Full steam ahead for cruisers

Cruise outfit Celebrity cruises has announced the launching of four new ships despite the current uncertain economic conditions. The ships are set to come online sometime in the next three years when hopefully the economy might look a little healthier. Royal Caribbean say that their financing can withstand the market changes and their liquidity will not be affected, pointing out that the new acquisitions will make them more efficient and profitable as a company.

Wales has it all

My favourite destination within Wales is the Pembrokeshire area with it's beaches, wonderful landscapes and many tourist attractions.
There are all sorts of activities and attractions concentrated in the area around Tenby, Manorbier, Saundersfoot and Pembroke Dock. The Geographical setting offers beaches at Saundersfoot and Tenby as well as more secluded beaches further up the coast. Also this area offers the islands of Skomer and Ramsey for the birdwatchers and Caldey Island for the tourists, trips to any of these islands are available at normal vacation times.
The next category of activities available to the holiday-maker are the historical buildings of the area. Manorbier, Pembroke, Haverfordwest, Carew, Cilgerran, Llawhaden and Picton are some of the castles that you might like to visit. There are museums at Tenby, Milford Haven and Haverfordwest amongst many others.
These historical and geographical features are complemented by attractions such as Folly Farm, Pembertons Chocolate Farm and many of the outdoor activities that can be pursued in the area. Whether you are interested in Short Break Wales or a longer stay, rest assured Pembrokeshire has something to offer the whole family. Take it from someone who actually lives in Wales and has visited Pembroke on many occasions.

Weak pound affects European Travel

There has already been a drop in travel and flights as a result of economic downturn, the strong Euro is going to add to the cost of European travel for UK holiday makers. In contrast, the home travel industry could well reap the benefits as the Euro and the dollar are now going further in the UK.

Currency changes always have the capacity to cause panic in various quarters, but there are always sectors that benefit from the changes whether they be a weakening or strengthening of the currency in question.

There is every likelihood that the currencies will level out in time, but there has been speculation about taking the opportunity to adopt the Euro when parity with the £UK is reached. However you would have to question the sense of accepting parity with the pound which would make European goods more expensive than they have ever been on a permanent basis.

Getting away for Christmas

There is nothing like leaving all the trappings of home behind you and heading off to a hotel to be waited on hand and foot over Christmas – Let the hotel take the strain of getting everything trimmed up properly, getting the meals made on time and entertaining the family whilst you put your feet up and have that relaxing break that you so thoroughly deserve.
Not everyone wants to get away at Christmas, but even those who are family-oriented can assemble all their far-flung family members at one hotel and all be relaxed together instead of squashed into one house, getting under one another's feet and then dispersing off to various hotels at different points in the evening.
This type of service is becoming more and more popular and is available all over the country in places like East Sussex Hotels amongst others.
These hotels offer the chance to not only relax but to treat your loved ones to a well-catered Christmas with no cooking and washing-up duties to be argued over and no unwanted callers or phone-calls to disturb your family time. You can be as far away from the distractions of the mobile, the house phone and the computer as you really want to and not feel guilty about turning your back on the technology that calls us away from the family at Christmas.
Many hotels offer great deals over Christmas to keep their rooms full and it may be no where near as expensive as you might at first imagine. I am using a hotel close to my family on Christmas day so that we are able to have our own space whilst still being close to family and friends – we can even entertain there if we want to, but the biggest advantage is that we can get the little one to sleep at a reasonable time in peace and quiet.

Ryanair pull out of Fuerteventura

Ryanair are stopping their flights to Fuerteventura after January 2009. The reasons cited are centred around non-fullfilment of agreements with local businesses, but some in the trade believe that it could be due to plummeting sales since Ryanair stopped using agents to sell seats.
UK travellers will be limited to booking with Thomas cook or Thomson for flights to Fuerteventura after next month.
In other news, Thomas Cook are getting ready to complete a deal to buy 'Medhotels' from Lastminute.com. This deal is likely to allow lastminute.com to sell Thomas Cook products, a portfolio it has not previously had access to.

Thomas Cook extend deals with Premiership

Thomas Cook has exclusive travel deals with all Premier League Football Clubs apart from Manchester United who have a partnership with Co-operative Travel, and they have recently closed a new £7m deal with Chelsea. The deal includes travel for players, officials and supporters and grew out of a shirt sponsorship with Manchester City which began about six years ago. Manchester City, with their new owners and recent investment have developed into a 'must watch' side which helps bring more exposure to the Thomas Cook brand.
Thomas Cook see this deal affiliating themselves with the top football league in the world, as a move that breathes new life into a brand that has been around for a good number of years. They will be looking to extend their involvement with UK sporting events through cricket, rugby and other disciplines.