New Port Every Cruise

When we walked in our travel agent’s office so many years ago now to book our first cruise, we told her we wanted to go somewhere warm, and we told her our budget.  She picked our first cruise itinerary without any input from us.  Our first cruise was the Carnival Sensation, sailing 7 nights from Tampa to the western Caribbean ports of Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Nassau.  Here’s one of formal portraits from that first cruise to just give those of you who know us an idea of how long ago that was and how much we’ve changed.  more…

All about Pre-Existing

Volcano causing flight delays and cancellations?  My girlfriend just started chemo?  By the time, you’re asking these questions, these are all pre-existing “known” situations.  All travel protection plans cover pre-existing situations, but lots of specific dates and details attached to that coverage affect whether each situation is actually covered. 

The travel protection I offer waives pre-existing situations for anyone purchasing the policy prior to final payment.  Other policies may require purchase within 14-, 21-, or another number days from the date you made your initial deposit on the trip.  You must cover all the days you will be traveling, and you must include all your non-refundable costs in the trip for pre-existing situations to be covered.  That’s the basic rules, and there may be even more, so read your policy. 

Most folks decide early on to buy the travel protection at final payment, because that’s when cancellation penalties begin, and there’s a real risk of losing some money.  The  problem is, by that point, one of those “known” situations I described earlier may have popped up.  Here’s how this works: 

• Anyone who purchased travel protection for a trip to Europe before the volcano erupted will be covered for any expense incurred due to flight delays or cancellations due to the volcano.  If you planned to purchase travel protection at final payment after the volcano has erupted, the travel protection will exclude that “known” situation. 
• My girlfriend booked a cruise with us in 2009, traveling in 2010.  She paid her deposit, and, a couple of months later, she paid her cruise in full, including her travel protection.  A month or so later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and started chemotherapy.  She’s still planning to cruise, and her doctors are encouraging her to do so.  I love my friend, and I’m especially happy that she had purchased her travel protection before the diagnosis and treatment, because now she can continue with her treatments, knowing her situation is covered by the travel protection if she has to cancel. 

Most travel protection provides coverage for serious medical conditions for yourself, those traveling with you, and your immediate family, whether they’re traveling with you or not.  But, all these people must be medically stable at the time you purchase the travel protection in order for their situation to be covered by the policy.  Medically stable means the person hasn’t already taken a turn for the worse, and it can’t be foreseen, known, or expected that the person could take a turn for the worse. 

• Do not purchase travel protection while you’re currently being treated, but can’t travel right now, even if your doctor says you can travel by the travel date.  Travel protection will not cover this situation.
• Do not purchase travel protection once someone close to you is seriously ill, because it won’t cover that situation. 

We never know when one of these situations will affect our travel, so the safest time to purchase travel protection is when you first book your trip.  As you purchase other non-refundable components, like airfare and hotels for your trip, amend your travel protection to include those components.  Doing so, your travel protection policy will cover you for any sad surprises that pop up in the future.

Alaska or Bust, 2011! 

Every year when we plan our cruises, I mention that I’d really like to cruise Alaska.  Roger, my darling hubby, would put his hands out to either side, like he’s weighing the scales, and say, “I can put on extra clothes and go enjoy Alaska, or I can wear my shorts and flip flops in the Caribbean.”  The Caribbean always wins … until now.  We’re booked for Alaska in 2011.  We’ll fly to Anchorage to enjoy Princess CB3 3-night land tour, then board the Diamond Princess for a 7-night cruise southbound to Vancouver.  more…

Tips for First Time Cruisers

After answering the same questions over and over again, a few years ago I finally wrote a 20-page brochure, “Tips for First Time Cruisers”, which I provide to first time cruisers who book their cruise with me.  I included all the things you need  or want to know before your first cruise.  It includes information about flights, dining, packing, dress suggestions, and more.  I encourage my first time guests to read through that brochure, jotting down new questions that they think of as they read it, but most of their questions are answered by the time they finish reading it.  A couple of questions I’ve been asked that I would never have thought of include these: more…

What’s the best way to start your vacation with a tan? 

As a travel agent, I’m asked this question frequently, and there’s lots of different answers that might be right or wrong for you based on your sensitivity to the sun and your concern about the effect of suntan and sunburns on your skin.  One of my really neat friends from here in Arkansas asked yesterday on Facebook, “Spray tan or brush tans?  Where to get one locally?” 

Here’s the answers so far based on services offered in central Arkansas: 

• Beth says:  Tans You by Kroger on Shackleford, but if you do not put a thorough lotion coverage in areas such as your hands and feet, it can appear orange.  Indulgences by Body Bronze on Cantrell is another.  Suggests that the best color and even color occurs when someone sprays the tan on while you stand in front of them with skimpy panties or nude.  Beth says these tans never last as long as they promis though. 
• Heather gives another recommendation for Indulgences by Body Bronze on Cantrell, but warns to plan ahead, because you had to forego moisturizing body wash and lotions a few days ahead of time for this tan to apply properly.  Also, allow a few days post tan before jumping into salt water or a pool. 
• Samantha suggests Airbrush Tanning of Arkansas in Sherwood. 
• And, Dee says Ava Bella offers Airbrush tanning now, using Fake Bake which doesn’t streak and spplies to your own pigmentation, looking like a real tan.   Just $40 for the full body, but 10% off if you mention reading it here. 

Roger still jumps in the tanning beds at the gym before our cruises and supplements that with some tanning lotion. 

Do you pre-tan?  If so, what works best for you?  What product or service did you use?  Might as well give them some good free publicity here.