Preparing for vacation #2

When you get ready to go on vacation, most people tend to get in a hurry and may tend to forget things. Let’s look at some things you may not want to forget.

• Let’s face it. Airlines are run by humans, and we humans can mess up from time to time. Thankfully I do not have personal experience with this, but luggage can get lost. Please pack one complete outfit in your carryon in case something should happen to your luggage. I would pack your toothbrush and other essentials in there as well.
• People make all kinds of things that will help you pack more into a smaller space. Making use of those things on road trips is great. But remember that on airplanes you are limited by size and weight.
• I know that a lot of women feel that it is important to look nice wherever they go. Nothing wrong with that. But consider taking things that will kind of mix and match. This might mean taking a little more time to think through things while packing, but you will be glad once you get there.
• Put your toiletry items into their own bag. You don’t want anything leaking on your clothes. You may want to bring extra bags for your return trip.

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Preparing for a vacation #1

 

1. It is almost July, I can hardly believe it. We’re getting ready for some family fun. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I am looking forward to some time with family and friends. A lot of us will be taking a vacation at some point. So the question some of us are asking is how should we get ready for vacation so we don’t come home to a bunch of stress. Let’s look at some tips that might help.
2. First, make sure you have everything ready for while you are gone. Do you have pets? Will they be taken care of while you are away? Are you going to be having a friend looking in on your house while you are gone? If that is not part of your plan, you might want to stop your mail.
3. Consider giving your house a good cleaning before your leave. It is awful coming home and finding a house you need to give immediate attention to. Better idea. Have someone clean house while you’re away.
4. Let your bank and credit card people know where you are going and how long you will be gone. Some credit card companies become difficult when you’re spending money in places you don’t normally frequent.
5. Do some research on the things you will want to do on your trip before you leave. The internet is going to be a great resource. You might also want to check out the guidebook for your destination.

We are going to get back to this discussion tomorrow. I would love to know your thoughts.

Planning a trip with friends

You have a group of friends you absolutely love hanging out with. And last time you were together, you decided to take a trip for your group. But how do you actually go about planning a trip like this? How can you keep everyone happy?? Let’s looks at some tips that might help.

• First, please talk to me about this trip. I know the right kinds of questions to ask that should make your decisions about the trip pretty easy. I can help you figure out all the details. And I don’t charge you anything. I will be paid when I book the different elements of the trip.
• The questions I am going to start off asking is what kinds of like doing together? Are you big into gaming? Maybe the focus of most of your gatherings is trying different cuisines. Maybe there is a show you like to watch together. Knowing what brings you together will help me figure out where you might like to go.
• Is there a price limit on how much each person in your group would like to spend? Most people live within some kind of budget. If some people in your group are pretty well off and some are struggling, you will want to discuss some kind of compromise.

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Some about Rome

Rome is a pretty popular destination. Italy is known for having exquisite food and wine. Some of the greatest artists of the Renaissance were Italy, and so there is a lot of art museums you may want to explore. And of course, Rome itself is home to the Catholic Church and. Today let’s start by looking at a few basics.

• First, when do you want to travel to Rome? It is usually best to go either sometime in April or May, or sometime in September or October. The summer months can get extremely hot here. And even if you do want to brave the heatwave, you will want to avoid August because that’s when the people there take their vacations. Airfare is usually at its lowest in September and October, which is another thing you’d want to keep in mind.
• How long should you plan to stay in Rome? That mostly depends on what you want to see while there. If you want to see all the major sites, you’ll want to stay between four days and a week. Doing it in less than that is going leave you feeling pretty rushed. And part of the point of vacationing is to relax.
• Speaking of relaxing, you are going to find plenty of places to sleep. The closer you get to the heart of the city, the the more expensive the hotels usually are. If you are short on time, this might be worth the convenience. Europe has a lot of hostels too.
• And finally, where should you eat? You are not going to go hungry here. There are literally restaurants everywhere you look. And one thing you should be aware of when ordering pizza is that if you are ordering pepperoni, they will think that you want. What we call pepperoni they call salami. x

Planning a cruise #5

The first part of July is going to be busy for our family, and I’m not exactly sure when I am going to be online and when I might not be. I am going to step away from work to enjoy time with my family. Anyway, I am going to have to play a lot of this by ear and just see what happens.

Okay, now that we’ve covered most the major cruiselines, let’s look at some other things you should be aware of when planning a cruise.

• Cruise ships are going to take you to all kinds of different places. The Bahamas and the Caribbean are very popular destinations when it comes to cruising, and so is Europe. The ships are going to stop in what they call ports. It is usually a good thing to have some idea of what you want to do at each port. The cruiselines will be able to help you. I would be more than happy to help you figure this out, especially if you book through me.
• Another thing you will want to think about is that different cruises have some things they do charge for. The general rule of thumb is, the less you pay up front the more they will nickel and dime you once you are on board. On cheap cruises, you’ll want to be careful even with things like drinking sodas with your meals. On the less expensive cruises, you will pay for your excursions. A lot of cruises will have spas. The bottom line is that you will want to know what is included your cruise before you leave.
• In the old days, most cruises would want everyone to dress formally, especially for dinner and the evening’s entertainment. But most cruises these days will allow you to wear whatever you want. Some of the higher class cruises are going to have a formal evening. You will just want to know what is expected of you.

Planning a cruise #4

Today we are going to take a look at another type of cruise, it is called a river cruise. This is a fairly new type of travel, but it is really growing in popularity. This is especially true among those that are older. Most river cruisers are people who have already retired, and are looking to enjoy the finer things in life. They want a larger suite where they can feel free to relax any time they to choose. They want the nicer, gourmet meals and enjoy having a beer or glass of wine with lunch or dinner. They enjoy the better service and more intimate feel of a smaller cruise. And most will love that paying one price will give them everything that they need to enjoy their vacation. Today let’s look at some of the river cruise companies.

• First there is Viking. With them, you will be able to enjoy exploring most of Europe and parts of Southeast Asia. When you cruise with Viking, everything is going to be included in the initial price. Expect deluxe accommodations, fine dining, and to be immersed in the cultures of the countries you are visiting. Your shore excursions will be covered as well.
• Uniworld is another company that is going to give you a very all inclusive experience. All your meals, and anything you want to drink with them, is covered. Shore excursions will be covered with them as well. With Uniworld you will be exploring Europe, parts of Asia and Egypt. What sets them apart is that they welcome children and teens on board they will have special programs, and even special pricing. >
• Avalon gives you luxurious accommodations, epic views and a lot of flexibility for an all inclusive price. Besides Europe and Asia, they also take cruises to explore our own beautiful country. You are going to get many more choices when it comes to your excursions. They also have more restaurants.
• American Cruise Line explores America. See Alaska up close and personal. Enjoy the wonders of New England or explore the Mississippi. And these are just a few of the places you can go. Again you are going to enjoy great accommodations and excellent dining.
• Amawaterways will also go to Europe and different parts of Asia. Their claim to fame is their level of service. Some of the finest don’t offer this level of service. They also have some very fine cuisine for you to enjoy.

Planning a cruise #3

 

Yesterday we were looking at some of the family friendly cruise lines. But what if you and your group decides that you do not want to take children, and want to enjoy a few days in the lap of luxury. True, these cruises will be somewhat more expensive than the ones that we were discussing yesterday. But these cruises also tend to be more all inclusive.. Your sky is going to be covered. Your shore excursions will be taken care of. You will have no need to worry about how much your meals are going to cost, and that even includes an adult beverage with your meals. You will receive complementary wifi when you book one of the higher level suites. You are also going to find that these ships are going to have many fewer people on board their ships, which means that you will receive a higher level of service.

• Let’s start by looking at Oceania Cruises. These cruises will not take more than fifteen hundred guests at a time.These cruises are for those who love the finer things in life, especially when it comes to food and drink. You will not find the frenzied pace that you would find on the cruisres we discussed yesterday, instead you will find a very tranquil environment. These cruise tend to attract older couples.
• Also in this category of cruises would be Regent Seven Seas. Again you are going to find many fewer guests which means a higher level of service. You will also find superior cuisine. Regent does have a limited children’s program, which sets them apart from these type of cruises.
• Seabourn’s ships will have no more than four hundred and fifty guests. Like most these cruises, people who have been on the other type of ships will be amazed by how much room they have in their suites. And again, you will be treated to fine cuisine.

. Planning a cruise #2

Let’s get back to our discussion on how to plan your first cruise. One of the most important decisions that you will need to make is which cruiseline that you want to go on. There are a lot of choices that are available. Today we are going to look at your family friendly cruiselines.

• We are going to start with Royal Caribbean. This is a fantastic cruiseline for families because their ships are packed with activities your whole family will love. Have your children been begging to go ice skating? Your family will also have the chance to try out the surf simulator. They have Broadway like productions you can enjoy in the evening. Royal Caribbean is always winning Readers’ Choice Awards. And they are going to go most everywhere a family might be interested in exploring together.
• Ever heard of Carnival Cruise Line? Most everyone has. Carnival has taken more cruisers across the seas than any cruise company. They’re trying to appeal to a wide variety of cruisers. Families, couples, groups, and honeymooners are a few of the segments they are trying to reach. Their ships are huge, and on these ships you are going to be one of several thousands of passengers. You are going to find plenty of cool restaurants you and your family can enjoy together. You will find a lot of activities you can enjoy on these ships as well.
• Disney does cruises too, and from what I hear they never have to use sales to make sure that their ships are full. I do need to say that Disney is more expensive than the above two, but you are not going to find a more family friendly cruise. Characters will greet you as you come on board. There is usually a dance party the first night you are on the ship. And of course, this is just the beginning. You will find food that will please every type of palate. And no one will be lacking when it comes to adventures.
• Norwegian Cruise Line is known for being innovative. Their claim to fame is “Freestyle Cruising”. With them, you do just as you please. You choose when you want to eat and with whom. You decide which shore excursions you want to be part of, if you want to be part of any. Your children can be part of their Splash Academy or not. It is all up to you what you want your vacation to look like.

Planning a cruise

 

Your friends talked you into it, and so now you are going on a cruise with them. Since you’re the newbie to this group, they thought they’d be nice and let you plan the trip yourself. Sure, they were being nice, or was everyone just too busy to give time to that? The problem is that you don’t really know how to do this or what to expect. Today let’s look at some tips that might help.

• First, please contact me at familytripsinc1@gmail.com. I know how to help walk you through all the decisions that you will need to make. And here’s the fun part, the cruiseline is going to pay me when I book your group. You are not going to owe me anything.
• The first question we’ll need to answer is who all is going on this trip. Do you want this to be a trip where you and your group take your families, or are you thinking more of a couples’ trip?
• And make sure your group is on the same page financially. You don’t want some people thinking you are going on the cheapest cruise possible, and others dreaming of a luxurious cruise. You will want to discuss this from the very beginning.
• Consider making a Facebook group for this trip so that everyone will be able to know what is being discussed. This will also give me a great way to communicate with everyone.

Now we’re just getting started on this topic, so this is what we are going to talk about tomorrow, and probably Saturday too. I would love to know your thoughts about any of this.

Places to play

 

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”– that should be my manra. And before you think this is what I say and not what I do, I am going to be taking some time off in July. I’m not sure exactly how much, I’m sure it will be at least a week while I’m hanging out with my family. I’ll need to see how everything else goes… But anyway, summer is made for slowing down, relaxing with family and friends, and of course, it’s also a time for vacations. If you are looking for your next vacation spot, I have some suggestion for you.

• Punta Cana is a place most people go just to relax and have fun. This is definitely a fun in the sun destination, and is a great place to go whether you want to take your whole family or are looking for a romantic getaway. They have many resorts you can choose from.
• Do you want to explore Incan history? Consider going to Cusco, Peru. History buffs are going to love this place. The city will have history museums you can enjoy. It also has some fascinating architecture.
• Are you just looking for an absolutely beautiful beach to visit? You might want to try Djerba, Tunisia which is located in the Mediterranean. I haven’t been to Tunisia, but I do know that the Mediterranean is gorgeous. And I suspect you will also find some fantastic food in this area.
• The Riveria Maya is a beautiful place for vacation whether you’re looking for a group vacation, a family trip, or a vacation for just you and the one you love. They have a lot to offer families looking for adventure. You are going to be able to find a resort that will suit your needs perfectly. And you will also going to find some great night life here.