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 of what not to do on a cruise

You may have been on a lot of cruises before. These are things you may, or may not have thought of, before. Let’s ta look take a look.

• I am always this, but things can go on when you go on vacation. You might get sick. You could lose your luggage. You might have an emergency at home, and you need to go home early. These are the kinds of reasons you might want to consider getting travel insurance.
• Most ships these days do have wifi. You will not want to forget to connect your phone to that as soon as you get onboard. Either that or turn your phone complete off and leave it. You do not want to see the charges you may face if you do other than that.
• Don’t be that person that gets up really early to throw a towel, or three over some pool chairs only to go back to bed. That is just rude. Enjoy the pool whenever you are actually there. But when you leave, take your things with you.

Things not to do on a cruise #2

My communication device, which is also my computer, needed to be worked on. I’m on a loaner device, for which I’m very grateful, and I’m not doing a bad job figuring things out if I do say so myself.

But anyway, today let’s keep taking a look at some things that you do not want to do while you are on a cruise.

• There is no question that being on a cruise ship can be a lot of fun in and of itself. But you should explore the destinations that they are taking you to. You are going to be able to find inexpensive ways to enjoy each spot.
• Cruises will often charge a good bit for you to go on their excursions. Before going on your cruise, do some research and figure out which excursions you would enjoy most and go on and book them.
• There will be enough that you will want to do that this shouldn’t be a problem. But don’t go to places that are for the crew only. There is always a reason that they say that, and it’s usually for your protection. Parents will also want to tell your teens this.
• Cruises are going to have dining options that are available to you 24/7 You have absolutely no need to take your leftovers back to your room.
• On an airplane, your pilot is the one in charge ultimately. On a cruise ship, this is going to be your captain. Give him the respect he deserves.

What not to do on a cruise

I am home, and ready to be back to work. I am getting through all my e-mail and things like that. I had a great vacation, and now I feel ready to get to some work.

What are you supposed to do on a cruise? We can boil that down to two things, relax and have fun. But today we are going to look some things that you should not do when you go on a cruise.

• A lot of ships are going everything that they can to ensure that you do not get beach seasick. But if you do, please let someone know. They are going to have doctors that will be able to help you. Please don’t go on a cruise and end up in bed the whole time.
• Do not just toss your trash overboard. There will be trash cans on board that you can use. The ocean is just too beautiful to put trash in.
• I know you want to give all of your friends #fomo, but don’t sit on the edge of the rail. That is just dangerous. Use your camera’s zoom feature and things like that.
• Don’t leave your balcony door open. Some kid is going to try to get into your room. They may take something or just make a mess.

Tips to save on a cruise

When you go on a cruise, you are going to be enjoying being on a ship that is someone’s business. They’re trying to get you to spend more money, that is their job. Let’s look at some ways that you can save money.

• The excursions that the cruiselines arrange for you are going to cost you a lot of money. You are going to want to do your research before you leave on your trip, and figure out what you would like to do at each port. Make a plan, and then contacting the tour company and booking your excursions will save you a lot of money. You might want to return to the ship to eat since you can eat there for free.
• If you are pretty far from your departure city, you will want to get there a day or two before you are to leave to make sure that nothing comes up. You will want to book your own flights, if flying is something you know you want to do, driving is going to be less expensive most the time.
• If you do fly to your destination, it will usually be most cost effective to take the bus rather than taking taxis everywhere. You might get to meet some of your fellow cruisers before you leave on your cruise. This can be an added bonus when you arrive earlier.
• You are going to want to take a look at the drink and internet packages before you leave on your trip. Are you really going to drink that much on your trip? It is best not to be cooked on a cruise since it is a ship, and you will be surrounded by water. And how much time do you really think you will be on the internet? You will be too busy having fun

Vienna

I am going to work some today and tomorrow, although I’ve already decided that I’m not going to do a lot, but I am going to take off a little more than a week off after that. I can really tell that I need to step back and take a break.

Today we are going to take a look at Vienna and some things you might want to do there. I’ll be honest, the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Vienna are some novels I read about World War II, that were set in Vienna. They were wonderful books. But this blog is about travel and not about reading, so let’s get down to business.

Vienna has always been a center for the arts. Do you like touring great art galleries during the day, and then going to an unforgettable concert or opera in the evening? If that sounds like an amazing vacation to you, you might seriously want to try Vienna.

Okay, so you are considering it, when would be a good time to go?? Well, spending the holidays in this city is fun. You’ll be enjoying the holiday markets as well as all the fantastic culture that they have here. This is a great city to go to on a river cruise.

Traveling with adult children

We’re always talking about traveling with children, and how to make that experience go smoother. But what happens when those children grow up, but you still want to vacation together? Here are some tips that just might help.

• With younger children, giving them a figuring few choices along the way, and may make them feel like they are part of the planning process. With adult children, you are equal partners in everything. You need to discuss everything from where you are going to go, what I you want to do, and how much everything will cost. Discuss what everyone is hoping to get out of the trip, and try to fit in what is important for everyone.
• You will also need to discuss who’s paying for what before your trip, discussing each person’s expectations. Might you have a rule like if you are in college, parents will pay, but if you are working we want to pay at least part of the expenses. You will want to discuss this kind of thing before the trip, so that you will not have that to deal with on your trip?
• Your children are now adults living their lives. Most young people would rather sleep in and stay up late. Give them choices about when and where they want to eat. Let them tell you what things are important to them and what things are not. Be flexible.
• Everyone doesn’t have to do everything everything at the same time. Some people might want to spend most of their time at the beach. Other people had would go crazy if that was all there was to do. Some of the siblings are going to be closer than others. They will want to do more together. Others may need to spend sometime by themselves. You’ll find that everyone will be happier if you just go with the flow.
• Sometimes parents think that children would rather be without them. This may or may not be true. Your children may want that time with you just as much as you want it from them.

More on multi generational cruises

Let’s look at some more things that you may want to keep in mind when you are on your multi generational cruise.

• Part of the whole reason for this cruise is for the grown ups to catch up, isn’t it? The good news is that most cruiselines are going to have designated places that will be for adults only. Here you will find quiet pools and whirlpools where you can relax and maybe enjoy some adult beverages.
• You are going to want to enjoy at least one adult evening where you will enjoy a nice dinner at a specialty restaurant and then go catch a show.
• I am from a family of eight, and then several of them are married and have children of their own. I’m guessing that we might take five rooms if we were to go, don’t think that will ever happen. But say you have several siblings, and then you and your siblings have children who are now adults. Usually if you get eight or nine rooms, you’re a group. You may get extra perks like maybe a a meeting room.
• It may be wise, at least when you are starting out, to cruise pretty close to home. If everyone is spread out, meet up at the person’s house who is closest to the port, and then drive together. Driving together is going to be way more cost effective than flying in most cases.
• Most families have people who have a lot of different tastes when it comes to what they like to do. Cruises are going to have a lot of different activities that everyone can enjoy. Maybe some people want to play basketball, other people will want to hang out by the pool, and still others may want to take a cooking class. Do what you feel like, and then gather together in the evenings to share the fun.

Multi generational cruises

Everyone is so busy these days. Children grow up and get married and move away from the place they’ve grown up in. Siblings end up in different parts of the country, if not the world. Planning a vacation that includes everyone is an ideal way to catch up. Let’s look at some tips that will help you plan a great cruise for this kind of trip.

• Cruises are pretty much all inclusive in nature. This helps families avoid the “Who’s going to pay for what” discussion at every meal and each activity you do together. This also helps each individual family know how much they are going to pay for the trip. You can decide who’s interested in doing extra things, like specialty restaurants and spa treatments. Sometimes kids even sail for free.
• We love our children, but sometimes we need a break from them. OnAnd sometimes they need a break from us. Most cruises that are good for families are going to have some kind of kids’ club where families can leave their children for a good portion of every day. Most cruises are also going to have to babysitting options so that adults can enjoy the nightlife. That is, if grandparents don’t want to watch them.
• Teens have their own ways to have fun on a cruiseship?. They will have clubs where they can hang out with their their own kind. They will have parties of their own in the evenings.

Keeping children entertained on flights

I am going to be starting a much needed time of vacation in exactly a week. And I think it is going to be a little over a week. I haven’t taken a vacation this summer and really feel the need for one.

We’ve all at least heard the stories of children who would not stop crying while on a flight. That can make even a short trip feel long. No one wants to be that parent who has the crying child. Today let’s look at some things to do with your children while you are flying that will help you avoid being that parent.

• Children love getting gifts, doesn’t everyone? Consider picking up a few little gifts that will help keep them busy. Have them open them one at a time and play with them quietly in their seats. And remember to take some gifts, or get some while you travel, for your return trip.
• You want to bring coloring books and crayons on your trip, and have them accessible while you are flying. I know some children who can color for hours on end.
• More and more, even little kids have their own Ipad. Make sure to get some new games and movies for their flights. This too will keep children busy for several hours. This might be a good idea for yourself too.
• And then there is always good old fashioned reading. Bring books for them to read. Go on and work on that summer reading list that the school sent was home, but no one ever gets around to.

Planning a last minute trip

We are now into August. Have you taken a vacation yet this summer? If not, is the reason because you hate planning trips? If that describes you, you will want to read on. Part of the beauty of vacation is that you don’t have to do much of anything if you don’t want to. Some people would be perfectly fine to find a hotel that has a nice restaurant and a pool and just chill out there for a week or so. Sometimes you just need to get away and nothing for a while. Your body gets tired of doing the same thing day after day. You get bored.

• First of all, what is your budget for this trip? If you’ve been saving up for a trip and feel like doing a little splurging, go on and do it. Find a nice resort and just go and chill. Or go on a tour. Joining a tour should take very little time to plan. All inclusive packages also take little work and might be more cost effective. You will just have to read over everything to make sure that you know what is covered and what is not.
• Solo travel is getting more and popular, but is that something you are comfortable doing? Only you know the answer to that. If you are not, and don’t have a family you’ll be traveling with, consider asking some friends to go along with you. Surely you can find some some friends who need a break as much as you do.
• You may have the time, may need to make the time, to visit the place you’ve always dreamed about going, but you may be planning your trip at the perfectly wrong time of year. It may be too hot to visit this place. Or maybe this is when all the locals take their vacations, so that all the restaurants and everything are shut down. Do some research on the internet and figure out where is a good place to go.