London – Why now is the time to go!

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

There has never been a more exciting time to travel to London. If you watched the news this weekend, you were sure to hear about Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee which is a celebration of epic proportions currently going on all across Britain. From horseracing, to concerts, to fireworks, to a flotilla down the River Thames, numerous festivities are planned to celebrate The Queen’s 60 years on the throne.

In addition to the excitement of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, London is preparing to host the 2012 Olympic summer Games. Opening ceremonies are just over a month away and the anticipation is building. Final touches are being put on new stadiums, public spaces and shopping centers on the city’s eastern edge. Even if you don’t have tickets to a game, there are still many new Olympic themed

places to visit. Just being in the city, you will feel like you are part of the excitement. You don’t need to visit exactly during The Olympics or Diamond Jubilee celebration, to be part of the fun. London will be festive all summer long. And it’s no secret that the best weather in London, is typically in the summer – although you’d be remiss to forget an umbrella.

Of course when visiting London, you should still visit great historical landmarks, including Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Tower Bridge.

Stay tuned for my next blog on some of my personal favorite places to visit and things to do in London. And here is a photo of my cousin who visited London recently and snapped a photo of the The Olympic countdown for us!

Panama – One of the hottest places to vacation in 2012!

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

In what country can you go for an early -morning surf in the Pacific ocean, then have a leisurely breakfast gazing at the Caribbean Sea, about an hour away? You can only accomplish this in Panama!

Panama is home to a sleek city, hundreds of picturesque, deserted islands, densely forested wilderness, active volcanoes and exotic wildlife. A variety of activities are popular in Panama including world – class fishing, surfing, kayaking, jungle and mountain trekking, rappelling and white-water rafting.

Salomón Shamah Minister of Tourism of Panama, Tim Mullen, President of Apple Vacations with Kate Murphy from Wings Travel Group and Ernesto Orillac Vice Minister of Tourism at the Philadelphia event.

I spent the past few days attending roadshows across the East coast of the U.S. where the Minister of Tourism personally came to meet some of Apple Vacations’ key travel agency accounts, as well as our own staff, to extol the virtues of Panama. He brought along many government officials and hotel representatives as well. I have to say I was very impressed.

Many people think of Panama as just the canal used for transport, and that is true, but the canal is a tourist destination itself. Panama also has a region for every Apple Vacationer if you want a city, beach or even a rainforest vacation.

Panama City is sleek and very modern with the backdrop of history. It is a thriving cosmopolitan city blending contemporary buildings, cobblestone streets and Spanish architecture from centuries long ago. The Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower Panama is an architectural masterpiece in Panama City.

If you are a beach person, looking for a new beach destination, Panama’s beaches will not disappoint! They have hosted world surfing championships. The resorts include many well – known names including The Westin, Sheraton and Royal Decameron.

If you want adventure and majestic beauty then head for the rainforest, where another region with spectacular resorts within Panama’s exquisite natural beauty can be found.

And, if you can’t decide and want to experience every aspect of Panama, then look no further than the Apple Vacations 7 night highlight tour .

But don’t just take it from me, The New York Times named Panama one of THE places to visit in 2012. New York Times – Travel and Travel & Leisure named Panama one of the hottest travel destinations of 2012. So go ahead, take a look at Panama for your next Apple Vacation.

Best. Flight. Ever.

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Shannon McCain (Resource Development Manager)

My bags are finally, completely, 100% unpacked. Yes, we returned home about a month ago. Don’t judge. I finally committed to dramatically shaking out my beach bag and watching the last teeny tiny remnants of beautiful Maroma sand slowly, and sadly, fall to the floor. So not only is vacation over, I also have to vacuum. Awesome!

Ok, here we go. Naturally the beach was fab, the drinks quite tropical and the food amazing (seriously, if anyone can FedEx my fiancé and I Himitsu’s Tempura Ice Cream, we’d be forever grateful), but, but, but, one part of my vacation I often gloss over, is the flight.

Let me just say: Best. Flight. Ever.

Seriously!

I’m usually just a bit “meh” about the whole getting there part, and I’m certainly very “urgh” about the entire coming home part. To make the time in-flight pass as quickly as possible I’ll read (rarely), work (sometimes), sleep (more like it), and play Mario Kart (there it is). This time? Not so much.

I flew Frontier for the first time ever from Philly to Cancun. I got Preferred Perks as per usual, and during check-in I was given an envelope with 4 drink tickets and 2 snack-box tickets (presents!). Let’s do the math: Drinks on a plane are about $7 each, snacks and meals can be the same… so I basically paid $39 to receive $42 worth of goodies PLUS get more legroom, priority boarding and super-speedy baggage handling.

Win!

So we board, take -off, hit our cruising altitude and, much like good old paper money, my coupons start burning a hole in my pocket. So I got a drink. A snack-box. And another drink because well, why make two trips?

By the way, it’s ok to drink Chardonnay before 10am if you are on vacation, the flight attendant said so.

So here I am, happy girl with a tray table chock full of practically free goodies, and I look over to see I’ve lost my fiancé and his refreshments to watching baseball, football, jai alai or some other sport of sorts on TV. (Yep, there’s even TV!)
So even airborne somewhere over the Carolinas, I still can’t escape sports. But wait! I start to flip through MY channels on MY own personal television and, bye-bye SportsCenter, hell-o Bravo and Food Network. Not only do I have snacks and drinks, I now have almost three hours of solid Real Housewives and Barefoot Contessa. Sold!

Needless to say, the video games didn’t come out once. My vacation started literally the moment I stepped on that plane. I know it seems small, but I really, thoroughly enjoyed getting to my destination. And ya know what? Frontier made the ride home a bit more bearable, too. Overall, two very enthusiastic thumbs up! Thanks for sending me off, and brining me home in style, F9! Let’s do it again soon.

PS: Yes, I brought my parents and they had an absolute blast, too. Truly good times had by all.

Happy travels!

Simply the best … “New” Kid on the Block

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

Apple Vacations has been sending vacationers to Cancun for over 30 years. I am always amazed to see the changes each time I vacation there. Cancun, Mexico was the first Apple Vacation I ever went on, and I love it more each time I go back.

The last few years, I, like many Apple Vacationers, have not actually been staying “in” Cancun, rather we have been flying in to Cancun and heading south to Riviera Maya to experience Puerto Morelos, Tulum and Playa del Carmen. There are so many fabulous resorts in this region, and each is unique. It is very family friendly and I loved it each time.

But, I am very excited for my next trip, because of all the new Resorts in Cancun. “What’s old, is new again” and more LUXURIOUS than ever! So many new resorts have opened or are about to open in Cancun. The landscape has completely changed and it is almost like it is a completely new destination. I am so excited to experience it once again.

Sandos Beach shot courtesy of Suzie Sturm, www.vacationkids.com

So go ahead, take another Apple Vacation to Cancun. New resorts to discover are Sandos Cancun Luxury Resort, Iberostar Cancun and RIU Peninsula which are all currently open and Secrets The Vine Cancun, which is opening soon! Check out the “unofficial shot” of construction from the ocean view room, and restaurant.

Stay tuned to the blog, as we will be featuring reviews on all of these amazing resorts soon.

Simply the best… “cool” pool!

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

As family vacation season is upon us, if you want to ensure that you are in a resort that has a pool that keeps the kids (and kids at heart) happy, then read on.

When asking fellow employees what resort have you stayed at that has a “cool” pool the same two names consistently came up. Again, Iberostar Paraiso Lindo and Maya is a top choice! In addition to the amazing main pool network there is both Mayan themed wave pool and a fun lazy river. Between, the main pool, wave pool and lazy river you will need to remind yourself there is a beach.

Another top choice for “cool pool” is the pool at Grand Sirenis in Riviera Maya. Grand Sirenis main pool has been described as very peaceful and beautiful, and they also have a lazy river pool for some relaxation. It has a slow current and snakes thru the entire property. You could hop on an inner tube with margarita in hand and drift all day!

Tell us, what Apple Vacation have you been on that had your most favorite pool?