(The
E-Newsletter of Aqua Dreams Travel, Inc.)
May,
2005
CURRENT
SPECIALS
Cobalt Coast, Compass Point, Sunset House and Marriott
Courtyard are offering the 5th night free and kids
up to 11 are free with a paying adult. Kids from 2
- 11 fly
free on Cayman Airways
with an accompanying adult, kids up to 12 years old
get 1/2 off on their diving, including certification.
If you are a family of 4, and are staying 5 nights,
they only pay for 4 nights and the kids are free.
ANSE
CHASTANET'S 2006 EARLY BIRD
SCUBA GROUP PACKAGES
BOOK YOUR 2006 SCUBA GROUP BY AUGUST 31, 2005
AND RECEIVE A US 200 PER PERSON PACKAGE REDUCTION
Every
12th diver complimentary!
ADDITIONAL
INCENTIVE
: ALL 2006 DIVE GROUP BOOKINGS RECEIVED AND DEPOSITED
BY JUNE 30, 2005 WILL RECEIVE COMPLIMENTARY NON- ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES AS PART OF THEIR PACKAGE THROUGHOUT THEIR
STAY
GROUP
PACKAGE RATE INCLUDES:
7 nights superior accommodation
12 boat dives , 2 night dives & extra scheduled
beach diving
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, snorkeling * 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
JANUARY 7-14 & Jan 21 - APRIL 6, 2006
US 2099 per person, dbl occ - MINUS US 200!
Dbl Occ: Diver : US 2099 Non-Diver: US 1868
Tpl Occ : Diver : US 1849 Non- Diver: US 1615
Sgl Occ : Diver : US 2998 Non- Diver: US 2767
APR 7 - May 31 & Nov 1-Dec 19, 2006
US 1825 per person, dbl occ - MINUS US 200
Dbl Occ: Diver : US 1825 Non-Diver: US 1594
Tpl Occ : Diver : US 1599 Non- Diver: US 1365
Sgl Occ : Diver : US 2589 Non- Diver: US 2358
June 1 - Oct 31, 2006
US 1649 per person, dbl occ - MINUS US 200!
Dbl Occ: Diver : US 1649 Non-Diver: US 1415
Tpl Occ : Diver : US 1459 Non- Diver: US 1228
Sgl Occ : Diver : US 2359 Non- Diver: US 2128
MINIMUM GROUP SIZE : 8 PERSONS / 4 ROOMS
A goodwill deposit of US 500 is required
Fantasy
Island Beach Resort
Come stay with us in June 2005 for a seven night stay
and for every paid guest, a second guest will receive
the same package absolutely free! This 2 for 1 special
is good for both our Beach and Dive Fantasy Packages
and includes all of the following:
- Airport
transportation to and from the Resort
- Fantasy
Island arrival cocktail
- Seven nights
accommodations in our air conditioned ocean front
rooms
- Breakfast,
lunch and dinner daily
In addition with our Dive Fantasy package you'll also
enjoy
- Three boat
dives per day
- One boat
night dive during your stay
- "
Unlimited shore diving
All of this and it starts at less than $350 per person
when you buy one and get one free. Don't miss this
chance to enjoy the beauty, hospitality and outstanding
diving and snorkeling that make Fantasy Island Roatan's
best resort destination!
SPECIAL APPLIES TO NEW RESERVATIONS ONLY
AND MUST BE PAID WITHIN 10 DAYS OF BOOKING
Scuba
Club Cozumel
1 - 30th JUNE 2005
5 Nights
4 Days of Diving
3 Meals a Day
1 Night Dive
Plus unlimited beach diving
$575 plus tax per person in double occupancy
Rates for Single Diver $735 plus tax
Triple Diver $510 plus tax
Non Diver Double $470 plus tax
Non Diver Triple $400 plus tax
No other discounts apply with the special. Rates subject
to availability.
Presidente
InterContinental Cozumel Resort & Spa
"Spring Special"
Book your trip between now and April 30th, 2005 and
travel April 1 - June 30th, 2005. Choose your room
category and receive a food and beverage credit during
your stay (3 - 6 night stays: $40.00 USD, per room,
per stay, 7 or more night stays: $90.00 USD, per room,
per stay).
Dining restrictions apply.
7 night stays are guaranteed and upgrade to DeLuxe
Ocean View when booking a Superior Ocean View
Little
Cayman Beach Resort in a Pool View room
Little Cayman Beach Resort is offering fantastic travel
specials:
April 19 - December 16, 2005 - 7 nights, 17 boat dives,
meals, taxes,
service charge and transfer for $1495 per person based
on double
occupancy (pool view)
May, 2005 - 7 nights, 6 days of diving, meals and
transfer for $1395 per
person based on double occupancy (pool view)
August 8 - September 30, 2005 - 7 nights, 6 days of
two tank dives,
meals and transfer for $1199 per person based on double
occupancy (pool
view)
Plaza
Resort Bonaire - Air from NYC
7th Heaven in 18 Palms!
From: $1,359.00 pp First Diver And From: $1,129.00
pp Second Diver - Per person/double occupancy
Includes:
Round trip air on Air Jamaica ~ 7 nights accommodations
in standard suite ~ 6 days of unlimited shore diving
~ 6 one tank boat dives ~ Breakfast buffet daily ~
Round-trip airport transfers ~ FREE Nitrox!!!!! ~
All taxes & service charges, except Bonaire departure
taxes.
2 for 1 diving valid May, June, August & September,
2005
GROUP
TRIPS
Wakatobi Nov. 1 - 11, 2005
Cost is $2890.00 per person
double occupancy and includes Air charter from Bali
to the resort, 10 nights in a Grand Bungalow, 2 tank
boat dive and unlimited shore diving daily, all meals,
Marine Park development contribution and all local
taxes.
15% non refundable deposit is due immediately and
then in 60 days, a 10% non refundable deposit is due
and final payment will be due October 20, 2005.
Airfare is not available yet, but will be approx.
$1500.00 from Chicago to
Bali on Continental. Travel insurance is based on
total cost of trip (so it
can change once airfare is added on) and is $194.00.
It is recommended to
purchase that at the same time as the first deposit
is made.
TRIP
REPORTS
Just a few lines to let you know we had a wonderful
trip to Coco View, Roatan. We flew Continental Airlines
from BWI - Houston - to Roatan. Our flight worked
out great. We were in Roatan by noon time so we had
plenty of time to do a check out dive on Saturday
before dinner. That was really great because it allowed
us to get an extra dive in for the week.
We tried the Canopy Zip Line in French Harbor, wow
was that a blast. I highly recommend this tour. The
guides were very safety conscience. There was 1 guide
for every 2 tourist. The tour took about an hour and
forty five minutes. I was exhausted at the end but
I really enjoyed the tour.
Several of us took the eco tour with Tim Blanton,
the photographer. It was very interesting and we learned
a lot about the island and its people. I would highly
recommend this tour also, for those that enjoy history.
The new owners of Coco View are making some changes
but they are for the better. They are trying to keep
the look and feel of Coco View. So far they are doing
a good job.
I think for 2006 my group would like to go back down
to Roatan again. Everyone likes the easy diving and
of course the great shore diving.
Pat Schubauer
Cozumel
May 2005
I recently
had the pleasure to spend 5 nights in Cozumel. This
time I stayed at the Hotel Cozumel and Resort, but
visited the Presidente, Reef Club, Allegro, Iberostar,
Fiesta Americana, Barracuda Hotel and the Villablanca.
This trip I dove with Dive Paradise and Dive House,
but also visited with Aqua Safari, Sand Dollar Sports
and Papa Hogs.
It has been 3 years since I was personally in Cozumel.
What a change! From the airport (which has all been
remodeled and the only remnants of the old airport
is the slow process of unloading your baggage and
the red light/green light for customs!) to the new
Condominiums that dot the coastline.
The downtown area has even more shopping catering
to the cruise ship customers, and more eating establishments.
There are also several condos that have been built
along the waterfront.
The underwater world of Cozumel remains as beautiful
as ever. I was lucky enough this trip to dive Santa
Rosa, Cedral, Delilah, Columbia Deep and Yucab! They
were all great dives, with sightings of Seahorses,
Turtles, Squid, Cozumel Toadfish, large Groupers,
Nurse Shark, Stingrays, and Thimbel Jellyfish that
managed to leave their marks on me!!!!
Several of the hotels that I visited have been busy
redecorating and adding features. The Villablanca
has added a new Jacuzzi, new mattresses on the beds,
larger refrigerators in the rooms, new bedspreads
and curtains in all of the rooms. The Barracuda is
getting ready to put in an in ground pool and they
have also been redecorating their rooms. The Presidente
remodeled all of their rooms last year and have now
got a new state of the art Spa on the property. The
Presidente even allows small pets to join you on your
vacation!
Being in Cozumel reminded me why I fell in love with
diving to begin with! The water was warm (about 83
- 84 degrees), clear (about 100 foot of vis), fish
were plentiful and the reef structures are just gorgeous.
This time it will not be so long before I return!
Terri Dold
Guest Reports, we would love to include a guest report
in our newsletter. Please feel free to send us your
report and we will try to print at least 2 of them
in our next newsletter. Please keep them brief, Send
them to gene@aquadreams.com
NEW
TRAVEL PARTNERS
Grand Cayman Marriott Courtyard
Located on Seven Mile Beach, the Courtyard Grand Cayman
is the perfect place to relax in the sun or enjoy
an exhilarating array of water sports.
The Grand Cayman Courtyard by Marriott is located
on one of the widest and most beautiful stretches
of World Famous Seven Mile Beach. Here, you will find
our Sea Grape Café, serving lunch, drinks,
snacks and other beach needs. Adjacent, Red Sail Sports
offers water sport rentals, dive instruction, dive
trips and sunset cruises. Our fresh water pool next
to the tropical garden area is the perfect place to
relax. The jogging trail and fitness center will keep
you at your best. One of the areas nicest restaurants,
the Mangrove Grille, offering excellent American fare
with a Caribbean influence, for breakfast, lunch or
dinner, is located in the hotel. Other amenities include:
laundry valet, self service laundry facilities, gift
shop/newsstand, and safe deposit box at front desk,
Avis rental car desk, a meeting room, and a business
center with printing and faxing.
You can choose from 231 modern guest rooms and 1-2
bedroom suite, most with spectacular ocean views.
Your room has been designed by business travelers
for business travelers on vacation. Here , you can
relax and easily keep up with other obligations with
our large work desk, voice mail, data ports &
free high speed Internet access, along with the normal
TV, radio alarm clock, coffee maker, hair dryer and
other comfort accessories.
ODDS
AND ENDS
Travel
Tips
The Department of State and Homeland Security have
announced a "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative"
in which they are proposing to require all U.S. Citizens,
Canadians, citizens of Bermuda and citizens of Mexico
to have a passport or other accepted secure document
to enter or re-enter the U.S. by January 1, 2008.
The departments said that the requirements would be
rolled out in phases. The proposed timeline is as
follows:
December 31, 2005 - Passport or other accepted document
required for all travel (air/sea) to or from the Caribbean,
Bermuda, Central and South America.
December 31, 2006 - Passport or other accepted document
required for all air, sea to or from Mexico and Canada.
December 31, 2007 - passport or other accepted document
required for all air, sea and land boarder crossings.
In a joint announcement the departments said that
they are requesting comments on the proposed policy
and suggestions for alternatives. The departments
said that they will consider these suggestions and
comments before they announce a formal rule making
when they will again seek comment on the proposed
rule.
ISLAND
UPDATES SINCE HURRICANES IVAN
Grand Cayman is up and running! The Cobalt Coast Resort,
Compass Point, Sunset House and Marriott Courtyard
as well as the Cayman Condos are all operating with
business as usual. Grand Cayman suffered major damage
after Hurricane Ivan went through last summer, but
has made tremendous progress in putting the island
back together. The Island officially opened up on
November 20, welcoming back the tourists.
The island still has some work to do, mainly in the
mulching of broken trees and branches, the downtown
area looks great, you would almost not know so much
devastation hit the island.
The underwater wonderland is remains a great place
to dive. Fortunately most of the Grand Cayman dive
sites begin at a depth that was not touched by the
force of the Hurricane. So, feel confident in returning
to this thriving island with the knowledge that the
diving will be as good as ever. The Island has been
busy cleaning up the debris from the reefs and you
will perhaps notice some debris in the water, but
basically, the reefs remain in good shape.
The Cayman Islands are doing their "Summer Splash"
program this year, offering the 5th night free at
several hotels and Cayman Airways is offering "Kids
fly free".
The island will be introducing "Boatswain Beach"
to be open by Jan. 2006. This new facility will feature
1.3 million gallon salt water snorkeling lagoon, a
predator tank, walk-through bird aviary, Turtle farm,
and a Historic Grand Caymanian street featuring crafters
and food vendors.
WEBSITE
We have just finished a"make over" on our
website be sure to look around. Give us your feedback.
ON
THE ROAD AGAIN
Our 2005 Dive Show Calendar, we hope to see you at
one of the below shows:
Seaspace
Houston, Texas
Booth #607
June 3 - 4
DEMA
(Trade show)
Las Vegas, Nevada
Booth #2406
October 4 - 7
Call our office to make your resort and airline reservations:
1-888-322-DIVE or 239-540-4512 info@aquadreams.com
* www.aquadreams.com
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