Princess Cruises Offers Cruise Fares From $749 During Red, White & Blue Sale, Fall 2017 Through Spring 2018

Offer Also Includes Reduced Deposit and Fares for Third and Fourth Guests

 Princess Cruises'Red, White & Blue Sale features cruise deal savings on six- to 60-day cruise vacations

 departing from North America and beyond to destinations worldwide including the Caribbean, Panama Canal, 

Mexico, Canada & New England, Hawaii, and Australia & New Zealand, South Pacific, Southeast Asia, South

 America and World Cruises. Cruise fares to these unique vacation destinations are offered from $749 per

 person from Fall 2017 through Spring 2018.

In addition to incredible cruise fares, guests can reserve their booking with a reduced deposit of only

 $100 per person. Guests also have the opportunity to take advantage of a special introductory offer

 Ocean Medallion™ cruises to the Caribbean, with balcony upgrades starting from $99 on select 7-day

 Caribbean cruises.

Ocean Medallion is a first-of-its-kind wearable device that enables a personal concierge by bridging

 the physical and digital worlds to deliver a new level of personalized service not previously considered

 possible -- including sophisticated wayfinding, food and beverage on demand, an array of interactive

 gaming and more.  The quarter-sized, 1.8-ounce disc can be accessorized with jewelry, clips, key chains

 and bands or simply carried in a pocket or pocketbook.

Examples of Red, White & Blue Sale cruise deals include:

• Caribbean cruise — 7 days: Interior - $799 per person; Balcony - $898 per person
• Mexico cruise — 7 days: Interior - $749 per person; Balcony - $949 per person
• Panama Canal cruise— 10 days: Interior - $999 per person; Balcony - $1,799 per person
• Canada & New England cruise — 7 days: Interior - $999 per person; Balcony - $1,399 per person
• Hawaii cruise — 15 days: Interior - $1,599 per person; Balcony - $2,699 per person
• Australia & New Zealand cruise — 12 days: Interior - $1,299 per person; Balcony - $2,299 per person

Guests can also bring the whole family along with reduced third and fourth guest cruise fares.

To thank the men and women of the American and Canadian militaries for their service, Princess Cruises 

offers up to $250 free onboard spending money for veterans as well as active, retired or disabled military

 personnel. This special military benefit is eligible on any cruise, any time of the year and can be used to

 purchase a variety of amenities and experiences including Lotus Spa treatments, specialty restaurant dining,

 gifts, jewelry and clothing in our onboard boutiques, and Princess Cruises shore excursions.

Additional details about the "Red, White & Blue Sale" as well as other cruise deals and promotions from

 Princess Cruises can be found at princess.com/cruisedeals. More information about Ocean Medallion

 can be found at princess.com/ocean.

All cruise prices are per person, based on double occupancy.  The "Red, White & Blue Sale" runs through

 11:59 p.m. PDT on July 5, 2017 and is available to residents of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico,

 Mexico and Bermuda.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel consultant, by

 calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at princess.com.

About Princess Cruises:One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise line and tour company

 operating a fleet of 18 modern cruise ships renowned for their innovative design and wide array of 

choices in dining, entertainment and amenities, all provided with the experience of exceptional customer 

service. A recognized leader in worldwide cruising, Princess carries 1.7 million guests each year to more

 than 360 destinations around the globe on more than 150 itineraries ranging in length from three to

 114 days. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).

10 Exciting Attractions Opening In 2015

From the world's largest archaeology museum to its biggest eco-park, 2015 is gearing up to be a whopper of a year for global tourists in search of the next big thing.

Video games will finally get the kind of museum treatment typically awarded to other forms of visual art.

Texas will open a Texas-sized entertainment district.

And everyone's favorite, Hello Kitty, will finally take a stab at Mickey Mouse with her own lavish theme park.

Below is our cultural calendar for 2015, highlighting the most anticipated new attractions opening around the globe.

Each of these multi-million dollar projects will have a major impact on local tourism, and every one of them is sure to make headlines in the coming months.

Hello Kitty Park (Zhejiang Province, China)

Opening date: January, 2015

This joint venture between Japan's Sanrio Corporation and China's Zhejiang New Insight Leisure Tourism Development opened to Hello Kitty's adoring fans on New Year's Day.

The new attraction includes 11 themed facilities, such as performance venues, amusement rides, a luxury resort and even a grand mahjong hall.

The $215 million project is the first Hello Kitty theme park outside of the cartoon's native Japan and is expected to attract up to one million visitors per year.

Hello Kitty Park, 1 Tianshi Ave., Anji County, Zhejiang Province; +86 4009 778 899

Inspiration for tomorrow's game-makers?

The National Videogame Arcade (Nottingham, England)

Opening date: March 2015

Billed as "the world's first cultural center for gaming," the forthcoming National Videogame Arcade will be a hub for video game culture, with public programs, educational outreach, archives, themed galleries and interactive exhibitions spread across a five-floor building in Nottingham's Creative Quarter.

The $3.9 million compound will house more than 12,000 objects, and aims to "inspire and develop the game-makers of tomorrow."

The National Videogame Arcade, 24-32 Carlton St., Nottingham; +44 788 763 3751

Grand Texas Sports & Entertainment District (New Caney, Texas)

Opening date: Spring 2015

The first components of a massive new amusement zone 30 miles northeast of Houston, Texas -- including a motorsports park, sports complex and water park -- are expected to open to the public in the spring of 2015.

The 640-acre district will eventually house seven Texas-themed attractions in total, including a shopping and entertainment complex, a multi-use event center, concert venues, a wakeboarding lake, equestrian trails, a hospitality village and the Grand Texas Amusement Park.

Grand Texas Sports & Entertainment District, 23065 Highway 242, New Caney, Texas

The National Blues Museum (St. Louis, Missouri)

Opening date: Late 2015

Blues fans will have a good reason to smile next year when the National Blues Museum opens to the public in downtown St Louis.

Backed by everyone from blues legend Buddy Guy to actor John Goodman, the $13.5 million complex will contain 16,000 square feet of interactive exhibition space, a 100-seat theater and a robust calendar of public programming.

The National Blue Museum, 615 Washington Ave., St. Louis, Missouri; +1 314 231 0400

Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (Moscow)

Opening date: June 2015

Conceived in 2008 by Dasha Zhukova (girlfriend of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich). the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art will finally move into its first permanent home in 2015.

Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas helped transform a Soviet-era pavilion in Gorky Park into a 58,000-square-foot art compound that will display some of the best contemporary works from Russia and beyond.

Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, 9, Krymsky Val, Gorky Park, Moscow; +7 495 645 05 20

Where fantasy and cultural heritage collide.

Eternity Passage (Beijing)

Opening date: Summer 2015

Eternity Passage claims it will be China's first hi-tech amusement park, weaving Chinese history with "technological fantasy" across two large zones (one indoor and the other open air).

The theme park is currently under construction just outside of the Chinese capital, on the route to the Great Wall, and will be part of Beijing Outlets World, a complex with outlet shopping, resort hotels and a conference center.

Eternity Passage, ChangPing County, Beijing

Grand Egyptian Museum (Cairo)

Opening date: Fall 2015

Halfway between the Pyramids of Giza and the modern city of Cairo lies an $800 million compound that will soon be home to 100,000 ancient artifacts spanning more than 7,000 years of history.

The Grand Egyptian Museum will become the world's largest archeological institution when it opens in the fall, and includes a conference center, training center and several archeology workshops.

Its biggest draw card will no doubt be the display of more than 3,500 artifacts belonging to the famous King Tutankhamen.

Grand Egyptian Museum, El Remayah Sq., Cairo-Alex. Road, Pyramids, Giza, Egypt; +202 33 776 893

National Gallery Singapore (Singapore)

Opening date: November 2015

The 689,000-square-foot National Gallery will be the largest visual arts venue in Southeast Asia when it opens in the heart of Singapore's Civic District next year with a collection of regional art spanning from the 19th century to present day.

The opening is timed to coincide with Singapore's Golden Jubilee, and marks a fresh attempt by the city-state to position itself as an international hub of the arts.

National Gallery Singapore, 1 St. Andrew's Road; +65 6690 9400

Funtasy Island: An eco park off the coast of Singapore.

Funtasy Island (Riau Islands, Indonesia)

Opening date: Late 2015

Developers are billing this $240 million, 740-acre amusement zone just off the coast of Singapore in Indonesia's Riau Islands as "the world's largest eco-theme park."

Eight key "eco-zones" under construction include a multi-sensory rainforest, land- and river-based safaris, snorkel and scuba zones, an interactive dolphin habitat and an aquarium where you can swim with whale sharks.

Funtasy Island, 1 Maritime Square, Harbour Front Centre, Singapore; +65 6376 5919

Louvre Abu Dhabi (U.A.E.)

Opening date: December 2015

The oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi paid an astounding $525 million just to be associated with the Louvre brand, along with another $747 million for art loans and managerial advice.

Add to the price tag the cost of the building, about $100 million, and you've got yourself one of the most expensive cultural institutions ever conceived.

Inside the domed structure, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, will be 65,000 square feet of permanent installations and 22,000 square feet more set aside for temporary exhibits.

Louvre Abu Dhabi, Cultural District, Abu Dhabi

Renovated attractions

- A project aimed at restoring Mont Saint-Michel's original tidal character will be completed in 2015, revitalizing both the approach to the famous Normandy abbey and the spirit of its maritime setting.

- One year too late to coincide with its centennial celebrations, the Panama Canal's $5.2 billion expansion project should finally be completed by December with much fanfare to mark the occasion.

- With a concourse 90 feet longer than the main concourse of Grand Central Terminal further uptown, the new wing-shaped World Trade Center Transportation Hub will serve more than 200,000 daily commuters and millions of annual visors from around the globe when completed in December 2015.

- Another New York City institution, the Whitney Museum of American Art will move into its new building between the High Line and the Hudson River in May, vastly increasing its exhibition and programming space.

Contributed by Mark Johanson, CNN

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Small Ship Cruises And Adventurous Land Packages Still Available For Year-End Holidays - But Selling Fast

 Suddenly it’s late summer with 2014 Holiday travel only months away. 

AdventureSmith Explorations that offers both sea and land excursions year-round reports that plans can still be made with them for prime holiday season December 2014 and early January 2015 escapes.

“But don’t wait too long,” said Todd Smith, founder/owner of AdventureSmith Explorationsthat specializes in small-ship expedition cruising that allows gusts to get up close and personal with the environments and landscapes they travel far to see.

Opportunities still available for Holiday cruises include the following destinations: Amazon, Antarctica, Australia, Baja (Mexico), Chile/Patagonia, Costa Rica, Panama Canal, Galapagos and Hawaii.

For example, Hawaii Christmas CruisesHawaiian Seascapes Dec. 20-27, Dec. 27-Jan. 3, Jan. 3-10 on the 36-passenger Safari Explorer yacht lets guests explore four islands. This active itinerary includes time for snorkeling, paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, touring local farms and museums, and even night snorkeling. The 8-day cruise is from $3,595 per person double.

There are two Baja, Mexico, Christmas Cruises. The first is Wild Islands & Treasures of Baja Dec. 20-27, Dec. 27-Jan. 3 on the 62-guest National Geographic Sea Bird. This expedition unites its twin facets: culture and wildness. Guests explore pristine desert islands, rife with endemic species, rare plants and towering forests of cacti, and spot Humpback whales migrating in the Sea of Cortez. The 8-day cruise is from $5,690 per person double.

Cousteau’s Aquarium of the World Dec. 20-27, Dec. 27-Jan. 3 uncovers the area of Dabo Pulmo where French Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau led numerous expeditions in a setting of steep bluffs and sandy beaches. This Baja expedition through marine-life-rich waters aboard the 84-guest Safari Endeavour offers opportunities to snorkel among gentle whale sharks and sea lion pups, and explore the desert landscape explored by Cousteau. The per person rate for 8 days is from $3,395.

Baja, Costa Rica, Chile/Patagonia, Guatemala, Panama and Peru offer opportunities for both pre-set and on-request land departures that may also include itineraries suited to families. These combine hiking through rainforests, sourcing indigenous wildlife, sometimes whitewater rafting and explorations of archaeology, culture and history.

For example in Peru, the Peru Mountain Lodge Trek Dec. 20-26, Dec. 21-27 Dec. 24-30 Dec. 27-Jan. 2 is the very first trans-Andean lodge-to-lodge trek to one of the ancient world's most extraordinary sanctuaries: Machu Picchu. After full days of trekking, guests spend evenings unwinding by the fireplace, stargazing and enjoying a comfortable lodge. The 7-day program is from $3,489 per person double.

Costa Rica Christmas Tours, Quest for Pura Vida Dec. 20-28, Dec. 27-Jan. 4, combines the cloud forests of Monteverde and the active Arenal Volcano with the verdant lowland tropical forests of Tortuguero to highlight Costa Rica's diversity of nature and culture. This 9-day program combining mountains, rainforest and the Caribbean is from $2,700 per person double.

About AdventureSmith Explorations
Founded in 2003, AdventureSmith Explorations is based in Tahoe City, CA, along the northern shore of Lake Tahoe. In 2012, owner Todd Smith joined the ranks of Conde Nast Traveler's prestigious 14th Annual Travel Specialists List as the world’s expert on small ship expeditions. A distinction he received again in 2013. For information, availability and 2014 reservations, Phone: 800-728-2875 toll-free or visitwww.adventuresmithexplorations.com.

Follow AdventureSmith Explorations:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AdventureSmithExplorations
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adventuresmith
Website: http://www.adventuresmithexplorations.com/

Tour The World-Changing Panama Canal As It Turns 100

Experience this historic, engineering marvel as it commemorates its first century while getting to know amazing "Crossroads of America" with Truly Panama's dynamic collection of boutique tour packages.

Panama City, Panama - Experience the Panama Canal at its century mark of changing the course of history with a dynamic collection of boutique tours by Truly Panama, a sustainable travel tour introducing the world to the wonders of this culturally rich "Crossroads of America."

Several of Truly Panama's unforgettable tours showcase the famed waterway, which took more than three decades to construct and connect two oceans, along with other areas of this culturally rich "Crossroads of America." These include:

• Full Day City Tour

Visit the Panama Canal Interoceanic Museum in Casco Antiguo, an UNESCO historic site commonly called the walled city. Discover the intriguing history and construction of the Canal at the visitor center located at the Miraflores Locks. Watch giant ships on their journey, see how the locks operate, and hear about future plans to expand and transform the canal. This tour includes a visit to Old Panama, founded in 1519 and looted by the pirate Henry Morgan in 1671.

• Canal and Train Ride Adventure

Take a scenic train ride to the Colon province and visit the Gatun Locks. Observe the mechanical operations on the Atlantic side and watch in awe as large vessels travel through the narrow canal, flanked by lush jungle on either side. Visit Fort San Lorenzo, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO, before journeying by train back to the city, going from one ocean to another through the Panama Canal Riviera.

• Eco Tour Gatun Lake

Enjoy an amazing boat ride on Gatun Lake, which was the largest man-made lake in the world when it was created and carries ships for 21 miles of the transit across the Panama Canal. See the lush, surrounding rainforest and navigate close to massive ships as they wait to cross the Canal. Discover the area's unique species of birds, monkeys and iguanas, among other local wildlife.

• Partial Canal Transit

Navigate across the Pedro Miguel locks as you learn about the canal's engineering, its expansion and the new Centennial Bridge. On route, admire beautiful Panama bay and the city skyline and sail under the Bridge of the Americas. Once in the Pacific you will disembark in the Flamenco Marina and transported back to you hotel.

Panama is fast gaining popularity among travelers for its rich culture, bio-diverse, protected natural environment, stable government, friendly, safe and affordable communities and idyllic, hurricane-free weather. Truly Panama creates unique experiences and memories with top-of-the-line services and expertise, offering more than two dozen unique tours in this amazing country. These range from canal excursions to rainforest, mountain and island adventures. Truly Panama can also craft custom packages and luxury yacht charters upon request. The eco-friendly company was founded by Jonathan Zelcer and his team of tourism professionals with solid domestic and international experience in the luxury hospitality industry.

For more information, call (507) 398-0541 or e-mail reservations@trulypanama.com.

 

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