Get Out the Map Aug. 26, 2011

Covering your bases…
By Mike & Darlene Jordan

Over the last few years we’ve written about the need for passports when traveling outside the United States. If you’re flying, you have to have one. Period. We also have encouraged all of our readers to purchase travel insurance to cover any and all non-refundable costs of a trip that will be lost if a traveler cancels their trip for a covered reason or misses a flight or connection.

The hardest part of convincing folks to get a passport for a cruise is that they are strongly encouraged, but not required to get one, unless the cruise returns to a U.S. port that’s different from the original U.S. departure port. There are, however, reasons to get a passport, anyway.

Hurricane Irene has reared her ugly head and battered the East Coast after pounding the Caribbean and causing a situation that illustrates the need for both a passport and travel insurance.

Puerto Rico is a popular cruise port that allows passengers to take a 7-night cruise to islands in the Southern Caribbean (Aruba, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua and many more) that can’t be accessed in 7 nights from Miami. San Juan is a major city with regular air service from the mainland and a passport isn’t required to fly there since Puerto Rico is U.S. territory.

Last week, Hurricane Irene set her sights on Puerto Rico and began to threaten the port on embarkation day for two cruises, the Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas and the Carnival Victory, scheduled to depart at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., respectively.

Word came from the port authority that the hurricane was bearing down and would soon strike the island, and the two ships were ordered to leave at 5:30 and 6:00 p.m., instead. Since it was already mid-afternoon and many customers from both lines were either still in transit, or in Puerto Rico’s “Old Town” sightseeing and couldn’t be contacted, 145 Royal Caribbean passengers and 300 Carnival passengers were left behind.

This is where both insurance and passports became essential. Carnival bit the bullet and offered a hotel night and a free flight from San Juan to Barbados, the Victory’s next port of call; a generous offer, to be sure. Unfortunately, only passengers with passports could take advantage of the offer, since a passport is required to fly to a foreign country from U.S. territory. In Carnival’s case, passengers who could not continue the cruise were offered a refund in the form of future cruise credit, not cash.

Royal Caribbean was not so generous. No compensation was offered, since this was a weather related event. Flight and hotel information were provided to assist passengers in getting to the next port, but at their own expense. Again, those without passports were out of luck. In both cases, travel insurance would have picked up the cost of hotels and flights to the next port, and probably would have covered the cost of returning home and the lost cruise money for those without passports.

Incidentally, this is also a good reason not to wait until the last minute to board your ship when embarking on a cruise. Getting onboard a few hours before departure isn’t a hardship; cruise ships are a fun place to be. Everything is open, there’s a buffet lunch by the pool and it’s a great time to explore.

Yes, hurricanes are rare and haven’t had a significant impact on cruising for several years. But when disaster strikes, the cost of insurance is a pittance compared to what can be lost.

If you love to travel, as we do, a passport is essential. It acts as identification in just about any jurisdiction and it’s a virtual license to see the world. Even at the going rate of $110, that’s only $11/year for the 10 years a passport is valid.

For the folks who were left behind last week, missing a long awaited vacation trip must have been a huge disappointment. For those without passports and/or insurance it was also an expensive one.

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.

Mike and Darlene’s Weekly DEAL-Nov 1, 2011
CruiseOne/Mike and Darlene Jordan

Good Morning Everyone, and Happy Friday!

Wow, what a week! Earthquakes in the East and here in Southern Colorado…a hurricane, and after a winter-spring and summer long drought, we finally got some rain! Whew! I think we all need a break, and we’ve found a good one for you, one we’d like to go on if we weren’t already booked elsewhere.

It’s the Celebrity Cruise Line Century, sailing on November 1st, 2011. This cruise is a great opportunity to relax for several days, then enjoy the Hawaiian Islands with no unpacking, re-packing, no scheduling hassles for island hopper flights…just scenery and fun for 10 days!

Check out this itinerary! You’ll have plenty of time in-port to sight-see, enjoy Hawaii’s gorgeous beaches, shop…whatever you like to do. You’ll even get an overnight on the ship in Honolulu; no need to book a hotel after the cruise. That will give you time to enjoy Waikiki Beach, visit Pearl Harbor, and maybe even rent a car and tour the whole island.

Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Century
10-Night Hawaii, Ensenada to Honolulu

Tue 11/01/11 Ensenada, Mexico – Embarkation – 11:59 PM
Times are subject to change

Wed 11/02/11 At Sea
Thu 11/03/11 At Sea
Fri 11/04/11 At Sea
Sat 11/05/11 At Sea
Sun 11/06/11 At Sea
Mon 11/07/11 Hilo, Hawaii – Docked 08:00 AM 06:00 PM
Mon 11/07/11 Mount Kilauea, Hawaii 11:59 PM
Tue 11/08/11 Kona Kailua, Hawaii – Tendered 08:00 AM 06:00 PM
Wed 11/09/11 Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii – Tendered 08:00 AM 10:00 PM
Thu 11/10/11 Honolulu, Hawaii – Docked 07:00 AM
Fri 11/11/11 Honolulu, Hawaii – Disembarkation – Times are subject to change

This is a popular itinerary-don’t procrastinate!
Ocean view staterooms are already sold out on this sail date, but you can still book space on this cruise at a value price. There are interior staterooms starting at $963.98, with an onboard credit of $25. Balconies start at $1913.98, and the onboard credit gets bumped up to $75. And remember, you’ll only need a one-way flight back from Hawaii, you’ll be saving money on airfare, AND saving one full day of air travel. What’s not to like?

These fares INCLUDE port fees AND tax, and are subject to change and availability. The shipboard credit offer is good starting tomorrow, so give us a call NOW, at 1-800-267-7613 and we’ll be ready bright and early in the morning to book your space on this lovely cruise.

In the meantime, have a great weekend. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the path of Irene. We’ve heard she has been downgraded, and with any luck, she’ll be in a better mood soon.

Best to you all,
Darlene and Mike

Airfare, transfers and insurance are not included, but we’re always happy to help with these and any other arrangements necessary to create your dream trip!
M&D

CruiseOne
Darlene & Mike Jordan
Your Cruise and Travel Specialists
1-800-267-7613

CruiseOne/Mike and Darlene Jordan
Ft Garland | CO | 81133

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Get Out the Map
Rollin’ On the River
By Mike & Darlene Jordan
A couple of years ago, the era of cruising through the South on the Mississippi River ended when the Majestic America Line closed up shop and sent their flagship sternwheeler, the American Queen, to dry dock.
Fortunately for fans of nostalgia for the South, a new company, the Great American Steamboat Company has purchased the vessel for $15.1-million and she’ll be sailing the “Big Muddy” again, beginning in 2012, after a $5-million facelift.
Interestingly, the American Queen won’t be the only steamboat on the river next year. Another river cruise line, the Great American Steamboat Company, will be launching a brand new sternwheeler next year, the Queen of the Mississippi, and will be doing Civil War themed cruises beginning next summer. That ship will take passengers to Civil War monuments, museums and historic battlefields off the ship, while offering entertainment and cuisine reflecting the era onboard.
Although we’ve never done a U.S. river cruise of this magnitude, we did have the opportunity to sail on the Tennessee River a few years ago while visiting Nashville. It’s beautiful and quiet and off the beaten track. Given the opportunity to sail aboard one of these new ones, we’d jump at the chance.
What we have done is a European and a China river cruise. We can say with certainty that the difference between river and ocean cruising is far more than the water.
River cruises are much more laid back, the atmosphere is very elegant and yet casual at the same time. Because the ships are so much smaller than ocean vessels, one truly has the opportunity to meet and get to know many more of his or her fellow passengers.
Almost all river cruises (we don’t know for sure, yet, about the Mississippi cruise lines) include at least a half-day shore excursion almost every day of the trip. The ships usually dock near the center of European cities and towns, so passengers step right off the ship and into the culture of the area. They are also small enough to navigate the various canals and waterways along the route, making it possible to travel hundreds of miles along various rivers.
River cruises are often themed. Ours was a cruise down the Rhine River in Germany during the month of December. At each village on our itinerary we had the opportunity to visit the local Christmas markets as well as the sites of castles, quaint villages, restaurants and vineyards along the way.
Our Rhine cruise is probably one of our favorites of all the trips we’ve taken. We would, however, love to take it again…this time in warmer weather.
Unfortunately, because of the small size of river ships and the resulting small number of passengers, river cruises seem expensive, at least at first glance. However, the fact that daily excursions are usually included as are all meals onboard and wine with dinner makes a river cruise a much better value than most folks think.
We truly hope that the two “Queens” will be successful on the Mississippi. Indeed, despite the fact that they’ve been unavailable for several years, we are often asked about cruising aboard paddle wheelers on the Mississippi.
Hmmm…guess we’ll have to try one so we’ll have something new to talk about!
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.

Mike and Darlene’s Weekly DEAL! 8/19/2011

Hello Everyone, and Happy Friday!

This week we’re featuring a last minute cruise… Start packing, it’s the Carnival Glory sailing on Sept. 10, 2011! This one is for those of you that have been wanting to cruise Canada/New England, but just haven’t made the commitment. Now that you find you DO have the time…take advantage of this great deal, and cross off one of your “must-see” destinations!

Check out this beautiful itinerary:

Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Glory
7-Night Canada/New England, New York R/T

Sat 09/10/11 New York, New York – Embark – 04:00 PM
Times are subject to change

Sun 09/11/11 Boston, Massachusetts 02:00 PM 10:00 PM

Mon 09/12/11 Portland, Maine 08:00 AM 06:00 PM

Tue 09/13/11 At Sea

Wed 09/14/11 Saint John, NB, Canada 07:00 AM 04:00 PM

Thu 09/15/11 Halifax, Nova Scotia 09:00 AM 06:00 PM

Fri 09/16/11 At Sea

Sat 09/17/11 New York, New York 08:00 AM

Combine this cruise with a pre-night or two in New York City, one of the most exciting cities in the world, and you’ve got a vacation to remember! Take a look at these fares*-

Interior staterooms start at just $729.09 per person, INCLUDING port fees and tax! Move up to an ocean view for only $869.09 per person, and for only $949.09 per person, you can enjoy your own private balcony. Just imagine sitting out on your balcony, watching the New England coast, sipping a nice coffee (or something a little stronger…) What a great way to end the summer!

Don’t miss out! Click here- http://ping.fm/agDYj
to take a virtual tour of the GLORY, then call us ASAP at 1-800-267-7613 to book your space on this scenery-packed cruise!

We can also help with planning air schedules, hotel nights and even NYC tours and theater tickets to make this a vacation package to remember!

Until then, have a great weekend!

CruiseOne/Darlene & Mike Jordan
Your personal cruise/vacation consultants
* Fares based on double-occupancy, subject to change and availability. Fares include port fees and tax. Airfare, transfers and insurance are additional.

Get Out the Map Aug. 12, 2011

Working Without a Net
By Mike & Darlene Jordan

It was 1998, before we were in the travel business. Excited about a chance to do some overseas travel, we ordered our passports (Mike’s first) and began planning a trip to London and Northern Europe. We had even arranged to use some airline employee relative standby tickets.

Then, job situations changed and we had to scuttle the Europe trip. So, persistent in our desire to go somewhere, we decided to do something drastically different. A few weeks later, we packed and got in the car.

“Which way shall we go?” Darlene asked.

“I don’t know,” Mike replied. “Let’s just head for the interstate and we’ll decide which way to turn when we get there.”

This is not an exaggeration. It’s literally what we did. We headed towards I-25, but decided to turn north on Wadsworth Blvd., not far from our house at the time. Thus began a fantastic 2-week adventure.

We wound up driving all the way to Laramie, WY, and, virtually flipping a coin, decided to turn left on I-80 and spent the night at a cheap motel in Rawlins. The next day we asked again, “Which way?” Our choices were north toward Yellowstone, south back into Colorado (nah…) or west.

For our first extended stay anywhere on this journey we wound up in San Francisco, enjoyed the Wharf and the areas around the beaches to the South, excellent restaurants, and small inns.
After a couple of days, we had another decision. We couldn’t go west without a boat; to the south was L.A. (no way), so we headed north through the beautiful Muir Woods and along the coast, spending the night at a beautiful bed and breakfast on a cliff overlooking the ocean where we watched for whales, then off again up the coast of Oregon—one of the most beautiful drives we’ve taken. The weather was beautiful, and the ocean at that time of year (March) was very restless. The waves crashing on the rocks all the way up the coast were spectacular.

In Coos Bay, we took a whale watching trip in the pouring rain. The small boat sailed rain or shine and we were out on the open and very rough sea. There were about a dozen of us on the boat staring first at the sky when the vessel climbed one side of a wave, then at nothing but water as it dove down the other side. Darlene scraped her leg falling on the deck…and we didn’t see any whales. Some days are better than others; such is the nature of adventure.

We turned west to head home across Oregon and Idaho, then down through Salt Lake, stopping long enough to visit the Mormon Temple and the Family History Library, where Mike stumbled across a book containing a wealth of information about his great grandfather and a history of his family back to colonial times. If you’re interested in your family history, Salt Lake City could be a destination in itself. It’s not necessary to be a Mormon to use the library, and the grounds of the Temple are fascinating, regardless of your religious bent.

We spent the last day of our journey cutting across Utah on I-70 and back to Arvada. This is a trip we remember fondly and often both for its spontaneous nature, and for the wonderful scenery and places we saw.

If you try to do something like this, here are a couple of tips. Try to make the trip a loop—no backtracking—so that every day is a new adventure. Pack with just about every type of activity in mind. You just don’t know what you’ll need, so pack it all. Try to spend about the same amount of time heading away from home as returning home. That way there’s no rush on the last day or two and you can enjoy the trip back just as much as the trip out. If possible, stay off of the Interstate highways. Small roads and smaller towns make the trip a lot more interesting.

Finally, keep an open mind. You just never know what’s around the next corner. There are treasures in almost every direction. You just have to be willing to look.

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.
http://ping.fm/Ne3l3

Mike and Darlene’s Weekly DEAL!
August 5, 2011

Country Club, Casual Elegance,
with great discounts and FREE Airfare!

This week’s DEAL offers a chance to try a “boutique” cruise line: Oceania Cruises. This line offers smaller, intimate ships, casual, country club elegance (guys, no need to pack your Tux!), and fine dining, orchestrated by the famed Jaques Pepin. Just imagine yourself, sailing along the Amalfi Coast, sipping a fine wine on a beautiful ship that accommodates fewer than 700 guests.

And this beautiful itinerary includes an over-night in Venice! What a great way to end a romantic cruise!

Oceania Cruises Insignia
November 5, 2011

Oceania Cruises Insignia
7-Night Italian Treasures, Rome to Venice

Sat 11/05/11 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy – Embark – 08:00 PM
Times subject to change

Sun 11/06/11 Amalfi, Italy 08:00 AM 06:00 PM

Mon 11/07/11 Taormina, Sicily (Italy) 08:00 AM 04:00 PM

Tue 11/08/11 Corfu, Greece 10:00 AM 07:00 PM

Wed 11/09/11 Bari, Italy 08:00 AM 06:00 PM

Thu 11/10/11 Dubrovnik, Croatia 08:00 AM 03:00 PM

Fri 11/11/11 Venice, Italy 11:00 AM

Sat 11/12/11 Venice, Italy – Disembark

And did we mention the free airfare??? Yep, the following 2 for 1 fares INCLUDE airfare** from the gateways below, and if you need to fly from an airport not listed, there are small supplemental fees to get you on your way from almost anywhere!

Fares* start at a low $2799 per person for an interior stateroom. $2999 will upgrade you to an ocean view stateroom, and you can upgrade to a gorgeous verandah stateroom for only $3699 per person, including port fees AND airfare!

So, if you’ve been wanting to experience this famed part of Europe, call us NOW at 1-800-267-7613. There is no better time to try an Oceania cruise, but these fares won’t last forever, and the free airfare promotion is offered for a limited time only.

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

Darlene & Mike

*Fares are based on double occupancy, and include port fees and round-trip airfare from selected gateways. Taxes, transfers and insurance are additional.

**”Free Airfare” promotion does not include ground transfers and applies to economy, round-trip flights only from the following Oceania Cruises Primary Air Gateways: ATL, BOS, ORD, DEN, DFW, EWR, IAH, LAX, MIA, IAD, JFK, MCO, PHL, PHX, SAN, SEA, SFO, TPA, YUL, YYC, YYZ, YVR. Airfare is available from all other U.S. & Canadian gateways at an additional charge. Any advertised fares that include the “Free Airfare” promotion include airline fees, surcharges and government taxes.

CruiseOne/Mike and Darlene Jordan
7131 Dunklau Rd
Ft Garland, Colorado 81133
http://ping.fm/uYycz
mjordan@cruiseone.com
1-800-267-7613

Get Out the Map August 5, 2011

Mexico…or no?
By Mike & Darlene Jordan

One of our favorite cruise itineraries is the Mexican Riviera, and for several reasons. It was our first cruise (and our honeymoon), travel to the embarkation ports of Los Angeles or San Diego is easy and fairly inexpensive, plus an overnight in the port beforehand isn’t necessary.

The ports are beautiful. Snorkeling in and around the bay at Cabo San Lucas is excellent, Puerto Vallarta is famous for its crystal blue waters and picturesque islands in the bay, and old town Mazatlan is a trip back in time. We’ve seen more whales and dolphins from the decks of the Carnival Jubilee, the Carnival Pride, and the Holland America Oosterdam than all of our other cruises, combined.

The destinations are so popular that, over the past few years, every major cruise line has offered at least one ship per week sailing the itinerary, and some of them two ships. It’s just a great trip!

Or was.

This summer only one cruise line, Carnival, has offered the itinerary. They have, however, eliminated Mazatlan from the itinerary. More cruise lines will add a semblance of a Mexican Riviera trip this fall, but some have made even more drastic changes. For example, Princess Cruises will visit only Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada which also eliminates Puerto Vallarta from the schedule.

This fall, only Carnival, Disney, Holland-America and Princess will offer 7 night itineraries. Crystal, the ultra luxury line, will offer the week of November 27 only, and they’ve dropped Mazatlan, too.

What happened? A couple of things have contributed to this reduction in itineraries. Number one is internal problems in Mexico having to do with the increased amount of drug violence. It’s something that has spread from the interior of the country that now affects the tourist areas, once thought to be immune from the scourge of the cartels.

Number two is lack of demand. Why? See number one.

There are some positives in this. More time in Cabo San Lucas is one. By eliminating Mazatlan, Cabo is now a 2-day overnight stay. It’s a great port and most cruisers won’t miss Mazatlan much. Princess passengers might miss Puerto Vallarta, though.

Another positive is cruise fares to the area. Mexican Riviera cruises are a bargain this fall, as is airfare to Southern California.

But there may be another positive…tourism is a huge part of the Mexican economy. If that economy feels the pinch of enough of a drop in tourism as a result of a bunch of thugs making life miserable for the entire population, maybe the Mexican government will take the problem seriously enough to do something about it.

So…should you go? The U.S. State Department states that there is no evidence that U.S. tourists have been targeted by criminal elements due to their citizenship. The problems in Mexico have been primarily in the northern border areas, but not exclusively. We have advised clients who visit Mexico on cruises to take only cruise line shore excursions or remain in the port city’s main tourist areas if they go out on their own. Taking a taxi to a remote village 50 miles from the port to sample the empañadas may not be a wise idea.

In the wake of 9/11, when airfares and cruise fares dropped to historic lows, Americans demonstrated that their fear of a terrorist attack while flying or cruising diminished significantly when the price went down. It seems that travel is very dangerous at $500 per ticket, but not so dangerous at $250 for the same trip.

So, we would say this: if you really want to go, now is a great time from a price standpoint. With a little common sense you’ll have a great time.

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.
http:www.kdscruisesandtours.com