Friday, July 30, 2010

Luggage Shipping Services

Losing your luggage can potentially ruin your vacation.  Peter Greenberg wrote a great article on his blog which gives the reader alternatives to checking your luggage with the airline.  Yes, it will probably cost a bit more than checking the bags at the airport, but think about the time and trouble you will avoid.

You can print your boarding pass at home and go directly to the gate (after passing through security, of course). You won't have to wait on line to check the luggage and you won't have to wait to pick it up when you return to your departure airport.  I know we have waited over an hour at Newark airport for our luggage to come through the turnstile.  And you won't have to wade through the crowded airport with your luggage in tow.

Here are a few services that will deliver your luggage for you:
LUGLESS www.lugless.com
Luggage Forward www.luggageforward.com
Sports Express www.sportsexpress.com

Watch a video from Peter Greenberg 

Monday, July 26, 2010

Dublin Named UNESCO City of Literature

Dublin Named UNESCO City of Literature

5 Things Not To Do When Shopping For Travel

Here is a review of an article written by Nina Slawek:

Highlights:

1. Don't get "deal obsessed"
2. Don't assume the airlines are out to "getcha"
3. Don't get a travel agent to map out a full vacation itinerary...and then book it all yourself on the web
4. Don't believe everything you read
5. Don't try this at home (DIY travel planning)

It still amazes me when a potential client will contact me and ask me to plan his or her vacation, then "steal" what I have spent hours of work on in preparing a proposed trip and book the trip on their own. What does this accomplish? Do they think they will get a better deal by booking on their own? If they have found a better price I am usually able to match it. Who will they call when there is a problem, a concern, or a simple question? Would they call a lawyer, an accountant, a doctor and ask them to do work for free? I don't think they would get very far if they tried.

I have not charged for my travel planning in the past and there are other agents who keep telling me I should at least ask for a retainer, a "planning fee", which would be non-refundable if the trip is canceled or not booked at all. I am at the point that I believe I will have to do this.

I used to feel that I could trust a new client to work with me and book their trip with me. But that is not always the case. At least with a "planning fee" which would be applied to the final payment, the work that I have done will not be wasted should the client decide not to book the trip. I believe if the client is serious about booking the trip in the first place, they wouldn't mind paying the planning fee. If not, they probably were the ones who would have "stolen" the trip anyway.

Any thoughts?

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Engaged Couples - Visit Me on July 21 at Jacques Caterers, Plan It Expo Bridal Show

I will be displaying at Plan It Expo's Bridal Show on Wednesday, July 21st, at Jacques' Caterers, from 6-9 pm.
Please come by and say hi!

Address:
500 Palmer Ave
North Middletown, NJ
732-787-2830

 

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Why You Need to Take a Vacation

I read an article by Brian Tracy entitled "Four Essentials For Happiness".  His four steps are:
  1. "The key to happiness" in which you desire to have happy relationships in your life.
  2. "Enjoy your work".  You spend a major portion of your life working, so your job should be something you look forward to, that challenges you. 
  3. "Become financially independent".  Money is often the biggest worry in someone's life.  By managing your money, you will be able to enjoy the niceties of life and free yourself from worry.
  4. "Enjoy excellent health".  Without your health, the other three become unimportant.  Take care of yourself; don't take it for granted.
Brian Tracy has suggestions as to how to achieve each of the above "four essentials".  His first suggestion is to take stock of what would make you really happy in each of the four areas and to think about this on a regular basis, because some things may change over time.

Secondly, he says to set specific, measurable goals for improvement in each of the four areas.

And lastly, and I think most important of all, he says to "resolve to do something every day to increase the quality of some area of your life - and then keep your resolution."  This last one can apply to your need to take time off and relax.  Take a vacation - you deserve it.  How many people have vacation time accrued but are afraid to take it because they don't want to take the time off from work.  They feel there is too much to do, things won't get done while they are away.  Or maybe a person is self-employed.  I can relate to that.  In this case, it may be that if you don't work, you don't get paid.  You don't want to take that time off because of that.  But think of the last time you did take a vacation.  How did it feel when you went back to work?  In most cases, the answer would be that the person is rejuvenated, ready to get back to work, and feeling good to do so.

Many Americans are workaholics and America itself is known for burnt out workers.  In an article written by Eve Tahmincioglu, of msnbc.com, it is stated that "Companies are beginning to realize the benefits of vacations for their weary workers — fewer sick days, smaller health care bills and a more motivated workforce. Unfortunately, not all employers get this, and sometimes it’s the workers themselves that don’t get this, either. They have a perverted view that not taking time off and keeping their nose to the grindstone will advance their career, or keep their jobs from ending up on the chopping block.
But in fact, it could lead to burnout, emotional and physical illness, and end up jeopardizing their careers, their lives.  So take vacation, people!"

“Taking a vacation is not a luxury — it’s a necessity,” says Kathleen Hall, founder of The Stress Institute in Atlanta. “If you don’t have the opportunity to relax and reflect you get stressed, and chronic stress is the driver of most diseases — heart disease, obesity, insomnia.”

"It is important for people to take their vacations — meaning vacations of a week or two long. Taking a day or two doesn't do as much good," explains Wallace Huffman, economics professor at Iowa State University. "Productivity could increase by up to 60 percent for employees in the month or two following a good vacation."

And don't think that you can take a vacation and keep up with work at the same time.  You are doing yourself (and your family) a disservice and you are allowing your job to rule your life.  Disconnect your cell phone, your IPad, your Kindle, your Blackberry.  Have someone cover for you at work.  Leave the laptop at home.  Your vacation is a time to relax, not just work from a different locale.  

“In order to have a successful long-term career, you need to manage your career, plan to take time off regularly to allow your body to regenerate so not to suffer from burnout, exhaustion, depression,” Huffman advises. “This becomes even more important as people live longer.”

Workplace legal expert Robin Bond offered these vacation tips:
  • Inform others in advance. Let co-workers and clients know of your vacation time as soon as you plan it, and send a reminder of your absence as the dates approach. Advise clients whom they can contact when you are away.
  • Have a buddy system in place. Get projects to a good stopping place before you leave, and ask a trusted colleague to serve as a backup in case any urgent problems arise in your absence. Be sure to return the favor.
  • Schedule around busy business cycles.
  • And relax!
After all, why are you working in the first place?  Hopefully, as in essential # 2, because you enjoy it.  You are also trying to accomplish #3, which is financial stability, and along with that, set up a savings plan as you would for anything else, and put the money aside for your yearly (or more often) vacation where you can relax, recharge, rejuvenate, and stay healthy (#4 above).

And when you are at your destination, close your eyes, take a deep breath in, blow it out, and congratulate yourself!  You did it, you let go!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Who Will Help You When You Encounter a Problem?

Another reason to contact a travel consultant for your vacation planning - who will  help you if you book online at one of the large internet sites?  What happens if you need to change your plans?  What if you want suggestions for places to visit, restaurants, things for the kids to do, etc?  Some people (perhaps many) believe they will save money by booking their vacations on their own.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  It is good to do some research on your own but why would you invest thousands of your hard-earned dollars in an online booking site, without being able to have a dedicated travel consultant in whom you can trust? 

Your consultant can help you choose the right destination based on your wishes and needs.  Let's face it.  Everyone wants to save some money.  But when it comes to your vacation which you have waited sometimes an entire year to come, make sure you treat yourself nicely.  Would you rather come home and say, "I saved $600 by booking the cheapest room at the resort, but when I saw some of the other rooms, I wish I had spent the money on that" or would you want to come home and say, "I am so glad we went with the oceanfront room with the concierge services.  We had such a great time and we deserved it!"

Your travel consultant has contacts with the various suppliers, whether cruise, resort, city packages, and can guide you to making the perfect choice for your trip. 

Do you think you will get this help from an online agency?  Have you ever called with a question?  And what happens when you call again?  Do you get the same person?  Probably not.  Do yourself a favor and call your travel consultant.  

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Tips for Taking Great Vacation Photos

Taking pictures while on vacation is a great way to keep the memories alive.  Taking GREAT pictures while on vacation is something many of us strive to do, but often fail.  Here is an article I found on taking vacation photos.  It has a lot of useful information and maybe next time your vacation photos will have that WOW factor.

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Disney Dining Plan Extended Through December 21, 2010


Combine Disney hotel and theme park tickets and get Disney Dining Plan Free 


Requirements:
  • 5-night stay at a Disney Value or Moderate Resort
  • Value Resort guests receive the Quick Service Dining Plan
  • Moderate Resort guests receive the standard dining plan
  • 6-day Magic Your Way Base Ticket is required

Booking and Travel Window:
  • Booking Window: May 3 – Aug. 14, 2010
  • Travel Window: Valid for stays most nights Aug. 15 – Oct. 7, 2010, Oct. 22 – Oct. 28, 2010, Nov. 12 - Nov. 18, 2010, Nov. 27 – Dec. 2, 2010 and Dec. 10 – Dec. 21, 2010
Sample Pricing:
  • $1,843 for a family of four*, staying in a standard room at a select Disney Moderate Resort. That’s like paying $77 per person, per day!
  • $1,440 for a family of four*, staying in a standard room at a select Disney Value Resort. That’s like paying $60 per person, per day!

Restrictions apply and this offer is subject to availability at the time of booking.  Please call 732-747-8187 for details.

Sunday, July 04, 2010

Norwegian Epic Inaugural


We are back home from the two-night Inaugural of the Norwegian Epic.  Thank you to NCL for the invitation and for your hospitality.  We had a wonderful time on the ship and the Epic is absolutely beautiful.
To view my photos, click here.

There is so much to do while on the ship.  For sports fun there is the Aqua Park, the Epic Plunge, bowling, bungee jumping, ice skating, rock climbing and rappelling, climbing in the Spider Web, volleyball, batting cage, squash court, basketball, hockey, soccer, and dodge ball on the multi-use sports deck.  The Pulse fitness center is large and has yoga, stretch classes, total body conditioning, Gravity Blast, seminars, TRX (stretching with bands), and spinning.  There are 18 bikes in the spin room and they are set up with Activio Heart Rate monitors.  Each person chooses how hard they want their workout to be and the monitor will calculate their target heart rate.  Each individual's heart rate will show up on the screen at the front of the room but it is shown as a percentage so only the student knows what their training level is.

For entertainment, don't miss the Blue Man Group, Second City, Cirque Dinner Show, Legends in Concert, Howl at the Moon (dueling pianos), and Slam Allen's Blues Band (playing at Fat Cats), and the Murder Mystery Lunch.  For shows that require reserved tickets, make sure to get there about a half hour prior to get a good seat.  Because they were setting up for NBC's coverage of the Macy's fireworks, we didn't get to go to Spice H2O's nightclub but that is where the Spice H2O beach club is by day and at night the pool is covered with a dance floor.  Sounds like lots of fun!  We did go to the Bliss Lounge late at night where they had a great DJ and lots of dancing. 

The Spa is 34, 000 square feet with 24 treatment rooms.   There are even Spa Suites available which gives quick access to the spa area along with other perks.

You could compare the entertainment onboard to Vegas, but the value is much better on the ship.  In Vegas, you would pay $100 per person for the Blue Man Group; $68 per person for Cirque Dreams; $35 per person to go to a water park.  You get all this on the ship and pay as low as $49.90 per person  per day for your trip.  That  includes your food, accommodations, and fun!  And don't forget, NCL offers union, military, teacher, and veteran discounts.

There is also the first Ice Bar at sea where you will put on a lined and hooded parka and gloves (provided by NCL) and go inside the ice bar for a maximum of 20 minutes.  You will be provided with two drinks (more like shots than full size drinks).

There are twenty dining options onboard, including 24 hour room service. Many of these options are included at no charge while others do have a cover.  Three are private for Villa occupants only.  We ate at O'Sheehan's, which has an Irish pub atmosphere, at Taste, which is one of the main dining rooms, and at Moderno, which is a Brazilian steakhouse.  If you have never eaten at a Brazilian steakhouse, don't miss this one!  We loved the look of La Cucina, an Italian restaurant that looked like it was set outdoors in a courtyard.  There is even "pizza anywhere" where you can order pizza from wherever you are and it will be delivered to you.
 
The casino is nice and roomy (I only hope that one day all cruise ships will go smoke free, at least indoors!), and the Garden Cafe, which is their indoor buffet, is also nicely set up where the stations are set apart and there are no long lines with which to contend.  There are plenty of intimate lounges where you can sit and relax and listen to someone entertain you.

The kids program is great, with the breakdown as follows:  ages 2-5, ages 6-9, ages 10-12, and ages 13-17.  The programs are complimentary.  Kids can get a backpack and soda package for $39.50.  In the backpack are a T-shirt, baseball cap, sunglasses, and a wristband for the soda package.  The Youth Counselors are well trained and your children will be in good hands.  The ship has Nickelodeon at Sea, which is exclusive to NCL.  The Aqua Park has lots of slides (too scary for me!) and the kids that were on the ship had a lot of fun there.

The villas are beautiful and come with special benefits.  Courtyard villa occupants receive butler and concierge service; 24 hr room service from a special menu; access to a private Courtyard area complete with pool, sundeck, hot tub and their own fitness area; breakfast and lunch at a specialty restaurant; champagne, hors d'oeuvres, bottled water and soda; in room espresso/cappuccino machine; priority embarkation and disembarkation.  In addition to all these, Garden Villa occupants also receive six bottles of liquor of choice and limo service from the pier to the airport.

We stayed in cabin 10171, which is a deluxe balcony.  I liked the way the room was set up - the beds are rounded at the edges and there really are no straight lines in the room.  The toilet has its own sliding door (opaque glass which some people commented that they didn't like, but it was fine with me) and the shower also had a sliding door with opaque glass.  The shower was nice and strong, there was plenty of room, but I do wish they had a little place to put your foot when shaving your legs.  The only amenities provided are shower gel and shampoo so bring your own conditioner, lotions, and shower cap if needed.  One thing to note:  if you are on the 8th deck the balconies do not have a cover over them, so we could look down on those balconies.  You wouldn't be able to sit out on the balcony if it were raining or if you wanted privacy.

The whole look of the ship was elegant and open.  There were beautiful paintings on the walls, mostly with a flower motif.  The interior of the ship was not dark, but cheerful and very welcoming.  The crew was wonderful.  We met many of the team from Miami and the one thing we noticed among all of them was how happy they were with their jobs and how much they admired Kevin Sheehan, the CEO of NCL.  Trivia - Kevin Sheehan was once a NYC cab driver.

We had a wonderful time on the ship, wished it could have been for a week.  The food was great, the crew friendly, the cabin comfortable, the entertainment outstanding, and the decorations pretty.  There are some promotions going on now, not just for the Epic, but for all of NCL's ships, such as their "Hello Balcony" promo where if you book an oceanview cabin you will be upgraded to a balcony.  In the case of the Epic where there are no "oceanview" cabins, you would be upgraded from a balcony to a deluxe balcony.  There is also a promotion for reduced air plus an onboard credit.  These promos won't last long, so act now to avoid being disappointed.