AmaWaterways Wine Cruises, Air Canada Flies The Flag and Disney Deals

AmaWaterways-acclaimed luxury river cruise line and leader in specialty Wine Cruises-will offer 67 Wine Cruises during the 2020 cruise season, including two new itineraries showcasing the famed vineyards and historic sights of France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Hosted by notable North American wine experts, certified sommeliers, and vineyard owners, the specialty wine-themed sailings offer guests onboard lectures and tastings to complement the extensive array of included shore excursions.

"This has been a record-breaking year for AmaWaterways, and our specialty Wine Cruise program continues to evolve and flourish," said Kristin Karst, AmaWaterways' executive vice president and co-founder. "As demand for these sailings grows, our focus is to partner with engaging hosts and craft new wine-themed experiences that encourage our guests to discover the most beautiful wine-growing regions in the world."

AmaWaterways' Specialty Wine Cruises immerse guests in the vibrant terroir of some of the world's most prestigious wine capitals. In 2020, it will debut Treasures of the Main & Rhine, taking guests on a seven-night sailing between Nuremberg, Germany, and Amsterdam-showcasing the best of the Main and Rhine rivers. Itinerary highlights include a visit to Würzburg, set in the middle of Germany's largest wine-producing region; sampling Hornla pastry, a regional favorite whose recipe dates back to 1427; touring a local bakery to learn the art of pretzel making; and wine-tasting with a local Rüdesheim vintner. Another new itinerary is Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle, which provides wine enthusiasts with a seven-night journey between Luxembourg and Amsterdam, melding culinary and vinicultural adventure. Guests will enjoy soaring gondola rides over Rüdesheim's vineyards, delectable samples of Reibekuchen-German potato pancakes-and Kölsch beer found exclusively in Cologne, and a Bernkastel winery visit and tasting.

Guests looking for an enhanced wine experience through these two new itineraries can join wine hosts Susanne Sapier, owner of Vineyard Grant James, on the August 6 Treasures of the Main & Rhine sailing; Dan McDonnal and Alix Bosch, co-owners of De Tierra Vineyards, on the April 2 Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle sailing; and Cindy and Nicholas Palumbo, co-owners of Palumbo Family Vineyards, on the October 14 Vineyards of Rhine & Moselle sailing.

Featuring seminars, wine-paired dinners, tasting events, private cellar tours, and visits to iconic vineyards, each specialty Wine Cruise is hosted by hand-selected North American wine aficionados who share their expertise and insights with guests-offering unique experiences that blend Europe's old-world palate with North America's new-world taste.

Air Canada has released the latest installment in its "Fly the Flag" campaign, and this year it celebrates Canadians who are making their mark in California. The campaign highlights three talented professionals who are inspiring fellow Canadians to achieve their dreams.

These Canadian mark makers include:

Brendan Beesley (Burlington, ON), a talented 3D animator at PIXAR Studios living in San Francisco. He has worked on The Incredibles 2, Coco, Finding Dory and many more.

Christina de la Cruz (Toronto, ON), an inspiring performer who is making her home in LA when she's not travelling to perform with the likes of fellow Torontonian Drake or Cardi B.

Patrice Breton (Longueuil, QC), an established winemaker based in St. Helena in the Napa Valley. He is the founder and owner of Vice Versa Wines.

Again this year, the content was captured by Canadian photographer & Creative Director Alen Palander, who first collaborated with Air Canada in 2018 to showcase Canadians making their mark in Paris, France.

In early 2021, Disney Cruise Line will return to New Orleans for a limited-time engagement with sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean, including visits to Disney's private island paradise, Castaway Cay. A lineup of popular itineraries will continue across the Disney fleet with cruises to tropical destinations from Texas, California and Florida.

Bookings open to the public on Oct. 3, 2019. More details on the itineraries spanning from January through May 2021 can be found on the Ports and Itineraries for 2021 page of disneycruise.com

Canadian interest in Australia travel continues to grow.

TravelPulse Canada sat down with Chris Maggio from Tourism Australia this week to chat about what's great Down Under. Maggio said figures from July of 2019 show that Canadian visits to Oz are up 10.6% year-over-year, with 191,000 Canadians travelling to Australia in the last 12 months.

"We're very excited about the growth in the Canadian market," he said. "There are 140 flights a week from North America to Australia, and 17 of those are from Canada."

Maggio noted that Air Canada now flies from Vancouver to Sydney, Melbourne and also Brisbane, giving Canadians a variety of destinations from which to begin their Australia adventure.

Qantas is expected to add a direct Chicago to Sydney flight, which is an option for folks in Eastern Canada.

"The numbers are great right now, and air prices are very competitive, There's also a hotel boom going on."

Travellers are increasingly looking for authentic experiences, and Maggio said aboriginal-themed tours and activities are big sellers, including one in Tasmania called the Wukalina Walk and an aboriginal tour of Sydney's magnificent Botanical Gardens.

Other great options include new Segway wine tours through the Barossa Valley (best to watch your consumption on that one) and a new beachfront glamping spot in Queensland called Hideaway Cabarita Beach.

WestJet says passengers can now place an offer for an opportunity to upgrade to their Business or Premium cabin on available flights. With an accepted offer, PAX could find yourself at the front of the aircraft discovering new levels of comfort, enjoying enhanced menu offerings and experiencing our distinctly Canadian, uniquely WestJet service from the WJ cabin crew.

Any time after booking a flight and up to five days (120 hours) before departure, PAX can submit an offer to upgrade.

After submitting offer, customers can modify or cancel their offer if it has not been accepted up to five days before the flight. Their credit card will not be charged at the time an offer is submitted but only upon acceptance of the offer.

After PAX submit their offers, WestJet will confirm whether the offer was accepted or not, no later than five days (120 hours) prior to departure. If accepted, a customer's credit card will be charged the offer amount and the customer will be able to select their seat in your upgraded cabin at time of check-in, 24 hours prior to departure. If the PAX offer is not accepted, their credit card will be not charged, and they'll keep the seat they had.

Customers who get upgrades will receive such services as priority check-in and boarding, extra seat comfort with extra leg and elbow room, a bottle of water upon boarding, contemporary Canadian and globally inspired menu and elevated snack and beverage options including a selection of wine, beer and spirits.

With a magical holiday season just around the corner and even more excitement planned for both resorts in 2020, this is a great time to visit Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. To make a visit even more magical, Canadian residents are now invited to take advantage of special ticket discounts.

Starting from now and continuing into February 2020, Canadian residents can save 20% on theme park tickets when they purchase a 3-day or longer Disneyland Resort theme park ticket or a 4-day or longer Walt Disney World Resort theme park ticket. This value option is a great way to experience new magic across both destinations. Here are some additional details on these special offers:

Disneyland Resort theme park tickets must be purchased today through Feb. 16, 2020, and prior to travel to the Disneyland Resort. Offer is not available at the Disneyland Resort Main Entrance ticket booths.

Walt Disney World Resort theme park tickets must be purchased today through Feb. 7, 2020, and guests must select a start date on or before Dec. 31, 2020. Offer is not available at the Walt Disney World Resort theme park ticket windows.

Offer is valid on 1-Park tickets and Park Hopper tickets at the Disneyland Resort. The offer is also valid on Base theme park tickets and Park Hopper option at the Walt Disney World Resort, as well as the Park Hopper Plus option at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Proof of Canadian residency is required.

For more information about these special ticket offers, visit Disneyland.ca/tickets or Disneyworld.ca/tickets.

The Golden State has been known for its foodie scene for some time. But now it's official, as Michelin has released its first-ever restaurant guide that's focussed entirely on one of the states in the U.S.

The guide gives Michelin stars to 90 California restaurants, media folks were told at a Visit California gathering in Toronto this week. As well, there are 657 restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide, which covers the state from San Diego to San Francisco and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Southern California deserts.

Napa Valley has restaurants with 10 combined Michelin stars. Two of their restaurants have three Michelin stars; French Laundry and Restaurant at Meadowbrook.

San Francisco has three restaurants with three stars: Benu, Atelier Crenn and Quince. The City by the Bay also has six two-star restaurants.

"Given its geographical assets, the state's farms and local markets bulge with nature's bounty, which makes for an enticing canvas to which local chefs apply their creativity and personality," the Michelin guide states.

From luxurious secluded resorts to historic hotels in the Island's colourful capital of San Juan, Puerto Rico will see a huge range of hot new hotel openings through 2019 and 2020. Between January and April 2019, 1.67 million passenger arrivals were recorded across San Juan, Ponce and Aguadilla airports, the highest arrival count in Puerto Rico's history. With lodging demands at an all-time high and some of the Island's hottest hotels on the horizon, Puerto Rico is tracking towards another record-breaking year in 2020. From low-key luxury to urban boltholes, Discover Puerto Rico runs through some of the most exciting new openings and re-openings in 2019 and 2020.

The Resort at Coco Beach

Opened August 2019

The former Gran Melia Puerto Rico Hotel, located in Rio Grande on the north-eastern coast of Puerto Rico, has newly reopened and debuted in August 2019 as a new Hyatt affiliated hotel. www.cocopuertorico.com

Dreams Resort and Spa, Guánica

Opening October 2019

Situated in the coastal town of Guánica, Dreams Resort & Spa Puerto Rico will feature 250 luxuriously equipped guestrooms, ideal for adventurous groups looking for an unforgettable getaway. www.dreamsresorts.com

ALOFT Hotel at the Convention Centre at District San Juan

Opening Early 2020

ALOFT Hotel at the Convention Centre at District San Juan is tipped to be one of Puerto Rico's most exciting new accommodation offerings - with the benefit of being located in the heart of the Caribbean's most vibrant new entertainment centre. ww.aloft-hotels.marriott.com

El Conquistador, A Waldorf Astoria Resort

Opening Spring/Summer 2020

Following major renovation works, the intimate tropical hideaway El Conquistador Waldorf Astoria is due to reopen in May 2020. www.elconresort.com. Nestled in the heart of El Conquistador, Las Casitas Villas offers guests all of the amenities and experiences available at the El Conquistador resort, in a secluded one, two or three-bedroom casita. www.lascasitasvillage.com

The Ritz-Carlton San Juan

Opening Autumn 2020

Guests seeking unparalleled Caribbean luxury will welcome the highly anticipated re-opening of one of Puerto Rico's most prestigious hotels in Autumn 2019, the Ritz-Carlton San Juan. www.ritzcarlton.com/SanJuan

Four Seasons, Cayo Largo

Opening late 2020

Comprising 610 acres of beach-front property on the north east coast of Puerto Rico, the Four Seasons Cayo Largo will offer guests five-star luxury in a lush tropical garden setting. www.fourseasonpr.com

Zafira St Clair, Vieques

Opening late 2020

Set in the heart of the enchanting Island of Vieques, in the region of Esperanza, is the highly anticipated Zafira St Clair. www.stclaircollection.com/zafira