WHAT'S THE DEAL?
What's the Deal?
The week's best travel bargains around the globe, by land, sea and air.
Sunday, March 11, 2007; Page P03
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LAND
· Divi Resorts, with eight Caribbean properties in the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, Barbados, Bonaire and Aruba, has a Spring for Summer deal, with discounts of about 35 percent on stays of three nights or longer. For example, the price at the Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino in Bonaire in early May is $99 a night plus about 10 percent tax and $7.50 per night energy surcharge; rate usually starts at $153. Deal is good for stays April 16-Aug. 31; book by March 30. Info: 800-367-3484, http:/
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· Tuscan Way has last-minute discounts on several week-long cooking vacations in Italy. The March 19-25 and April 2-8 sessions at the 1,000-year-old Casa Innocenti on the slopes of Monte Amiata in southern Tuscany start at $2,466 per person double, a savings of $274 per person. The March 24-30 session at Villa Poggiarello in the village of Roccastrada, 34 miles south of Siena, is $2,331 per person double, a savings of $259. Deal includes lodging, meals, wine, transfers, excursions, five cooking classes and taxes. Airfare is extra. Info: 800-766-2390, http:/
· Fly into Vail/Eagle County Airport and get your first day of skiing free. Bring your same-day airline boarding pass and Vail Valley lodging confirmation to any ticket window at Vail or Beaver Creek, and get a lift ticket good for the rest of the day. Several airlines, including American, United, US Airways and Delta, operate flights from the D.C. region with morning arrivals at Vail/Eagle County. Single-day lift tickets are worth $85 at both resorts through April 15. (Vail is scheduled to stay open through April 22; lift tickets drop to $49 after April 15.) Check with airlines for schedules; some service is seasonal. Info: 800-842-8062, http:/
SEA
· Book a houseboat/powerboat combo by March 31 at Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which straddles the border of Arizona and Utah, and receive discounts of as much as 40 percent. For example, a 53-foot Adventurer houseboat that sleeps 12 with a 19-foot powerboat is $3,500 for four days; priced separately, the houseboat would cost $3,680 and the powerboat $1,533, for a total savings of $1,713. Fees are about $59, refundable security deposit is $600 and gas is extra. The deal is good on arrivals through Oct. 31; blackout dates of July 1-Aug. 18 apply for 59-foot Discovery houseboats. Info: 888-486-4665, http:/
· General Tours World Traveler has a discount of $1,200 per cabin for AARP members on the April 29 sailing of the MV Mozart from Passau, Germany. Price on the Danube River cruise, which visits several cities, including Vienna and Budapest, starts at $1,780 per person double for an outside cabin; port charges and fuel surcharge are an extra $142. Only one passenger per booking needs to be an AARP member. Info: 800-221-2216, http:/
· Kids sail free on MSC Cruises' seven-night Christmas and New Year's Caribbean sailings. Deal applies to two children age 17 or younger sharing a stateroom with two adults; rates for adults start at about $869 per person double for the Dec. 21 cruise aboard the MSC Lirica, and $1,069 for the Dec. 28 cruise. Both sailings depart from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Book by April 30. Info: 800-666-9333, http:/
AIR
· JetBlue has introductory fares on its new nonstop service between Washington Dulles and Orlando scheduled to begin May 1. The $69-each-way fare is $157 round trip including taxes. Book by March 14; complete travel by June 15. Blackout dates are May 24-29. Other airlines are matching. Info: 800-538-2583, http:/
· Sun Country Airlines has sale fares on nonstop service from Washington Dulles to Minneapolis. Round-trip fare is $ 210 including taxes. Fares apply to travel April 9-June 8; some holiday blackouts apply. Three-day advance purchase is required; last day to buy is June 5. Other airlines are matching. Info: 800-359-6786, http:/
PACKAGES
· Spend a week in Innsbruck, Austria, with a deal from Nordique Tours. For Thursday departures in April, the price is $1,278 per person double (including taxes and fuel surcharges). The package includes round-trip air from Washington and seven nights lodging at the Hotel Europa Tyrol, including breakfasts. Priced separately, air would cost about $893 and the hotel about $189 a night, for a total savings of about $554 per couple. Info: 800-995-7997, http:/
· The Puerto Rico Tourism Co., American Airlines Vacations and MasterCard have a joint Puerto Rico Now! promotion for travel April 15-July 31. Book a five-night-minimum stay by March 15 through American Airlines Vacations and pay with a MasterCard, and receive a $150-per-booking gift card that can be used at any establishment in Puerto Rico that accepts MasterCard. American Vacations also has discounts of as much as 35 percent on its package deals. For example, a five-night vacation departing in early June, including nonstop air from Washington Dulles or BWI and lodging at the San Juan Marriott Resort, is $838 per person double including taxes. Priced separately, the deal would cost about $975 per person. Info: 800-321-2121, http:/
-- Carol Sottili
Prices were verified and available on Thursday afternoon when the Travel section went to press. However, deals sell out quickly and are not guaranteed to be available. Restrictions such as day of travel, blackout dates and advance-purchase requirements sometimes apply.
