E -TRAVEL TIPS AND INFORMATION May 2009. Dear Travel Travel Friend Every month, Travel Travel will email you up-to-date travel industry information, which could affect your travel arrangements and decisions. TRAVEL TRAVEL HAS MOVED TO A NEW GREAT LOCATION! CHAMBER RIBBON CUTTING AND OPEN HOUSE . . . . . You are invited to our Springs Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting at 11.00 am     and our New Office Open House Celebration   12.00 pm thru 5.00 pm, both on May 19, 2009 at our new office. Come visit with us, enjoy good company, food and refreshments! We look forward to seeing you there. Our new address is: 5140 N. Union Blvd., Suite 200   (NE Corner of Union and Academy Blvds.)     Colorado Springs, CO 80918 THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO VISIT MEXICO Mexican health and government authorities have confirmed that the vast majority of swine flu cases and drug related violence in Mexico have been concentrated far from tourist resorts on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Hotels have dropped their prices sharply, reducing the prices of packages to Mexico , said Tim Mullen, senior president of Apple Vacations. Compared with four weeks ago, packages are 70 percent cheaper for May and 50 percent cheaper for June, he said. There will be “a bonanza of good deals this summer.” Mullen added that the first rush of concern among vacationers had slowed and has become less ominous. Soon, people are going to want to vacation again in Mexico . There are great deals to be had right now! THE SPRINGS BUSINESS EXPO The Springs Business Expo, sponsored by the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, is a great place to get connected with the Colorado Springs business community. Visit Travel Travel at booth # 311 from 10.00 am till 6.00 pm on Thursday, May 21 at the Phil Long Expo Center , 1515 Auto Mall Loop. Representatives will be there to talk to you, answer your travel questions and assist you with travel reservations. For free admission tickets to The Springs Expo, please email us at  tvltvl@travelx2.com and save $10 at the door.   COUNTDOWN TO THE NORWEGIAN EPIC Norwegian Cruise Line's 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic will debut in May 2010. Look for fourteen restaurants and more courtyard villas, a sprawling Aqua Park with three waterslides, including one just for kids,  a larger rock-climbing wall and the first rappelling wall at sea.. Epic will have two pools, five whirlpools and a kids' splash pool with water spouting sculptures. A multi-use sports deck will include a full size basketball court, volleyball, soccer, dodge ball, batting cage, bungee trampoline, rope adventure course, an enclosed climbing cage, six bowling lanes and the first squash court at sea. The kid's area includes a space-themed play area, air hockey table, dance floor and Wii's. The Tween Zone features multiple Wii and PlayStation areas along with a private karaoke performance stage/cinema. The teen area will include air hockey, pinball, foosball, a video jukebox, nine flat-screen TV's and an arcade. Norwegian Epic will feature "New Wave" staterooms, a new cabin design featuring contemporary curved architecture and more open living space. Bathrooms will feature shower stall, toilet area and vanity all split up into three different entities. All staterooms will include flat-screen TV's, a mini-bar, and MP3 connectivity upon request. All outside cabins will have balconies and Deluxe cabins will have more living space. NCL will offer its first “spa cabins” onboard Epic. The NCL Epic experience will include more of the sophistication and trendiest of exclusive resorts in Spain's Ibiza, France's Riviera and Miami's South Beach, than traditional cruise ship venues.    TRAVEL TO CUBA The announcement of easing of travel restrictions to Cuba by the Obama Administration has been largely misunderstood. The new rules are: unless you are a Cuban American living in the US with family members in Cuba, travel to Cuba remains out of reach, at least for now. The new policy in effect cancels the visitation limits imposed by the Bush Administration in 2004. A recent CNN pole showed that 64% of Americans surveyed said the US Government should allow US citizens to travel to Cuba .    PIRATE ATTACKS UPDATE With the recent surge in pirate attacks, cruise lines are trying new security tactics. Princess Cruise Line recently started training crews and passengers on how to react in the event of a pirate attack, before crossing the Gulf of Aden, the hotbed of piracy and one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Only two North American cruise ships have reported being attacked by pirates in the past five years and in both instances the pirates were unable to board their targets. Even so, cruise lines take the threat of piracy seriously. Some cruise lines have either altered their routes to keep passengers out of pirate zones; while others are joining convoys to make crossings safer. Ships are traveling in convoy enabling the US Navy to keep tabs on more ships at once. Defensive measures such as drills and training, posting lookouts, varying speed and maneuver and us ing fire hoses are turning out to be the most effective deterrents. Some cruise lines are flying passengers to the next port prior to crossing the gulf. Other cruise lines are offering passengers optional complimentary overland trips for those not wishing to make the transit by sea. Some lines prefer not to disclose their counter piracy tactics. Piracy is a problem that requires an international solution. All efforts are being made by cruise lines to keep their passengers safe from piracy. QUESTIONS?  Email us should you have any questions. Our professional agents are at your service. Want a specific subject discussed in a future Travel Travel Tips & Information? Email us at tvltvl@travelx2.com. Thank you for using Travel Travel. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN WITHOUT TRAVEL TRAVEL! We appreciate your business. 5140 N. Union Blvd, Suite 200 Colorado Springs CO 80918 719-593-1591 www.TRAVELX2.COM . tvltvl@travelx2.com To unsubscribe and elect not to receive future Travel Travel Tips & Information, Please reply to this email and enter subject "unsubscribe" with your name and email address.