G Adventures Empowers Women, Plus Travel Agent and Caribbean News

Sonesta Resorts Sint Maarten continues the momentum one year after the reopening of the all-inclusive, adults-only Sonesta Ocean Point Resort and the all-inclusive, family Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa. Travel agents and qualified buyers are invited to book and experience the resorts with the "See for Yourself" Program, and learn about the new amenities and offerings at both properties.

Bookable now, all-inclusive travel industry rates are as follows:

Sonesta Ocean Point Resort - Room rates for a Junior Suite are $145 (all figures USD) per person, per night and an upgraded room category is based on availability, subject to surcharge or lowest available rate. This resort is adults-only, and no children under the age of 18 are allowed.

Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa - The Run of House (ROH) room rate is $85 per person, per night and an upgraded room category is $105 per person, per night. Children up to the age of five are free and ages six to 12 are $45 per child, per night.

The latest addition is the SunFit Body + Lifestyle Sessions providing guests with on-trend fitness programs to continue a workout regime or be inspired to start a new one. From breaking a sweat on a morning run, to Pilates, kickboxing, or a low impact Aquacise workout, there's a class to suit all ages and levels for a fun, invigorating and healthy addition to any Caribbean vacation. Regularly scheduled classes led by certified instructors are included in the all-inclusive rate.

Guests also have access to two fitness centres. The state-of-the-art, 1,700 square-foot fitness facility located adjacent to Sonesta Ocean Point Resort's lobby, for adults staying at either resort, offering beautiful views of Maho Beach from its floor-to-ceiling, south facing windows. There's also a dedicated fitness gym at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, including an extensive selection of cardiovascular workout and weight-training equipment.

Appleton Rum and the Jamaica Tourist Board held a great event in Toronto on Wednesday night to unveil a new, 8-year-old estate product.

Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum, a global leader in premium rums, announced the storied brand's global relaunch that debuts in Canada in early 2020. Canadians will be the first market in the world to be introduced to the newly designed packaging, including a reimagined bottle and label, and the release of a new premium aged blend. The international rollout begins in Ontario and then continues nationally across Canada before moving onto other markets globally.

Guests at a Toronto reception were treated with rum drinks, fresh Jamaican food and cool tunes during a two-hour event.

And, oh, by the way, the rum is fantastic.

Boasting the area's best views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay and the glittering city below, the new Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero is now confirming arrivals beginning May 1, 2020. Located on the top 11 floors of the 48-storey 345 California Center in the heart of the city's Financial District, the hotel will reopen this spring after extensive enhancements as a Four Seasons experience.

As Four Seasons continues to grow its diverse and dynamic California Collection, we are delighted to offer a new vantage point from which to enjoy one of America's favourite cities," says Vince Parrotta, Four Seasons President, Hotel Operations - Americas West. "And further, it is my great pleasure to introduce Bob Megargle, General Manager of the newest luxury address in the city."

All 155 rooms and suites have been completely redesigned, with new natural wood floors, modern furnishings, a warm palette of textures with surprising splashes of colour, deep soaking tubs and flexible floor plans that allow guests to truly make themselves at home. And, every room boasts stunning panoramic views.

In addition, Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero will offer a street-level restaurant and bar, 24/7 fitness centre and business centre. Located in the heart of the Financial District, the Hotel is also steps away from Union Square, the Embarcadero waterfront and Fisherman's Wharf. A 24-hour concierge team can assist with trip planning, whether enjoying a family vacation in the Bay Area, a romantic weekend getaway, or even a few hours of leisure during a business trip.

The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) has confirmed that 2019 was a record-breaking year in terms of tourist (stayover) arrivals to the island. A total of 95,375 tourist arrivals were recorded, a 20.4% increase over the benchmark year of 2016, which held the previous record of 79,239 stayover arrivals.

The year was extraordinary in several respects. Tourist arrivals surpassed those of 2016 by double digits in every quarter. The year was capped by a record-breaking December, with 9,868 tourist arrivals, beating the previous record of 9,134 arrivals in December 2018. 2019 was also the best year ever for tourist arrivals from the US, with a 25.2% increase over 2016, the previous benchmark. Tourist arrivals for 2019 showed a 75% increase over 2018, signaling the strength and sustainability of the island's remarkable recovery from Hurricane Irma.

Carnival Cruise Line is launching "100 GoCCL Trainings" in 100 Cities in 2020 to teach more travel advisors throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Barbados the benefits of using the GoCCL Navigator online tool. The ambitious educational program is intended to bring thousands of advisors up to speed on GoCCL.com - Carnival's powerful online agent portal - which is faster and easier to use than ever following a recent multimillion-dollar upgrade.

The in-person 100 GoCCL Trainings will be led by regional business development managers in local movie theaters and include opportunities for live interactive sessions with Carnival experts. Besides learning to maximize the various resources on GoCCL.com, the trainings will feature real-life video success stories of how travel advisors actually use GoCCL Navigator and how it's helped their business. To keep it fun, events will have Carnival prizes and light snacks for attendees.

"One big takeaway from last year's WUATA programs was that agent knowledge and expertise are the top reasons why consumers choose to use a travel advisor, and the 100 GoCCL Trainings are a quick and easy way to build that knowledge and positively impact your business," said Adolfo Perez, Carnival's senior vice president of global sales and trade marketing. "And the videos are a great chance to hear directly from agents how they use GoCCL Navigator to efficiently make and manage their bookings online.

"The bottom line is, 100 GoCCL Trainings represents a small investment in time for a big return in business," Perez added.

The 100 GoCCL Trainings initiative is just one element of the "100 Reasons Why Use a Travel Agent" theme in the ongoing WUATA Campaign that began in 2019 and educates consumers about the many advantages of using a travel advisor to book a vacation.

Agents looking to participate in a GoCCL Training can visit GoCCL.com to find cities, dates and information about how to register.

For additional information about Carnival Cruise Line call 1-800-327-9501 (individual) or 1-800-327-5782 (groups) or visit the line's travel advisor internet portal, GoCCL.com.

Situated 500 km east of Havana, Cayo Guillermo Resort Kempinski is one of the most luxurious non-all-inclusive hotels on the island. Its private location allows the guests to feel isolated from the crowds and have a relaxing time in a voluptuous setting.

Under the aegis of Kempinski, this hotel is a perfect example of contemporary stylish, luxurious design. Initially designed to fascinate the architecture driven traveller, the surroundings also echo Ernest Hemingway's love for Cayo's beauty and aesthetics.

The accommodations include:

245 Rooms and Suites:

- Deluxe Room

- Ocean Deluxe Suite

- Sunset Villa

- Playa Pilar & Hemingway Water Villas

- Playa Pilar Water Villa

- Presidential Water Villa Hemingway

Among the amenities you'll also find:

- A gym, spa and yoga space

- swimming pool landscapes

- a tennis court, and

- a kids' club

TravelPulse Canada had a chance to catch up with a representative of Nantucket Island Resorts on Thursday. The company operates five beautiful properties on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts and will open the White Elephant Palm Beach in Florida next month.

White Elephant Palm Beach is a beautiful, clean, and modern property with lots of white and splashes of colour. It's a 32-room hotel with 19 suites that's a block from the beach and features a beautiful pool. Reservations are being taken now.

The company also runs the Wauwinet on Nantucket Island, a Relais and Chateaux property with historic architecture and amazing views. They also have a three-bedroom beach house.

Nantucket Island Resorts also has the histori Jared Coffin House, an 1845 brick mansion in the heart of Nantucket town.

In addition, they have the White Elephant (and, yes, look for lots of elephant art and images around the property), White Elephant Village (one, two and three-bedroom residences) and The Cottages at Nantucket Boat Basin, which has studio and one, two and three-bedroom cottages and lofts right alongside the harbour, making it ideal for families.

AmaWaterways has announced its 25th river cruise ship, the luxurious new AmaDahlia, is scheduled to set sail on Egypt's legendary Nile River beginning September 2021. The 11-night cruise and land adventure includes a seven-night round trip river cruise from Luxor and is paired with three nights pre- and one night post-cruise stays in historic Cairo at the prestigious five-star Four Seasons, Cairo at The First Residence. This immersive Secrets of Egypt & Nile itinerary will provide travellers a unique opportunity to experience the ancient wonders of Egypt, while embraced in the luxurious, warm and welcoming atmosphere AmaWaterways guests have come to know and love.

"We are excited to be coming back to the legendary Nile and introducing a new river cruise experience in Egypt," said Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder of AmaWaterways. "Everything about this new ship and curated itinerary reflects AmaWaterways' focus on delivering luxurious accommodations, delectable cuisine and enriching experiences designed to engage with local communities and historic sites."

The newest addition to the AmaWaterways fleet, AmaDahlia will guide guests through the heart of Egypt as they experience the Nile's life-giving waters and find themselves surrounded by flourishing palm trees, fertile plantations and millennia-old attractions - many of which are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. Guests will follow expert guides to legendary locations like the Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak, the beguiling Temple of Luxor, and the mystifying Valley of the Kings and Queens, as well as be treated to exclusive private access to the Tomb of Queen Nefertari and a Nubian village. While in Cairo, they come face-to-face with Egyptian treasures like the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the 4,000-year-old Great Sphinx and three Pyramids of Giza; the Egyptian Museum, featuring the exquisite collections of King Tut; and a private tour of the principal workplace of the President of Egypt, the Abdeen Presidential Palace, considered one of the most luxurious palaces in the world.

Newly designed to accommodate only 68 guests, the stunning AmaDahlia will feature 34 luxurious staterooms, 24 of which are spacious balcony suites measuring up to 430 sq. ft. Onboard amenities include a sun deck bar and swimming pool, fitness room, hair and nail salon, two massage rooms and two restaurants - The Main Restaurant and The Chef's Table, offering a delectable seven-course tasting menu. Guests will be treated to authentic nightly entertainment including a Belly Dance show, a Galabeya (a traditional Egyptian gown) party and a Darawish show.

The river cruise, sailing round trip from Luxor, and Cairo program -- with intra-Egypt flights between Cairo and Luxor -- will operate seasonally from September through to May each year. To compliment this immersive 11-night cruise and land adventure, Secrets of Egypt & the Nile will be offered with optional extensions including pre-program, three nights in Dubai or four nights in Jordan (Amman and Petra) and post-program, four nights in Israel (Jerusalem). Guests are encouraged to book by June 30, 2020 to enjoy early booking rewards combinable with AmaWaterways Past Guest Privilege Rewards program for returning guests.

For full details or to book an AmaWaterways river cruise for a client, call 1.800.626.0126 or visit the Travel Advisor Portal on AmaWaterways.com