TradeWinds Offers $250 Credit to Floridians
March 26, 2009
St. PETE BEACH – The TradeWinds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach are currently offering Floridians a complimentary $250 Resort Credit with any room reserved at the prevailing rate. The offer is valid from now until Sept. 30, 2009 with a three-night minimum booking made directly with the resort, and is subject to some conditions. Read more
Cruise Company Stockholders Get Onboard Credits
March 25, 2009
DES MOINES - Stocks losing value is rarely good news, but there is a little-known silver lining for cruisers: free onboard credits of $50-$250 are now within easy reach.
The world’s two largest cruise companies have long offered onboard credit-that is, cash to be spent on the ship–to their shareholders. To qualify, you need only own 100 shares of stock in Carnival Corporation or Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. at the time of your cruise. But while Carnival Cruise Lines traded around $45 per share and Royal Caribbean sold for about $36, CCL is now about $22 and RCL and is trading at about $8 per share.
“With RCL at $8,” said Bob Levinstein, CEO of competitive cruise quote site CruiseCompete.com, “anyone traveling on a 14-night Royal, Celebrity, or Azamara sailing can get a $250 onboard credit just for buying $800 worth of stock.”
RCL also offers shareholder credits on shorter cruises: $200 credit for sailings between 10-13 nights; $100 credit for cruises of 6-9 nights; and $50 credit for sailings of five nights or less.
Carnival Corporation, which owns Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Seabourn, Cunard, and Costa offers shareholders onboard credit (per stateroom) of $250 on sailings of 14 days or longer, $100 on sailings of 7 to 13 days, and $50 on sailings of 6 days or less.
Applications to receive these benefits must be made prior to cruise departure date, and certain restrictions apply. Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean provide specific instructions on how to demonstrate your ownership to receive this benefit.
Florida-based Airlines
February 20, 2009
Florida has a long aviation tradition, from the first scheduled passenger flight across Tampa Bay to legendary air carriers including Eastern Airlines, Pan American World Airways and National Airlines.
Today, there are a number of Florida-based airlines including:
AirTran: AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), a Fortune 1000 company, is ranked number one in the 2008 Airline Quality Rating study. The airline offers coast-to-coast flights, North America’s newest all-Boeing fleet, friendly service and Business Class and complimentary XM Satellite Radio on every flight. To book a flight, visit http://www.airtran.com.
Gulfstream International: Gulfstream (NYSE: GIA) currently operates 23 aircraft with over 150 daily system departures throughout Florida, the Bahamas and now with service at Cleveland, OH. Gulfstream operates as Continental Connection, under contractual agreement with Continental Airlines. Additionally Gulfstream has codeshare relationships with Northwest Airlines and United Airlines. Gulfstream also operates charter flights between Miami, Florida and Havana, Cuba through a related company, Gulfstream Air Charter. The Company, with its headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, has approximately 700 employees, the bulk of which are Florida based. Gulfstream is a member of the Regional Airline Association. website at www.gulfstreamair.com.
Spirit Airlines: Spirit Airlines, Inc. (www.spiritair.com) is the largest Ultra Low Cost Carrier (ULCC) in the United States, Latin America and Caribbean. Its all-Airbus fleet, the youngest in the Americas, flies more than 200 daily flights to 43 destinations. The company is based in Miramar, Florida, and employs 2,300 professionals.
Jet Blue Sets NY-Orlando-Bogota Service
January 31, 2009
Some Entry Level Fares $49
ORLANDO – JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) on Jan. 29 began Orlando’s first and only nonstop daily service to El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, Colombia. Flights will originate at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, providing convenient one-stop, same-plane service between Bogota and New York. Colombians traveling through Orlando will have seamless connections to 17 other cities including Boston, Newark and Washington.
Beginning Sunday, February 1, the New York-based carrier will continue its expansion plans in Latin America and the Caribbean from Central Florida with daily nonstop service to Nassau, Bahamas. Daily service to San Jose, Costa Rica will also begin March 26, 2009, subject to receipt of Costa Rican government operating authority. See www.jetblue.com
Miami Beach Antique Show Jan. 24
January 14, 2009
MIAMI BEACH – Nationally recognized fine art and antiques experts Gary Piattoni and David McCarron will offer free appraisals with paid admission to the Original Miami Beach Antique Show. Gary and David will offer this value added service from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 24 in Hall B at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Each attendee will be allowed to have one item appraised, however, items purchased at the show will not be eligible.
Gary Piattoni has more than 20 years experience in the fine art and antique business. He holds a certificate in appraisal studies from New York University and is a former specialist with Christie’s fine art auction house in New York. He has also appeared as an appraiser on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow since 1997, as well as a guest on ABC’s The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC’s The Maury Povich Show, and WGN Radio’s Milt Rosenberg Extension 720. Read more
Briefs: New Marianna Truckstop, Golf Package in Ponte Vedra
September 10, 2008
MARIANNA — TravelCenters of America LLC announced today the reopening of its Marianna, Florida location after a major renovation project. Marianna, Florida is situated on I-10 and State Route 71 at Exit 142. A major emphasis of the renovation was extensive remodeling of the Country Pride restaurant and the addition of a quick-serve food court. The Country Pride reopened with new booths, seating, buffet, wall treatments and more. TA operates 129 full-service restaurants across the U.S. and Canada including 86 Country Pride locations. The new food court features two highly-popular quick-serve concepts; Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, serving New Orleans Cajun style chicken and a Taco Bell/Pizza Hit Express combination. TravelCenters of America, headquartered in Westlake, Ohio is a leading national chain of travel centers in 41 states and Canada under the TravelCenters of America and Petro brands. For more information visit www.tatravelcenters.com
Fertile Turtle Package at Marco Island Marriott
August 30, 2008
MARCO ISLAND — Get some while the turtles get some?
Florida’s Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort entices couples to “conceive while on vacation” with their Fertile Turtle package. As sea turtles are known as a symbol of fertility, lovebirds have the opportunity to “watch sea turtles eggs hatch, right on the resort’s very own three-mile stretch of beach, while trying to fertilize an egg of their own.” A portion of the package proceeds will benefit the Sea Turtle Monitoring & Protection Project of the Conservancy for Southwest Florida. Read more
Discounts at KeysCaribbean Luxury Resorts
August 25, 2008
From staff reports, press releases
KEY LARGO — September finds a wide variety of events taking place in the Florida Keys, including a national motorcycle ride for charity, a benefit for the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, and an international bonefish tournament. To celebrate these unique Keys events, KeysCaribbean Luxury Resort Villas & Marinas is offering a September Special Savings Offer: 25 percent off at select KeysCaribbean luxury resorts through Sept. 30, 2008.
First up on Sept. 13 is the 2nd annual 1960s Bird Bash in Key Largo to benefit the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center. Mariner’s Resort Villas & Marina in Key Largo is only two minutes from the Bird Bash and is participating in the special 25 percent discount. Read more
Free Gas, $159 Rooms at Disney Swan and Dolphin
August 23, 2008
From PR Newswire
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Aug. 18 Given the soaring costs of gasoline, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is offering some special deals to give relief to Floridians driving to the resort.
Each week through Labor Day, the resort will randomly select a guest who drove to the resort for their stay and send them a rebate check for the mileage incurred traveling to the resort — offering $1 for every mile driven. All hybrid car drivers will receive complimentary valet parking.
According to Peter Kacheris, general manager, “This is a great opportunity for our in-state guests who drive to Orlando. They can receive everything from a gas rebate that’s double the current IRS mileage rate, to free valet parking and some extra pampering for the car.”
This special drawing is valid only for guests who are Florida residents and drive a vehicle to the resort. In addition to this special offer, guests can also take advantage of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort’s summer savings for Florida residents this year — starting at $159 per room per night through September 30, 2008.
Call 800-227-1500 or visit http://www.swandolphin.com
Sarasota’s Selby Library
August 4, 2008
If you are in Sarasota, do stop in at the Selby Library. It is a great free stop on the tourist tour. Here are five free (or really cheap) things you can do. Read more
