Get Out the Map
“Casual” or “Slob?”
By Mike & Darlene Jordan July 29, 2011
Some of the most common questions people ask us as they prepare for a vacation are: “What should I pack?”, and “Will my husband have to wear a tie? He says he won’t go if he has to dress up!”
With the exception of some of the high-end luxury cruise lines, the need for formal clothes on a cruise has pretty much gone by the wayside. Whether this is a good thing, or not, is still up for debate. Much of that debate has at its center the definition of the word “casual.”
It wasn’t that long ago that just about every cruise line had just 2 main seatings in their dining rooms. The dining rooms were (and still are) decorated and furnished much like a fine-dining restaurant on land—white tablecloths, wine glasses, waiters in tuxedos, etc. Guests sat at the same time at the same table every night with the same table mates, waiter, and busboy. Most nights were “resort casual,” meaning slacks and a sport shirt for men and a skirt or slacks and blouse for women. Most trips also included one or two “formal” nights that generally meant at least a suit if not a tuxedo for men and a dress or formal gown for women. Jeans were generally frowned upon, and shorts were out of the question.
Then, in the early 2000’s, along came Norwegian Cruise Lines and their “Freestyle Cruising.” Gone were the fixed dining times and with them went many of the dress “codes.”
“Any time,” “Your Time,” and other quaint names for “dine whenever you want” are now offered on most cruise lines along with fixed dining as an alternative, and the relaxed casual dress atmosphere has spread there, too. Of course all guests have the option of dining at the buffet restaurant on the pool deck at just about any time of day or night, and the basic dress code there is…well…have some clothes on.
All of this brings us back to the definition of “casual.” The word has been relaxed, somewhat to include jeans, for example, as long as they’re not torn or faded. Indeed, we’ve worn jeans in the dining room, primarily on the first or last day of a cruise when bags haven’t arrived at the room, yet, or when bags are packed for the next day’s debarkation.
But when did the word “casual” become synonymous with “slob?”
On our recent cruise aboard the Norwegian Epic, we were delighted to see that a passenger was denied entry into the main dining room because he was wearing baggy basketball shorts, a tank top and flip flops! He was outraged, but his traveling companions let him know that they agreed with the cruise line. We’re not talking about a kid (not that it’s OK for kids to be slobs). This guy was in his late 20’s, maybe early thirties. Mainly, he was a slob, and his attitude was one of being almost proud of his slobbiness.
It’s not just on a cruise, we see it everywhere. We were having a quick breakfast at McDonald’s the other day, when in walked a family all wearing their pajamas…Mom and kids alike! Mom’s a slob and she’s raising a pack of slobs.
Just a few nights ago one of the news channels did a special report on what people wear to work these days. It pointed out that, for most office jobs, gone are the days of a jacket and tie, let alone a suit. Retailers are allowing clerks to wear shorts, jeans…whatever. We can understand relaxed dress for people with no customer contact, but for people who represent a company in front of their clients, first impressions can make or break a sale.
The report even made mention of job applicants going into interviews wearing shorts and flip flops.
Don’t people care, anymore, about the impression they give to others? And, if they don’t care about that, what else don’t they care about?
Don’t get us wrong…we own “comfys”…shorts, t-shirts and even sandals. But we consider leisure travel to be very special, and getting a little dressed up now and then sort of kicks it up a notch, and it feels good to look good for each other. So on our transatlantic cruise aboard the Mariner of the Seas coming up soon, we’ll pack some dressy clothes, and yes…Mike will even wear a tie.

Until next time…get out the map!
Mike and Darlene Jordan are franchisees of CruiseOne., and are based in Southern Colorado. You can contact them at 800-267-7613 or by email at mjordan@cruiseone.com.

Get Out the Map July 29, 2011
“Casual” or “Slob?”
By Mike & Darlene Jordan
Some of the most common questions people ask us as they prepare for a vacation are: “What should I pack?”, and “Will my husband have to wear a tie? He says he won’t go if he has to dress up!”
With the exception of some of the high-end luxury cruise lines, the need for formal clothes on a cruise has pretty much gone by the wayside. Whether this is a good thing, or not, is still up for debate. Much of that debate has at its center the definition of the word “casual.”
It wasn’t that long ago that just about every cruise line had just 2 main seatings in their dining rooms. The dining rooms were (and still are) decorated and furnished much like a fine-dining restaurant on land—white tablecloths, wine glasses, waiters in tuxedos, etc. Guests sat at the same time at the same table every night with the same table mates, waiter, and busboy. Most nights were “resort casual,” meaning slacks and a sport shirt for men and a skirt or slacks and blouse for women. Most trips also included one or two “formal” nights that generally meant at least a suit if not a tuxedo for men and a dress or formal gown for women. Jeans were generally frowned upon, and shorts were out of the question.
Then, in the early 2000’s, along came Norwegian Cruise Lines and their “Freestyle Cruising.” Gone were the fixed dining times and with them went many of the dress “codes.”
“Any time,” “Your Time,” and other quaint names for “dine whenever you want” are now offered on most cruise lines along with fixed dining as an alternative, and the relaxed casual dress atmosphere has spread there, too. Of course all guests have the option of dining at the buffet restaurant on the pool deck at just about any time of day or night, and the basic dress code there is…well…have some clothes on.
All of this brings us back to the definition of “casual.” The word has been relaxed, somewhat to include jeans, for example, as long as they’re not torn or faded. Indeed, we’ve worn jeans in the dining room, primarily on the first or last day of a cruise when bags haven’t arrived at the room, yet, or when bags are packed for the next day’s debarkation.
But when did the word “casual” become synonymous with “slob?”
On our recent cruise aboard the Norwegian Epic, we were delighted to see that a passenger was denied entry into the main dining room because he was wearing baggy basketball shorts, a tank top and flip flops! He was outraged, but his traveling companions let him know that they agreed with the cruise line. We’re not talking about a kid (not that it’s OK for kids to be slobs). This guy was in his late 20’s, maybe early thirties. Mainly, he was a slob, and his attitude was one of being almost proud of his slobbiness.
It’s not just on a cruise, we see it everywhere. We were having a quick breakfast at McDonald’s the other day, when in walked a family all wearing their pajamas…Mom and kids alike! Mom’s a slob and she’s raising a pack of slobs.
Just a few nights ago one of the news channels did a special report on what people wear to work these days. It pointed out that, for most office jobs, gone are the days of a jacket and tie, let alone a suit. Retailers are allowing clerks to wear shorts, jeans…whatever. We can understand relaxed dress for people with no customer contact, but for people who represent a company in front of their clients, first impressions can make or break a sale.
The report even made mention of job applicants going into interviews wearing shorts and flip flops.
Don’t people care, anymore, about the impression they give to others? And, if they don’t care about that, what else don’t they care about?
Don’t get us wrong…we own “comfys”…shorts, t-shirts and even sandals. But we consider leisure travel to be very special, and getting a little dressed up now and then sort of kicks it up a notch, and it feels good to look good for each other. So on our transatlantic cruise aboard the Mariner of the Seas coming up soon, we’ll pack some dressy clothes, and yes…Mike will even wear a tie.
Until next time…get out the map!
Mike and Darlene Jordan are franchisees of CruiseOne., and are based here in Southern Colorado. You can contact them at 800-267-7613 or by email at mjordan@cruiseone.com.

Mike and Darlene’s Weekly DEAL 7/29/2011

Good Morning Everyone, and Happy Friday!

This morning we’d like to help you plan an EPIC New Year’s Eve! We know, it’s amazing, but the holidays are not that far away, and we all know that advance planning for a special New Year’s Eve celebration is a good idea!

We’ve been aboard a ship on New Year’s Eve, and it’s a great time! Champagne and music everywhere, dancing, fine dining…and no drive home! So, in order to help you plan ahead for your great holiday, we’ve held space on the Norwegian Epic.

This ship has it all, including some of the best entertainment we’ve seen at sea. The Blue Man Group, a hilarious act that will make you feel like a 5-year old, jazz and blues musicians, a great house band, and plenty of great restaurants to choose from for that special night out on the town…er…ship!

Here is the Epic’s WARM itinerary, starting in Miami on December 31st:

Norwegian Cruise Line – Norwegian Epic
7-Night Eastern Caribbean, Miami R/T
Sat 12/31/11 Miami, Florida – Embark – 04:00 PM
Time subject to change
Sun 01/01/12 At Sea
Mon 01/02/12 At Sea
Tue 01/03/12 Philipsburg, St. Maarten 08:00 AM 06:00 PM
Wed 01/04/12 St. Thomas, USVI 08:00 AM 04:00 PM
Thu 01/05/12 At Sea
Fri 01/06/12 Nassau, Bahamas 12:00 PM 07:00 PM
Sat 01/07/12 Miami, Florida – Disembark – 08:00 AM Time subject to change

Interior Staterooms start at $1058.46* per person, including port fees and tax. Upgrade to a balcony for $1578.46* PP (no ocean view staterooms on the Epic), or indulge in the luxury of a suite for $1758.46* PP. And if you’re a single traveler, give us a call-the Epic has a specially designed area for singles, complete with a singles lounge/meeting area, and no single-supplement! And, we’ll help you start your celebration with a $50 shipboard credit AND a bottle of sparkling wine!
So, what are you waiting for?

Give us a call at 1-800-267-7613, and we’ll help you start off 2012 right! Or, simply email us at kdscruises@gojade.org, let us know what type of accommodation you prefer, and we’ll get right to work for you!

In the meantime, have an EPIC weekend!

Darlene & Mike

*Fares include port fees AND tax. Airfare, transfers and insurance are additional. Fares are based on double occupancy and are subject to change and availability.

CruiseOne/Mike and Darlene Jordan
7131 Dunklau Rd
Ft Garland, Colorado 81133
1-800-267-7613

CruiseOne/Mike and Darlene Jordan
Independent Cruise and Vacation Specialists

Mike & Darlene’s Weekly DEAL! July 22, 2011

Good Morning Everyone, and Happy Friday!

This week we’d like to share a DEAL we found for some of our great repeat cruisers. They told us they wanted to experience a Canada/New England cruise, and asked us to find a beautiful cruise at an affordable price. Well, we did it, and we have 10 happy clients sailing aboard the Norwegian Jewel on October 8, 2011. That’s right, low fares on a 7-night Canada/New England cruise, on a beautiful ship, during “high season”.

Here’s the New York, round-trip itinerary:

Norwegian Cruise Norwegian Jewel 7-Night Canada and New England, New York R/T

Sat 10/08/11 New York, New York – Embark – 04:00 PM
Time subject to change

Sun 10/09/11 At Sea

Mon 10/10/11 Sydney, Canada 10:00 AM 07:00 PM

Tue 10/11/11 Halifax, Nova Scotia 10:00 AM 07:00 PM

Wed 10/12/11 St. John, New Brunswick 12:00 PM 08:00 PM

Thu 10/13/11 Portland, Maine 09:00 AM 07:00 PM
Fri 10/14/11 At Sea

Sat 10/15/11 New York, New York – Disembark – 08:00 AM
Time subject to change

Here’s the DEAL! The amazingly low fares* start at just $429 per person for an interior stateroom! Book an UNOBSTRUCTED porthole ocean view for only $649 per person, and for a really special cruise experience, book a room with a private balcony for just $999! No, we’re not kidding! Heck, for just $200 more per person, you could enjoy a mini-suite with a private balcony! These rates are great, but they won’t last forever-call us today at 1-800-267-7613, and while our space lasts, we’ll add a $75 credit to your shipboard account!

Until then, have a safe and happy weekend, and stay hydrated, it’s hot out there!

Don’t hesitate to call us for more information at 719-379-3133, or toll free at 1-800-267-7613, or email us at kdscruises@gojade.org.

We are happy to help!
Darlene & Mike Jordan

CruiseOne/KD’s Cruises and Tours

*Fares are based on double occupancy and include port fees. Taxes, insurance, airfare and transfers are additional.

Ft Garland, Colorado 81133
719-379-3133
1-800-267-7613
Mike and Darlene Jordan
Independent Cruise and Vacation Specialists

Get Out the Map July 8, 2011

If it sounds too good to be true…
By Mike & Darlene Jordan

Ever since use of the internet by the general public started to gain popularity in the late 1990’s, the less savory members of the populace have tried to mine it with various scams designed to separate people from their cash. The travel industry hasn’t been immune to this problem, but it has worked very hard to weed the scammers out of the business.
One of the most common problems was that of so-called “card-mills.” These were companies that advertised that “you, too, could travel free, like travel agents!” Let us tell you from the beginning that travel agents very rarely travel free. The scam here is that these companies “train” their victims, who pay dearly for the privilege, and issue a special card that allows them to book under their umbrella. The new “agents” soon find out that they not only can’t travel for free, but money they send to the company is never seen again.
As a whole, the industry has managed to discredit these companies and they no longer enjoy any privileges in the travel business.
Still, there are other ways that travelers are separated from their cash. We were reminded of this recently when we received an article from Lonely Planet.com.
In our mind, the worst of these is the Time-Share scam. Let us start by saying that we own a time-share, but were lucky to be with a reputable national hotel chain and have been able to use our ownership in a way that makes sense for us. But we probably wouldn’t do it again.
The problem we’re referring to is one where unsuspecting travelers are walking through a foreign city and are approached by nice looking young person who hands them what looks like a lottery scratch ticket and…they win either a gift or a trip! “Just come with me to the condominium complex to listen to a presentation and get your prize!”
The complex may be an hour’s drive away and the ensuing “hard-sell” presentation may take an hour and a half. The “gift” may be a battery operated, black & white TV or a weekend Bahamas cruise on an old tub that can’t sell tickets any other way and with so many restrictions that most people opt not to go at all. Even if you don’t buy anything, you’re out a day of your vacation.
A lot of very honest taxi drivers are hurt by the actions of a few. There are scams where a driver tells you that the hotel you want him to take you to is closed, but he has a great deal on another one! He gets a commission, you get a lesser quality hotel, and the scammers may try to sell you excursions and tours at an inflated price.
It’s also a good idea to beware of the taxi driver who drops you near a jewelry store promising ridiculously low prices for “highest quality” jewelry. No reputable jeweler does this. The stuff will, in all likelihood, be worthless. And, again, you’ll have wasted valuable vacation time even if you don’t fall for their “deal.”
Travel is supposed to be fun…and touring and shopping in foreign ports is fun. The problems arise when folks let their obsession for getting “an unbelievable deal” get in the way of their common sense. Most of these scams just don’t pass the smell test, no matter how “nice” the well-dressed young man or woman making the offer is. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably…no, it is too good to be true.
Until next time…get out the map!
Mike and Darlene Jordan are franchisees of CruiseOne., and are based in Southern Colorado. You can contact them at 800-267-7613 or by email at mjordan@cruiseone.com.

Good Morning Everyone, and Happy Friday!

We, (along with most of you) took a little hiatus for the Friday before the 4th of July, but we’re back, and the deals just keep coming!

This week, we’re featuring one of our group cruises, and if you book into this group, you’ll be supporting a great kid’s program. The group is the Trinidad Area Arts Council, and this group is raising funds for their Children’s Arts Programs, a great program helping kids in Southern Colorado to explore their creative potential.

Here’s how it works: For every stateroom booked into this group, the Arts Council will receive a $75 donation from the cruise line. This won’t cost you a penny extra, and as a matter of fact, we checked the cruise line fares this morning, and our interior and balcony rates are now lower than the cruise line’s, and our ocean view staterooms are priced the same as the cruise line, so you could save money by booking into the group AND help a great non-profit add funds to their coffers. It’s a win-win DEAL for everybody!

This is a great, post-holiday cruise, a warm getaway in the dead of winter on a beautiful ship, the Mariner of the Seas. She sails from Galveston on January 8th, 2012 from Galveston, Texas, a “drive port” for a lot of you, and for the rest, the airfare is usually quite reasonable to Houston. (If you’d like an air quote, just drop us a line and let us know.)

Royal Caribbean Intl
Mariner of the Seas January 8, 2012

7-Night Western Caribbean, Galveston R/T

Sun 01/08/12
Galveston, Texas – Embarkation – 04:30 PM
Times are subject to change

Mon 01/09/12 At Sea

Tue 01/10/12
Cozumel, Mexico – Docked
07:00 AM – 04:00 PM

Wed 01/11/12
Georgetown, Grand Cayman – Tendered
10:00 AM – 06:00 PM

Thu 01/12/12
Falmouth, Jamaica – Docked
08:00 AM – 05:00 PM

Fri 01/13/12 At Sea

Sat 01/14/12 At Sea

Sun 01/15/12
Galveston, Texas – 07:00 AM
Disembarkation – Times are subject to change

This will be a nice, warm way to escape the Winter Blues, and relax on the beach, do some snorkeling or scuba diving, whatever your heart’s desire, and check out the low fares*:

We have interior staterooms starting at just $675.69 per person, INCLUDING port fees AND tax!

Ocean Views start at only $825.69 per person (only 3 of these left!)

And Balcony staterooms start at just $975.69 per person. (Only 4 of these left-don’t wait too long to book, we can only hold these fares a few more weeks!)

So, book your winter cruise now, and help some great kids in the process. Give us a call at 1-800-267-7613 ASAP, and let us know how many rooms you want!

In the meantime, have a great weekend,

Darlene & Mike

*Fares include port fees and tax, and are based on double occupancy. Fares are subject to change and availability. Airfare, transfers and insurance are additional.

Mike and Darlene Jordan are franchisees of CruiseOne., and are based in Southern Colorado. You can contact them at 800-267-7613 or by email at mjordan@cruiseone.com.