(The
E-Newsletter of Aqua Dreams Travel, Inc.)
January
9, 2004
Please
accept our very best wishes for an outstanding 2004.
We here at Aqua Dreams Travel, Inc. look forward
to a very good 2004 and look forward to the opportunity
to help our existing customers and new customers
alike with their dive and adventure travel needs
this coming year. Good signs are on the horizon
with the national economy. While visiting
Bonaire and Curaçao in early December, we
noted that most dive resorts were optimistic about
the coming year and were busy making needed repairs
to boats and facilities. We look forward to
helping many more traveling divers in 2004.
Please do let us know how we can best serve you
in this coming year.
On
December 1, 2003, Aqua Dreams Travel, Inc. joined
forces with another dive travel company: Adventures
Below.
The dive and the travel industry is primarily composed
of small to medium size companies staffed by people
who like to help others with their dive and travel
plans. Unfortunately, it is very difficult
for smaller travel companies to remain competitive
in this ever-changing travel environment.
So, it is a good, natural fit to for two companies
like Adventures Below and Aqua Dreams Travel, Inc.
to combine under the Aqua Dreams banner and form
one- somewhat larger- organization.
Both
Adventures Below staff and Aqua Dreams staff are
committed to providing the best personal service
possible to our customers. We share that very
important value of integrity in providing good,
old fashioned service to the people we serve.
So, for you existing Adventures Below customers,
“Welcome to Aqua Dreams Travel, Inc.!” You
will continue to be helped by Yvonne and receive
the same high level of service that you have received
in the past. And, for our existing Aqua Dreams
customers, feel free to ask for Yvonne! She
is very knowledgeable, has traveled extensively
in the Caribbean and is an avid diver!
Specials
Cozumel
Allegro
Cozumel & Dive Palancar
7
nights/ 5 days of two tank boat diving
Superior
accommodations at this All Inclusive Resort
Round
trip Airport Transfers
All
taxes and service charges
From
$1,199.00 pp/double
(Normally
$1,382.00)
Valid
for travel February 1 – March 31, 2004
Must
be booked by January 31, 2004
4
night package from: $718.00 per person/ double occupancy
Allegro
Grand Cozumel & Dive Palancar
7
nights/ 5 days of two tank boat diving
Deluxe
accommodations at this Adults only All Inclusive
Resort
Round
trip Airport Transfers
All
taxes and service charges
From
$1,349.00 pp/double
(Normally
$1,529.00)
Valid
for travel February 1 – March 31, 2004
Must
be booked by January 31, 2004
4
night package from: $788.00 per person/ double occupancy
Utila
Utila
Dive Centre/Mango Inn
7
nights/ 6 days of three boat dives daily
One
night dive
Deluxe
AC Cabin
Round
trip Airport Transfers
Welcome
cocktail
Breakfast
and dinner daily
Round
trip air from San Pedro Sula with meet & greet
service
All
taxes and service charges
From
$789.00 pp/double
(Normally
$831.00)
Valid
for travel through December 15, 2004
Must
book and deposit by January 31, 2004
Bonaire
Sand Dollar Condominium
Resort
Was $1032.00 NOW $960.00 per person based on double
occupancy Seven nights accommodations in a one-bedroom
condo, breakfast daily, four-door pick-up truck,
all taxes and service charges. Diving includes tanks,
weights, belts and unlimited shore diving for six
days. Price based on High Season rate. MUST MENTION
INTERNET SPECIAL, BOOK AND DEPOSIT DUE BY FEB 6,
04.
Roatan
Anthony's
Key Resort
Was $999.00 Now $949.00 per person based on double
occupancy. Seven night Key Superior accommodations
at Anthony's Key Resort. Includes welcome cocktail,
3 meals daily, and entrance to Roatan Museum, RT
airport transfers and airline ticket reconfirmation.
Diving includes 3 single tank boat dives per day,
2 single tank night boat dives, tanks, weights and
belt. Price based on high season rate.
This does NOT include tax. MUST MENTION INTERNET
SPECIAL, BOOK AND DEPOSIT DUE BY FEB 6, 04.
Bonaire
and Curaçao
Trip
Report
In
early December we paid a visit to Bonaire and Curaçao
and had an opportunity to visit all of the resorts
and dive operators we work with and to spend a good
deal of time underwater. Overall, we were
very pleased with what we found:
Bonaire
We
flew to Bonaire on Air Jamaica from Miami.
Air Jamaica provides outstanding “Champagne Service”
to the Caribbean and has again received top awards
for service in the Caribbean. Meals are offered
on all flight segments as well as complimentary
beverages, beer (Red Stripe, no less), wine and
champagne. Air Jamaica employees were pleasant,
helpful and very service oriented. We arrived
on time with all of our luggage! The first
thing we noted at the airport was the new departure
area completed in 2003 and increased area for planes
on the tarmac. With several weekly KLM flights
stopping in Bonaire with continuing service to Ecuador,
Peru and Curaçao, the relatively small Flamingo
Airport in Bonaire has become the second busiest
KLM hub after its main base in Amsterdam!
Upon
arrival in Bonaire we were stuck by how the island
has continued to improve and grow, but maintain
the comfortable easy style Bonaire is known for.
Buddy
Dive Resort
was
in very good shape. This comfortable dive
oriented condo style resort remains one of our favorites
in Bonaire because of its friendly, easy going staff.
Food was good, rooms clean and dive operation first
rate.
We
continued to be very impressed with Sand
Dollar Condominium Resort.
The condos were very nice, well appointed and comfortable.
Most all of the condos have screened porches and
all have complete kitchens (with blenders
for “Boat” drinks)! Construction is continuing
on the new Den Laman restaurant adjacent to Sand
Dollar next to Andre Nahr’s Dive Bonaire.
Meals are still available at Mangos so there is
food readily available. Remember that Bari
Reef, right in front of Sand Dollar Condominium
Resort, has the greatest number of documented reef
fish of any reef in the Caribbean! Dive Bonaire
has their “Century Club” composed of divers who
were able to identify 100 species of fish on one
tank! So, Sand Dollar is a perfect location
to hone your fish ID skills!
Belmar
Apartments continue
to impress us. Located south of town beyond
the airport, Belmar Apartment is an ideal “away
from it all” location. Each apartment is very
nicely appointed. Diving is offered on site
by Toucan diving and most packages include a pickup
truck for shore diving.
Port
Bonaire now has a
dive shop on site. These nice condos are located
across the channel from Plaza Resort. We have
always thought it would be great if they put a dive
shop on site and now they have. Dive and Drive
packages are available at Port Bonaire along with
Plaza Resort.
Harbour
Village has come
back strong with some of the highest quality rooms
available in Bonaire. This 5+ star resort
has a great beach, convenient dive center and first
class restaurant. A full service spa and fitness
center should open shortly making this an ideal
property for those that want to be pampered.
Harbour Village’s new budget option, Portofino,
offers very good quality rooms, pool and diving
on a budget.
There
were several great surprises found on our visit
including the Yacht Club Apartments and Dive Paradise
Apartments! Finally, the diving
in Bonaire remains outstanding, easy and accessible!
Call Dani or Gene for a full report on Bonaire.
Curaçao
We
flew to Curaçao on Bonairexel, the new regional
airline in the Dutch Caribbean. They have
already established themselves for their on-time
performance! Curaçao still offers first
class diving plus the nightlife, shopping and convenience
of the city of Willemstad.
In
comparison to Bonaire, the very best diving in Curaçao
is as good as the very best diving in Bonaire.
So, if you want great diving, you will not go wrong
with Bonaire or Curaçao. With that
said, the shore diving is more easily accessible
in Bonaire and oftentimes the water is calmer in
Bonaire. In any case, Curaçao is clearly
a first rate dive destination.
We
had the opportunity to Dive and stay at the Holiday
Beach Resort and Casino on the Otrabanda
section of Willemstad. The shore dive from
the resort was fantastic. There is a nice
double reef system with very healthy coral and abundant
fish life. A seven night 6 dive day package
at Holiday Beach Resort and Casino is probably our
very best value in Curaçao.
The
Hilton
is our preferred property close to town in the Piscadera
Bay area. The Hilton, formerly a part of the
Sheraton chain, has very nicely appointed rooms,
several restaurants, a Casino, beach and one of
the largest full-service spas on the island.
Seascape Dive offers both boat and shore dives from
the resort. The Hilton is an ideal property
for folks who want a high quality resort with many
amenities and great dive operation.
Generally,
the diving tends to be a little better toward the
west end of the island with slightly calmer water.
Habitat
Curacao has
changed management this past year and has a new
dive operation on site: Easy Divers at Habitat.
Easy Divers has solved all of the reliability problems
that plagued this dive operation in years past.
New diesel engine, compressors and equipment are
present in what is probably the most reliable operation
on the island. Habitat has tried to appeal
to a non-diver clientele while at the same time
staying focused on the dive market. The two
bedroom Lanai rooms are the best value at the resort
weather you are going as a double, triple or quad
occupancy!
Sunset
Waters Beach Resort has continued
to improve its operations. Sunset Divers,
owned and operated by Michelle and Mike Day from
Underwater Phantaseas-South in Denver, has brought
new energy and quality to this dive operation.
They have two nicely appointed boats, convenient
gear storage and “North American Service with an
Antillean flare!” The pool has a nice swim up bar
and the beach is very nice and conveniently located
to the dive shop. Sunset Waters is our preferred
all-inclusive resort in Curaçao. While
you are not convenient to town, you are closer to
one of the very best dives in Curaçao, the
Mushroom Forest. Free shuttles to town are
available twice a day for folks that want to visit
Willemstad.
Lions
Dive Resort,
located next to the Sea Aquarium and Sea Aquarium
Resort, has always been on of our favorite Curaçao
properties. The rooms are quaint and the restaurant/bar
area is one of our favorite places in Curacao to
visit while the sun is setting! The beach
is a nice man-made beach with breakwater and there
are several other restaurants to visit near the
hotel. We still recommend this property and
Ocean Encounters, however, it has become unclear
how shore diving is handled from this property.
There have been some changes and construction in
the area which has caused some silting on the reefs,
so please call for more details.
Again,
please feel free to call Dani or Gene for a more
complete trip report.
Caribbean
Dive Travel Planner
Just
a reminder for those folks who have not requested
your Travel Planner! While you can find all
of this information on our web site now, sometimes
it is just more convenient to do you planning around
the kitchen table! The following is a repeat
of our last Newsletter:
We
are pleased to announce that are 2004 Caribbean
Dive Travel Planner is available. Over the
years, we have prepared a single brochure for each
destination we serve. Our new Caribbean Dive
Travel Planner is an easy to use. Just flip
through the tabs for the eleven pages and plan your
next dive trip. While we were not able to
provide every price, accommodation, package and
resort we serve, it is an easy to use and convenient
way to shop for your next dive trip at home.
As always, please call for current prices, specials
and availability. If you would like to receive
a 2004 Caribbean Dive Travel Planner, please send
us an email at: travelplanner@aquadreams.com
and include your name and address in the body of
the email.
Where
to go with Non Divers?
In
the last issue of Nitrogen News I mentioned that
we would talk about where to go with non-diving
partners. Obviously the answer to that question
depends upon the interests of the non-divers.
So, again, risking all of the problems with broad
generalizations, here are our 4 proposed categories
of non-diver companions: 1)Readers/Relaxers-
These are folks who are just happy with a chair
or lounge and a good book and good sunset. 2) Beachers-
These are folks that must have a good beach to read
upon and relax. 3) Shoppers/Eaters- These are folks
that need to have good restaurants, stores for shopping
and maybe a museum or two. And, 4) Adventurers-
These are folks that are non-divers, but are outdoors
folks who may like to hike, raft, bird watch, bike
or even snorkel.
Now
we understand that we have probably offended many
tourist boards and some of our own dive resorts
and dive operators by making these classifications.
We can certainly make the argument that BVI has
wonderful beaches….Which it clearly does and so
does Grand Turk! But clearly, for the non-diver,
if you go to our “Readers” destinations you can
be guaranteed plenty of time to sit back and relax.
Some destinations, like Bonaire, must be split because
of the bird watching, biking and other opportunities
available for the non-diver.
The
beach destinations are pretty safe. What can
you say after seeing the beach on Grace Bay in Provo
or Grand Anse in Grenada and the others? These
are truly first class beach destinations.
We included St. Croix in our Shoppers area, not
because of the great shopping, though it is pretty
good, but rather because of the many good quality
restaurants available. Curaçao has
some of the best museums in the Caribbean, great
selections of restaurants, stores and the beautiful
town of Willemstad. Note how the Adventurers
column is almost a complete copy of our Rainforest
categories. We are probably pretty safe in
this column! Please let us know your thoughts.
Agree? Disagree? Let us know.
Need
help sorting out your next trip? We have been
to each of our destinations and can offer you our
own personal insights on each destination we represent.
In our next issue of the Nitrogen News, we will
explore another important dive travel issue:
When to go?
Group
Trips
There
are still a few spots on our St. Lucia trip, so
call if you can join us this coming August!
|
Anse
Chastanet Resort in St. Lucia
Aug 7 - 14, 2004
7
nts superior accommodation
12 boat dives
extra scheduled beach diving
substitution day dive for night dive to
a max of two
breakfast, lunch , afternoon tea and dinner
all tax and service
airport transfers both ways
* a welcome cocktail
* manager's rum punch party
* mini-sailing, windsurfing, snorkelling
* use of tennis court and tennis equipment
* guided tour of Old French Colonial Plantation
* basket of local fruit
* use of beach chairs and beach towels
+ Insure America travel insurance
Aug 7 - 14, 2004
Dbl Occ: Diver : US 1389 Non-Diver: US 1139
Tpl Occ : Diver : US 1139 Non- Diver: US
971
Sgl Occ : Diver : US 1924 Non- Diver: US
1774
Particulars, $250.00 per person non refundable
deposit which includes the
travel insurance and the balance is due
60 days prior to arrival.
The cancellation policy at Anse Chastanet
is:
Cancellation or amendment of reservations
are subject to 3 nights fee (winter) or
2 nights fee (summer and shoulder seasons)
if notification is not received 65 days
(Xmas), 21 days (winter), 14 days (summer
and shoulder season) prior to arrival. Your
deposit is credited towards the last three
(winter) or two (summer and shoulder) nights
of stay. We suggest that travel insurance
is taken.
|
Airline
News
We
recently received notice from the Tourist Board
in Barbados that effective March 1, 2004 passports
will be required for entry to Barbados. We
expect that this will become a trend. We would
like to encourage all of our traveling divers to
get their passports if they have not already done
so. As the international community tightens
up security, requirements for passports will increase.
So don’t be limited or have to rush out to get your
passport. Do it now!
In
2004, Aqua Dreams Travel, Inc. will be visiting
our friends around the country while attending several
retail and industry trade shows.
Our
2004 schedule is as follows:
Beneath
the Sea
(Secaucus,
NJ)
Booth
#317
March
26-28, 2004
Our
World Underwater
(Rosemont,
IL)
Booth
#707
April
23-25, 2004
A-1
Scuba & Travel May Sale
(Englewood,
CO)
May
15-16, 2004
Scuba
Show 2004
(Long
Beach, CA)
Booth
#305
May
22-23, 2004
Seaspace
(Houston,
TX)
Booth
#607
June
4-6, 2004
DEMA
(Trade
show)
(Houston,
TX)
Booth
#3042
October
13-16, 2004
One
final word- Please remember
that many destinations are now charging marine park
fees. Next issue of the Nitrogen News will
go in to more detail on this growing practice.
Dive
Safe!
Terri, Dani, Yvonne,
Nancy, Niki & Gene
January
9, 2004 © Aqua Dreams Travel, Inc. ---Fl Seller
of Travel # ST-22259 __________________________________
Aqua
Dreams Travel, Inc.
4708
SE 8th Ct. #3
Cape
Coral, FL 33904
(1-888-322-DIVE)
info@aquadreams.com
