Sober Blog

Zoëtry, Secrets and Dreams Resorts & Spas Offer “Flu-Free Guarantee;”
Three Free Vacations if Guests Contract Influenza A - H1N1

Mexico’s Decline in Cases Spurs Award-Winning Resorts to Offer Guarantee,
Aggressive Promotions and Irresistible Prices

PHILADELPHIA (May 11, 2009) – As Mexico’s Health Minister reports a continuing decline in the H1N1 cases, Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas and Dreams Resorts & Spas introduces a Flu-Free Guarantee* to help speed the country’s tourism recovery. Valid between May and December 2009, if a guest contracts Influenza A - H1N1 while staying at these resorts their next three vacations will be free of charge.

All Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets and Dreams Resorts & Spas follow the current American Hotel & Lodging Sanitation Measures and recently have taken additional heightened measures to ensure the highest level of sanitation and hygiene.

“The health and well-being of our resort employees and guests is a top priority for us. As a result, zero cases of influenza have been reported at any of our properties,” said Alex Zozaya, president and CEO of AMResorts, provider of sales, marketing and brand management services for Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas and Dreams Resorts & Spas.” “During the last few weeks, we have continuously encouraged travel to Mexico based on the real facts about the H1N1 virus, and the sanitary protocols in place at all of our resorts.”

The Mexican authorities’ recent lift on restrictions to all public facilities including restaurants and cafes, libraries, museums, churches, archaeological sites and more further supports AMResorts’ confidence in the healthy condition of the country.

“We are convinced the recent decline of cases and continued affirmation from the world’s leading health organization for unrestricted international travel will encourage tourists to quickly return to Mexico for its diverse and enticing tourism offerings, rich culture and competitive pricing,” said Zozaya.

* “Flu-Free Guarantee” H1N1 Insurance details:

Must be qualified as Influenza A - H1N1. Positive blood results in addition to certification of the doctor who performed the test are required

Applies to guests that booked May 8, 2009 through June 30, 2009 for travel taking place May 8, 2009 through December 20, 2009

Valid for same vacation (land only) to return once per year over the next 3 years and only for the original traveler plus one companion. Blackout dates and restrictions apply

Applicable to Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets and Dreams Resorts & Spas only
Irresistible Savings to Jumpstart Spring Travel Bookings

All Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets and Dreams Resorts & Spas are offering a host of irresistible special packages and promotions. Special promotion highlights include:

Spring Escapes:

Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts
• Up to 37 percent discount
Secrets Resorts & Spas
• Up to 55 percent discount
• $200 in resort credit
Dreams Resorts & Spas
• Up to 40 percent discount
• Up to $250 in resort credit
• Two kids stay free with two adults

Discounts are valid for bookings made from May 1 - June 15, 2009 for travel through December 23, 2009. (actual dates and offers vary by resort and can be booked directly on the brands’ websites)

They love our movies. They hate our politicians (well, most of them). But what about our manners? We found out what everyone thinks of our behavior—be it good, bad, or just plain perplexing

There have been better times to be an American, at least in terms of world opinion, yet tourists and immigrants continue to flock to the United States. And when they do, they find that our mores are a lot more complicated than what pop culture, or the chance encounter with fanny-packing tourists, has led them to believe. For all our vastness and diversity, we do have a culture of etiquette—one that can be just as confusing for the visitor to navigate as Japan’s, or Egypt’s, or France’s is for the American tourist. Which is why this edition of Etiquette 101 is an inside-out affair, an introspective examination of the U.S.A. in the eyes of the rest of the world

1. THEY THINK WE’RE A “LOOK, BUT DON’T TOUCH” CULTURE…
THE SMILE: One of the qualities that sets us most apart is how often we smile—even at strangers. “It really is peculiar to Americans,” says Gary Weaver, a professor of international communications at American University, who’s trained many a foreigner. Visitors often take a smile very seriously, “and then when they realize that it extends to everybody, [they assume] it’s because Americans are phony.” But it’s just a basic signal of politeness—mixed with perhaps a preoccupation with first impressions. “We’re a very mobile society,” says James L. Bullock, a diplomat at the American embassy in Paris. “We’re always trying to fit in—that’s why other people think we’re always smiling.”
EYE CONTACT: Whereas in other cultures avoiding eye contact—particularly with an elder—can be a sign of respect, here eye contact is mandatory, even if you’re just making small talk about the weather.
PERSONAL DISTANCE: Weaver warns visitors that Americans are not to be touched beyond the forearm, and estimates personal space here at nearly two feet—twice what it is in the Arab world and in Mediterranean countries. The author Aleksandar Hemon, who emigrated to the United States from Bosnia in his late twenties, noticed that people here flinched at his touch. It’s not that Americans are cold or that Eastern Europeans are pushy, he says. It’s just a cultural difference related to notions of personal space and privacy.

2. …AND THAT OUR WOMEN ARE TEASES
In most countries, a scantily clad woman smiling at a stranger is an invitation. “We’ve had major issues,” says Pamela Eyring, director of the Protocol School in Washington, D.C., “especially with the Russians and Serbians.” Some men have even given female colleagues the keys to their hotel rooms. Eyring is currently preparing a course on dressing conservatively. “That’s an area we’re having trouble with in the United States.” Weaver finds himself having to emphasize that “when an American woman says no, she means no. It doesn’t mean ask me again,” as it often does in other cultures.

3 THEY THINK WE MAKE MEANINGLESS SMALL TALK
Small talk—which Hemon calls “the verbal equivalent of smiling”—is a staple worldwide, but it seems that we Americans do it the most. Take the phrase “How are you?” “In many countries where people say ‘How are you,’ they really mean ‘How are you,’?” says Weaver. “We just want people to say ‘fine.’ It’s not an invitation to a health report.” Sherry Mueller, head of the National Council for International Visitors, gives detailed workshops on small talk. “I recommend that they read a local newspaper or a magazine. That gives them topics and conversation skills.” It’s a way to avoid just discussing the weather, or topics you’d rather not hear about, because…

Book any cruise on Princess with $100. per person deposit and get a coupon booklet worth $325. by May 8, 2009.
Call me for rates of your favorites desitination, cabin style and length of trip! 561-702-2312

Before you get swept up in the media frenzy and buy yourself a gross of masks, read the facts about this flu:
http://tiny.cc/JzPgt.
Remember, God will meet you anywhere!

Book a balcony stateroom or above on any Norwegian Cruise Line cruise departing before 2010 with your Blue Sky from American Express Card and receive $100 on-board credit per stateroom ($50 per person).
Learn More

Statue of Liberty, Mother

Take a tour past the doorsteps of your favorite television and movie characters and real-life celebrities. Straddle fiction and reality while you shop, eat, drink, and dance at the sites you’ve seen on both the big and small screens.

Tour New York TV and Movie sites. Tour Sex and the City hotspots. Tour Sopranos sites. And tour Central Park movie sites!

www.screentours.com

Your luggage does not always travel on the same flight that you do, particularly if you have a late check-in, late connection, or last minute changes have been made due to flight delays or cancellations. If this is the case, chances are good that you and your bags will be reunited with the arrival of the next flight.
Occasionally, bags are misrouted to the wrong airport, and it may take a few days to locate and reroute them. The airlines will usually deliver them to you when they arrive. You may also request partial reimbursement for personal items like clothing and toiletries if the expense was caused by the delay, so ask an airline baggage representative for guidelines and make sure you save your receipts.

Damaged Luggage
Quickly inspect your luggage inside and out as soon as you retrieve it from the carousel. If a bag has been damaged, report it to an airline baggage representative for visual inspection and repair instructions before you leave the airport. If you find that luggage contents are missing or damaged, you can download a claim package to submit to the TSA at http://www.tsaclaims.org/.

Lost Luggage
If the airline is unable to locate your luggage, you must submit a claim form which can be obtained at the airport, or, in most cases, downloaded from the airline’s website and mailed. The maximum airline liability for domestic travel is $2800 per ticketed passenger unless a greater value has been declared and paid for at check-in, and international limits vary. Check your airline’s website for their specific policy.

Before You Go:

Allow plenty of time at the airport. Bags checked right before departure time may travel on a later flight.
Find the destination airport code on your ticket or itinerary, and make sure that the routing tag placed on your luggage at check-in shows the correct code.
Make a list of your itinerary, including hotel names, addresses and phone numbers, and the dates of your stay so that delayed luggage can be delivered to you. Keep a copy with you, and place a copy inside each checked bag.
Personalize each checked bag with a colorful luggage tag or strap, and take a quick photo with your cell phone or digital camera. Should your bag be lost or delayed, it will be easily described and identified.
Do not check valuables - carry them on board.
Place a change of clothing in your carry-on bag. You’ll have an outfit to wear and an outfit to wash should your luggage be delayed or lost.
Lock your check-in luggage with a TSA approved luggage lock or strap.
Report any loss or damage before you leave the airport.

Luggage

Be careful of your roaming cell phone use in Alaska! Someone just got an $800. phone bill because Russian satellites were used to transmit the calls!

Canada has issues with anyone who has had a D.U.I. or felony. Please call the Canadian General Consulate prior to travel to get the details; 212-596-1783.

United Airlines has begun charging obese passengers for two seats if they can’t fit into one, but only if the flight is full.

On a flight that isn’t full, the obese passenger would be moved next to an empty seat. But if such a move isn’t possible, the passenger would have to leave the plane, change their ticket to the next available flight and buy an extra seat.

Other airlines — including Delta, Southwest, Continental and JetBlue — have similar policies, .