Christmas in March?

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I admit it…I’m thinking about Christmas today.

christmas-market

But not just any Christmas. I’m dreaming about a visit to the Christmas Markets in Europe.  Town squares full of market stalls selling handmade crafts, mouthwatering food and mulled wine.  The smell of grilled sausages….the twinkle of lights….and the crunch of snow underfoot.

I’ve been in Krakow at holiday time, and it was absolutely magical!  So now I’m reading about special deals on Christmas Market river cruises, and wondering how I can steal away for a week or two in November or December. 

The temptation is just too much!  AMA Waterways just e-mailed me about a special one-week sale with free airfare for their Christmas Market cruises that visit places like Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Frankfurt, and Cologne.  All that atmosphere and culture, PLUS a luxurious floating home-away-from-home to come back to each night? Sounds like I’m going to need to do some fast negotiating on the home front. Maybe if I can get all my holiday shopping done by October…..

The sale only lasts until this weekend. So if you’re interested, better let me know!

Adult Beverages at Walt Disney World

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On the heels of my recent post about two newlyweds (childless, and in their thirties) enjoying their first trip to Walt Disney World, I wanted to share an interesting blog post that I thought was very topical!

If you’ve ever found yourself searching for an adult beverage at WDW, you’ll want to hold onto these suggestions. To the list that they have put together, I would also add the following tip — walk out the back gate at Epcot to the “Boardwalk” area and you can enjoy a craft beer at the Big River Grille and Brewing Works or the sports bar atmosphere at the ESPN Club.

Royal Caribbean’s Suite Changes

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Royal Caribbean recently announced a list of new perks and amenities for passengers staying in suites. The new benefits, which include everything from VIP seating by the pool to priority spa reservations and upgraded in-cabin amenities, are pretty enticing. If I were considering a balcony cabin or junior suite, I might upgrade just to get the special treatment…but the move is causing some unintended backlash for the cruise line as well.

Some long-time RCCL customers are expressing annoyance at what they think is a move towards a “class system” like they had on the old ocean liners, and others are pointing out that the timing of this announcement could be better. The cruise line just recently announced a surcharge for late night room service orders, and then decided to promote free 24-hour room service as one of the perks for suite guests.

What do you think?

Seize the opportunity!

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I spent the day in Boston yesterday for the “trade day” at the Boston Globe Travel Show.  I attended seminars, networked with other travel agents, and talked to representatives from some of the major travel companies and tourism destinations.

Whenever I go to events like this I come back all charged up about the travel industry, and full of ideas for how to make my business even better than it already is.  This year, I also came back excited about the opportunities for my clients!

Across the board, the consistent message from every tourism professional there was that 2009 is going to be a banner year for travelers, and we will NEVER see these prices again.

Cruise lines were talking about two-for-one deals and free airfare. Hoteliers were talking about free nights, special amenities, and unique inclusions. And tour operators were touting unprecedented savings on trip-of-a-lifetime destinations like China, Antartica and Greenland.

The take away message is this — if you’ve been holding off on a dream vacation because you think you can’t afford it, this is the year to seize the opportunity and take that trip.

What’s next on your bucket list? Post your comment and let me know. Personally, I’m thinking it’s time I visited Alaska, the Norwegian fjords or the Galapagos…

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN

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You provided excellent guidance for us. I appreciated that you really had us think about what was most important to us when we were selecting the right cruise – and not to totally focus on what other people had to say. THANK YOU for helping to make this a memorable trip for our family! It really was a trip of a lifetime!

– Clare and Mark (family cruise to Alaska)

The level of service we experienced was out of this world (and we did NOT make it easy on Ann). We weren’t quite sure where we wanted to go, when we would be able to go, or what “vibe” we were going for. After asking us some key questions (what we liked, didn’t like, why, etc.) Ann helped us narrow down our trip details and planned the honeymoon of our dreams. She helped book some of our excursions, answered some emergency questions while abroad and was always available/willing to help. I think it’s safe to say we won’t be using anyone else for future travel planning – Ann is a rockstar!

– Carli (Italy and Spain)