Use Common Sense Outside the U.S.

Get Out the Map

Use common sense travelling

outside the US

By Mike & Darlene Jordan

            Until recently, we haven’t had to answer many questions about travel safety, with the exception, of course, when talking with people about the Middle East. Now, with all of the bad publicity about Mexico, we’re starting to get that a little more often.

            We sell a lot of cruises to Mexico, primarily the Mexican Riviera to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. This is a fantastic itinerary, not terribly expensive, and air to Los Angeles or San Diego from Colorado is pretty reasonable. So, naturally, we keep an eye on the problems Mexico is having, and pass any concerns along to our clients. But, the main thing we tell people, wherever they travel, is to use common sense.

            Mexico is not on the current State Department travel warning list, although they have issued a Travel Alert for the country. A Travel Alert is just an advisory to use…common sense…when traveling in-country.

            Here’s an example: when we took our very first cruise on our honeymoon in 1995, it was a Mexican Riviera trip. When we docked in Puerto Vallarta, we thought nothing of renting a small car from a vendor on the pier and driving up into the mountains on our own for a day of exploring the small villages that see little, if any, tourist activity. Sadly, this is not something we would do today.

            That does not mean we wouldn’t take a cruise that stops in any of the Mexican Riviera ports. Most of the trouble in Mexico is away from the tourist areas and has lately been more concentrated in the towns along the borders with Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

            Cruise lines offer many guided and secure shore excursions in every port that are operated by approved vendors that meet the line’s standards of quality and safety. In addition, there are plenty of portside vendors offering tours and things to do. Since we’ve visited these places before (but love going back) we now tend to wander around town on our own, the biggest risk there being suckered into a time-share presentation. Also, most of the natives in port cities have a real understanding of the economic benefits of having cruise ships stop in their harbors. Most are unlikely to allow civil disturbances to threaten their economic well-being.

            It’s always a good idea to check with the State Department website, travel.state.gov, for any alerts or warnings.

            One place that we’ve been to and really liked that’s now on the warning list is Colombia. The alert specifically warns of problems in the city of Buenaventura and other small rural areas. We visited Columbia’s beautiful port city of Cartagena in 2006 on a cruise to the Panama Canal. Cartagena is not specifically mentioned in the travel warning, and there are several cruise stops that include Cartagena for this year, so we wouldn’t worry too much about going there—again, staying in town or on cruise line approved tours.

            There are some places we wouldn’t go, and with good reason. The State Department advises against travel to the Gaza Strip in Israel, for example. Here’s the posting from the website: “The State Department strongly urges that American citizens refrain from all travel to the Gaza Strip.” It goes on to say that U.S. Government employees are prohibited from traveling to the Gaza Strip. There are 28 countries listed in the warnings, including places like Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia (what a shock!), and some locations that might be more appealing to a traveler, like Kenya.

Vacations are supposed to be fun. We’d rather not spend ours trying to beef up our own security and looking over our shoulders. Still, there’s no reason not to enjoy visiting foreign countries, especially Mexico, as long as you use your head and don’t take unnecessary risks.

            Go…have fun!

Until next time…get out the map!

100!

Get Out the Map

100!

By Mike & Darlene Jordan

            On January 1, 2007, we embarked on something we had never tried before: writing a weekly newspaper column. That was, as of today, 100 columns ago.

            During that time, we’ve written about everything from hiking and camping to luxury cruises, plane and train travel to road trips across the USA and much more. We hope we’ve enlightened a few folks about travel and the incredible adventures we’ve had, as well as educated some with tips and ideas on how to make travel the best it can be.

            After looking back on a few of the topics we’ve covered in the last two years, we figured it was time to update a few things.

            Our very first column dealt with the issue of passports and the fact that, at the time, passports were the key to traveling most of the world outside the United States. Well, as of June 1 of this year, that will change. It will become the key to traveling ALL of the world outside the U.S. That’s because, beginning on that day, a passport will be required for all travelers going to Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean by land and sea, the last areas of foreign travel exempted from passport requirements. So, our advice to all folks who love to travel: get a passport!

            Here’s some more advice about passports: make sure you renew your passport before it expires. Some foreign travel requires that you not only have a valid passport, but that it doesn’t expire within six months after you’ve returned from the trip! We have some horror stories of people who have foreign passports who, when applying for renewal after booking a trip, found that the rules had changed in their native country, and now the paperwork that was fine when they got their first passport isn’t fine anymore. We had one couple find this out recently after they had made the non-refundable final payment for their trip.

            Back in May of 2007 we wrote about the U.S. River Cruise industry and the formation of the Majestic America Line with riverboat cruises up and down the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers. Alas, we’re sad to report that this cruise line has gone out of business and there are no more overnight cruises aboard the old paddlewheel riverboats so popular in the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries. There is one other cruise line that offers cruises on U.S. rivers. That’s America West, which does cruises on the Columbia River along the border between Washington and Oregon, as well as small ship cruises to Alaska. That’s a line we’ve yet to take, but it’s on our “bucket list.” Of course, we’re talking about overnight, multi-destination cruises here. There are, of course, a number of tourist excursion riverboat companies that operate day trips on several of America’s classic rivers.

            Travel insurance has been a topic for a couple of our columns, and there’s some updating to be done on this as well. Today’s economy being what it is, many travelers have the money and time to travel, but are concerned about whether they’ll still have a job after they’ve spent a few thousand dollars on a cruise. Until recently, job issues like layoffs or vacations cancelled by the boss were not a covered item on travel insurance policies. Cruises Inc. (full disclosure, here…that’s the company we represent), as well as a number of other outlets, now offer “Cancel for Any Reason” insurance. These policies cover everything that’s normally covered in a travel policy and are, understandably, a little more expensive (by about 50%) but they only reimburse 75% of the non-refundable expenses of a given trip if you cancel for a reason other than what’s covered under a normal policy. We’ve had clients take this policy if they live in Florida, for example, and their trip is scheduled during hurricane season when they might have to stay home and board up their houses because a hurricane may be imminent. (Note: natural disasters are covered reasons for cancellation under normal policies, but not before they happen—only after.)

            The travel industry is constantly changing. There are new cruise ships coming on line this year and next, new destinations, improvements to old destinations, and there’s always someplace new to see and explore. We hope we’ve helped inspire you to travel and see as much as you can over the past 100 columns, and we’ll do our best to continue that in the next 100.

            Thanks for reading, have a great week, and until next time…get out the map!

An EPIC Adventure!

Mike & Darlene’s Weekly DEAL!

Hello Everyone, and Happy Friday!

Most of our Deals are for pretty close in sail dates, and a lot of you have been able to take advantage of the last minute bargains. We’re happy about that, and really appreciate it when you call us to book these great specials.

However, this week, we have something for those of you who need, or prefer to, plan ahead! We do try to have something for everyone at one time or another…

Our featured ship this week isn’t even afloat yet! That’s right, we’re offering you a chance to be one of the first to enjoy the ground-breaking new ship, the Norwegian Epic! Her inaugural sail won’t be until July of 2010, but as preferred Travel Partners of Norwegian Cruise Line, we have been able to block space, waaaay ahead of time, and at great rates. The sail date for the rates below is August 28, 2010, but we have great group rates for dates before and after that, so give us a call with your preferred cruise date and we’ll get you the details!

Several years ago, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) was NOT one of our favorite cruise lines. They had service issues, booking problems, and they tried a few experiments that frankly were just bad ideas to begin with. Now however, we book NCL a lot, have great feedback from our clients, and we’ve sailed two extended itineraries with groups of friends and we all had fabulous times aboard the Jade and the Sun. You have to give them credit, they have been trend setters, they were the first to add Roatan Island as a port stop, the first to own and operate a private island for the enjoyment of their guests, and the first to offer Freestyle Cruising, a more casual and relaxed kind of cruise. Now, many of the other very popular cruise lines are emulating them with their versions of open dining and alternative restaurants.

The Norwegian Epic will introduce many more innovations, from the look of their staterooms to the onboard Water Park, and the fact that this ship has NO Ocean View staterooms! That’s right, you can be easy on your budget with an interior stateroom, or you can enjoy your own private balcony. And the fact that there are so many balconies on this ship means that those will be priced right, you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy your own outdoor space on a cruise ship!

The itinerary is a fun Eastern Caribbean cruise from the convenient Port of Miami: 

Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Epic
Day	Date	Port	Arv	Dep
Sat	08/28	Miami, Florida – Embark-Times are Subject to Change		04:00 PM
Sun	08/29	At Sea
Mon	08/30	At Sea
Tue	08/31	Philipsburg, St. Maarten	08:00 AM	06:00 PM
Wed	09/01	St. Thomas, USVI	08:00 AM	04:00 PM
Thu	09/02	At Sea
Fri	09/03	Nassau, Bahamas	12:00 PM	07:00 PM
Sat	09/04	Miami, Florida – Disembark-Times are Subject to Change	08:00 AM

And our block space fares are unbeatable! Book an interior stateroom for only $599 plus tax, or a standard balcony stateroom (a very roomy 214 square feet) for only $899 plus tax. If you’d like a balcony with a little more room (265 sq. ft.) for $1099 plus tax. (Fares quoted are based on double occupancy, are per person, and include port fees. Tax, airfare and transfers are additional.) 

If you’re ready to plan for your dream trip of 2010, now’s the time. Once this ship is open for booking to the general public, the fares could easily go up as cruisers clamor to get a peek at the latest innovations at sea. Give us a call today at 1-800-267-7613 and we’ll help you be seafaring trend-setters! 

We look forward to hearing from you soon! Until then, have a great weekend, and Happy Easter!

Mike and Darlene

Hawaii!!

Last week we wrote about all the most popular places you can visit in Hawaii, and it really is the tropical paradise that the state’s tourism department says it is. In fact, as beautiful as the Caribbean is, all things being equal, we’d choose Hawaii every time. It’s cleaner, there’s a much wider variety of things to do, and the islands are fairly close together.

            But, if you only have one week, how do you see it all?

            Well, you’ll arrive in the islands, probably in Honolulu, in mid-afternoon on day one. Plenty of time to get checked into your hotel, explore a little, get to the beach and relax after your long flight. Have some dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant. Warning: restaurants in Hawaii are expensive.

            After breakfast on day two (wow…did you bring enough cash?), you’ll want to beach some more, and maybe head over to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial. We think this is a must for anyone visiting Honolulu. There’s a lot of Hawaii to see, though, so you’ll want to get bed after this long day of sightseeing, since you have an early flight to the “Big” Island of Hawaii in the morning.

            Day 3 starts with packing and heading to the airport. The flight to Hilo or Kona is only about 45 minutes or so. Land, rent a car, check into your hotel, and head to Volcano National Park (another Hawaii must-see). There’s lots to do there, so plan on a full day of sightseeing; no beach time today. Have dinner in Hilo (sheesh—are there any fast food places?).

            You’ll want to explore a little on day 4, but be sure to make it down to Kealakakua Bay…there’s fantastic snorkeling there, and you can rent kayaks and paddle across the bay while spinner dolphins play nearby. Don’t dawdle, though. You’ve got to get back, pack and head to the airport so you can fly to Maui, tonight. You’ll want a full day at the beach tomorrow, Day 5.

            Get up early on day 6; gotta get to the airport for the hop to Kauai. It’s a beautiful island, but you’ll only have an afternoon and a morning, because you have to fly back to Honolulu and catch your flight home tomorrow, which is already day 7.

            Wait! Only one day on Maui? A busted up time in Kauai? What about the Kona side of the Big Island? And what’s with all the checking in and out of hotels…and the food!

            Theres a better way. Take a cruise of the islands. You’ll easily see the best of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai. Many of the cruise itineraries offer two days on Maui and Kauai and stops at both sides of Hawaii. Since your hotel is moving from island to island overnight, there are no airports to deal with. You’re free to get on and off of the ship at your leisure while in port, and your meals are all included in the price of the cruise, so you don’t have to dig into the wallet for food unless you want to.

            There are a couple of ways to cruise the islands. Norwegian Cruise Line is the only one that sails the islands year-round. Their ship, the Pride of America, is a gorgeous vessel that’s only a few years old and designed specifically for sailing the islands.

            The other way is via any major cruise line that offers a Hawaii itinerary when it is repositioning its ships; usually when moving the ship from the Caribbean to Alaska (Spring) and back (Fall). The itineraries will be similar to those offered by Norwegian, but may also include a 4 or 5 day sail to or from the Mainland. Your best bet is to talk to your travel agent about the times you’d like to visit the islands. They can find the perfect trip for you.

            Switching gears for a moment…Trinidad State Junior College has announced the third in its successful series of fundraising cruises to benefit the college’s Educational Foundation. For 2010, they’re planning two cruise and land tour combinations to choose from to Italy and the Mediterranean! If you’re interested in seeing this part of the world (and who isn’t?), you can get complete details at a special, free Cruise Night this Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. at TSJC’s Sullivan Center on campus at 600 Prospect Street. We’ll look forward to seeing you there!

            Have a great week, and until next time…get out the map!

Mexican Riviera on $65 per day!

Good Morning Everyone, and Happy Friday! 

It’s still quite cold here, so our thoughts are on warm, sunny places. We’ve found a GREAT deal for you that gives you plenty of time to plan, get your family and friends together, and enjoy a fantastic cruise at an amazing price. It’s the Carnival Spirit, sailing on November 3^rd from San Diego, California. This is not your typical Mexican Riviera cruise! This is an 8-night cruise which gives enough time to get all the way down the Pacific Coast to Acapulco, with stops on the way back in Ixtapa and Manzanillo. And the price is right! 

Cliff divers, beaches, shopping, great restaurants, water sports, fishing… This cruise offers all of these choices, plus an embarkation port with a lot to offer too! If you have time to extend your trip, San Diego is a great place to vacation with it’s amazing zoo, wildlife park, SeaWorld, and a great Gaslight District downtown.

Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Spirit
Day	Date	Port	Arv	Dep
Tue	11/03	San Diego, California – Embark – time subject to change		04:00 PM
Wed	11/04	At Sea
Thu	11/05	At Sea
Fri	11/06	Acapulco, Mexico	12:00 PM
Sat	11/07	Acapulco, Mexico		01:00 AM
Sat	11/07	Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico	09:00 AM	06:00 PM
Sun	11/08	Manzanillo, Mexico	07:00 AM	06:00 PM
Mon	11/09	At Sea
Tue	11/10	At Sea
Wed	11/11	San Diego, California – Disembark – time subject to change	07:00 AM

 And these cruise fares are a great value, utilizing Carnival’s new “Early Deposit, no Refund” policy. You place your deposit, but it’s not refundable. However, if you purchase cruise insurance (which we always recommend anyway), you can take advantage of these low fares and still be protected if you have an emergency and have to cancel. We even offer “Cancel for any Reason” insurance now, so you’re not risking your vacation investment by booking early.

And the rates are what we used to see for a 5-night cruise!  Book an interior with port fees and tax included for only $524.45* per person (that’s only $65 per person per day—about the cost of 3-star hotel these days—and your meals are included!), or an ocean view for only $644.45* per person! And you can enjoy a stateroom with a private balcony for less than $100 per day, only $769.45* per person, including port fees and tax. 

Don’t wait, Carnival doesn’t call ‘em Early Deposit fares for nothing! The close we get to the sail date, the less likely we are to see these fares available. Call us at 1-800-267-7613, call your friends, and family, and enjoy a pre-holiday reunion where nobody has to cook!

Until then, have a great weekend,

Mike and Darlene

PS-if you ever want to be removed from our mailing list, simply reply to this email with REMOVE in the subject line. We’ll comply, but we’ll miss you! 

*Fares quoted are per-person, based on double occupancy and are subject to change and availability. Airfare and transfers are additional.