News from Buy The Sea for July '10
Buy The Sea welcomes our newest team member. Rivka Razon has joined us as Account Director. She comes to us from the Westin Diplomat. With a degree in hospitality management and several years of hands on hotel experience, we are confident that Rivka will be a terrific addition to our company. She can be reached at rivka@buy-the-sea.com.
Please click the image to the left to read a review from Teri Lee Wedderspoon from ING who recently planned and operated her incentive program at Grand Velas Riviera Maya. This luxurious, five diamond super all-inclusive is the perfect place for a high end event. With 493 suites, eight gourmet restaurants, an outrageous spa, 90,000 square feet of function space, powder white sand, turquoise waters and stellar service – this resort (along with her sister property in Nuevo Vallarta) are a home run!
News from Ponant Cruises:
Le Boreal is officially here and she is a beauty. Carrying up to 264 passengers, this state of the art yacht is sleek and elegant – and totally worth the wait! She has a very Scandanavian look about her, with light woods and modern furnishings. Of the 132 staterooms – nine pairs of cabins can covert to become nine suites – making her extremely flexible for incentive groups and charters. All but seven of the cabins have balconies – and everything is oceanview. This ship, and her baby sister (L’Austral – arriving next May) just might be the most reasonable way to cruise in luxury in the Med, Aegean, Baltic and beyond. Ponant Cruises is extremely flexible and happy to carve out any number of nights with advance notice. Our first client (a financial services company) to do a program onboard Le Boreal reported back with this, “The ship is AMAZING!” I suppose that says it all!
News from NCL:
The Norwegian Epic, arrived this month and will be the newest ship sailing on seven night Mediterranean itineraries in the summer of 2011. She will cruise a seven-day Western Mediterranean itinerary from Barcelona, Spain from May through October 2011. Ports of call include: Florence/Pisa (Livorno); Rome (Civitavecchia); Naples, Italy; and Palma, Majorca, Spain, along with two full days at sea. When not in Europe, the ship will sail Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami.
Name-brand entertainment will be Norwegian Epic’s hallmark. For the first time at sea, Blue Man Group will perform their exhilarating fusion of comedy, theatrics and paint, exclusively on Norwegian Epic. In the only “big top” at sea, Cirque Dreams will present a one-of-a-kind interactive theatrical dining experience with music, mayhem and acrobatic imagination. Legends in Concert, the original and world’s greatest live tribute show, will be featured for the first time at sea in more than a decade, along with The Second City improvisational comedy and Howl at the Moon, the world’s greatest rock ‘n roll dueling piano show that encourages audience participation.
In addition to a variety of entertainment, the 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic incorporates many innovations including several new types of accommodations – the curved New Wave staterooms; the largest Villas suite complex at sea, comprising 60 suites and villas on two private decks at the top of the ship; and spa and family-friendly accommodations. Kids will have a blast with Nickelodeon at Sea offering Nickelodeon-themed family entertainment and programming including: character meet and greets; interactive game shows; and more.
The ship also boasts unique nightlife options with the first Ice Bar at sea and Spice H20 with non-stop entertainment day and night; an expansive Aqua Park with the only tube slide and largest bowl slide at sea -- The Epic Plunge; seven decks of Freestyle Family Fun with highlights including a 33-foot high, 64-foot wide extreme rock climbing wall and the first ever rappelling wall at sea; the most bowling lanes at sea with six in two venues; a mixed-use sports deck with the ability for guests to engage in eight different athletic activities; as well as three separate kids’ and teen activity areas. In addition, Norwegian Epic will offer the next generation of Freestyle Dining with 20 dining choices and 20 bars and lounges.
News from Seabourn:
The Yachts of Seabourn has announced that Seabourn Quest will be the name given to its newest vessel. Poised to become the third of three new ultra-luxury yachts launched by the award-winning, small-ship cruise line in as many years, Seabourn Quest will debut in June 2011.
Seabourn’s award-winning combination of all-suite accommodations, personalized service, superb cuisine and exceptional itineraries in the world’s most desirable destinations. Innovative onboard features on the new yachts include a delightfully unorthodox gathering spot called Seabourn Square, which replaces the traditional reception lobby with a comfortable, relaxed, club-like room that combines a library, internet café and a discreet guest services center with a social lounge and konditerei-style coffee bar. The 11,400 square-foot, indoor/outdoor spa facility is the largest on any luxury vessel, even those that carry more than twice as many guests. Four dining venues, six bars and lounges and a wide range of open decks and terraces provide venues to suit every mood, from sociable to secluded.
News from Celebrity Cruises:
We are excited to share the news that the Millenium will replace the Century in the 4/5/5 Caribbean market beginning October 4, 2011. She will sail r/t Port Everlades through the spring of 2012. This is certainly an upgrade, and the most upscale vessel to sail short itineraries out of South Florida.
Celebrity also has plans to “Solsticize” the entire Millenium class of vessels: Millenium, Constellation, Infinity and Summit. The cruise line will be adding Tuscan Grille, Bistro on Five, an ice-topped Martini Bar, Café al Bacio, the Gelateria, Cellarmasters wine bar and will restylize the staterooms with all new upholstery and bedding, new flat screen televisions and much more! There is no question Celebrity offers one of the finest experiences in the premium market at very affordable rates!
News from RCCL:
Did you know that the Broadway show to be placed onboard the new Allure of the Seas is Chicago? Wow! What a great follow up to the incredible production of Hairspray currently playing onboard the Oasis! Look for the Allure – due out this November. The Oasis and Allure will sail year round on Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Port Everglades. More exciting features include Rita’s Cantina – a family-style Mexican food outlet, an expansive hot dog stand on the boardwalk, a 3-D movie screen in the show lounge (to be added to Oasis, Freedom and Liberty as well), the first ever Guess store at sea and SO much more!
RCCL announced they will be pulling the Mariner of the Seas out of the Mexican Riviera beginning January 2011. Additionally, the Liberty of the Seas will replace the Navigator of the Seas on the 5/5/4 run out of Port Everglades beginning November 12, 2011. This is the most exciting ship to ever tackle this short itinerary! Fantastic news for incentive groups and charters! She also sails the 5/4/4 Western Mediterranean itineraries in April and May 2011!
News from the island of Jamaica:
If you are looking for a dynamite DMC in Jamaica, let us connect you with our partner, Glamour Tours. Family owned and operated for 25 years, they completely understand the incentive market and can help you put on a spectacular event. There are so many great excursions – from an exclusive event at the very authentic Bellfield Plantation to a bamboo raft building competition and river race to zip lining adventures, rum tasting, catamaran excursions and so much more. Montego Bay has several properties to choose from – all with their own personality and price point – and all either fully all-inclusive or able to be purchased with a food and beverage plan. From the traditional, yet colorful Ritz Carlton to the very original and spread out Half Moon to the new all-adult Secrets pair of St. James and Wild Orchid to the more budget-friendly Rose Hall Hilton with its own sugar mill water park on property. Jamaica is back in fashion and ready to welcome you! Once you have exhausted Mexico and the Dominican Republic, come and say “ya mon” on the island full of history, tradition, coffee, rum and beautiful, charming and extremely service-oriented people!
Visit with us at IncentiveWorks in Toronto, ITME in Chicago and the FICP annual meeting in Miami.
Land or sea, let us know if we can help you with an upcoming incentive! We appreciate your partnerSHIP!
The Team at Buy The Sea
Shari, Caryn, Sandy, Lina, Jaci and Rivka
