Just Got Engaged? Consider a Destination Wedding!

By Marjorie Sanchez

So you’re a Holiday Engagement Couple, congratulations!

Many couples are en-fiancé over the holidays and welcome the New Year with visions of dream wedding scenarios. Some of those dream weddings will be a destination wedding!

Planning a destination wedding when you have the right team of experts supporting you in every way possible alleviates many stress factors. Keep in mind, not all brides are meant to have a destination wedding. Some opt for the more traditional, at home celebration while some desire the feel of sand between their toes and they walk towards the love of their lives and recite those magical words, “I do”

To determine if a destination wedding is right for you and your pocket you have to consider a few things. One is do you want a destination wedding or a wedding at a destination? Some brides & grooms to-be want a traditional wedding with a “hall” and a dance floor, full cocktail reception, specific flowers, table arrangements and other details that are easy to do at “home”. Your budget will predict what can and cannot be done. If you want specific peonies for an august wedding in Jamaica, be ready to shell out the funds for it since specific peonies may not be native to the island and will need to be imported. This means $$$. Well, you can have anything you pretty much want, if you are willing to pay for it.

If you are more of a laid back person and are happy with using the destinations natural resources in décor and menu, unless you want upgrades-which are always additional, then you are an ideal candidate for a destination wedding.

Most resorts offer a free wedding package with your stay based on the actual stay it self. These packages often have a maximum number of guests that can attend the wedding. Additional guests can attend at a per person price which is determined on the base package chosen. All resorts offer packages of some sort as well as a beach, gazebo or terrace ceremony option.

Narrowing down the options as to which destination, what property, who is attending and where to have the ceremony can be time consuming and really stressful. There are times where a resort can look perfect in photos but may not exactly be what you envisioned when you get there. At Easy Escapes, we have been to hundreds of properties in the Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America and the South Pacific. We can help you narrow down your choices, let us take that stress off you and your fiancé’s shoulders and allow us the honor to assist in creating wonderful memories.

For more information on destination weddings please contact Marjorie@easyescapestravel.com for more information or call 1-800-294-6643.

USA3000 Airlines going out of business. Frontier takes over for Apple Vacations’ charter packages

 

USA3000 airlines, which offers non-stop charter flights from East Coast and Midwest gateways to the Caribbean and Mexico plans on closing shop early 2012.  It’s sister company, Apple Vacations, who sells packages using USA3000 flights, has already started shifting contracts to other airline carriers like Frontier Airlines to prevent any break in service for our mutual customers.     

Some background information on Frontier:

•  Operates more than 500 flights a day to 80 destinations, from 3 hubs - Denver, Kansas City, and Milwaukee
•  Has flown more than 87 million passengers
• NEW! Non-Stop charter flights for Apple Vacations from Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Cincinnati
• Offers outstanding safety and on-time performance records
• Diamond Award Winner for Excellence in Safety Training for 10 consecutive years
• Outstanding on-time performance record: 83.4% on time nationally, 92% on time Frontier/Apple charters
• Utilizes brand-new, next generation Airbus 320 planes for all Apple charter flights (same model planes as USA3000).
•  162 all-leather seats. All coach class
• Provides TVs in every seat-back and FREE DIRECTV with 24 TV channels, including NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox, and first-run movies (minimal charge)

We look forward to booking your next Apple Vacations charter package from Philadelphia, Cleveland and Cincinnati with Frontier in 2012!

New non-stop flights from JFK to Hawaii starting June 2012!

Grand Opening of Iberostar Cancun! All Inclusive Family Escapes At Its Best!

Iberostar, one of our favorite family friendly resort chains has just expanded to Cancun! Grand opening: December 1, 2011

Until now families seeking the Iberostar experience were limited to the Riviera Maya (South of Cancun). We are excited to announce the New Iberostar Cancun - Expansive, elegant and enticing. IBEROSTAR Cancun, scheduled to open December 1, 2011 is situated on one of Mexico’s most magnificent beachfronts, IBEROSTAR Cancun features a sprawling complex where every suite is oceanview.

At this remarkable hotel, the kids can live it up at the supervised Kids Club — complete with a water park — while the adults play a round of golf on the area’s only 18-hole championship course, relax in the stunning spa or wile away the hours in any of the seven pools including a spectacular infinity pool. At this all-inclusive destination, dining is a family dream. From four gourmet specialty restaurants to the casual poolside snack bar, the ice cream parlor to the cigar lounge — IBEROSTAR Cancun caters to every member of the family as only IBEROSTAR can do!

Iberostar Cancun joins the Iberostar family of resorts currently all located in Riviera Maya, Mexico: Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar, Iberostar Paraiso Beach, Iberostar Paraiso Lindo, Iberostar Paraiso Maya, Iberostar Grand Paraiso, Iberostar Tucan, Iberostar Quetzal.

For further information and promotional rates, contact one of our Iberostar Specialists. Call 1-800-294-6643 or email info@easyescapestravel.com for a quick quote.

Coming Soon: Ritz Carlton Reserve Boutique Resort to Open December 2012

A Ritz Carlton Reserve will open in Puerto Rico December 2012 on Dorado Beach.  The "Reserve" brand will be the second of its kind joining Phulay Bay on the Thai island of Krabi, which opened December 2009.  "The Reserve brand offers a new level of luxury and service for leisure travelers in a small, secluded, environmentally sensitive resorts and hideaways for urban-oriented guests," says the VP of marketing, Clayton Ruebensaal. 

The 115 room Reserve will include 100 guestrooms and 14 one bedroom suites, six of which will have rooftop pools.

Facilities at Dorado Beach will include:

• Four championship golf courses, one of which the East Couse is currently under renovation and will reopen in November
• Three miles of beach
• Eleven miles of trails
• A spa spread over five acres of gardens with 22 different buildings housing treatment rooms plus two treehouse style treatment rooms, an apothecary, beauty shop, lockers, and and 8,000 square foot fitness facility
• Six restaurants
• Beach club
• A Wind and Waves center featuring Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment eco-adventure program for families

Golf & Spa lovers, look out for this new Luxury Escape Resort coming soon to Dorado Beach!

Free Weddings At Iberostar Grand Resorts In Mexico, Punta Cana & Jamaica!

For a limited time, Iberostar Grand Hotels are offering couples FREE wedding packages at their luxury adults only resorts!

To qualify, couples must book 5 rooms or more for 3+ nights or a Grand Oceanfront room for 7+ nights at:

Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso - Riviera Maya, Mexico

Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Iberostar Grand Hotel Rose Hall - Montego Bay, Jamaica

The Iberostar Grand complimentary wedding package includes:

• Minister Fees
• Flowers for bride & groom
• Wedding cake
• Champagne toast
• 10% off spa services
• Complimentary room for the groom the night before the wedding
• FREE room upgrade for the wedding couple

Contact one of our destination wedding specialists for details and to confirm your wedding date availability.

Viva Las Vegas With No Resort Fees!

Thinking of heading to Vegas? Beware, more and more hotels are charging mandatory "resort fees".  Resort fees can range anywhere from $10 to $35 per night.

Here are the current resorts that have NO hidden or mandatory resort fees:

• Caesars Palace
• Planet Hollywood
• Paris
• Flamingo
• Rio
• Harrah's
• Bally's
• Imperial Palace
• PH Towers Westgate

The money you could save by booking a no resort fee hotel can add up to a substancial amount. This extra cash in your pocket can be used on a few rounds at the black jack table, a nice dinner, or even Vegas show tickets!