The Hideaway REVEALED!

Oh my.  What a VOYAGE!!!  We enjoyed an incredible time onboard Oceania Cruises Riviera for Caribbean Hideaways from January 23rd-February 2nd with The Dining Diva.   This voyage was created with a culinary focus in mind, complete with a culinary course in the culinary center onboard!  Our group of 30 travelers were a delight to escort on this journey, and we are already looking towards our next journey with The Dining Diva (stay tuned)!

We discovered the hideaways in the Eastern and Southeastern Caribbean from Bathsheba in Barbados, the rum distillery in St. Lucia, to the quaint French township of St. Barts.

Of course, our sailing was fulfilled with the ports alone, but, as our loyal travelers know, we aren’t just about the voyage as planned.  We thrive on enhancing the journey!!  The Dining Diva worked with us from May 2012 to develop this culinary trip, and the cuisine of Oceania Cruises paired with our added cuisine-focused shore excursions and cooking class in Oceania’s onboard culinary center.

A highlight for many included our rum distillery tour and rum tasting the beautiful St. Lucia!

By the way, did you know St. Lucia had these awe-inspiring pitons?  We knew they existed, but we didn’t realize the beauty these add to the coast of St. Lucia.  We actually know of a couple luxurious resorts facing these pitons!

As an added bonus to the exciting ports, delectable cuisine, and excellent service-oriented vessel, our group took advantage of the extra days at sea.  In fact, this was a large draw for this selected itinerary because of the number of days at sea allowing our travelers to experience all that Riviera has to offer. 

While our 10-day voyage was joyous in every way, it seemed to go by so quickly!  The sun has set on this unique experience, and we are already planning our next. 

Take the hassle out of group travel; call us to plan your next group trip or join ours! 713-954-4825

Istanbul to Rome on Oceania Cruises

August 16-28, 2013

It’s safe to say that, in this day and age of cruising, you can sail away your vacation just about anywhere in the world, including by river.  That said, we’re not just any travel agency offering any and every departure!  As our seasoned travelers know, we look for the unique…one-of-a-kind…has-a-lot-to-offer type of voyages; especially when we hear from clients that have specific ports in mind for their sailing or perhaps are looking for something culturally diverse.

This is precisely why we have chosen to share with you this week the Treasures and Monuments sailing on Oceania Cruises newest Riviera.  There are a multitude of reasons why this is a sailing to both consider and remember:

• The best way to see Greece

  In the past, we shared logic on viewing Australia and New Zealand by cruising is the best way to experience the region because of the ground to cover, the distance traveling by land, and, most importantly, the best views of this area are from the water.  The same details apply to the beauty of Greece.  Because of Greece’s many islands and amount of travel required to see much of the country, cruising suits your travel needs best to unpack once and also allows you see its INCREDIBLE COASTLINES from the water.  With the perfectly arranged stops in Rhodes, Santorini, Crete, and Cephalonia, take this sailing to view and capture the best of Greece.

• Visit Italy for five days

  On top of the splendor of Greece at the beginning of your sailing, experience the west coast of Italia including the breath-taking coast of Amalfi.  Your ports of call through Italy include Taorminia (Sicily), Amalfi/Positano, Olbia/Porto Cervo (Sardinia), Florence/Pisa/Tuscany (Livorno), and your disembarkation port of Civitavecchia. 

• Sardinia, Italy and Crete, Greece

  These two unique ports are lesser traveled and accessible by smaller vessels at sea such as Oceania Cruises.  This means there will be fewer cruise travelers present in these ports!  In Sardinia, you’ll have the opportunity to experience the Nuraghic culture through their cuisine, enigmatic remnants, and handmade goods inspired by them.

• Finest cuisine at sea

  In our many posts about Oceania Cruises, we have shared intermittently about their exquisite cuisine.  This stunning cruise line has a culinary team led by the well-known Chef Jacques Pépin which further affirms the quality of gastronomy served in their Grand Dining Room and four specialty restaurants.  After several groups sailing with us on Oceania Cruises, our travelers have each concurred that their dining experiences onboard were top-notch with haute cuisine, for sure!  We continue to encourage our clients to consider Oceania for their preferred sailing because of the continuous rave reviews.

• Unmatched accommodations and service

  Further to the delectable cuisine onboard, Oceania provides you with gorgeous and spacious staterooms, and 96% of those on Riviera have a verandah!  With certain suites decorated by Ralph Lauren and Dakota Jackson, the cruise line spared no expense to make sure that you travel in comfort and elegance for your voyage.  Pair these accommodations with divine service, and you have another reason why Beyond Group Travel wants you to experience Oceania Cruises!

As we do with each of our sailings, we are able to help you with extending your voyage prior to embarkation or at disembarkation.  This means, we can assist with your stay in Istanbul or complete your voyage with a history-rich stay in Rome.  Your ideal 3-night stay in the Eternal City could really conclude your once-in-a-lifetime journey!

Take this opportunity to sail this extremely well-planned itinerary on a voyage that has numerous experiences to offer in location, diversity, beauty, cuisine and accommodations.  Special 2 for 1 CRUISE FARES with INCLUDED AIRFARE available for reservations made on/before
March 31, 2013.  Contact us today for more information and to reserve!  Click here to view the brochure.

Take the hassle out of group travel; call us to plan your next group trip or join ours! 713-954-4825 or 1-877-648-1973.