Fall & Winter Cruising

(A photo I took of the Disney Fantasy on my cruise October 20-27, 2012)

Many people rule out the fall as a time to cruise because it is hurricane season.  I however, am not one of them. Of the 6 cruises I’ve been on 4 have been during hurricane season and my 7^th cruise will also be during hurricane season, just a few months away.

If you don’t like swarms of people and you LOVE a good bargain fall and winter cruising might just be for you! Kids are back to school meaning most families will be home and therefore fewer people on board overall. Also, if you are going with your honey it’s worth noting that although there will be kids on most cruises there will be far fewer during the school year (aside from holidays).

Ports in the North Eastern US and Canada provide amazing views of beautiful fall foliage. Autumn is a great time to visit small towns and fishing villages along the coast. If you don’t want the crisp autumn air, try a Caribbean cruise where you will still have warm temperatures, but not the sweltering heat of summer. Some travellers shy away from the Caribbean because of hurricane season, but it’s worth noting that captains keep in touch with meteorologists and can quickly change routes to keep your vacation rain and hurricane free! So as long as you are flexible about which islands you visit, it’s a win!

Cruises out of Baltimore, MD, Charleston, SC and Port Canaveral, FL often have special rates for Caribbean Cruises during the fall.  The lower rates generally continue throughout the winter until March, when the spring brea

k traffic begins!

For first time cruisers keep in mind that cruise vacations include accommodations, meals, snacks, Vegas style entertainment, casinos, parties, pools, exercise classes, gym’s, dance clubs, bars, piano bars, sports and a whole lot more!  You receive a daily itinerary in your cabin that has activities listed from early morning until late at night. Everything aside from alcohol is included in the price! 

Fall and winter sailings can be as low as $200 per person for a 4 night sailing! For exact rates and itinerary options or if you have any questions do not hesitate in contacting me!

Bon Voyage!

Let the River Run...

One of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry is river cruising. Its popularity has been increasingly growing over the past decade.

While a small segment of the population has already been on a river cruise, many of us have not and don’t even know much about them. So I wanted to take the time to educate people on this awesome way to see the world!

So where do these river cruises go?

Anywhere there is a beautiful river with charming cities along it you’re likely to find a river cruise there, Europe is the most popular destination with cruises on the Danube, Rhine, Elbe, Seine and other European rivers. However, there are also river cruises in Egypt, Southeast Asia, China, the Amazon and even the mighty Mississippi right here in the USA!.

Why would I go on a river cruise and not a tour or an ocean cruise?

A river cruise is truly the best of both worlds. You have the floating hotel aspect where you only have to unpack once, and yet you are able to see multiple places as you would on an ocean cruise. But the benefit of river cruising as opposed to ocean cruising is that you truly get to the heart of the destination you’re visiting. River cruising takes you inland, so you get to see the smaller, quaint destinations in the interior of the countries you visit. Since historically trade was done on rivers, some of the oldest and most beautiful cities in the world can be visited on a river cruise! So you have the benefits of a tour in that you go inland, without the hassle of going from hotel to hotel on a bus..instead you can be sipping a glass of local wine and watching the beautiful landscape roll by! Another perk is that the ships are smaller, more intimate vessels generally holding 150-200 people.

So what are the accommodations like?

River cruise ships offer a wide range of accommodations. They are spacious with great beds, full entertainment systems, and bathrooms that are larger than on most ocean liners! Most rooms even have balconies. They also have spectacular views of the landscape, historic towns and castles along the river banks!

What’s it like on board?

River cruise ships are small, but with many of the amenities you’d find on a larger ship. They have fitness centers, pools, bars, restaurants etc. River cruises have made an effort to truly educate their passengers on the places they are visiting. They bring on local entertainment in the evenings. So if you are cruising in Russia, you will have local dancers and musicians playing for you! They also serve local cuisine. The chefs go to the local farmer’s markets at port so in the evenings you will dine on food grown within miles of where you are.

What’s included?

On a river cruise all meals are included. On many river cruise lines you’ll find that beer, wine and spirits are included as well! Your land tours are even included with most cruise lines. So for the price of your cruise you’re getting accommodation, meals, drinks and your tours! They even have tours to suite everyone’s needs. They have active tours, bike tours, and slower paced tours for those who aren’t in the best physical condition.

Well, I hope you’ve learned something about river cruises.  If you’d like more information don’t hesitate to contact me. If I don’t respond, it’s probably because I’m on a river cruise myself!

Bon Voyage!

Holiday Travel Guide

Holiday travel is known as a huge hassle. Everyone has the stories of waiting in the endless lines at the airport, lost luggage, delayed flights and backed up lines going through security due to the packages everyone is carrying on board. Well, I can’t do anything about that! However, I can give you some tips to make the booking process go slightly smoother and hopefully give you one less headache this holiday season!

Here are my tips:

·      Book Early

I generally suggest booking your holiday travel as far out as possible. The prices during the holidays are always going to be higher, but they will be a little bit higher 6 months out but MUCH higher 6 weeks out!

·      Try to Be Flexible with your dates

I realize this isn’t possible for everyone, but the more flexibility you have the greater your chance is of finding a flight that is reasonable. For example: the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the WORST day of the year to travel. Traveling on Thanksgiving Day itself is generally more affordable and easier. There are fewer people, no lines and fewer delays.  Plus, if you get a morning flight you can make it to your destination in time for Thanksgiving Dinner! Plus, it gets you off the hook for helping prepare the meal ;-)

·      Be Careful with Connections

When booking flights during the holiday season be extra careful of your connections and make sure you have enough time between flights.  Flights during the Holidays are often delayed and you don’t want to arrive in your connecting city to find out that you’ve missed your connecting flight. Avoiding tight connections may save you the hassle of having to get moved to another flight or having 10 minutes to sprint through 4 terminals while carrying Christmas gifts for 30 people…. arriving at your connecting flight covered in sweat and so miserable that you make the Grinch seem like Santa.  My advice is no less than a 2 hour connection during holidays.

·      Arrive at the Airport Early

Most of us have navigated our home airports enough to know the minimum amount of time we need to be at the airport before a flight. During the holidays, these rules DO NOT apply. Example: If you generally get to the airport 1 hour before your flight plan 2 hours for holiday flights. If you generally get to the airport 1.5 hours prior to a flight plan 3 hours for Holiday flights…Catch my drift? The security lines are longer, more people are checking bags, more children are travelling, etc.

·      The Early Bird Catches the Worm

As a general rule of thumb not just for holiday travel, but anytime time of year is early morning flights tend to be on time more than flights later in the day. So if you can get out on the first flight of the day.

I hope these tips help make your holiday travel a little less stressful! If you have any questions about your holiday travel plans do not hesitate in contacting me!

Bon Voyage!

Why use a travel agent?

As the travel industry changes from brick and mortar to click and order the role of a travel agent has become unclear to many people. I wanted to clarify what it is we do and how we can be of value to you in today’s world of online travel.

Q: Does it cost a consumer more to use a travel agent?

A: NO! Vendors and suppliers pay travel agents. It doesn’t cost you any extra! There are some travel agents that charge a service fee; I am not one of them.

Q: Can’t I find better prices online?

A:  Probably not. Travel agents have access to a ton of deals and inventory that consumers do not. In some cases we have the ability to match and beat prices you find online, and we have access to net rates.

Q: Can’t I just find what I want myself?

A: Absolutely! However, it will take you a lot of time and energy that some people just don’t have. Travel Agents are trained and educated in their field. We’ve toured the cruise ships or sailed on them. We’ve received vendor and destination education. We serve as your trusted advisor to find out what it is you want and find the best hotel, cruise, tour, vacation that matches your specific needs. Many people these days are using site like Tripadvisor, but keep in mind that anyone can write anything on a website, and typically those who will take the time to write a review have either had a REALLY GOOD or a REALLY BAD experience. Often these sites don’t capture the average opinion. A travel agent will be educated and able to tell you about the property from a nonbiased perspective, and will be able to make sure it meets your personal needs so you have the best vacation possible.

Q:  Aren’t you a little biased, being a travel agent and all?

A: Probably! So don’t take it from me, take it from….

Business Insider

 http://www.businessinsider.com/6-reasons-it-pays-to-book-with-a-travel-agent-2012-5 - http://www.businessinsider.com/6-reasons-it-pays-to-book-with-a-travel-agent-2012-5

 Forbes (3 articles, they love us- what can I say…)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/10/30/hurricane-sandys-lesson-to-travelers-use-a-travel-agent/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/01/20/why-you-need-a-travel-agent-part-1/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/01/22/why-you-need-a-travel-agent-part-2/

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/19/uk-travel-agents-comeback-idUSLNE86I00S20120719

Time

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/23/travel-agents-make-a-return-trip/

The New York Times

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/travel/are-travel-agents-back.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Technorati

http://technorati.com/lifestyle/travel/article/the-travel-agent-is-dead-long/

Gadling

http://www.gadling.com/2012/10/04/why-we-really-dont-want-travel-agents-to-die/?a_dgi=aolshare_twitter

And if I didn’t convince you of our worth, at least book your travel on my website: www.danasglobaltravel.com

Thank you for your continued support to those that book through me or another travel agent!

Bon Voyage!

The Low Down on Hurricane Season

As a travel agent one of my least favorite times of year is quickly approaching - Atlantic Hurricane Season. Right now most people are excited for the start of summer, but for your friendly travel agent hurricane season is a period of anxiety and stress. Any storm could be the one that messes with my clients perfectly planned dream vacation! I know how excited my clients are for their vacations because we’ve spent months together planning. Nothing makes me sadder than when something messes that up.  

I heard a report on NPR the other day that this hurricane season is supposed to be particularly bad. That statement coming the year after Super Storm Sandy doesn’t make me feel good at all.  Let’s start with the facts about hurricane season and what it means for travel:

Commonly asked questions

Q: When exactly is hurricane season?

A: Atlantic Hurricane Season is June 1 through November 30

Q: What Areas are affected?

A: Hurricanes can affect the coast of the United States, Caribbean Islands, Central America, Mexico and even the northern coast of South America.

Q: Is there a certain time in Hurricane Season that tends to be the worst?

A: Yes, September is the peak. However, August through October are all prime time.

Q: Are there any islands that tend to be off the path of the average hurricane?

A: Yes! There absolutely are - parts of the southernmost Caribbean such as Grenada, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Barbados and Grand Cayman tend to be hit less by hurricanes than other parts of the Caribbean.  HOWEVER, they still can be hit. (I don’t want anyone booking a trip there during hurricane season and blaming me!)

Q: So I should avoid travel during hurricane season?

A: Au contraire! If you want a banging deal to Mexico or the Caribbean, be it by land or cruise ship, you will find them during the peak months of hurricane season. I do most of my personal travel during hurricane season when the deals are hot. I even got married in Playa del Carmen, Mexico during hurricane season. My advice is to be sure to book your trip to a hotel with a great hurricane cancelation policy and purchase travel insurance. If you are someone that suffers from anxiety or has consistently bad luck- I’d say visit the mountains during June 1-November 30 ;-)

Q: Well, what if I am on a cruise and a hurricane goes to the island we are headed to?

A: Cruise Lines frequently re-route the ships out of the danger zones. (Unless, you were on the Disney Fantasy with me last October…our captain thought riding through Sandy would be a good idea. If you like being on amusement park rides for 9 hours at a time, then you’d have no problem riding in a cruise ship through a hurricane!) Bottom line- you will be safe, they will re-route you. You might miss an island on your itinerary, but you will still have a great, safe vacation nonetheless!

Q: So what are they saying for Hurricane Season 2013?

A: Well, no one can know for sure, but experts make their predictions and this is what we are looking at. Several groups have predicted that 2013 will be a particularly active Hurricane Season.

Here are some links to articles about Hurricane Season 2013 Predictions:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/04/16/four-groups-predict-very-active-hurricane-season/

http://www.wwaytv3.com/2013/04/15/nc-state-researchers-predict-active-hurricane-season-for-2013

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/04/11/climatologists-hurricane-season-2013-to-be-busy/

For fantastic deals by land or be sea during hurricane season or any time of year, contact me!

Bon Voyage!

The View from my balcony while crusin' through Hurricane Sandy...