Tips for traveling with kids

Let’s get back to discussing tips for traveling with kids.

• First, you might want to consider boarding early. Yes, I know that will make your trip feel that much longer. But doing this will enable everyone to feel more settled in their places. It will be especially helpful if you do not have assigned seats.
• Everyone getting enough rest is essential for a nice, smooth trip. Consider getting a condo. If you are for sure staying in a hotel or resort, consider getting a suite or at least another room.
• Having free breakfast not only cuts down on costs, it also cuts down on stress. This is one meal you’ll know what you’ll be doing and won’t have to have any discussions about.
• I know a lot of people like to just go with the flow while they are on vacation, but some planning is a good idea when you’re traveling with children. You’ll want to try your best to work your children’s sleeping and eating schedules. Not messing with those will help keep everyone happy and on track.
• But you don’t want to overplan your trip, keeping everyone busier than usual.? Children love afternoons at the pool or movie nights.
• You will want to pack everything that you need, but you do not want to overpack. You don’t want to have more to carry than you have to. A lot of places are going to have washers and dryers that you can use.
• If you aren’t going to a resort that has a children’s program, consider bringing a babysitter. It isn’t going to cost that much extra. And vacations are the perfect times to get in some extra dates.

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MSC Cruises

I’ve decided that I like doing two things at once. Sure, writing about what I am learning about in this travel agent school seems to take me a little longer. But we are supposed to get the word out about the things we’re learning, and writing about the things I am learning does help. And since this school has many different courses, I should keep quite busy for a while.

Today we are going to look at the MSC Cruiseline. MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company. MSC  strives for excellence in everything that they do, and has won a lot of awards for what they do.

• Where do these cruises go? Basically anywhere you would be interested in traveling to. They do Mexico and the Caribbean, they also do Europe and Asia. They also do an excellent South American cruise.
• Let’s take a closer look at some of what they have to offer. When it comes to food, their specialty is Italian. They have a lot of great pasta dishes. You will be able to get a great pizza any time that you’d like. But Italian isn’t the only cuisine that they have. They have a famous Asian chef that is over their Asian restaurants. And of course, they have a pas chef to make sure your sweet tooth is satisfied.
• MSC has partnered with LEGO to bring children and their families experiences they will never forget. They will have all the supplies that you will need for your baby and toddler that you will need.
• MSC also understands your need to keep up with your fitness program while on board. They will help you create the right exercise program while you are on board. They will also help you come up with healthy menus.

I would love to know your thoughts on any of this..

Okay, I know there are ways to book trips on the internet. So why would you need a travel agent? Let’s look at some times you might want to use a travel agent.

 

• Travel agents are great when you and your extended family are going on a trip together. You have a lot of people, some people may have special needs to figure out..People may need to come and go on different days. There are just a lot of details to figure out.
• You might want to book through a travel agent if you are going to a place you’ve never been. You may have a lot of time to do the necessary research. A travel agent can help you to set everything up. We can figure out your complete itinerary.
• And when you’re planning your honeymoon, you probably want to go through a travel agent. You have a thousand other things you need to plan. And this is a special trip you is really do not to mess up. Let a travel agent handle all the details .

Movie places

I am going to try to do this, and hopefully I’ll do a better job than I did yesterday.. I’m still doing a lot of experimenting and figuring things out as I go along… x

I think a lot of us like to watch movies when we want to relax. But have you ever wanted to go to the places where specific movies were made? Let’s look at a couple of these today.

• Do you have any Indiana Jones fans in your did you family? You might want to visit Petra, Jordan where these films were made. This has become a popular destination since the films were made.
• Slovenia might be small, but it is where Narnia was made. If I am remembering right, the place has some absolutely gorgeous spots.

Planning the perfect girls’ trip #2

Let’s get back to discussing how to plan a great girls’ trip. I have several things I’d like to look into more today, but feel like I need to do the normal things first and just see how the rest of the day goes. Let’s pick up where we left off.

• Some friends don’t need much except to have a place to gather and some nice food to enjoy themselves. Other groups will want to go to some of the more exotic locations. If your group is trying to start their annual trips together, it might be wise to have a gathering and discuss what everyone is thinking as far as overall budget. Is it going to be easier to gather in each other homes, or do people want to mark places off of their bucket lists? One of you might want  to play hostess more often than the others to cut down on her costs. You can find solutions that work best for your group.
• If one person is planning the whole thing, this lady will want to give some clues. You might want to get creative with the e-mails you send your group. Some people will go a step farther and send cute little packages to give hints. Groups who are going go somewhere exotic will usually meet at one member’s house, and then they do the reveal at the airport.
• This is a girls’ trip, so you are going want to have comfortable places where ere you can sit and gab. You might want to have one more than one place like this in case your group wants to split up for whatever reason.
• But as much as girls like to just sit and talk, you will want to have a few activities planned. Especially if you are going somewhere you’ve never been, you’ll want to get out and enjoy some of the sights. The planner should have a pretty good idea of the things your group likes to do.

Have you done anything like this? I would love to hear about it.

Go play in your favorite video game

[Disclaimer : I have never been into video games. I have never enjoyed playing those type games. I hardly know anything about any of those games. I’m just going to tell you what this article says.]

I may not know much about these games, but I know they are pretty popular. I know some children, and adults, absolutely love these games. If they aren’t playing them, they’re thinking about playing these things. So let’s look at some places you can play these games in RL [for those that don’t know, RL is real life].

• The first one is, of course, Mario Brothers. I do remember sitting and watching people playing these games. Who doesn’t dream of getting into these games? The closest thing you can get to this is in Tokyo.
• There is always Pokemon Go. And I know that you can play that anywhere. The cool thing about this game is that you have to play it outside.
• In l Las Vegas you can play Any Resident Evil. There you can play zombies to your heart’s content
• .And now I have good news and bad news good news is that  Nintendo is building its own amusement park. The bad news is that it will not be ready until 2020.

Flying standby

There is so much to learn and figure out when you are in the travel business. One person can not learn everything.. Today let’s look into what what it means to fly standby.

Flying standby is a good way to fly if you don’t especially care when you leave or come back. It’s usually the least expensive way to fly, you’ll usually pay around twenty-five dollars, but you are not guaranteed a seat. So if you think that flying standby would be a good fit for you, here’s what you should do.

• Firs, you will want to see which airlines have this option available . You will want to read up your chosen airline’s policies to make sure that you, and they, play by the rules.
• A lot of times they’ll want you to purchase a normal ticket. Sometimes you can get away with a friend flying. Again, you will want to know the specific policies.
• Another thing that would be good to remember is that you do not want to have checked luggage. They’ll more likely to take you if you don’t. You’re allowed one carry on and purse in most situations. The day before or the flight, you will want to look at the airline’s website to get the latest info on the flight. You will not want to check Expedia or Priceline, they are not going to have the latest information.
• You are going to want to get there at least two hours in advance. You will want to go to the ticketing agent, and let them know that you’re interested in flying standby.
• Next you will want to proceed through security and all that. Be sure to let the people at the gate know that you want to fly standby.
• At the time of the flight, the gate people will be able to let you know whether you’ve made it on.

I would love to know your thoughts  about any of this.

More random tips

Let’s finish up looking at these random travel tips today.

• Most the time, you can usually >get a feel for whether a certain person is is safe, whether or not you’ve ever met them before. Most people will be more than happy to help you get directions, or even recommend a restaurant.
• But women, even if you are traveling by yourself, no, make that especially if you are traveling, do not let on that you are. And do not tell people that you are unmarried until you know them pretty well.
• If you want to do one nice meal a day, try to do that at lunchtime rather than dinner. It will usually cost you less, and you may also want to splurge on a glass of wine or a nice dessert.
• Another reason you might want to do your biggest meal during the middle of the day is you may want to take a siesta. That way you can stay up and take part in the evening’s entertainment options.
• And take a minute to unpack so you know where everything is when you’re ready to hit the sack.
• And remember to take gum or mints. You never know when you might need to freshen your breath.

Random travel tips #2

You might be starting out on this adventure called travel, and you may have more questions than answers about everything when it comes to travel. We started this discussion yesterday, so please go back and read those tips as well. Rxandom tips #1

• Okay, let’s get real here, we tend to be pretty spoiled when it comes to cleanliness. When you visit other countries, they might not have the same standards, especially in the bathrooms. You might want to seriously consider bringing your shower shoes.
• Part of the joy of traveling is experiencing different foods. Try the local cuisine. You might not like all the food, but you might be surprised at just how much you do enjoy not. Personally my favorite places to go would be the bakeries. To my way of thinking, you can always find good bread, and I pretty much always enjoy pastries.
• You will want to visit the market of any city you might visit. It is interesting to look at the places the locals shop. You can find out a lot about the culture this way. And you may also meet some interesting people too.
• Research the city, or cities, you are going to visit and find out about the transportation system. If you have a friend who has been to the place you are about to visit, pick their brains about it. Sometimes the bus system simply is not safe. But if you will be safe, you might get to some places that you will not be able to get to by taxi.
• Did your mother teach you to ALWAYS carry tissues with you. They’re extremely light, but can be used in so many ways.
• You do not want to only go to McDonald’s and Starbucks while you are out of the country, but you might not want to completely ignore them either. If nothing else, they are likely cleaner bathrooms and free internet.

We will get back to this discussion tomorrow.

Rxandom tips #1

Let’s be honest for a minute, sometimes I’m not sure what to write about. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. Today we are going to look at some random travel tips.

• xxFirst, pass a small notebook with you wherever you go. You never know when you might want to jot something down. This can apply to everyday life, not just when you travel. But when you travel, you might have even more things to remember.
• Are you running behind for your flight? Go ahead and check in online. Surely you’ll have your smartphone on you. You might even be able to check in while you are walking into the airport if you are driving yourself.
• Some countries allow you to put your toilet paper into the toilet. Others want you to put it in a trash can. Usually places that don’t want the paper in their sewer system will have a tiny trash can right beside the toilet. You might want to look that up before you leave just so you’ll know.
• You never know when you might get an upgrade for your hotel or flight. It does not hurt to ask whether they might have anything free available.
• If you have trouble sleeping, you might want to ask to not be put near the elevator. There is always so much noise and traffic around elevators.

We are going to get back to this discussion tomorrow. Please let me know your thoughts

Culinary trips for children

Foodies love to travel to experience the cuisine of a certain destination. Today we are going to put a twist on that. Let’s look at some places you would want to go if you wanted to give your kids culinary treats.

• Okay, personally I would eat a nice, healthy breakfast and lunch, and maybe grab a slice of New York style pizza before heading to the place known as the “Sugar Factory”, which is in Manhattan. This place will have every confection known to man, and probably some you’ve never heard of. We’re talking cotton candy virgin drinks, s’mores crepes, and something called insane milkshakes. You are going to think you’ve stepped into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
• So maybe you don’t like feeding your children while you’re flying. They can make a real mess, they might not like what is being served, it can be a real headache. But in Colorado Springs they have turned an old Boeing military plane into a restaurant. It is simply called “The Airplane Restaurant”. You are going to be served American classics, and when the kids get restless, you can send them to the cockpit..
• The DuPont Circle has one restaurant called the Firefly. You are going to start your evening by decorating your cookie while you are waiting on your orders. Don’t worry, you won’t be actually eating your cookies before eating your dinner. They are going to take your cookies and bake them while you eat. You probably want to explain that to your children.
• We are discussing restaurants your children will love, right? You might want to go all the way and plan a whole trip around your children and go to Disney world. Have dinner in the Beast’s castle. You might even meet Beast if you’re lucky. What do they serve? The one thing I’m reading about is meatloaf serve in the shape of Mickey’s ears.
• Do your kids like the idea of sitting at the table where your food is cooked, but don’t necessarily like Japanese food? You have to try Slappy Cakes in Portland, Oregon. This is a pancake kid place where you choose your batter, you’ll also choose what you put in your pancakes as well as what you put on top. You will be cooking your own pancakes right at your table.

Please let me know if you’re interested in taking your children on a culinary tour.. I’d love to help you plan something.

Plan a romantic getaway #2

We are going to get back to our discussion about how to plan a romantic getaway. Maybe now that school is back in session, you can talk the grandparents into staying with the children, and you and your husband can get away for a few days. Here are some things you might want to consider when planning a getaway like this.

• Cruises are vacations that could cost you a very little, or could cost you quite a bit. It all depends on what you’re looking for. Now I know I’ve said this before, the more you spend up front, the more you pay up front for the cruise, the less likely they’ll be to nickel and dime you once you’re on board. You’ll want to keep in mind. But cruises are great for those that want nothing to think about once you’re on board. Your room, your food, and sometimes your excursions can be all paid for before you leave on your trip.
• If you don’t want to do a cruise, you will want to figure out where you are going to be staying. Depending on where you want to go, you might have many different options. There are hotel in most any city. Bigger cities are likely to also have resorts, and some of these are going to be pretty all inclusive. There are condos and airbnb. What do you want? Do you want someone to pamper you at every turn? Or do you want more privacy, where you can pamper each other? You’ll want to make your bookings. Or you could have me make your bookings for you. I make money when I book hotels and things like that. I do not charge you anything over and above that.
• I do not think I can make anything on making restaurant reservations, but if I book your trip, I’ll be more than happy to help look up restaurants that might be interesting to you.
• If you are looking to save money, go to the local grocery store, and pick up food you will enjoy cooking and eating together. There is also nothing quite as romantic as taking a picnic together.

Plan a romantic getaway #1

With the children heading back to school, I think everyone is starting to dream of cooler weather, gathering with friends around a bonfire or football games, holiday times. But if another thing on your to do list is to plan a romantic getaway for you and your spouse, you might want to pay close attention to this.

• The first thing that you will want to do is to remember the type of things that brought you together in the first place. How did you meet? What kinds of things did you do on your dates that making accepting another date so easy? What are things that you enjoy doing together now? Is there a hobby that you enjoy or want to take up together?
• You will want to discuss how much you want to spend on this trip. This will help you determine whether you want to drive somewhere, or if you want to do a bigger trip and fly somewhere. Flying somewhere usually costs more.
• On less inexpensive trips, you might want to go back to the college you met and fell in love at. Or maybe you’ve wanted to go back to exact spot where you first met. Maybe you want to get back to the place where he first proposed.
• If you are wanting to do something a little nicer, have the two of you created a bucket list of places you’ve always wanted to go together? Or is there a country you’re always discussing and researching together?

We are going to get back to this discussion tomorrow. I would love to know your thoughts or any questions you might have.

Cruise to Hawaii

I hear that taking a cruise is one of the best ways to explore Hawaii. Hawaii is made up of more than one island, and you will want to see more than one island on your trip. What better way to do that than to take a cruise? And here are some other reasons you might want to consider taking a cruise to Hawaii.

• First of all, it can be rather time consuming and tedious to book all the flights to the different islands.
• It can also be difficult to figure out in which order to do everything. Why don’t you cruise these beautiful islands and not worry about any of that?
• Going on a cruise will also help you make sure that you will be seeing everything that you want to in the vacation time that you have. The cruise will let you know what all is available, and you will be able to pick and choose what’s right for you.
• You are going to be staying on the cruise ship for your whole vacation. There is no need to repack when you change islands.
• Sometimes you think you booked an ocean view room at a hotel, and then it turns out that you didn’t. On a cruise ship, you’re much more likely to get a room with a gorgeous view.
• Cruising to Hawaii also makes financial sense. Prices in Hawaii are usually pretty expensive. With a cruise, you will get everything paid for before you leave.

Have I convinced you to set sail for Hawaii? Please let me know.

More on cruises as honeymoons

What’s your ideal when it comes to your honeymoon? Do you have a specific destination in mind? Are you like most people and want to indulge in true luxury on your special trip? Is there a resort you want to go to? Or maybe what you’ve always dreamed of as your honeymoon is a cruise. If that last one describes you best, you’ll want to read on.

Today we are going to look at what’s available on Celebrity Cruises first. It looks like every Celebrity Cruise has a party exclusively for newlyweds. At this party there will be champagne and the opportunity to dance to live music. Celebrity is another smaller ship cruiseline that will not have the busyness of the larger ships which most honeymooners will appreciate. Their Classic Romance Package includes turn down service with rose pedals on the bed, and champagne. That will cost you fifty dollars. For $125, you will get their Deluxe Romance Package which includes breakfast in bed, turn down service with rose pedals, and champagne. And their Premium Romance Package, which will cost you $225, will get you breakfast in bed, dinner at one of their specialty restaurants, turn down service with rose pedals, and champagne. I

xf you are thinking about booking a Norwegian cruise for your honeymoon, you will want to consider getting a suite within The Haven, their ship within a ship. When you stay in their Haven, you are going to get priority booking, a restaurant exclusive for their Haven guests, a cappuccino machine in your suite, and gourmet treats in your room each evening. Wherever you decide to stay, you’ll be welcome to indulge in their romance packages. Their honeymoon package includes sparkling wine and chocolate covered strawberries on the day you leave, romantic dinner, and a dozen roses. That will cost you $180. And their deluxe honeymoon package includes all of the above, breakfast in bed and a portrait.

Cruises for honeymooners

If you are someone who has always dreamed of going on a cruise for your honeymoon? This is one way that you would be able to exploring a certain part of the world without having to worry about any of the logistics. On a cruise, you are going to have your lodging. [On a honeymoon, I think that you would want to get a suite or something a little nicer than an inside room.] All your meals are going to be provided for you. You will also likely have all the entertainment you are going to want right there on the ship. Today let’s look at some cruises you might want to consider for your honeymoon.

• The first cruise we are going to look at is Paul Gauguin. The cruises that they recommend for honeymooners to go to places like Tahiti and Bora Bora. You are going to find luxury on these cruises. For starters, the ships hold less than four hundred guests, so you will receive a high level of service, and also will have more privacy than on the mass market ships. You will have a special Polynesian celebration of your marriage. You will get one free 8×10 portrait. Other people are also free to give you gifts for more on board credit that you can use for things like couple’s massages and shore excursions. They will also give you a bottle of champagne.
• Windstar also has some amazing cruises for those on their honeymoon. They recommend a Mediterranean voyage for honeymoons. Windstar usually has no more than three hundred and fifty guests. Their honeymoon packages come at an extra cost to you. The Honeymooner Romantic Bon Voyage package includes a bottle of champagne, chocolate strawberries and breakfast in bed. That costs $160. Their Just For Us package includes everything in the previous package AND another bottle of champagne and caviar served in your room. That would cost $350. Their Pure Pampering package includes a dozen roses, a bottle of sparkling wine, afternoon tea and dessert, and massages. This will cost you $400.

We will continue this discussion tomorrow. I would love to know your thoughts.

Solo travel

Some of you may not not know this about me, but I’m disabled. Someone else has get me out of my wheelchair in and out of my wheelchair. Someone has to give me anything I eat or drink. So solo travel is not an option for me. I’m not sure I would like it anyway. When I travel, part of the joy for me is catching up with friends or family. Maybe you’re like me and are hesitant to try solo travel. Or maybe you are just dying to get out there on your own. For those that are hesitant, let’s look at some reasons why you should consider it.

• The first reason that you might want to consider doing a solo trip is that this is one time where you can be totally selfish. You are going to have no time that you have to get up or go to bed. No one will be demanding to go to a certain restaurant while you are craving another type of food entirely.
• Along with that, you are going to be able to do exactly what you want when you want. Find something interesting that is not on your original itinerary? Go for it. Meet someone interesting you want to spend time with? No one is going to stop you. Sometimes you might even be able to extend your trips, though I’m not exactly sure how that would work for Moms.
• And just because you are traveling alone does not mean you have to be completely by yourself. Travel is a great way to meet new friends. Stay in hostels and hang out in the common areas. Go to a restaurant and sit at the bar. Talk to people as you’re out exploring.
• Solo travel also helps you see that you don’t have to be in your small area with your same group of friends all the time. It will build your confidence that you can do things on your own. You can climb that mountain or take on that adventure by yourself and do it.