Enter to Win our 2010 Take me to the Beach Contest.
Here’s what you will win:
$100 Resort Coupon – Good for $100 Off your next trip booked with Sun, Sand and Seas Vacations.**
$100 Gift Card from Zappos.com. We want you to look your best on the beach, so how about a brand new Bikini. **
Custom Take Me To The Beach! Tote Bag**
How Do I Enter?
Our readers want to hear from you!
Submit a short story or review of your favorite tropical vacation experience and be entered to win the 2010 Take Me To The Beach Contest, brought to you by Sun, Sand and Seas Vacations.
It’s that simple! Nothing to buy… No phony gimmicks, just tell us about one of your favorite beach adventures in 300-500 words.
Our readers are looking for ideas and need help in deciding where the best beach vacation spots are. Tell us about your Caribbean vacation experience, cruise, honeymoon or favorite tropical destination.
Here are a few suggestions….
Your entry needs to be original, entertaining and most importantly about you.
Topics might include: Your favorite beach resort, honeymoon location, an entertaining or memorable experience.
Be sure to explain what made it so memorable… The beach, the service, a place you visited, etc.
Include a few pictures if you feel they will help your entry win!
Include recommendations, best restaurant, favorite staff member, whatever our readers might find helpful.
Most importantly, just have fun!
Notable entries will be posted on our website: www.SunSandandSeas.com
NOTE: All Entries must include Full Name, Mailing Address, Daytime Phone and Valid Email.
Much controversy is brewing these days over a decision by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to continue scheduled service to it’s private port in Haiti.
This is just one of those questions that everyone will have to make their own decision on. There are valid points on each side of the argument, but I wanted to point out a few things that I feel are very important to remember.
“Royal Caribbean is performing a sickening act to me by taking tourists to Haiti,” wrote one poster on CNN’s Connect the World blog.
“Having a beach party while people are dead, dying and suffering minutes away hardly makes me want to cruise that particular line,” wrote another.
Haiti is a very impoverished country, mostly due to their own government’s lack of responsibility. As I mentioned in previous posts the literacy rate in Haiti is just over 50%, and their excessive poverty is said to be the worst in the western hemisphere. Other Caribbean nations have turned to banking, tourism and other exports to vastly improve the quality of living, while the government of Haiti chooses to keep their people in poverty indefinitely.
Of course there are those who would say that capitalism is wrong, and that tourism has a negative impact on the general population. The fact of the matter is however, that if you compare the living conditions in Haiti to those of it’s neighboring country the Dominican Republic a clear line can be drawn. I don’t know about you, but I have not heard any stories lately of refugees from the Dominican Republic flocking to the US or Haiti.
What Haiti desperately needs right now, even more than our financial support, is for it’s government to wake up and start making a positive impact on the lives of it’s people. Eventually Haiti will recover from this disaster, but once the Red Cross and United nations pull out their support teams, Haiti will be doomed to repeat the same fate over and over again unless positive change takes place.
Those people that somehow believe that Royal Caribbean should pull out of Haiti are completely ignorant of the situation. As I write this desperately needed supplies are being delivered to Haiti via Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships. In addition the company has pledged to offer at least $1 million in humanitarian relief to Haiti in response to the unprecedented disaster caused by last weeks earth quake.
Here is an excerpt from a press release made by Royal Caribbean International, January 15th, 2010.
Leslie Voltaire, Special Envoy of the government of Haiti to the United Nations said, “Given the terrible economic and social challenges we now face in Haiti, we welcome the continuation of the positive economic benefits that the cruise ship calls to Labadee contribute to our country.”
The benefits start with Royal Caribbean International’s Independence of the Seas’ call today to Labadee, Haiti, which includes much needed supplies for the country.
The supplies were loaded on the ship during its call in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and include items such as rice, dried beans, powdered milk, water and canned goods. In addition, 100 percent of the company’s net revenue from the destination will be contributed to the relief effort.
In the next two weeks, the following ships are scheduled to call on Labadee with additional supplies: Navigator of the Seas on Monday, January 18; Liberty of the Seas on Tuesday, January 19; and Celebrity Solstice on Friday, January 22. When the supplies arrive in Labadee, they will be transported to an offsite location to be distributed by Food for the Poor, a long time partner of Royal Caribbean in Haiti.
Personally if I had booked a cruise, with scheduled stops in Haiti, I would be very happy knowing that in some way I was contributing to the ongoing relief efforts. Again I guess this is a personal decision, but everyone I have spoken to is trying to do everything possible to help. Canceling your cruise will only hurt the situation. Better yet visit the island, talk to the people there, get to know them, and most importantly spread the word that Haiti needs our help! Not just during this crisis, but for years to come.
For more information on how Royal Caribbean is helping the earthquake victims in Haiti, visit their website.
Posted Under: Opinion
This post was written by admin on January 22, 2010 Comments (0)
It’s happened to all of us once or twice. An unfamiliar song comes on the radio with a catchy beat that we notice right away. You can always tell a good song when you find yourself toe tapping along the first time you hear it!
The lyrics are infectious, and stick in your head as you sing it over and over again. After a while you find yourself listening for it in anticipation. Wondering and waiting for “That Song” to be played again.
I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me while traveling. I’ll be sitting on a bus or in a bar and an amazing song comes over the radio. Funny thing is there is never anyone around to ask what the title or artist is. If I am lucky enough to figure it out, then I usually have to try and commit it to memory since I never seem to have someplace to write it down. As scatterbrained as I am this is often a lost cause. Soon the words are forgotten, then the tune itself becomes just a distant memory.
Many people visit the Caribbean and fall in love with the rhythmic beats of music like Reggae and Soca. Only to return home and forget exactly what it was they liked so much. Some will go in search of their new favorite music only to be confused and discouraged by the number of choices and unfamiliarity with the artists.
Caribbean music can be broken up into hundreds of different genres, just like the music we are more familiar with at home. Understanding some of these basic genres is the first step to finding more of the music you like.
Take Reggae for example. Today the word Reggae is a general term that can mean any number of different music styles including: Roots Reggae, Ska, Dancehall, Rocksteady and more.
Here is a little comparison between two of the most well known Jamaican artists Bob Marley and Shaggy. Both could be considered Reggae in the general sense of the word, but as you can see the differences are as staggering as comparing Southern Rock to Heavy Metal.
Here is Shaggy performing the hit song “Angel”
For a little more traditional sound, take a listen to this classic from Bob Marley. “One Love”
For a deeper look into the different styles of Island Music, visit our Caribbean Music page.
Posted Under: Music
This post was written by admin on January 21, 2010 Comments (0)
If you have never been on a winter beach vacation, you truly do not know what you are missing. It’s nothing short of a miracle being able to go from freezing temperatures to beach weather in less than 4 hours!
On a cold bleak January evening, what can keep me going? Perhaps, knowing that in 10 days we will be leaving our snow filled Maine home to visit the sunny shores of Jamaica. Like children at Christmas, we count down the days in anticipation. Checking Accuweather every day to scope out the weather forecast in Jamaica, which by the way is sort of funny, because we already know what the forecast will be…. “Sunny all week and in the high 80’s”. This certainly beats the cold temperatures we’ve seen here lately. Just last week we got down to minus 6, yes you heard me minus 6, our coldest weather yet this year.
The thought of a week on a Jamaican Beach, where all we have to complain about, is the terracotta tiles being too hot, certainly warms the spirit! Yes, we look back on our beach vacations, and laugh about the things we complained about while we were there. Tiles being too hot, the pool being too cold, the sun not being out as much as we would have liked. All of these things and more just to name a few. Quite funny considering, we will have to go back to winter soon. I think that is part of the unwinding that takes place when you vacation. Getting away from the daily routine so that you can truly relax. After a couple days, you forget about all that and settle into the comfortable rhythm of the islands. It is a great reprieve from the frigid temperatures, and gives our bodies some much needed rest and relaxation.
On this trip we will be staying at Beaches Sandy Bay, on the famous 7 mile Negril beach. We are bringing along our two children, my mother in-law, a Friend and her daughter. Mark’s Aunt will be meeting us down there as well. In total there are 8 of us going and should be quite the trip to look forward to. We are already talking about what we would like to do while we are there: Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Rick’s Cafe, Margaritaville, and simply relaxing by the calm waters of the Caribbean Sea. The bags are almost packed with our summer clothing, flip flops, and sunscreen.
Beaches Sandy Bay is a modest resort, but it offers some of the best value in all of Negril. We’ve visited the resort before so we know what to expect. Great service, beautiful beach, a warm atmosphere, and best of all access to the larger Beaches Negril resort just down the street. As usual we booked a separate room for the kids. Can’t wait!
If you have never been on a winter beach vacation let me tell you this….
It is a Must! Everyone deserves a week away from the cold. Time to relax, unwind, and spend some much needed family time together!
What is the best things about a winter beach vacation?
No worries, Mon!
~Karie
For more pics of our trips to Beaches Sandy Bay visit out FaceBook Fan Page
This is the famous Sandals Dirty Banana drink recipe. So good yet so filling! Don’t ask me what the calories are in this drink. Trust me you don’t want to know.
1 oz Tia Maria or Kahlua
1 oz rum cream or Baileys Irish Creme
2 oz milk
1/2 oz clear simple syrup (a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 sugar that is simmered until sugar is dissolved)
1 small banana
1 cup ice
You can find rum creme just about anywhere in Jamaica. It is great if you enjoy creme drinks. I actually like it better than Baileys now. Just be careful if you buy it that you don’t end up picking up the wrong bottle. We ended up with a bottle of Banana flavored by accident,(bottle looks almost identical) and there are pretty much no recipes that call for it.
On Tuesday January 12, 2010 a major earthquake struck the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Thousands are feared dead and injured, as devastation was seen throughout this poor Island Nation.
The Caribbean Nation of Haiti is considered to be the poorest country in the western hemisphere. A look at some quick estimates reveals the severity of the problems facing Haiti. 60% Unempolyment, 80% of the population live below poverty lines and around 50% of the population is illiterate. Add into this mix a natural disaster of epic proportions and it is easy to see that Haiti needs our help.
It would appear as though The Dominican Republic has been unaffected by the quake in Haiti. They were also the first country to provide aid to Haiti in the earthquake’s aftermath. The 7.0 quake was strong enough to be felt 200 miles away in on the neighboring island of Cuba.
The American Red Cross is sending money, supplies and staff to Haiti to support relief efforts there after yesterday’s earthquake, which caused catastrophic damage and loss of life.
According to reports, as many as three million people may have been affected by the quake, which collapsed government buildings and caused major damage to hospitals in the area.
The Red Cross is contributing an initial $1 million from the International Response Fund to support the relief operation, and has opened its warehouse in Panama to provide tarps, mosquito nets and cooking sets for approximately 5,000 families.
In addition to Red Cross staff already in Haiti, six disaster management specialists are being deployed to the disaster zone to help coordinate relief efforts. At this time, the American Red Cross is only deploying volunteers specially trained to manage international emergency operations.
A modern marvel in contemporary design, Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun brings sophistication and distinction to the Riviera Maya. This all-suite resort presents Unlimited-Luxury® in an innovative way featuring suspended beds, chic modern fabrics, alluring décor and captivating lighting. Gourmet à la carte restaurants, eight posh bars and the lavish Secrets Spa by Pevonia are just some of the indulgent amenities set amidst the silvery surroundings.
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Read our full Review of Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun Click Here
Contact Us to Book, Get Pricing, or Check Availability.
This 7 Day Eastern Caribbean Cruise cruise is a wonderful way to experience a few of the nicest Caribbean Islands
Save up to $80/person With These Group Rates
Experience exciting Caribbean ports on board the Ruby Princess. A beautiful Princess Cruise ship featuring popular features like: Movies Under The Stars, Anytime Dining, Casino, The Sanctuary (an adults only retreat), The Lotus Spa, an inviting piazza-style atrium and much more!
Cruising is such a Blast! If you have never been on a cruise, this would be an exciting trip to get started.
See The Eastern Caribbean on the Ruby Princess
The Itinerary:
Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – Depart 5:00PM
Day 2: Princess Cays, Bahamas – Arrive 9:00AM Depart 4:00PM
Day 3: At Sea
Day 4: St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles – Arrive 10:00AM Depart 6:00PM
Day 5: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands – Arrive 7:00AM Depart 4:00PM
Day 6: Grand Turk – Arrive 1:00PM Depart 7:00PM
Day 7: At Sea
Day 8: Arrive Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 7:00AM
Princess Cays
First stop on this cruise is the beautiful Princess Cays. This private island is owned by Princess Cruises, and features all the beauty that the Bahamas are known for. Lie on the beach, taste some authentic Caribbean food, or enjoy a host of Watersports activities like snorkeling.
The cruise departs Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday December 5, 2010 in the evening, returning to Ft. Lauderdale on December 12th in the morning.
$50 Onboard Credit and More!
It is going to be a lot of fun, and the rates are fantastic. We have reserved several cabin options at group pricing, starting as low as $569/person (+taxes, fees and air) and includes amenities like a $50/cabin on board credit.
Cruising with people you know is a lot of fun. Feel free to invite whomever you’d like. You are free to spend as much or as little time together as you wish, after all, it is your vacation! So, go ahead and send invites to anyone you want, just keep in mind that space is limited to 8 cabins at theses prices and won’t last long.
This is a hosted cruise, meaning we’ll be traveling along with you! Ready to answer any questions, or offer helpful advice throughout the entire trip. Experience our top notch service before, during and after your vacation. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Sun, Sand and Seas Vacations are Princess Cruises Certified Experts.
Low deposits, nice freebies, excellent rates… And a sure bet that you are going to have a vacation that you will not soon forget!
Don’t forget if you are a Princess Captains Circle Member, or have sailed with Princess Cruises before, you are eligible for even more discounts. Be sure to mention it when you call.
Please contact Mark Bevan at Sun, Sand and Seas Vacations, (207)642-9090 with questions or to book. Send Email questions to travel@sunsandandseas.com.
Located just minutes from Punta Cana International airport and situated on a long stretch of natural pure white sand beach, Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana is the first Secrets Resort & Spa to enter Cap Cana, The World’s New Great Destination. Offering Secrets signature Unlimited-Luxury® concept, Secrets Sanctuary offers guests an array of dining options, premium international and domestic brand beverages, 24-hour room and concierge services, pool and beach wait service, activities and live evening entertainment. Its unique Spanish-Colonial design and breathtaking ocean views combined with the ground’s elaborate fountains and flourishing gardens creates an ideal setting unlike any other.
