What You Should Be Talking About Over the Holiday Dinner

Yes, it's that time of year when extended families gather for various holiday meals.  And instead of
the usual banter across the crescent rolls, why not bring up the idea of a family trip. Is there a family member celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary in the coming year and they would rather spend time and make memories with their loved ones than get gifts.  Kids/grandkids graduating from high school or college, that last big gathering before your baby leaves the nest. Or perhaps the chief cooks, who secretly are annoyed of having to spend days in the kitchen and would like to take a break and have someone else cook the holiday meal with all the trimmings next year.

This is a great place to bring up the idea, everyone is usually in a good mood(this maybe a great trick to get the tweens/teens to put the phones down for just a short time and interact without the sulky face). And planning this far in advance allows everyone to check their schedules to see when is a good time for them.

So you come up with a great plan, who's going to handle all this? They're your family/friends but you know them, and trying to do this yourself, with all you have on your plate is too much. But someone has to be the "leader" or the trip will never get off the ground. So how do you keep from herding cats and just have to sit back and count the days till departure. Call a travel professional, like myself. A good one, wants to get to know your groups likes/dislikes and will come up with ideas that fit your budget and travel style. Also we can tell you that a certain location may not work with your timeframe to go and suggest a different one. Once you pick the trip, we are the ones that handle all those details like booking flights, making sure staterooms are close together for families and I know you have at least one person who has more questions than you can shake a stick at. We'll be the ones   getting the answers. We can present to the group to save you your voice from explaining it multiple times. So what are you waiting for?

Specialty Cruises: For Something Unique

      Okay, so you have been on a cruise ship or two, (or maybe many more).  The experience was fantastic, the food was great, the ship was fun and the beach was relaxing.  You want to do another cruise, but you want to do something different.  Maybe that definition of different involves different locations, or excursions, or different activities or even a different types of ship.  Or perhaps your the type of person who would like to take a cruise, but the thought of being on a large ship with 3000 other passengers and doing the same things they are doing just doesn't excite you, and you want personalized service and experiences.  If these describe you, I have the answer; Specialized Cruises.  Specialized cruises may use different types of vessels, different itineraries, or different levels of luxury.  But they all offer lower passenger levels, personalized service, and unique itineraries and experiences for the cruiser that wants something different.  They come in many different flavors, so finding one that meets your specific requirements has become easy.  Here is a list of the specific categories of specialized cruises and and leading providers that will help you design your own unique cruise experience.

       The most popular category of specialized cruises are river cruises.  The attraction of river cruises is the offer of an "all-inclusive" experience for their passengers.  The ships from companies like Viking Cruises, AMA Waterways, Avalon, and others are designed to handle all of your ship and tour requirements in a relaxed, carefree environment.  These small ships, less than 200 passengers, travel the great rivers of Europe and Asia; offering an easy and relax way of experiencing the great cities and sites of those continents.

       A related way to cruise in the United States, to relive the past and take take a trip down the the Mississippi or Ohio rivers on a genuine river paddle boat.  American Queen Steamboat Company allows you to travel back to the times of Mark Twain and the Old South by offering cruises on genuine but modern paddle wheeled river boat, that still offer allow the If modern amenities and luxuries as you travel down the great rivers of America.

       Two other fast growing areas of the specialized cruise market are the upper premium and luxury cruise segments.  For the cruise passenger who likes what the main cruise lines have to offer, but wants a  better dining and on board experience on a smaller ship, or wants a more engaging land excursion will love sailing with a upper premium cruise line.  Oceania Cruises offers a more refined and personalized cruise experience, on 700 passenger ships that offer longer cruises to smaller ports than the average cruise line: all the while offering world class cuisine.  If the destination is what matters to to you, Azamara Club Cruises has you covered.  Their "Destination Immersion" program gives you longer stays, more overnights and night tours at their ports of call.

        If you require only the best and finest in your leisure travel, the cruise industry has a ship board experience for you.  Cunard Lines offers the elegance and feel of a luxury ocean liner from the golden age of ocean travel.  If you want the feel of traveling on your own mega yacht, Seabourn and Silverseas Lines offer less than 200 passengers the chance to experience the finest in personnel service and dining, as you cruise to the most exotic locales on the sleekest ships on the seas.  If you want the ultimate in luxury, but want to be different, try sailing on the tall ships of Star Clippers Line or Windstar to the most beautiful and exotic ports in the world.

       If adventure and unique excursions are your game, taking a specialty cruise can allow you to experience place and activities few people will get to do.  UnCruise, an operator of small ships will take less than 90 passengers on a cruise to parts of Alaska, Mexico, or Hawaii, that are inaccessible to larger ships and experience real adventures like kayaking among icebergs, snorkeling with whales, hiking on remote Alaskan islands.  Hurtigruten Line offers up close cruises to remote and beautiful regions such as Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and even Antarctica.  Want to do something really different?  Experience the uniqueness and wonder of the Galapagos Islands, on the Celebrity Cruises ship Xpedition.  This all inclusive cruise allows you a chance to be one of the few people to be allowed to experience on the the most remote and diverse areas of the world.

       These are just a sample of the types of types of cruises you can experience.  If you want luxury, adventure, want to go to exotic locations, or just like to be different in your travels; but also want to do it in a convenient and cost effective manner, then you should look into what a specialty cruise has to offer you.

How to Avoid Vacation Disasters



"This resort looked great on the Internet"

Why do you need to use a Travel Agent

It's a really good and valid question, and to be honest, sometimes the answer might actually be that you don't need one! But we'll come back to that.

Most travel agents now prefer the title travel consultant or similar. Why? It has a lot to do with the advantages they offer today.  Still, with all the websites, deal finders, mobile travel apps, and online services, a lot of people ask: why use a travel consultant?

It's not hard to do it yourself. It might even be fun! Or, it could turn into a huge disaster. Below are a few points to consider before clicking the BUY button or trapping yourself into a nonrefundable corner.

1. Experience Think about what you do for a living. For nearly every profession, you can find a website, video, or app that gives potential customers a way to do it themselves. With a little help from the Internet you can fix your car, build cabinets, replace plumbing, write wills, draft contracts, cut hair, make clothes, buy shoes, do accounting, buy stock, cook, bake and let's not forget edit videos and touch-up photos.

Finding instructions or tools is not the problem. Doing it RIGHT is the issue. If you put the wrong screw in the wall, it's no big deal. If you put your family in the wrong resort, it's a much bigger deal. It becomes even bigger if something goes wrong.

Most people deal with planning a vacation once or twice a year. Travel consultants deal with it all day, every day. Their livelihood fully depends on using their knowledge and experience to craft a vacation you'll love so much that you'll keep coming back for more.

Websites and apps with advertising-driven, biased offerings are counting on your own lack of experience to push you to options that will earn them the most profit. Your satisfaction is not part of the display algorithm.

2. Real Deals Have you ever wondered why some cruises, resorts or hotels seem to have cheaper deals on some websites? There's always a reason. Sometimes, it's a good reason. Sometimes, it's a very bad reason that you won't know about until you arrive and it's too late. There's always a reason, and a great price is not always a good deal.

For example, every hotel has "undesirable" rooms they have trouble filling. Smaller rooms in noisy areas, rooms that haven't been renovated lately, or those that overlook the dumpsters are always cheaper than nice ones in quiet areas with good views.

Websites are perfect for liquidating those rooms at bargain rates. Unfortunately, these so-called deals rarely mention things like smelly carpet or noise. It's also no coincidence that many require full payment upon booking and are nonrefundable.

Even the most beautiful cruise ship has cabins they have trouble selling. The ones directly under the dance floor of the disco or the ones near the anchor chain that bangs against the side of the ship are just two examples. There are plenty of hard-to-sell cabins that are perfect for online deals.

To be fair, sometimes you can get lucky online! Sometimes the deals are real and worth the risk. Sometimes.

Travel consultants know the legitimate deals from the come-ons. They've been trained to uncover the reason behind the bargain. They understand travel lingo, know what to look for and most importantly:
They know what to avoid.

3. Transparency With websites and apps, you may not know what you'll actually be paying! Many hotels add nightly "resort fees" on top of the discounted rate apps and websites display. Of course, you won't know about them until you check out. Even rental cars can end up costing double the online rate once extra charges like airport fee, taxes, surcharges and such have been added. Then let's not forget all the extras that are not included in your cruise fare. Travel consultants know these little details. They make sure you are never unpleasantly surprised. You'll always know exactly what you'll be paying and what you'll get for it.

4. Advice and Connections Travel consultants offer something you'll never find online or in an app: professional advice. Online, every resort or cruise is made to look beautiful and appealing. But, it's no bargain if you end up regretting the trip. The main reason to use a travel consultant is to make sure you never waste a penny on a vacation you won't truly enjoy.

There's one more thing you'll only get from a travel consultant: relationships. They have real one-to-one personal relationships with travel suppliers that can fix things should something happen to go wrong.

If a travel app messes up your reservations, you're on your own. But with a travel consultant-you'll have an advocate on your side with connections. In other words: a human who cares. To the machines, you're nothing but their data.

When You Don't Need a Travel Consultant

It's true. Sometimes you might not need a travel consultant. If you're willing to take some risks, and not be concerned if something goes wrong, you might get lucky with the apps and websites. Many people do. Travel consultants just prefer not to gamble

Thanks to Nolan Burris, Chief Visoneer at Future Proof Travel Solutions

Guided Tours: Why They Are For You

       Every year at this time, the American travel industry produces statistics showing that fewer Americans are travelling  internationally; at the same time more of us want to travel abroad.  The reasons given in these surveys for not traveling include lack of time, complexity of planning a trip, and perceptions of cultural and safety concerns.  What tens of thousands of Americans are discovering each year is a great way  to enjoy their international travels, and that alleviates many of their reasons they did not travel, guided tours.  This popular method of international travel that offers many benefits to travel and they really do suit the purposes of a lot of travelers.  Here are some of the more popular reasons you should consider taking a guided to for you next international vacation.

Hassle Free Planning
       Planning for a foreign vacation can take a great deal of time and sometimes, seem never ending.  Where to go, how to get around, where to stay, what to see,  what will everyone eat, who to talk to for help; the lists of tasks never end.  For many people, this can be tiresome, irritating, and stressful.  Taking a guided tour means removing all the hassle of the planning stage.  Someone will work for you and handle the details, while you concentrate on what you want; exploring, learning, eating, drinking, shopping, and having fun.

Time
       With only 2 weeks on average of vacation, and flying to your destination often taking a whole day or more; many Americans may not have the time or they can not make independent travel work for them. This is where guided tours with the leading tour companies can prove to be a great choice for those who want to see as much as possible in a short amount of time.  They allow you to maximize the time you can spend seeing and experiencing the sites on your vacation and minimizing the the time lost on the uncertainties of travel, like figuring out where to go or how to get there.  A quick tip on choosing a tour: try limiting the number of countries you visit so you can experience more of the culture of your destination.

Comfort Levels
       For many Americans, the thought of traveling to a foreign country with their different cultures and languages, makes them nervous.  A lot of travelers, especially when first beginning their around the world adventures, start with guided tours.  This helps them to adjust to this new lifestyle, slowly stretching the comfort zones out until they feel confident enough to take it on themselves.  For some people the thought of trying to order food in a foreign country causes them to become nervous.  Instead of never leaving the house, a guided tour would be a great way to travel with in their comfort zone limit

Meeting People
       Meeting people in another country can be intimidating to some.  Tours allow you to meet new people who share a similar interest to you and to develop new friendships with others who all shared a common travel memory.  This can also be very reassuring to those shy folks who might not be so great at getting out there and meeting people on their own.

Insider Information
       Guided tours are a great way to visit a historic site or that cultural experience on your vacation.  Tours are a great way to learn more about the place you are visiting, instead of walking around trying to read it from a guide book while you are there.  Guided tours are a great way for someone to point out certain features for you, tell you stories about the area and relay the important information.  In addition, certain tours will offer you certain benefits at popular sites not offered to the general public, like early entrance or private tours.  Guided tours are a great way to sit back, absorb the area you are in and allow someone else to tell you all about it.

Safety
       Many people fear travel as they believe the world is unsafe.  A guided tour may give a person like this the opportunity to travel as they feel much safer.  There is always someone  watching their back and people who they can turn to for help and for comfort when feeling afraid.  By itself, foreign travel is extremely safe, but for many people they want the safety of numbers.

5 Tips for Keeping your Sanity at the Airport

   Let's face we all love to travel, but dislike all the BS that goes with it. Over the many years I have been travelling there are things I have found to make things go a little easier, yes some of them cost you money but the benefit you receive can be priceless, like having your sanity in a busy airport.

#1 Get to the airport early- As a former boss used to tell me, I would rather be sitting here in the departure gate than running to the gate. This was pre 9/11, so you well know that it is even more important now. There are times that the checked bag drop off line is as long or longer than the security line.

#2 Check in online- Do it at home, at your resort, on your airlines app on your phone. Don't wait until you get to the airport and have to deal with those infrequent travelers who take forever to figure out how to use the kiosk. This is especially important if you are flying Southwest and want to get a good boarding position. Or my friends at Spirit, which will charge you $10 to do it at the airport.

#3 Sign up for Global Entry if you are going to start exploring the world. Read this, that wife is me getting through JFK without standing in an immigration or customs line.

#4 Flying Southwest? Consider buying the EarlyBird Check-in. It will give you maybe not an A position all the time but you'll get on early enough to get overhead space and seats together. For that small amount, you don't have to spend the last day of your trip checking the time so you can hit that 24 hour mark and check in.

#5 Club Mobay- Going to Jamaica? Start and end your vacation right with VIP meet & greet, fast track through the immigration/custom lines and have access to a lounge. $80 per person.

Do Harry Potter Right: Stay on Site!

     
 Not to long ago, the words Orlando and Disney World were interchangeable, when you described taking a family vacation to Orlando Florida.  If you mentioned the Universal theme parks in Orlando, it was only as an after-thought; a quick day trip if you had the time - but not anymore.  Led by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Diagon Alley attractions, along with a growing number of other state of the art attractions; the two theme parks at Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure, have become vacation destinations themselves.  Over the past 4 years, each park has seen attendance grow from around 5 million, to over 8 million each.  Attendance in 2014 in each park is expected to grow to near 9 million in 2014.  The result of this growth in popularity has been disappointed park visitors, who are not expecting to see the long lines at the popular attractions at the parks, with lines at the popular Harry Potter attractions, Forbidden Journey and Escape from Gringotts, having common multi-hours line waits soon after the parks open to the general public.

        Fortunately, Universal Orlando has developed several programs for park visitors to to avoid the long lines.  For visitors staying off site, Universal offers the Universal Express Pass.  For a fee above the cost of park tickets, families can go to the front of any line of most major attractions at either park, except for the Harry Potter attractions.  With a variety of options available, including an unlimited use option, you can design your Express Pass to meet you needs.  Unfortunately, in addition to not being able to use to passes on the Harry Potter attractions, the cost of going to the front of the  line can be steep.  Prices start at $29.99 per pass and go up from their, and are in addition to the price of admission.  For guests who hate waiting in long lines, the price may be worth it.  But for most people that is an expensive option, and does not include the main Harry Potter attractions at the Wizarding Worlds, which is a main reason many guests want to visit Universal Orlando for.  The great thing is Universal Orlando offers an option, that more park guests are taking advantage of, where they can get FREE  Express Passes for the length of their park attendance, and and early admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

       For guests staying on site at 3 of the 4 hotels and resorts at Universal Orlando, get free unlimited Express Passes for their stay.  Anyone staying at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, or the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, get an unlimited Express Pass which would cost an off site guest nearly $90 per day.  In addition to the passes, staying at any of these resorts allows you into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, 1 hour before the park opens to regular park guests; and it allows you priority dining reservations at most of the excellent restaurants at the resort.  Each of the 3 deluxe, 4 star resorts offers great accommodations and attractions themselves, and are a great place to stay for your Orlando visit even without the added benefits.  The other hotel on site, is Cabana Bay Beach, a recently opened moderate priced resort.  While staying at Cabana Bay Beach Resort, you will not be eligible for the free Express Pass or dining priority.  You will  have early entry privileges at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions, and this resorts offers something special that every growing family wishes they have on a vacation; space.  Cabana Bay Resort is the only resort on site at Universal Orlando to offer large Family Suites with their own kitchenettes, so families can spread out and prepare some of their meals if they like.

       For many guests, the chance to see and do the Harry Potter attractions is their only initial reason for going to Universal.  But once they see and experience  some of the other new state of the art attractions like Transformers: The Ride 3D, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, or Revenge of the Mummy; the they want to try everything over and over.  That is the main benefit of staying on staying on site and using the free Express Passes.  Your family gets to do the Wizarding World and the other great attractions, instead of waiting and waiting.  Plus, add in all the other great features that Universal Orlando resort has to offer on site guests, a world class water park at Wet'nWild, with great nighttime dining and entertainment at Universal City Walk.
Add it all together, great parks, great hotels, world class food, and great benefits; Universal Orlando has become a vacation destination that is making more and more families forget that Orlando also has that place with the mouse.

What's in your Baggie?

 

 

 

 

 



You are getting ready for that trip and you find all your 3oz bottles of foundation, hair products, face creams, lipsticks, mascara and eyeliner don't fit into that quart ziplock bag. And you still have toothpaste and other essentials to go in. Here is a picture of my baggie before a 10 day trip to Europe.

 

 

Here are some of my tips for getting there and not having to skimp on your beauty regime.

 

 

1. Sample Size products- Target does have a great selection of your basics, but I save any sample size mascara, face cream, eye cream from Sephora or department store make up counter for travel.
   
2.  Small jars for creams, Reuse small jars for creams or lotions & get a contact lens case for serums. I never unpack my baggie, before I go I just check to see if I have enough for the trip and refill as needed.
   
3. If buying bottles make sure they are not hard plastic, that makes getting the product out difficult, look for soft plastic ones. You may find a cute travel kit, but check the bottles first.
   
4. Depending on where I am going I bring my own shampoo & conditioner(travel size from my salon that I refill). Why? Some resorts/cruise ships hair products don't work well with my hair. When in doubt, I bring my own.
5. To save space I use mineral based powder make up when I travel, that can go in your regular make up bag.
6. DHC mild soap with the DHC soap case is my choice for facial cleansing. I use it at home and it doesn't need to go in your baggie. And that case is the bombs.
   
7. Longer trip? Place back up supplies in my checked bag, you don't need your full allocation in your TSA baggie.
8. Lip balm and eye drops- Air travel is dehydrating and it really shows in my eyes and lips. Drink plenty of water and reapply lip balm as needed.
   

 

By using these ideas and keeping your bag assembled, you can devote more time to what clothes to pack and more important what shoes to bring(but not too many). I have used sample size products for years, even before the 3oz rules, never saw the reason to bring full size product. The lighter your carry on tote the better.

How About a Sun AND Snow Holiday?

   

 It is the fall season, and for those planning  a winter holiday the most common question asked is sun or snow?  That was the question a golfing buddy asked me a couple of days ago.   I know he and his wife are golf fanatics, and they loved traveling to golf resorts in Florida or out west during the cold Ohio winters. He mentioned he wanted to take his daughter and her 2 college age children on a vacation during the kids spring break in early March for a little sun and golf.  The problem was that the kids wanted to go snowboarding on a real mountain over spring break, and he wanted some ideas on how to convince then to travel someplace warm, instead of on a ski trip.  I asked him instead of a choice between traveling for sun or snow, why not do both.   With a little planning, flexibility,and a little luck from mother nature, his extended family could have a winter vacation were everyone could get what they wanted; grandpa gets to play golf, and the grand kids enjoyed some snowboarding.   If your planning a winter buddy trip, or you family has an early spring break, there is no reason you could not go from a warm sunny beach or pool in the morning to the slopes in the afternoon if you want.

       The key is planning your trip to destinations out west that feature both warm weather and high mountains, within driving distance of each other, which gives you the opportunities for both a quick day trip or an extended stay .  Fortunately, we have many options close to popular winter travel destinations to choice from.  For example, most people flying to the world class ski resorts near Lake Tahoe, go thru the airport in Reno, NV. and drive the 1.5 hours to the Lake Tahoe area.  What most of these travellers miss is that the Reno area itself has some fantastic resorts and vacation options.  With moderate temperatures in the low 60's F. in February and early March, the golfer in your life might enjoy staying a night in Reno; and warming up after your time on the slopes while shaking off the the winter rust on one of the world class golf courses in the Reno area.  The warm weather, great resorts, and excellent golf courses make Las Vegas a popular winter vacation destination.  What most people don't know is that Las Vegas, can also be a base for the skiers in your life who want to experience some Western powder.  If you want to do something different on your Las Vegas vacation, why not take a day trip less than an hour from the Strip to the Las Vegas Ski Resort.  At a base elevation of 8500 feet with a vertical drop of 2300 feet, the ski park offers a fun way of enjoying some skiing in the Rockies.  If you want to do some serious Rockies skiing or snow boarding, why not go where the Vegas locals go, and head 3 hours north to the Brian Head Resort outside of St. George Utah.  This full service ski resort offers over 360 inches of great powder annually at a base elevation of 9600 feet.  With great skiing and little crowds, this resort offers you a great way to really enjoy a sun and snow vacation.

        Other options to enjoy a sun and snow vacation can be had from most of the popular warm weather winter destinations out west.  If you get tired from surfing and the beaches of Southern California, and want to do something different with your kids, try one of the ski areas less than an hour east of Los Angeles.  Both Mt. Baldy, and Mountain High Resort have a base elevation of over 6500 feet and receive over 140 inches of snow annually and are open from December thru mid April.  If your staying in the Palm Springs areas; maybe you want to release some stress after a frustrating found of golf, or burn some calories  after sampling the excellent area restaurants to much, try a day of skiing at one of the ski resorts near San Bernadeno CA., less than an hour from Palm Springs.

       The state of Arizona; with its high mountains and warm, deep valleys offers some interesting options for the family or group who wants to enjoy a warm weather vacation, but also wants to experience the fun and challenging ski runs you can only experience out west.  Only an hour east of the great western town of Tucson, Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley offer a great day of skiing and boarding surrounded by some spectacular mountain views.  Only 2 hours distance from Phoenix via I-17 is the Arizona SnowBowl.  Located near the great resort town of Flagstaff, and only an hour from the Grand Canyon.  The SnowBowl offers deep snow, and long runs, and is a great reason to take a break from the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, or to experience another part of the state.

       The great benefit of adding some skiing to your sun vacation is you don't have to bring your ski gear.  All the ski resorts rent all the equipment you would need, some including snow pants.  Since these ski resorts are not in prime ski areas, the cost of the rental gear and lift tickets is a great value for anyone from out east wanting to do some big mountain skiing, and the service at these small ski areas is usually great.  Staying a couple of nights at some of these full service resorts can add a great and different dimension to a typical winter warm weather vacation.  Another added benefit, is with so many day trip ski areas close to the major warm weather vacation areas, you can wait till you get their to decide if the ski area has enough snow to go skiing, no added commitment needed if you wanted to get some Western skiing.  Low added costs, no commitments, good to great skiing conditions, doing something unique; are all great reasons that a sun and snow vacation should be in your future.  It may be the one trip were everyone in your party; from the golfer, to the sun worshipper, to the ski bum can all agree on, and have a great time.