New gig as a guest blogger

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Annie’s Escapes is expanding its reach.

An offer to write the honeymoon article in the next issue of La Bella Bride magazine has led to a semi-regular gig as a guest travel blogger on their great new “Blogazine”.  

Check out my first post, about the new-and-improved Montauk Yacht Club.

And look for my article in the 2010 issue of the magazine, hitting newsstands throughout the northeast at the end of December.

Transatlantic Crossing

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Always wanted to make like an explorer and cross the Atlantic by ship?  This may be the year to do it!

Cruise lines have always offered good deals on spring and fall  “repositioning cruises”, when they move ships from summer routes in Europe to winter routes in the Caribbean, but this year the rates are better than ever. There are more ships making the move, the economy has already had an effect on pricing and demand, and the cruise lines don’t want to sail with empty cabins.

There’s a great article about this in today’s Miami Herald. The two best pieces of advice:

– These cruises are not for everyone (they’re long, with lots of days at sea)

– It pays to consult a cruise expert to help you find the best fit for you

Fall Foliage Cruises

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Living in New England, it’s easy to take the fall foliage season for granted. We just expect September and October to be absolutely breathtaking months, with cool clear nights, bright sunny days, and gorgeous displays of red, orange and yellow leaves — and we certainly don’t appreciate it enough!

The cruise lines do, though.  They take full advantage of the brief “fall foliage” season to run an assortment of New England/Canada sailings from New York and Boston.  These sailing are very popular with folks from other parts of the country, but I think they are an overlooked gem for those of us on the east coast!

Think about it….  you drive to Boston or New York, park your car for a week or ten days, and sail off to Newport, Portland, Bar Harbor, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and more. All at the very best time of year in the Northeast, when the shore towns are uncrowded but the water is still warm, and the kids have all gone back to school.

Best of all, there are some great deals to be found right now! Royal Caribbean is offering 5-, 7- and 9-night sailings for rates starting at just $569 per person. If you’re interested in a Fall Foliage getaway, give me  a call!

Beachfront Catholic Cermonies

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In case you’ve been living under a rock somewhere and missed this trend, destination weddings are huge right now, and Mexico is a very popular location for these events.

In Cancun and the Riviera Maya, it seems that just about every resort now offers wedding ceremonies in beachfront gazebos or right on the beach itself. The problem is that if you’re Catholic, and looking for a consecrated church or chapel, your options are much more limited.

But I have good news!  Real Resorts has opened Cancun’s only Roman Catholic resort chapel on the grounds of the Gran Caribe Real Cancun. The all-glass beachfront chapel, consecrated by the local Bishop,  is available to couples staying at the 477-suite family-oriented property, or at the adjacent adults-only Royal Cancun. The resort offers a broad range of wedding options, from the most simple intimate ceremony to a lavish celebration, and they can even offer weddings on Sundays (when priests are usually not available).

If you’re interested in finding out more, give me a call.

And, if you’re more interested in the Pacific coast of Mexico, fear not! I recently toured a lovely resort in Cabo San Lucas that has a beautiful little on-site chapel.   Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach feels like a Mexican hacienda, and the chapel, while not beachfront, is so authentically Mexican with its carved wood pews and quiet courtyard that I’d get married there in a minute!

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You provided excellent guidance for us. I appreciated that you really had us think about what was most important to us when we were selecting the right cruise – and not to totally focus on what other people had to say. THANK YOU for helping to make this a memorable trip for our family! It really was a trip of a lifetime!

– Clare and Mark (family cruise to Alaska)

The level of service we experienced was out of this world (and we did NOT make it easy on Ann). We weren’t quite sure where we wanted to go, when we would be able to go, or what “vibe” we were going for. After asking us some key questions (what we liked, didn’t like, why, etc.) Ann helped us narrow down our trip details and planned the honeymoon of our dreams. She helped book some of our excursions, answered some emergency questions while abroad and was always available/willing to help. I think it’s safe to say we won’t be using anyone else for future travel planning – Ann is a rockstar!

– Carli (Italy and Spain)