G Adventures

It is Friday, and part of me just wants to get over with, but there is so much to do, and I don’t feel like I did everything I need to yesterday.

Today let’s look at G Adventures which is a tour group that focuses on adventure tours. It was also a winner in the Travvy Awards. It was founded by someone who was , of course, looking for adventure travel himself. He also knew that others would be looking for the same kind of travel, and figured he could make a profitable business from this. And he was right. Today more than one hundred thousand people travel with G Adventures each year, taking tours in one hundred countries around the world.

G Adventures puts an emphasis on culture and nature and active travel. These tours are great for those that truly want to experience life as it is lived in the countries they are visiting. There are nine kinds of trips you can go on with this company.

If something like this interests you. I can help you determine exactly what you want to do and make the arrangements which I would be more than happy to do.

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Viking comes to the States

I started a post earlier this morning. But sadly I can’t find it anywhere. So I am going to do this again. Thankfully it shouldn’t take that long.

Apparently, Viking, who is known for its European river cruises, has decided to bring its services to the states in 2017. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn wouldn’t recognize these ships, because Viking is a luxur cruise line, giving you great accommodations and excellent food. You will also be touring some fine museums and other nice places along.

The first two ships are slated to be ready in late 2017, with four more to be ready over the next two years. The people who go on these river cruises will be touring the Mississippi River, enjoying stops at places like Baton Rouge and New Orleans, as well as St Louis. These ships will have a much more intimate feel than ocean cruises because these river boats only take about three hundred hundred guests as opposed to thousands on ocean cruises.

It is going to be a while before you can take one of these trips, but let me know if this peeks your interest.

Take a road trip by yourself?

I have pretty set things I do each day, this, working through e-mail, promoting this blog and through travel agent school stuff. But today received a request to do a booking. I’m working on this while I wait back from her. A new booking is always exciting because that is how I make money. But anyway, let’s get on to this.

If you are like many moms, one of the things you dream is having time to yourself. Some days you don’t feel like you are by yourself even when you go to the bathroom. But maybe you’ve been given the world’s best gifts, and your mother has offered to keep the children while you have some me time. Here are some advantages to going completely by yourself.

• First, you are going to be able to set your own schedule. No being dragged out of bed if you want to sleep in. You are going to be to be able to go where you want when you want. You can decide what interests you.
• Road tripping by yourself makes you more able and willing to make some new friends. When you’re vacationing with family or friends, you tend to keep to your little group. Meeting people just adds to your adventure.
• You have no one complaining about the kind of music you listen to, or how loudly you listen.. You can also keep the car as clean or dirty as you want it.

Can you think of other advantages? Please let me know.

Expepia, etc

I’m so glad to be getting to work earlier than I did yesterday. I really enjoy my job and like having time to do everything.

The big news in the travel industry is that we’re now down to two major online companies that sell travel. That is starting to make a lot of hotels Nervous.. But this is not a monopoly, because we travel agents are also selling travel online. Overall, Expedia is going to have roughly one third of the hotel booking, which is a lot to be sure.

Expedia is about to reenter the business of selling air. Air is what the company first started selling. But when airlines started backing off on how much commission they would pay, Expedia got into the hotel business so that they could make more money… Hotel commissions are where most travel agents make most of their money. In case you’re thinking, “Hey, but I know a lot of different websites that sell travel.” Expedia owns Travelocity and Hotels.com, and other sites like that. They have just taken over Orbitz, who also owned a lot of different websites. The big competitor for Expedia is Priceline who also owns several websites.

All these sites are my competitors. And I can give you a lot more personal service. Let me know if I can help you.

Once again, the winner is Disney

Sometimes I find it difficult to get back to work on Mondays. I’m an avid journaler, and after a busy weekend it takes me a while to get that caught up and everything. I do have several things I want to do today, so I need to get started.

Apparently, it is time not only for the Academy Awards, but also for the Cruise Critic Awards. And once again, Disney was the big winner of the event. I have to say, that I’m not surprised at this though , Disney seems to strive for excellence in everything that they do. The awards are given out based on consumer reviews left on their website. Disney was named the best cruise line overall. They also won the best large ship as well as the best mid-size ship.

Disney won a total of twelve awards, which includes “best entertainment”, “best cabins”, “best service”, and of course “best for families”.   Other cruiselines that got awards. Oceania Cruises got another “best cabin” aware, I think Disney and Oceania are in different categories, and Carnival got the “best value” award.

So do you want to go on a cruise? I’d be more than happy to help you out.

Reasons to visit North Carolina

I’m amazed to say that I’m not particularly tired today. I’m not sure why that is, thought about watching something last night, but I ended up working more.

But anyway… First, some biographical information. I was born in Virginia, but most of my growing up years were spent in North Carolina, and we still go back there to visit. Actually, we have a lakehouse in one the places we used to live. So I kind of know a lot about this state, but don’t know as much about  about the “touristy” side of things, because when we go we are mostly visiting our friends.

The first place this article mention is the Outer Banks. My family has met my cousins and grandparents there a couple of times. I’m sure we visited Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers took their first flights. We’d rent a nice big place on the beach. And mostly we’d enjoy the beach together, swimming, building sand castles. We’d also hang out at the house relaxing, eating, watching movies and playing games together.

I think I am going to stop here.. If the beach vacation I’m describing sounds appealing to you, please let me know. I would love to help you with something like this. And the sooner we begin working on this the better. Beach places fill up quickly for the summer months.

Destination weddings #3

Thursday seem to be the day I’m thinking to myself, “Okay, get this and this and this done, and maybe I can watch something this evening.” I’m tired, but there is so much I want to do these days. We’ll see if I feel like I can take it easy tonight.

But anyway, let’s get back to discussing destination weddings. If you’ve dreamed of going to Thailand, you might want to consider going on your honeymoon. On Phuket, there is a place called Indigo Pearl. They are offering a nice dinner for two at the Black Ginger. It looks like you will also get a dinner cruise… Their package is for a luxury suite. You will get breakfast each morning, a sparkling bottle of wine, and an hour long spa treatment for both of you. This is an all suite or villa place, and this package will cost you around one thousand dollars.

In Bali, there are two resorts that share one piece of property, and they also share a lot of the same activities. If you decide to get their romance package, you will be welcomed with a flower bath. You will get breakfast throughout your stay, but one morning it will be breakfast in bed.

I would love to know if you are interested in either of these. I can get you more information if you need that. Please just let me know.

Destination weddings #2

I had to go to the doctor today. I’m fine,  just need to get a new wheelchair. And unfortunately, that takes some running around… I have so much I want to get done today. I have joined a new blog community, and want to play around on that , once everything else is done.

Now let’s get back to discussing destination weddings.. Bora Bora has an underwater chapel where couples can marry. You will need to wear helmets, and only the couple and their two closest friends can attend this kind of ceremony. But you will not need to do any scuba training. I’m not sure exactly how you are hearing the vows you are saying to one another. Everyone will be wearing white wetsuits. And someone will videotape this ceremony.

As I was saying yesterday, Greece was the original destination wedding place. Some Greek couples wanted to do their ceremony is the motherland, and so that’s how everything got started. But before long other couples started liking the idea of going to Greece for their weddings. Greece has a boutique cave hotel that is perfect for lovers and especially people on their honeymoons. Their three day honeymoon package include breakfast each morning, a candlelit dinner which will have three courses of wonderful Greek food, a bottle of chchampagne, and some chocolates.

I think we are going to return to this ttopic. Please let me know if you are interested, or know someone who is.

Wedding destinations

My business is being created to help families reconnect through travel. You may get sick of reading those words, because I plan on saying them a lot, hopefully not just on here, but I am trying to get on a lot of other blogs as a guest. I’m working on that… But anyway, families start with a man and woman getting married. And honestly, what I’m hearing is if I, as a travel agent, do a couple’s wedding/honeymoon they will likely become my clients for life.

Anyway, today let’s discuss destination wedding . Twenty years ago, it was virtually unheard of for a couple to go to a foreign country to get married. Though Greece was encouraging some couples to marry there as an experiment. Destination weddings are often complicated affairs, so most tour operators have at least one dedicated wedding planner. They are going to work with you, and me as your travel agent, to ensure that everything is exactly the way you want it.

You now have many choices of where you can get married. The Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, South Pacific are just some of options. You can also get married on a cruise. Captains of ships can still officiate weddings

Luxury train rides

Sundays are the days I do not work. And so on Mondays it takes me sometime to get back to the way I like things to be. Anyway… I know today is a holiday, but I am going to work some anyway since nothing else is going on.

I vaguely remember going on a train ride when I was a little girl. We had relatives in Ohio and Indiana, and my guess is we were going to see either or both of those.. I also have an uncle who is a train fanatic. So today let’s look at some luxury trains. The first train we are going to look at is in India and runs from Delhi to Mumbai. They have recently gotten new bedspreads and carpet. They have rooms and suites that sound pretty much like a hotel. They have very nice food too. And you can choose between Indian food and more normal fare.

The Shrang Li Express is in China. The compartments have air cconditioning and twin beds that are arranged like bunk beds. You are going to eat the local cuisine as you travel on this train. This is a great way to see the CChinese countryside.

I am going to stop here. Let me know if either of these interest you.