What’s new in travel?

In keeping with our mantra to educate, we’d like to end the year and help bring in the New Year with What’s New in the world of travel. For starters, did you know that the Four Seasons is currently under construction as a new property at DisneyWorld?

While we’re still on the subject of Disney, Disneyland will have its own Harry Potter (world). And, Disney’s newest property on Oahu, the Aulani is now open to guests. We had the privilege of doing a site inspection during our most recent trip – check out our Facebook page, Contrino Travel.

NCL’s Breakaway is coming to New York in 2013. And it’s not too early to book as these cabins are going to be snapped up fast.

Guided tours aren’t just for grandma and grandpa anymore! More multi-generational families are prioritizing vacations together to create everlasting memories. And rather than discuss where to have Christmas dinner, more and more families are choosing to travel during the holidays. Not only does it make for more banter (everyone can do whatever they want and meet up for a meal), but it makes memories that can’t be bought (well, technically).

While not new to the travel industry, Club Med has undergone major renovations at its Sandpiper property. This is an all-inclusive property located here in the United States (Florida).

The Great American Steamboat offers a more inclusive product (than the typical cruise line). Cruise fare includes shore excursions in each city and where special meals are complimentary!

The Riviera Maya has a new all-inclusive for adults only, the Paradisus Riviera Maya. It is a luxury resort that offers many amenities. If you’re familiar with this destination, you’ll notice that adults-only properties are on the rise. That’s because of the many beautiful beaches it has to offer, not to mention the food is far superior to other destinations that have a concentration of all-inclusives. The service is second to none too!

River cruises are also seeing their fair share of new vessels. How is a river cruise different from the major cruise lines (ie Norwegian, Royal Caribbean)? These elegant boats are designed to easily navigate the calm waters of the rivers they traverse. Instead of docking in ports that aren’t really close to the actual cities (for example, docking in Civitavecchia, which is a good 40-50 minutes from Rome), river boats dock right in the heart of the city. More the norm is a guided tour of the city with tickets included in some ports. Plus, wine is included with dinners and entertainment, and meals are more indigenous to the ports you dock at. Another big difference is that there are no casinos or the Broadway-type entertainment you get on the major operators. If you’re looking to gamble, forgedaboudit (spoken like a true Brooklynite) as river cruises don’t offer casinos.

Now you have it. Some new options for your next travel plans!