Refurbished ships

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Life is crazy. I’ve had communication device problems, hopefully we should be through that. My parents and I have moved. I’m not sure when we are going to get internet at the house and all that.. I’m actually with friends right now. I’m not sure how everything is going to work out, but we’ll see. I wish I could say I know I am going to be back to normal work by a certain time, but I do not know when that will be yet.. Frankly, I do miss my work, and I’m ready to get back to it after nearly a month off.

But anyway, today let’s look at some reasons why you should check out refurbished cruise ships. It used to be that cruise ships would dry dock just about only when completely necessary to stay legal. But these days a lot of cruise companies have decided to completely refurbish their ships, and so other companies are following suit. Here are some reasons you should consider a refurbished ship.

• Going on a new ship is likely going to cost you an arm and a leg. But that is simply not the case with a refurbished ship.
• Your rates are going to be between thirty to forty percent lower than on completely new ship. You might even be able to score a last minute deal out instead of having to book and then wait around for three years to go to on your cruise.
• It does cost less to revamp an old ship than to build a new one. Many ships are adding all of the popular features when they do their dry dock.
• Another thing you will love is the new rooms on these ships.. Most ships are adding suites.

Places you should go before you turn the big 40

I am pretty unsure about whether or not I am going to have internet access starting tomorrow. We will have to see how everything goes.

I apologize but I am going to get a little personal here. How old are you? If you are around thirty, this blog post is written specifically for you.

Bucket lists have been huge. And I know they are not as big as they once were, but they are still . If you are around thirty, here are some place you might want to put on your list.

• Don’t you want to see the Taj Mahel? After all, it is one of the seven wonders of the world. Someone built this place to honor his favorite wife after she died giving birth to their fourteenth child. It is recommended to visit this place first thing in  the morning because sunrise makes this place spectacular.
• Have you ever visited the Grand Canyon? This is another beautiful place to get to at sunrise. You will want to take a day or more to explore, do some hiking/walking.
• You might want to go to the Great Barrier Reef. This is in Queensland. Here you know will find all ks of sealife.

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.

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.

Ttraveling with Downs

• Today we are going to look at some travel tips for children with Down Syndrome. Does your child bolt? One idea my parents always used was to pair an older child with an younger. I’m the oldest, but I think we worked it out so an older sibling would push me, and a younger child would ride on my lap. Either that, or my parents would push me. They do have harnesses and tracking devices you can use these days.
• Does your child flop and drop? The best thing you can do is to pick them up and carry them during times like these.
• Some Downs children do not want to eat anything except these certain foods. Try working with your children on these things.. Keep foods separate. Let them choose their foods.

Disney

• Children are different.. Some children love adventure, and do whatever they do to get it. Other children are going to be very timid. Most children are going to be somewhere in the middle. If one of your children doesn’t want to ride a certain ride, you probably don’t want to make them. If the other people of your family want to ride it, part of your family can ride, and the other part of the family can stay with the person that doesn’t want to ride. And then you can switch places.
• Disney understands that families need breaks from crazy fun rides all of the time. They do have some slower rides. There are also first aid centers at each of their parks. These will be air conditioned, and you can just relax there.
• Cast Members have been trained to help those with special needs. They may be able to help encourage those with special needs to ride more rides and things like that. They will be able to help you with all kind of things. Just ask them.

On character dining

Disney does these meals where you are actually going to eat with the characters. I know that Belle does one, and I also know that she and her beast are in attendance, but I’m not sure who else. Cinderella does one, and I know it’s her and her prince, and the wicked stepmother and stepsisters join them..

If doing one of these meals is something you and your family would enjoy, you need to decide and make reservations as soon as you know you are going to make the trip. To do this, go to http://www.mydisneyexperience.com, and you should be able to figure everything out from there. There will be space to tell about food allergies. Use that space to tell about your child’s needs. Disney will try to accommodate you as best they can. Booking early may allow you to have more say in what you will eat.

Disney

We are going to get back to our discussion of Disney and some tips that will help you.

• Disney simply has way too much for anyone to see and do in a vacation’s time. No one can do a Disney park in a day’s time, no one. And when you add that fact to to the fact that your special needs child is probably going to need more breaks and rest times, you’re probably just going to have to make yourself see whatever you can see and forget everything else. Either that or make more than one trip.
• Disney wants everyone to have the best time possible when you are visiting their parks. And that includes those with special needs. Disney has passes that will allow a special needs person and their family to not have to wait around in lines. The first day that you are there, you will want to go to Guest Services. When you are there, a Cast Member is going to take a digital picture of your child, and then they will link one of these passes to your child’s Magic Band. You will want to let the person know how many people are in your party. Once you have that pass, a lot of the attractions will allow you ask for a return time so that you do not have to wait around in line. Now you can only do this for one attraction at a time. Please keep that in mind.

More on Disney

• Disney has published some guides that may really help you as you prepare to take your trip. There is a guide specifically for those with cognitive disabilities. If that is something your child struggles with, you will want to be sure to download this guide at the Disney website. Go to http://www.disneyworld..disney.go.guest-services. You should be able to find the different guides there.
• Once you get there, and if your child is able to do this, allow them to explore the hotel on their own. I know my siblings and I used to love go to find to the ice machine and ride the elevators if you’re staying at a Disney property, your children will probably run into some characters around the hotel. If you’re not sending your children by themselves, go around with them.
• Don’t rush, rush, rush. Take your meals. Take some time to relax by the pool. You know your children. You’ll know what they need. Do the things that you know will mean the most to them.

Tips on Disney

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I’m doing this online challenge, trying to get this business mine to grow some more. That is getting a lot of my time these days. I am starting to get some people interested in my blogs and Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/speciialneedsparepowwow]. Anyway, that’s kind of getting a lot of my time and thinking, and I am trying to make this fun. Let’s look at some tips on taking your special needs child to Disney.

• I know I’m always saying this, but many special needs children do not especially like traveling. Sometimes it is scary to them to try to go to new places and meet new people.. You probably do not want to surprise special needs child with this trip. Instead, you want to talk to him about it. If you are flying, tell him what that is going to be like are. You might even want to take your children to the airport before your your actual trip. And if you’re driving, let your children pick out snacks they want to take and movies they’ll want to watch on the way.
• Does your child understand what Disney is all about? Show them the movies. Disney has put out a documentary about their parks that you and your children might enjoy watching together. Disney also has a lot out on Youtube that you and your children might find interesting.

Back to Minicatiions.. The people are going to know all about your young person because of the interview process you’ve been through. And they are going to communicate all of that to the staff so that they will know what needs to happen. Travellers are always going to have their emergency contact cards on them. And staff will also know each traveller’s medical needs.. So why should you choose Minications? You will receive calls and e-mails about the things that are going on. You are going to get a complete are packing list. Their staff is quite experienced.

More

We are going to talk some more about this Minications.com and the kind of trip they are going to give your developmentally disabled young adult. I am not quite sure of the age range that they will take.

• They are going to have one staff member for every three to five travellers. The staff is there to make sure that everyone is safe and having fun. They are also going to make sure everyone does what they need to when it comes to personal hygiene, money exchanges and interacting with everyone around. They do not do one on one care.
• When you inquire about a trip for your developmentally disabled person, you are going to go through a lot of paperwork to make sure your child will be a good fit. They know what they are looking for, and it is people who can be fairly independent.
• They are going to put two people in each room. Everyone is going to get his own bed though.
• Travellers are going to need medical insurance on any international trip. And these are your costs. And you must have the proof of that insurance to the Minications two weeks before the trip begins.

Minications

We love our families. But sometimes we women want to do a getaway trip where we’re just with our girlfriends. Sometimes our husbands want to do a guys’ trip. And sometimes it is good for our children who have developmental disabilities need to get away and have fun. And sometimes we need them to. That is where a company like Minication comes in. [http://www.minicationstravel.com]

This group allows those with developmental disabilities to get away for the weekend. They want to keep things pretty simple so they are going to package all accommodations, transportation, and the costs of the care givers, rest assured that your young person will be looked after. Most of the food is going to be covered as well. You are also going to get a photo book.

Let’s get back to some more tips for Disney’s Grand Californian. We are going to start there anyway..
when it comes to food, Disney is going to have some really nice options for you. However, you should know that Disney’s food is going to run pretty expensive. You will want to bring food from home and keep it in your hotel room. For those who are flying, stop by a grocery store on the way into town, and pick up some of your family’s favorite foods. Something my family would do as we were growing up was we would buy stuff for breakfast, usually cereal, and lunch, usually sandwich stuff, and then we would eat eat out somewhere for dinner.. What I’m reading is that you can get a fairly inexpensive quick dinner at Whitewater Snacks.
And now I think we are going to start taking a look at The Resort at Longboat key Club which is in Sarasota, Florida. This is the place where summer never ends. They have some great tennis courts, two fantastic golf courses, eight restaurants and lounges, and a wonderful pool area. The pool area is accessible. They do have a lift into the pools. One of the restaurants even offers poolside service.