

• Grand Cayman
• Costa Maya, Mexico
• Cozumel, Mexico
• 3 relaxing days at sea

Cruises Departing from Seattle, Washington
With its iconic skyline and celebrated coffee, Seattle is the launching point for the incredible 7-night Alaska cruise! Explore such ports as:

• Tracy Arm
• Skagway
• Juneau
• Ketchikan
• Victoria, British Columbia

And enjoy a day at sea with all the amenities aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship!

First-Time Hawaiian Cruise from Los Angeles, California
This special cruise is sure to book up fast! Set sail for the extraordinary beauty of the islands on the 15-night Hawai`i cruise. It includes such ports as:

• Hilo, Hawai`i
• Kahului, Maui
• Honolulu, O`ahu
• Nawiliwili, Kauai
• Ensenada, Mexico

Cruise Line Updates

Some fun things to look for when booking a cruise.  Please note that Princess now lets you prebook the Alaska Shore Excursions.  That is a great thing to get done before you get on the ship and to get on those excursions that go fast!

Holland America Line debuted a new bar experience, Captain Morgan on the Rocks Island Bar, at Half Moon Cay, the line’s private island in the Bahamas. The 101-foot-long, twin-decked bar seats up to 326 guests and features historic references to Captain Morgan’s exploits. . . .

Windstar Cruises will offer 64 shore excursion options on its seven-day Italian voyages sailing between Venice and Rome; Nice and Rome and roundtrip from Rome. The shore excursions include cultural and historical experiences, food and wine tours, and walking journeys. . . .

Norwegian Cruise Line has completed the first phase of enhancements at Great Stirrup Cay, the line’s private island in the Bahamas. The enhancements include a new marina, with four docks for tenders, and a dining facility with two bars and four picnic pavilions. . . .

MSC Cruises’ MSC Poesia will operates its second season of Canada/New England cruises this fall. The month-long season begins on Sept. 28; itineraries range from seven to 12 nights. . .

In February, Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas became the first cruise ship to call at Historic Falmouth port in Jamaica. The port, located between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, is boasted as the first-ever themed cruise port. Restorations throughout the town of Falmouth revive the town’s historic past. . .

Princess Cruises has made it easier for cruise/tour passengers to reserve Alaska land excursions offered from its wilderness lodges. Passengers can now pre-reserve land tours with a new system similar to that used to reserve shipboard shore excursions.

Bon Voyage!

Joyce

J & J Travel Service LLC

Disney Specialist-Travel Niche

Though I have been a Disney Specialist officially for over 18 years, I grew up loving Disney.  I have completed the College of Disney Knowledge and past all corresponding tests. I have traveled to Walt Disney World 6 times, Disneyland Paris once and Disneyland Calif over 20 times. As you can see from some of these pictures, my kids and husband have the same love of Disney.

Disney provides travel agents with wonderful online support at our own website as well as by phone and informative emails. It makes the bookings I do so much easier with their continued support and our combined knowledge.  If you are considering a trip to any of the Disney Parks, please feel free to contact me by either email or phone and I will be happy to discuss your vacation plans in depth.

Until next time...Bon Voyage!
Joyce
jjtravelservice@hot.rr.com
Disney Specialist

Hotel Del Coronado-San Diego CA Dining with a View

One of our favorite cities to visit is San Diego, Ca.  It is truly a gem in California and has such a wonderful diversity of things to see and do while you are there.  The one place that needs to top every couple's list is a visit to Coronado Island and the Hotel Del Coronado.  Many of the locals and a lot of the tourists know it as the Hotel Del.  It is on the National Historic Landmark list and has hosted many famous people as well as a ghost that is said to be in residence. It was built over 120 years ago. There is a long promenade of wonderful shops and well as several restaurants.  The Crown Room hosts a magnificent Sunday brunch that continuously gets accolades as "San Diego's Best".  Reservations are needed ahead of time. Babcocks and Story has the high def TVs going for all the sports fans to marvel and have a drink while watching your favorite sport. Eno is Hotel Del's wine and cheese bar.  It has over 50 types of cheeses from around the world along with famous chocolates and truffles. The wines they have are a vast array of over 500 different types from around the world.  Last but not least, our personal favorite restaurant is the Sheerwater because of its beach front location. Not only is the food wonderful with its fresh seafood and bistro menu, it is a fabulous place to people watch and if you get there near sunset, it will provide you with the most breathtaking sunsets over the Pacific. If you want to walk off the wonderful food, stroll hand in hand down the boardwalk or beach.  It is a memory you will not soon forget.
The Hotel Del is definitely a place that you will not only want to linger at for its wonderful amenities and rooms but also for it's rich culture, ambiance and style.  Just don't forget to get there early for a great table and that something special sunset.

Till next time...bon voyage!
                                                      Joyce

 

Sunset & Romance at the Moana Surfrider's Beach House Restaurant Veranda

Front of the Moana Surfrider

Jim & Joyce at Sunset on Waikiki

In honor of the most romantic day of the year, Valentine's Day it is a perfect time to write about The Moana Surfrider on Waikiki. The restaurant, The Beach House is located on the veranda that overlooks Waikiki.  The sunsets are the most amazing in the world. While the veranda overlooks the ocean, it also overlooks a giant Banyan tree in their courtyard.

 The food served there is steak and seafood and extremely tasty. Prices range from $38 to $82 for steaks and $18-$24 for seafood.  Reservations are suggested but not required and the dress is resort casual.  For a different experience they have Afternoon Tea with a wonderful range of island teas, sandwiches and sweets. They also have flavors of island teas that you can purchase to enjoy at home.

So for one of the most beautiful spots to enjoy a magnificent dinner and romantic sunset the Moana Surfrider is not to be missed on your next trip to Honolulu, Hawaii. 

The Banyan tree at the Courtyard

Sunset from the veranda at the Beach House Restaurant

Afternoon Tea on the veranda

Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa Review, Lost Pines, TX Hotel Review

Pool

Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort

 Lost Pines Resort & Spa, between Austin and Bastrop, is wonderful 4 Diamond, 405 acre resort for both couples or families to stay.  It is secluded off Hwy 71 and you have to drive a winding 2 lane road for several miles before you even get to the resort.  Along the way you pass hiking & biking trails as well as nature walks. When you arrive in the grand lobby with several stone fire places and beautiful hardwood floors and ceilings, you will be amazed at the view from the windows.  You have the Colorado River on one side and the rolling hills of the hill country around Austin on the other. You will find a multitude of activities here from relaxing by the pool to riding the tubes through the Lazy River. You can pamper yourself in the Teen spa as well as the adult spa after a long day of horseback riding or nature trail hiking.  If Golf is your game, you can play the Wolfdancer 18 holes at Lost Pines Resort.

Lobby

Fire Pit

The evenings bring other activities such as sitting around the huge fire pits or dining in one of the many restaurants on the property.  The food, depending on your taste, ranges from seafood to bbq and everywhere in between.  There is family dining at the Firewheel Cafe and Old Buck's Poolside Grill.  If Mom and Dad find themselves alone for the evening, Stories Fine Dining is beautiful as it is elegant.  Afterwards the adults can stop in Shellers Barrelhouse Bar & Grill for after dinner drinks and some wonderful bands or just some good old fashion Texas music and relax the evening away.
No matter what your goal is on your get away to Lost Pines Resort & Spa, you will accomplish most of them during your time spent here.  The staff is friendly and welcoming and extremely helpful.  Take some time and go see them down there, it is an experience your party wont soon forget.

 **Rates start at $203 depending on time of year and discount**

Joyce Sisler
J & J Travel Service LLC
Email: jjtravelservice@hot.rr.com

Dining While Cruising

 If you are like most people the one thing you want to make sure of is how the food will taste when you are traveling.  We all get tired of the eating out while traveling.  Meals seem to be the same old thing after awhile.  The one thing that you will not find that is the "same old same old" on board any of the cruise lines.  It really is true, if you go hungry it is your own fault.  Everyone has their favorite cruise line as well as their favorite place to eat on board.  You may love the midnight buffets or the 24 hour pizzerias.  You may want to watch that cute figure so it is the wonderful salad and fruit bar you desire.  Some may love the fine dining in the beautiful dining rooms and some may not want to even worry about leaving the cabin so room service is just right for you.  Whatever your heart desires can be obtained on today's cruise ships.  The food is exceptional and they love to make a splash with the presentation.  Jim and I sailed on the beautiful Carnival Conquest several years ago out of Galveston and on that particular cruise he and I chose to have dinner in the reservation recommended restaurant called STEAKHOUSE.  It is a $30 per person surcharge and a 4 course meal.  It was very elegant and very romantic.  The food was cooked to perfection and the dessert the Grand Marnier Souffle' was to die for fantastic.  If you would like to have have an intimate dining experience aboard many of the ships today that have the Reservation Recommended restaurants be sure to head there as soon as you get on board to choose your night and time while there is still availability. Your better half will thank you for it in the long run and you both will enjoy being waited on hand and foot with a wait staff that is both friendly and discreet.
No matter where you go around the world and what cruise line you choose, the food is one of the best experiences of the cruise.
Till next time..Bon Voyage!
Joyce
J J Travel Service LLC