Showing posts with label Regatta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Regatta. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Best Way to See Australia and New Zealand

Recently, Anne Campbell of ShipCritic Blog wrote a remarkable post detailing cruises that should be considered even for those who ‘wouldn’t be caught dead on a cruise ship.’  We feel she made some tremendous points in stating that seeing Antarctica or Alaska best should be done by cruising.  Being able to see the vast size of a glacier from afar on the deck of a cruise ship truly gives you the full picture of the amazement of Antarctica.  Much the same, at the railing of a cruise ship, you might best capture breeching whales as you sail the coast of Alaska.

Anne’s words intersected a conversation that we recently had in our office about an upcoming group sailing we have on the 2012 Beyond Group Travel calendar with Oceania Cruises Regatta for Australia and New Zealand.Beyond Group Travel Splendors of Down Under New Zealand Oceania Cruises RegattaAs you look at the 16-day itinerary below, truly think about how you would actually do this much within the same amount of days yet by air/land.  Realize that, by land, you’ll be packing and unpacking for each destination.

February 5th – Embark from Auckland, New Zealand at 10:00pm
February 6th - Tauranga, New Zealand from 10:00am to 8:00pm
February 7th - Cruising By White Island/Great Mercury Island
February 8th - Napier, New Zealand from 8:00am to 5:00pm
February 9th - Wellington, New Zealand from 8:00am to 6:00pm
February 10th - Christchurch (Lyttelton), New Zealand from 8:00am to 6:00pm
February 11th - Dunedin, New Zealand from 8:00am to 6:00pm
February 12th - Cruising the Fjords of Milford Sound
February 13th - Cruising the Tasman Sea
February 14th - Cruising the Tasman Sea
February 15th - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia from 8:00am to 6:00pm
February 16th - Cruising the Tasman Sea
February 17th - Geelong, Australia from 8:00am
February 18th - Geelong, Australia to 3:00am
                       Melbourne, Australia from 8:00am to 6:00pm
February 19th - Cruising the Tasman Sea
February 20th – Arrive Sydney, Australia at 8:00am
February 21st - Sydney, Australia

Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula, Aramoana and entrance to Otago Harbour, near Dunedin
Seeing this much of Australia and New Zealand in this amount of time is definitely a challenge by land.  Your travel time involved is excessive, requiring you to have additional days to experience each of these destinations above.  Not to mention, the beauty of White Island/Great Mercury Island, the Fjords of Milford Sound, and the Tasman Sea would all likely be missed.  With this fabulous Oceania Cruises sailing, you can pack once and return to the same accommodations each night.  There’s no change of mattresses to adjust to, learning a new hotel every night or two nights, or discovering a new place to eat in each destination.  You enjoy the plush accommodations of Regatta and delight in the magnificent cuisine, including Toscana, Polo Grill, Terrace Café, Waves and the extraordinary Grand Dining Room, of Oceania Cruises.  Not to mention, you can efficiently use your two weeks of vacation for the year!Beyond Group Travel Splendors of Down Under Map Oceania Cruises Regatta
For these reasons, we echo Anne’s comments when cruising is a necessity, and experiencing Australia and New Zealand during the same trip is the perfect time for a cruise.  This mode of travel allows you to see bodies of water that are a photographer’s dream, view country sides thought to be creations in movies, and visit landmarks that will fulfill your bucket list.  Even better, you still have additional time at the end of your cruise to see Sydney.  No other hotel arrangements are needed as you can return to Regatta to stay for your last night and continue to explore Sydney further the following day.

Without a doubt, we know you will enjoy this cruise with us!  After all, not only is it an incredible destination, but this cruise sails on the marvelous Oceania Cruises with the finest cuisine at sea and exquisite service.  Come see the splendors of Australia and New Zealand.

Take the hassle out of group travel; call us to plan your next group trip or join ours!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Autumn Maritimes II on Seabourn Sojourn

FoliageWe are thrilled and excited that our September 30, 2011 group sailing of Canada and New England with Oceania Cruises sold out so quickly!  As we still have clients requesting this itinerary, we thought it best to find a similar trip to satisfy the itch of our interested travelers.

We are excited to add this new group cruise program to our travel schedule for 2011!  We found another perfect Canada/New England sailing with one of our preferred cruise partners: Seabourn.  Turns out, it departs the same day as our Oceania Cruise and out of our favorite destination city; New York! 

With Seabourn’s current newest ship, Sojourn, currently at sea, Seabourn has received some great recognition, including this February 2nd Houston Chronicle article by Harry Shattuck.  He discusses Seabourn’s famous luxurious service and exquisite cuisine created by acclaimed chef Charlie Palmer, making this ship the benchmark in luxury small-ship cruising.

We look forward to having you join us on this Seabourn sailing to New England and Canada, Fall 2011.AerialSojourn283As guests set sail on Seabourn’s current newest ship, Sojourn, they will enjoy the following fabulous itinerary.


September 30th – Embark from New York, New York at 5pm

October 1st – Cruise the Atlantic Ocean

October 2nd – Boston, Massachusetts 8am to 6pm

October 3rd – Bar Harbor, Maine 12pm to 6pm

October 4th – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 2pm to

October 5th – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 1pm

October 6th – Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada 8am to 5pm

October 7th – Cruising the Gulf of St. Lawrence

October 8th – Cruising the Saguenay Fjord

Port Saguenay, Quebec, Canada  1pm to 6pm

October 9th – Disembark Quebec City, Quebec, Canada at 8am


These fall foliage filled destinations are a hot topic this year, so don’t miss your chance to see the beauty of New England and Canada with their historical sites and famous lighthouses along the coast; call us for further details and pricing information.  Don’t delay as this sailing will sell out!

Oh, and if the above itinerary wasn’t intriguing enough, have a look at your surroundings while on board the ship…Atrium

Lobby Entrance Restaurant

Pool Deck at Sunrise

Restaurant 2

The Restaurant

‹ºèo

Veranda Suite - Cat. V

Come join us on this fabulous ship that is like no other as well as enjoy over-the-top service!  Contact us or call 713-954-4825.

Take the hassle out of group travel; call us to plan your next group trip or join ours!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Last Minute Christmas Gift Baltic Treasures

1-Baltic TreasuresGive the gift of travel this holiday season!  Still have someone you haven’t purchased a gift for?  Not to worry!  We can get you taken care of before Christmas and put your special someone on a cruise through the Baltic Sea.  This fabulous sailing makes ports of call at:
Fabulous itinerary, right?!  ***Well, as if that wasn’t enough, we are thrilled to have Giuliano Hazan onboard with us for this cruise!  Hazan, the only son of Marcella Hazan, began working as an assistant at his mother’s renowned School of Classic Italian Cooking at 17.  Now, Giuliano is an author, teacher, entrepreneur, and one of the foremost authorities on Italian cooking.(http://www.giulianohazan.com/about_chef_giuliano_hazan/)  home_thirty_minute_pasta***Those who board this cruise with us will have the opportunity to take an onboard culinary class from THE Giuliano Hazan himself in the ALL NEW Culinary Center aboard Marina (taking her inaugural cruise February 2011).Bon Appetit Culinary Center
***This private course with Giuliano is exclusive to travelers with Beyond Group Travel.
I’m sure we’ve provided enough reasons to board this cruise, but there’s more!  You’ll sail this fabulous cruise onboard Oceania’s newest ship, Marina.  This brand new ship is ultra luxurious, built with fabulous cuisine in mind, and more spacious than her sister ships.GrandStairs_Marina
Above: Marina’s Grand Staircase accented with Lalique Crystal.
Red Ginger_Marina
Above: Marina’s NEW restaurant, Red Ginger.OwnersSuite_Bedroom_Marina
Above: A view of the Owner’s Suite bedroom.
There are several staterooms available to join us for this cruise, so contact us today to ask your questions and make your reservation.
We have other sailings with space still available, as well.  Join us for one of the following:
Take the hassle out of group travel; call us to plan your next group trip or join ours!

***As of 1/11/11, Giuliano and Lael Hazan will no longer be joining us on this cruise.