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YourHub.com \\ Stuart \\ Stories \\ Travel \\ General Travel

In a troubled economy, TRAVEL VALUES abound!

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Contributed by: Jennifer Zwicky on 10/2/2008

We're all tired of the bad news, here's some good news for a change.

Cruise lines, hotels, airlines and tour companies are offering fabulous specials on travel, even for "peak season" dates. Incentives include complimentary airfare, shipboard credits, free upgrades, spa credits, free nights, dining credits, deep discounts on airfare and packages (air, hotel and rental car or transfers) at 30-70% off the regular rates.

Who says we can't find something positive in all of this doom and gloom? Let's face it, travel suppliers are as scared as the rest of us as the stock market feels more like a ride at Disney every day. Their best defense is a good offense- give us a great value, and we WILL travel.

As cruising has grown in popularity, so have the cruise line fleets, and that makes for a huge number of cabins to fill. From the mass-market inexpensive "megaship" cruise companies, all the way up to the elegant, all-inclusive small ship luxury lines, dazzling offers are everywhere.

Carnival Cruise Lines, for instance, is offering a four night Western Caribbean cruise in February with rates starting at just $220 per person (exclusive of taxes and fees) but including a $50 shipboard credit per cabin plus a bottle of house red wine per stateroom.

At the other end of the spectrum, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is offering a savings of up to $4000.00 per person on an 11 night Western Caribbean Christmas/Holiday cruise on the Navigator with balcony suites starting at only $3895.00 per person including all beverages, spirits, wine, on-board gratuities and your in-suite mini-bar stocked daily with beer, soda and bottled water.

Hotels have many rooms to fill as well, and the best way to "put heads in beds" is to lower rates and offer value add-ons like upgrades, resort and food and beverage credits. Convention cities like Las Vegas and New Orleans have an overabundance of empty rooms during the December holiday season, and discounts of up to 70% are available on four and five star hotels.

New Orleans has an added bonus - the entire month of December offers a holiday festival which includes discounted hotel AND dining rates at many of the Crescent City's finest restaurants. Elegant Reveillon dinners, featuring four and five course prix fixe menus start at just $25.00 per person for a complete meal from soup to nuts. And if all of that luxury, wining and dining leave you with a touch of guilt, redeem yourself with a little "voluntourism" by helping paint, drywall or rebuild a hurricane ravaged home in the 9th Ward for a day or two.

If you prefer a "package" tour or vacation including air, hotel, car rental or motorcoach tour, there are plenty of fantastic deals available. Some escorted tours even include your meals, which is a great way to beat the weak dollar traveling in Europe and Asia. You might also consider Mexico and the Caribbean where the dollar is still strong.

In Mexico, for instance, we currently offer a package offering nonstop airfare from Fort Lauderdale, 4 nights, 5 days accommodation at the luxury Occidental Grand Xcaret near Playa del Carmen, all meals, beverages and soft drinks, gratuities and taxes plus two passes to the Xcaret eco-park and round trip airport transfers for only $850.00 per person! The resort offers 7 restaurants, 14 bars, 5 pools, 10 whirlpools, tennis, sauna and a kid's program. Diving and optional tours of the Mayan Ruins or a dolphin swim can be added to the package for a fee.

Whether it's cruising, a weekend or holiday getaway, or an all-inclusive package or tour, the bargains are here for the taking, and you'll have the memories to savor for a lifetime!

For more information, or to book your "escape" please contact Escapes by Jen at 772 219-0884 or jen@escapesbyjen.com. Specials are updated frequently on our website www.escapesbyjen.com

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