Stay at Secrets Resorts & Spas

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Christine May (Managing Editor)

One of our employees, Nina M. Scimenes, blogged about her trip to Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun. We wanted to share her blog with our Juice readers!

Secrets Resorts & Spas is included in Apple Vacations’ Summer Fun for Everyone sale , and it is appropriate because a stay at one of the adults-only beachfront properties is beyond ‘fun’! You can expect a spectacular beach vacation with the inclusions of Unlimited-Luxury® with spacious accommodations, unlimited top-shelf spirits, gourmet dining without reservations, 24-hour room service, nightly entertainment and more. What’s not to love?

View of infinity pools at Secrets SIlversands

This past July I soaked up the sun for three days at Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun with my best friend. I loved every second of our getaway. The resort is very modern and chic and you feel it as soon as you enter the main lobby and see the sculpture of silver fish. We received a warm welcome from the staff with a cold hand towel and glass of champagne!

It was the perfect blend of relaxation and adventure. From peaceful pampering at the Secrets Spa by Pevonia, to an exciting bike ride into Puerto Morelos, we enjoyed the best of both worlds. Most of our time was spent lounging poolside near Manatees and sipping on refreshing cocktails at the swim up-bar. When the sun goes down the party continues with lively entertainment. One night we enjoyed a captivating performance at ShowTime Theater, Secrets Idol, presented by Secrets Entertainment Team. Guests competed in a singing competition and the judges were also guests. The music selection got us on our feet dancing.

Lobby Bar at night

Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun offered a variety of dining options. Each morning I enjoyed a hearty breakfast at World Café complete with a Mimosa and Bloody Mary bar! The ceviche at Oceana was one of my favorite meals and it is served al fresco overlooking the main pool. El Patio is my favorite restaurant at the resort, not just because it serves authentic Mexican cuisine, but the warm ambiance is very inviting and just down right adorable. As soon as you enter the restaurant, there is a tree with blown glass hearts dangling, making the perfect photo opportunity. At least one Mexican meal is a must when in Mexico! I highly recommend the delicious guacamole and El Paster pork tacos. And of course, while we were there, we just had to order 24-hour room service one night for a midnight snack! There is truly something for everyone.

With 12 stunning Secrets Resorts & Spas to choose from, there is defiantly a perfect resort for you. Recently, SecretsResorts.com added a resort finder to their newly revamped website. http://www.secretsresorts.com/resort-finder. How clever! By answering a series of questions about what you expect from a vacation, you can find the Secrets Resort that is perfect for you. Sun, sand and special moments are waiting for you. Enjoy your getaway.

Spa by Pevona

Secrets Silversands room

Overview of Secrets Silversand

Lobby Bar at Secrets Silversands

Lobby at Secrets Silversands

View of infinity pools at Secrets SIlversands

Lobby Bar at night

Family Vacations – Ready or not, it’s time to GO!

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

Another major “vacation company” has a great marketing campaign out right now, and it is what I preach all the time. Take your vacation NOW, your kids are only this age once. Don’t miss out on it.

As my son gets older, I want to freeze time. My son is 8 and he will only be 8 once. OK, it is for an entire year I know, but I feel like he was 3, I blinked and now he is 8. I want to soak up every minute of him being 8 and acting 8 (the good and the bad).

I do understand when people want to “Wait until their kids remember” before spending a lot of money on a vacation, or wait until their kids are “old enough” to really enjoy it. But your kids are only this age once. Every family can use some together time away from work, school, video games, homework, laptops and television. This summer, plan your family together time on an Apple Vacation!

Plan it together by picking out destinations you want to see, hotels that have activities your family enjoys or excursions you want to experience. Or just be spontaneous and surprise them!

There is no better time spent with your family, than on an Apple Vacation! Make the summer of 2013 one your family will never forget. Go ahead and pick out your vacation here.

Apple Vacations LOVES Travel Agents

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

This May kicks off Apple Vacations 9^th annual Travel Agent Appreciation Month. It is Apple Vacations time to applaud agents for the valuable travel services they provide.

Baltimore Travel Agent Dinner

In this DIY and technology age, I know a lot of travelers like to book themselves. They think they will “save money” or “get a better deal”. But the knowledge, experience and service of an agent is truly invaluable.

If you are a Travel Agent, make sure check with your Regional Sales Manager or log on to the Travel Agent Café starting Monday to see all the exciting programs we have to offer. If you need to find an agent to book your next vacation click here: Ask An Agent

Here are some photo’s of our recent Golden Apple dinners where the “best of the best” received their Golden Apple awards.

Congrats Agents and Happy Travel Agent Appreciation Month!

Baltimore Travel Agent Dinner

Philadelphia Travel Agent Dinner

Milwaukee Travel Agent Dinner

Cleveland Travel Agent Dinner

With Apple Vacations – It’s Summer Fun for Everyone!

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

No cooking, no cleaning, no laundry, no food shopping – you get the picture! This summer, take an Apple Vacation the whole family will enjoy. This summer make it Summer Fun for Everyone to the white sandy beaches and blue turquoise waters of Mexico or The Caribbean!

It’s time to book that summer family vacation while the rates are good and the best flights and top hotels are still available.

You think it sounds expensive to take the whole family away? Well, do the research, it is really not. And, starting tomorrow, it is even less! I want to let you in on a secret that will really help families afford an Apple Vacation to Mexico or The Caribbean this summer. Starting tomorrow, many hotels will offer Kids Stay, Play, and Eat FREE all summer long! That’s right, they just pay airfare and taxes.

Starting tomorrow (March 29, 2013) for bookings through April 25, 2013 – Kids will Stay, Play, and Eat Free at specific resorts.

Here are some of the featured hotels and the specifics: Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun and Dreams Punta Cana. Up to 2 kids free with the purchase of a paying adult. 1 paying adult = 1 child free, 2 paying adults = 2 children free. Booking Window: 3/29/13 – 4/25/13. Travel Window: 5/1/13 – 8/23/13.

Grand Palladium Bavaro. Up to 2 kids free with the purchase of a paying adult. 1 paying adult = 1 child free, 2 paying adults = 2 children free. In a Junior Suite. Booking Window: 3/29/13 to 4/30/13 for travel 5/1/13-8/24/13.

For more details and more hotel choices for you, check out Summer Fun for Everyone!

And check out our TV ad here!

Visit us online or call your travel agent today!

Fitcations Fit-Trip to Paradise – We’re at it again!

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Christine May (Managing Editor)

as told by Apple Vacations very own April Wickey

Last year, the Apple Vacations’ team got their feet wet by mixing the vacation package experience that we are experts at and adding in a little flare with Zumba®, Yoga, and other fun fitness activities.

We created Fitcations to offer the opportunity to take the fitness classes we love out of the gym. We wanted this experience to be not only for the fitness savvy people out there, but also those looking to try something new. Sometimes it’s easier to step outside of your comfort zone when you know no one else knows you.

We offered daily morning yoga classes by the beach and Zumba classes by the pool. Even when the sun got hot, we kept our cool by making our own shade. We even turned the disco into a Zumba® party.

With all of the publicity we got from this Fitcation experience, we heard a lot of good feedback from both the travel agent community and people just looking for this unique opportunity. We also received a lot of inquiries as to when we were going to do this again.

Well, we are ready to do it all again. We’d like to introduce this year’s Fitcation experience. We will be heading down to the beautiful Pacific coast of Mexico, and staying at the luxury-included Dreams Villamagna Nuevo Vallarta. This Fitcation will take place June 8^th through June 15^th. We have packaged this with our charters from Chicago O’Hare, Minneapolis and Dallas-Fort Worth. And we have our personal touch desk ready if someone is looking to travel from another city. We have, once again, teamed up with Suzelle Snowden founder of Fit Bodies Inc. And we have added Zumba® Education Specialist (ZES) Kelly Bullard to our list of instructors to make sure that this experience will be one of a kind.

Spa by Pevona

Hawaii’s Most Hawaiian Hotel – Kaanapali Beach Hotel

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Eileen Herncane (Editor at Large)

For many vacationers, especially “East- Coasters” like me, Hawaii is a “bucket – list” vacation. A trip to Hawaii is where you go on your Honeymoon or for a special occasion. It really does not have to be that way. With current airfare rates Hawaii is very, very

affordable. And with several islands to explore and various hotels to choose from, an Apple Vacation to Hawaii the possibilities are endless. Myself, I have a Hawaii “list”, places I want to visit, hotels where I want to stay, and excursions I want to do. I bookmark websites, print articles and save magazines. Whenever I come across something new or interesting about Hawaii, I file it away so I don’t forget about it when it is time for me to book! Low and behold, I recently added to my list! I learned about the Kaanapali Beach Hotel at an educational presentation and now I can’t wait to stay there!

Maui is the 2nd Largest Island in the Hawaiian Island Chain and Kâ‘anapali is Located in West Maui. Kaanapali Beach Hotel is a stunning Beachfront Location on 3 miles of golden sand beach. The hotel has been voted #1 for the past 19 years voted by Conde-Nast. The Kâ̕anapali Beach Resort is the world’s first “planned resort community” – 1,200 acres! There are two 18 – hole championship golf courses, private hotels, five condominiums, several restaurants, the Whaler’s Village Shopping Center and Whale Museum and hotels and resorts.

That all sounds great, but here is why I really think you should book Kaanapali Beach Hotel:

Kaanapali Beach Hotel offers the best location, location, Location! It is on the widest stretch of beautiful Kâ̕anapali Beach. And, Kaanapali Beach Hotel is Hawai̕i’s Most Hawaiian Hotel. When I travel I am all about the view, location and immersing myself in local culture. This is definitely the hotel for me.
As Hawai̕i’s Most Hawaiian Hotel, Kaanapali Beach Hotel offers daily Hawaiian activities and they employ full-time Hawaiian “Culture Advisors” (Alaka̕i) right on property. They offer nightly complimentary Hawaiian Entertainment & Hula Show in the Tiki Courtyard. the hotel is adjacent to Pu̕u Keka’a (Black Rock) for world-class snorkeling. They also have the first and only outdoor Tiki-Themed Bar on Maui with exotic cocktail blends, famous Mai-Tais, Pupule and Tiki Tini cocktails. The hotel provides trolley service to Historic Lâhainâ if you want to venture into town.
Kaanapali Beach Hotel sounds like paradise and everything I look for in a vacation. Stay tuned for my next blog on Kaanapali Beach Hotel and why this resort is an excellent choice for family vacations.

Susan Haigh-Bishop Senior Sales Manager, Kaanapali Beach Hotel with Tim Mullen and Karen McFadden from Apple Vacations.

Secrets Royal Beach Resort & Spa – Punta Cana

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Christine May (Managing Editor)

We have the cure for your Spring Fever! For those of you suffering from unpleasant cold weather, constant wind and snowfall and dreary days, your distress is over. Start thinking of warm weather, pristine beaches, unlimited gourmet cuisine and endless top-shelf spirits.

Read about a recent review of Secrets Royal Beach Resort & Spa, located in Punta Cana. As told by Apple Vacations own Kathleen Kroos, who recently vacationed there.

We left Philadelphia on a cold early January morning. We left our coats in the car and boarded the airport shuttle for what was to be the most relaxing trip we had ever taken. Even the plane ride over was restful! Frontier Airlines seated us with plenty of leg room and the cabin crew was very pleasant. We loved the quaint thatched roofed on the Punta Cana airport and were amazed by the efficiency of the airport staff. All accompanied by the music of a local band. We then met the Amstar rep., in his red and blue flowered shirt, who then showed us to our mini-bus for the ride to the hotel.

We were the second stop for the bus. It was a pleasant comfortable ride. Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana had a beautiful exterior. It’s in a park-like setting with a pretty little lake running through it. The hotel porters had already taken our bags and we went into the lovely lobby to register and be taken to our room. Our room was sumptuous! The king-sized bed was very comfortable and every evening it was decorated with rose petals. Our balcony had a lovely view of the courtyard and lazy river below. The bathroom was very convenient and beautifully decorated. It had a room for the toilet and a vanity with double sink and a beautiful walk in shower. My husband is an amputee and they had included a chair for him to sit in while showering. Every one of our needs were taken care of by the hotel staff!

After looking at the room we put on our bathing suits and strolled around the pool, the lazy river and then down to the beautiful beach for a delicious snack, a stroll along the waterand an opportunity to sit a stare at our beautiful surroundings. Other than the occasional waiter taking our drink orders we relaxed to the sound of the waves, and the far off sounds of other happy travelers enjoying their day.

The first night we chose the Oceana seafood restaurant for dinner (good food and service) and later went to the entertainment in the courtyard just outside the hotel. We listened to beautiful music and laughed at comedians. We were pretty tired after our trip and went to bed early that night.

We had a great breakfast the next morning at the buffet and took our mimosas out to the beach to sit in the lounge chairs and enjoy the view. After we’d been there about an hour, a man came up and invited us to a dance class. He was gorgeous! I took the class right on the beach just to watch this guy! So did a large number of other women. The rest of that day and the next are just one relaxing blur of relaxation, great food and friendly people all having a wonderful time!

Located amidst palm trees, lush vegetation and manicured gardens on an expansive sugar-white beach, this colorful Caribbean resort offers adults a seaside escape to romance, relaxation and Unlimited-Luxury®.

The Juice

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