Tag: Caribbean

Holiday resorts for swingers have made swinging holidays highly popular. As the concept of living the swingers lifestyle is gaining social acceptance and respectability with the popularity of Swinger resorts is also increasing day by day.
For more than two decades, the Hedonism Resorts in Jamaica are providing a swinging experience to lots of enthusiastic couples. Recently, several Swinger resorts have been establishing themselves as popular holiday spots in Spain for the British and other European swingers.

The Spanish Swinger resorts are quite popular when compared to the Caribbean ones. Most of the British swingers don’t see this as a disadvantage, rather, they prefer to avoid the pre-organized events, which on the other hand are very much popular with the swingers of USA, who prefer the resorts present in the Caribbean. In Spain, the Swinger resorts are often no bigger than a large villa which is at least suitable for accommodating as few as four couples per holiday.
Around twenty minutes away from Spain’s Costa Blanca (the white coast), there is one such resort that consists of four luxury villas. These villas are located in a very beautiful valley and offer seclusion and natural beauty for all those who want to enjoy a quiet but still a highly erotic holiday.

Swinger couples who are renting these villas share naked sunbathing around a lovely swimming pool. The only time the holiday becomes a bit more organized is on Saturday nights when the swinger parties are held. Most of the people there are the visitors who may be staying at the Swinger resorts in that area and also there are some local swingers as well.

In Spain there is a swinger holiday hotel consisting of eighty rooms and three suites for swinger groups. The hotel is located on the Costa Del Sol very near to Malaga. Further east along the coast another similar villa offers swinger holidays with regular parties.

On the Canary Islands there are popular swinger resort, on Fuerteventura and Tenerife. On Gran Canaria there is a popular swinger party venue where one can find something going on any night of the week.

The Swinger resorts referred to above are just a few examples from the various resorts that are growing up in Spain. The ones which are described above are located in the coastal region but if one does not mind being an hour or so from the nearest beach then there are some very good resorts to be found further inland.

Blue Diamond Hotels and Resorts has added a new hotel in Cuba to its portfolio with the scheduled launch of the Memories Varadero Beach Resort this May. The luxury four-star resort will open its doors to tourists taking Cuba holidays on 1st May, 2012 after the property was refurbished and rebranded.

Formerly known as the Sirenis La Salina, the property has 1,035 rooms and suites and it is situated on one of the most beautiful beaches in Varadero, Cuba. Memories Varadero Beach Resort offers plenty of activities for the younger guests to enjoy throughout their holidays to Cuba including a Kids Club and Baby Club, two children’s swimming pools and daily entertainment.

Facilities and activities at the all inclusive hotel include three tennis courts, a spa and salon, a disco, Jacuzzi, two adults swimming pools, fitness centre, multi-sport court, beach volleyball, and watersports such as windsurfing, pedal-boating, snorkelling, scuba diving, and catamaran cruises.

Guests can upgrade to Diamond Club, which offers a personalised check-in/check-out service, including early check-in and late check-out; private access to the Diamond VIP Lounge; an exclusive beach area with beach butler service; and a dedicated concierge service.

The hotel boasts eight gourmet restaurants with a wide range of international cuisine such as Italian, Creole, Mexican, and Japanese, and there are eight bars and lounges where visitors can enjoy a refreshing cocktail or fruit juice.

Varadero Beach is situated in the province of Matanzas on the Hicacos Peninsula on the north coast of the Caribbean island of Cuba. The region is one of the most popular destinations for holidays in Cuba with more than 20km of pristine white sand beaches and several luxury beachfront Cuba hotels.

The area features beautiful natural landscapes include the Bellamar Caves and idyllic virgin cays and during holidays in Varadero, travellers can go scuba diving and snorkelling in the turquoise crystal-clear water; sailing and deep sea fishing; play golf against the backdrop of the sparkling ocean; and take excursions to explore Cardenas City.

The beach resort is a great place for a family holiday in Cuba with an array of museums, white sand beaches, and parks and fun attractions including the Delfinario, a natural pool for dolphins.

Blue Diamond Hotels and Resorts operates several all inclusive resorts across the Caribbean and Latin America under “Memories Beach Resorts” and “Royalton Luxury Resorts” brands.

Hotels and resorts across the Caribbean have launched special wedding packages and promotions for couples planning to get married on this years triple date 12/12/12.

Hundreds of engaged couples are planning Caribbean weddings on what will be the last triple date for 89 years and wedding planners are busy organising special ceremonies across the region.

Triple dates occur twelve times in every hundred years and this years triple date is said to be lucky because in numerology, the number 12 is regarded as the number of completeness because there are 12 hours on the clock, 12 months in the year and 12 signs in the zodiac.

This years triple date falls on a Wednesday and though this is not a typical day for destination weddings, hundreds of couples are booking 12th December at venues across the Caribbean and the rest of the world so they can get married on the unique date.

Sandals and Beaches Resorts already have 92 Caribbean weddings booked across their 18 resorts and they are offering a complimentary Beautiful Beginnings ceremony to all couples who book 12/12/12 weddings and stay for a minimum of six nights.

In 2011, Sandals hosted 150 weddings in the Caribbean on the last triple date 11/11/11.

Breezes Resorts has seven Jamaica weddings booked on the lucky date and couples will receive resort credit equalling 12 per cent of their total stay, including upgraded wedding packages and accommodation.

Couples planning weddings abroad at Ocean Two Resort & Residences and South Beach Hotel in Barbados between 1st November and 12th December, 2012 will be able to take advantage of a $12 traditional wedding package if they stay for a minimum of 12 nights. Family and friends attending the Barbados wedding will also receive a 12 per cent discount on accommodation at the hotel.

The Amaryllis Beach Resort in Barbados is offering a complimentary package worth $850 when brides and grooms book a suite for a week. They will also receive a 25 per cent discount on rooms until 21st December, 2012 but bookings must be made by 15th April, 2012.

Hiltons El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico has a special offer for its Love in the Sun package. Couples pay $5,000 (saving $2,012) and they will receive the wedding ceremony, venue, minister, photographs, music, drinks vouchers, room upgrades, champagne and chocolate on the wedding night and passes to the water park.

Sandals Resorts has launched a new incentive programme and competition for qualified travel agents to boost the sales of upgraded wedding packages at its Caribbean resorts.

The Sell and Celebrate incentive will see agents receive a 50 high street voucher for every upgraded package sold for destination weddings at Sandals Resorts.

Agents who sell the upgraded packages can send the information to their local Sandals Business Development Manager with details on the booking and any tips and advice for other travel agents. These entries will then be entered into a national draw with a fantastic prize of a seven-night break at any Sandals Resort up for grabs.

Sandals Resorts are a popular choice for couples getting married abroad and the company has a wide choice of properties that offer all inclusive, upscale accommodation and picturesque Caribbean settings.

Beach weddings are a favourite and these can be enjoyed at any Sandals Resorts across Jamaica, St. Lucia, The Bahamas and Antigua.

Brides and grooms who are looking to splash out for their weddings abroad can choose from a range of themed Sandals Weddings by Martha Stewart including Flutter of Romance, Seaside Serenade, Island Paradise, Vision in White and Chic & Natural.

Couples can also choose the customisable Sandals’ standard WeddingMoon package which offers the perfect excuse to extend the celebrations of Caribbean weddings and stay on for a romantic honeymoon while enjoying all inclusive programmes, luxury facilities and fu activities at Sandals Resorts.

Destination weddings can be tailor-made to suit the individual requirements of the bride and groom and with the help of the wedding guru Martha Stewart, they can choose everything from the resort destination, the idyllic setting for their ceremony, accommodation, wedding dcor, cake, flowers, and the colour scheme.

Travel agents have until 31st May, 2012 to take advantage of the incentive and in addition, Sandals Resorts will be launching the Catch the Bouquet competition where one beautiful floral arrangement will be given away each week between 29th March and 31st May, 2012.

All agents have to do is spot the wedding bouquet, which is hidden in a picture in the I DO magazine supplement that will be delivered to travel agencies from 2nd April, 2012.

The official Caribbean hurricane season stretches from June 1 – November 30. It’s rare to see a large storm in either June or November and most major hurricanes occur between August and October, with the peak season usually being September.

The upside is that prices are lower for the Caribbean during this time and resorts are less crowded. So what do you do if you want to get away during hurricane season?

Buy Travel Insurance
You must buy the trip cancellation insurance before the storm is announced, otherwise it will be deemed a pre-existing condition, so always purchase insurance the same day you book your trip to be safe. Most travel insurance policies will cover a trip disrupted because of a hurricane when you are forced to arrive late or leave early for your trip, but you’ll be reimbursed only for the affected days until the airport or resort reopens. You will usually be reimbursed for the days you are forced to stay at a resort during a hurricane, but be sure to always read the fine print on your policy to make sure you know what they will actually cover.

Try to Avoid the Storms
Track hurricanes online with weather websites during the season. Some good sites include:

The National Weather Service – National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Hurricane & Storm Tracking for the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans
http://hurricane.terrapin.com

Hurricane News and Information
http://www.hurricanetrack.com

Weather.com Tropical Storm Center
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/tropical/

Pick Your Location Well
When planning a trip to the Caribbean during hurricane season, it is good to know that hurricanes are less likely the further south you go. The islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and St. Vincent, including the islands below them, are the least hit by hurricanes. However, as Grenada discovered in 2004 with Hurricane Ivan, never say never and keep in mind that hurricanes are unpredictable.

Go on a Cruise
The good thing about cruises is that they can usually sail around the worst of a storm. And today’s ships are extraordinarily safe and with the advanced weather tracking available today, bad weather is something they can avoid. The downside is that the cruise line always reserves the right to reschedule port calls and change itineraries for weather-related reasons and therefore you may not get to visit the places you had hoped to.

Pick a Resort That Offers a Hurricane Guarantee
Recently, many of the largest resorts and resort chains, have started instituting a hurricane guarantee, offering guests their money back for days lost to bad weather. For example, in the unlikely event that hurricane force winds (as defined by the U.S. National Weather Service) directly hit the Sandals or Beaches resorts while you are a guest, interrupting the use of all the included activities, Sandals or Beaches Resorts will offer a free replacement vacation to be taken at any Sandals or Beaches Resort of your choice. Go to http://www.best-family-beach-vacations.com/caribbean-hurricane-season.html for more resorts that offer hurricane guarantees.

Make the Best of It.
If you do get caught on vacation during a hurricane, try to make the best of it. As long as there is no danger present, relax indoors and focus on other activities.

My husband and I got caught in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico during hurricane Keith in 2000. He was still my boyfriend at that time and unbeknownst to me, he planned to propose on our second evening there. We got dressed for dinner and arrived at the hotel restaurant to find it boarded up. We saw the line up in the hotel lobby, everyone was being evacuated from the hotel to one farther up the coast. We ran back to our room, packed and got on the next bus out – not the evening my husband had planned!

When we checked into our room at the new hotel a few hours later, he still had the engagement ring burning a hole in his pocket. The winds were blowing and it was raining so the romantic walk on the beach he had been hoping for was out. He couldnt put it off any longer so he dropped to one knee and proposed then and there. It was definitely a memorable evening, hurricane and all!