A Passage to British Honduras - 2012

Travel:: By Ship and Train
Duration:: 12 Days
Priced From:: $1,995 per person
Featuring:: A Special ‘New Years’ departure with two nights in New Orleans

A Passage to British Honduras - 2012

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Join us on a journey from downtown Chicago to the jungles of Central America by train and Ocean Liner! We begin in great comfort with an evening departure from the Windy City to New Orleans over the Illinois Central Railroad where all guests enjoy included sleeping accommodations. Then an overnight in New Orleans before the centerpiece of our holiday, passage by ship to exotic Belize, formerly British Honduras, one of the most fascinating places on earth. With the second longest barrier reef in the world, lush jungles filled with jaguars, ocelots and wild monkeys, Belize is a place of stunning natural beauty, famed for its breathtaking Mayan ruins at Altun-Ha. During our port call in Belize City, there is time to tour these magnificent Mayan ruins, a 'must-see' sight for any traveler. Happily, Belize is not the only exotic port of call on our passage from New Orleans, we also visit Costa Maya in Mexico's Yucatan, popular Cozumel and delightful unspoiled Roatan, in Honduras, rarely visited by cruise ships and highly rated by our guests.

Of course, any good holiday should couple remarkable scenery with superb comfort and this holiday does this nicely. Aboard the ‘City of New Orleans’ train we enjoy included sleeping car accommodations with included meals in the dining car and what better way to begin a vacation than with cocktails at ninety miles per hour in the lounge car! In New Orleans, our guests enjoy an overnight First Class hotel stay with breakfast daily, a French Quarter sightseeing tour and, of course, a visit to famed Cafe du Monde for the best cafe au lait and beignets in the world. Our ship, the ms Norwegian Spirit features 11 restaurants, 11 bars & lounges, an excellent spa and fitness center, a casino and acres of open deck space. Because Norwegian Cruise Line operates 'Freestyle Cruising' you may dine when you like, where you like, with whom you like, there is no required dress code and a level of personal choice on how you enjoy your vacation is offered.

The one serious flaw with this holiday; it will sell out quickly so prompt reservations are encouraged.

Highlights

Train travel aboard Amtrak’s ‘City of New Orleans’ from Chicago to New Orleans and then from Memphis to Chicago after the cruise, an overnight journey over the storied Illinois Central Railroad in each direction. There is a club car to enjoy and all meals while aboard are included. Guests enjoy Roomette sleeping car accommodations aboard the train.
An overnight stay in New Orleans at the superbly located Hilton Riverside with sightseeing tour and visit to Café du Monde before we sail. We have intentionally left large blocks of free time for you to enjoy ‘The Crescent City'.
7-night West Indies cruise round trip from New Orleans aboard the Norwegian Spirit making calls at Costa Maya, Belize City, Roatan, and Cozumal. Naturally, all meals & entertainment are included.
Coach train travel from Memphis to New Orleans aboard the ‘City of New Orleans’, a scenic day-trip.
Overnight at the excellent Westin Memphis Beale Street along with welcome dinner at the famed Rendezvous Barbecue.
Memphis sightseeing tour with the acclaimed 'Memphis Jones' and live musical entertainment as we tour the home of the Blues. We also enjoy the famous 'Duck March' at the Peabody Hotel during our time in Memphis.
Hosted by professional tour manager with special cocktail parties & events throughout.

Day 1: Union Station Chicago

Guests are greeted at Union Station by our host and escorted to our train, the ‘City of New Orleans’ where cozy sleeping car accommodations await. Our train sails at 8:00 pm.

Day 2: New Orleans, Louisiana

This afternoon we arrive in New Orleans, “The Crescent City”, and are transferred to the Hilton Riverside Hotel just a short walk to the famous French Quarter. This evening is free for you to explore this colorful and lively city. (B,L) *The New Years tour includes 2 nights in New Orleans - A nice bonus!

Day 3: ms Norwegian Spirit

This morning our guest enjoy a walking tour of the French Quarter with a stop at the renowned ‘Cafe du Monde’, famous for their café au lait and fresh, warm beignets sprinkled with powdered sugar. It’s a delicious treat we never allow out guest to miss. Later this afternoon, our group boards the ms Norwegian Spirit to begin our adventure to the enigmatic land of the Maya. This evening is our ‘Welcome Aboard’cocktail party. (B,R,D)

Day 4: At Sea

Today you have your entire day to do as you wish. There is almost too much to choose from, but we suggest you first explore the Norwegian Spirit and discover its many splendors and treasures. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Costa Maya, Mexico

This unspoiled coastal paradise in the Yucatán sprawls off the beaten path, with brilliant butterflies, exotic tropical birds, deer, monkeys – even jaguars are said to roam the remote parts of this pristine jungle. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Belize City, Belize

Long before the 17th-century powers fought over Belizean sovereignty, a complex Mayan civilization flourished here. Today, many of the architectural treasures from that amazing lost culture remain for you to explore in virtually untouched verdant jungles. (B,L,D)

Day 7: Roatan

Beautiful and unspoiled, Roatan is a peaceful, eco-tourist's dream, just 30 miles off the coast of Honduras. Teeming with marine life and home to some of the best pillar coral in the Caribbean, the pristine Belizean Reef is a diver’s paradise. And the beauty of abyana Beach is always a sight to see. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Cozumel, Mexico

The island of Cozumel off the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula continues to be known for its fantastic fishing, snorkeling and diving opportunities. Despite the growth of tourism in recent years, the island and its only town, San Miguel, retains much of its original warmth and charm. (B,L,D)

Day 9: At Sea

(B,L,D)

Day 10: New Orleans, Louisiana

This morning we disembark the ship and head for breakfast at Brennan’s, New Orlean’s legendary palace of fine dining, with free time today to return for some ‘lagniappe’ or just a little more fun and enjoyment in this charming city. This afternoon we depart aboard ‘The City of New Orleans’, famous in story and song, headed for Memphis and our overnight stay at the Westin Memphis Beale Street. (B)

Day 11: Memphis, Tennessee

We have all morning to sleep in before our city tour of Memphis with our great and good friend, Memphis Jones, who offers one of the most entertaining tours of Memphis you will ever have the opportunity to enjoy. Memphis Jones’ will enchant you with song and story, accompanied by his fabled guitar. We also make a special visit to the legendary ‘Peabody Hotel’ to see their famous Duck March. Tonight, we enjoy our Farewell Dinner at the famous ‘Rendezvous Barbecue Restaurant’ with its wonderful Memphis BBQ and savory Southern treats. Later we board the train for overnight travel back to Chicago. (D)

Day 12: Union Station Chicago

This morning after breakfast we arrive in Chicago at 9 am allowing for easy, same day, connections for all Midwest destination points. Welcome home! (B)

Fares

Fares & accommodations Rates listed are per person, double occupancy
I	Suite Suites can accommodate up to four guests, and include a sitting area, luxury bath and shower, two lower beds that can convert to a queen, with private balcony.	$2,695.
II	Balcony Stateroom Balcony staterooms can accommodate up to three guests, and include a sitting area, two lower beds that can convert to a queen, with private balcony.	$2,395.
III	Oceanview Stateroom Include a sitting area, luxury bath and shower, two lower beds that can convert to a queen, with private balcony.	$2,195.
IV	Inside Twin Stateroom Two lower beds that can convert to a queen.	$2,095.
V	Inside Economy Stateroom Two lower beds that can convert to a queen.	$1,995.
Port tax is $195 per person. Single Inside Staterooms begin at $2,495 and Outside Staterooms begin at $2,995.

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We look forward to welcoming you on one of our travel and tour programs and very much appreciate your patronage.

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RESERVATION INFORMATION: Fares and Itineraries listed in this brochure are those in effect at time of printing. All prices listed are in US Dollars. Upon receipt of your deposit, either by phone or by mail, your reservation in confirmed. A 35% deposit of the Total Fare is required to confirm reservations aboard any tour or program. After 5 days, confirmed reservations without deposit will be automatically cancelled by our reservations system. Final Payment is due 90 days prior to the departure date and no later than 75 days prior to tour departure. Payment by American Express, VISA, MasterCard, Discover Card, or check is accepted. Your verbal authorization of the use of your credit card indicates your compliance with our booking terms and conditions and confirms your reservation whether or not you have actually signed the appropriate draft. Uncommon Journeys is not responsible for payment made to Travel Agents but not received by Uncommon Journeys. Bookings are subject to cancellation if deposit or final payment is not received by the due dates.

			LATE BOOKINGS: Depending upon available space, bookings can be made up until three days prior to departure. Reservations which are made within 75 days of departure require payment in full at the time of booking.

			CANCELLATION INFORMATION: Cancellation penalties do apply and for this reason trip cancellation insurance is recommended. Trip insurance is available at a modest cost and additional information may be obtained from your travel professional or the insurance carrier of your choice. We strongly suggest that you purchase travel insurance to cover 100% of your tour cost as there are no exceptions to the cancellation penalties. The following cancellation penalties apply should you have to cancel for any reason, including medical, once deposit has been made: Cancellations after deposit has been made but prior to final payment are subject to a $750.00 per person penalty: cancellations 60-75 days prior to departure are subject to a 40% penalty of the Total Fare: cancellations 30-59 days prior to sailing are subject to a 80% penalty of the Total Fare: cancellations 15-29 days prior to sailing are subject to 90% penalty of the Total Fare: cancellations 14 days or less are subject to a 100% penalty of the Total Fare. Given that the resale of canceled space will likely result in a lost opportunity to sell other space, these fees are due regardless of resale. Name changes and departure date changes are considered cancellations and are subject to cancellation fees. Cancellations must be submitted in writing either by letter or by fax and the cancellation will be processed only when this notification is received. Charges for cancellation will be based on the date which cancellation notice is received. Cancellation refunds are payable to passengers in the same manner in which deposit/final payment were made to Uncommon Journeys. Please allow from 2 - 4 weeks for Cancellation refunds to be processed. Refunds cannot be issued until cancellation requests, in writing, have been received.

			ITINERARY CHANGES: Changing your itinerary after reservations have been made can result in loss of advantages gained by early planning. In addition, the results of last minute changes may be disappointing. All changes to travel itinerary once deposit has been made are subject to a $75.00 per person, per change administrative and handling fee. This includes, but is not limited to, date and itinerary changes on airline and rail tickets, name changes on documents, reissue and refund of rail or air tickets, et. al. Changes are not assessed for stateroom upgrades or for the addition of services, unless air reservations are altered and/or travel documents must be reissued.

			ROOM SHARES: Uncommon Journeys/Train Holidays does not arrange for, nor accept room share requests.

			UPGRADE POLICY: Uncommon Journeys and Train Holidays reserves the right to upgrade a guest or guests to more expensive category accommodations at no additional cost.

			FARE/PORT CHARGES AND TAXES: Fares quoted in brochures are those in effect at the time of printing. If cost factors including airline costs, dictate the need for fare increases, Uncommon Journeys and Train Holidays may do so at any time prior to departure. Port taxes are neither discountable nor commissionable.

			NOTE ABOUT TRAIN TRAVEL: Some Amtrak or VIA Rail schedules may require an overnight stay in various cities before and/or after tours. Any overnight hotel stays required due to train schedules are the responsibility and expense of the client, not Uncommon Journeys or Train Holidays. Please be advised that all train schedules are subject to availability and unless all sleeping car accommodation charges are paid at the time of deposit, availability cannot be guaranteed. We reserve the right to pass on to tour members any expenditure occasioned by delays or events beyond our control. In the event of a marked increase in tariff rates, costs are subject to revision.

			TRIP INSURANCE INFORMATION: Cancellation insurance is available at modest cost from various insurance providers and is strongly & urgently recommended. Policies can be obtained that provide protection in the event of trip cancellation, pre-existing medical conditions, trip interruption, personal injury or damage to property. Uncommon Journeys/Train Holidays does not endorse any particular type of policy or company but does encourage all guests to consider the purchase of some type of travel insurance. We strongly suggest that you purchase travel insurance to cover 100% of your tour cost as there are no exceptions to the cancellation penalties.

			TICKETS & DOCUMENTS: Tickets and documents will be sent via UPS promptly upon receipt from the railway, airline, or cruise company but only after final payment. This is customarily 14 days prior to departure. Documents include: ship tickets, a complete itinerary, baggage tags, helpful hints, train or air tickets (when applicable) and shore excursion tickets (when applicable). 

			PARTICIPATION ON TOUR: We reserve the right to refuse, to accept, or retain as a member of any tour any person whose deportment or condition impedes the progress, enjoyment, or operations of at any program or tour. In the event we exercise this action, Uncommon Journeys responsibility is limited only to refunding the unused tour services if a person is required to leave the tour. 

			ALTERATION OF ITINERARIES: Because of the nature of the tour programs contained in this brochure, unplanned changes in allotted space may occur. In the unlikely event that this should happen, Uncommon Journeys reserves the right to make changes in routing, visits, and tour timings at any time. Whenever practical, we will advise guests of these changes before departure date. Uncommon Journeys shall not be liable to provide compensation of any type for such operational decisions.

			HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS: All hotel accommodations are for run of the house standard rooms. Some rooms will be larger or smaller and some rooms may be better than others. The Hotel Management makes all room assignments and Uncommon Journeys/Train Holidays has no control over which room you will receive. If the listed hotel on an itinerary is unavailable due to space availability or other considerations, then we reserve the right to substitute hotel accommodations of a type that we have determined to be of a similar grade. If you have a specific request, we will ensure that this request is passed on to the Hotel Management, however, it may not always be possible to accommodate the request. Please note that it is standard policy in the US and in CANADA that hotel rooms are not available for check-in before 4pm.

			TRAIN BAGGAGE: Luggage storage in the passenger cars is limited and as such, we recommend guests take only two pieces of carry-on luggage. Passengers will NOT have access to checked baggage while en route.

			GRATUITIES: All hotel baggage and gratuities on included meals are covered in the package price.  Driver/Guide, Host, Transfer driver, train station or pier Red Cap gratuities are not included.

			RESPONSIBILITY: All train travel included or purchased in conjunction with this program is operated by VIA Rail Canada and/or Amtrak. We cannot and will not accept any responsibility for delays and/or operational disruptions due to VIA RAIL and/or Amtrak operations and decisions. All of our itineraries have been carefully chosen to minimize any potential problem operationally, but occasionally events beyond the control of VIA Rail and/or Amtrak do occur. Uncommon Journeys and Train Holidays does not assume any liability for loss of or damage to or delay of perishable items, medicine, oxygen, liquor, cash, credit or debit cards, jewelry, gold, silver or similar valuables. Uncommon Journeys and Train Holidays will not assume any liability for and loss or damage of luggage or carry-on baggage, and will not assume any responsibility for loss, damage, or delay while baggage is in the custody contracted carriers. In addition, situations may arise which make it necessary for us to cancel, advance or postpone a scheduled departure, change itineraries or make substitutions involving hotels, restaurants, ports of call, other travel components, vessels or other modes of transportation. In that event, we do not assume responsibility or liability for any resulting losses, expenses, or inconvenience. We are not required to make refunds once travel commences regardless of the reason for passengers being unable to complete their travel. Please refer to the paragraph titled 'PARTICIPATION ON TOUR' for the only exception to this.  No person, other than a representative of Uncommon Journeys or Train Holidays authorized by a document in writing issued by the Chairman, may vary, add or waive any term or condition set forth in the preceding provisions.  Written notice of any claim against Uncommon Journeys or Train Holidays must be received no later than fourteen (14) days after the date that services were provided to a tour participant.   All terms and conditions and schedules and rates are subject to change without notice.

			PAYMENT OF YOUR DEPOSIT ON ANY TOUR OR PROGRAM INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

I have provided this information to Uncommon Journeys & Train Holidays for enrollment in the above noted tour/cruise. I have read and agree to the Terms & Conditions set forth in this document.

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A Passage to British Honduras - 2012

A Passage to British Honduras - 2012

Highlights

Day 1: Union Station Chicago

Day 2: New Orleans, Louisiana

Day 3: ms Norwegian Spirit

Day 4: At Sea

Day 5: Costa Maya, Mexico

Day 6: Belize City, Belize

Day 7: Roatan

Day 8: Cozumel, Mexico

Day 9: At Sea

Day 10: New Orleans, Louisiana

Day 11: Memphis, Tennessee

Day 12: Union Station Chicago

Fares

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