50% Off at the Holiday Inn Resort Aruba

The Deal: Book a vacation at the Holiday Inn Resort Aruba by March 29 and travel through March 31 to take advantage of 50 percent off nightly rates, with rooms starting at just $163 double occupancy.

Why We Love It: There are no blackout dates within the promotional window, so whether you're planning a romantic escape for Valentine's Day or just a long weekend for President's Day, you can cash in on huge winter savings. Plus, as always kids 17 and under stay free when sharing your room.

How to Book It: Surf over to caribbeanhi.com/aruba or call 800-HOLIDAY and book your trip before March 29, 2010. Be sure to use promotion code 150.

50% Off at the Holiday Inn Resort Aruba

Better Travel Options from Beantown

JetBlue is already a major player in the Caribbean travel game, but the airline just announced a new plan to increase flights between its Logan International (BOS) hub and the Caribbean by 25 percent – a move that will make it the single largest carrier out of Boston.

Beginning May 3, 2010, travelers can take advantage of new weekly routes to Aruba; Cancun, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Montego Bay, Jamaica – and the airline will also continue its regular daily service to Bermuda and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The decision comes right on the heels of US Airways' announcement to discontinue six of its eight current Caribbean routes next year, so the increased JetBlue schedule will help to pick up the slack in Caribbean flights – great news for the destinations in question and the island-hoppers wishing to visit them.

Check in with the JetBlue site for more information on the new routes and to book your trip.

Better Travel Options from Beantown

Two Days Left for Huge Savings at Starwood

Our e-newsletter subscribers are privy to a ton of free information each week, like destination features, contest announcements and exclusive deals just for our readers – and today's email blast about Starwood's latest offer is not to be missed. Through tomorrow, December 2, vacationers can book spring vacations and cash in on low rates like $159 per night at the Sheraton Old San Juan; $199 per night at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort; and $275 per night at the Westin Aruba.

The savings are valid on stays between January 1 and April 30, 2010 – but you have to book by December 2 at midnight to take advantage. Surf over to the special Starwood promotion page to check out all the places you can save, then sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter to enjoy more great deals like this one!

Two Days Left for Huge Savings at Starwood

Today Only: Save up to 65% at Holiday Inn Caribbean Resorts

The Deal: With the Holiday Inn Caribbean's limited-time Cyber Monday deal, you can save 55 percent on rooms at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Montego Bay or 65 percent on rooms at the Holiday Inn Aruba for qualifying 2010 vacations. In Jamaica, you'll also get a free room upgrade to the superior category and a free bottle of wine at check-in.

Why We Love It: With nightly all-inclusive rates starting at $98 per person (kids 12 and under stay and eat free) it's an affordable way to take family vacay in 2010 at two of the Caribbean's most popular destinations. You can travel between January 4 and March 25 at the Sunspree Resort Montego Bay, and between January 4 and December 23 at the Aruba property.

How to Book It: For Aruba, call 011-297-586-3600 or surf over to caribbeanhi.com/aruba and use promotion code 165 (a minimum stay of three nights is required). For Montego Bay, call 888-288-6006 or go to caribbeanhi.com/jamaica and use promotion code 155 (no minimum stay). To take advantage of either deal, you have to book today.

Today Only: Save up to 65% at Holiday Inn Caribbean Resorts

Surf Into Luxury in Aruba

Last week I blogged about the Aruba Marriott's beach tennis package, but for those of us who can't serve to save our lives (I can't be the only one) the resort just announced another promotion for action junkies. Just book the Surf Into Luxury package through December 23, 2010 and you'll get free windsurfing or kiteboarding lessons – plus you'll enjoy 30 percent off at the top floor, hotel-within-a-hotel Tradewinds Club during your stay. Rates start at $328 per night double occupancy and include some meals...just surf over to arubamarriott.com to book.

Surf Into Luxury in Aruba

Beach Tennis in Aruba

I've always been pretty athletically challenged, but that hasn't stopped me from trying every conceivable resort activity known to man whenever I travel. In the name of research, I've spent many a Caribbean trip playing bocce ball, beach volleyball, sand horseshoes – you name it. I'm fairly sure I look equally ridiculous playing all of them, but there seems to be no shortage of new beach games to try, and so I carry on. If you're like me and you feel the need to test your (lack of) coordination against all varieties of beach games, then you'll definitely want to head to the Aruba Marriott Resort next month for the 8th Annual International Beach Tennis Event, held from November 13 to 15 and hosting over 350 participants from more than 10 different countries. What exactly is beach tennis, you ask? I'm told it's a combination of beach volleyball and tennis, played on a sand court with special tennis "paddles" and depressurized tennis balls...and let's be honest, that has a lot of potential to look really silly, so I'm sold.

The Deal: If you're in town for the event, you can take advantage of the resort's Aruba Beach Tennis Tournament Package starting at $339 per night and get your fourth night free, plus daily breakfast for two adults and two kids under 12, a free one-hour beach tennis lesson by an actual beach tennis pro (there is such a thing), and complimentary use of the resort's beach tennis court and paddles during your stay. Want more? Just register for the event – why not? – and you'll enjoy an opening night party with live music, a free BBQ lunch and a commemorative T-shirt so you can brag about your amazing athleticism to all your naysaying friends back home. Just check out the Aruba Marriott for more info and to book your trip.

Beach Tennis in Aruba

More Caribbean Countries Eye the U.S. Dollar as Legal Tender

Pop Quiz: How many Netherlands Antilles guilder can you get for one U.S. dollar? Currency conversion: the traveler's bane since Alexander the Great traipsed across the known world. Well, if you're headed to a growing number of Caribbean destinations, you may soon be able to leave your calculator at home. Aruba, Curaçao, and St. Martin are the latest countries to consider abandoning their own currencies in favor of the U.S. dollar. Writing for World Coin News, Richard Giedroyc examines the growing "dollarization" of the Caribbean (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba have already decided to adopt the dollar, beginning Jan. 1, 2011). His conclusion: The outlook may be increasingly grim for coin collectors, but it's getting brighter for American travelers. At the moment, there are 15 or so currencies changing hands in the Caribbean, everything from the East Caribbean and Jamaican dollars to the Honduran lempira and the Haitian gourde (although countless hotels, restaurant and shops in the region will happily take your greenbacks in lieu of local money). It may not be too long before George Washington is the last man standing in the Caribbean.

Answer: $1 = 1.79 Netherlands Antilles guilder

More Caribbean Countries Eye the U.S. Dollar as Legal Tender

AirTran Goes Caribbean

Even airlines dream of spending time in the Caribbean, and this week low-cost carrier AirTran announced that it's making a move toward adding new island service to its long list of destinations. The carrier just submitted applications with the U.S. Department of Transportation and, if approved, will begin service from three major U.S. hubs - Orlando, Atlanta and Baltimore/Washington - to Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Aruba later this year. The addition of new routes between these major destinations can only mean good things for the affordability of Caribbean air travel, so stay tuned for the fare sales that are sure to follow...we'll keep you updated here on the blog.

AirTran Goes Caribbean

Early Bird Savings in Aruba

The Holiday Inn Resort Aruba just announced a new Early Bird special that gives you a chance to save 45 percent off rack rates in 2010. Just plan your trip between January 4 and December 23 of next year - using promo code 145 when you book - and you'll enjoy rates starting at $126 per night. Even better, all-inclusive plans start at just $319 per night double occupancy. The 600-room resort also offers a KidSpree Vacation Club packed with games and activities, and a GoldenSpree program that includes special amenities and discounts for seniors, so it's a cool vacation destination for the whole family. The Early Bird sale is available until further notice, but like all great sales, it's sure to end soon...so if you're ready to book now, surf over to the Holiday Inn site to pick your vacation dates, then check out our Aruba page to start planning your trip...

Early Bird Savings in Aruba

JetBlue "Bikini Sale" for the Caribbean

More big news from our favorite low-fare carrier JetBlue, which just announced a "Bikini Sale" this month. From what I can tell, they aren't selling those itsy bitsy teenie weenie bathing suits we love to hate, but the idea of the promotion is to keep you lounging on those gorgeous Caribbean beaches for a lot longer this year. Just book your trip by August 26 and you can take advantage of fares starting at just $29 each way when traveling from September 8 to November 18...

Between Fort Lauderdale and Nassau - $29
Between Orlando and Nassau - $49
Between Orlando and Cancun - $59

The promotion also includes U. S. hubs in New York and Boston, and Caribbean stops include Aruba, St. Maarten, Barbados and more. Actual bikinis are optional.

JetBlue "Bikini Sale" for the Caribbean

Last Minute Family Fun

It's back-to-school time again, but families with a little bit of vacation time to spare can still take their pick of adventures around the Caribbean this summer. In Grand Cayman, the Black Pearl Skate & Surf boasts the largest outdoor, concrete skateboarding park in the world at nearly 60,000 square feet. Drop in for the day for around $20 or snag a week-long pass for around $62...you can even rent boards, helmets and pads by the day.

Over in Aruba, check out the newest and biggest water park in the Caribbean basin - Morgan's Island - serving up over 28,000 square feet of rides, slides and pools. If you're feeling brave, test your nerve against the nearly 70-foot vertical drop, one of the tallest free-fall water slides in the world. Entrance is $47 for adults and $37 for kids 12 and under. And Aruba is still offering its One Cool Family Vacation promotion through September 30, so kids stay and eat free at a ton of participating resorts and restaurants around the island.

Keep checking our blog for more family-friendly activities and deals to cap off the summer.

Last Minute Family Fun

All You Can Jet - Unlimited Caribbean Travel

In other JetBlue news, the airline just announced an unbelievable promotion for Fall...through August 21, travelers can purchase an All-You-Can-Jet Pass for $599 and enjoy unlimited travel between September 8 and October 8. You can use the pass as often as you like during that time, and it's valid anywhere JetBlue flies - a total of 57 hubs including Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia and St. Maarten.





When traveling internationally the $599 price tag is exclusive of taxes and government fees, which vary by destination, but many Caribbean round-trip flights run close to that promotional price anyway, so the pass could offer huge savings to frequent Caribbean travelers and island hoppers.

Just log on to the JetBlue web site for more information and to purchase your pass.

All You Can Jet - Unlimited Caribbean Travel

Name that Beach

Know how TV shows like Friends periodically run those episodes where everyone sits around on the couch and reminisces about days gone by? Like when Ross had that unfortunate incident with spray tanner? That way they can say it's a new show while they show you clips from old ones! Here I present my own gallery of "best-ofs," my own stroll down memory lane. We're going to play "guess that beach." I'll tell you the five countries pictured to the left; it's up to you to guess correctly which is which. Extra credit if you can guess exactly which beach it is that I was sinking my toes into five minutes after I snapped these shots. So, without further ado, let the guessing begin.

St. Kitts

St. Martin

Turks and Caicos

Barbados

Aruba

Name that Beach

Marriott Deal of the Day

This just in: Marriott is offering 50-percent off room rates at the newly renovated Aruba Marriott Resort through August 31, with rooms starting at just $135 per night. But there's a catch. You have to book your trip by 7 AM Eastern tomorrow - June 12 - to take advantage of the savings.

Check out the Marriott Deal of the Day web site for more information, then book online or by calling 800-721-6996. Be sure to use promotion code DOD when you book.

Marriott Deal of the Day

Sweetening the Deal with Spas

Among the more pleasant side-effects of the struggling economy are the seemingly endless perks that many hotels and resorts have started lavishing on guests. Besides slashing room rates at properties across the Caribbean, many hoteliers are also heaping on the extras, like free rounds of golf, upgraded amenities, resort credits and - my favorite - complimentary spa treatments.

At the newly renovated Peter Island Resort & Spa in the BVI, guests can enjoy a ton of upgrades and spa goodies with the New Us, New You vacation package through October 31. The promotion includes a five night stay for the price of four, a 75-minute couple's massage and private yoga instruction for two, in addition to an American meal plan (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and amenities like windsurfing, snorkeling and biking - all starting at $2,780 double occupancy for the whole trip.

On the more affordable end of the spectrum, the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino's new five-night minimum Escape! Spa package offers accommodations in the adult-exclusive Marina Hotel property with daily breakfast for two, along with a sampling of five separate spa treatments for two: a facial, scalp treatment, body exfoliation, Swedish massage and pedicure. It all starts at $398 per night double occupancy through December 21. Rates at the resort usually start in the mid- to high-$300s per night in low season, so the spa treatments are a pretty sweet perk for just a little more.

Check out all the details of these vacation packages on the Peter Island site and Renaissance Aruba site, and keep your eyes open for more great deals like these all summer.

Sweetening the Deal with Spas

One Cool Family Vacation

I just got back from Aruba, and I can tell you from personal experience, you'll earn some serious brownie points with the kids if you take advantage their "One Cool Family Vacation" offer, which kicks off the summer on June 1, and take the family there this summer. Resorts are offering a bunch of incentives for kids - they'll sleep and eat breakfast for free at participating resorts and you'll get a family gift on check-in and complimentary kid's activities, too.

Once you leave the resort, you'll get $10 off per couple on a Baby Beach Tour or Snorkel North Coast Tour, and kids under 12 will get a free gift when you participate in a half-day Jeep Tour or purchase a day pass to De Palm Island, home of some awesome water slides (trust me, I tried them all). Perks go on and on - surf over to aruba.com for details. Don't let down the kiddies!

One Cool Family Vacation

Picture This

If a picture really is worth a thousand words, then we've started a pretty solid novel on our new Facebook page, with albums just posted from our recent trips to Antigua, Aruba, Belize and Montserrat. But there's definitely more to come, so for all of the photo fans out there, keep checking the page!

Our Photo Gallery

Picture This

Adventures in Aruba

Sometimes, in this line of work, people get hurt. Bad. It’s all part and parcel of the grueling on-the-ground gonzo reporting we’ve got to do to keep our readers abreast of everything new under the Caribbean sun. Here’s how it went down.

I recently submitted to an 80-minute massage and body scrub at a spa in Aruba. Everything was progressing just as it should: Strange new-agey music playing softly? Check. A slight smell of — what is that, sandalwood incense? Check. A solicitous masseuse with hands capable of melting a knotted back to butter? Check. And then it happened. “Scoot up,” she said innocently, indicating that I was to place myself face down in the head-donut at the top of the table. I gave myself a little push, underestimated the distance between the bottom of my chin and the edge of the hard, wooden massage table, and landed squarely short of my target, hitting my jaw on the table with a tooth-shaking thwack. Unwilling to give up on the story, I said nothing to the masseuse, suffering in silence for the next 40 minutes. Not until the next morning, when I awoke with a blueberry bruise the size of a quarter did I realize what I’d actually suffered.

I believe this is the first massage injury on our staff; that’s how far I’m willing to go.

Adventures in Aruba