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Norwegian Sun returns to Port Canaveral  for second year of Cuba cruises

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Norwegian Cruise Line’s Sun returns to Port Canaveral today for a second season of popular cruises from the Port to Cuba, as well as excursions to the Bahamas.

Starting Monday, April 15, the Norwegian Sun, which in 2018 became the first homeported cruise ship to sail from Port Canaveral to Cuba, will offer four-, five- and seven-day cruises to Havana, Cuba, with select sailings also calling to Key West during its four-day cruises. Ports of call during the Sun’s five- and seven-day voyages include Key West, Nassau, Bahamas, or Norwegian’s private island beach at Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

“We are excited that the Norwegian Sun is returning for another season of cruises to Cuba,” Port CEO Capt. John Murray stated. “More than 30,000 guests sailed on cruises from the Port to Havana last year, and we’re pleased to be hosting more sailing opportunities this summer season.”

The 1,936-guest vessel will kick off its summer sailing season this afternoon with a three-night voyage to Key West and Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas.

For its four-night Cuba cruises, the Sun will depart the Port each Monday during the summer sailing season and return each Friday. Three-night cruises to the Bahamas sail on Fridays and return on Mondays.

In Cuba, the Sun will berth in Havana Harbor in the heart of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Guests can experience the culture and history of Cuba with OFAC (U.S.Treasury Office of Foreign Assets)-compliant shore excursions.

Built in 2001, the 78,309 gross-ton Sun underwent an extensive three-week dry-dock refurbishment in May 2018, emerging with updated staterooms, restaurants and public spaces, as well as three new venues – Los Lobos Cantina, Bliss Ultra Lounge and Spinnaker Lounge. The cruise ship offers 14 dining options, bars and lounges, onboard shopping, the Mandara Spa, the Sun Club Casino and entertainment. All guests sailing aboard the Norwegian Sun’s Cuba or Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral can enjoy unlimited complimentary beverages included in their cruise fare as a part of the ship’s all-inclusive program.

The Sun, which was homeported at Port from 2010 to 2012, will be berthed at Cruise Terminal 10 as it was in 2018. CT-10 recently received more than $35 million in renovations.

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Centara launches Grand Beach sale at luxurious resorts in Thailand and Maldives

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Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, has launched the Grand Beach Sale – an enticing new promotion that offers generous discounts at its stunning collection of Centara Grand beach resorts.

Valid for bookings made between April 8-21, 2019, this limited-time promotion promises an amazing 25 percent discount on every room type at five luxurious resorts in Thailand and the Maldives.

This additional discount is ON TOP of whatever rate, promotion or package the guest books – with no hidden catches, blackout dates or restrictions! So with the Grand Beach Sale, guests are guaranteed an awesome deal.

Guests can choose to take a blissful beachfront break at Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, which is nestled directly on the soft sands of Karon Beach, overlooking the Andaman Sea; Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, the idyllic island retreat on Chaweng Beach; or Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi, the secluded seafront resort which is accessible only by boat.

Alternatively, magical Maldivian vacations are available at a choice of two private island resorts: the family-friendly Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives or the adults-only Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives, both of which feature a choice of spectacular beachfront and overwater villas.

Whichever Centara Grand beach resort they choose, all guests will enjoy accommodation in a spacious room, family-friendly suite or villa, plus complimentary Wi-Fi and fitness centre use throughout their stay. Up to two children can stay free-of-charge with their parents.

To take advantage of this attractive promotion, guests must be a member of CentaraThe1, the group’s highly rewarding, free-to-join loyalty program. Not a member yet? CLICK HERE to sign up instantly.

The Grand Beach Sale ends on April 21, 2019, so book your next beachfront vacation today! For more information and reservations, please CLICK HERE.

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Centara Privilege Club: Centara launches all-new exclusive lifestyle benefits program

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Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator and one of the region’s most innovative hospitality brands, is launching “Centara Privilege Club”, a brand new benefits program that offers exclusive privileges, discounts and experiences to Centara customers.

Members joining Centara Privilege Club receive exciting lifestyle benefits focused on food and drink, accommodation, spa and more, including attractive guaranteed savings, an available complimentary night’s stay, cash certificates and many other member-only advantages.

“Centara Privilege Club was created to strengthen the loyalty of Centara’s biggest fans and frequent visitors,” said Tom Thrussell, Centara Vice President – Brand, Marketing & Digital. “The program features an array of privileges well suited to our guests’ lifestyles and provides unbeatable dining, drinking, hotel room, spa and other benefits that keep our guests returning again and again”.

Centara Privilege Club is a paid membership program with privileges available at all Centara Hotels and Resorts properties throughout Thailand. Members are guaranteed experiences, savings and recognition, and can use their benefits to host parties of family, friends and colleagues at great value.

Centara launches Centara Privilege Club via a collaboration with Hospitality Marketing Concepts (HMC), the world’s leading provider of paid membership loyalty programs, to create an engaging loyalty program to meet the needs of its operating 33 hotels in Thailand and exceed the expectations of Centara’s prestigious clients.

“Hospitality Marketing Concepts (HMC) is committed to ensuring the new programs’ success while creating an innovative program which complements the ever-growing digital mobile world,” said Mokhtar Ramadan, CEO, Hospitality Marketing Concepts. “Together with Centara Hotels and Resorts, HMC will deliver on our mission to provide world-class loyalty programs to luxury hotel brands around the world. Together with HMC’s new mobile app, members can enjoy the benefits of membership at their fingertips.”

The Centara Privilege Club is technology-driven and features an industry-leading mobile app that lets members redeem digital e-certificates and eliminate outdated paper-based voucher booklets and plastic membership cards. The app also delivers targeted mobile push notifications about hotel promotions based on geo-location, preferences and purchasing behavior. This technology focus is in keeping with both Centara’s focus to meeting the needs of today’s smartphone generation, and its commitment to sustainability and the reduction of paper and plastic usage.

The program is distinct from and complementary to Centara’s CentaraThe1 loyalty program which is free to join and sees members earning points for stays and on-property spend, which can then be redeemed for future stays and a variety of other benefits. The CentaraThe1 program currently has over 3 million members and members can actually use their earned points to purchase a Centara Privilege Club membership.

Learn more about Centara Privilege Club membership benefits and become a member only by visiting https://centaraprivilege.com.

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Nonstop between Washington Dulles and Acrra, Ghana grows on SAA

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Starting today, South African Airways (SAA) has increased its frequency on nonstop flights between Washington, D.C.-Dulles International Airport and Accra’s Kotoka International Airport to 5 days weekly.

SAA offers the only nonstop flight between Washington D.C. and Ghana and offers travelers convenient connections to and from over 100 cities across the U.S. and Canada through its Star Alliance partner, United Airlines via Washington, D.C.- Dulles.

South African Airways’ flights to Accra now operate 5 days a week with continuing service to Johannesburg, South Africa, operating on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. SAA’s increase of flights on the route will also serve to support the partnership with Africa World Airlines by offering seamless connections between Accra and additional destinations in West Africa including; Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria; Monrovia, Liberia and Freetown, Sierra Leone. In addition, SAA will continue to operate flights between Washington D.C.-Dulles and Dakar, Senegal and onwards to Johannesburg, two days per week.

SAA’s flights between Washington-Dulles and Accra will be operated with both the Airbus A330-300 and the Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The A330-300 features 46 full-flat 180° beds with direct aisle access at every seat in Premium Business Class and 203 seats in Economy Class. The A330- 200 offers 36 full-flat beds in Premium Business Class and 186 seats in Economy Class. Customers traveling in both Premium Business Class and Economy Class will have on-demand audio and visual entertainment options, in-seat power ports, freshly-prepared meals, and complimentary bar service featuring South African wines.

For information, visit flysaa.com.

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Thank you for flying TAP Air Portugal: Welcome to Tel Aviv

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Israel has about 9 million inhabitants and annually receives more than 4 million visitors. TAP Air Portugal landed its inaugural flight between Lisbon and Israel on time on Sunday night at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.

With this new route, TAP will offer connecting service from the United States via its Lisbon hub. Like all TAP’s “beyond Portugal” destinations, Tel Aviv qualifies for the airline’s stopover program en route.

TAP’s daily flight leaves Lisbon at 2:20 pm and arrives in Tel Aviv at 9:30 pm. From Tel Aviv, flights depart at 5:05 am, arriving in Lisbon at 9:00 am.

One of Israel’s main tourist attractions is the city of Jerusalem, where one can visit holy sites of various religions. Within walking distance are the Holy Sepulcher (Christian), the Wailing Wall (Jewish) and the Mosque of Al-Aqsa (Muslim).

But Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Nazareth, Tiberias, Caesarea, Haifa, the Dead Sea region, and in the Palestinian part, Bethlehem and Jericho, among other points, also have many attractions.

The Portugal Stopover comprises a network of more than 150 partners who provide exclusive offers for Stopover customers for hotels discounts and complimentary experiences such as tuk-tuk tours, visits to museums, dolphin watching in the River Sado and food tastings – even a free bottle of Portuguese wine in participating restaurants.

Travelers can also enjoy a stopover in Lisbon or Porto even if their final destination is in Portugal, such as: Faro (Algarve); Ponta Delgada or Terceira (the Azores); and, Funchal or Porto Santo (Madeira).

Furthermore, Stopover passengers can also create a multi-destination journey, making it will be possible to travel to one destination and return from another. For example, people may choose to fly to Barcelona then return from Seville, but they will still qualify for a stopover in Lisbon or Porto on either their outbound or return travel. Stopover visits are now also available on just one-way travel to Europe or Africa.

TAP will receive 37 new aircraft by the end of this year — and 71 by 2025 — thus becoming the operator of one of the most modern fleets in the world. This renewal and growth of the fleet has allowed TAP to announce new routes and more frequencies. From the United States, new service from San Francisco, Washington DC, and Chicago start in June. TAP has also announced new routes including Naples, Tenerife, Dublin, Basel and Conakry for 2019.

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Antigua and Barbuda launch new global summer campaign: #WhatCoolLooksLike

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The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority has unveiled its new global summer campaign, #WhatCoolLooksLike, which is expected to convey the trendiness of the destination and its appeal as the ideal summer vacation spot for visitors looking for enjoyable experiences. The campaign draws on what makes the country special and seeks to depict in a creative and engaging way the “coolness” of the destination.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism & Investment, The Honorable Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez has high praises for the creative team, adding that the new campaign is timely and reinforces the messages the islands have been promoting in recent years. “Antigua and Barbuda’s weather during the summer is so much cooler than in other regions, our beaches are serene, and while there are numerous events to enjoy, the pace remains unrushed. The #WhatCoolLooksLike summer campaign brings to life what we have been saying for years, and we thank the team for helping us convey this message in a vivid and imaginative way to potential visitors across the globe. The campaign is being executed in all our major source markets with consumers being enticed to visit Antigua and Barbuda to take advantage of the cool summer savings on offer, as well as the destination’s cool climate,” notes Fernandez.

The multi-faceted summer campaign includes a combination of traditional and digital media and will utilize a variety of tactical trade and consumer activations to ensure the success of the initiative.

The #WhatCoolLooksLike Summer Campaign offers consumers major savings on their vacation to Antigua and Barbuda for travel during the periods April-October 2019.  The savings will be available at participating tour operators, airlines and hotels.

A key element of the campaign is the #WhatCoolLooksLlike Ambassador Program, which comprises a carefully curated selection of local influencers who the Authority believes encompass what “cool” looks like. These Ambassadors have been commissioned to utilize their social media presence and their country, Antigua and Barbuda as their backdrop during the six-month run of the campaign, to share the wealth of awe-inspiring experiences provided in the twin-island state.

Another initiative is the Global Sweepstakes launched today which runs through May 21. Entrants will be asked to opt-in by location in order to upload a video or photo that depicts what cool looks like. At the end of the two-month contest, two random winners will be chosen: One from our overseas source markets will win a complimentary 4-day/3-night stay at the Verandah Resort and Spa in Antigua; while one local will win a 2-night, 3-day stay at the Harbour Island Residences in Jolly Harbour. The local element of this campaign was so designed to allow for local participation and engagement, creating a platform where local Antiguans and Barbudans become advocates for the destination.

The Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism and the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority will host a variety of events, including The Antigua Sailing Week, The Optimist World Championships, The Antigua and Barbuda Sportfishing Tournament, Antigua and Barbuda Restaurant Week and Antigua’s Carnival: The Caribbean’s Greatest Summer Festival, providing additional enticements for visitors to travel this summer.

Antigua (pronounced An-tee’ga) and Barbuda (Bar-byew’da) is located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea. Voted the World Travel Awards  Caribbean’s Most Romantic Destination, the twin-island paradise offers visitors two uniquely distinct experiences, ideal temperatures year-round, a rich history, vibrant culture, exhilarating excursions, award-winning resorts, mouth-watering cuisine and 365 stunning pink and white-sand beaches – one for every day of the year. The largest of the Leeward Islands, Antigua comprises 108-square miles with rich history and spectacular topography that provides a variety of popular sightseeing opportunities. Nelson’s Dockyard, the only remaining example of a Georgian fort a listed UNESCO World Heritage site, is perhaps the most renowned landmark. Antigua’s tourism events calendar includes the prestigious Antigua Sailing Week, Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, and the annual Antigua Carnival; known as the Caribbean’s Greatest Summer Festival. Barbuda, Antigua’s smaller sister island, is the ultimate celebrity hideaway. The island lies 27 miles north-east of Antigua and is just a 15-minute plane ride away. Barbuda is known for its untouched 17 mile stretch of pink sand beach and as the home of the largest Frigate Bird Sanctuary in the Western Hemisphere.  Find information on Antigua & Barbuda at visitantiguabarbuda.com and follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

For information on our #WhatCoolLooksLlike Ambassadors, go to visitantiguabarbuda.com.

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Hilton University of Florida Conference Center at Gainesville joins Benchmark Resorts & Hotels portfolio

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Benchmark has added the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center at Gainesville to the company’s Benchmark Resorts & Hotels brand portfolio. The recently renovated, 248-guest room property is located on the University of Florida campus, close to Gainesville’s Central Business District. The property serves a growing market of visiting alumni, parents and students, academics, and guests affiliated with the university. Its IACC-approved conference center, with 25,000 square feet of meeting space, attracts a significant number of meetings and events. The Hilton University of Florida Conference Center at Gainesville is Benchmark’s tenth property in Florida, and the third hotel located on a major college campus within the United States.

“We are honored to be chosen by Hilton Hotels & Resorts to manage this exceptional property,” says Benchmark CEO Alex Cabañas. “We are also delighted to again expand our presence in Florida, where both our Gemstone Collection and Benchmark Resorts & Hotels brands are represented throughout the Sunshine State,” he said. Benchmark recently added two hotels in St. Pete Beach to its portfolio, expanding its presence to Southwest Florida.

Mr. Cabañas also noted the growing importance of conference center hotels to a university. “These hotels serve as a campus ‘guest house’, providing an authentic, on-campus experience while sharing ideas and resources,” he said.

The non-smoking, pet-friendly hotel includes 248 guest rooms and suites featuring HDTV, desks for work/study-related activities, and complimentary WiFi. Guests can enjoy the property’s outdoor pool and whirlpool and a 24-hour fitness center.

The University of Florida is a prominent research university, set on 2,000 acres in Gainesville, in North Central Florida. It offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in law, medicine, business and engineering.

The University of Florida campus offers an array of services and attractions, including an art museum, concerts, lectures, theater, libraries and sports events. Guests can enjoy collegiate football at the nearby Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, home of the Florida Gators. Other local attractions include the Butterfly Rainforest, the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Gainesville Raceway. The surrounding region offers opportunities for biking, canoeing, paddle boarding, swimming and wildlife viewing at one of seven nearby Florida State parks.

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