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 Why stay in a hotel if you can experience the amenities of a cruise and the benefits of land?  Norwegian Cruise Lines has a deal for you.

Enjoy the Vancouver 2010 Olympics from the comfort of your own cabin onboard the Norwegian Star cruise ship.  These unique accommodations include either a three or four night duration, including gourmet dining, return airport transfers, transfers to/from the Sea Bus Terminal in North Vancouver, city tour and more.

While onboard the Norwegian Star, you’ll be pampered and can enjoy 13 restaurants, 8 lounges, spa, fitness center, endless activities, Captain’s cocktail reception, complimentary 24 hour room service, and of course, top-notch nightly entertainment.

Rates for staying onboard the Norwegian Star during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics start at only $99 USD per person.  For more information, visit: Vancouver 2010 Cruise Ship .

~Please note: this is a re-post of Thursday’s blog as it didn’t display correctly for many readers~

Everyone who goes on vacation wants to take great photographs.  Unfortunately, many of us do not think like a photographer – we all take that one great shot that we hope turns out.  A true photographer takes a hundred photos knowing only one will turn out.

David Huffman’s Travel Photo Tips: Know Before You Go book is a great read for the budding photographer or for anyone wanting to learn a bit more about their camera other than point, shoot, and pray.

Published in 2008, this great travel-sized paperback helps you first choose a digital camera for purchase and then shows you how to use it in an easy to follow format.  There are sections covering camera features, controls, settings, and handling, plus others on weather and basic editing techniques.

And you’ll get a 20-page bonus book covering advanced photo editing, enhancement, and correction techniques.  This detailed section also gives great advice on utilizing your own photo editing software and includes tips for purchasing advanced software.

David Huffman has worked in the photography industry for over thirty years, twenty of them with Eastman Kodak.  For more information, visit: David Huffman’s Travel Photo Tips: Know Before You Go or to learn more about David Huffman’s work, visit: David Huffman.

In the idyllic setting at the base of Whitefish Mountain Resort, on the shores of Whitefish Lake, and only miles away from Glacier National Park, lies the town of Whitefish, Montana.

For five days each summer, this small town of just over 5,000 residents, comes alive the music of Mozart during the Festival Amadeus running July 27 to August 1, 2009.  Presented by Glacier Symphony and Chorale, the event gives participants the opportunity to meet & greet with the musicians, enjoy food and fun, while younger enthusiast can attend a Mozart music camp for children.

Other summer musical events in Flathead Valley include the Thursday night concert series in Columbia Falls; the Sunday night Riverbend Concert Series in Bigfork featuring all genres of music including jazz, piano, and classical; plus the Picnic in the Park concert series in Kalispell – all running from June through August.

For more information or to order your FREE Flathead Valley Montana 2009 travel guide , visit: Montana’s Flathead Valley .

Everyone who goes on vacation wants to take great photographs.  Unfortunately, many of us do not think like a photographer – we all take that one great shot that we hope turns out.  A true photographer takes a hundred photos knowing only one will turn out.

David Huffman’s Travel Photo Tips: Know Before You Go book is a great read for the budding photographer or for anyone wanting to learn a bit more about their camera other than point, shoot, and pray.

Published in 2008, this great travel-sized paperback helps you first choose a digital camera for purchase and then shows you how to use it in an easy to follow format.  There are sections covering camera features, controls, settings, and handling, plus others on weather and basic editing techniques.

And you’ll get a 20-page bonus book covering advanced photo editing, enhancement, and correction techniques.  This detailed section also gives great advice on utilizing your own photo editing software and includes tips for purchasing advanced software.

David Huffman has worked in the photography industry for over thirty years, twenty of them with Eastman Kodak.  For more information, visit: David Huffman’s Travel Photo Tips: Know Before You Go or to learn more about David Huffman’s work, visit: David Huffman.

Boeing issued a press release yesterday announcing the postponement of the first scheduled flight of their Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft “due to a need to reinforce an area within the side-of-body section of the aircraft.” 

The need was identified during regular scheduled testing of Boeing’s ‘full-scale static test plane.’  Paying customers and paying airlines will have to wait until the new schedule for the first flight and first delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is made available in the next several weeks.  Boeing has 865 orders from 55 airlines for the Dreamliner aircraft.

The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner features innovative lighting, 30% larger overhead luggage bins, tall 19” windows, improved air quality within the cabin, along with cutting edge technology.  The Dreamliner is capable of flying up to 300 passengers depending on the exact configuration of the aircraft.

For more information, visit: NewAirplane

For the second year in a row, Marriott Golf, is offering ‘a yearlong series of one day events’ to promote family togetherness in golf.

The Marriott International Family Golf Festival invites families to Marriott Golf properties for a fun afternoon of FREE instruction, golf clinics, activities, interactive games, plus a chance to win family vacation prizes!

Plus, after 3 p.m. on the Golf Festival day, children and families can golf for FREE.  An estimated 10,000 children and parents participated in the Marriott program in 2008.

Marriott offers more than 60 golf courses at 44 locations in 13 countries – with more than 1,000 holes of championship golf.  Visit Marriott.com to see a complete list of 2009 Golf Festival Dates .

KIVA is an amazing organization that provides micro-lending to people in need.  Last year alone, KIVA loaned over $50 million through the generosity of its members.

If you’re not familiar with it, the concept of micro-lending is simple.  It’s the extension of very small loans to unemployed or poor entrepreneurs who are not considered to be bankable.  The entrepreneurs can ask for any amount of money, on average it’s about $600, and it’s funded in $25 increments by lenders in 50 countries.

Lend money to fix a taxi in Honduras, stock a pharmacy in Tanzania, or to help purchase a delivery motorcycle for a food market in Cambodia.  To lenders, Kiva is a great way to help those in need; to borrowers, it can be life changing.

To date, KIVA has over 370,000 lenders providing loans to people in 185 countries with a 98% repayment rate.  Kiva has raised over $77,000,000 since its conception only 44 months ago.  KIVA - Loans that change Lives.

Early yesterday morning, Continental flight 61, enroute from Brussels, Belgium, landed safely at Newark Liberty International airport in New Jersey even though the pilot died during the flight.

The Boeing 777 landed safely with the two first officers onboard flying the aircraft as required by FAA rules for international flights.  Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency crews and Continental customer service staff who escorted the passengers from the plane.

With this very unusual situation, officials state that even though the cut off age for working pilots was recently increased from age 60 to 65, every pilot is required to pass a rigorous physical every six months.

flydubai, Dubai’s first economy airline, took its first flight on Monday, June 2, 2009, to the Lebanese capital of Beirut bringing a fresh new approach to air travel in the region.

The concept behind flydubai is simple as customers only pay for the services they desire.  The flydubai ticket prices includes all taxes and one carry-on per passenger weighing up to 10kg.  There are no paper tickets, only boarding passes.  There is no extra charge to book your own airline ticket online.

CEO of flydubai, Ghaith Al Ghaith, stated that “flydubai will fly to airport that are currently underserved by the traditional carriers…we are looking forward to providing the reality of accessible, low cost, uncomplicated travel.”

For more information, visit: flydubai

With over 25 years in the travel business, Singles Travel International provides worry free travel for single travelers.

Join them on their Taste of Italy Cuisine Tour featuring pasta, wine, cheese, olive oils, and so much more along with the unique history and endless photography opportunities only Italy can provide.

Tour highlights include visiting St. Peter’s Square, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Michelangelo’s David, with cooking lessons, wine tasting, and a Venice canal ride.

Departing August 15, 2009, the Taste of Italy Cuisine Tour includes 7 nights accommodation, 11 meals including a welcome dinner, pizza party & farewell dinner, starting at only $1999 USD per person.

For more information, visit: SinglesTravelInternational