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28 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday January 13, 2007 FEATURING: CELEBRITY EXPEDITIONS Celebrity Cruises has taken another significant step in its quest to expand their "Celebrity Expeditions" brand. Celebrity Quest will join Celebrity Expeditions in October, 2007. The three-ship class will then t include Celebrity Xpedition, which has sailed in the Galapagos Islands since 2004 and Celebrity Journey which sets sail in May, 2007. The 710-guest Celebrity Quest most recently sailed as Blue Moon, t owned by Pullmantur. Like Celebrity Journey, the vessel's smaller size allows for greater versatility in y deployment, allowing Celebrity to offer guests exceptional destination experiences. Unique to Celebrity Journey and Celebrity Quest will be a more exclusive, upscale guest experience, with two specialty y t restaurants, 15 classes of accommodations, butler service and concierge amenities in every stateroom and suite, and expanded spa services, including in-room offerings. Both Celebrity Journey and Celebrity y Quest will undergo a combined $35-million revitalization during separate one-month drydock periods to incorporate 32 new suites on each ship, entirely new bedding and soft goods, and a variety of Celebrity's most popular signature elements, including the Martini Bar, Sushi Café, AquaSpa by Elemis, and more. Celebrity Journey will sail seven-night Bermuda cruises from May through October 2007, then will y present an exceptional series of 12- to 18-night cruises in remote areas of Antarctica, Brazil, the Chilean Fjords and other faraway regions of South America, from October 2007 through April 2008. Celebrity Quest will make its first sailing under the Celebrity Expeditions banner in October 2007, introducing a series of 12- to 14-night Caribbean sailings featuring several first-time ports of call, including those in St. Barts, Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Turks & Caicos, followed by a series of 14-night Eastbound and Westbound Panama Canal itineraries featuring some of the most exotic destinations in Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. Additionally, each port will feature a new, immersive series of shore excursions. Voted "The World's Best Large Ships," by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2006 Cruise Poll), Celebrity will now be a serious contender in the small luxury ship market. For more information, give us a call! Travelling takes planning This week, I'm on the road again, and learning, learning, learning. This is a trip I've planned myself, and am being accompanied by a photographer, who is teaching me photography while I pass along how to travel -- a fair trade. We worked together on the planning and I realized it is exactly what you need to do, when travelling -- F.I.T as the industry call it. You decide when you want to travel, and with the help of a travel agent, find a flight, choose how you will get to and from the airport, choose hotels, what you want to do, and how you will get around, while there. For those of us used to allinclusive, there is a lot of planning involved. The flight plans were simple with the help of my wonderful travel agent, but what to do and where to stay, and how much to do in a day was complicated. As I sort through the memories of my travels, a few things stand out plainly. Way way back, I was flying through London with 24 hours to see a city that I'd always longed to visit. Part of those 24 hours was spending an evening with a friend. That didn't leave much time. I decided I couldn't see it all, so I should focus. The cabbie drove me around Buckingham Palace on the way to the hotel. The next morning I took a two-hour city tour. Then I visited the chapel where Anne Boleyn was buried, and spent a delightful couple of hours learning more about Henry VIII's second wife. That part of British history has always interested me. More recently in Cannes, several of us spent a number of evenings sitting on outdoor patios with a glass of wine, watching the world go by. Those of you, who insist on seeing it all when you travel, will find you see nothing. So, on this trip I've followed my own advice and have left time to walk the city, tax on duty-free cigarettes and while they are still cheaper, the savings is not what it used to be. We've discussed ignoring the telephone in the hotel room. Go to a phone booth, phone home, provide the hotel number and room number, have them wait 10 minutes, and call you in your room. You'll save big time as the hotel generally routes the call to its own long-distance carrier and adds a surcharge which may be 25 to 40 per cent. Some hotels block calling cards, and if they don't will charge for you using yours. If you need to make calls, the cheapest route is to buy a phone card. We're using ATM machines, it is the cheapest way of getting money. We've checked our credit cards to see if there is a surcharge for the exchange, and how much. We've photocopied our passports, and carry extra passport pictures just in case. Let's spend lots of time at the airport, my colleague said to me. You need to leave lots of time. Parking lots, check-in services and security take much more time than they used to. Best to pack a book, and wait. Airports are interesting. Duty free shopping is better than ever, and some airports even have spas. I also warned my colleague, that all kinds of things pop up at the last minute before you leave, including unexpected guests. I once thought I was all packed, when company dropped in, and stayed and stayed, only to find when I unpacked that I hadn't packed any undies, and had no time to buy any, so spent the week wearing the same pair of hand washed underwear, which never really dried out in the room. I'll tell you what I forgot to do next week, there is bound to be something. -- Sam Ion can be reached at sion10@cogeco.ca. Visit McTavish At: www.mctavishtravel.com DISCOVER CLUB MED CANCUN YUCATAN Allison, our newest team member at Total Travel, just recently returned from a FAM trip to Club Med Cancun Yucatan and would like to share her experience with you: CLUB MED CANCUN YUCATAN, TOTALLY RENOVATED My experience with Club Med was one of a kind and one that I will not soon forget!!! I can't say enough about the welcoming G.O's (gracious organizer) the tentative G.E's (Gentle Employee's) and the unforgettable G.M's (Guest Member). Gina Cheng The new Cancun Yucatan resort, reopened November 11, 2006, is Club Med's latest addition to its collection of upscale resorts. WHAT WILL BE NEW? No longer an adults only resort. After much success from the Martinique and Bahamas properties Club Med Cancun Yucatan will be welcoming Families with new children's facilities for children 4-17 years old. NEW Club Med Passworld for teen access! Restaurants. The main restaurant now offers continual daylong service with constant replenishment of fresh meal options as well as stations with fresh to order meal options. To go along with this new concept, is the six different dining atmospheres around the main restaurant. For a more intimate experience the new open-air restaurant Las Cazuelas is specializing in unique Mexican gourmet. In the evening, tapas are served in the bar/lounge area. Complimenting the Mexican and International cuisine are superior Latin American wines, premium tequilas, Mexican Margaritas and other fine beverages. Accommodations. New larger rooms with extended balconies/terraces house the mix of contemporary and Mexican Bold color styles. The beds were so comfortable with their beautiful duvets. All with pillow top bedding, new flat screen TV's and much more. For those who want the ultimate in comfort and pampering the 18 new suites with room service are a must. Sports and facilities. New spa facilities will be added to compliment the numerous water and land activities. Guests of all ages can take advantage of the 22 acres site surrounded on three sides by the beach, snorkeling reef, and water ski lagoon. Other sports include tennis, water skiing, windsurfing, sailing, snorkeling, kayaking and trapeze. Again the staff made my stay just that much more spectacular ­ They are always present and willing to help you in any way. I wish I could thank each and every one of them ­ They were fantastic. As you can tell I am now partial to Club Med ­ I know I will return it's just a matter of when and where. and time to sit and watch the city go by. But yes, we are going to sightsee as well. Working my colleague through the packing process was interesting. I explained his grooming kit needed to go in packed luggage. He wants to bring duty-free liquor back, the only way to do this is in checked luggage so I automatically pack bubble wrap to protect it. He was going to pack too many clothes and not enough layers in case it turns cold. I suggested he do what I do, start putting what you think you're going to need in a special spot a week or two before you go, and begin with your passport and tickets. Then ruthlessly go through what you've put out, and put half of it back in your closet. That old saying "pack half as much as you think you're going to need, and twice as much money" is very true. He mentioned he's going to buy cigarettes at duty free to save money. I reminded him the Federal government slapped a $15 Contact Allison at 905 849-0333 or aharnett@totaltravel-oakville.com for more Club Med information Oakville Town Centre I 300 North Service Road, W. Oakville 905.849.0333 www.totaltravel-oakville.com DISCOVER NEW WORLDS, DISCOVER NEW PEOPLE Punta Cana, Dominican Republic , Caribe Club Princess departures 3 *plus Toronto $ 00 fromSun, Mon Sat, 7 Nights All Inclusive LAST CHANCE! If your baby was born in 2006, get his/her picture in our "2006 Arrivals" section January 20th. Deadline is Jan 16th. Call Rachel 905845-3824 ext 461 867 plus tax of $284.00 per person Jan 20, 21, 22 146 Lakeshore Rd. E. 905-842-4999 Ont Reg No 2766538 lakeshore@travelchoice.ca Voted Best Travel Agency Best Cruise Company Best Travel Agent Thanks Oakville! Hopedale Shopping Centre 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville Oakville Location: Relax... you're with us 146 Lakeshore Rd. E. 905-842-4999 lakeshore@travelchoice.ca 221 Lakeshore Road E. (905) 827-1100 fax: (905) 827-4982 e-mail: travel@mctavish.com 905-337-2228 wwwhookedoncruising.com Oakville Town Centre I 300 North Service Road, W. Oakville 905.849.0333 www.totaltravel-oakville.com Ont Reg No 2766538