Continuing in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the European Cruise Council today announced that the cruise industry has adopted three new safety policies which are to be implemented with immediate effect.  The announcement was made by Chairman of the European Cruise Council (ECC) and Member of the CLIA Executive Committee, Manfredi Lefebvre.

The three policies govern:
1)    Passage Planning – Although cruise lines have followed IMO guidance on passage planning for many years, our policy now deems this to be a mandatory minimum requirement and enhanced by endorsement of the best practices contained in the International Chamber of Shipping’s Bridge Procedures Guide.  Furthermore, under this policy each passage plan is to be thoroughly briefed to all bridge team members well in advance of its implementation and it is to be drafted by a designated officer and approved by the master.

2)    Personnel Access To The Bridge - To minimize unnecessary disruptions and distractions on the bridge, we have adopted a policy that bridge access is to be limited to those with operational functions during any period of restricted maneuvering or when increased vigilance is required.

3)    Lifejackets – In addition to the statutory requirement of carriage of lifejackets for each person onboard, we have adopted a policy of carrying additional adult lifejackets onboard each cruise ship in excess of these legal requirements so that the number of additional adult lifejackets to be provided must not be less than the total number of persons berthed within the ship’s most populated main vertical fire zone.  This ensures that the number of lifejackets carried is far in excess of the number of persons actually onboard the ship.

This is on the heals of two other sets of safety policies roll out earlier this year.

In addition to more lifejackets, a previous new policy on  emergency drill policy requiring a mandatory muster for embarking passengers prior to departure from port.

The new muster policy, which has been voluntarily initiated by the associations’ members and is effective immediately, exceeds existing legal requirements by calling for the mandatory muster of all embarking passengers prior to departure from port. On rare occasions when passengers arrive after the muster has been completed, passengers will be promptly provided with individual or group safety briefings that meet the requirements for musters applicable under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The formal policy is designed to help ensure that any mandatory musters or briefings are conducted for the benefit of all newly embarked passengers at the earliest practical opportunity.

Musters are mandatory exercises conducted on cruise ships to ensure passengers are informed of safety protocols while onboard the ship, including emergency evacuation procedures. Current legal requirements for conducting a muster of passengers can be found in SOLAS and mandate that a muster occur within 24 hours of passenger embarkation.

What do you think?  Will these new safety standards make you feel safer on a cruise?

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/cruise-line-industry-rolls-out-new-safety-standards/

We’re about to bop off to French Polynesia and explore Tahiti, Bora Bora, and the Society Islands.

We’ve learned the hard way that the quality of the world’s water is not equal, and that a savvy baby boomer world traveler will pay attention to these matters or they’ll wind up spending their vacation to exotic destinations on the toilet.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), travelers’ diarrhea (TD) is the most common illness affecting travelers. Each year between 20%-50% of international travelers, an estimated 10 million persons, develop diarrhea.

The onset of TD usually occurs within the first week of travel but may occur at any time while traveling, and even after returning home.

20%-50% of International Travelers Develop Travelers’ Diarrhea!

The most important determinant of risk is the traveler’s destination. High-risk destinations are the developing countries of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Persons at particular high-risk include young adults, immunosuppressed persons, persons with inflammatory-bowel disease or diabetes, and persons taking H-2 blockers or antacids. Attack rates are similar for men and women. The primary source of infection is ingestion of fecally contaminated food or water.

What are the symptoms of travelers’ diarrhea?

Most TD cases begin abruptly. The illness usually results in increased frequency, volume, and weight of stool. Altered stool consistency also is common.

Typically, a traveler experiences four to five loose or watery bowel movements each day. Other commonly associated symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, bloating, fever, urgency, and malaise. Most cases are benign and resolve in 1-2 days without treatment. TD is rarely life-threatening. The natural history of TD is that 90% of cases resolve within 1 week, and 98% resolve within 1 month.

How can I prevent travelers’ diarrhea?

Travelers can minimize their risk for TD by practicing the following effective preventive measures:

• Avoid eating foods or drinking beverages purchased from street vendors or other establishments where unhygienic conditions are present
• Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat and seafood
• Avoid eating raw fruits (e.g., oranges, bananas, avocados) and vegetables unless the traveler peels them.

If handled properly well-cooked and packaged foods usually are safe.

Tap water, ice, unpasteurized milk, and dairy products are associated with increased risk for TD. Safe beverages include bottled carbonated beverages, hot tea or coffee, beer, wine, and water boiled or appropriately treated with iodine or chlorine.

Presumably, our resort destination and cruise ship have thought this matter through fairly carefully as I’m certain that it is no fun for them to have sick travelers on their hands.

Nonetheless, we will be practicing caution as we really don’t care to see Bora Bora primarily from the bathroom.

Have you ever experienced travelers’ diarrhea?  If so, where were you traveling?

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/how-to-avoid-travelers-diarrhea/

Would you want to be able to use Facebook to pick your seatmate on an airline flight?

I suppose in some ways this might be creepy.  On the other hand, if you were flying to a big conference, it might be interesting to sit with folks who might be attending the same conference.

KLM launched Meet & Seat on 3 February, making it the first airline to integrate social networking in its regular flight process. Passengers with a reservation can easily see who else will be on board via their Facebook or LinkedIn accounts.

Erik Varwijk, Managing Director KLM: “The new service was developed in cooperation with our customers. Following its success during the first month, we’re seeing a demand for the service on new routes. Meet & Seat is primarily used by business travelers for networking. The ten new destinations lend themselves perfectly for this.”

Here’s How KLM’s Meet & Seat Works

If you have booked a KLM flight on one of the pilot sights:

1. Go to KLM.com and log in to Manage my Booking.
2. Go to the ‘Seating’ tab and click ‘Meet & Seat’ on the right.
3. Log in to your Facebook or LinkedIn account.
4. Select the profile details you want to share with other passengers and add your travel details.

The seat map will show you other passengers’ profile details and which seat they have chosen. You can select your seat – for example next to someone with similar interests.

What do you think?  What to use Facebook to choose your airline seatmate?

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/want-to-pick-your-airline-seatmate-on-facebook/

We just completed the online application enrolling us in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for those traveling overseas.

While a few might object to “big brother” knowing their travel plans, the U.S. Department of State recommends that all U.S. overseas travelers enroll.

Here’s the scoop from the U.S. Department of State:

Stay Informed.

Sign up for our free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (formerly known as “Travel Registration” or “Registration with Embassies”) to receive the latest travel updates and information!

When you sign up, you will automatically receive the most current information we compile about the country where you will be traveling or living.  You will also receive updates, including Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts (where appropriate).  You only need to sign up once, and then you can add and delete trips from your account based on your current travel plans!

Stay Connected.

By connecting with us on the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, we will be able to assist you better in the case of an emergency, such as if you lose your passport or it is stolen while you are abroad.

We also assist U.S. citizens in other emergencies, such as in natural disasters.  For example, after the earthquake in Haiti, we evacuated over 16,700 U.S. citizens and family members. During the civil unrest in Lebanon in 2006 we assisted nearly 15,000 U.S. citizens and family members, and in 2004 we helped thousands more during the tsunami.

The travel and contact information you enter into our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program will make it easier for consular officers in U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to contact you and your loved ones during an emergency —including situations where your family or friends in the U.S. are having problems trying to contact you with important news.

Stay Safe.

We believe that a well-informed traveler is a safer traveler. Our consular officers around the world compile country-specific information, travel alerts, travel warnings, fact sheets and emergency messages to provide you with timely and accurate travel information about every country where you may travel.

We include reports on possible risks and security threats so that you can make informed decisions about your travel plans and activities.

Stay informed by connecting with us via our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so you can have safe and enjoyable travels!

In our opinion, a small invasion into our travel privacy far outweighs being lost in the shuffle during a crisis.  What do you think?

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/smart-traveler-enrollment-program-for-overseas-travelers/

Grand Canyon Raft Trips Deals for Spring 2012!!

From Grand Canyon Whitewater Rafting:

We are coming upon a few trips quite quickly where we have some seats still left to fill. This is one of our better offers, we hope you’ll consider:

2012 Motorized Grand Canyon Raft Trips:

• May 1-7 7-day/6-night Full Canyon Raft Trip – Originally $2,395 NOW: $1,555 a savings of $840
• May 13-17 7-day/6-night Full Canyon Raft Trip – Originally $2,395 NOW: $1,555 a savings of $840

190 river miles of rafting and camping through the ‘Heart of Grand Canyon”. This trip includes a
helicopter ride out of the Canyon and a flight back to where your trip began.

2012 Oar-Powered Grand Canyon Raft Trips:

• April 10-22 or May 12-24 13-day Full Canyon Oar Trip –Originally $3395 NOW: $2,205 a savings of $1,190. This trip includes round-trip transportation from Las Vegas, NV
• April 10-15 or May 12-17 6-day Upper Canyon Oar Trip w/Hike-Out – Originally $1600. NOW: $1,040 a savings of $560
• April 15-22 or May 17-24 8-day Lower Canyon Oar Trip w/Hike-In – Originally $2,265. NOW: $1,475 a savings of $79

Call Grand Canyon Whitewater at 800-343-3121 to reserve your seat at this price. Be sure to mention this “Save Big” email.

If these dates don’t work, send us an e-mail to get on our PACKQUICKLY savings list at info@grandcanyonww.com.

Click here for more information on Grand Canyon Whitewater Rafting.

Sounds fun!

Looking for a unique little romantic interlude?

Grab your picnic basket, a nice blanket, a nice bottle of wine … and a box of Girl Scout Cookies?

Kris Margerum, Wine Director at Napa Valley’s luxury hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant Auberge du Soleil, offers a wine-lover’s solution. “Even the simplest sweets can be paired with a fine wine,” said Margerum. He enjoys pairing confections with exquisite vintages. “They shape the flavor and take the simple experience of enjoying a cookie to an entirely new level of enjoyment.”

Margerum, a 25-year veteran of Auberge du Soleil, blind-tastes more than 100 wines a week to maintain Auberge du Soleil’s wine list of 1,500 selections, and offers after-dinner pairings of rare Madeiras and house-made chocolates at the inn’s restaurant.

He explored Auberge du Soleil’s 17,000-bottle cellar, for the perfect wines to complement selections from this year’s batch of Girl Scout goodies:

• Begin your pairing adventure with the Trefoils-Old Fashioned Shortbread paired with the 2007 Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine. The creamy richness of the shortbread is balanced by the fresh lively notes of the Sparkling Wine.
• Follow with Savannah Smiles paired with 2010 Dr. Loosen “Bernkasteler Lay” Riesling-Kabinett. “The lemon notes and powder sugar create an amazing match with this off-dry, high- acid white wine,” said Margerum.
• His favorite pairing is Dosidos-Peanut Butter Cremes with 2009 Schloss Gobelsburg Gobelsburger Zweigelt The light bodied and fruity Zweigelt paired with the Do-Si-Dos brings home the flavors of peanut butter & jelly.
• Thank U Berry Much cookies follow nicely with the 2009 Romililly Pinot Noir Russian River Valley.
• Dulce de Leche-Caramel cookies perfectly complement the 2006 Renwood “Grandmére” Zinfandel.
• Margerum suggests finishing with the three chocolate cookies, beginning with the Samoas and a Graham’s 20-Year Tawny Port. The coconut is an ideal blend with the oak-aged port, while the Noval Vintage Ruby Reserve Port is rich enough to match the chocolate and mint flavors of the popular Thin Mints.
• To guarantee a party-pleasing finale, Margerum pairs the Tagalongs-Peanut Butter Patties with the Rare Wine Company’s “Imperial-Old Reserve” Malmsey Maderia, because, Margerum added, “Nothing goes better with sweet Maderias than chocolate and nuts.”

We like the way this guy thinks.

We haven’t visited Auberge du Soleil yet, but it’s definitely on our list for when we return to finish our series on Napa Valley.  If it’s anything like our visit to Encantado Resort and Spa in Sante Fe, then it’s certain to be another world-class experience.

Until then, let’s raise a glass and please pass the Girl Scout Cookies!

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/romantic-wine-pairings-for-girl-scout-cookies/

Note: click for larger view

Over the past four years, Hawaii, the Big Island has been our annual winter visit to the tropics.

We love Hawaii Island because it’s bigger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined, has one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and has two volcanic peaks that rise from sea level to nearly 14,000 feet.

Of all the islands, Hawaii Island is the most ecologically diverse, with natural environments ranging from the desert plains of Ka‘u to the rain forests above Hilo, to sometimes snowcapped Maunakea. There are said to be 13 climatic regions on earth and Hawaii Island has all but two, the Arctic and the Saharan.

We could sing the praises of Hawaii Island for hours.  However, the thing that we like most about Hawaii Island is that it is somewhat undiscovered by most American travelers.

Think about it, a somewhat undiscovered Hawaiian island that is barron of the massive throngs of people found on some of the neighboring islands.  For decades, smart travelers have quietly visited, built homes, and enjoyed this tropical paradise without the boat loads of tourists found elsewhere.

Shhh.  Don’t tell anyone our secret!

We are soon to make another trek to Hawaii Island, sponsored by our friends at the Big Island Visitors Bureau, and they wanted us to share with you that Hawaii Island is also the land of big adventure.

Here’s a recent release from Hawaii Island:

How long will the eruption last? No one knows but back up near the summit, at the park visitors’ center, rangers can tell explorers all about trails, campgrounds, guided hikes and Hawaiian cultural activities. Respected tour companies also offer interpretative drives and hikes through the park.

And down the road, visitors can explore the Kazumura lava tube system—the deepest, longest, tallest known lava tube system on Earth, on a guided trek.

Ocean Commotion – Hawai‘i Island has 266 miles of coastline—more than double that of any other Hawaiian Island—and there are many ways to explore the warm, clear ocean that surrounds us. Start with charter boats—traditional Hawaiian outriggers for paddling or sailing, cush catamarans for snorkeling and scuba expeditions to tucked- away bays, sturdy craft for close-up views of lava exploding into the sea, even a real submarine with very big windows. And don’t forget the stalwart yachts that cruise Kona’s famous deep-sea fishing grounds, hooking some of the world’s most spectacular fighting fish. Adventurers can also rent kayaks to discover hidden coves on their own for snorkeling and secluded picnics.

But you don’t need a boat to enjoy the ocean around Hawai‘i Island.

Surfing (he‘e nalu) was invented by Hawaiians, and Hawai‘i Island surf breaks are so treasured that songs and chants have been written about them. Surf lessons are a perfect way to learn where to go and what to do. Two local favorites are Honoli‘i Beach Park outside of Hilo, and Kahalu‘u Beach Park just south of Kailua Village.

Scuba guides will lead newbies or old salts out into the sparkling blue right from shore along the Kona and Kohala coasts, swirling through arches and caves, racing green sea turtles and flying weightless underwater. Or just put on your mask and snorkel and float in the shallows at one of the many beaches around the island where families love to gather. Or don’t even get your face wet—tip-toe among the tidepools and see a whole miniature world you never knew existed.

Click for large view

Star Struck – The ocean is pretty deep, but not compared to the heavens. At the 13,796- foot summit of Maunakea stand the planet’s most powerful astronomical observatories. From here, telescopes peer billions of light-years into the universe. Before going to the summit, cosmos-oriented dreamers will want to stop at the 9,300-foot visitors’ center and peer through portable telescopes to the rings of Saturn and beyond. Then they can drive or take a tour to the summit, be dazzled by a sky shimmering with more stars than they’ve probably ever seen, and stand next to the giant observatories that, at that very moment, might be discovering extraordinary new truths about our universe.

Note: click photo for large view

Google’s new Hotel Finder tool just might make life a little easier for luxury boomer travelers.

Let’s say you are planning a trip to New York City and you want to find a 5-Star hotel within 15-minutes walking distance of Times Square.

Google’s new Hotel Finder will help you do exactly that.

When using the Hotel Finder tool, you type in a particular tourist attraction, and the tool will allow you to sort by:

• Price
• Hotel Class
• Price compared to usual
• Travel time (by foot or car)
• Price/night
• User ratings

After setting the particular filters you desire, the Hotel Finder tool will then display a list of hotels.  With a simple click of your mouse, you can view pictures and information about a particular hotel.  If you like a particular hotel, you can then add it to your “short list” for further comparison.

Once you’ve made a decision to stay at a particular hotel, you can then book it through Expedia, Priceline, Hotels.com, or the hotels site.

Give it a try, and let us know what you think!

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El Malecon Boardwalk in Havana Cuba

Until recently, it has been illegal for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba since the 1962 trade embargo put into place by President John F. Kennedy

The only travel allowed between the two countries was primarily limited to Cuban-Americans, research trips for professional and academic research, and humanitarian or religious mission trips.

While travel to Cuba is still not legal for the average American tourist, last year President Obama made it possible for limited numbers of people to legally travel to Cuba through “people-to-people” educational travel programs.

In that spirit, professional photographers Tod O’Driscoll and Otto von Munchow invite you to join them on an intimate 8 Day Cuban Photographic Journey on April 16-23, 2012 (travel provided by Insight Cuba).

Join an 8-Day Cuban Photographic Journey!

As part of this people-to-people exchange, group participants will meet and get to know Cubans from all different walks of life.  Participants, through an English speaking Cuban guide,  will learn about Cuban history, culture, and the joys, triumphs, and every day struggles of the Cuban people.

From Tod and Otto:

“Get acquainted with the romantic city of Havana and its people through interactions with the residents, visiting communities, sharing stories and experiences.

After falling in love with Havana, it’s on to Cienfuegos, commonly referred to as “The Pearl of the South”, before settling in to soak up Trinidad’s colonial charm. While here, you’ll walk the cobblestoned streets, mingling with the residents while absorbing the history of this wondrous region. Set amongst the Sierra del Escambray Mountains to the north, where coffee plantations dominate, and the turquoise blue Caribbean Sea to the south, you’ll take in the beauty of the area, and won’t want to leave!

Each day on the tour, you will go out with your camera to meet Cubans from various walks of life, and you will be able to hear their stories about their lives, their customs, and their country. You will also see the beautiful architecture, be seduced by the infectious Cuban music, and take in the stunning landscapes.”

Highlights of the tour include:

• A walking tour of Old Havana’s colonial streets and squares
• Visiting a Cuban cigar factory
• Meeting Cuban photographers
• Touring Cienfuegos (the “Paris of Cuba) and visiting a Cuban artist colony
• Meeting Cuban musicians
• Touring the Miramar neighborhood of Havana
• Meeting Cuban artists
• Exploring colonial Trinidad
• Visiting the Sugar Mills Valley

What’s included:

• 4 or 5-star accommodations in Havana
• All meals (as outlined in the itinerary)
• Days full of guided activities
• U.S. Treasury Department License and Letter of Authorization
• A Cuban host (travel guide)
• All entrance fees to scheduled activities and events
• All in-country ground transportation and transfers
• Travel health insurance, emergency medical evacuation, and trip cancellation coverage (up to $1,000)
• Insight Cuba Travel Handbook
• 24-hour emergency service

What’s not included:

• Flights to and from Miami, and international flights to and from Havana are not included in cost of the program (prices to Havana vary depending on the season, but can range from $400 up to $600+)
• $50 visa charge
• $20 Fed Ex charge
• $50 Administration fee
• This cost also does not include any fees to be paid to Fototecha (the Cuban Photographers group we will be meeting with).
• $25 Cuban departure tax
• Tips for your guide, driver, chambermaids, bell hops and waiters are not included in the program fee.
• Any optional event that requires an admission fee such as museums, night clubs, a baseball game, etc.
• Beverages or snacks which are not part of a meal (i.e., a beverage or snack purchased between meals).
• Individual transportation within Cuba for optional activities.
• All expenses of a personal nature such as room service, phone, mini-bar, laundry, internet access, etc.
• Any excess baggage charges.
• Cost of obtaining a passport.
• Any additional cost(s) not included in the itinerary.

Instructors: Tod O’Driscoll and Otto von Munchow

Tod O’Driscoll is an award winning photographer with twenty two years experience. He has an M.A. in Photography, and his work has taken him all over the U.S., as well as to Mexico, Europe and Africa. His fine art, documentary, and event photography have all been awarded top honors in various regional, national and international competitions over the years, and his work has been published by corporations, universities and print and web publications.

Otto von Munchow is a documentary photographer based in Bergen, Norway. In 1989, he studied at the International Center of Photography in New York City, where he assisted acclaimed documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark. Since then, he has photographed in Africa, the Ukraine, Thailand, Norway, Cuba, and all over Europe. His work has been published in many print and web publications. He first visited Cuba in 1991, and has returned many times since then, as he loves Cuba and the Cuban people.

Cost of the trip is $3,695 (double occupancy). A single supplement is an additional $300 per each single room request. A deposit of $600 is required to reserve your place on the trip.

For more info. on the trip (including pricing details, etc.), please visit: www.phototourscuba.com.  To reserve your place, please call: (206) 948-9481 or (480) 313-8121, or email: odriscollphoto@msn.com

This program is organized and operated by Insight Cuba. Insight Cuba has been issued a specific license by The Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, which authorizes registered guests of their programs to visit Cuba legally.

This trip sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.  As a photographer, and a lover of unique travel experiences, this trip would definitely merit our personal consideration if we weren’t already committed to other travel during the time of this excursion.

Disclosure:  this information is brought to you as a sponsored post paid for by World Photo Tours.

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The AAA Four and Five Diamond lists are one of our “go to” lists when we are deciding which properties to visit and share with you our readers and subscribers.

One of the great missions of our website is to peruse these lists on your behalf, go visit, and bring you back a report filled with lush photography, videos, and more.

Here’s a recent press release that we hope might spark a few travel ideas in your mind.

If so, be certain to head to our Facebook page and share some of your pictures.

ORLANDO, Fla., (Jan. 20, 2012) – AAA announced today the 126 lodgings and 53 restaurants that earned the AAA/CAA Five Diamond Award® designation for 2012. These select establishments represent just 0.3 percent of the total 59,000 AAA/CAA Approved and Diamond Rated lodgings and restaurants.

Of note among the 16 new additions for 2012 are first-ever Five Diamond establishments for Rhode Island and Antigua. In the restaurant category, New York tops the list for growth with three new Five Diamond establishments. California is the only state to grow in both categories, with two additional lodgings and one restaurant.

The Roaming Boomers help you decide which of these properties to visit with our lush video and photographic reports!

During the past year, eight Five Diamond restaurants closed their doors, at least temporarily. “This 15 percent drop illustrates the speed at which the concept of luxury dining is shifting in response to the economy, changing diner preferences and a corporate redefining of acceptable luxury levels for business reimbursement,” said Michael Petrone, director, AAA Tourism Information Development. “Today the service style is more casual, with a greater focus on providing a high-quality, individualized, value-focused experience. The addition of seven Five Diamond restaurants reflects the rebound that began for this segment during the latter half of 2011.”

AAA’s professional inspectors, ideally positioned to observe emerging hospitality trends, noted other changes in store for 2012. For hotels, a prevalent trend is creating a home-away-from-home environment, according to AAA inspectors. Another growth area is “smarter” hotel rooms that learn guests’ habits as they use a central remote to control everything from heating and air to lights, curtains, music and wakeup calls. In the restaurant industry, prevailing themes include more natural ingredients, locally sourced foods and healthier meal options. These include rustic fare — simple dishes with fresh ingredients — made in-house and new twists on comfort foods such as a “dusting” of dried, powdered fruits or vegetables to add texture and flavor, rather than heavy sauces.

“Five Diamond lodgings feature extraordinary physical attributes and meticulous personalized attention, and Five Diamond restaurants feature world-class service and imaginative menu selections using the finest ingredients,” said Petrone. “It is an amazing accomplishment to achieve and maintain this level of quality and service, and AAA is pleased to honor these properties with a Five Diamond Rating.”

New AAA Five Diamond Lodgings:

ARIA Sky Suites, Las Vegas, Nev.

The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, S.C.

Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort, Jumby Bay, Antigua (pictured above)

Mandarin Oriental, Miami, Fla.

Montage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Ocean House, Watch Hill, R.I.

The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Calif.

The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The St. Regis Houston, Houston, Texas

New Five Diamond Restaurants:

Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Tarrytown, N.Y.

Del Posto, New York, N.Y.

Herons Restaurant, Cary, N.C. (in the Umstead Hotel & Spa)

The Kitchen Restaurant, Sacramento, Calif.

Marea, New York, N.Y.

Menton, Boston, Mass.

Restaurant Initiale, Québec, Canada

Noteworthy for 2012:

Three lodgings have maintained the Five Diamond Rating for 36 consecutive years – since 1976 when AAA first introduced the Diamond Ratings for accommodations: The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., and JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The restaurant with the longest Five Diamond tenure, 24 consecutive years, since 1988, is The Inn at Little Washington Dining Room in Washington, Va.

Continuing a 75-year tradition, AAA’s professionally trained inspectors use published guidelines to conduct unannounced property evaluations. AAA rates more properties than any other rating entity and is the only rating system that covers the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. It is one of only two that conduct physical, on-site evaluations, assigning AAA/CAA Approved lodgings and restaurants One to Five AAA Diamonds. Travelers can access information about AAA inspections and Diamond Ratings at AAA.com/Diamonds.

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