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Along with his wife, Erin (played by Katie Holmes) and kids, Jack brings his sister Jill on a holiday cruise vacation aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas, one of the world’s two largest and most revolutionary cruise ships. Once onboard, a mix of sibling rivalry and Jack’s attempts to set his twin up with Al Pacino (played by himself), who takes a surprising interest in Jill, leads to chaos and calamity.

Scenes for the movie, which was written and produced by Adam Sandler and directed by Dennis Dugan, were filmed aboard Allure of the Seas last November during the ship’s pre-inaugural celebrations.  Moviegoers just might be inspired to take their own family cruise vacation after watching the activities and antics Jack and Jill participate in while onboard – especially when it results in a surprising bonding experience for the unlikely twins.

From enjoying the ship’s variety of restaurants and dining options, to one-upping each other in the pool or during a match of double-dutch, audiences will catch a glimpse of all that a family vacation with Royal Caribbean can offer.

“Allure of the Seas provided a very unique movie backdrop for the cast and crew of “Jack and Jill,” said Betsy O’Rourke, senior vice president, Marketing, Royal Caribbean International.  “The film production added an extra layer of excitement to our successful launch and we were thrilled to be able to showcase our largest and most innovative ship and some of her many offerings.”

For more information on the Allure sailings see link below:
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60 Second Geography – Livorno, Tuscany, Umbria

Goethe once observed that Tuscany “looks like Italy should.” Fortunately, little has changed in the two centuries since the German poet was himself a tourist in Tuscany. The Tyrrhenian port of Livorno was founded in the 15th century. It is the gateway to Italy’s Tuscan region and to many spectacular sights; including the extraordinary Leaning Tower of Pisa, the charming medieval village of Lucca, the lovely hill town of San Gimignano and the timeless city of Florence.

No place is as imbued with such grace, dignity, serenity and history as is Florence. This city’s wealth of architectural and artistic treasures includes works by Raphael, da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo. Truly Florence, cradle of the Italian Renaissance, is one of the world’s most enticing cities.

• Ponte Vecchio. Florence’s most famous bridge spans the Arno River and is praised for its engineering. Built by the ancient Etruscans, the Ponte Vecchio is Florence’s only bridge to survive World War II. Today, it is a bustling pedestrian bridge of shops and home to the gold and silver guilds.
• Leaning Tower of Pisa. This famous leaning Campanile or Bell Tower has drawn visitors for centuries. Now inclined 14 feet to one side due to the settling of the subsoil, engineers have been hard at work shoring it up to prevent any further leaning. The top of the tower is said to be where Galileo conducted his famous gravitational experiments.
• Uffizi Gallery. This popular museum houses the masterpieces by Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, and Botticelli, as well as a smaller replica of the David. Michaelangelo’s original David can be found at the Galleria dell ‘Accademia.
• San Gimignano rises on a hill dominating the Elsa Valley known for its towers. It began its life as a town in the 10th century taking its name from the Holy Bishop of Modena, St. Gimignano, who is said to have saved the village from the barbarian hordes. In 1348 San Gimignano’s population was drastically reduced by the Black Death Plague. The construction of the towers dates back to the 11th and 13th centuries. The architecture of the city was influenced by Pisa, Siena and Florence.

Contact Cruise Innovations and start planning your vacation.

Norwegian’s deployment for 2012 and 2013 includes many exciting firsts for the line. From the northeast, Norwegian Pearl will set sail from New York beginning in October 2012, offering a series of 21 seven-day Bahamas and Florida cruises, along with three 12-day Southern Caribbean voyages; and, in April 2012, Norwegian Star will embark on weeklong cruises to Bermuda from New York. In the company’s largest European deployment ever, Norwegian Spirit will join Norwegian Jade sailing year-round in Europe beginning in April 2012. This is also the first time Norwegian Spirit will sail in Europe offering 12-day Grand Mediterranean voyages in the summer and fall, along with nine-day Canary Islands in the winter and spring. In Alaska, Norwegian Jewel will replace Norwegian Star in May 2012 and cruise from Seattle on a seven-day Sawyer Glacier itinerary.

Guests sailing on Norwegian’s fleet of 11 Freestyle Cruising ships can experience award-winning entertainment, accommodations to suit an array of needs from solo travelers to families; and enjoy dinner around the world with options ranging from Italian, French, Chinese and classic American to sushi, Teppanyaki and Brazilian churrasco.

For a limited-time, guests who are looking to set sail on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise vacation through Europe can receive up to $300 to spend on board (based on stateroom category) on new reservations made on Norwegian Epic by July 31, 2011.

On offer across the company’s fleet of eleven luxurious cruise liners will be a greater range of natural, fresh fruit, lower-calorie and non-alcoholic drinks as well as tantalizing new cocktails that reflect trendsetting adaptations of traditional recipes.

“Our passengers are a lot more health conscious and we pride ourselves in keeping up with new trends by continuously upgrading, changing and adjusting our selection of drinks, cocktails and wines to ensure we can always meet their expectations,” said Monica Panero, MSC Italcatering Corporate Bar Management Director.

Healthy beverage options are wide ranging throughout the MSC Cruises fleet. All vessels have a Vitamin, tea and Coffee Corner specializing in a large selection of fresh fruit squeezes and shakes. The Musica and Fantasia class ships also feature a Spa Bar dedicated to a range of healthy drinks.

The famed MSC Cruises Italian “Gelateria” remains a treasure trove for those preferring non-alcoholic drinks and offer a mouth watering array of ‘smoothies’ prepared with fresh home-made ice cream, milk and seasonal fruits.

Sizzling summer season cocktails have similarly been adapted in response to new trends that have moved away from complicated concoctions in favour of a return to the simplicity, elegance and purity of many of the truly great traditional recipes that have stood the test of time.

The all time favourite Mojito, with its clean, cool and refreshingly long tasting qualities, remains the best-selling cocktail on all the MSC Cruises liners while a close second is another world famous traditional cocktail, the Piña Colada, which is hard to rival as a sweet frozen drink of rich tropical flavours.

In fact two distinct styles of cocktails have evolved for this summer’s menu: the “classique-nouveau” (new classic) and the Famous Brands.

The “classique-nouveau” (new classics) offers innovative twists on the traditional classics and feature fresh ingredients and contemporary flavours. The regular Vodka-tini mixed with the trendiest juice on the market has become the fabulous Pomegranate Tini and there are sensational new frozen Mojito’s and velvety Campari Orange shakes.

MSC Cruises’ Famous Brand cocktails now rank in a “beautiful people” class of their own. One of the most glamorous is the Martini Gold Dolce & Gabbana from the famed Italian fashion designers who teamed up with Martini’s Vermouth brand to create this alluring aperitif. It is the ultimate in sophistication and involves a refined blend of the purest ‘bergamot from Calabria, lemons from Sicily, oranges from Spain, saffron and myrrh from Ethiopia, ginger from India, and cubebe pepper from Indonesia.

Sailing Date: Aug 01, 2011
Through: Dec 31, 2011
Book By: Jun 30 2011 10:59PM

Free Specialty Dining, Spa Treatment and More on Royal Caribbean Cruises!

Book any 5-Night or longer Caribbean cruise departing August – December 2011 and RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY SPA TREATMENT!

An Oasis-Size Bonus!
Book an applicable sailing on either Oasis of the Seas® or Allure of the Seas® and receive COMPLIMENTARY DINNER FOR TWO in a Specialty Restaurant in addition to the spa treatment!

5-Night Western Caribbean
Liberty of the Seas®
Departing from Fort Lauderdale, FL
November 12 – December 29, 2011
Outside Staterooms From: $489
Balcony Staterooms From: $579

7-Night Eastern/Western Caribbean
Allure of the Seas®
Departing from Fort Lauderdale, FL
August 7 – December 18, 2011
Outside Staterooms From: $949
Balcony Staterooms From: $1,049

7-Night Eastern/Western Caribbean
Oasis of the Seas®
Departing from Fort Lauderdale, FL
August 6 – December 31, 2011
Outside Staterooms From: $965
Balcony Staterooms From: $995

7-Night Southern Caribbean
Serenade of the Seas®
Departing from San Juan, PR
August 7 – December 31, 2011
Outside Staterooms From: $759
Balcony Staterooms From: $1,109

Contact Ken or Carol at 888-581-3105

Royal Caribbean International and the Nation of Why Not – a place where innovation and imagination reign supreme. From its very beginning, this company has always been guided by the principles of “Why Not?” Why not design a ship specifically to cruise the Caribbean? Why not split it into two to add more features? Why not add rock walls and ice skating rinks and surf simulators?

All of those features allow our guests, or should I call them citizens, to ask “Why Not?” in turn – to go out and see, do and be more than they had ever thought possible. To feel that on a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation, they can rediscover who they really are. With more than 280 destinations worldwide and an amazing array of exciting shore excursions and cruisetour options, we’re giving our citizens the chance to try something new – why not go glacier-trekking in Alaska, cave-tubing in Belize, biking through the vineyards of Dubrovnik, Croatia; experience the wonders of China or why not do nothing at all? The choice is yours.

And in honor of St. Patrick, CIE is also extending a $100 per couple discount on any departure. To obtain the discount, book and pay a deposit before March 31. Use code 033111CLA50.

Starting and ending at Dublin Airport, this itinerary includes two nights in Dublin with sightseeing in Dublin’s Fair City and Co. Wicklow; then it’s into Northern Ireland with visits to Belfast, the Mountains of Mourne, Antrim Coast, and Belleek. The itinerary then heads to the West of Ireland including Achill Island, Westport, Galway, Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Bunratty, Limerick, and the Shannon River. Ireland’s popular southern coast is also part of the plan: Killarney, Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula, Blarney, Cobh, Waterford, Kilkenny and Kildare. The last night is spent with a regal flourish at the Dunboyne Castle Hotel.

The price includes 11 full Irish breakfasts, 10 dinners including dinner/traditional Irish entertainment at Taylor’s Three Rock Pub, medieval banquet and entertainment at Bunratty Castle, farewell dinner with entertainment at Dunboyne Castle Hotel, welcome get-together drink, and Irish coffee/music session at the Marine Bar in Dungarvan. The price also covers tours of Dublin and Belfast with local guides; walking tours of Derry and Waterford with local guides; day tour to Achill Island; horse-drawn jaunting car ride in Killarney; plus visits and admissions to Glendalough Visitor Centre, Dublin Castle, Down Cathedral, St. Patrick Centre, Giant’s Causeway, Ulster American Folk Park, Belleek Pottery Factory, Poulnabrone Dolmen, Cliffs of Moher, Foynes Flying Boat Museum, Muckross House & Gardens, Blarney Woollen Mills, Cobh Heritage Centre, Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre and Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens.

The price also provides a deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap; all local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person.

Contact @@BrandingName and start planning your own “Irish Classic”.

It was the most perfect experiment in the history of science. Holding both a cannon ball and a small musket ball, the 30-something Pisa native Galileo Galilei scaled the steps of his city’s famous Leaning Tower, and held them dramatically over the edge. Eight stories below, the town’s most learned scholars and priests were gathered as observers. They watched as the two balls dropped to the ground at the same speed – disproving, with a single stroke, the ancient idea that objects fall at different rates depending on their weight and size. This archaic concept, which had been espoused by the ancient Greek author Aristotle, had been accepted without question for more than 2,000 years, Galileo’s great innovation was to put it to a practical test of observation. Unfortunately, this famous story is probably not true. Galileo never wrote about it himself – it was recounted in a late biography penned by his secretary, Vincenzo Viviani. Most historians now believe that it was Galileo’s imaginative disciples who invented the Leaning Tower tale in order to make the theory so clear that even a child could understand it. The Leaning Tower was an appropriate setting not just because of its unusual angle – surrounded by the most impressive collection of religious buildings in Italy, it makes Galileo’s experiment, in defiance of an ancient tradition supported by the Church, seem all the more radical. In the long run, the fabrication hardly matters. Galileo was indisputably the pioneer of scientific experimentation – relying on direct observation, rather than abstract reasoning based on research in the library – and he probably did test his theory in other places around Pisa. Albert Einstein praised Galileo as “the father of modern science” for his breakthrough. And in Italy, Galileo has become a historical celebrity almost on a par with the saints. In the mid-1700s, when his body was disinterred to move it to a more magnificent sepulcher, admirers removed his middle finger from his body and preserved it as a secular relic. The dried-out digit can be seen today, mounted in a lovely chalice-like container in the Museum of the History of Science in Florence – although nobody seems to know why that particular finger was so honored.

The world is a library. What story might you discover on a Globus vacation in Italy? Contact Cruise Innovations and find out!