Celebrity Offering Pre-Cruise Spa, Salon & Fitness Bookings

Celebrity Cruise line is adding pre-cruise appointments for their Aqua Spa, Salon and Personal Fitness programs. Celebrity says this will allow passengers to make better use of their time onboard.

The line offers more than 100 spa & fitness services, ranging from men’s barber services to hot stone massages, facials and hair treatments, and even acupuncture or Botox injections. Celebrity’s pre-cruise spa, salon and personal fitness appointment booking option joins a series of experiences available for guests to book online in advance of their cruise, including beverage packages, shore excursions, specialty dining reservations, and Celebrity Select Dining main dining room preferences. Appointments for spa, salon or personal fitness can also be made once on board.

By November, guests will be able to book spa, salon and personal fitness appointments prior to their cruise on six of the nine Celebrity ships. The first ship to offer this option is the Celebrity Solstice. Guests sailing on Celebrity Solstice can currently book and pay for spa, salon and personal fitness appointments up to four days prior to their sailing date. Guests booked on voyages departing on August 21 or later on Celebrity's newest Solstice Class ship, Celebrity Eclipse, can also book these appointments. On August 26, guests sailing on Celebrity Equinox's voyages of September 9 or later can book these appointments. The rollout will continue through 2011, when Celebrity Cruises will launch its fourth Solstice Class vessel, Celebrity Silhouette.

Contact a Professional Travel Agent to book your next cruise vacation!

Some Travel Restrictions to Cuba Will be Lifted

On Tuesday the Obama administration announced that some travel restrictions to Cuba will be lifted. The move would leave intact the nearly 50 year old embargo against the communist regime, but would expand opportunities for American students, educators and researchers to visit Cuba.

It is expected the Treasury department will issue more licenses for exceptions to the ban. Officials are working on the regulations and hope to have them completed before Congress resumes.

President Barack Obama has said he wants to reach out to Cuba and promote democracy there by easing travel and financial restrictions. But he also has said political or economic reforms are necessary before the U.S. takes further steps to normalize relations.

Learn Foreign Languages For Free

Language barriers are my least favorite part of traveling abroad. I always try to pick up at least the basics (always recommended) before arriving at my destination but it’s still frustrating to be a tourist at times. Even though English is generally spoken and understood the world over, locals always appreciate an attempt.

If you’re interested in going beyond the basics, take an online language course. There are many sites that offer lessons for free - a quick Google search will reveal a ton of options.

Bonne chance, buena suerte, buona fortuna… good luck!

Safety Board says All Kids Need to be in Seats

On Wednesday, the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) sent a recommendation to the Federal Aviation Administration urging that all airlines require every passenger, including children under 2 years old, to have their own seat.

This would mean the end to babies sitting on the laps of parents in flight; on commercial, private and chartered planes. In the letter, the board cited several accidents in which young travelers were injured or killed, and that children under the age of 2 “should be afforded the same level of protection as all other persons ” .

This has been an ongoing discussion amongst travel professionals for years...

First U.S. Undersea Park Celebrates 50th Birthday

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, America’s first underwater preserve, turns 50 years old this year. Plans are underway for this milestone birthday celebration, which will take place Dec 1- Dec 11, 2010.

The park was dedicated on Dec. 10, 1960, capping efforts by the late “Miami Herald” editor John Pennekamp to create the Florida Keys jewel. The historic event is an ideal occasion for divers, snorkelers, and other underwater enthusiasts to discover, or perhaps rediscover, the Key Largo park. The State Park is located about 90 minutes drive from Miami. The park draws an estimated 1 million visitors annually, that come to explore its beaches, trails and abundant underwater wildlife.

Highlights of the celebration will include an underwater birthday celebration at the nine-foot “Christ of the Deep”, which rests 20 feet underwater, a planned world-record snorkel attempt, viewing the reef from a glass-bottom boat, canoeing, and kayaking. Several independently owned dive shops in the Key Largo area will offer special diving and snorkeling trips during the 11-day celebration.

Athletic Tourism

Want to know how to see more in less time when traveling? Try running! For the truly motivated, Global Running Tours offers, not surprisingly, running tours in major cities all over the world. You can chose from a personalized tour, designed to start from the lobby of your hotel, or a group tour that starts at a designated meeting place. You can generally cover twice the distance running than walking, so you can see more in less time and still maintain your physique!

So far tours are organized throughout Europe, South Africa, Kenya, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Chili, Argentina, Japan, Mexico, and the US. For more information visit the Global Running Tours website or contact a Professional Travel Agent today!