Refurbished ships

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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.

More places

It is Saturday, and I am about ready to finish everything and be done until Monday. Let’s take a look at some more properties that you might enjoy staying for a vacation.

• Today we are going to start with The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, and it’s in Greensboro, Georgia. This place has a little of everything. It is a great place to hike and bike . They have 99 holes of golf, yes, I did read that right? They have a massive spa where you will be able to get all kinds of treatments. And they have multiple places where you can eat.
• I know that Hawaii has all kinds of resorts, but the one that has been chosen is Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. They say that this is a place for those who are on their honeymoon. They have all kinds of things that you can do.

And more places to stay

• 

• 

• 

Did you have a rough year last year? Um, who didn’t? 2020 was just a crazy, rough year for everyone. Do you want to take a vacation and just rest. Maybe you want to go somewhere and not have anything that you have to do? Let’s keep looking at some more luxurious places that you can stay.

• Do you want to go to New England? In Washington, Connecticut, they have a place called Mayflower Inn and Spa. They are going to have a England style garden that you can enjoy. They will also have indoor and outdoor pools that are heated, tennis courts, and a putting green. They will also have a nice restaurant for you.
• Rehoboth Beach, Delaware has a place named Boardwalk Plaza Hotel. It is, of course, close to the beautiful ocean. It sounds like the rooms in this hotel are lovely, with four-poster beds and whirlpools. They will also have what they call a soaking pool and afternoon tea service.
• One of Florida’s most luxurious properties is called The Breakers, and it is in Palm Beach. The place sounds huge. It has two complete golf courses, nine restaurant, and five pools. And this is not naming everything that they have.

More luxurious places to stay

• 

  Photo by Riccardo Bertolo on Pexels.com

• 

  Photo by Akio on Pexels.com

• 

• 

Sometimes getting away to a luxurious hotel or resort is just what the doctor ordered. Maybe you are going on your honeymoon and just want somewhere nicer to stay. Or maybe you’re celebrating a special anniversary. Or maybe you just want to do something nice for yourself after the crazy year 2020 was for everyone. Anyway, today we are going to look at some more luxurious places to stay.

• Today we are going to start with Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa which is in Mt. Ada, Arkansas. Here you are going to be able to choose between cottages and condos. You can rent boats at their marina, and you will have access to three pools. This is a great place to go hiking or biking.
• The Grand Hyatt Vail in Vail, Colorado sounds like a beautiful place. In winter, this is a fantastic place to go skiing because it is so near a mountain. In other seasons, you and your family can enjoy hiking or biking. They do have a pool or hot tubs for you to relax around.
• Have you always wanted to go to San Diego, California? Their Fairmount Grand Del Mar is what they call a castle/golf resort. They have a luxurious spa, four pools, and some nice restaurants and horseback riding. And of course, they also have golf.

Luxurious places to stay

• 

  Photo by Akio on Pexels.com

• 

  Photo by Antonio Janeski on Pexels.com

• 

  Photo by David Vives on Pexels.com

Sometimes you don’t care where you stay. You just want a bed to sleep in and a place to shower and change. But sometimes it is nice to sit in the lap of luxury, at least for a little while. Today let’s look some of our country’s luxurious resorts and hotels.

• We are going to start in Alabama, and in their town of Gulf Shores they have a resort called Kiva Dunes. This is one of the most beautiful beaches in Alabama. It sounds like here you will be staying in small houses. They have a restaurant on site and four pools.
• Hotel Aleska is in Girdwood, Alaska. Here you will be about forty miles from Anchorage. The hotel is going to be near skiing, and I’m guessing that there is skiing many months out of the year up there. Have you always wanted to see the Northern Lights for yourself? They will wake you up, even if it is in the middle of the night.
• Do you want to go somewhere and just relax? You might want to try L’Auberge Sedona which is in Sedona, Arizona this is one of the best spa resorts in the area. Their best accommodations are these cozy little cabins. The spa will have all kinds of treatments available for you.

More places

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Let’s get back to discussing some more destinations that you might be interested in going to in the near future. I would love to hear from you if you would like help planning something. My e-mail is familytripsinc1@gmail.com

• We are going to start by looking at the Dominican which is in the Caribbean. You will have to take and pass a COVID test within three days of your visit. You will also have to fill out a health questionnaire. This is a place that not many people visit, or if they do, they come and go on a cruise the same day.
• Have you always wanted to see the great pyramids? I would love to know if the Israelites built those things, and if so, how many? But anyway… Egypt has decided to open its borders to Americans. You are going to have to pass the test. You may also has have to have proof of health insurance.
• Montenegro has also recently added Americans to the list of of people that can get into their country. This is a beautiful place. You will need to pass a test.

Places you can visit

• 

  Photo by Riccardo Bertolo on Pexels.com

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Travel is complicated these days, there is no question of that. Where can you go? Will you have to quarantine before you start exploring your destination? Today we are going to be looking at some places that should be letting most Americans in without a long quarantine. You will want to do your research and find out the specifics as you start making your plans.

• We are going to start by looking at Albania. Do you and your family love going to the beach? Would you rather go stay up in the mountains? Or do you love exploring small towns? Albania has all of this. It is unclear to me whether you have to pass a COVID test before entering this country. You do have to wear masks any time you go out in public.
• Have you heard of Belarus? Most Americans haven’t. You will find a lot of wildlife and beautiful landscapes here. This is also a good place to go look at castle ruins. They may check your temperature, but you will not have to take a test.
• Americans love going to Croatia’s tourist attraction of Dubrovnik, but most of us don’t know another thing about this beautiful country. So this is a great place to go if you don’t want to be around crowds. You will have to pass a COVID test.

Cruise tips

• 

• 

• 

Today I think we are going to take a look at some tips for that first cruise that you may want to take. Let’s get started.

• One thing that you might want to keep in mind is that while cruises can be very inexpensive, you can always pay more and get a higher level of accommodations and care. A lot of ships these days are going to have ships within their huge ships. And to get the nicest accommodations,, you are going to have to pay a pretty penny, but if you are celebrating something special, like a honeymoon or special anniversary, it may be well worth the extra expense. Another thing that you are going to want to keep in mind is that with cruises, the more you pay up front, the less you’ll pay once you’re on board.
• You will want a little bag that you can keep with you at all times. Put your swim suit and a change of clothes. You’ll also want to pack your sunscreen, and ALWAYS make sure that you have your room key. That is usually the way that you are going to pay for everything.

Why go on a cruise

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I know that many people love going on cruises and go on them all the time. Others haven’t gone on cruises, because they are not sure whether they would like them or not. Today we are going to take a look at some of the advantages of going on a cruise..

• I know I’ve talked about this before, and will no doubt talk about it again in the future, but cruises can be a very economical trip if you do things right. You are going to get a room where you can tired and change and all of that. Most cruises are going to give you all of the food and drink that you could want. Yes, most ships will have restaurants where you will have to pay to eat in. But you will certainly not starve if you do not go to these restaurants, far from it. And a lot of the cruise ships these days are going to have so much such you can do. Pools to lie around are only the beginning, and they are likely to have several pools, at least one will be exclusively for adults. And they are going to have at least a couple for families. And on top of all of this, they are going to take you to some great places.
• A lot of cruises are going to give you on board credit. And you can pretty much spend it any way that you would like. Do you want go get some kind of massage? Or maybe you’d like to get things to take home to family and friends.
• Do you want to take your family on a cruise? They will certainly have staterooms that will accommodate you. Are you looking to go with several of your friends? They will be able to accommodate that as well.

Carnival Horizon

• 

• 

• 

I was thinking yesterday that we haven’t talked about cruises in a while. Let’s look at cruises today. We are going to start looking at the Carnival Horizon and some of what it has to offer. This is one of Carnival’s Vista class ships. This ship has plenty of things that you can do, and plenty of places where you can eat. It was christened by Queen Latifa in 2018.

• First of all, there are around two thousand cabins that are available to guests on board this ship. Some of these are going to be suites, others will be ocean view staterooms, and others will be inside staterooms. If you are someone that wants a lot of space in your suite, you might want to check out the Havana Cabana Suites. These are going to comfortably sleep up to four people. Stay in these suites will give you access to a nice pool area. And their Family Suites are great for either a family or a group of friends. You can get connected rooms with this type of suite. Get into one of these suites, and you’ll have access to a nice lounge.
• What’s included when you go on one of these cruises, you may ask? First of all, you will be welcome to eat in one of the main dining rooms. There are also several other restaurants that you will be able to eat at no additional charge. You will also be able to get into their main theater and into their comedy show at no extra cost.

Places to go

I was without internet most of the day. I am going to try to get through my work stuff tonight. We will see how that goes… Where would you like to go when all of this is over? I would love to know. My e-mail address is familytripsinc1@gmail.com

• Everything I read says that Alaska is and has been a very popular place to go. Many people love to take cruises in Alaska. This part of the country is absolutely beautiful. And you will see a lot of incredible wildlife up here. They also have a lot of national parks that you and your family may enjoy..
• The article I’m reading suggests Astoria, Oregon as a place that many people will want to see. This is the place where the movie “Goonies” was shot. I’m sorry, I don’t know this movie or anything about it, except that many people love it. This town has some great antique shops.
• Looking for a place to go skiing where you will not buy to fight crowds? You might want to try Big Sky Montana. Enjoy a round of golf. Learn how to fly fish. It is also near Yellowstone.