Take Your Friends & Family with You to Anguilla!

This fall, CuisinArt Resort is offering a deep discount on a second room for your fall vacation! So bring your friends and family and visit one of my favorite islands. Anguilla is a perfect paradise and tops the list of islands that always make us cry when the day comes to pack up and head home. 

This promo is valid in luxury rooms and junior suites for travel until November 22, 2011, so hurry and book! While American Airlines is the only large airline that flies into Anguilla, all other major airlines, including Delta Airlines service St. Martin and from there, it is a easy ferry ride to reach Anguilla. Read more about how to get to Anguilla.

American Airlines New Celebrity Chef Designed Menus

On Oct. 1, American will begin offering signature menu items designed by Chef Sandoval onboard flights between the U.S. andEurope, Asia and Latin America in American's premium class cabins. Also beginning Oct. 1, American will debut the New American Table menu featuring original creations by Chef Samuelsson. His offerings will be available for purchase on domestic flights more than two hours in length as part of the Main Cabin dining program.

"American revolutionized the airline industry when it first introduced original menu items from some of the world's top chefs more than 20 years ago. Today, American continues to leverage the expertise of some of the most prominent and well-respected chefs to help define the direction of our inflight dining experience," said Rob Friedman, American's Vice President – Marketing. "Chef Sandoval and Chef Samuelsson – two highly-talented members of the culinary community – will further enhance the onboard travel experience for our customers by providing a broader range of options to satisfy our customers' diverse tastes."

Specializing in modern Latin cuisine, Chef Sandoval has developed fresh and innovative entrees exclusively for American Airlines using authentic Latin ingredients and international flavors. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Sandoval gained the attention of New Yorkers with the opening of Maya, his first modern Mexican restaurant. Sandoval has been recognized as Father of Modern Mexican Cuisine for his blend of traditional Mexican ingredients and contemporary cooking techniques that define Maya's cuisine. Since the opening of Maya, Chef Sandoval has applied his mantra of "old ways, new hands" to diverse Latin concepts, ranging from Coastal Mexican Cuisine at Pampano to Latin-Asian at Zengo. He was named "Restaurateur of the Year" in 2006 by Bon Appetit and today acts as Chef and Owner of Richard Sandoval Restaurants, a leading international restaurant group with more than 20 locations around the world.

Check out more coverage here and here.

Fly Free to Sandals & Beaches Resorts this Fall!

Stay 6 nights or longer at any BEACHES RESORT and your companion flies FREE! Beaches Resorts include: Beaches Turks & Caicos, Beaches Negril, Beaches Sandy Bay, and Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica. 

Stay 6 nights or longer at Sandals Grande Riviera in Ocho Rios Jamaica and your companion flies FREE!

Reservations must be made by October 20, 2011 for travel now until December 16, 2011. Ready to book? Give us a call - 866-236-1924 or drop us a line - info@caribbeanjourney.com

Valid on new bookings only. As with all promos, other restrictions apply.

Cayman Islands Hurricane Guarantee

The Cayman Islands would like to present you with details of their Worry Free Hurricane Guarantee.  This unique Hurricane Guarantee covers any cancellations made prior to arrival and compensation if vacation time is cut short because of inclement weather. As soon as a hurricane is anticipated, guests may cancel their vacation at many of Cayman’s hotels and condos, with at most only a one night penalty for cancellations made up to 48 hours prior to check-in. For more details and a list of participating partner please visit: www.caymanislands.ky/hurricaneguarantee.

The following Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale provides some rough guidance on what to expect for each category and phase:

·         Category 1             74-95 mph, storm surge of 4-5ft.

·         Category 2             96-110 mph, 6-8 ft.

·         Category 3             111-130 mph,  9-12 ft.

·         Category 4             131-155 mph,  13-18 ft.

·         Category 5             greater than 155 mph, 18+ft.

·         Alert Phase:            Hurricane winds of over 73 miles per hour are likely to hit the Cayman Islands within 48 hours.

·         Watch Phase:          Hurricane winds of over 73 miles per hour are likely to hit the Cayman Islands with 36 hours.

·         Warning Phase:       Hurricane winds of over 73 miles per hour are likely to hit within 24 hours.

·         All Clear:                Hurricane has left the area but caution should prevail.

Hurricane Season officially runs from June 1 to November 30. With this new Worry Free Hurricane Guarantee, you can feel confident booking your vacation to the Cayman Islands during Hurricane Season! 

Great Idea!

What to eat and what to do in ANGUILLA!

{One of the prettiest settings in the Caribbean @ the Straw Hat}

If I could fly anywhere in the Caribbean... just to eat.... it would be to Anguilla. That is the one island where I've never had a bad bite! Restaurants come and go - but right now, here are my favorites:

Jacala - great for lunch, upscale but mellow with a priceless view.

Smokeys - great for lunch, live music, cool mix of locals + tourists. (Remember my last visit to Smokeys?)

Blanchard's - I think this is the only one you will need reservations for as it is considered the "best" restaurant on the island by many.

Straw Hat - Reservations might be a good idea here too.

I also suggest going to the Viceroy for sunset cocktails at their amazing sunset bar - the architecture of this hotel is stunning. 

What to do in Anguilla? Enjoy these Anguilla Activities:

For a night out, visit Elvis' Bar in Sandy Ground - a great mix of locals + tourists... very low key, toes in the sand sort of evening, live music, and will give you a good glimpse at the local scene.

Take a day trip to Silly Cay. Or to Sandy Island.

Here are a few more ideas on the Anguilla Tourist Board website.

ZaZaa is my favorite boutique on the island. Shop on! 

Celebrate FALL with reduced rates & resort credit at El Dorado Resorts.

Last FALL, I was lucky enough to visit the El Dorado Resorts in the Riviera Maya section of Mexico. I was attracted to their Gourmet Inclusive Meal Plan and sustainable practices, in addition to their luxurious amenities. You can read about my visits to El Dorado Seaside & El Dorado Royale & Casitas.

ALL El Dorado Resorts, including El Dorado Maroma located on the BEST beach in Mexico, are on sale this fall. But hurry - you must book by October 13 to secure reduced rates & resort credit.


The Resort Credit includes:
Five $10.00 USD credits towards a bottle of wine
$100.00 USD credit towards a couple's sky massage. 
$50.00 USD credit towards a beachfront dinner.


Ready to start packing? Drop us a line and we'll combine the hotel special with discounted international flights to for a great deal on a luxury vacation package. Cancun is serviced by all major airlines, including United Airlines & American Airlines. 

Best Vacation Auto-Reply Ever

Since we work in the travel industry, we travel often. Any given week, at least one of our agents is out exploring the Caribbean or Mexico and has turned on their auto-reply... usually something generic. I really like the truth that is told in this guy's auto-reply... great idea! {via yahoo}

I am currently out of the office on vacation.

I know I’m supposed to say that I’ll have limited access to email and won’t be able to respond until I return — but that’s not true. My blackberry will be with me and I can respond if I need to. And I recognize that I’ll probably need to interrupt my vacation from time to time to deal with something urgent.

That said, I promised my wife that I am going to try to disconnect, get away and enjoy our vacation as much as possible. So, I’m going to experiment with something new. I’m going to leave the decision in your hands:

• If your email truly is urgent and you need a response while I’m on vacation, please resend it to interruptyourvacation@[redacted].com and I’ll try to respond to it promptly.
• If you think someone else at [the company] might be able to help you, feel free to email my assistant, and she’ll try to point you in the right direction.

· Otherwise, I’ll respond when I return…

Warm regards,

Josh