Sherman's Travel

Inspiration for adventure comes from many sources: the pages of a glossy magazine, a well-traveled friend over happy hour drinks, and, increasingly, in just 140 characters. Indeed, Twitter, the social media site once reserved for online bickering between C-list celebs, has emerged as a digital travel journal for some of the world’s top adventurers. Here, a few to keep your eye on. Read more

Social media buffs can now one-up their humdrum, landlubbing sessions of web surfing with a dose of cruise ship sailing without missing a tweet beat, thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line’s newly announced “SeaTweetup Cruise” (@SeaTweetup) this fall. The 3-night Twitter-themed itinerary aboard the 2,002-passenger Norwegian Sky will provide like-minded, social media-savvy guests the opportunity to network on the high seas, sharing their cruise experiences and building more traffic and followers en route. The first-ever themed sailing of its kind will embark on November 18 from Miami for a weekend getaway to the Bahamas, while offering cruisers onboard diversions like 10 eateries and as many bars and lounges, as well as a spa, fitness center, casino, and duty-free shops. Guests onboard can expect social media-centric activities like exclusive networking events that feature social media marketing panels; invitations to in-port, tweet-worthy events; and, of course, access to the ship’s Wi-Fi network for all their tweeting needs. Rates from $271/person; www2.ncl.com.

What do you think, Cruise News readers? Is there a place for such social media doings on the high seas, or should cruising be left to those looking to unplug?

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ShermansTravel.

One lucky reader will score two free nights at Costa Rica’s Rancho Pacifico, the all-suite eco-lodge located in a 250-acre rain forest preserve on the south Pacific Coast. To enter the contest, become a follower of ShermansTravel on Twitter before February 1. We will choose the winner at random from our followers on February 7.

For general trip-planning information, see our Costa Rica Travel Guide.

The Kimpton hotel group – with 50 outposts in cities across the country from the new Eventi and Ink48 hotels in New York City to trendy Hotel Monaco in Seattle and Hotel Palomar in Dallas – is offering an array of awesome free perks in honor of summer, from upgrades to tasty treats.   

These Summer Playground amenities last through September 10, so there’s plenty of time to take advantage…

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The lovely Casa Velas boutique hotel in Puerto Vallarta offers reams of activities that are included in the all-inclusive pricing: yoga classes, tequila tasting, cooking lessons, wine tasting, spa exfoliation, and even food carving with the sous chef. These pastimes are generally what one expects to do at a high-end Mexican beach resort (well maybe not food carving…), but the hotel’s newest free activity for guests is of a different stripe entirely. 

Casa Velas is now offering bi-weekly social media workshops.

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Need a break from updating your Twitter, facebook, and/or Myspace accounts? Kimpton’s new Lorien Hotel & Spa, a lovely Alexandria boutique, just outside D.C., has crafted a refreshing PDA-free package that will leave your followers and friends wondering, what’s up with her status, or lack thereof.

Rates for the Social Media Detox package start from $199/night and include a 10-minute chair massage, a $20 credit to BRABO or BRABO Tasting Room, complimentary use of bicycles and route maps, and an item off the Dream Service Menu such as milk and cookies or a lavender eye pillow.  Plus, resist the urge to update your profile during your stay and earn a $25 certificate that can be used towards a future stay at the hotel through February 28, 2010. At checkout, prove your social media abstinence by presenting a print-out (from the in-room computers) displaying your lack of activity, or via Blackberry/iPhone.  

Book this offer by December 30 by calling 877-856-7436 (rate code DTOX) or visit www.lorienhotelandspa.com.

Twitter may be time consuming, but it may soon be well worth any savvy flyer’s while. United Airlines and Jet Blue are taking notice of the Internet update-obsessed and rewarding them with tempting deals, many of which are exclusive to the social networking and mini-blog site. While following United Airlines’ twares, or Jet Blue’s cheeps, tweeters receive hot prices (some one-way flights have been advertised for under $10 bucks) that often leave the screen faster than a plane has liftoff. In fact, in many cases, fares are only available for as little as an hour or two. Read more