me
of booking, a copy of Kay Thompson's
Eloise book, a Super Duper Sundae
from in-room dining and Eloise postcards
with postage. Butler service is
also included with suites (they will
unpack for you and prepare your bath)!
Eloise was first published in 1955
and remains in the hearts and
imagination of children and adults
around the world. The $400 million
renovation of The Plaza, now part of the
Fairmont chain, includes a new champagne
bar, lounge and lovely tranquility
garden. Other hotel promotions
include a Third Night Free
through September 7. 
teen
lounge at the Loews Miami Beach.
The new PBteen Cabana is decorated with
colorful chairs, plush couches, area
rugs and wall murals, creating an ideal
spots for teens. At the club,
teens can have fun with weekly Nintendo
Wii competitions, rent DVDs or order
specially created tropical frozen
smoothies. In the summer, the
hotel will also offer a PBteen Game
Lounge. There is also a PBteen
lounge at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort
in San Diego. Don't forget that
Loews is also dog friendly; so bring
along the entire family for a great
getaway.
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September 5. Rates
include a breakfast
buffet for two adults
and two children age 12
and under, two adult
passes valid for
unlimited admission to
SeaWorld, the San Diego
Zoo and the Wild Animal
Park for five
consecutive days, one
session at the hotel's
kids camp (for ages
4-12) and a special
welcome gift.
Rates start at $440 per
night and a 4-night
minimum stay is
required. You can
also save with a U.S.
Savings Bond
package through
September 7. You
will receive a $50
savings bond for each
room you book per night
and $100 for each suite
booked per night!
This popular and
historic beachfront
resort now showcases a
new Beach Village with
luxury accommodations
ranging from hotel rooms
to three-bedroom villas.
The hotel will also
unveil newly renovated
kids and teen clubs this
summer.
star
luxury service at an affordable price
with visits to small and unique ports
throughout the Caribbean.
Five-night sailings begin at $1,499 per
person and week-long cruises start at
only $1,999 per person. Your rate
includes all meals, wine with lunch and
dinner, open bar with selected premium
brands, watersports and tips! Port
charges and taxes are additional.
SeaDream Yacht Club operates two
identical 110-passenger "mega-yachts"
offering a casual yet upscale yachting
experience. There is no formal
dress code, an unstructured onboard
atmosphere and even the flexibility to
stay in a particular port longer if the
passengers request it.
Other features include a gym, spa,
casino, library, indoor and outdoor
dining with open seating, pool and
whirlpool. Cabins average 195 sq.
ft. and suites are also available. 
nity
to join fellow film buffs to discuss
specially selected motion pictures
during your cruise. Each month a
new film will be selected (the film
schedule will soon to be available at
the Princess website) with a special
video introduction from Mr. Maltin.
Films will be shown poolside or in the
Princess Theater. A group
discussion, guided by questions and
trivia from Mr. Maltin, will take place
in one-hour movie club meetings during
your sailing. Classic and popular
films chosen by Mr. Maltin will also be
showcased on your cabin television
line-up. Mr. Maltin will
also be traveling aboard select sailings
to be announced at a later date.
Movies Under the Stars, a giant LED
screen more than 300 square feet in
size, has a 69,000-watt sound system and
sufficient lighting power to be seen
clearly at mid-day and heard even while
the ship is moving at full speed.
The screens are currently available on
the Caribbean,
Crown, Emerald, Ruby,
Grand, Star, Golden
and
Sea Princesses and will be on all
ships by 2011. The screens are
also used to showcase special sporting
events, concerts and midnight cult films
such as Rocky Horror Picture Show.
awesome
Family Adventure package.
Starting at $940 per person for four
nights or $1,420 per person for seven
nights, the package includes
accommodations in a private cabin or the
Mango Guest House, three daily meals,
unlimited hiking and use of kayaks,
snorkeling and fishing equipment.
Also included is one educational seminar
and a variety of adventurous tours
(kayak and snorkel tour, jungle river or
dolphin tour, waterfall tour, a visit to
an animal sanctuary, fishing excursion
and night hikes). Children ages
6-12 receive a 25 percent discount while
teens age 13-17 get 10 percent off.
Located on the shore of the Golfo Dulce
and only accessible by boat, the
property lies right in front of a
165-acre preserve in the last remaining
lowland rainforest in Costa Rica.
The preserve is full of exotic wildlife,
plants and trees and a terrific network
of trails to explore. Other
activities include yoga and massage
treatments and nearby you can enjoy
horseback riding and mountain biking. 
8
people) is designed to introduce
families to Roman food and how it is
grown, harvested, prepared and eaten.
The emphasis is on sustainability.
The trip combines farm visits with
market tours, cooking lessons and
wonderful meals. It is designed
around your children and their
interests. The trip includes
activities organized for younger
children to get them thinking about
where good food comes from and how it is
prepared. There is more in-depth
hands-on learning for older children
too. Your trip will include visits
to Ancient Rome to discover its culinary
roots, a visit to Pompeii, pizza making
workshops and more.
your
family can get an extra bed in the room
for no additional cost and free meals
(breakfast, lunch and dinner) from the
resort's children's menu. In
addition, various recreational
activities such as the adventure zone (a
multi-level playground with children's
activities), trapeze, jet-skiing,
horseback riding and nature trail
walking are free! This promotion
is available at seven Shangri-La
properties in Singapore, Malaysia and
the Philippines. You will also
receive a free room night for a future
stay within one year.
For beginners and experienced travelers alike, Fodor's recommends 12 tips for Planning a Perfect Day of Sightseeing. We concur...
1. Don't over-schedule-Overcome the fear that you may never return to a destination and focus on activities and attractions that truly appeal to your family.
Take the time to enjoy festivals, markets, parks and other local events.
2. Vary your activities from day to day-This helps keep each day new and fresh. With so many touring options, try to mix it up instead of dragging to museums day after day.
3. Reconfirm hours and admission-Call the day of your visit to be sure. No guidebook or website is always completely updated. Local holidays, renovations, etc. can affect hours.
4. Plan for inclement weather-Rainy days shouldn't damper your vacation. Check the climate ahead of time and plan accordingly. Plenty of indoor activities abound.
5. Carry a bit of change in local currency-Little unexpected payments may be required for entry fees, etc.
6. Pack light-One backpack is great for your daily outings. Don't forget your guide book, maps, cell phone, bottled water, ID's, sunscreen, portable umbrella, etc.
7. Don't forget your cell phone or phone card-Very useful when trying to confirm museum hours, directions, dining reservations, etc. Cell phone rentals are very economical. Call us for more details.
8. Write down your hotel name, address and phone number on a slip of paper-You can also do this for restaurants, attractions and other sites that you are planning to visit in case there is a language barrier. Have the addresses in the local alphabet where needed.
9. Find out when museums offer free admission-Many large museums offer free or "pay-as-you-wish" admission one or two days per week, often for just part of the day.
10: Plan an evening museum jaunt-Many major museums extend their hours one night a week. This makes for a nice evening activity along with dinner out. Sometimes museums offer special evening programs as well.
11. Consider a theme park-This can be a unique cultural experience in any destination.
12. Check out theme-park discounts-Local tourism boards almost always have coupons for big theme parks. Check out other applicable discounts such as AAA. If you go after 4pm, many parks charge half price. Off season rates can be even lower.
ite
with oceanfront views. The premium
level afforded them additional amenities
and services including use of a special
club lounge, VIP check-in, priority and
unlimited restaurant access, pillow
menus, upgraded bedding and bath
amenities, pool towels in the room and
more. The entire family (2 adults
and a daughter age 10) truly appreciated
the length of their vacation and met
many other wonderful families. The
highlight was definitely the pools with
a phenomenal children's waterpark with
slides and waterfalls and loungers right
in the water. They also really
enjoyed the buffet restaurants, beach,
excellent medical care (to take care of
an ear infection) and they thought that
the evening entertainment was highly
professional with a variety of shows
available in both indoor and outdoor
theaters.