New St. Regis Toronto, Air Canada Food + Cruise News: This Week's JimBits

Agents looking to book luxury accommodations in Canada's biggest city have a posh, new property to consider.

The St. Regis Toronto opened its doors on Wednesday of this week, opening what hotel officials call "a new era of glamour" in Toronto.

Mayor John Tory and top officials from St. Regis, Marriott and Innvest Hotels (the property's owners) were on hand for a ribbon-cutting and an example of the afternoon "champagne sabre" ceremony that takes place at all St. Regis properties, wherein a staff member slices off the cork of a champagne bottle with a brilliant, silver sabre to welcome the evening in style.

It's the first St. Regis hotel in Canada and officials are promising "world-renowned, bespoke service, signature rituals and exquisite culinary offerings."

Located at Bay and Adelaide in the heart of downtown, it's a great location that was known for some time as The Adelaide. Prior to that it was the Trump Hotel.

"Rooted in the brand's distinct history and heritage, The St. Regis Toronto will offer an exquisite escape for business and leisure travelers alike," said Don Cleary, President of Marriott International in Canada
Rising 65-stories above Canada's international enclave for business and culture, the hotel "is a beacon on the Toronto skyline, offering visitors a remarkably central location between the entertainment and financial districts."
The property boasts 258 spacious guest rooms, including 124 luxury suites - the most suites of any luxury hotel in Canada.

The suites are beautiful (Elton John recently stayed in one for an entire month, I was told) and they've done a great job re-imaging the lobby, which was dull and uninspiring in the Trump days. The 31st floor restaurant and bar, LOUIX LOUIS, is a stunning facility that's designed to look like the inside of a whiskey bottle. The preview lunch they served on Wednesday was outstanding.

Air Canada placed fourth in the latest rankings of North American airlines when it comes to healthy food.

Dr. Charles Platkin of the U.S., who's known as "The Diet Detective" and has a website called www.dietdetective.com, rated 11 airlines on a scale of zero to five stars, based on health and calories of meals, snack boxes, level of transparency (if they list nutritional ingredients), menu innovation and other factors.

Top airline was Alaska, with a rating of 4.25. Then came Delta at 3.7, JetBlue at 3.55 and Air Canada at 3.45, just off the podium. The bottom seven were American, United, Hawaiian, Allegiant, Southwest, Spirit and, in last place, Frontier (with a rating of just 0.85 out of 5).

Neither Porter nor WestJet were included in the study.

In his remarks on Air Canada, Platkin said the average AC meal has 351 calories, while the average individual snack offering has 325 calories.

"The meals are relatively healthy and available for trips that are more than two hours long," he said. "Providing meals after only two hours is not typical; most airlines start offering meals after three or four hours."

Platkin said Air Canada has replaced food supplier Luvo with food from Freshii. He said the Greek yogurt is a good breakfast option, while the Avocado Smash Box is "the kind of food every airline should be offering." He also cited the Pangoa Bowl and Kale Caesar Wrap as "high-nutrient/low-calorie choices."

Luxury cruise line Cunard announced the Upgrades on Us promotion, available on select 2019 and 2020 voyages on all three ships - Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria.

Cunard's Upgrades on Us promotion is available on the line's signature Transatlantic Crossings including the Third Annual Transatlantic Fashion Week Crossing in July 2019 and the popular New England & Canada voyages, on flagship liner Queen Mary 2. The offer is also available on Caribbean, Europe, South America, Australia and Asia voyages on all ships, sailing between May 2019 and November 2020.

"Cunard's Upgrades on Us promotion is back by popular demand," said Josh Leibowitz, SVP Cunard North America. "With the cold winter months approaching, now represents the perfect time to book a spectacular Cunard getaway."

By taking advantage of the Upgrades on Us offer, guests have the opportunity to experience the ultimate levels of luxury across Cunard's fleet. Those upgrading from Inside to Balcony will get to enjoy the sea air from the privacy of their own balcony, and those who upgrade from Club Balcony to Princess Grill will delight their palate with the gourmet cuisine of the Princess Grill Restaurant.

(I got to try the Princess Grill on my Queen Mary 2 cruise last month and loved it.)

Book between Nov. 29, 2018 and Feb. 28, 2019; the Upgrades on Us promotion features:

- Free upgrade from Inside to Balcony stateroom

- Free upgrade from Club Balcony to Princess Grill

- Upgrade within Queens Grill categories

- Grill Suite bookings receive Free Gratuities and Free Drinks Package

- Past guests receive Free Gratuities (in all categories)

- All guests receive 50 per cent reduced deposit

G Adventures hosted 30 Transat Distribution Canada owners and agents from across Canada to its interactive training program "Special Agent G" at its Toronto headquarters last weekend.

The program is intended to cultivate adventure specialists and to help break down any barriers that prevent agents from selling adventure travel.

"TDC has been one of our greatest partners in Canada. Their commitment to providing opportunities for their members to grow through programs like our special agent G reinforces our joint commitment," said Bruce PoonTip, CEO, G Adventures. "It was a revolutionary idea to take training to another level and we could not have done it without the support of such a great partnership. Thank you to all of our present and past graduates who inspire us to do great things every day. Without you, we're nothing!"

The format on Saturday incorporated three morning sessions - What is Adventure Travel, G Product Training and Planeterra -the non- profit arm and G for Good projects.

In the afternoon it was all about TDC owners and helping agents build their business through Social Media, Private Groups and Storytelling.

the Sunday morning, the group was divided into 10 groups of 3 who took turns role playing as the agent, client and observer, with one member of the G or TDC team watching and providing coaching as they went through overcoming objections and selling strategies.

Then G Adventures CEO Bruce Poon Tip surprised the group with an hour long talk about the importance of the role of the travel agent.

Each agent walked away with an Adventure Specialist certificate to display to their clients.

Goway Travel is proud to launch new long stay options in Panama, and Oaxaca, Mexico in time for the 2018/19 winter season.

The experts in long-range travel, Goway has been offering long stay options in Australia since 1994. Since then, the company has added New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Portugal, Spain, and Malta to its list of snowbird options. The Panama and Mexico addition bring Latin America into the fold, giving Globetrotters even more choice for beating the frigid winter.

Goway Goes to Mexico adds a beautiful long stay option on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca. Set in the middle of a 20 km stretch of the Oaxaca Emerald Coast, Goway's Mexico long stay resort is an exclusive gated community, featuring premier oceanfront condos and luxury private villas. Guests enjoy wide-angle Pacific Ocean views, a club house, gym, tennis courts, swim up bars, and much more. Located just outside Puerto Escondido, the resort is close enough to combine the conveniences of the city with the serenity of paradise. Guests can self-cater in their suite or enjoy freshly prepared meals at the restaurant, enjoying safety and a welcoming vibe as you explore this relaxed seaside community.

A 21 day stay is available for $1,383 CAD, which includes accommodation, transfers and a stocked fridge for arrival. A 45 day stay begins at $3,363 CAD.

Panama City and its surrounds have joined the world's most popular winter escapes with beautiful beaches, lush mountains, and rich biodiversity, all surrounding a capital city that rivals many US and Canadian cities for culture, atmosphere and conveniences. The centrally located Marriott Executive Apartments positions snowbirds right in Panama City's business district. This modern hotel offers a gym, free parking, and free Wi-Fi in rooms, and the terrace has a swimming pool with ocean views. Shops and restaurants are within a five-minute walk of the Finisterre. Guests are situated in the heart of one of the Latin America's most modern cities, where they can feel the pulse of modern Panama. Book 22 days from $2,82 CAD.

For reservations and information, visit Goway.com, or call 1-800-387-8850.

Celebrity Cruises' 2020 Europe season will be the brand's most "revolutionary" yet, marking the inaugural season of Celebrity Apex, the newest addition to Celebrity's fleet and the second ship in the innovative Edge Series. The luxurious Celebrity Apex will make her debut in April 2020 from Southampton, England. Like her industry-changing sister ship, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex will feature an innovative outward-facing design and transformational accommodations that invite guests to take in the breathtaking world around them.

In total, Celebrity's 2020 European season will feature six award-winning ships, two of which will have been reimagined as part of THE CELEBRITY REVOLUTION, an ambitious $500-million-dollar revitalization program that will introduce breathtakingly redesigned accommodations, reimagined spaces, and state-of-the-art experiences across the brand's fleet. The best-in-class fleet will visit the most cities ever by Celebrity in a single season - with more than 90 ports of call across 27 different countries.

New destination experiences will include a first-ever mini season of sailings from Lisbon, Portugal, as well as country-immersive sailings that provide greater, in-depth experiences for travelers in either Greece or Italy. This season also introduces new ports for Celebrity, including Trieste, Italy and Isle of Portland, Dorset, UK. Back by popular demand, the brand is also returning to Oslo, Norway; Agadir, Morocco and Kusadasi, Turkey, where guests can explore the ancient city of Ephesus.

With more time in ports, more overnight stays and more in-depth experiences, travelers will be able to experience more new places in Europe than ever before and do it aboard the most spectacular spaces at sea.

Award-winning flexible travel expert, Busabout has launched its new Asia 2019-20 program featuring a selection of exciting new trips and bucket list experiences. With a maximum group size of 28, Busabout's Asia program offers a variety of trips for different tastes and budgets, plus the opportunity to experience all trips in the brochure, linked up via the 'Unlimited Asia Pass'.

Following the success of Busabout's Hop-on Hop-off model in Europe, the adventure company will launch its freestyle form of travel in North America for the first time in May 2019. Busabout has also been expanding its trips in Asia over the past four years and introduced the 'Unlimited Asia Pass' to the program this past season. In an effort to offer its travellers deeper cultural experiences and local encounters in Southeast Asia, Busabout is now working with more local Busabout Guides than ever before, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and cultural insights, and a great understanding of what clients want out of a Busabout vacation. As with all Busabout trips, each one will include a fantastic Busabout crew, on the ground transport and of course, the best time of your client's life.

Options include moonlight parties in Thailand, and a three-day Bangkok to Kwai adventure. For more information, speak to your local sales representative or visit www.busabout.com.

Air Canada Vacations' Black Friday sale recently set a record for the highest single-day sales in the company's 38-year history. On Nov. 23, Air Canada Vacations achieved an increase of more than 300 per cent in bookings compared to a normal booking day, with Canadians booking vacation packages from sunny beach destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico, to the vibrant cities and landscapes in Canada, the USA and Europe.

"Air Canada Vacations continues to diversify its package offerings by presenting a significantly expanded range of unique and authentic travel experiences in addition to conventional vacation packages. We are delighted customers are choosing Air Canada Vacations in record numbers for their vacation travel plans, and we look forward to welcoming them onboard our flights," said Craig Landry, President, Air Canada Vacations & Senior Vice President, Revenue Optimization at Air Canada. "To further drive growth, Air Canada Vacations will debut a new booking website early next year, which will provide customers with even more compelling vacation experiences to conveniently choose from."

For more information visit www.aircanadavacations.com

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