Black Friday travel deals are on the way

The countdown to Black Friday and Cyber Monday travel deals is on. Here’s a preview of upcoming offers awaiting savvy travelers:

• Book a 2020 European river cruise with Emerald Waterways and get your choice of free round-trip air or $2,000 per couple off the price of the sailing. You’ll also get a free Premium Drink Package, valued at $430 per couple. In addition, guests booking a cabin on the ships’ Horizon deck save an additional $500 per couple. Seven-night Emerald Waterways cruises start at about $2,900 per person, based on double occupancy. Book Nov. 25-30. Go to www.emeraldwaterways.com/offers.

• Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) is slashing prices on several bucket-list trips. Save $3,600 per couple on a 16-day Ancient Egypt and Nile River tour that includes round-trip air from San Diego, Egypt Visa fees, 23 guided tours and 35 meals. Departure is set for May 21; you’ll pay $2,995 per person. Find other OAT deals from San Diego at www.oattravel.com/blackfriday — but book by phone, between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, at (800) 955-1925; ask for “San Diego Specials.”

• Get 35 percent off stays at the three Bettoja Hotels in the heart of Rome (Hotel Mediterraneo, Hotel Massimo D’Azeglio, Hotel Atlantico). Book between Nov. 29 and Dec. 2 for stays through 2020. Discounted rates start at 69 Euros per night (about $76) and include daily breakfast, a welcome drink and free Wi-Fi. (Rome has a daily tourist tax of 6 Euros per person.) Book online at www.bettojahotels.it.

• On Wednesday, Nov. 27, EF Go Ahead Tours will offer $1,400 off per couple on select off-season tours worldwide. Its Black Friday sale, available Nov. 23-29, will offer up to $1,200 off per couple on a “huge inventory” of worldwide tours. “Every destination we go to will have a discount,” a company spokeswoman said, “but there may be some tours and dates that are not on sale.” Learn more about the company’s Black Friday deals at www.goaheadtours.com/travel-deals/black-friday.

• Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours will provide free Premium Economy flights for those who book (and put down deposits) on certain 2020 European River Cruises — including Gems of the Danube, Jewels of Europe and Rhine Highlights. Book between Nov. 27 and Dec. 2. Those who pay in full at the time of booking can get additional deep discounts. Scenic’s weeklong, all-inclusive luxe river cruises start at $3,795 per person, based on double occupancy. Go to www.scenicusa.com.

Be forewarned that many Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals require prepayment and are nonrefundable.

In the spirit of Veterans Day, businesses in Buena Park are saluting the military with a passel of deals at area hotels, restaurants and attractions — including free admission to Knott’s Berry Farm. The Knott’s freebie is valid Nov. 3-21 and Dec. 2-19 for active duty and retired military and one guest. (Up to six additional tickets can be purchased for $42, which is half off the regular admission price at the gate.) Area hotels are offering military discounts and upgrades, free parking and no resort fees, and some are offering free shuttle service to local attractions. Most restaurant discounts are valid for military personnel only — not an entire tab. Learn more about these and other Buena Park deals for military and veterans at www.visitbuenapark.com/military.

Mammoth Mountain’s ski season opens Saturday, Nov. 9. Lift tickets will cost just $50 that day, instead of the usual $126. Savvy skiers can lock in season-long savings by purchasing lift tickets by Friday, Nov. 8. Savings range from 25 percent off single-day tickets to 45 percent off five-day tickets. Bundle tickets and lodging together for even greater savings; rates start at $120 per person, per night, with a two-night minimum, and include a free lift ticket for each person registered. Discounts are deepest for those who book by Nov. 8. Keep in mind that skiers 80 and older and those 4 and younger ski free every day at Mammoth. (Visit a ticket window and show proof of age to get your freebie.) Learn more at www.mammothmountain.com/winter.

The Rosarito Beach Hotel, just south of the border, is offering a hard-to-resist “Spa & Stay” package Mondays through Thursdays through Dec. 27. Pay just $109 for a room for two in the resort’s eight-story Coronado Tower, and they’ll throw in two 30-minute Swedish massages at their Casa Playa Spa. Pay $149 to upgrade to a one-bedroom suite in the 17-story Pacific Tower — and yes, that rate includes your 30-minute massages. Stay two nights and double up on your massages. Upgrade to two 60-minute massages and you’ll pay $139 with a room in the Coronado Tower, $179 in the Pacific Tower. Advance spa reservations are required. There’s no resort fee, and Wi-Fi is free in common areas, but overnight parking costs $3.50. Check out the resort at www.rosaritobeachhotel.com, but book by phone at (866) 767-2748 — and don’t forget to book those massages.

The idyllic Little River Inn on the Mendocino Coast is offering its best rates of the year to those who book by Nov. 15 for stays Dec. 1-19. The Winter Special gives guests 25 percent off any room at the resort, with a two-night minimum stay required. It means traditional ocean view rooms are going for as little as $140 per night — with no resort fee, free parking and Wi-Fi. The resort has more than 60 rooms, most with ocean views, some with soaking tubs and fireplaces. Choose your room online and book using the code WINTER. Go to www.littleriverinn.com.

North, the newest addition to Grand View Lodge in Misswa, Minn., has a two-for-the-price-of-one deal for travelers who miss Midwest-style seasonal changes. Through Dec. 19, pay as little as $150 for a two-night stay at the new 60-room boutique hotel. Even with taxes and the hotel’s 8 percent resort fee added, you’ll pay as little as $87 a night for your visit. Your stay includes a daily breakfast buffet. The resort includes indoor and waterfront pools, hot tubs and a fitness center, and it offers scheduled family activities. Learn more and book online at grandviewlodge.com/packages/north-bogo.

DaRosa is a freelance travel writer. Find more of her articles at www.AlisonDaRosa.com. Prices quoted here are subject to change. Restrictions and blackout dates may apply, and all deals are subject to availability.