The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has implemented Secure Flight, a program developed to provide for uniform watch list matching by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

By establishing one consistent watch list matching system, Secure Flight will enhance aviation security and help make travel easier for passengers.

How will Secure Flight affect passengers?

Under the Secure Flight program, passengers will be required to provide:

1. - Full name (as it appears on passenger's identification document)
2. - Date of birth
3. - Gender
4. - Redress Number (if available)

The airline will send the information you provide to TSA who will match it against terrorist watch lists. Please note that boarding passes may not always display the exact information you provided when filling out your traveler profile form with Vision 2000 (for corporate travelers) or the information your provide to your travel advisor (for leisure travelers). This will not affect you when traveling. The name you provide is used to perform watch list matching before a boarding pass is ever issued.

What are the benefits of Secure Flight? Secure Flight makes travel safer by more effectively identifying individuals that may pose a known or suspected threat to aviation. It also enables officials to address security threats sooner.

Furthermore, by creating one watch list matching system, it helps prevent the misidentification of passengers who have names similar to individuals on terrorist watch lists. Lastly, Secure Flight offers an improved redress process, so that those who are mistakenly matched to the watch lists can avoid problems in the future.

Protecting passenger privacy The privacy of individuals' information is a cornerstone of Secure Flight. TSA collects the minimum amount of personal information necessary to conduct effective watch list matching. Furthermore, personal data is handled in accordance with stringent guidelines and all applicable privacy laws and regulations. Redress – for passengers who feel they have been misidentified.

Those who believe they have been mistakenly matched to a name on the watch list are invited to apply for redress through the Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP).

Secure Flight uses the results of the redress process in its watch list matching process, thus preventing future misidentifications for passengers who may have a name that's similar to an individual on the watch list. For more information on the redress process, visit www.dhs.gov/trip.

To learn more about Secure Flight visit www.tsa.gov/SecureFlight.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (December 7, 2009) – MSC Cruises announced that Aeroplan Members can earn miles when they book an eligible MSC Cruises sailing.

Starting today, Aeroplan members can earn miles on select cruises offered throughout the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, New England and Canada in addition to transatlantic and positioning cruises.

Richard E. Sasso, president and chief-executive-officer for MSC Cruises (USA), Inc., said, "MSC Cruises is pleased to partner with Aeroplan and offer its members exclusive benefits for sailing on our ships. We hope to expose even more Canadians to MSC Cruises and its beautiful ships and both exotic and varied destinations."

Aeroplan Members can also redeem miles for a $100 or $500 gift certificate which they can use to purchase an MSC Cruise through CruiseShipCenters on www.aeroplan.com.

"We're thrilled to be adding MSC Cruises to the Aeroplan program, giving our members another way to earn miles when they travel," said Craig Landry, Senior Vice President, Partnership and Rewards, Aeroplan. "Aeroplan Members can now earn miles when they travel by air, sea and car across the globe."

The mileage earned for each member, up to two per stateroom, for MSC sailings will vary depending on the itinerary and length as follows:

Mediterranean l Northern Europe l Transatlantic (Summer & Winter) l Positioning

1-6 nights: 500 miles
7 nights: 750 miles
8+ nights: 1,250 miles

Caribbean l Canada/New England
1-6 nights: 250 miles
7 nights: 500 miles
8+ nights: 1,000 miles

In order to receive the miles, guests must submit their Aeroplan number when booking directly with MSC Cruises or their preferred travel professional.

We realize that an outbreak of flu on a cruise ship, particularly Swine Flu (The H1N1 virus) can ruin the best-planned trip. Although the possibility is remote, we'd like to update you as to what preventive measures are being taken by the cruise industry, with some tips about how to keep this threat in perspective while you minimize your risk.

First of all, "How risky are cruise ships?" Let's face it; any closed-space increases the chance of passing germs. This includes hotels, schools, and even hospitals. But since the cruise industry has very high-standards and relies on passenger's trust, they have taken aggressive and specific steps to minimize the risk of onboard sickness. This means that even if another ship has a problem, that it's not likely to affect your trip.

This fall, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reiterated their commitment to "aggressively managing all cases of influenza, including the H1N1 virus" on board their member cruise lines. This includes all cruise lines that we sell or promote. CLIA explained that they are taking proactive steps "to keep H1N1 off of cruise ships and appropriately manage and treat influenza illnesses when and if they occur". This includes minimizing the risk onboard. This is done in two ways; one by implementing strict measures by the crew to avoid contracting the disease and passing germs, and two; implementing a strict screening process for both crew and passengers who board the ships. Here are some of the steps that are being taken, and some tips you should consider:

~ Health Screening on Cruise Ships. Swine flu prevention on cruise ships begins with the embarkation process of crew and passengers. Even if you have fully paid, be aware that you can be denied boarding if you present any H1N1 risk.

~ Health Questionnaires – All passengers are now required to complete and sign a written questionnaire prior to boarding most cruise ships. A secondary screening will be conducted if the passenger answers affirmatively to having flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose or sore throat. A second screening is also given if a passenger reports that they have had contact with a confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) case.

~ Thermal Imaging Cameras – Some of the cruise lines have begun to use thermal imaging cameras to check embarking passengers for elevated body temperatures. If the scanner detects a fever of 100.4 F or greater, the guest will be checked for additional signs of influenza such as cough, sore throat, runny nose, headaches and vomiting.

~ Passengers Denied Boarding Due To Flu Symptoms – Passengers will not be permitted to travel if they exhibit influenza like illness or have been in contact with an H1N1 case as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Medical personnel at each cruise line will make case-by-case decisions regarding the boarding of these passengers. If there are flu symptoms, the passenger may be given an Influenza Rapid Test Kit which could cause that they miss the ship or encounter a significant delay in boarding.

~ Controlling risk onboard. Cruise lines are now asking that their crew and passengers take very specific measures to avoid the passing of germs. Frequent hand washing is encouraged and antibacterial lotions (Purcell) are available in many public areas. Those who are infected are confined to their cabins.

~ Avoiding infected ports: Cruise lines will deviate from a port suspected of having a flu outbreak. This could cause a financial loss to those passengers who prepaid for shore arrangements, but the loss would normally be covered by travel insurance.

~ Costs of Missing the Cruise – Some passengers who are denied boarding may have to wait days in a hotel before their H1N1 tests come back. This brings up the question of how one can recoup these costs? Some travel insurance policies cover these costs, including the company that we sell. But if you are delayed or disembarked by the cruise line due to health, be advised that the cruise line will not reimburse you for your expenses – including the cost of the airfare to get home.

~ Costs associated with cancelling your cruise before boarding due to sickness. Same as above, your best protection is to purchase comprehensive travel insurance.

~ Onboard treatment. Most cruise ships will maintain appropriate medications, including anti-virals effective in treating the H1N1 virus. The CDC has approved a couple of prescription drugs, under the brand name of Tamiflu or Relenza, which will be available on most cruise ships.

~ Preventative steps. We recommend that you consider two; asking your doctor if a flu vaccine is recommended before you depart, and purchasing trip insurance.

Early-bookers receive incomparable deals when holiday booked by December 1st.

Monograms – the independent travel arm of the Globus family of brands – has earned a rich reputation as a company travellers can depend on to help them simplify travel planning while personalizing their dream getaway. And in 2010, Monograms aims to help independent travellers expand their horizons with 100 itineraries, over 200 travel experts and nearly 40 offices around the world. "We like to think that Monograms is a great choice for anyone who wants the convenience of a pre-planned itinerary – with all the ground transportation pre-arranged, great hotels which are centrally located, and – perhaps best of all – the buying power of Globus," says Stéphanie Bishop, managing director of the Globus family of brands in Canada. Because Monograms emcompasses all the itinerary planning, it saves travellers the hassle of putting together all the components, making it a perfect choice for both first timers as well as seasoned travellers.

To celebrate the success of Monograms, the company is extending its offerings with new itineraries in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. Each includes hotel – most with daily breakfast , all ground transportation and intra-itinerary flights and local host service. When Monograms books your flights from your home city, airport transfers are also included.

The program's signature itineraries are city combos such as Paris plus London; Boston and New York; or Hong Kong with Bangkok and Singapore; however there are also North American driving vacations and more elaborate itineraries such as the 18 day Treasures of the South Pacific to Australia and New Zealand.

The nine new itineraries for 2010 include a weeklong Costa Rica Wonders tour plus a 12 day Brazil, Argentina and Chile trip, as well as a Rome and Sorrento combination.

Monograms 2010 vacation offerings provide travellers diversity in length of stay (itineraries range from four to 20 days) pricing and destinations, and comprise getaways to Europe (12 countries including the increasingly popular eastern countries the Czech Republic and Russia; South America; Asia; the South Pacific and many cities and regions in North America.

The company is not only expanding its portfolio, it has increased the services that make Monograms the perfect travel choice. For instance, Monograms travellers can now book activities and excursions online before their vacation. And, Monograms has expanded the cities worldwide in which Local Host services and expertise are available.

"Our Local Host program is proving one of the most successful aspects of Monograms," says Bishop. "In dozens of our destinations, we have local experts who host our clients on a half-day tour – then wrap up the outing with suggestions for further sightseeing, shopping and dining options personalized to the client's interests and budget." Local hosts are also responsible to ensure that transportation between cities and airport transfers work seamlessly.

"I can't think of a better way to travel independently," she adds. "You have the convenience of a pre-planned itinerary with all the components arranged for you, but also the pleasure of enjoying it with just your loved ones – whether that means your spouse, your family or a group of your favourite friends."

DEAL ALERT: Travellers booking a 2010 Monograms Europe vacation between October 14 and December 1, 2009 will receive $150 per person off the air-inclusive price.*

NEW Monograms vacations in 2010 include:

· Rome & Sorrento (7 days), priced from $1,558.

· Brazil, Argentina & Chile (12 days), priced from $2,739.

· Costa Rica Wonders (7 days), priced from $1,589

· Tokyo & Kyoto (7 days), priced from $2,459.

· Beijing & Shanghai (7 days), priced from $1,069

· Bangkok & Phuket (9 days), priced from $1,159

· Maui & Kauai (7 days), priced from $849

· Vancouver & Whistler (7 days), priced from $639

· Redwoods, Wine Country & Yosemite (9 days), priced from $809

The above prices are based on land-only, including intra-vacation air and rail transfers. Air-inclusive pricing is also available, including hotel/airport transfers when Monograms issues tickets.

Family Fun Tour Adds Value with Variety of Included Extras and Discounted Fares

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (October 9, 2009) – With its stunning scenery, abundant wildlife, and plethora of active adventure opportunities, Alaska offers the perfect family vacation. To make it easier for families to plan a trip to the 49th state, Princess Cruises has added a fun new cruisetour option designed especially with family groups in mind.

The 12-night cruisetour offers the best of Alaska by land and sea and includes a variety of special features not usually included in a cruisetour package. Families will have the opportunity to travel on a jetboat, pan for gold, take an interactive tour of Denali National Park, and experience what Alaska is like in the winter when it's many degrees below zero.

The cruisetour (number: FUN) is offered at a 25 percent discount for all berths, so all members of the family are included in the special pricing.

"This is really the ultimate family vacation," said Charlie Ball, president of Princess Tours. "Alaska is a wonderful travel destination with kids, so we wanted to make it easy and affordable to plan the perfect Alaska experience for everyone in the family."

The Family Fun cruisetour includes a seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise plus a five-night land tour featuring one night at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, two nights at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and two nights at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. At sea, families can also take advantage of Princess' many onboard programs especially for children, including a special Junior Ranger program in Glacier Bay National Park.

In addition, the following special extras are included in the tour:

Daily Breakfast – Everyone in the family can start their morning off with the most important meal of the day.

Direct-to-the-Wilderness Rail Service with Lunch – Princess' acclaimed Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service gets families to their wilderness lodge faster, and includes lunch aboard the train.

Three Rivers Jetboat Tour (Mt. McKinley) – An exhilarating alternative to taking a motorcoach to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, this tour travels from Talkeetna to the lodge by jetboat, with stops along the river to view historic encampments and learn about the native wildlife.

Arctic Blast (Denali) – Family members can experience winter in Alaska – in the summertime. This special chamber is chilled to wintertime temperatures, so visitors can find out what happens to hot water when it is thrown in the air and whether soap bubbles can survive the cold.

Music of Denali Dinner Theater (Denali) – This rollicking musical comedy tells the legend of the first expedition to the summit of Mt. McKinley, accompanied by a hearty, family-style meal featuring smokehouse ribs and Alaska salmon.

Experience Alaska with Alaska Geographic Tour (Denali) – A more intimate tour of Denali National Park, this special experience includes a variety of interactive experiences, including an enhanced view of the Denali ecosystem and current research taking place. The narrated bus tour takes guests 15 miles into the park to a beautiful river valley where they embark on a short walk to the historic Savage River Camp, where they can participate in a number of hands-on experiences.

Denali Sourdough Expedition Breakfast (Denali) – While fueling up for the day with a family-style, Alaskan roadhouse-style breakfast, guests experience an unforgettable journey up Denali through breathtaking images in Laurent Dick's Climb Denali. Participants have the opportunity to meet this real mountain climber and ask questions about mountain climbing.

Riverboat Cruise and El Dorado Goldmine Tour (Fairbanks) – Families can enjoy traveling on an authentic sternwheeler for a fully-narrated cruise along the Chena River and try their hands at gold panning at the El Dorado Gold Mine, where they will learn about Alaska's gold mining history.

Fares for the Alaska Family Cruisetour (#FUN) start at $1,743 per person for the first and second berths, and $1,191 per person for the third and fourth berth passengers.

Princess offers a variety of land/sea Alaska experience with itineraries ranging from three to eight nights. All cruisetour options feature at least two nights in the Denali National Park area, stays in Princess' own riverside wilderness lodges, and a seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers sailing with Glacier Bay National Park.

29 September 2009 – As part of her Autumn Colours voyage, which features maiden calls through the New England and Canada coasts, Cunard's Queen Victoria made her inaugural visit to Boston yesterday. Joining the festivities was celebrity chef Todd English, whose at-sea eponymously named restaurants are exclusively featured aboard both Queen Victoria and flagship Queen Mary 2. Travel agents, media and local dignitaries, including British Consul-General Phil Budden, were among the guests who enjoyed a sumptuous lunch prepared by the native Boston chef in his onboard restaurant.

"It's a privilege for me to welcome Queen Victoria to my city," said English. "To have my Todd English restaurants – the only at sea – aboard Cunard's legendary liners is truly an honor for me."

"It is a pleasure to bring Queen Victoria into Boston for her inaugural visit, a city with which Cunard shares a great history – welcoming us and our guests so warmly for many years," said Queen Victoria's Master, Captain Ian McNaught. "We continue to provide our guests with legendary voyages and historic ports of call, and Boston is always a highlight," he added.

Also welcoming Queen Victoria into the largest city in New England was CEO & Executive Director of the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), Thomas J. Kinton, Jr., and Massport's Chairman of the Board, John A. Quelch.

4 September 2009 – Cunard Line's flagship Queen Mary 2 delivered a historic item upon her arrival in New York this morning: Wedgwood's Gift Between Nations. The unique, large-scale model of the world famous Washington Monument was created by the iconic British pottery company in commemoration of their 250th anniversary, and celebrates the long and illustrious links between the two great nations.

Following a formal presentation to Queen Mary 2's Commodore Bernard Warner in Southampton, England on 29 August, the masterpiece was transported aboard the ship's six-day Transatlantic Crossing en route to New York. Lord Piers Wedgwood arrived with the Gift this morning and will be on hand during the fall tour, which includes a prominent display in the famed Macy's Herald Square store in New York City later this month before its onward journey to Washington, D.C. It will be a focal point of a much anticipated anniversary exhibition hosted by the Daughters of the American Revolution in their magnificent building situated between the White House and the Washington Monument, and will ultimately be presented to and reside in the White House.

"We are honoured to be a part of this momentous occasion and look forward to continuing our historic partnership with Wedgwood," said Commodore Warner. "Here's to another 250 years!"

"It is with our esteemed pleasure that we present this Gift Between Nations to the United States of America on our 250th anniversary year. We are delighted to showcase the amazing craftsmanship of our company along with the great heritage of our two nations," said Lord Piers Wedgwood, executive director, Waterford Wedgwood PLC.

This special event helps illustrate the longstanding relationship between Cunard and Wedgwood, with an unmatched lineage of trade and commerce for the two companies across the Atlantic.

TASTE THE WORLD Welcome to TASTE THE WORLD, the August Virtuoso® Travel Catalog!

Compliments of Vision 2000, enjoy the latest Virtuoso® Travel Catalog -- TASTE THE WORLD. Download here. Whether you are a curious foodie or sophisticated connoisseur, the best trips satisfy a hunger to experience both cultures and cuisines. From vineyard visits in Chile to market tours in Vietnam, this catalog serves up a menu of travel ideas and offers that will leave you yearning for your next vacation.

With all of today's incredible deals now is a great time to travel. As your Virtuoso travel advisor we're here to guide you through the choices, planning every detail for a worry-free vacation with all the special extras. Call us today!

4:: EAST Journeys to the East offer cultural adventures and colorful cuisines from Mongolian hot pots to Komodo street carts or tea atop The Great Wall.

14:: EVERYWHERE IN-BETWEEN Explorations include bustling bistros, corner cantinas and tiny trattorias. Wander aromatic markets full of olives, honey, cheese and spices. Tour vineyards, or your ship's wine cellar.

18:: WEST Embrace epicurean cravings, from cioppino in San Francisco paired with zinfandel to conch harmonizing beautifully alongside rum in St. Kitts.

25:: BRING A TASTE HOME The discovery of new foods and flavors doesn't have to end with your trip. Check out these suggestions for bringing a taste home to enjoy again or share with friends.