Sunday, January 24, 2010

Destination Weddings: Why Marry Away?



In the past, marrying away from home usually meant eloping. The couple would steal away in the night to flee family disapproval or expectations and tie the knot on their own terms. Today, the idea has shed its stigma and a growing number of couples are hightailing it away from the traditional formal affair to a casual, intimate occasion in their dream honeymoon spot.
These destination weddings involve just the couple; the couple and a select handful of friends and family (often just another couple); or the couple plus enough guests to constitute a weeklong family -- or college -- reunion. Then, the just-marrieds can take a second week to disappear on their own. The "reception," if any, is more like a big party and held when the couple returns home. Why are destination weddings a growing trend?
http://www.exquisitewedevents.com/
They're Virtually Stress-Free, so popular, more cost effective, almost guaranteed to be simpler (and faster!) to plan than a traditional wedding and reception.
Some tourist boards are jumping on the bandwagon, with brochures listing ceremony sites and local wedding vendors in their area. Governments are working to ease restrictions and attract to-be-weds.
Honeymoon-happy resorts and cruise lines around the world have made it easier and more appealing to wed on-site. Many have full-time wedding coordinators on staff who are familiar with that country's marriage license requirements and who offer wedding packages that take care of all your ceremony essentials (photographer, cake, minister, etc.). You step off the plane and sign the papers; they take care of the rest.
If you're not getting married at a resort, you can hire a stateside wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings, contact a wedding planner in the town you plan to wed, you won't have to plan a reception, and won't that be a relief?
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No scene-stealing family drama. First and foremost,the event is about the two people getting married.
For many, the families are a very large get-together of extended family and business associates. Predictably, each set of parents have their own ideas. " Who needs all that chaos and drama?
Because these weddings are so cost effective, the affordability of a destination wedding has many couples opting for this kind of wedding." To ease the financial burden, many couples choose to travel to a place where they can get married, have a honeymoon, and still have some money left over to start their new lives together.
The world is your altar and since you call the shots, your experience can be unique, with a ceremony and location that reflect their true colors. Perhaps an "Out of Africa" experience? A snowy mountain-peak ceremony? .
Perfect for Second Marriages or the bride and/or groom have done the Hollywood-scale production before and want something quieter or less expensive this time around, or they want to be someplace anonymous, without the watchful eyes and whispers of the hometown crowd
Couples can also opt for a combined bachelor/bachelorette celebration and invite the entire wedding party to a private fiesta on the beach or whereever you choose. You're usually required to arrive a few days early to fill out the paperwork, so by the time your wedding rolls around, you've had two to three days of fun with your sweetie, family, and friends. After the wedding, plan on having some history lessons around the city or town of your choice. Call us for more details and help.


Wednesday, January 13, 2010

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISELINES TO SEND AID TO HAITI


Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, was shaken by a powerful earthquake near the capital that destroyed a hospital, a school and the presidential palace, raising fears thousands have been killed.
The 7.0-magnitude temblor hit 10 miles (15 kilometers) southwest of Port-au-Prince, a city of about 2 million inhabitants.
According to reporters," the quake had caused a major catastrophe." Communications to much of the country were cut off, and there were no official reports of casualties immediately available.
Port-au-Prince is in “total chaos,” with clouds of dust from collapsed buildings choking the city and fears that thousands may be dead, a school with children inside collapsed in Port-au- Prince, according to Unicef. A hospital was destroyed in Petionville, an upscale district near the capital city, bodies were seen in the streets(the extent of the casualties unknown), people were screaming for help or digging through rubble to find loved ones, houses slipping down hills, walls collapsing and landslides leaving roads blocked, which will impede any response by authorities.
Haiti’s first lady, reported that the presidential palace had partially collapsed, though President Rene Preval is safe.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. is offering full assistance to Haiti.
“We will be providing both civilian and military disaster relief and humanitarian assistance,” Clinton said during remarks in Honolulu. “And our prayers are with the people who have suffered, their families, and their loved ones.”
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Though Royal Caribbean International’s Independence of the Seas is scheduled to dock at Labadee, its private island off the coast of Haiti, on Friday, travel agents are reporting their clients are unaffected by the earthquake that wreaked havok in the capital and the country. Site inspections of the offshore island of Labadee revealed no apparent damage to the cruise line’s buildings, pier and attractions.
According to a media statement from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. the company is eager to take guests, as well as humanitarian assistance, to Haiti as soon as possible. At this time there are no plans to change the Independence’s scheduled arrival at Labadee on Friday, though the cruise line is awaiting confirmation from the Haitian government that its okay to dock.
Other ships scheduled to call on Labadee over the next two weeks are Navigator of the Seas on Monday, Jan. 18; Liberty of the Seas on Tuesday, Jan. 19; and Celebrity Solstice on Friday, Jan. 22.
Royal Caribbean Cruiselines worked through the years to develop Labadee has grown into strong ties with government officials, businesses and the people of Haiti.
At this point, no damage has been found after an initial inspection of Labadee. Further inspections are going to be conducted on the attractions and facilities to ensure that everything is safe for our guests.
Simultaneously, RCI are exploring multiple avenues to help with the humanitarian relief efforts for Haiti. They have reached out to relief organizations and the State of Florida to see how we can lend assistance with our ships scheduled to call at Labadee.
Family and friends of guests currently on a Royal Caribbean International ship schedule to call at Labadee should visit RoyalCaribbean.com for more information.
RCI will continue to monitor the situation in Haiti for more information as it becomes available.
Meanwhile, RCI sympathy goes out to the people of Haiti in the face of this tragic event.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Cunard's New Queen Elizabeth Reaches Major Milestone


Ceremonies Mark the Float Out of the World’s Newest Queen
Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth Reaches Major Milestone

5 January 2010 – Special ceremonies at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard near Trieste, Italy, were held today to mark the float out of Cunard’s newest liner, Queen Elizabeth. Cunard’s President and Managing Director, Peter Shanks, was joined by 79-year-old Florence (Dennie) Farmer, who served as guest of honour at the event. Dennie’s husband, Willie Farmer, joined Cunard in September 1938 and served as Chief Engineer on both the first Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth 2 until retirement in October 1979. Since her husband’s passing, Dennie has sailed with Cunard many times and her link with the two previous Queen Elizabeth ships is unparalleled. In recognition of this, Cunard has bestowed Dennie with the honour, in Italian tradition, of being “Madrina” to the third Queen Elizabeth.

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The first ceremony involved the welding of significant coins beneath the mast of Queen Elizabeth for good luck. Three coins were chosen – a half crown dated 1938 (the year the first Queen Elizabeth was launched), a sovereign dated 1967 (the year Queen Elizabeth 2 was launched) and a sovereign dated 2010 (to acknowledge the new Queen Elizabeth being floated out in 2010).
After the coin ceremony, the focus moved to the dockside, where the liner was blessed and a bottle of Italian prossecco was smashed against the hull by the Madrina. The valves of the dry dock were then opened and the liner met the water for the first time.
“It is only a little over six months since the keel for this great ship was laid. In that short time, a solitary block at the bottom of the dry dock has, as a result of the skill and discipline of the workforce here at Fincantieri, grown into this awe-inspiring vessel,” said Shanks. “Even in her present unfinished state, devoid of the carpets and curtains, furnishings and facilities, paintings and porcelain that we associate with a Cunard luxury liner, she is awesome. Of the 170 years of Cunard's history, there has been an ‘Elizabeth’ in the fleet for more than 70 and this ship – the second largest Cunarder ever built –will take the name far into the 21st Century.”
Queen Elizabeth will feature many unique Cunard traditions linking her with her sisters, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, and their predecessors. It also will feature all the modern day luxuries Cunard’s guests have come to expect. Additionally, there will be features that will give the vessel her own style and personality.

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The first Queen Elizabeth was one of Cunard’s greatest ships, and the new Queen Elizabeth will reflect her predecessor in interior grandeur, décor and style, but with a modern twist. From the outside, her distinctive black and red livery will hint at an experience that differentiates a Cunard liner from a modern-day cruise ship. This will be most evident in the ship’s adherence to liner traditions, with elegant double- and triple-height public rooms on a grand scale, luxuriously endowed with rich wood panelling, intricate mosaics, hand-woven carpets, gleaming chandeliers and cool marbles. Art Deco features will pay homage to the original Queen Elizabeth and will allow the new ship to reflect a more civilized era of travel.
As successor to Queen Elizabeth 2, the ship will also reflect this great liner through artwork and memorabilia, and its very own “Yacht Club.” Queen Elizabeth will acknowledge the links that Cunard has enjoyed with royalty and the maritime world over the years with photography, memorabilia and exhibits.
Queen Elizabeth’s Maiden Voyage, now sold out, will depart on Tuesday12 October 2010. This 13-night celebration will leave from the company’s home port in Southampton (UK), and will call at Vigo, Lisbon, Cadiz, Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (overnight call) and Funchal.
Her Maiden Season will run from October 2010 to January 2011 and include voyages to the Western and Central Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Fares for the ship’s 13-day Iberian Discovery voyage start from $2,620 per person, based on double occupancy. Departing roundtrip from Southampton on December 1, Queen Elizabeth will visit Vigo, Lisbon, Cadiz, Grand Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma and Madeira.
Queen Elizabeth will depart Southampton on 5 January 2011 on her 103-night epic Maiden World Voyage, which has just opened for sale. This tour will feature 35 maiden calls, including Cunard’s first call ever at Port Denarau (Fiji). In total, Queen Elizabeth will call at 38 ports in 23 countries as she makes her way west around the globe, with maiden transits of both the Panama and Suez Canals and calls at Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Lisbon.

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Queen Elizabeth will be in great company, as her sisters will be on hand for several Cunard Royal Rendezvous meetings during the voyage: she will sail in tandem en route to New York with Queen Victoria before all three Cunard Queens meet in New York on 13 January; she will meet Queen Mary 2 in Sydney on 22 February and in Civitavecchia on 13 April; and she will meet Queen Victoria again in Aruba on 19 January.

For more details, visit our website:
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email: charmaine@affordabletravelhq.com