FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — CruiseJungle Holdings, operator of several consumer travel web sites today announced the launch of a unique fund raising program that directly benefits veterans and their families. The program, Voyages for Veterans, is designed to raise funds for the well-respected Fisher House veteran’s organization. Fisher House is a 4 star, A+ rated charitable foundation that provides free housing for families of veterans that are undergoing treatment at VA hospitals throughout the country.

The organization builds, furnishes and equips multi-bedroom houses located adjacent to VA medical facilities where the families can reside, at no charge, while their loved ones receive extended treatments there. Each Fisher House is designed to allow its guest to remain together in a family-like environment. To date, the foundation, working through a private-public partnership, has constructed 38 houses across the country and since 1990 has saved veteran’s families an estimated $100 million in housing expenses.

The “Voyages for Veterans” concept was developed by CruiseJungle CEO, Joe Ewart, who served with the Army in Vietnam in the early 70’s. He stated, “I was surprised to learn that veteran’s families are pretty much on their own when they have to travel to a VA facility for any extended medical treatment. Fisher House residences help mitigate the expense that would be incurred if the family was forced to stay at a local hotel and purchase all their meals at restaurants. I was particularly impressed by the fact that 97% of all funds raised goes to directly benefit families of veterans. We formulated a plan to use cruising as a way to leverage funds for Fisher House.”

The first phase of the program offers a direct contribution from CruiseJungle to Fisher House for anyone that signs up for its free weekly newsletter, CruiseFlash at www.VoyagesForVeterans.com .

In addition, future plans call for developing a series of cruise departures that trigger a direct contribution from the cruise lines for identified bookings as a well as specific targeted cruise departures that raise funds on board.

Those wishing to make direct donations to Fisher House may do so by visiting their web site at www.FisherHouse.org .

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — As TV viewers saw on Oprah’s Big Give, it does not take a lot to make a difference in someone’s life. The Cultural Explorer, a San Francisco-based cultural and philanthropic tour company, shows travelers how easy it is to help others as they travel. Beginning travel philanthropists need to know where to start and how to donate their time and money in a safe and effective way. The Cultural Explorer staff has designed a trip and identified several areas in South Africa where travelers can make an impact in just two short weeks.

Called Making a Difference - South Africa, this trip offers travelers the opportunity to work with Zulu country schools to establish computer centers and much-needed libraries. Travelers meet the principals, teachers, and students and their parents while they explore the scenic beauty of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Several small villages in Didima Valley are still without electricity, even though electrical power lines are up along the road. Travelers will team up and brainstorm to help these Zulu people brighten their homes and communities. Travelers will meet with the chief, the counselor, and the mayor of these villages.

Making a Difference - South Africa travelers will also meet with an inspiring Sangoma (traditional healer) along the Garden Route in the Knysna township, visit projects helping disadvantaged women develop much-needed work skills, experience life in the townships, and even take a group of township students out to famed Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was once imprisoned.

Cultural Explorer travelers will hike (or walk) the majestic Drakensberg mountains, experience the vast Karoo, stay on a sheep farm, relax on Indian Ocean beaches, shop Cape Town, visit the African jackass penguins, and marvel at the stunning beauty of Cape Point at the southern tip of South Africa.

Upcoming tours:
* September 6-20, 2008
* February 14-28, 2009
* October 3-17, 2009

The Cultural Explorer is a member of the African Travel Association (ATA), and is based in San Francisco. The company offers both group and individual trips, and specializes in authentic cultural and philanthropic travel experiences.

For more information, please visit: theculturalexplorer.com .

Technorati Tags: The Cultural Explorer, cultural and philanthropic tour company

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Today, Fare Buzz launched a new, dynamic, web-based hotel booking engine - an industry first - allowing travel professionals to book hotels at net rates in over 100,000 hotel and resort properties. This innovative program offers quality-inspected properties in more than 200 countries, worldwide, with hotels ranging from budget to luxury accommodations.

The savings are substantial, 30-40 percent off retail prices. Agents can log on to the new booking engine at www.farebuzz.com/hotels.

The new hotel program provides travel professionals with access to pre-negotiated wholesale rates, as well as the best available rates, categorized as “Super Nets” and “Super Savers.” Agents can now add their mark up at the time of booking and receive their commissions within a week of booking.

“Travel agents are tired of waiting for their commissions and want their money fast,” says Arnold Walter, President and CEO of Fare Buzz. The new hotel program is based on a powerful, robust and yet very simple to use technology which gives search results in seconds and instant booking confirmation. Reservations can be made on the web site 24/7 or by phone seven days a week.

Established in 1994, Fare Buzz is a New York-based travel supplier that has grown to be one of the leading travel suppliers in the country. Since their inception, the company revolutionized the world of air travel through strategic negotiations and partner alliances. For years, they have been one of the leading suppliers of airline tickets. Fare Buzz backs up its product line with a “Price Meet or Beat Policy” and a “Product and Service Guarantee” - these are unique in the B2B world. Fare Buzz is a pioneer in travel technology; they have developed state-of the-art and user-friendly booking tools for the travel industry.

Fare Buzz is committed to creating a true value “One Stop Shop” for its travel agent partners, and offers them the most competitive air, hotel and car prices. These are complemented by the latest travel tools and excellent customer service support.

“I would urge all of our travel agent partners to try our new hotel booking tool and give us their feedback so that we can improve it further. We are committed to developing superior products and services that empower travel agents to grow their business,” Walter says.

For reservations, visit: www.farebuzz.com/hotels; or call: 1-888-808-4123.

Technorati Tags: Fare Buzz, CEO Arnold Walter, New York based travel supplier, web based hotel booking engine

SONOMA, Calif. — Discover the secrets of exceptional food and wine during an extravagant full-immersion culinary weekend, hosted by From Farm to Table, a gourmet travel company in Sonoma, Calif. Today, they announced the kick-off of a summer series of culinary and wine tours in a region that is world-renowned for its vineyards and artisan food producers.

Tour goers will not only learn what experts consider to be great wine, they will learn how to personally identify great wine and discover how to choose the right wine for any meal, dish, or situation.

“After joining internationally-famous chefs and top-flight winemakers, I want people to leave with such confidence in their own judgment that they will be the person who their friends turn to when wine must be chosen and food recommended,” Jeff Cox, the tour’s host said.

This full immersion, hands-on culinary tour is an all-inclusive weekend. Thursday evening, guests check into their bed and breakfast and enjoy a champagne toast and book signing prior to an evening of farm-inspired menu items paired with Sonoma Valley wines.

After breakfast on Friday, guests will follow the grape from ground to glass at a local vineyard and then settle in for a lunch prepared by the winery’s chef. The evening is open to various choices that include more gourmet fare, a casual plaza picnic, and relaxing downtime.

Saturday includes a culinary treasure hunt where guests will visit artisan farms that produce cheese, oysters, produce, and more; engage in olive oil tastings; and learn how to source, taste, select and store the best ingredients on the market.

The tour culminates on Saturday night with a grand-finale dinner - a private, hands-on group meal that is chef guided. Many of the ingredients used in the dishes are harvested during the farm tours.

Jeff, the culinary host, is the author of 18 books on food, wine, and gardening. He has also hosted two television series on food and gardening for PBS and HGTV. As the restaurant reviewer for the Wine Country’s newspaper of record, the New York Times-owned Santa Rosa Press Democrat, he has many opportunities to visit restaurants throughout the region.

Jeff is also the contributing editor of The Wine News, and frequent contributor to Decanter magazine of London. His book, “The Organic Cook’s Bible” (ISBN: 0471445789), was nominated for a James Beard Foundation award for 2007. And he’s the author of “From Vines to Wines,” the standard work on the subject of growing vines and making wine, as well as “Cellaring Wine,” which helps people care for their wine after they buy or make it. His latest book is “The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide.”

“Sonoma County is the most diverse and blessed region in the world for producing top-quality food and wine,” Jeff said. “Our goal is to show people how to become their own tastemaker so they can set the standards of good taste rather than chase after them.”

The first weekend in June is already sold out. Available dates are: June 19-22; July 17-20; July 24-27; July 31-Aug 3; August 21-24; September 4-7; September 11-14; and October 9-12. Space is limited.

For more information, contact a field trip concierge by visiting: www.FromFarmToTable.com.

Technorati Tags: From Farm to Table, wine author Jeff Cox, vineyards and artisan food producers, Sonoma culinary and wine tours, gourmet travel company

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — Perillo Tours (www.PerilloTours.com), America’s leader in tourism to Italy since 1945, today announced one of the most aggressive promotions in Italian tourism history - free roundtrip airfare from New York’s JFK to Rome, Bologna and Palermo aboard EuroFly airlines. The flights must be booked by June 1, 2008, in conjunction with select Perillo tours and specific departure dates.

Perillo’s CEO, Steve Perillo explains, “I was brainstorming with EuroFly’s Rosario Mariani about promotional ideas. He said he’d give us a very good rate. At the same moment we both said, let’s make this a ‘fly free to Italy’ promotion! I don’t believe it’s ever been done before,” says Perillo.

The free air must be used in conjunction with the following Perillo Italy tours and their specified departure dates:

* Vesuvius Tour: July 27, 2008 departure date.
10 days to Rome, Florence and Naples.

* South & Sicily Tour: July 30, 2008 departure date.
14 Days to Palermo, Taormina, Naples and Rome.

* Aristocrat Tour: August 19, 2008 departure date.
11 days to Venice, Florence and Rome.

A nominal fuel surcharge and departure taxes are not included.

Perillo has been famous for the First Class, all-inclusive Italy tours since 1945, Travel agents are urged to promote this once-in-a-lifetime deal to their best customers.

“As you might expect, space for this promotion is extremely limited and going fast. So spread the word quickly,” urged Perillo.

For reservations contact Perillo Tours at 1-800-431-1515.

About Perillo Tours
Perillo Tours, the largest U.S. based tour operator to Italy, has been a family-run business for over 63 years. Led by three generations beginning with Joseph Perillo, then Mario Perillo and now Steve Perillo, Perillo Tours’ fully escorted tours provide excellent sightseeing, first-class hotels, and experienced and knowledgeable tour guides. All tours include transfers, baggage handling, American style breakfasts, tips, taxes, and dinners with complimentary wines and mineral water.

About EuroFly
EuroFly is an airline based in Milan, Italy. It operates scheduled services and inclusive tour charters from most Italian cities to destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Its main base is Malpensa International Airport, Milan.

Technorati Tags: Perillo Tours, tourism to Italy, EuroFly airlines Milan, CEO Steve Perillo, fully escorted tours

ORLANDO, Fla. — “Da Coach” Mike Ditka, former NFL Coach of the 1985 Super Bowl champs, the Chicago Bears, welcomed guests recently as they arrived at Mike Ditka’s Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa to join him in celebrating the opening of Mike Ditka’s Runaway Beach Club Resort and Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa.

Ditka proudly posed for pictures in the 26,000 sq ft Grand Clubhouse and greeted guests, answering questions and discussing the uniqueness and high standards of both new resorts bearing his name.

“Why try to fit four people in a hotel room, when you can stay in one of these villas and enjoy all the comforts of home, including extra bedrooms for the kids and grandkids?” questioned the Coach. “I want to provide hard-working families with the vacation they deserve, at a price that won’t break the bank.”

In honor of the opening of Mike Ditka Resorts, both Runaway Beach Club Resort and Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa are offering a special “Tell them ‘Da Coach’ Sent You” golf package for a limited time, April 11 through June 30, 2008. Two-night/Three-day packages starting at $339 per person, based on double occupancy (non-inclusive of taxes and resort fees) and includes a luxurious two or three bedroom villa, Championship golf for two, cart and green fees and more.

To book this special offer, guests can call 888-512-2200. For more information, visit mikeditkaresorts.com. Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa and Runaway Beach Club Resort are both located in the heart of the Orlando attractions area and are just minutes from Walt Disney World Resort.

The ultimate in vacation luxury, Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa is a gated resort community featuring spacious two-, three- and four-bedroom lakefront villas, elegantly, yet comfortably furnished with the latest entertainment and appliances. The resort further pampers vacationers with a full-service 4,600-square-foot European-style spa, a heated zero-depth entry freeform swimming pool, resort-style pool and hot tub, health and fitness center, 50-seat movie theater, billiards room, game room, meeting facilities and high speed wireless Internet service throughout the resort. The property also offers complimentary shuttle service to the Walt Disney World theme parks. For more information, visit www.lighthousekeyresortorlando.com or call 866-797-0018.

Runaway Beach Club Resort offers all of the conveniences of a resort with the space and luxury of a private residence. Guests will enjoy some of the area’s largest one-, two- and three-bedroom villas and loft villas. The sprawling grounds feature a heated “Key West” zero-entry family pool with water features for kids, a heated “South Beach” adult pool and tanning deck, a 24-hour professional fitness center and complimentary shuttle service to the Walt Disney World theme parks.

For more information, visit www.runawaybeachhotel.com or call 866-289-0238.

Technorati Tags: Mike Ditka Lighthouse Key Resort and Spa, Mike Ditka Runaway Beach Club Resort

Leading U.S. adventure travel website announces first step of global expansion plans

CHICAGO, Ill. and LONDON, England — Chicago-based iExplore formally announced its global expansion plans, with this week’s launch of www.iExplore.co.uk, targeting adventure travelers in the U.K. It is the company’s first formal effort outside of the U.S. since the company launched in 1999. iExplore is hoping to become the #1 ranked website for adventure and experiential travel in the U.K. within the next couple years, replicating the position it has held in the U.S. since 2000.

iExplore founder and CEO, George Deeb, said, “We were already serving many international customers at iExplore.com, but we wanted to better serve such users with more localized tours, content and call center fulfillment.” Deeb continued, “The U.K. was the most logical international market to start - given the large demand for adventure travel in the U.K.”

iExplore declined to comment on other countries it may be considering within its global expansion plan. But they did say another 10-15 countries are under consideration for launch over the next several years.

Founded in 1999, iExplore (www.iExplore.com) is the leading online resource for adventure and experiential travel, serving over 1,300,000 visitors per month at its website. iExplore’s website is a one-stop planning resource for adventure travelers, with a deep offering of related tours, content, photos and a community of like-minded travelers. iExplore offers hundreds of tours that visit the farthest corners of the earth, particularly the man-made and natural wonders of the world.

iExplore has been named the “Best Adventure Travel Website” by Forbes Magazine, Travel & Leisure Magazine and Time Magazine, and powers adventure trips for many leading travel sites including Expedia, Travelocity, Frommers, Lonely Planet, Travel Channel, and Concierge.com. iExplore is a wholly-owned division of TUI Travel PLC (www.tuitravelplc.com), a US$25BN international leisure travel company based in the U.K.

All trademarks acknowledged.

Technorati Tags: adventure travelers in the UK, CEO George Deeb, online resource for adventure and experiential travel

DENVER, Colo. — Can’t get everyone together at the same time? Trying to juggle schedules to organize a family reunion? Help is on the way. Vacation Never Ends, LLC announces the launch of a new web site that brings together family and friends for easy trip and event planning.

Founded by Shawna Barnhart and Jay Wopschall, Travel Group Planner(TM) (www.TravelGroupPlanner.com), was born out of necessity. They created a tool to help them plan their own group trips. Shawna and Jay frequently travel with friends and family and discovered a need for a tool to make their trip-planning efforts more efficient.

Planning a trip with the use of Travel Group Planner is as easy as 1-2-3. Communication happens through one site and groups of any size can benefit.

“When we first started designing the site,” Shawna explained, “we used our personal experiences as a foundation for building the necessary tools.”

While there are a minimal number of sites that offer similar services, Travel Group Planner(TM) is unique in many ways.

For instance, the group does not have to know their dates or destination to start using the tool. People can simply use the web site as a social network just to start the conversation and to begin sharing ideas. Another unique feature is their meal planning section which can be found under “Things to Do.”

Members can suggest, comment and vote on dates, destinations, and accommodations. All group members’ contact information and itineraries are available to view; information is private and only members may access.

“We built the site to make it easy for friends and families to plan their trips without lots of hassle.” Shawna added. “It’s more user friendly than other sites.”

Vacation brainstorming is broken down into four categories: planning, booking, things to do, and memories. In the planning phase, groups decide and finalize their dates and destinations. Flight, car, hotel and other travel information are entered in the booking phase. The “Things to Do” section is where members talk about all the fun things they would like to experience, including meal planning. After the trip, groups can share trip memories. Travel Group Planner(TM) is integrated with Flickr so members can share photos and begin to plan their next escape!

Travel Group Planner(TM) was designed to support friends’ destination weddings, annual family camping trips, weekend water skiing trips, Thanksgiving ski trips, music concerts in gorgeous locations, and more.

People seeking to plan extended family reunions with new destinations each year, overnight trips to visit friends and family, adventure trips such as group scuba diving excursions, will all benefit from the service offered at Travel Group Planner.

“Trips are lots of fun when you share them with friends and family,” Shawna said. “And, with Travel Group Planner(TM) making the arrangements can be half the fun. Working together creates a sense of excitement and minimizes travel problems later.”

Travel Group Planner(TM) is strictly an online service. Users enter all the information without assistance or interaction from a travel agent. In the future, Vacation Never Ends has plans to add a travel agent feature.

For more information, visit: www.TravelGroupPlanner.com.

Technorati Tags: Vacation Never Ends LLC, Travel Group Planner, Shawna Barnhart and Jay Wopschall, trip and event planning

Count parking fees as another “Gotcha to Watch Out For” on your next Hawaii Vacation

HONOLULU, Hawaii — You might get a great deal on a rental car on the island of Oahu. But if you stay in Waikiki, as almost all visitors to Oahu do, you may pay as much as $25 (plus tax) to park your car for the night, according to a survey of Waikiki hotels conducted by Travel Hawaii LLC in Honolulu (Travel-Hawaii.com), a leading Hawaii Internet booking service.

Travel Hawaii’s survey found that parking rates at six Waikiki hotels will run you $25 per night (plus a buck for taxes), for example at the Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk and the new Wyland Waikiki. Full results of survey can be found at Travel-Hawaii.com/waikiki_hotel_parking.html.

Most other Waikiki hotels charge rates nearly as high, ranging from $12 to $22 per night. For example, the Halekulani, the top-rated hotel in Waikiki, charges a relatively modest $22.

However, there’s still one incredible Waikiki hotel parking deal left, at the ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Tower (Travel-Hawaii.com/ResortQuest_Waikiki_Beach_Tower.html), which
offers complimentary valet parking to all of its guests. “You should see the smiles that come across our guests’ faces when they’re checking in and learn that their parking is free, and it’s valet parking to boot,” said Mike Tesaka, the General Manager of the hotel. “You can see them computing the numbers in their head, figuring they’ve just saved $150 or more for their stay.”

Other Waikiki hotels or condos may have free parking depending on how they’re booked. “For example,” said John Lindelow, owner of Travel Hawaii, “if a guest books the upscale Waikiki Parc through Travel Hawaii, parking is free, but if purchased direct through the hotel or Expedia, parking will cost $20 per day.” A similar situation exists at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, where guests staying three or more nights get free parking, but only if booked through Travel Hawaii.

“Most visitors to Waikiki still rent cars because of the wealth of things to do and see outside of Waikiki,” continued Lindelow, “however, if visitors carefully plan the use of a rental car - and associated parking fees, they could easily save a couple hundred bucks.”

About Travel Hawaii LLC
Founded in 1997, Travel Hawaii has become a leading Internet booking service for consumers wishing to vacation in Hawaii. Travel Hawaii maintains sophisticated online booking systems and databases focused on Hawaii travel.

For more information, visit: Travel-Hawaii.com.

Technorati Tags: Travel Hawaii LLC, hotel parking fees in Waikiki, Hawaii Internet booking service, John Lindelow, big island vacations

SEDONA, Ariz. — Phyllis Johnson Innovative Strategies, LLC announces Sedona Romance Travel, an online travel newsletter that captures the spirit of Sedona. A personal journey that guides the reader and describes why Sedona is a special place for romancing the spirit and nourishing the soul. A place where lives and relationships can change forever.

The publisher has traveled internationally tracking life style trends for global companies for over three decades. Her research of the personal development and spirituality trend has taken her all over the world from Egypt to Peru and eventually led her to Sedona.

SedonaRomanceTravel.com shares her personal experiences of Sedona and many of the people and services that have enriched her spiritual journey. Her observations of this spiritual evolution has led to recognition of a new kind of romance emerging.

A romance of the spirit that opens the heart and creates an opportunity for more open and loving relationships.

A new romance that is about ease and relaxation and simply being “real.”

Connecting spiritually heart to heart. Having fun exploring the trails of an ancient land that echoes with messages for each soul to hear.

And for women who have men in their lives who need to be gently led, a customized Men’s Guide has been created for helping men to plan an unforgettable romantic getaway in Sedona. The guide also includes a carefully researched list of glorious gift ideas!

SedonaRomanceTravel.com shares how to experience a new kind of romance in Sedona and take experiences home that will be remembered for a lifetime!

Technorati Tags: Phyllis Johnson Innovative Strategies LLC, Sedona Romance Travel, Arizona online travel newsletter