Take a moment to congratulate yourself for being one of over 7,100 subscribers to our weekly travel newsletter, .  This week we offer some advice on picking the perfect cruise, how you can be one of the first to experience the latest changes at Caesars Place and how you can help cruise lines (and yourself) by taking a cruise in October.

Weekly Cruise Deals from Cruise Guide Network

This week we feature last-minute deals on cruises departing in October. The cruise lines are struggling to fill these ships, but their pain in your gain! Choose from two Bermuda cruises, a western Caribbean cruise, or a Mediterranean cruise. Priced from just $50 per night, these deals can't be beat:

http://www.cruiseguidenetwork.com/bargains.html

 

 

The New Tower at Caesars

The new Octavius Tower is almost ready for guests at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.  They're now accepting bookings for arrivals starting January 2, 2012.  The Octavius will have 668 rooms, with 60 suites and six "luxury villas".  Guests can expect rooms designed with "earthy tones", beds with pillow top mattress and Anchini linens, desks with "ample workspace" (you're working in Vegas?) and 42-inch HDTVs.  Once the Octavius Tower is open, Caesars Palace will have completed an $860 million expansion.

 

 

How to Pick the Perfect Cruise

Gene Sloan at USA Today offers 10 questions to help you find the perfect cruise. Where do you want to go? How long do you want to be away? What's your budget? What's your cruise personality? Are you bringing the kids? Do you mind a big crowd? How much do you care about entertainment? How important is the food? Do you want to get dressed up? And will you get seasick? We would add one more important question: what departure port is close to you?

This Week's New (or Improved) Hotels

The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown (in Washington, DC) is switching things up a bit with their on-site restaurants.  By November 1st, the Degrees Bar & Lounge will become the full-service Degrees Bistro.  The Fahrenheit restaurant is being transformed into the Fahrenheit Ballroom, a banquet rental space available for medium-sized soirees of up to 120 guests.

The Bellagio in Las Vegas is spending $70 million to redesign over 2,500 guest rooms in the hotel's main tower.  Their Resort King Rooms and Resort Queen Rooms are getting distinct designs, including benches at the foot of beds, brighter lighting and a full-length mirror.  Improved amenities include a 40" HDTV, iHome docking station and a laptop safe in one of the nightstands.  The remodeling effort is scheduled to be completed by mid-December.