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Beaches & Baseball: Dunedin, FL waits for Canadians to return
Scenic Eclipse’s 2022/ 2023 Arctic collection includes four new destinations
VANCOUVER —Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours’ Scenic Eclipse will embark on brand new Arctic adventures in 2022/23, with four new destinations that include the Russian Far East, Japan, Northeast Passage and Alaska.
The new destinations complement Scenic’s existing program that takes guests to the Arctic, the Norway, Greenland and Iceland. As the ‘World’s First Discovery Yacht,’ Scenic Eclipse offers unique exploration experiences by way of two state-of-the-art helicopters, a custom-built submarine capable of 1,000 feet and a fleet of Zodiacs. A Discovery Team of 20 geologists, marine biologists, naturalists and glaciologists is also on hand to provide expertise.
Highlights of the 2022/23 season include:
. Russian Arctic, the Northeast
Passage: Scenic Eclipse will traverse nine time zones across the top of Siberia and Russia on a 26-day journey through the Northeast Passage. Guests will see remote Arctic islands rarely visited by humans, cruise past the planet’s greatest migration paths and observe polar bears and walrus on ice floes. Prices from the ‘Cross the Legendary Northeast Passage’ voyage from Anchorage, Alaska to Tromsø, Norway start at $36,744 per person, double, departing Aug. 6, 2023. Guests can also combine the voyage with the seven-day ‘Wilds of Alaska’ luxury escorted land journey, priced from $12,195, which takes in Alaska’s frontier towns. . The Russian Far East: On this journey, guests will trace the Pacific Ring of Fire from Alaska to Chukotka (Russia’s easternmost federal subject), south along Kamchatka Peninsula to the Kuril Islands. Highlights include guided walks in Chukotka, a soak in Kamchatka’s hot springs, and a visit to Soviet-era fish processing plants and Japanese World War II fortresses in the Kuril Islands. Prices for the 14-day ‘Jewels of the Russian Far East’ voyage from Anchorage to Vladivostok start from $18,517, departing May 27, 2023. . Japan: The 12-day ‘Japan: A Journey Through Time’ begins on June 21, 2023 in the seaport of Sapporo, then with the GNTO team, as well as with trade and media partners in Canada,” she said. “I lived in Germany for most of my life and I’ve been telling my Canadian friends how beautiful and interesting Germany is since I moved here. Now I have the opportunity to share this view with a much broader audience.”
travels to Hakodate, known for its Western-style architecture from bygone days. Guests will then visit the archaeological dig of Sannai Maruyama, the largest and best-preserved dig from the Jomon era. Other highlights include visits to Maizuru, Kyoto’s port on the Sea of Japan, and a sailing to South Korea for a day in Busan. Fares start at $17,215. . Arctic: Highlights of the 15-day ‘Arctic Islands: Svalbard, Greenland & Iceland’ include a helicopter ride over the waterfalls of the Norwegian fjords, kayaking between Svalbard’s icebergs, and a submarine dive in Greenland to witness the vast Arctic wildlife of Greenland’s National Park, larger than all but 29 of the world’s countries. Prices start at $20,896, departing July 11, 2023.
Scenic is offering special Super Earlybird savings of up to 20% on many sailings when fares are paid upon booking. All bookings are covered by Scenic’s flexible booking policy, allowing guests to defer their cruise to another travel date or itinerary up to 60 days prior to departure. They also come with Scenic’s Deposit Protection Plan, or guests can choose to upgrade to the company’s new Risk-Free Platinum Protection Plan, providing for changes or cancellations up to 15 days prior to departure.
TORONTO — VoX International has welcomed Anja Brokjans as the new Director for the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), effective immediately.
In her new role, Brokjans will be responsible for developing and executing a marketing plan for the Canadian market, which will include media and trade activities along with initiating digital and social marketing campaigns.
She brings with her extensive experience in marketing, public relations, trade and communications. She previously spent 22 years as the spokesperson for Deutsche Messe, one of the world’s largest trade show companies, where she developed marketing plans for international events and companies.
Brokjans said she is very excited to join the team at VoX, which represents the GNTB in Canada.
“I’m looking forward to diving into this new journey headfirst and working
Beaches & Baseball: Dunedin, FL can’t wait for Canadians to come back
by Cindy Sosroutomo
TORONTO — The ties that bind Dunedin, Florida and Canada date back close to 50 years – 44 to be exact to when the Toronto Blue Jays was born.
As the original home of the team’s spring training season, this 10-squaremile, laidback city located just north of Clearwater Beach has become so synonymous with Blue Jays baseball that much of day-to-day life revolves around all things blue and white. Welcome signs for the team can be seen in restaurant windows, fans regularly meet on rooftop patios to catch glimpses of games and, of course, watching a team practice or pre-season exhibition game has become a favourite pastime for locals and visitors alike. The team’s sparkling new Player Development Complex, spanning 100,000 square feet and boasting 12 batting cages, a barber shop, a fully-covered practice facility and a 3,700 square-foot clubhouse that’s become the envy of the entire league, will further cement the longstanding connection between Florida and Canada.
This year however, due to the global pandemic and continued border closures, Canadians have been unable to cheer on the Jays in person during the pre-season. Their absence, says Steve Hayes, President & CEO of Visit St. Pete/ Clearwater, has been sorely felt throughout Dunedin.
“You certainly can tell that we did not have our normal presence of Canadians here and it was missed greatly,” he said during a special ‘Beaches & Baseball’ media briefing yesterday. “Canada is such an important market for us and we cannot wait until the borders upon up and for Canadians to come back to visit.”
Toronto Blue Jays mascot Ace with a fan in Dunedin, Florida
Prior to the pandemic, a total of 3.6 million Canadians visited the state of Florida, comprising 24.9% of all international visitation. As such, Canada is Florida’s #1 international market, a distinction that’s long been celebrated on both sides of the border.
“It’s just broken our hearts that you all have not been able to come this year but things are looking up and we are just so excited to be able to welcome our Canadian friends soon,” said Dana Young, President and CEO of VisitFlorida. “None of us could’ve predicted what 2020 turned out to be but I feel confident that Florida is going to rebound stronger than ever and that we’re going to beat all projections in terms of our recovery.”
When Canadians are able to safely travel once more, Florida will be ready. Noting that the state is “open for business,” Young, who logged onto the virtual briefing from Orlando, confirmed that everything from theme parks to restaurants, bars, hotels and, “most importantly,” ball fields are all currently open to visitors.
Canadians, of course, will be heading straight to Florida’s beaches, eight of which recently ranked among the top 25 beaches in the United States in TripAdvisor’s 2021 Travelers Choice of the Best Beaches awards. At #1 is St. Pete Beach, followed by Madeira Beach (#9), Ormond Beach (#12), Henderson Beach State Park (#13), Pensacola Beach (#15), Treasure Island Beach (#16), Siesta Beach (#17) and Clearwater Beach (#18). With beaches that span a total of 1,327 kilometres across the state, VisitFlorida’s interactive ‘Beach Finder’ tool on its website allows visitors to adjust various sliders that match them with the beach best suited to their needs and preferences, whether it be adventure, family friendly, romance, manicured or au naturel.
In Dunedin in particular, the new temporary home of the Toronto Blue Jays, a lot is packed into its 10 square miles that go beyond baseball, said Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski. Founded in 1889 by “a couple of Scotsmen,” the city is known for its Highland Games and Celtic festivals and on any given day, visitors can spot a bagpiper or two at the marina. Giving Dunedin its smalltown feel is its wide assortment of independently owned restaurants, bars and shops; in fact, the city is completely void of big-box stores and chains. A rite of passage for all first-time visitors is a meal at Casa Tina, an off-beat local spot known for its authentic Mexican cuisine, as well as a Smoked Old Fashioned at the rooftop bar of The Fenway Hotel, built in 1924 and home to Dunedin’s first-ever speakeasy.
And no visit would be complete without hitting up a brewery or two; there are eight in total, including the Dunedin Brewery, the oldest in all of Florida. Chances are visitors will pass a few breweries while walking or biking the 61-kilometre Pinellas Trail, which runs north from St. Petersburg all the way to Tarpon Springs. Stopping for a beer, cocktail or an ice cream is an absolute must, said Bujalski.
But, of course, baseball is what Dunedin is really known for, something Bujalski is reminded of each year during her annual City Council trip to Toronto.
“People in Toronto always know how to pronounce our name – Du-nee-din. People in Florida don’t even know how to pronounce our name sometimes!” she said. “We couldn’t be more proud to have hosted the Toronto Blue Jays for 44 years and we are thrilled to have signed a deal to have them here for another 25 years. We just love them.”
For more information about travel to Florida go to visitflorida.ca or visit dunedinfl.com.
Princess Cruises introduces Dine My Way as latest MedallionClass enhancement
SANTA CLARITA — Princess Cruises’ latest MedallionClass enhancement makes it easy for passengers to preplan and tailor their dining experiences.
Dine My Way, the cruise line’s new flexible dining system, was unveiled yesterday by the cruise line. Dine My Way pairs with Princess’ OceanNow on demand service to offer the ultimate in onboard dining flexibility and convenience, says the company.
Passengers can make reservations in onboard dining rooms and specialty restaurants at times they prefer and with whom they wish to dine. Dine My Way also helps to optimize capacities in dining rooms and restaurants on board and manage wait times.
When making a reservation, passengers are able to: add additional friends or family members with whom they are travelling; select their preferred pace of dining (relaxed, quick); indicate their desired seating location (near window, close to entrance) in the Ocean profile; share dietary preferences and allergen information; and pick the same venue and dining time each night.
“We believe guests are going to love the control and customization Dine My Way offers,” said Jan Swartz, President, Princess Cruises. “Instead of restricting dining choices during the pandemic, we’ve been able to expand the options for our guests and thanks to the unique, innovative capabilities of the OceanMedallion, reduce wait times and eliminate the need to stand in line.”
In addition, Princess’ OceanNow on-demand menu has been expanded to include entrees and beverage options from restaurants through-out the ship with guest's requests delivered directly to their location. OceanNow orders can be made using the MedallionClass app on a smart device, via the stateroom TV, or by having a crew member place the order on the guest’s behalf.
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