Club Med comes to Canada (minus the palm trees) ... Drag queens on Carnival

Travel Pulse reports that ClubMed and Le Groupe Massif in Quebec have signed a deal to jointly operate the first Club Med resort in Canada.

You won't see any palm trees, at least not outdoors, but plans call for the resort to be built at the renowned ski hill at Le Massif de Charlevoix, in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François.

Le Massif Chairman Daniel Gauthier (of Cirque du Soleil fame) made the announcement at a Chamber of Commerce and Industry conference in Quebec City.

Plans call for a 300-room hotel to be built by Dec. 2015. Gauthier said that represents 24 per cent of the total number of units in phase one of the development project at Le Massif.

“Club Med’s interest confirms Le Massif de Charlevoix’s vast tourism potential," Gauthier said in the Travel Pulse story. “It coincides perfectly with our aspiration to offer all-inclusive lodgings at the mountain. It is nevertheless important to mention that this hotel, which will be jointly operated with Club Med, represents only a portion of the mountain’s overall lodging offer.”

DRAG QUEENS BACK ON BOARD

Etravelblackboard reportsthat Carnival Cruise Lines "will now allow guests aboard what is being dubbed as the largest gathering of drag queens at sea to wear drag during the cruise, following outrage at a letter sent to passengers advising them that they will not be permitted to do so in public areas."

The letter, sent by Carnival Cruise Lines vice president of guest services Vicky Ray, told passengers sailing on the 2 December Carnival Glory voyage out of Miami that guests who violate the policy, “will be disembarked at their own expense and no refund will be given.”

Ms Ray attributed the decision to the amount of families and children that sail aboard the ship and expressed the line’s expectation that passengers “recognise that minors are onboard and refrain from engaging in inappropriate conduct in public areas.”

Carnival Cruise Lines president and CEO Gerry Cahill has taken to social media to explain what he says was a miscommunication between the cruise line and travel agency, Al and Chuck Travel, who booked the cruise.

“When the group was presented to us we were advised that only the performers would be dressed in drag during the private events,” Mr Cahill writes. 

“However, we are now aware that this was not clearly communicated to members of the group and therefore anyone who wishes to dress in drag may do so.

Mr Cahill goes on to express the importance of onboard safety and security procedures asking passengers to keep in mind that people must still be recognisable by their government-issued ID.

ZIP AROUND VEGAS

Tourists will soon have a new way to see the lights of Las Vegas: By being spit out of the mouth of an 11-story slot machine and zinged down a five-block zip line past some of the city's oldest casinos, says a story from Associated Press.

Officials on Tuesday unveiled plans for a permanent zip line on the downtown Las Vegas promenade known as the Fremont Street Experience.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said the thrill ride dubbed SlotZilla was destined to become an iconic city landmark.

"This is going to be known around the world: Come ride our Slotzilla," she said, standing beside showgirls and a scale model at the unveiling.

The monster zip line will cost $11 million to build and between $20 and $30 to ride. Construction is expected to start in January.

The attraction, expected to open in June, is an expansion of a much smaller, temporary zip line that has for two years scooted families, newlyweds and Elvis impersonators beneath a long metal canopy that displays an hourly light show.

That ride was intended to be a 30-day novelty, but it proved such a crowd pleaser the business community began working to make it permanent.

Currently, riders launch four at a time from a 67-foot (20-meter) metal scaffolding and land 800 feet (244 metres) away near the Four Queens casino, halfway across the pedestrian mall that features the world's largest video screen.

The new tower will be twice as tall, feature twice as many lines, and will look like a giant slot machine spitting out disoriented tourists.

With each new batch of zip-liners, the handle will dip, the wheels will spin, and the doors will open, revealing the course to the tourists on top.

"If you're going to do something here, you have to do it bigger and better than anywhere else," said Fremont Street Experience marketing director Thomas Bruney.

Officials are betting the new attraction will lure more visitors the downtown area, which has struggled to compete with the flashier Strip three miles (less than five kilometres) away.

It is intended to reflect the "vintage Vegas" vibe that characterizes the promenade, nicknamed "Glitter Gulch" for the classic casino signs that glow amid the souvenir shops and buffet signs.

Riders will be able to stop halfway, or continue to the end of the 1,700 course, landing near the Golden Gate casino. They will have the option of flying along the lines in a horizontal "superman" position, and accelerating their ride using a new "power launch" system.

Bootleg Canyon Flightlines operates the current ride. The new structure will be built by the Hawaii-based company Skyline, better known for zip lines that span waterfalls and forests.

“However, we are now aware that this was not clearly communicated to members of the group and therefore anyone who wishes to dress in drag may do so.