HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2008!

To all of my friends and clients,

I wish all of you a happy and healthy New Year!
May all of your wishes and resolutions come true!
May you have only joy and happiness, as well as health and well being.
May you enjoy prosperity and wealth.
May you enjoy family and friends.
May you do what makes you happy and not do what makes you sad.

May you travel to far away places that you have only dreamed of visiting.
And, of course, may you call me to help you plan those vacations of a lifetime!

I wish you only the best of everything in 2008!

Mindy Gilbert, MCC
Vacation and Cruise Specialist

Fuel Surcharges for Cruise Lines

In the past few weeks, most of the popular cruise lines announced that fuel surcharges would be added to most current and future reservations. The cost of oil is hovering around $100 a barrel and these surcharges, like those that the airlines have imposed, will help defray the skyrocketing costs.

Unfortunately, it has fallen upon the travel agents who have booked the cruises to become the bearer of bad news. I spent a few hours emailing all clients effected and luckily, my clients have been pretty much OK with the news.

Here is a list of most of the cruise lines policies regarding the fuel surcharges:

Here are the details of the fuel surcharge, by cruise line. This may not be 100% accurate but it will provide a good idea of what is going on within the cruise industry.

Lines with grace periods during which new bookings will not incur fuel surcharges

Regent Seven Seas has instituted a fuel surcharge of $7.50 per person, per day for all 2008 bookings that are not paid in full by December 1, 2007. This charge is applicable to all passengers in a cabin. Book and pay in full by 12/1/07 to avoid the additional surcharge.

Oceania Cruises has announced a fuel surcharge of $7 per person, per day, applicable to new and existing reservations that are not paid in full by December 1 and effective for all published sailings now through April 2009. The fee is applicable to all passengers in a cabin. Book and pay in full by 12/1/2007 to avoid the additional surcharge.

Norwegian and Orient Line plan to assess a fuel surcharge for all new reservations made on all sailings on or after December 1, 2007. The additional charge will be $7 per person, per day for the first and second passengers in a stateroom, and $3 per person, per day for any additional passengers in the same stateroom. Again, book by 12/1/07 to avoid the additonal surcharge.

MSC Cruises will apply a fuel surcharge of $6 per person, per day to all new bookings made on or after December 1 for cruises leaving on or after Feb. 1, 2008.The surcharge will only apply to the first two passengers in each cabin. Book by 12/1/2007 to avoid the surcharge.

Majestic America and Windstar will add a fuel surcharge of $8.50 per person, per day to all bookings that are not paid in full by December 15, 2007. The fee is applicable all passengers on all cruises departing now through March 2009. Book and pay in full by 12/14/2007 to avoid the surcharge.

Viking River Cruises will assess a fuel surcharge of $7 per person, per day, applicable to all passengers in a cabin, to bookings for all currently published sailings through December 2008 that are not paid in full by 12/19/2007. Book and pay in full by 12/18/07 to avoid the surcharge.

Crystal will institute a fuel surcharge of $7 per person, per day, applicable to all passengers, for all 2008 reservations that are not paid in full by January 1, 2008. Book and pay in full by 12/31/07 to avoid the surcharge.

Lines with no grace period that exempted existing bookings from fuel surcharges

Silversea is assessing a fuel surcharge of $10 per person, per day, effective immediately, on all new bookings for 2008 voyages. The surcharge is applicable to all guests in a cabin, and reservations made prior to November 14, 2007 are exempt from the additional fee.

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara will assess a fuel surcharge of $5 per person, per day on all cruises that depart on or after February 1, 2008. The fee will apply only to the first two passengers in each stateroom, and will not exceed $70 per person, per voyage and will not apply the surcharge to bookings that were paid in full prior to November 16, 2007.

Cruise West will add a fuel surcharge of $12 per guest, per day, applicable to all passengers on all sailings, effective immediately. Cruise West will not apply the surcharge to bookings that were made prior to 11/12/07 and paid in full by 12/7/2007.

Lines with fuel surcharges applied to all existing and future bookings regardless of whether or not they were paid in full:

Carnival Corp., the largest cruise operator in the industry, will charge passengers an additional $5 a day on all new and existing bookings with Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, and Seabourn for sailings that depart on or after February 1, 2008. The fee will apply only to the first two passengers in each stateroom, and will not exceed $70 per person, per voyage.

There are still other cruise lines that have not announced policies yet but are expected to follow suite shortly.

In my opinion, I would have rather seen the cruise lines raise the prices of new cruises booked after they announced the fuel surcharge but that is not what they felt the need to do. This created lots of addtional work for the thousands of travel agents who have clients effected. You might say that $5 per person per day is not that much money, but consider the family of 4 in 2 cabins on a 7 night cruise. It all adds up.

Wil it stop people from cruising- not at all. It just seems to be a reflection of the times.

Give the Gift of Travel

The holiday season is upon us and the malls are insanely crowded. I have vowed not to go near a mall between Thanksgiving and Christmas if I can help it.

When thinking about purchasing a gift, why not consider the gift of TRAVEL.
With a fast phone call or email and putting a check in the mail, I offer travel certificates that have no expiration date and can be used on any form of travel that my agency books.

No going to the mall, no sitting in traffic. Give your friends and family a gift that they would really appreciate.

Gift certificates are available in any denomination from $25 on up.

Just my way of helping you make your holiday season merrier.

Explorer of the Seas Review

This might be a long review but as a travel agent, I tend to look at different things than an average cruiser. In addition to what I like or dislike, I also need to look at the cruise and ship from my client’s eyes.

Our cruise got off to a very rocky start. The cruise was set to leave on Sunday 11/4 from Bayonne (Cape Liberty NJ) just a 40 minute ride up the NJ Turnpike from us. Nice and easy- no airlines to deal with, luggage issues or delays. Saturday, our emergency contact, received a phone call from Royal Caribbean to say that the ship was delayed due to Hurricane Noel and would not be in port until 3pm so don’t plan on arriving before 4pm for a 7pm boarding.

EMBARKATION
We arrived at the cruise terminal entrance at 4pm and it took 1 hour to get to the point to drop off our luggage- not a good start. We parked the car, $112 for the week including taxes (they took a credit card) and proceeded through security. That was the easy part. We waited in a very short line for our sea pass cards (room keys) and took the photo for our cards. Then we tried to find a place to sit for our 3 hour wait in the terminal.

I must give RCI credit. There was food (sub sandwiches and drinks) for the people waiting inside. What we didn’t realize was that more than ½ of the guests were waiting on the outside of the terminal for over 2 hours in 50 degree weather. Apparently, since the ship first came into the port at 3pm, it needed to be cleaned and readied for the next cruise. The cruise terminal hit capacity and the remaining guests waited outside. After 2 hours, they were given chairs and water but nothing to eat. Not a great start to the cruise.

Once on board (around 9pm), we went to the dining room for dinner. It was pretty chaotic since they were now trying to feed all 3400 guests at the same time. We went to the dining room on deck 3 and were able to find a table. Since we had been fed in the terminal, we had a light bite and attempted to wander around the ship. The life boat drill was at 10:30pm. The 11pm welcome aboard show was poorly attended although the comedian was very good. You had to feel bad for the guy- he was very funny but this wasn’t a very jovial crowd.

CABIN
We took cabin- 8626 on deck 8. It is the standard balcony cabin. We knew that it was the smaller of the balcony cabins (E balconies vs D balconies) but they were more mid ship which is what we wanted for the Bermuda and Boston seas.

The cabin was a bit tight but manageable. Almost forgot what it’s like in the bathroom when you drop the soap in the shower. You have to shut off the water, open the door to bend down to pick up the soap. The bed is comfortable with nice European bedding. There is a mini bar in the cabin (which we did not touch) and the safe works on a personal # combination. Storage space is adequate. Balcony is small but a nice size. Didn’t get as much use out of it as we normally would because of the itinerary but we always love a balcony.

Cabin stewardess was ok, although a bit inconsistent with towels and ice.

CABIN NOTES: Bring your own shampoo and conditioner- the one in the dispenser had an odd fragrance to it. Also, there is no shower gel in the shower. Bring some extra moisturizer. Either the soap is very drying or the water is. Check the in cabin mini bar. We did not use it at all but we didn’t notice a lock on it so that we could ask for it to be locked. We didn’t get billed for anything in the bar but without a lock, we are always weary of additional charges from the bar that we didn’t use.

FOOD-
Dining is always a bit deal on a cruise ship. We felt that the food experience on the Explorer of the Seas is good to very good (this is not going to be gourmet dining). We never went hungry and found the many dining venues to be a major plus.

First, the Windjammer Café-
This is the casual dining venue open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on the pool deck. We ate there for breakfast and lunch- never dinner but our table mates ate at Windjammer many times for dinner and thought the choices were great.

My comments on Windjammer
1. No hand sanitizer at the entrance to the dining area. With the gastrointestinal issues that may occur on cruise ships- this was a major no-no.
2. No trays- only extra large oval plates. This can cause an issue for people with trying to balance the tray, silverware and a cane. I was told that the wait staff did assist these guests.
3. Lines were always longer in the front. Just scoot around back – there are the same foods offered in the back without the long lines.
4. Food choices were typical of a cruise. First time cruisers will be amazed but for repeat cruisers, it is pretty standard fare. They did have an assortment of Asian and Indian vegetarian selections. I did notice a group of Asian women eating soup for breakfast but I didn’t wander over to that section.
5. Food was good here but seemed to be pretty much the same every day. Salads, burgers, sandwiches- made to order are standard daily. What changes daily is the pasta with a couple of choices, a couple of main entrées with vegetables and some type of potatoes and a couple of soups. There are always a good amount of dessert choices. Frozen yogurt is available outside of Windjammer at a self serve machine.
6. Omelet station was at the back of the buffet line. Get fresh omelets rather than taking the pre-made if the line isn’t too long. They offer some odd ingredients like shrimp and jalepeno peppers which my husband tried daily.
7. The wait staff was there to assist with drinks and clearing the tables. I didn’t require help with the trays but was told that they did offer help for those who needed help.

Another dining option is the Café Promenade on deck 5. This is a great choice for fast bites and snacks. At the front of the Café, there is a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream stand (for an extra fee). They also offer Seattle’s Best Coffee. I am not a coffee drinker and I thought there was a fee for this coffee but other cruisers told me that it was not the case. Please check before ordering.

The Café is open until the wee hours of the morning for those late owls. In the AM, there are pastries and such for breakfast. For lunch and later, there are small sandwiches (changes daily), pizza, cookies and pastries. The chocolate chip cookies are great. Coffee, tea and iced water are always available, as is fruit such as bananas, kiwi and oranges. The café is great for snacks when coming back from excursions.

Johnnie Rockets- on deck 12 is lots of FUN.
It is very small and there is a $3.95 cover charge to get in. This was implemented as part of crowd control so that the kids and teens don’t make this their hangout. Crown and Anchor members get 1 free admission per person with the coupon book that is in the cabin upon arrival.

There was a 45 minute wait on the day we went to Johnny Rockets because there was no out door seating due to the cold weather coming back from Boston. We hung out near the arcade since it was too cold to wait outdoors.

Upon entering, you get a grand HELLO from the staff and fellow diners and are promptly given a plate of onion rings and a ranch dressing, and fries with a plate of ketchup designed in a smiley face. The menu is malts (extra fee for those but great), burgers and sandwiches as well as desserts. I ordered a classic burger, the others ordered a St Louis burger. All were good. The onion rings had to be replaced 3 times since we devoured them in no time. We regretted it later but they were great. Dessert was an ice cream sundae or apple pie.

The staff would dance and sing at set intervals and it was a blast. It is a must do on the cruise!

Portofinos
Well worth the $20 pp surcharge. Food was spectacular and so was the service. We literally rolled out of there we were so stuffed. We ordered the seafood skewer and the chef will substitute another lobster tail for salmon or scallops. The sampler plate for dessert was fabulous.

Highly recommended and would suggest making reservations as soon as you get on the ship.


Main Dining Room
We only ate in the dining room for dinner and 1 breakfast. We were on the deck 3 level of the dining room table 307, waiter Ramiro and bus boy, Clint. Ramiro greeted us by our first names daily and Clint was precious every time he said “it would be my pleasure.” The service was very good, very pleasant and a lot of fun. Every night, Clint would bring the bread basket around to offer us the “ever popular” sour dough roll, the “little bites” and others. The first night, he had the favorite “not so square rolls” which were never to be served again during the week. I had lots of fun with Clint over these not so square rolls.

Dinner options were always tasty. I’m not going to say that this was gourmet dining but I felt that the food was very good. There were always a number of options that I would have ordered. There are always standby’s if you didn’t like the choices, such as salmon, grilled chicken and steak. Lobster night was excellent. The lobster tails were among the best I have had a sea.

Please note that we were happy with the quality and taste of the food but I am not extremely picky. The thing with cruises is---- if you don’t like the dish you ordered, order something else! Portions were small but adequate. Again, if you want an additional entrée or anything else, just ask for it.

Room Service
Sorry- not a lot of help here. I glanced at the menu but didn’t use it. Someone else did to order a cheese plate and said it came quickly.

ENTERTAINMENT

There was literally so much to do that we couldn’t do it all.

Rock climbing- didn’t try it- wasn’t about to break anything since I can hurt myself just walking but it was always busy while we were onboard.
Ice skating- session were open throughout the day. Check the cruise compass for hours
Ice Show- free tickets are available at set times throughout the cruise. There were 4 sessions but you need tickets in advance. Check the cruise compass for the times that the tickets are distributed.
Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the show time. As long as you are not sitting behind a pole, the view is pretty good from all seats.
Parades-there were 3 parades and we watched all of them. Try to get a seat in front of the bars for the best views. They were a lot of fun. Our pictures didn’t come out great- sorry.
Pool side games- a few brave soles participated in the men’s belly flop contest in 50 degree weather. Most of the poolside games had to be moved indoors.
Bingo- the game we played was $35 for 5 sheets. We didn’t win but the guest in front of us won over $300. Please keep in mind that there are really serious bingo players here.
Daytime Activities- Trivia, napkin folding, towel folding, cooking classes, arts & crafts and more were listed throughout the day. There were so many that we couldn’t do everything.

SPA and Fitness Center
I can honestly say that I saw both but didn’t use either. There is a really nice and large indoor Jacuzzi in the fitness center.

Pool deck-
In addition to the main pool, there is a lovely adults only solarium. It is near the spa and has really comfortable lounges. Although it is not covered, it was partially enclosed so was not as cold as the main pool area.

Promenade-
This is one of my favorite features of this class of ship. It is a great people or gathering place. In addition to 2 bars and the café, there are the usual stores. During the week, there will be sales on watches, jewelry, pocket books and jewelry. This is also the location of the parades and the cooking demonstrations. For those who haven’t sailed on this class of ship before, the promenade is a great place to just hang out. One of the nice features was that the captain had his party in the promenade. The captain’s staff was introduced and they all stood on one of the bridges that over looked the promenade. It was a nice touch.

Entertainment Staff

The cruise director, Allan, was great. The guy could have done stand up comedy. He had us rolling at the newlywed game and the quest game. I didn’t see him around the ship much but on a ship this size, you rarely expect to see the cruise director.

His staff was good, mostly young, energetic people from all over the world. Bingo Spice, from London, handled Bingo and the napkin folding. She has an adorable British accent and had guests trying to mimic her throughout the napkin folding class. Trivia was handled by a number of the entertainment staff members. The entertainment staff had a lot of energy and it showed in everything they did.


General Comments
Although this ship is full, it didn’t really seems crowded. The sports deck was fully utilized for a staff vs. guest dodge ball contest and there were lots of people doing inline skating and watching the rock climbers. The promenade was bustling but there really wasn’t much in terms of crowded areas. It was difficult to get a table in the windjammer café during the peak breakfast and lunch hours but that is because so many people were sitting inside to stay out of the cold.

Being such a large ship, there were plenty of space for guests to find for themselves. Since part of the cruise was heading into cold weather, the indoor activities were very heavily attended. We found that we needed to arrive at each activity at least ½ hour before it started in order to get seats. Normally, guests would be spread out all over the ship but due to the cold weather, every one was indoors and getting seats at the activities was difficult.

Heading out to Bermuda can be rocky but despite the tail end of the hurricane, the seas are surprisingly calm. There were a couple of sways but nothing that I would consider to be rocky.

We went to the first show production. It was probably on par with most other Royal Caribbean show productions. The general consensus was that the show was ok- not great. We had all seen better but it was ok. Couldn’t stay up for the adult midnight comedy show but the comedian was really good the night before so I’m sorry I missed it. Word is that this show was great. The 2nd production show was better but it was the night we went to Portofino’s and we came in toward the very end. The headliner acts were better than I anticipated them to be. In general, the evening entertainment was on par with Royal Caribbean cruises.

The best of the entertainment was the newlywed game and Quest, a scavenger type game held in Studio B. Don’t miss either- since they are both hysterical.

The casino was pretty packed most of the time it was open. I didn’t stay long because even the non smoking areas were pretty smoky. My husband won about $400 at black jack. That was a pleasant surprise.

We kept on having a problem with my husband’s sea pass card. He keeps on demagnetizing it and couldn’t get into the room. Mine was fine. It must have happened 5 times and each time he had to go down to the purser’s desk to get it replaced. We had some minor billing issues. You can check the bill on the interactive TV. We had been over billed for internet service (it was removed) and the shipboard credit we were due didn’t show up until Friday, but it did show up.

All in all, we really enjoyed the Explorer of the Seas cruise that we took. We will cruise the Explorer or one of her sister ships. We have always liked Royal Caribbean and this cruise lived up to our expectations.

Norwegian Cruise Line new itineraries to Bermuda

NCL Has 10-Year Pact to Sail Freestyle Ships to Bermuda
Fri Nov 09 2007, by Travel Trade staff

Norwegian Cruise Line has reached an agreement with the government of Bermuda under which two of the line's newer ships, the 2,000-passenger Norwegian Spirit and 2,200-passenger Norwegian Dawn will be deployed to the country from 2009 through 2018.
Norwegian Spirit will sail from Boston on Fridays, calling on Bermuda from Sunday through Wednesday. Norwegian Cruise Line has been the only line sailing between Boston and Bermuda, and the new agreement continues this status.

Norwegian Dawn will depart from New York on Sundays, staying at the island Wednesday through Friday.

Also in 2009, Norwegian Majesty, which has sailed the Boston-Bermuda route for 15 years, will sail to St. George's, Bermuda from Charleston, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

NCL's 2008 Bermuda itineraries include: Norwegian Dawn sailing from New York, on 7-day cruises; Norwegian Dream replacing Norwegian Majesty from Boston; and Norwegian Majesty sailing to Bermuda from Philadelphia, Baltimore and Charleston.

"Since NCL first began sailing to Bermuda, it has been one of our most popular itineraries, and we have developed a truly unique relationship with the community and government of our host destination," said Colin Veitch, NCL's president and CEO.

In a teleconference with the press, Veitch said the Bermuda agreement "represents one more layer of new products NCL is able to offer agents to sell - three nights in Bermuda on two of our purpose-built Freestyle ships is something we haven't been able to do before. This is a new product and we think the public will respond very strongly to it."

With its long-term agreement, NCL can develop the market for Bermuda committing one-fifth of its summer deployment and $800 million of its shipping assets to the destination, which Veitch called "a significant upgrade from our perspective and from Bermuda's."

He said, "Having this long-term commitment is very attractive to us because there is a strong demand for this destination -- people want to come here. Bermuda is a fabulous place - at the top of the league of destinations and worthy of the journey to get here.

"Over the past 15 years, we have deployed ships from more U.S. homeports to meet the growing demand to visit Bermuda," Veitch added.

As part of the agreement, NCL will partner with Bermuda's Department of Tourism and Chamber of Commerce to co-sponsor the annual Bermuda Music Festival, support the St. George's Foundation and the Bermudian Heritage Association and develop a new program to continue encouraging cruise guests to dine in restaurants ashore.

Bermuda is building a second pier at St. George's to accommodate the larger ships and Veitch said ground transportation from St. George's to points throughout Bermuda "is excellent, the best that I have seen."

The Importance of adding Emergency Phone #'s

Most cruise lines, air lines and tour operators will ask for an emergency phone # so that they can add it to the reservation.

For our cruise on the Explorer of the Seas, we put down my son's cell phone # just in case there was an emergency on board and someone needed to be contacted.

Due to the bad weather, the ship was delayed in returning to port so our cruise started embarkation later than usual. Royal Caribbean had an entire staff of people calling the emergency phone #'s listed on the guest registration forms to alert everyone about this delay.

They probably left messages at the travel agencies as well but some might have been closed since it was a weekend.

Another lesson to be learned here, please put down an emergency phone # on all your reservtions. You never know if you will need to get a phone call from the travel supplier about a change in flight, time, location, etc.

Bon Voyage

Off on the Explorer of the Seas. The ship goes to Bermuda (on of my favorite destinations) and Boston (where we will get to meet our grand nephew for the first time!).

Although I have been on many Royal Caribbean ships before, I have never sailed on the Explorer of the Seas so I am very excited.

Look for my review soon.

Honeymooner's review of Excellence Riviera Cancun

Jessica and Danny were booked into a Honeymoon Suite with Excellence Club Service (VIP Service). I emailed my contact at the hotel prior to their arrival to see if there was anything extra the hotel could do to make their honeymoon even more special. I guess there was!!!! What a great upgrade--- one I'm sure they wont' forget any time soon!

Our honeymoon stay at Excellence Riviera Cancun was truly amazing. From start to finish we felt like royalty. The service was exceptional. We never had to lift a finger at any point during the trip.

To start with the suite (presidential suite) one word comes to mind; breathtaking. The size of this spacious suite all trimmed in marble with the four poster bed, leather couches in the living room, three separate entrances to our private swim up patio was truly delightful. When we arrived there were fresh flowers, fruit, champagne, rose petals on the bed with towels in the shape of swans. Terry robes lay aside for use as well as a beach bag is provided in the closet while you are staying there. (you can purchase either if you wish). The pool was just a small step away and the suite is the closest one to the ocean which is also the VIP beach area. Waiters attend your every need whether you are on the beach, sitting on your patio, or by the pool with cocktails of your choice. At one point they even offered to bring us lunch by the pool! We stayed by our VIP pool and the beach for the most part but we also seen others enjoying the swim up bar as well as the lazy river pool.

The service at all of the bars and the 8 restaurants were amazing. Your every need are attended to without question. Even the room service (which we had set up for coffee each morning in our room) was also delightful.

Each night at turn down service water is placed on your end tables in case you get thirsty in the middle of the evening along with a classical station on the TV set and an itinerary with weather forecasts for the next day.

One day we attended the spa and once again; amazing. It was so relaxing and the therapists were so nice.

After dinner we enjoyed the various shows that they have in the stars lounge. There again waiters and waitresses attend your every need getting you drinks and another other items you may need.

Several excursions are offered as well, some are included and some aren’t, but there is alot to choose from. We attended the shopping tour of the local market and other malls.

All and all we really enjoyed our stay and plan to return next year for our anniversary. Excellence Riviera Cancun really exceeded all of our expectations!

Attached are some pics, if I cannot fit them all I will send under another email.

Thanks again Mindy

Jessica and Danny K

Updated Passport Requirements

This was just posted on the Royal Caribbean brands websites:


The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) once fully implemented will require all travelers entering or reentering the United States to be in the possession of a valid passport.
Anticipated Implementation
October 1, 2007 - The departments of State and Homeland Security reestablished the valid passport requirements for air travel. Valid passports are required for air travel to / from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
U.S. lawful permanent residents will continue to be able to use their Alien Registration Card (Form I-551) issued by the Department of Homeland Security or other valid evidence of permanent residence status to apply for entry to the United States.
As early as Summer 2008 - A valid passport will be required for all sea and air travel. And subject to U.S. Government amendment, U.S. and Canadian citizens 15 or younger with their parents consent may cross the U.S./Canadian border by land or sea with a certified copy of their birth certificate.
Until that time
Sea Travel Only
For domestic travel which includes: the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico, a passport (valid or expired) is highly recommended.
In the absence of a passport, a birth certificate (original or certified copy), plus laminated picture ID card issued by a federal, state, or local government agency is required. Note: Baptismal papers and hospital certificates of birth (except for new borns) are not acceptable.
For U.S. Naturalized citizens, in the absence of a passport, Naturalization papers (either original or notarized copy) plus a picture ID card issued by a federal, state, or local government agency is required.
A voter registration card or Social Security Card are not considered to be proof of citizenship.
Children under 16 years of age do not require a picture ID.
International Travel
A valid passport is required; visas are required where they apply. This includes Europe, Asia, Central and South America.For additional passport information visit U.S. Department of State. Or if you prefer, contact Passport Express for applications and assistance


Non US Citizen Passport Requirements
You will need a valid passport and, in some cases, a visa. If you live in the U.S., you will also need your original Alien Registration Card (ARC or "Green Card") and any other documentation the countries on your itinerary require due to your alien status.
Canadian Landed Immigrants
All Canadian Landed Immigrants (inclusive of those who are citizens of the British Commonwealth countries) who reside in Canada must have valid passports and US visas. Also required is your original Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) formally the IMM 1000 or with respect to any country on the itinerary any other travel documentation required because of alien status.
VisasPlease contact the Embassy (Consular Services) of each country on your sailing itinerary or the visa service of your choice for specific visa requirements, information, forms and fees for your nationality.
Visa Waiver ProgramCitizens from the Visa Waiver Program countries of: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom seeking to enter the United States will be required to have in their possession a machine readable passport with a digital photograph valid for the duration of the voyage.
A machine readable passport is one having an alpha-numeric code on the bottom of the picture page. Visa Waiver Program travelers arriving in the U.S. on or after October 26, 2005 with passports issued on or after this date must present passports with a digital photograph.
Visa Waiver Program travelers arriving in the U.S. on or after October 26, 2006 with passports issued on or after that date must present a biometric passport or obtain a visa for entry into the United States.

Another lost luggage story

I got an email from a honeymoon client on Tuesday. They had left Monday morning for 1 week at the Excellence Riviera Cancun. They booked a great room- honeymoon suite with the Excellence Club Concierge Service.

The email started out:

ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE THIS RESORT.....AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! THE ROOM WAS UPGRADED FOR US TO THE PRESIDENTIAL SUITE.....IT HAS THREE TERRACES!........TWO FULL BATHS, A KITCHEN, DINING ROOM......SWIM UP.....AND SO MUCH MORE.....THE EXCELLENCE CLUB IS WELL WORTH THE EXTRAS!!! WE ARE ACTUALLY WANT TO PLAN THIS FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY THE SAME WAY NEXT YEAR...

Then it continued:
ONE SOUR NOTE THAT I NEED YOUR HELP ON.....THE AIRLINE SEEMED TO HAVE LOST ONE OF OUR BAGS.......THE PART THAT IS THE MOST STRESSING IS THAT IT HAD MY 6 PERSCRIPTIONS AS WELL AS MY PERSCRIPTION GLASSES IN THERE ALONG WITH ALL OUR NECESSARY TOILTERIES IN THEM.........WITH ALL PERSCRIPTIONS AND MY GLASSES NOT TO MENTION THE OTHER ITEMS THE CONTENTS ARE WORTH AT LEAST $1500!.....I AM SOOO WORRIED SINCE MY MEDICINE IS IN THERE AND I AM IN DIRE NEED OF TAKING THEM......

Thank goodness, the suitcase showed up at the resort on Tuesday afternoon. Luckily, they took insurance so they can get some money back for the luggage delay since they spent about $100 buying toiletries at the resort.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
when you are traveling, pack your medication and other necessities in a carry on bag. Even if you only take 2-3 days worth of medication on board with you and pack the rest, it would have helped in this situation.

The TSA regulations are 1 quart sized zip lock bag per person with up to 3 oz each of liquids or gels. It does not have regulations about pills or medication like that.

If you have questions about that, please give me a call and we can review what you can pack according to the individual airlines.

Another reason to use a travel agent

Although I don't want to keep dwelling on this but my clients would have known this...

This article was written by Anita Dunham-Potter, a travel journalist whose articles have appeared in national newspapers, magazines and the internet and she is a contributor to Fodors "Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruising 2006".

This appeared on an internet website designed as a travel agent forum.

"Hey, kids! No birth certificate, no cruise »
September 24, 2007
The Mueller family, of Phoenix, was looking forward to a May cruise in Alaska aboard the Norwegian Star. Sue Mueller made a great booking for her family through Hotwire -- or so she thought.

Before the cruise, Mueller checked with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) to make sure she had all the travel documents her family would need for the trip. She knew that passport rules were changing, but like many Americans, she was unsure exactly what paperwork she would need to cruise from Seattle to Alaska.

"I contacted NCL customer service the day before the cruise to verify that we had acceptable documents," recalls Mueller. She says the agent verified that the family's documents -- birth certificates and photo IDs -- were sufficient for the cruise; the agent went on to explain that new passport requirements, which have sent U.S. travelers scrambling over the past year, would not affect cruise passengers until 2008.

Cruiseless in Seattle

But the next day, when the Muellers tried to board the ship in Seattle, they got a terrible shock. Sue and her husband had their birth certificates, as required, but their 16- and 17-year-old sons did not, and the cruise line would not let them board. A staff member said that the cruise line required proof of citizenship for all U.S. citizens; justifying the application of that rule to minors, the agent said that without the birth certificates, "you could be kidnapping them."

Stunned by the development, the Muellers pleaded with the NCL staff and presented their sons' high school photo IDs, explaining that the boys had needed their birth certificates to get them. No go.

The Muellers were escorted to a waiting area, where they found 20 other passengers with similar documentation issues, including some who had also booked their cruise through Hotwire. The Muellers called home and tried to have a neighbor fax the birth certificates to the pier, but the neighbor could not find them. The Muellers' cruise was dead in the water.

The family was now stranded in Seattle, Mueller says, and no one from NCL offered assistance. "We were crushed," she says. "This was to be our last family vacation before the boys went off to college, and it was especially meaningful because my husband's health is not good."

Instead of vacationing in Alaska, the Muellers spent the week at home. Mueller contacted NCL several times, but the cruise line refused to offer the family a refund or a credit to use toward another cruise. After getting nowhere, Mueller contacted Tripso for help.

A documented mess

I contacted NCL to see what the cruise line could do. AnneMarie Mathews, director of public relations for NCL, said she was sorry to hear about the family's trouble, but pointed out that the Muellers did receive information from the cruise line specifying what documentation they needed to bring.

"The cruise documents that the Muellers received from us had a link to our "Welcome Aboard" booklet that includes a paragraph on necessary documentation," Matthews says. "The requirements state that valid birth certificates are required for all U.S. citizens traveling on Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, and Canada & New England cruises. We also suggest that travelers visit the U.S. State Department Web site for the latest requirements and overseas information before they sail."

NCL declined to give the Muellers any compensation, arguing that proper documentation is the passenger's responsibility. (All cruise lines take this position.) Furthermore, NCL says, if travelers show up at the pier without proper documentation, they are not entitled to a refund. Hotwire includes the same documentation information on its Web site.

Mueller did buy travel insurance through Travel Guard and she made a claim, but it was denied. None of the three big travel insurance companies (Travel Guard, Access America and CSA Travel) covers such claims. NCL's own travel insurance contains a cancel-for-any-reason clause, which would have resulted in a credit of 75 percent to 90 percent of the Muellers' cruise fare, but the Muellers did not purchase that NCL policy.

I've received many letters and phone calls from cruise travelers with documentation problems like the Muellers'. Every one of these cases came from travelers who had booked their own cruises. While doing it yourself can sometimes save you money, you can also lose all your vacation money if you do not have the right information about documentation.

My advice for travelers booking cruises over the next year is to work with a travel agent who can advise you on up-to-date documentation requirements.

As for Sue Mueller, she's learned her lesson. "Hindsight!" she sighs. "Now I wish I had done more. I hope no one else ever has a similar situation."

Celebrity Solstice- cabins designed with women in mind!

Celebrity Releases First Details of Solstice Class Ships

Celebrity Cruises has unveiled details of its new Solstice class ships, the first of which, the Celebrity Solstice, will make its maiden voyage in the Caribbean in December 2008. Last night in New York Celebrity made the first of a half-dozen announcements that the it plans about the new class of ships; the event focused specifically on the ship's staterooms. Dan Hanrahan, Celebrity's president and CEO, said research for the stateroom design began even before the cruise line cut steel for the ships. Recognizing that women are the decision-makers when it comes to cruising, Celebrity put together a panel of five women -- a frequent cruiser, a travel agent, a non-cruiser, a hotelier and a travel writer-to get their input on staterooms -- that spent four months helping Celebrity design the staterooms. The result: staterooms that are 15 percent larger than those in Celebrity's Millennium ships, and bathrooms that are 24 percent larger and have touches such as fog free mirrors and bars for women to rest their feet upon while shaving their legs. "The showers are the biggest you'll find at sea," said Hanrahan.

To better accommodate luggage, beds are higher, so bags fit underneath, and there are additional nooks and crannies for storage. The ships have interconnecting stateroom, but since space that connects also conducts sound, each has a vestibule with a double set of doors to muffle sound. Triple and quad rooms all have trundle beds that extend from couches as well as Pullman beds, meaning parents can put smaller children in the lower trundles. Staterooms are roughly 295 to 300 square feet, not including balconies. The ship has WiFi, staterooms have 32-inch flat screen TVs, while suites have larger flat-screen TVs. There is also the new AquaClass, which is tied into the ship's spa. It includes 130 of the ship's 1,425 staterooms. Celebrity Solstice is the line's first in a class for four 2,850-passenger vessels. German shipbuilder Meyer Werft, which constructed the line's Century-class fleet, is building the 122,000-GRT ship. For more information, visit www.celebritycruises.com or www.cruisecelebritysolstice.com

Azamara Journey Review from clients

Debbie and Ron are seasoned cruisers and have sailed everything from Carnival to Princess to Cunard but really took to the Voyager class ships from Royal Caribbean. They sailed to Bermuda last summer on the Explorer of the Seas to celebrate Debbie's parent's 50th wedding anniversary and sailed last week on the new Azamara Journey. Here is their review:

We’re back “safe and sound” and had a very enjoyable cruise. As I mentioned, had just finished putting together a review, my session timed out and I lost it all… So here goes it from what I remember…

Embarkation– Went very smoothly. They changed the parking facilities at Port Bayonne and moved them away from the dry docks and construction of the new pier. Ron also heard that they were going to construct an indoor parking facility. I hope it’s in place for our February cruise! We arrived at 1:00, dropped off our luggage and utilized the handicapped parking section. We got one of the few spots left in that section. We went through security and made our way over to the counter. There were no lines and we breezed through registration since we had done the online check in. We had our picture taken and walked onto the ship. The staff greeted us with a choice of mimosa or a glass of champagne and we were in our cabin by 1:15! The muster drill was different than any other we’ve ever been through. Our muster station was the dining room. We went down there, listened to the instructions and were then led to the life boats.

Buffet Dining – The buffet area is small and congested. We generally had trouble finding a place to sit. We used the buffet for lunch the days we were in port and for breakfast the last morning. It was very crowded and we generally had a hard time finding a place to sit and eat. The buffet consisted of a salad bar and freshly made Caesar salads, a sandwich station, cold side dish station, a carving station (one item and it changed day to day), hot prepared main dishes and side dishes, dessert, fresh fruit and ice cream station. For breakfast, there was a station that had French toast, pancakes and waffles, and station for freshly made omelets, hot sides (bacon, sausage, blintzes, etc), cereal, pastry and fresh fruit. I mostly had Caesar salad and cheese and crackers for lunch. They were very good. Ron said most of the hot foods were always cold. This is why I don’t like buffets!

Discoveries Dining Room – Breakfast was mediocre and the service wasn’t that great. I asked for Iced Tea one morning, never got it and when I asked one of the waiters about it, I was told “Ask your waiter”. I made the mistake of asking for scrambled eggs one morning and was very disappointed. I think they were made with powdered eggs; they had no taste. They also ran out of tomato juice by the end of the cruise. Lunch was better. I had seared tuna for lunch one day and it was fabulous! The lunch and dinner meals were generally very good. One of the assistant head waiters was very friendly. We were talking to him one day and I told him how much I had enjoyed the Goat Cheese and Potato Tart and he offered to have the chef make it for me another night. I took him up on it and he did! It was FABULOUS!!!

Specialty Dining – We went up to “Prime C” for reservations on Saturday after checking out the ship (3:00). We were able to get a reservation for Wednesday night at 6:00. Earlier nights we would have had to taken a 9:30 reservation and that was too late for us. My observation… it seems that the Captains Club members get two complementary evenings, they were able to make reservations earlier than the cruise and they took up most of the reservations. Our dinner and the service were both INCREDIBLE. We really enjoyed it overlooking Front Street in Hamilton. (Suite guests get 2 free dinners at the specialty restaurants so that may have been the reason the time slots booked up so quickly)

Excursions – Since we’ve been to Bermuda several times and since my knees aren’t quite what they should be these days, we opted not to use any of the excursions. We asked about a taxi tour and rejected it when we were told it would be $108.00. Instead what we did was get a two day transportation pass and tour the island by bus and ferry following the maps. We were able to see most of the sites and talk to some of the Bermudians. One of them was telling us that there is an average of one fatality each month on the scooters. While walking down Front Street, we passed by the scooter rentals and noticed most them had bald tires. I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone.

Entertainment – The Cabaret singers performed twice during the cruise. They had okay voices on their own, but had very good harmony and sounded good when they sang together. This is a good example of “the sum of the parts being greater than the parts themselves”. The magician/musician (Bob Brizendine) was hysterical and we enjoyed his shows the most. The lounge singer (Geoffrey Tozer) was mediocre. It was like watching karaoke. The last performer was a comedian/musician (Bill Mulligan) who took peoples names and made up songs about where they were from and what they did. He was quite good.

Cruise Director – Andrea is from Italy and was a Chemical Engineer before getting his MBA from a California university. How he ended up as a cruise director is still a question, but I’m glad he did. He was delightful and was the most approachable cruise director we’ve ever run into. His passion is astronomy and he gave a lecture on it during the cruise. He also did three “star gazing” sessions and they were great. We went up to deck 11, the lights were turned off and he pointed out the stars, planets and constellations by laser pointer. He was actually at the end of ramp when we got off the ship shaking hands and saying goodbye to everyone.

Enrichment Series – Dr. Joel Klass (physician and psychotherapist) gave three lectures during the week on Hired Guns (How experts can influence juries), Stress (How to eliminate it from your life) and Dreams (How to interpret them). He was very informative and easy to listen to. He has a very dry sense of humor and it was peppered throughout his lectures and the conversations we had with him. He sat with us at dinner one night and I laughed throughout dinner.

Aquaspa – This was one of the highlights of my cruise. I ended up having three massages and a facial. Long story, short… but one of the massage therapists was the best I ever used. I had two deep tissue massages and she was extremely thorough and used techniques other than traditional massage. (I offered to bring her home.) The aesthetician who did my facial was very friendly and very gentle. I felt great when it was over. As usual, there is always a hard sell for products at the end of each session, but I’ve been able to fend them off by saying I have tons of product (which I do). Ron took advantage of the Thalassotherapy pool every day and enjoyed it.

Cabin – The cabin was a bit smaller than what we’re used to. We had a queen sized bed (no rounded corners as on the RCL beds), down comforter and pillows. The bathroom was much smaller than I expected. The shower was TINY!!! However, the Elemis products (soap, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion) were a welcome addition.

We asked the “butler”/cabin steward to remove the contents of the mini fridge and replace it with Diet Coke. On past cruises, at the end of the cruise, they counted up how many were consumed and charged us based on that. On Azamara, they charged the full amount to our bill right away. It wasn’t until we questioned an item on our statement that we found out that we prepaid for all of it.

There was fresh fruit in our cabin every day and the fresh flowers in our cabin lasted all week. One of the nicer attributes of the cabin was the balcony. It had a dining table and two chairs. We took advantage of it and had breakfast on our balcony the mornings we were in port. Breakfast was delivered on time, was hot and they called right before delivery. We did order canapés one day and they were good. Instead of the traditional piece of chocolate on our pillow each night we received a variety of treats (a miniature rose, cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolates, cookies, etc.).

General Comments – We were probably some of the youngest couples on the ship. Many of the passengers were 70+. We enjoyed being on a smaller ship. It’s very tastefully decorated; lots of wood paneling and moulding. I don’t recall seeing any handicapped bathrooms. Everyone we met was very friendly. There was no problem getting lounge chairs at any time and they were very comfortable. Many of the public areas are much smaller than on the other ships we’ve been on (elevators, hallways, stairwells, etc.). However, we missed the walk-around promenade. The cabaret lounge furniture was not the most comfortable.

We’ve heard lots of rumors about them not allowing cruise ships in to Hamilton next year. Not sure if it’s true or not. If true, it will be a shame. We also heard that most of the Celebrity crew will be leaving before the ship goes to Orient. They will be filling the staff with their own staff. If I think of anything else, I’ll send it along.

Regards,

Debbie

When I followed up with Debbie on how she would compare her cruise experience on the Journey to the experience on the Explorer of the Seas, this was her response:

It's hard to compare them; they're both so different. It’s going to depend on what the person is looking for. The Journey is a much more intimate experience while the Explorer is a bigger, WOW kind of ship.

The biggest advantage of the Journey is that it gets into Hamilton and St. George. We were on deck when we were going through the cut into St. George and saw the cannon fired and heard the town crier. Being in town definitely has its advantages. Going from the dockyard to Hamilton takes about 45 minutes by ferry or bus and you have to wait for them. While we were in Hamilton, we sat out on the promenade and watched and listened to the street festival. I also loved the fact that we got to see so much of the cruise director and crew. On the Explorer, we rarely got to see any of the crew, let alone talk to them. The food might have been a tad better on Journey over the Explorer; but not significantly. As I mentioned earlier, we really liked having the table on the balcony for breakfasts in the cabin. The Explorer doesn't have this. I think the shows on the Explorer were better. The theatre on the Explorer class of ships is much more comfortable (seats and views). Big, extravagant stage shows vs. small, intimate, cabaret style shows. If you arrive late, you'll have a hard time finding a seat let alone seeing the show.

If someone is looking for more athletic activities, then the Explorer is the better way to go. There aren't many on Journey (shuffleboard, jogging track and gym) vs. Explorer (rock climbing wall, skating, miniature golf, in line skating, basketball, shuffleboard, jogging, gym). If you're looking for more group activities, I think the Explorer is better. There were lots of trivia contests on Journey; none of the hairy chest, Quest, etc. The Journey appears to be geared toward more mature adults (lecture series, computer classes, cooking demonstration, etc.). Since the Journey isn't geared toward children, there are no children's activities. Obviously, Explorer has Ocean Adventure Club.

The Azamara Journey and soon to be available, the Quest, are not going to be the perfect cruise ship for everyone. They are not going to cater to families. The age range of the guests may be older during off season (as Bermuda is in September) and since they are doing 12+ night itineraries in the winter. However, next summer in Europe, I would anticipate the 2 Azamara ships to have an upscale, more sophisticated, more middle aged client who wants to feel pampered in an elegant environment. They will be seasoned travelers, and might very likely have cruised with their families but the cruise to Europe will be just for them or possibly themselves and another couple or 2. The fact that the ships are smaller means they can get into more unique ports and avoid tendering (ferrying) guests to the dock. All in all, Azamara has started to attract the clients that it is looking for and, I feel, will continue to play a major role in the upscale cruise line market

DisneyWorld Vacation Review

Young Adult’s Review of Disney

The Magical Express upon arriving in Orlando was very efficient. After landing, it was easy to find where to go to get the transfers. The staff was friendly and it took less than 5 minutes to register and get right on the bus. The bus ride to Port Orleans Riverside took about 25 minutes. It was the 2nd stop of 3 stops. It was such a convenience not to have to deal with the luggage.

Check In
Since we arrived with the others from the Magical Express bus, there was about a 10 minute wait to check in. Otherwise, check in was efficient. If you made dinner reservations prior to arrival, you must go to the Dining Concierge to get your confirmation. CHECK ALL OF THE DATES AND TIMES OF THE RESERVATIONS- we had a major error on our dinner for the first night.

Room
We were in the Alligator Bayou section of the Riverside resort in building 24. It was just about the furthest you could be from the front lobby. Although we didn’t pay for a king bedded room, we were assigned a room with a king bed. We later realized that it was a handicapped room, which made the odd lay out and bathroom understandable. There is adequate storage, TV, small refrigerator and a very small wall safe. The safe will hold your wallets but not much else so if you need to lock larger items like a lap top, you might want to use the concierge for that.

The bathroom was large but didn’t have a lock on the door. There was a large sink/vanity top but no other storage.

Pools were nice and open late and the food court had great choices.

Mama Melrose and the Fantasmic Package
Food was decent, friendly waiters-although a bit slow. Bill for 2 came to $82.15- thank goodness for the free dining plan!
Fantasmic is a MUST SEE. Plan to get there early for a good seat. It is first come, first served (even with the entrance package from Mama Melrose). We got there 1 hour ahead and it was ¾ filled.

MGM
Get fast pass. Kiosks tended to close around 6:30PM. Most shows have their last showing around 5pm.
Indiana Jones Stunt show as cute.
Beauty and the Beast Live was very cute.
Tower of Terror- good
Rockin Roller Coaster- get fast pass.
The wait times are listed at the entrance to all attractions.

Bus transportation
Be prepared to wait for the buses. Plan about 1 hour to get to your destination although the actual time was closer to ½ hour.

Epcot
Get fast pass for your choice of ride and then go to the character greeting. Lines can get long very fast.
Many of the rides are inside (which is great when you are there the end of August)
Soaring- excellent
Honey I Shrunk the Audience- cute and you don’t need fast pass
Living with the Land- nice soft ride
Circle of Life- very environmental- It was OK. Made a good filler.
Nemo- cute- nice ride
Maelstrom- good but short

Lunch at the Electric Umbrella was decent- about $12 each
Dinner at Alfredo di Roma was good with prompt service but the restaurant was loud and crowded. Dinner ran $86.94 for 2.

Illuminations- great show with the best views from Italy.

Animal Kingdom
Get there when it first opens and go right to fast pass for Expedition Everest.
Next do the Kali River Rapids and then head to the Safari. You’ll be able to cover all of them in a relatively short time.

Expedition Everest- very good
Kali River Rapids- you will get wet. Great to cool down in the August heat
Safari- do it
Dinosaur- inside ride- cute.

The Animal Kingdom is hotter by a couple of degrees than the other parks because of all of the trees.

*most rides have pouches to hold your belongings (like back packs and bags).

Magic Kingdom
Do Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, It’s a Small World (good for pictures) and Pirates of the Caribbean. The Jungle Cruise isn’t great but it is only a short wait with fast pass. Hall of Presidents movie wasn’t great but the presentation was cute.

See the Dreams Come True Parade and the Electro Spectro Magic Parade.
Wishes- best view was from the train station

Lunch at Pinochios was good- still ran about $25 for 2.
Do the Characters in the early morning.

Dinner at the Grand Floridian Café was ok- not wonderful food but a nice atmosphere with the characters. Service was good and the bill came to about $75 for 2.

Blizzard beach and Typhoon Lagoon
Go early and rent a locker for $7 for a large locker with a $5 refundable deposit.

California Grill
Good service, good atmosphere. Good filet mignon.

Comedy Warehouse- Downtown Disney
Cute improv show.
Concourse Steakhouse- Excellent- Our Favorite.


In all, the dining plan is definitely worth while getting. We went during the free dining plan promotion (usually available in late August – September and again in May). Even at the current rates of $39.99 per adult per day, it is worthwhile.
You get 1 counter service meal (entrée, drink and dessert) which usually came to about $12 pp daily. We saved the dessert for later. You get a snack with a value of up to $4 daily. One day, I had soup and breadsticks in the food court of the hotel.
The dinner includes appetizer or soup, entrée, non alcoholic beverage and dessert. They also include the tip. The average price for dinner daily was $40 per person which is the price of the meal plan. There are some signature restaurants like the California Grill and the Dinner shows which take 2 sit down dinner coupons.

Stef and Dave
August 2007

Review of Globus Switzerland at Leisure Tour

Globus Tour -- Switzerland at Leisure

As my 11 day bus tour of Switzerland with Globus approached, I began thinking about the possible bus mates I would have. I was already going with seven other friends, but the makeup of the bus can make or break your vacation. I was very pleasantly surprised. Since our group was made up in age range from 21 – 65, we were hoping to have a varied group to complement our group. We did. We had a family with teenagers, several young singles in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, a few family duos and several couples ranging from 50’s – retirees.
Everyone was friendly and we got along very well.

I was also very pleased at the accommodations that we had. All the hotels were very centrally located which made it very easy for us to stroll at night or during the day when we had some free time. The rooms were very nice. At some of the hotels we even had balconies. All the hotels offered a large and varied buffet breakfast ( equivalent to breakfast on a cruise.) There was no way that you could walk away hungry . Staying at only three hotels in 11 days does take the edge off of packing and unpacking every night and it does make for a more relaxed vacation.

Globus has a very good system for rotating seats on the bus. The tour guide explained the daily rotation system that they use, therefore everyone gets to sit in the prime location front seats and everyone gets the dreaded back of the bus. There was no arguing and running onto the bus as soon as it arrived. It made for a very pleasant bus ride.

This trip was labeled “at leisure.” We were always busy. The down time that was listed in the brochure was filled in with extra excursions to complete the trip. Yes, you did not have to go and you could have some more leisure time, but I figured I will only be here once and some of the offerings I really did want to see. I decided that if the excursions had something extra to see I would do it, if it was only another Swiss meal I would pass. The reason, I picked this tour was for the itinerary. I was very pleased about the tour itself. We definitely did see most of Switzerland. Starting out in Zurich – went north up to the German border – west to the capital, Bern near France and south to Zermatt in which you can see the highest Alps of the country. The only part of the country the tour was missing was the southern tip adjacent to Italy. My group did the 3-day pre stay that Globus offered. It was well worth the extra money. We were able to see all of Zurich at our own speed and we even spent a day going out to the traditional Appenzell region which is the western most part of Switzerland adjacent to Austria.

We used every mode of transportation that Switzerland has to offer. Trolleys, small cable cars, standing room only cable cars, trains, cog rails, ferries and of course a tourist bus. This tour allowed us to interact with native Swiss people, to experience their culture and to see what is is like to live in their country. We found out a lot about their customs. Sitting on a tour bus all day and going only to the designated tourist attractions would not offer you this. Globus had townspeople, at two of our stops, give us local walking tours. I do commend Globus on their varied itinerary.

One negative was the included meals and of those on the excursions. We were not given a choice. The meals were pre – set and after a few of them I did get tired of just beef and veal and swiss pasta or fondue. There are more than enough restaurants in every town that we visited to eat in. We did have to find them ourselves, since our tour guide would not really give us any names if we didn’t join her on the extra excursion dinners. Many nights we joined others from our group who also did not go on the pre- arranged dinners. We went with their suggestions that they were given at home or we asked reception at the hotels.

The only other negative that we found with this tour was that my group would have liked more time at many of the stops. We spoke to the tour guide and she told us she would do
the best she could in changing the length of each stop. It would depend on how much we had to do that day. This negative would be found with any bus tour though. Each day is jammed packed. This is why many people go traveling on their own. Although we would never would have seen so much of Switzerland as we did on our own.

Switzerland has a bad rap about how costly everything is. I found dinners to be about the same price I would pay for a dinner at home in New Jersey or in New York City. I spent an average of sixteen – thirty dollars depending on what you ordered. Bottled water is quite costly about $3.00 per bottle, but I found that you don’t need to buy it – tap water was one of the best I have tasted – equal to NYC. Transportation was also equal to large city prices. You can buy an all day pay in which you can use any trolley, train or ferry within the city. Swiss Rail prices are the same as New Jersey Transit.

All in all, I would highly recommend going to see Switzerland. It is a beautiful country at any time of year and definitely use Globus.
Sherry L

Review of San Francisco and Carmel vacation

The trip was wonderful, aside from having an unpleasant JetBlue experience (did I mention the lost baggage with all of our shoes, belts, pocketbooks, etc.?). We loved San Francisco and the Four Seasons, and were questioning our allocation of vacation days to Carmel while we were there. Wonderful, intimate city, beautiful in its own right, with Sausalito, Berkeley, etc. all close by. Restaurant scene as compelling as anything in NYC--Slanted Door, Quince, and particularly Chez Panisse were highlights. All food lovers must turn and face Berkeley just before sitting down to dinner. And a visit to this town to see the university and Scharfen Berger's chocolate factory is very worthwhile. Then we got to Carmel. Fell in love, wished we had allocated less time in San Fran--we want to retire there someday. Pacific Highlands Inn has great bones--spectacular view of the coast line, stunning main building. Service, fit and finish can't compare to Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton, but more than adequate. Concierge services were a very bright spot--personal and spot-on. Restaurants were great--Pacific Edge (in the hotel), Marinus at Bernardus, Cielo (at the Ventana Inn, another spectacular spot between Carmel and Big Sur), and Passionfish. The town of Carmel is sweet, perhaps a little too precious (think East Hampton), but the surrounding areas are stunningly beautiful.

Thanks for all your help, and we will certainly be calling you for future travel.

Best regards,
Ken and Stacey R
San Francisco and Carmel Calif
August 2007

Tips on Not Losing Your Luggage

Many of my entries come from my actual experience or experiences of my clients. Yesterday, I got another call- this time about lost luggage.

Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from lost luggage.

1. Take a digital picture of each piece of luggage and keep it on your camera until the end of the trip. On our way back from Hawaii, one piece of luggage didn't arrive in Newark. When I went to report the lost luggage, I couldn't remember what color it was (it was a long over night flight home). I knew it was a rolling duffle bag with red and white ribbons attached but I couldn't remember if it was blue and gray or green and beige. A picture would have helped enormously.

2. Make sure that your luggage is tagged to the correct final destination. For example, if you are going to London Heathrow, make sure the airport attendant tags your luggage with LHR. Clients of mine didn't pay attention to this and their luggage ended up in Stockholm. If you don't know the airport code for your final destination, ask to see the tags before the airport attendant puts them on and ask which airport code is being used.

3. If your luggage is a typical color (black, blue or green), make it stand out so you can spot it from a distance. I use multi colored ribbons tied around each handle. I also use brightly colored luggage straps to wrap around the suitcase. I have distinctive luggage tags so that I can also see those from a distance. I have even seen people mark their suitcases with silver duct tape or other colored tape so that they can spot it from a distance.

4. Make sure your luggage is labeled with your name, address and phone # on it so that in case it is lost, it can be identified. Also, it is a good idea to have the same info on the inside of the bag for the same reason.

If your luggage is lost, file a claim immediately with the airline, hotel, cruise ship or tour operator. In order to file an insurance claim, you will need some back up info to prove that your luggage was lost.

Don't pack anything valuable like cameras and jewelry. Put those in your carry on luggage. If you need to take medication with you, please put that in your carry on luggage as well. We are aware of what you can and can't take on the plane with you in terms of liquids so if you need to take liquid medication or even contact lens solution, bring enough in a carry on for a few days, just in case.

Hope you find this helpful!

Handling money conversion while traveling abroad

When traveling to Europe or overseas, there is always the question about money conversion. This is usually not an issue when traveling to the Caribbean or even Mexico where US $ are widely accepted.


When traveling to Europe, where the euro is the predominant form of currency, what is the best way to handle converting your US $ into Euros?

A couple of suggestions from clients who recently traveled abroad.

1. Don't bother with traveler's checks. They create a problem when trying to cash them. Most shopkeepers will not cash them so you will need to find a bank.

2. Call your bank (ATM card holder) to see what type of fees they might charge for you to use your ATM abroad. In one client's case (her ATM was through Wachovia), the bank only charged a 1% service fee for using the ATM in Switzerland. They did not charge any other ATM fees (but check with your bank on that too, before using).

ATM machines are pretty readily available in most cities in Europe and may be the most convenient way to access money without having to purchase huge amounts at one time. This was the conversion method of choice for most of my clients.

3. Call your credit card companies to find out if they charge just the conversion rate (ie: Capital One credit card) or the conversion rate plus a 1-2% fee. Each credit card companies have different rules so please check ahead. When my group called 8 different credit card companies, the only one that did not charge a fee on top of the conversion rate was Capital One. I am not pushing this credit card- I do not own or carry one. This was information from 3 clients who called 8 different credit card companies between them.

4. Advise your bank (ATM card holder) and any credit card companies that you will be using the cards overseas. They will need to note this in your record so that they do not shut down your account due to potential fraud. Please do this approximately 2 weeks prior to departure.

5. Converting money in advance can be handled in a number of ways.

a. One client who was taking all private tours off a Mediterranean cruise needed to pay each driver in cash (Euros) upon being picked up for the tour. They felt that they needed to have the Euros readily available and ordered the Euros at their local bank. They were mailed the money within a couple of days.
b. There are a number of currency exchange services that I will be looking into in the future for my clients use. Keep checking back in the near future and I may have some more info on this.
c. Convert a small amount of money in the airport before you leave. The exchange rate may not be the best, but this will give you a some local currency to have upon arrival to tip cab drivers, bell hops, etc.

Walt Disney World Packages for 2008

Great news for Walt Disney World fans!
The new 2008 packages have just been announced and are ready for sale soon. The dining package has been enhanced and is now better than ever!

Walt Disney World Resort 2008 packages begin August 5. Through the Magic Your Way Package Plus Deluxe Dining, guests can save as much as 30 percent on dining. The new package features three meals and two snacks per person, per night and a resort refillable non-alcoholic drink mug per package. The Wine and Dine plan can be added to any meal-inclusive Magic Your Way package. This option offers a bottle of wine per room per night from a designated wine list at select restaurants at Disney Resort hotels and Theme Parks as well as merchandise locations. This plan is available for guests 21 years and older. The add-on price is $39.99 per room per night.

Check back with me for more info on the new 2008 Disney World Packages!

Honeymoon to Hawaii Review

Mindy,
Everything was great!! Time difference takes a bit getting use to but well worth it!!
Oahu:
Hotel (Resort Quest Beach Hotel) was nice, clean, breakfast on the beach was good.
Arizona Memorial, rented a car for two days and did the Aloha Flea Market, then drove up to the North Shore stopping along the way at Dole. Did the Polynesian Culture Center, it was interesting but we felt it was more for the kids. On the way back we stopped at Kahuna's Shrimp truck, OUTSTANDING!!! We both LOVED the shrimp, when we got to Maui we were a little disappointed there weren’t anywhere to be found. On Thursday we did a ride over to Haunama Bay, which was awesome, along the way we drove by some of Oahu's richest, the gates on their "compounds" protecting their mansions were very interesting.
The inter-island flight was a little turbulent, but short & sweet. We didn’t know that your luggage could be sent ahead before you so we were waiting for an hour before we went to lost luggage and was told it arrived on an early flight.
Maui:
After getting knocked around by a rude guy and his luggage who broke my nail, the car rental place gave me my dream car ( made the broken nail nothing LOL). We got a ford mustang convertible. The VIP service was worth it, we just got in the car and went.
We LOVED the Maui prince...it was very relaxing compared to Waikiki and what we desperately needed. Thanks to you we received a $25 resort credit on top of the $100 room/food credit. We bought our own snorkel gear after our experience in Oahu, and went twice right outside our hotel, since the charters just come there anyway. We saw huge turtles and tons of fish, perfect spot and well worth the investment in the gear.
The Luau was Fantastic, we had the most pictures taken there! The road to Hana was beautiful, and the dinner cruise as well. Mike enjoyed the bike ride, I made it 1mile down and gave up, the wind was 30mph and I was afraid I was going to be blown off the volcano, Our tour guides, taught us the most of Hawaii in 5 hours then we learned on our entire trip. The spa at the hotel is just as great as is the room service. There is nothing but smiles from our trip and all 750 photos!!!! We can't thank you enough for an outstanding honeymoon, the honeymoon registry was PEFRECT, we couldn't believe how many wedding gifts we had gotten, and we couldn’t even do them all!
Thanks again, eventually we'll take another vacation and definitely keep you in mind..Till then we'll be the "broke" teachers.
Kelli & Mike

Honeymoon in Belize Review

Hi Mindy,
We had an amazing time in Belize. Everything was absolutely perfect. We are extremely grateful for all of you planning and advice. We don't think that we could have possibly had a better honeymoon.

So here are our reviews.
Jaguar Reef Resort in Hopkins, Belize was incredible. Our beachfront cabana was clean, spacious and homey. The white sandy beach was clean and empty. There were
never more than about 6 people on the entire beach. The ocean water was warm and then tides were calm enough for us kayak daily. There was a gorgeous swimming pool right outside of our cabana. We were the only people who used this pool. Most other guests were located further down the beach near a larger pool with a swim-up bar. The staff at Jaguar Reef was
unbelievable and the food was pretty good. The only possible downside to this resort was that there was absolutely no nightlife. The poolside bar closed at 6pm and the other bar closed after dinner (9:30ish). The resort was located in the village of Hopkins, which was an extremely poor Garifuna village. We rode bikes from the resort into the village for a few excellent (and dirt cheap) meals. The people in the village were very friendly to tourists.

From Jaguar Reef we went on 2 excursions. We went snorkeling in the Belize Barrier Reef and we also went zip lining and cave tubing. The snorkeling was one of the major highlights of the trip. Neither one of us had ever snorkeled, but we loved every second of it.
The zip lining and cave tubing was also really fun. The excursion was based out of Jaguar Paw Jungle Resort, which was actually located just outside of Belmopan, the capital of Belize. In retrospect, we should have planned this excursion out of Chaa Creek, because Jaguar Paw is much closer to Chaa Creek than it is to Jaguar Reef. Oh well, we still had a fantastic time. The ride to Jaguar Paw was about 2 and 1/2 hours from Hopkins. It would have been about
an hour from Chaa Creek.

Chaa Creek Jungle Resort was the most unbelievable place I've ever seen. We felt like we had absolutely no business being in such a luxurious place. We felt like it was a place where people like Spielberg must go, not regular folks like us. Our treetop suite was huge and beautiful. The staff at Chaa Creek was extremely helpful and outgoing. Everyone made us feel welcome and appreciated. The food at the resort was great. Our only warning about this resort is that it
is not for people who are afraid of insects. The bugs didn't bother us at all, but we met another couple who was anxious to get out of the jungle and away from all of the spiders. It was not unusual to see wolf spiders or moths inside our our suite.

On the grounds of the resort we went horseback riding through the jungle and took a guided night
walk, where we spotted tarantulas, scorpions, a kinkajou, armadillos, a grey fox and numerous other interesting insects. The guides for both the horseback riding and the night walk were friendly and knowledgeable. From Chaa Creek we took excursions to Tikal and to
ATM. Tikal is an ancient Mayan city located in Guatemala. We had a fantastic guide who taught us a ton about the Mayan civilization and the current political climate in Guatemala. This was another major highlight of our trip. ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal) is an amazing cave that is filled with Mayan remains and artifacts. The caving trip was exhilarating! It all started with a 45 minute hike to the opening of the cave. From there we jumped into the water and started swimming into the cave. At times we were wading through water that was neck high, at other times the water was only up to our ankles. While in the cave, we viewed gorgeous rock formations. Eventually we arrived in the main chamber of the cave, where we had to take off our shoes and climb up
giant rocks to get to the chamber filled with Mayan artifacts. Once in this main chamber, we walked around in our socks and examined various artifacts and skeletons. The excursion is definitely only for the adventurous traveler. On several occasions, we said, "I can't believe they let people do this. This is insane!" We loved it! Once again, our guide was knowledgeable and informative.

You have probably already figured out that we enjoyed every second of our honeymoon. It was exciting, relaxing and educational. We are telling everyone that they have to go to Belize.

Thank you so much for all of you help. Hopefully these reviews are helpful. Let us know if you have any other questions.


Thanks for everything. We'll send you pictures.
~Maura & Ed
Honeymoon to Belize July 2007

A bit of Airline Lingo Humor

I have said many times that I would love it if I never had to deal with airlines again. It would make my life much easier.

I have taken a couple of definitions from Marc Mancini's Airline Dictionary for your amusement. This article was published in the 7/30/07 edition of Travel Weekly Magazine.

Again, this is all in jest, but we can all use a good chuckle now and then.

1. Open Jaw- what clients do when they hear what their full fare coach tickets will cost.

2. Air fare (the mathematics of)- numbers that change so fast that they can't be measured.

3. Direct flight- either a connecting flight in disquise or what normal folk think is a non stop.

4. In snack flight- a bag of something sealed so well that you need a chain saw to open it.

5. Baggage carousel- otherwise known as the Bermuda triangle.

6. Code share- a trick where several different airlines have a plane at the same gate at the same time.

7. 737- The airline industry's response to the overwhelming desire for more passengers to sit in the middle seat.

8. Commuter jet- this is a 737 before it grows up.

9. Minimum connecting time- the time it takes for an Olympic class sprinter to get from one gate to another at top speed.

10. On time- an obscure term which has an unknown definition.

Hope these brought a smile to your face.

Good News for Single Travelers

Single travelers have always been forced to pay higher rates than those traveling with another person. The "single supplement" has been as high as 100% more than the single rate. The following info is good news for single travelers.

This is an article from Travel Agent Magazine online service from July 30, 2007.

"GOGO For Solo Travelers

Jul 30, 2007
Travel Agent


GOGO Worldwide Vacations on Friday announced packages tailored specifically for the single traveler. The trips feature the Caribbean, Mexico, the United States and Canada and give solo travelers up to 30 percent off single rates, as well as their own hotel room. A host of activities also are available for booking, including snorkeling, wine tasting and dancing. The impetus for the launch was a noticeable increase in travel agents planning vacations for single travelers, said Tom Hayden, vice president of sales for the company. "[Single travelers] are always looking for a destination that offers a wide variety of activities such as nightlife, entertainment, recreational and experiential activities," he said. Departure dates begin in September."

Call me for more info on these options.

Another reason why to use a Travel Agent

In this age of technology, booking travel online can be relatively fast and easy. Why should you use a travel agent instead of booking your hotel online?

In an article in the July 2007 Agent@Home magazine (a magazine that focuses on the issues of home based travel agents, such as myself), an article was submitted by Stacy Small. Ms. Small is both a travel writer and editor as well as the owner of her own home based travel agency in Florida.

This is an excerpt from her article titled Proving Your Worth.

" Much of it comes down to perception, since online agencies have done a terrific job of promoting their 'cheap fares' and ease of use. But what they don't tell the consumers is that hotel bookings made through them drop to the bottom of the hotel's priority list (for upgrades and special attention), compared to thouse made through top agents, which go to the top of the list. Many hoteliers also confirm to me that bookings made through third party websites are typically assigned the least desirable rooms in the house, since the hotels know the traveler is more likely to be a budget-shopper than a serious upscale traveler with great potential for long-term loyalty."

Just something to ponder when thinking about booking a hotel reservation on your own through the big online booking agencies.