Norwegian EPIC

Norwegian EPIC:  A Floating Vegas!

 

Last December we decided to do a pre-Christmas cruise on the amazing Norwegian EPIC.

If you love the luxury, variety, freedom and lively atmosphere of a Vegas trip, you’ll love Norwegian EPIC!

This cruise was a welcome break before the holiday RUSH and a wonderful time of year to take advantage of some great promotions. 

We are huge fans of Norwegian Cruise Line and their revolutionary Freestyle cruising concept and for the past 12 years have enjoyed all types of accommodations fleet wide from balcony staterooms to penthouses and owner’s suites onboard.  There’s a perfect fit for the most cost conscious to the most discriminating passenger.  The Haven, a private, exclusive club floor onboard mirrors a floating luxury, boutique hotel offering butler & concierge service, private lounge, outstanding restaurant and a whole host of other amenities only available to guests who expect only the best!

Restaurants and shows onboard definitely get a thumbs -up.  Personal favorites are Cagney’s steakhouse,  Le Bistro (French),  O’Sheehan’s  Bar & Grill, Moderno Churrascaria, Cirque  Dreams and Legends In Concert.  Be sure to experience all if you’re planning a week long cruise.

Favorite areas on the ship:  Spice H2O (adults only Ibiza-inspired beach club at back of the ship), Mandara Spa,  Aqua Park consisting of 2 pools, 5 hot tubs, kid’s pool, three multi – story water slides, 200 ft EPIC Plunge (only tube slide at sea).

Nickelodeon entertains everyone onboard.  You never know when you’ll turn around and see Sponge Bob looking for a photo op!

If you’re looking for a Caribbean or Europe cruise, Norwegian EPIC is the ship of choice.

Voted “Best Overall Cruise Ship” by Travel Weekly 2 years in a row!!

 

 

 

Ca' Sagredo:  A Venetian Dream

 

Ca' Sagredo is a unique place to stay if you would like to experience the true Venice.
A 15th century palace turned luxury hotel still gives every guest the feeling of a private residence.
Located on The Grand Canal, about a 25 minute walk to Piazza San Marco, Ca' Sagredo is a wonderful gem.  If you love VIP treatment, you have made the right choice.  We have excellent contacts with management to insure the best for your stay.

Away from the crowds of Piazza San Marco, you will experience Venice as a local with amazing shops and fabulous neighborhood restaurants.  Stroll and have it all.  A gondola ride is at your front door along with a wonderful cafe.

Restaurant L'Alcova, in the hotel, has a beautiful terrace on The Grand Canal.  Dine with delicious mediterranean cuisine featuring a superb location.

 

We did a tour of The Venetian Islands with our own private boat and captain.  Ask me to arrange this special excursion for you.  We visted Murano, world famous for glass-making and Burano, a quaint island with beautiful canals and colorful buildings.  This is a great place to shop for gifts and learn about the tradition of lace making.

Perfect for pre and post cruise stays as you are mniutes away from the port.

For a true Venetian experience, choose Ca' Sagredo.

About Me

I have been experiencing and selling luxury travel for 30 years.

The Cove:  Atlantis Delivers Ultimate Luxury

Atlantis has always been a top resort for us to recommend with great success.
For years I’ve watched customers continue to return year after year and wondered even after walking thru the place what the lure could be. Our arrival was amazing!  The magnificent open-air lobby was a gorgeous combination of water and nature.  We exhaled and the magic of The Cove started to unfold.  After having a personal escort to our impressive deluxe ocean suite, we settled in and decided to explore.  There are 20 swimming areas catering to every desire.  From zero-entry and children’s pools to free form and formal pools.  The Cove is situated on two of the most outstanding beaches in the world – Cove and Paradise beaches.   If you’d rather relax by the pool, 2 unique experiences are located at The Cove and Paradise Beaches.  Adults can indulge in the vibe at Cain and all ages can have fun at Cascades.   Amenities at Cain are bar service, beach concierge and plush day beds.  Poolside and beach Cabanas are available for daily rent with a personal concierge.
We experienced other new additions to the $1 billion collection at Atlantis namely a 63 acre thrilling waterscape Aquaventure and beautiful Dolphin Cay.

If you enjoy great dining, you’ve come to the right place.  There are 20 culinary choices at the resort and Marina Village.  At The Cove we enjoyed Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill featuring Southwestern cuisine at it’s best.  Bahamian Club and Café Martinique were also favorites.  For a wonderful casual buffet experience, Mosaic at The Cove was excellent.  Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For casino lovers, the Caribbean’s largest is here.  And after you’re through you can stop in at Aura, the new, two-story upscale nightclub operated by Pure Management Group.

We love to cruise but agreed The Cove & Atlantis experience was another great option because it not only offered all activities and fantastic dining options but also delivered with luxury suite accommodations and concierge service.  The best of the best can be experienced on a land based vacation.

 

 

 

Pompano Beach Club:  A Bermudian Charmer

After getting through this long cold endless winter we were looking for an easy trip to exhale and catch some much needed sun.  Because we’ve traveled so much and have many favorites, we went around and around but always ended up with Bermuda as one of our all time favorite places.  The flight (under 2 hours!), outstanding beach, amazing sunsets and simple beauty all played a part in our return to the charming Pompano Beach Club.  The hotel is family owned and recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.  The Lamb family is currently in their 53rd year of “inn keeping” in Bermuda.  Pompano was the first “fishing club” on the island but soon after evolved in to a small resort.  All the guest room buildings are still named after local game fish to keep them in touch with their fishing club heritage.  The dramatic setting makes this lovely, personalized place an unforgettable experience.  Pompano is still the only resort in Bermuda that has a large, shallow sandbar – enabling guests to wade out for several hundred yards in knee to shoulder deep water at low tide.  Families are welcome and will find a kiddies pool, game room, shallow water ocean swimming, water sports center and 3 outdoor hot tubs children of all ages are allowed to use.  There aren’t any required dinner times for families with children.  Golfers will love having Robert Trent Jones designed Port Royal Golf Course right next door. 

The new Ocean Grill restaurant has a wonderful ambiance, drop dead ocean front setting along with impeccable, friendly service.  We were very pleased with the variety and excellent selections on this menu.  Desserts will satisfy any chocolate connoisseur.
It’s never been a better time to visit Bermuda.  Airfares are low and great vacation packages are available with good added value.


Pompano has been Trip Advisor’s #1 ranked Bermuda resort for the past five consecutive years.  This recognition is well deserved and has been earned thru the consistent, passionate attention given day in and out to the resort and each and every guest.

 

 

Concierge Travel & Cruise Consultants, Inc.   A Proud Member of Virtuoso!

Concierge Travel & Cruise Consultants, Inc. is a member in the "by invitation only" Virtuoso luxury travel network, comprised of top leisure travel agencies in North and South America, the Caribbean and Australia.    Less than one percent of travel agencies in America are admitted for membership in Virtuoso. This renowned network of luxury travel specialists leverages its combined annual sales of more than $3 billion to negotiated special upgrades, amenities, values and truly rare travel experiences exclusively for the clients of its member agencies. For the clients of Concierge Travel, this translates to complimentary room upgrades, airport transfers, special dining experiences, exclusive shore excursions and custom itineraries, offered by the world’s best providers of upscale travel.   We are very proud to have been invited to join Virtuoso and now to be able to offer these additional perks to our clients. Beyond the monetary values, Concierge Travel’s membership in Virtuoso gives its agents reinforced direct relationships with the finest hotels, resorts, spas, cruise lines and tour operators in the world, as well as and expanded resource of insider destination knowledge. Virtuoso also provides the services of Virtuoso On-Site ground operators in more than 60 countries, all dedicated to insuring the happiness and comfort of Virtuoso agencies’ clients.   For more information about Concierge Travel and our new Virtuoso travel offerings, call us on 201-891-0070 or Toll free 1 877 2 SPOIL U.

Round Hill:  An Oasis of Luxury Villas on Jamaica

 

 

When I think of Round Hill, I can still remember waking to the sounds of lovely birds and feel the wonderful connection to nature and serenity.  We started each day with a delicious breakfast prepared personally for us accompanied by Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.  Should we stroll on the beach, sink in to a good book or learn yoga today?  Perhaps a trip to the outstanding spa would be the order of the day…What a great place to chill and re-connect with what’s important!

The resort was founded by John Pringle, a charming Jamaican with lots of great contacts.
He was brilliant and understood that getting the right mix was paramount.
Our exquisite villa, formerly owned by Oscar Hammerstein, had the most outstanding appointments not to mention the drop dead view of the lush grounds and hypnotic Caribbean Sea.  . We heard tales the theatre impresario was so inspired he wrote most of the score for  The Sound of Music while vacationing here.  One of the most interesting things about Round Hill are the people who have spent time here.  Paul McCartney,  Ewan McGregor, The Duchess of York, Emma Thompson & Sigourney Weaver to name a few…

Ralph Lauren has recently applied his amazing design talents and come up some crisp, alluring accommodations. 

Round Hill’s new chef, Martin Maginley, is consistently exceeding all expectations.
In addition to introducing new menus and a new restaurant at Round Hill, he has been collecting prestigious awards including being named Chef of the Year in the Caribbean and being asked to prepare a five-course menu at the James Beard House last September.

If you like adventure and unique activities, Chukka Adventure Tours, is offering the exclusive Polo Collection of Adventures to their guests, i.e. soar through the treetops on a Canopy Tour at twilight, take a high tea horseback tour, or indulge in private Polo lessons.  We can work with a pre-arrival concierge to confirm any of these exclusive activities and arrange private transportation to each venue.








The villas at Round Hill are perfect for family vacations or a private getaway as a couple.
The luxury is incomparable and the warm, friendly staff is there to take care of you and anticipate your every need.  They became our friends for the week.