TOWNE LAKE TRAVEL NEWS ...

WHITE GLOVE
SERVICE AT SEA

by Stephanie H. Laney and Lynn Laney

SURF'S UP!
by Lorraine Allen Rose

The holidays are fast approaching and many are preparing to play host to company. Whether it's an informal get-together to sing carols around the piano, dinner for fifty or just the family for Thanksgiving, new recipes can make the occasion really pop! Although I own nearly every cookbook written, I find the Internet to be an invaluable resource for finding recipes.

www.epicurious.com - Search the database of more than 13,000 recipes from Bon Appetit, Gourmet Magazine and numerous cookbooks at this Website. The search function allows you to search by ingredient; cuisine; special features such as "Kid Friendly," "Low Fat," or "Meatless;" as well as special occasion or preparation time.

www.ivillage.com/food/recipefinder —- iVillage offers a fairly extensive list of recipes, contributed by iVillage users - complete with reviews. Many of the recipes also offer calorie/fat/protein counts. The search function is great, allowing you to choose main ingredients, meal-type, method of preparation and even special requirements, such as "high protein" or "wheat-free." The recipes on this site are much more "down-to-earth" and less "gourmet" than those offered by epicurious.

www.justcrockpotrecipes.com —- For those of us on the run, here's a site for sore eyes! Just Crock Pot Recipes is exactly what the name implies - a site full of more than 3,000 recipes for your slow-cooker. This site also has links to numerous related sites, such as "Just Seafood Recipes," "Just Chocolate Recipes" and "Just Kids Recipes." The site isn't fancy, and has a number of ads on it, but it offers so many good recipes for slow-cookers, it's worth it!

www.allrecipes.com - All recipes is just what it claims to be - if you can't find the recipe here, it may not exist! This site, fueled by recipes from users as well as by leading food industry companies like Hersheys and Betty Crocker, has a great search function and reader reviews. They also provide a selection of diabetic recipes and nutrition facts from the American Diabetes Association. This is a fun site to find creative, easy to prepare holiday treats.

www.marthastewart.com - If you're entertaining to impress, who but Martha cold offer the best recipes, as well as the crafts to decorate the home and tools to use in the kitchen. Although certainly not a substitute for her cookbooks, the site offers many of her favorites, especially around the holidays. The URL is far too long to type, so simply log onto Marthastewart.com, then select "cooking," then select "recipe finder."

Recently, we were the guests of Celebrity Cruises onboard a 2-Night Pre-Inaugural Preview of their brand new GTS SUMMIT (GTS = Gas Turbine System). She is the third in a new series of vessels introduced by Celebrity. She is a "sister ship" to the Millennium, introduced in June 2000 and the Infinity, introduced in March of this year.

Upon arrival at the Port of Miami, we were welcomed with a glass of champagne as we checked in. Then as we stepped from the gangway onto the ship - rather than being directed to our cabin with the point of a finger - we were greeted by uniformed, white gloved stewards who took our luggage and personally escorted us to our stateroom.

Polished mahogany and etched glass. Soft, aged leather and crisp, white linen. An exquisite arrangement of exotic flowers. This is the ambiance of this most spectacular cruise ship. Here, stunning architectural detail and impeccable décor delight the eye at every turn. Celebrity's renowned Five-Star service sets the standard for subtle pampering. Immediately, you know that this is much more than just a sleek new ship.

Our stateroom was a Deluxe Ocean-View with a veranda. It featured twin beds which could be converted to a king size, a sitting area and floor to ceiling sliding glass doors out to the veranda. There was a mini-bar, an interactive TV, an in-room safe and plenty of closet space. The bathroom, while it had no tub, had a very large shower (larger than I have seen on any other cruise ship), hair dryer, and excellent lighting (which you don't always find). The 24-hour complimentary room service produces almost instant results. With one staff member to meet the needs of every two guests - your every wish is their command.

The public areas are magnificent. The Resort Deck features the 25,000 square foot AquaSpa which offers everything from the largest open-access Thalassotherapy pool, complete with body jets, neck massage and resistance swimming to treatments that soothe the body and soul. Here you will also find the Waterfall Pool with its glistening water cascade that flows over colored glass boulders into the sparkling pool. And adjacent to the pool is the Waterfall Café/Waterfall Grill. This casual dining area includes a pasta bar, freshly made pizza, grilled steak, hamburgers and much more. You can dine under the skylights in the air conditioned Café or at the outside Grill's Teak Bar with translucent awnings. Should you select a table inside in one of the Bay Windows, be aware of the large circles of Plexiglas upon which your chair might rest. It can be a bit unnerving to look down and see the ocean waves beneath your feet from ten decks up. I had this unexpected experience.

The bi-level Cosmopolitan Restaurant found on Decks 4 and 5 offers an elegant setting and spectacular views with its floor-to-ceiling windows for your dining pleasures. The piano music plays softly as the award-winning cuisine is prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients from Master Chef Michel Roux's recipes. Service is white-gloved, European-style and attentive, but never obtrusive.

The Normandie is a specialty restaurant, seating 130 people. This provides another choice in dining venues for those seeking easy elegance in sophisticated dining. The art deco design of the Normandie incorporates original paneling and artifacts from the French Line vessel of the same name - considered one of the foremost ocean liners of its era. Here you will find dramatic tableside preparation, as well as the culinary art of flambé. It provides an extensive wine list, especially designed to complement the experience.

Before dinner, a drink might be in order in the Martini & Champagne Bar where you can also indulge in fine Osetra or Sevruga caviars. After dinner and the Broadway-style show, you may wish to enjoy your pipe or a fine

TRAVEL NEWS, CONT'D

hand-rolled cigar in Michael's Club, along with a cognac or a fine aperitif.

The SUMMIT sailed on her Maiden Voyage on October 1.

Through March 2002, she will alternate 10 and 11-Day itineraries from Ft. Lauderdale. Her 10-Day itineraries will cover St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Kitts, and St. Thomas with return to Ft. Lauderdale. Her 11-Day voyages will encompass Key West, Cozumel, Puerto Limon, Costa Rica - Colon, Panama —- Cartagena, Columbia - Aruba - Grand Cayman and return to Ft. Lauderdale. She will do a 14-Night Trans-Canal sailing on April 19 ending in San Diego. May 3 will see a 10-Night sailing from Ensenada, Mexico to Hawaii, calling at all five Islands and ending in Honolulu. This is followed by an 11-Night sailing on May 13 back through the five Hawaiian Islands, ending at Vancouver, British Columbia. This places her in position for her 7-Night Alaska Cruises next summer before heading back to Ft. Lauderdale via the above same routing to begin her Fall/Winter Caribbean itinerary again for 2002/2003. The San Diego Eastbound Trans-Canal sailing will leave San Diego on October 4 in 2002.

If you like to be pampered - this is definitely the Cruise for you!

Stephanie Laney is co-owner and Vice President and Lynn Laney is Vice President of Laney International Travel, Inc.