Author: Melinda

Carnival Cruise Lines to Resume Port Calls in Mexico

Carnival Cruise Lines will resume visits to Mexican ports of call based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which is no longer recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico. Once all voyages with previously modified itineraries are completed, those vessels will revert to their original routes featuring stops in Mexico.

Most itineraries were modified through mid-June with the exception of the Holiday which was modified through late May.

Please rest assured that the health and well being of our guests and crew is our highest priority and we are returning to Mexico after careful evaluation and consultation with the CDC. It is important to note that the concentration of H1N1 flu cases in Mexico has been inland rather than in the coastal resort areas where our ships visit.

The cruise industry works closely with U.S. public health officials in the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program in developing and complying with extensive policies and procedures that are effective in mitigating illness aboard cruise ships. Carnival will continue to follow CDC guidelines for cruise ships which include pre-boarding health questionnaires for all guests and crew, along with secondary screening by shipboard medical professionals as necessary. Additionally, all Carnival ships stock influenza test kits and anti-viral medications for treating type A influenzas.

Mexico is one of our most popular destinations and we look forward to once again providing your clients the opportunity to enjoy its many wonderful sites and attractions. We are very pleased to be returning to Mexico and would also very much like to thank you for your understanding and patience during the past few weeks.

Article courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines

MLT Vacations Confirms: NWA WorldVacations to Become Delta Vacations

As the Delta-Northwest merger progresses, the two package vacation brands combine to support the world’s largest airline.

MLT VacationsSM confirmed today that the NWA WorldVacations® brand will integrate with the Delta Vacations brand on July 6 when the company assumes management of Delta Vacations.

“This is the logical time to transition our NWA WorldVacations business to the Delta Vacations brand,” said Ken Pomerantz, President and Chief Marketing Officer for MLT Vacations. “The merger of the two airlines is progressing quickly, and we are confident that the integration of NWA WorldVacations with Delta Vacations will be seamless for our customers and partners, ” he added.

MLT Vacations launched the NWA WorldVacations brand 20 years ago to support the sales and marketing efforts of Northwest Airlines. The NWA WorldVacations brand has since become one of the largest package vacation brands in the industry. In 2008, MLT Vacations became a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines as part of the merger with Northwest. In January of this year, Delta announced that MLT Vacations would take over the management of Delta Vacations.

“When we integrate the two vacation package brands, our customers will still find the same great travel products with the same great service they have come to expect from MLT Vacations over the past 20 years,” said Pomerantz. “What will be different is the fact that with the Delta Vacations name and support from Delta Air Lines, we will offer even more flights and vacation options to the world’s best-loved vacation destinations.”

Pomerantz says the Delta Air Lines route network allows MLT Vacations to market and sell the new Delta Vacations to travel agents on a national scale, with appealing flight options from hundreds of cities to destinations all around the globe. The company is in the process of adding many more hotels and tours and excursions to better support the anticipated growth of the business.

Travel agents will book Delta Vacations (beginning July 6) the same way they book NWA WorldVacations today – the phone number will remain the same, as will access through the company’s travel agent only website. Travel agents will continue selling NWA WorldVacations until the July 6 transition date. All NWA WorldVacations bookings made prior to July 6 will receive the full support and service from MLT Vacations.

Princess Announces 2010 Alaska Cruise and Cruisetour Program

Season Features Widest Array of Cruise Itineraries, More Options to Visit Glacier Bay National Park, Simplified Cruisetour Choices, and Convenient New “Seattle Air Advantage” Package

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Princess Cruises’ 2010 Alaska program will offer the most diverse array of opportunities to experience the “Great Land,” with a simplified lineup of cruisetour options, more sailings that include the “must see” destination – Glacier Bay National Park – and a new “Seattle Air Advantage” package that turns every cruisetour into a convenient roundtrip journey.

The lineup will continue to offer passengers the company’s hallmark Alaska experience, whether at sea on board amenity-filled ships or on land with Princess’ signature wilderness lodges and exclusive Direct to the Wilderness program, where guests step right from their ship onto luxury railcars that transport them directly to magnificent Denali National Park.

Next summer the Princess fleet will offer a total of 112 Alaska sailings aboard seven ships offering four itinerary options during the May to September season. The lineup includes Diamond Princess, Coral Princess, and Island Princess traveling on the line’s popular “Voyage of the Glaciers” route through the scenic Gulf of Alaska; Golden Princess, Sapphire Princess and Sea Princess sailing the Inside Passage from Seattle and San Francisco, and Royal Princess offering the line’s small ship experience on an extended 14-day Connoisseur voyage to some of the state’s less-visited ports.

Princess cruisetours will offer passengers the opportunity to enjoy an immersive Alaska experience, combining a seven-day “Voyage of the Glaciers” cruise with three to eight additional nights on land exploring Alaska’s interior. All Princess cruisetours include the company’s exclusive wilderness lodges, rail travel, plus the two top attractions in the state – Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park, where visitors spend at least two nights exploring the wonders of this area.

“Alaska is indeed ‘The Great Land’ with a myriad of ways to experience the state, so we wanted to simplify the choices, and make it easy for our passengers to find the perfect itinerary including the breathtaking scenery and wildlife they came to see,” said Charlie Ball, president of Princess Tours and senior vice president of Princess Cruises. “And we’re also making it easier than ever to travel to Alaska by introducing a new Seattle roundtrip package for cruisetours, eliminating the need for one-way airfare in or out of the state.”

Cruises – Princess offers four ways to experience the awe-inspiring glaciers, historic towns and scenic waters of Alaska, with sailings from seven to 14 days.

  • Voyage of the Glaciers – The line’s famed Gulf of Alaska route between Vancouver and Whittier features calls at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway with daylight cruising in Glacier Bay and the 16 glaciers of College Fjord (or Hubbard Glacier on southbound sailings). Three ships, Diamond Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess, will sail on 54 sailings throughout the season.
  • Inside Passage from Seattle – Golden Princess and Sapphire Princess offer convenient seven-day roundtrip itineraries from Seattle with calls at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, B.C. In addition, passengers will enjoy dramatic glacier viewing in Tracy Arm or Glacier Bay National Park. The two ships will sail on 37 departures.
  • Inside Passage from San Francisco – Sea Princess returns to the City by the Bay to offer 13 voyages from San Francisco on 10-day roundtrip cruises to Victoria, Juneau, Ketchikan, and either Skagway, Haines or Icy Strait Point, plus Glacier Bay National Park or Tracy Arm.
  • Connoisseur Voyage – The intimate Royal Princess takes over this extended Alaska route featuring a small ship cruising experience on a 14-day voyage from Seattle, featuring the less visited ports of Kodiak, Icy Strait Point and Seward, plus Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, B.C., with daylight cruising of Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. Royal Princess will sail on eight Connoisseur voyages.

Cruisetours – Princess introduces a new simplified cruisetour lineup, making it easy for passengers tochoose the perfect land/sea Alaska experience with itineraries ranging from three to eight nights. All tour options feature at least two nights in the Denali National Park area, stays at Princess’ own riverside wilderness lodges, and a seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers sailing including Glacier Bay National Park.

  • Direct to the Wilderness – Princess’ exclusive direct rail service between the Whittier cruise terminal and the dramatic Denali wilderness features seven itinerary options offering multiple nights at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and/or Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge.
  • Explorer – These itineraries enable travelers to explore both Denali and other scenic areas, including the Kenai Peninsula at Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park with stays at Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge. Passengers can even choose to venture to the state’s far north into the Arctic Circle and Prudhoe Bay.
  • Deluxe Escorted – Three cruisetour options offer the services of a professional tour director and additional time for passengers to experience the Great Land. Most meals are also included in these extended vacations.

New Seattle Air Advantage– With this new package, any Princess cruisetour can become a convenient roundtrip vacation from Seattle. This package includesmotorcoach transportation between Seattle and Vancouver, airfare between Alaska and Seattle, and an overnight stay in a Seattle-area hotel. All passengers will need to do is make arrangements to get themselves to and from Seattle.
Gulf of Alaska cruises and cruisetours for 2010 are available for reservations on May 7, 2009. Launch Fares begin at $749 for seven-day voyages, and $1,649 for cruisetours.

U.S. Set to Implement Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

Article courtesy of travelpulse

The U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and State (DOS) have announced that their efforts have enabled the departments to jointly certify to Congress that all statutory criteria have been met prior to implementing the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) at land and sea borders on June 1.

WHTI is a joint DHS-DOS plan to implement a core 9/11 Commission recommendation, which Congress subsequently passed into law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Upon implementation of WHTI, travelers will be required to present a single WHTI-compliant document denoting both citizenship and identity when seeking entry into the United States through a land or sea border. Children under the age of 16 will need to present an original or copy of their birth certificate or other proof of citizenship. Standardized, secure and reliable documentation will enable U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to quickly and accurately identify travelers at land and sea ports of entry. The WHTI secure document requirement is already in place for all air travelers, and applies to travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the U.S., Canada and Bermuda. These land and sea document requirements will be effective June 1, 2009.

Many cross-border travelers already have WHTI-compliant documents such as a Passport, Passport Card or a Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST), or an enhanced driver’s license (EDL) currently issued by the states of Washington, New York and Vermont and the Province of British Columbia. The State of Michigan and additional Canadian provinces will be issuing EDLs in the coming months—all of which are options specifically designed for land and sea border use. For more information, visit the Department of Homeland Security.

West Michigan Now Has Alaska Travel Specialists

Eight Travel Consultants at Witte Travel & Tours recently earned the Destination Specialists (DS) Designation for Alaska from The Travel Institute located in Wellesley, MA. The program covered the geography, history, attractions, accommodations, cuisine, transportation, and unique cultural attractions of Alaska. The comprehensive, thorough curriculum and subsequent testing assures that everyone who completed the course is well equipped with the knowledge necessary to create memorable vacations for travelers to Alaska.

Witte Travel chose to add Alaska to its list of specialties because the state is so vast and travelers get overwhelmed trying to decide when and where to go. It’s also a destination that continues to grow in popularity, especially for people from the Midwest.

“Our Alaska specialists are trained to help travelers customize their vacation to exactly the places they want to see and the things they want to do. We provide price comparisons, early booking incentives, and availability,” says Karen Laux, Manager of Witte’s Vacation Department. “And while cruises are very popular, cruisetours as well as land-only vacations continue to increase in popularity.”

Although most people go to Alaska once, a number of travelers return again and again. Witte Travel is also seeing a rise in couples choosing Alaska as a honeymoon destination.

In 2009, cruise lines are celebrating Alaska’s statehood anniversary with a full season of cruise itineraries showcasing the best of Alaska. Cruise West for example, is celebrating the states 50th anniversary with special offers including giving guests who are celebrating their 50th birthday or 50th wedding anniversary a $50 shipboard credit.

Witte Travel & Tours is a retail vacation travel agency and an international tour operator. The company, locally owned and operated by Henry I. (Henk) Witte, was established in Ada, Michigan in 1975. Witte’s staff includes over 35 travel professionals with a combined experience of over 300 years. Witte Travel is a member in good standing of many business and professional organizations and associations; among them the Michigan and Grand Rapids Chambers of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau of West Michigan, the National Tour Association, the American Society of Travel Agents, the International Airlines Travel Agent Network, the International Federation for Choral Music and the Cruise Lines International Association. In addition, many of Witte Travel’s staff members have earned Certified Travel Consultant and Destination Specialist designations from the Institute of Certified Travel Agents.

Witte Travel is proud to announce its April 2006 Southern Europe Destination Specialist (DS) graduates!

The DS course was offered by The Travel Institute, which has been offering certified educational programs for travel professionals for over 40 years. The Southern Europe program covered the geography, history, attractions, accommodations, cuisine, transportation, and unique cultural attractions of many touring areas in Southern Europe.

The comprehensive thorough curriculum and subsequent testing assures that the graduates are well equipped with the knowledge necessary to create memorable vacations for travelers.

Our Graduates:

  • Brenda Kennedy
  • Bruce Klein-Wassink
  • Doug Weaver
  • Jane Larson
  • Kathryn Cullin
  • Kristin Sullivan
  • Kristina Choura
  • Mary Herkner
  • Nate Barendse
  • Shelley Kohtz

Let us help you plan your next trip to Europe! We specialize in Western, Eastern and Southern Europe, the British Isles, and Scandinavia!

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner

Witte Travel & Tours is an “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner”, one of a select group of travel agencies nationwide certified in planning vacations at Walt Disney World® and Disneyland® Resorts as well as Disney Cruise Line® packages. Authorized Disney Vacation PlannerWe have up-to-the minute information about the resorts, theme park tickets, dining suggestions, activities and more. The next time you plan to visit a Disney park, speak to one of our Disney College of Knowledge* graduates.

*Witte travel consultants who have attained a special knowledge of the Disneyland® Resort, Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Institute and Disney Cruise Line through formal course work and testing. Not an affiliate or employee of ©Disney.

Disney artwork, logos and properties: © Disney

Certified Travel Agents

Witte Travel encourages and financially supports travel-related education for its employees through formal course work, on-site seminars, destination specialist education, and organized familiarization trips to destinations throughout the world.

We are also committed to continuing education on customer service and technology. Most of our travel consultants have graduated from certified travel schools and many are Certified Travel Agents. Some have also completed advanced certification in the Certified Travel Consultant programs. As a member of the Cruise Lines International Association, many consultants are Accredited Cruise Counselors as well.

Where in the World we’ve been…

Fall 2004

  • Eastern Caribbean – Princess Cruises
  • Cabo San Lucas
  • Negril, Jamaica
  • Aruba
  • Cancun
  • Italy
  • France
  • the Netherlands
  • Greece
  • Jamaica
  • Riviera Maya

Let our Knowledge and Experience work for you!

Andree and Kohtz earn “Accredited Cruise Counselor” Title

Kristin Andree and Shelley Kohtz, Witte Travel & Tours, recently completed the requirements for Cruise Lines International Association’s Cruise Counselor Certification Program. Andree and Kohtz are now recognized by the cruise industry as “Accredited Cruise Counselors.”

In achieving Cruise Counsellor Certification, Andree and Kohtz have made a significant effort to learn all aspects of the cruise vacation experience through extensive classroom training and personal cruise product involvement. CLIA is proud to recognize graduates of its Certification program as experts in cruise vacation sales and recommend them to prospective clients.

Witte Travel & Tours is one of more than 22,000 travel agencies across North America that are affiliated with Cruise Lines International Association. According to the association, consumers book nearly 95% of all cruises through their travel agency.

Witte Travel & Tours is a full service retail travel agency and tour operator specializing in custom-designed group tours, leisure, and business travel to destinations throughout the world. The company was established by Henry I. (Henk) Witte in 1975 in Ada, Michigan. Witte Travel & Tours is privately owned and operated, with its headquarters in Grand Rapids and an office in the Netherlands.

Contact Witte Travel’s Vacation Department today to start planning your next cruise!