How to Plan a Cruise
A cruise is truly a reasonable way to see the World. You always know where you are sleeping, unpack once and you will not starve or go thirsty. My first suggestion is to find out where you want to go and contact your travel agent for help with the planning . After you choose your location you will be given a few options for dates depending on what time of year it is. The farther away the date is, the less expensive the cost will be. Using an Agent may offer you additional amenities. Now get started booking that journey. Our first cruise was to Alaska and when I booked it, the beginning of May was the most reasonably priced. I did shop around to other Cruise Lines but for our needs Carnival was the better price and we were able to get a balcony for the cost of an interior cabin at their competition. I have also been to Alaska in September, I often hear inexperienced travelers say they were told late Summer is the best time to visit, personally I disagree. The Glaciers and snow is what makes Alaska, to me summer is similar to home. I like the early spring when the animals are just coming out of hibernation and the snow in the Mountains is still deep. Some cruise lines are known for hosting mostly older passengers, some younger but there really are only a few companies that own many different brands. Nearly everything is included in your cost (except alcohol) some companies sell add on packages for that also. You will have to pay extra for whatever Excursions you choose with Carnival but some companies do have more inclusive packages. I wanted to have all of our expenses paid so we would not need a lot of cash or extra money so I pre paid for all of our excursions and gratuities (a daily charge per person per room) With Carnival they have a special price (Early Saver Rate) that allows you to make changes to your booking if you need to. Lower floors can be near engine rooms and upper levels just below a night club so be sure to ask me for help. Once booked you will have a special link to check the web site directly for details on baggage restrictions, port directions, transportation options and things like dress code. Also you will need a passport, we were able to just purchase a new passport card it is only good for LAND and SEA travel NO AIR but it is less expensive. Either way you need to start the process months in advance. If you plan your cruise with me I will be sure you have all the necessary details.
It is a good idea to arrive to the Port’s City a day in advance in case you have flight delays so you will not miss your cruise. When you book your flight to leave be sure it is later afternoon if it is on the day you debark. Even though the ships usually dock very early in the morning there are some times delays getting off the ship and collecting luggage.
- Get your Passport and start saving your pennies
- Choose a Destination and Date / do the research and your Travel Planner will help choose a Cruise Line for your style
- Select a Cabin and read all the FAQ Insurance is usually a good idea to add to protect your investment
- Select a Hotel and transportation for the Airport and Cruise port
- Your Agent can help you Buy Airline tickets or alternate transportation
- Pick your excursions and check the weather for the time of travel
- Notify your bank and credit card company of your travel dates
- Keep a well-organized binder , your agent can help you with lists for Packing and much more
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Travel In Style with Friends
Remove the stress of planning a Trip and join us. Enjoy a Java along the water in Venice. Click on the Link Below and leave your details. Or follow our Facebook page for upcoming details on our next getaway.
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Dominican Republic 🇩🇴
This is a post from a while back. I am reposting because the Dominican People need our help. Many of you now know how the Stories from several months ago were inaccurate. If you want to read the truth for your own peace of mind visit travfacts.org Many of the people lost their Jobs as the Tourism dwindled. Tourism is the main source of Income and has a major effect on the economy.
I love to visit new places and people and learn first hand about other cultures. Traveling by cruise ship is a simple way to do this. Many may choose the candy coated version but I like to venture out and see things for what they are.
If you like jewelry Amber and Larimar are both very prevalent here. There are museums dedicated to them.
With that in mind it surprises me how many people choose here to visit for long vacations. I found the majority of people we interacted with unfriendly and not wanting to bother with tourists.
We still enjoyed our time, the first day at a resort being pampered on the beach. If you never left this little bit of paradise your golden.
The following day we visited La Romana this area exists because of shell oil and Paramount Pictures. Several movies have been filmed here along the river , Rambo , Predator , Anaconda and more.
Also overlooking the Charon River is the Village of Altos de Chavon with many cobblestone pathways leading to the Archeological Museum , and The Famous School of Design. The Church of St. Stanislaus Consecrated in 1979 Pope John Paul II sent the ashes of Poland’s patron saint, St. Stanislaus , and a hand carved statue to commemorate the church’s inauguration .
Many famous movie stars have been married here as well as held there receptions in the courtyard.
The Amphitheater, inaugurated in 1982 by Frank Sinatra has since hosted dozens of famous performers such as Sting, Elton John, Marc Anthony , Andrea Bocelli, Julio Iglesias and many more. Today this theatre is still a very important part December 30th, 2016 Enrique Iglesias performs.
Next we continue on to Bonaire and the salt flats. This was a very beautiful view from the ship with clear blue waters and colorful surroundings. During our journey, especially when we find a location we may want to return to , we asked about the crime among other things. We were told the crime is relatively low (relative to what I wonder as all of the businesses had bars on their windows.)
BONAIRE
What’s next ?
Media, Social or Secluded ?
Sorry for the slightly off topic ranting.
I know in the past I often say how I love Seattle, today reality may be setting in, I probably couldn’t live there full time. It has been very rainy so far this Season, leading to depression everywhere. Actually Seattle gets less rain on average than we do here in Upstate NY. They get a bad rap as the Rainy City.
My normal working day consists of getting coffee and watching The Today Show as I slowly come to life. Since The Today Show goes on for a few hours I watch as I am working. Steals and Deals is one of my favorite parts , I try not to actually buy anything. As a fellow New Yorker it is my duty to see what people think is News and what my next hurtle is from the Media Circus regarding Travel Deals or Nightmares that I can expect to impact my day.
As a Dream Maker/Travel Planner , I offer actual support to my clients before and throughout their Journey. There is a good reason not to buy your Travel from the same place you find Toilet Paper. It is always a challenge to acquire reliable new clients. In today’s ever changing media world , Newspapers, Bulletin Boards , Radio and even email are not as common. The problem with email is we all receive so much junk that we throw away the bad with the good for lack of time to sort through. The normal advertising outlet has become Facebook or Instagram. If I still lived in Florida I could always have a Banner made and pulled behind a Plane to advertise my business.
Personally I get annoyed when I find interesting things to do that happened last week. I always pick RECENT to search first and it’s still old news. Now it has come to the attention of some that we are actually NON Social due to Social Overload. All tools have their uses and limits. Most of us are guilty of being tied to our phone. In a society that works 24/7 and expects the same of others , we have created our own problem.
The point being that there are now Cell Phones for limiting Social Exposure. The phone is to actually Talk or Text , according to the promoters on Today. Someone is getting rich reinventing the wheel. Before you know it people will want to grow things and raise their own food. Oh, wait… live off the grid.
As the saying goes “Everything Old is New again” or ” Take time to smell the Roses” and we still do not learn from our mistakes.
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Athens
We stayed at The Divani Acropolis Hotel which is located downtown, about a ten minute walk to the Acropolis Museum and many great restaurants and shops.
Many of these spectacular treasures are visible from the city. Pictured above in the night sky ” The Acropolis”.
Our first full day we headed to the Parthenon , Acropolis and Temple of Athena Nike which are some of my favorites from Greek Mythology. I also loved drawing these ruins in Art class. It was exciting just driving through the city and seeing these in the distance.
I was truly in awe my first steps up to these masterpieces.
Many of the treasured sculptures and Antiquities that have been saved are in the Acropolis Museum and other Museums through out the Country side.
This evening we were treated to our first of many Authentic Greek Meals.
After a short bus ride and fairly long walk through the streets of Psiri where there are many cafes and Restaurants before we arrived at Lithos.
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The Travel Saga Continues
Fast forward a week prior to take off. It’s a good thing I am a Travel Planner as well as OCD when it comes to potential flight issues.
I logged on to United to pay for my luggage ( a connecting flight getting us to Newark so I didn’t have to stress about driving there ) at which time I discover my direct flight of 45 minutes is suddenly a 4 Hr flight to DC arriving at Midnight after my Departure flight to Athens.
I discovered my original flight had been cancelled and they re-booked me with No notice of any kind. No call to see if this new flight would work, No email to say “hey you need to arrive 8 hours earlier than you planned”. No text to say “oh by the way you now have to take an additional day off of work”. After being on the phone over two and a half hours I had a different flight that also left us with additional time in Newark. Who doesn’t want to sit ten plus hours in the Airport with no apology , excuse or attempt to make up for the inconvenience.
We arrive at Albany for the flight as we also get a text to say our flight was delayed 1 1/2 hours . We parked the car and dropped off our bags and suddenly another text and additional delay . Finally several hours later we are on the plane as the Pilot says we are going to be sitting there for another hour or so partly due to another plane being delayed and also a small technical issue with the planes gps.
Yes by now I am disgusted especially since we have a few United Pilots flying to Newark with us that proceed to blame the ( Non United Crew that is in control of our plane) This is just becoming a normal part of all our Journeys. It seems every trip we have taken over the last several years starts with a peculiar issue . We sit thinking to ourselves hmmm… is someone trying to tell us to stay home?
Occassionally this continues but we always manage to have a wonderful adventure.
Our overnight flight went by so quickly even with the overflowing bathrooms that soaked the floor in front of us. For future reference , Pepsi doubles as a clog remover.
We arrive at Athens International Airport , which is about forty-five minutes away by Taxi to our hotel in Downtown. The city of Athens is home to over 5 million people. Along the way we see a few of the sites and street art that we call graffiti. Greece to be continued….
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#Charleston continued
There are many other things to see in Charleston just a short drive away. One very old treasure is the Angel Oak (Quercus Virginiana) It is estimated to be between 300 and 400 years old. Named after it’s previous owners Justis and Martha Angel it is 65′ in height and 25.5′ in diameter the longest limb is 89′ long and 11.25′ in diameter.
There are many Plantations that you can tour as well, we chose the Tea Plantation. For many generations the Bigelow Family has run the plantation.
Only the fresh new growth that springs from the tips of these hedge type plants is harvested and then dried to make the various types of tea.
If you like alcohol, Firefly Distillery is just a few mile down the road . Don’t expect a free sample or any type of tour you can taste for a small fee.
If you need a nice place to stay while in town the choices are only limited by your budget.
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Charlestown …. Continued
Your virtual ride through the streets of historical Charleston .
