Last week, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines announced the characters from our favorite Dreamworks movies are going to be sailing with guests onboard the Oasis of the Seas, in addition to their other ship, Allure of the Seas. As the characters will start sailing on the Allure in December, the gang will join the Oasis on a very familiar date. February 26^th, 2011!

Yes, they will join the Oasis on our actual group cruise departure! How cool is that! Now families and any guest that wants to can party with Shrek and his friends, the Madagascar crew, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon! Guests can partake in fun activities onboard , such as meeting the characters and taking a picture, watching an aqua show starring the characters, enjoy character meals, and even watch movies in the 3D theatre, or in the comfort of your stateroom!

I’m already excited for the cruise, but this news made me even more pumped for it! I think this is going to be an awesome addition to the cruising experience, especially for families! Add it on to the tons of fun that will already be on the Oasis of the Seas, of course! If you want to be part of our group cruise and meet the gang, we’re only a phone call or email away.

Okay, okay. I know this is really more geared to children, but seriously! As if there’s another Sesame Street character coming to Beaches Resorts!

Beaches is already home to Elmo, Zoe, Grover, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, the Count (my personal favorite) and Bert & Ernie in case you don’t know. I just found out today that another favorite character is joining the group. It’s none other than Big Bird!

Big Bird will be joining the gang on August 22^nd at Beaches Turks & Caicos, and Beaches Negril in Jamaica. Each Sesame Street character allows the children to take part in special character activities, like Story Time with Elmo, Learning to Dance with Zoe, Exploring with Grover, Making Cookies with Cookie Monster, Making Music with Bert & Ernie, Discovering Magical Treasures with Abby Cadabby. You can also have a character breakfast with them, too! How cute! I wonder what Big Bird’s activity will be?

Beaches is also introducing a new crafts program with Martha Stewart. Kids can participate in 5 new classes where they’ll be able to scrapbook, stencil, paint, and glitter. The Post Card, Punch and Stencil Fashion and Glitter classes are recommended for family members six and up with Scrapbooking and Stencil Fashion classes recommended for ages nine and up. Costs for most classes are $10USD per child.

Lots going on at Beaches resorts, as you can see! They are a great option for family vacations, and to make things even better, they are offering 2 free nights and up to 65% off your stay if you travel in September, October or November. If you’re interested for more information and pricing, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Cayman Island via a Caribbean cruise, and couldn’t believe how spectacular this little island gem could be. From that day forward I always wanted to go back and visit, because spending only one day there, I felt was not enough.

There was never a moment I did not feel unsafe, and the people were extremely friendly and spoke excellent English.

Back To Talking About Hell – Grand Cayman!

Seriously, one of the major attractions on the main Grand Cayman island is a small town called Hell, and when you take a  moment to visit this town, and I mean a small moment, you will come across a little post office which dates back to the early 1960’s that was built for the very reason to allow guests to send postcards back home to their loved ones postmarked from Hell.

Of course the theme caught on, because nothing was funnier than sending a postcard that came straight from Hell.

How did this little town get this infamous title? Simple, when you get there you can view a spectacular rock formation that  dates back almost 1.5 million years ago, and was told to be created by weathered ironshore consisting of coral or bivalve fragments. This eerie black rock formation is none the less spectacular to view, and I’m sure depending on who you talk to, would have several different interpretations.

Once you take a quick visit to the town of Hell, and send off your postcards, leaving Hell is just as fun as arriving there, and with so much to do and see in the Cayman’s, your time in Hell should be short and sweet.

The Cayman’s Consist of Three Islands That Each Offer Unique Experiences

There is the Grand Cayman Island, where the town of Hell is located. This main island offers a variety of other attractions, including the extremely popular Stingray City! This has to be one of the most spectacular places to visit, and the fact that you have an opportunity to feed and pet live stingrays in their natural habitat is very cool.

Other attractions on the Grand Cayman Island to visit are Boatswain’s Beach (Cayman Turtle Farm), Rum Point, and if you’re in to Flora and Fauna, the Grand Cayman’s Q. E. II Botanic Park. Back to the Turtle Farm, you have the opportunity to see over 16,000 turtles ranging from only 6 ounces and all the way up to an incredible 600 pounds!

Cayman Brac is the next island of this small chain that offers a very unique experience when you visit, from awe inspiring cliffs, to extraordinary caves and sinkholes for the avid explorer. However, what brings people back to the Cayman Brac is the scuba diving.

The smallest and least inhabited of the island chain is the Little Cayman. There it’s all about the relaxation, scuba diving and fishing. You will find divers from all over the world experiencing the famous Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson point combined offering over 6000 feet of colourful Coral gardens!

If spending private time is your thing, then you will be content on many of the empty beaches available, or make your way to South Hole Sound Lagoon for a private swim. If you enjoy fishing and wildlife exploring, this little Cayman Island is for you.

You Can Access The Cayman Islands By Air Or Sea!

What’s great about the Cayman’s is the accessibility from air or sea. Many airlines fly there from a variety of gateways in Canada and the United States, including a selection of vacation charters that enjoy sending vacationers to the Cayman Islands. Not to mention the numerous cruise ships that offer the Cayman as one of their popular port stops for the day, and that’s a great way to have a small taste of the island and what it has to offer.

If you’re looking for a little piece of paradise with so much to offer in sightseeing, activities, and delicious cuisine, the Cayman Islands are a must visit. For such a small island, it rivals many of the major Caribbean Islands out there today!

Remember when you visit the Cayman’s, don’t forget to make a trip to the town of Hell, because from that day forward, if anyone ever tells you to go to Hell, you can respond, I’ve been there.

I had someone just ask this question less than a week ago, and my first response was, no way! I told them that a cruise ship would never leave a port without you, but as I did a little bit of research on this topic, I came across this great cruise information site, this is when I stumbled on a YouTube video that was showing a couple running for their lives as the cruise ship was sailing away.

Now this is the first time I have ever heard of this happening, so I’m not exactly sure how often passengers are left stranded at the port scratching their head wondering where their ride went.

As a travel professional I take this situation very seriously, because as some of you may find this quite humorous, I can’t imagine the expense it would cost someone to find their way to the next port of call, or the cost of a one-way flight back home. I question the fact that if the cruise lines keep possession of your passport, how are you able to obtain a flight without it if the airlines require you present one at time of boarding.

I encourage you to watch this video of this poor couple that missed the ship, and listen as the couple taking the video talk about the situation. It’s kind of surreal, but a reality in this case:

Here Are A Couple Of Valuable Tips So Hopefully This Doesn’t Happen To You!

Alright, you’re planning to go on your very first cruise, you just watched this video, and you’re thinking that now you don’t want to leave the ship. Don’t worry, because if you follow a couple of my tips, you can experience all that each port has to offer without the fear of your cruise ship setting sail and leaving you behind.

Tour Tip #1:

Even though it’s true that when you purchase excursions and tours from the cruise lines that they’re more expensive, but with that price comes a guarantee. It’s always best to verify with the cruise lines prior to purchasing your tours with them whether they have a policy to wait for you if you happen to be late or something goes wrong during your tour that causes delay. Most cruise ships offer this guarantee, and for the extra money you pay, is peace-of-mind.

Please Note: After reading some comments on the Internet, there was a case where a couple did purchase a cruise ship tour, however, even though the tour company did bring them back to the ship on time, this couple decided to venture off to take some pictures. The fact that this couple returned and were recorded by the tour company as being back, didn’t matter to the cruise company, because the fact they ventured off after the tour. The cruise company claimed they were not responsible for the couple not getting onboard the ship. Just keep this in mind if and when you do book a tour with the cruise ship.

Tour Tip #2:

If you’re not willing to pay the over inflated tour prices from the cruise company, and you’re more inclined to venture out to find a bargain, my best advice is to embark as early as you possibly can, preferably in the morning, and go find a tour or excursion you would like to do that will be completed early in the day. You see even if something were to happen where the tour was delayed, you will still have time to make arrangements to get back before the required boarding time.

Tour Tip #3:

You know the old say “ @#%$&! happens”, or “Murphy’s Law”, well take that to heart whether you’re on a cruise vacation or even a land vacation, because if something is going to go bad, you may not have control over the situation. Being prepared for a worst case scenario is the best medicine you can prescribe yourself.

- Take extra ID, I recommend that you take it with you while on you tour, along with a photocopy of your passport. If for any reason you need ID to get another passport issued or book a flight.

- Take a small bag with extra clothes and some personal amenities, such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant. If you get stranded and have to overnight at your current destination, at least you won’t have to pay for extra amenities.

- Last but not least. Make sure you have cash on you, and possibly your bank card. Chances are the port you’re visiting will have access to a national bank that will allow you to do withdraw cash or cash transfers if needed.

In conclusion to this unfortunate incident is that proper planning and being aware of your time is extremely important, and if you happen to lose track of time and the ship leaves without you, well that’s an expensive lesson learned, right? However, there is a possibility where an unexpected situation occurs and it’s totally out of your control, so it’s always best to be prepared even though you may think it will never happen to you.

I hope you found this information helpful, and it will allow you to enjoy your next cruise vacation without the worry that the couple in the video had to experience.

Well there’s no question millions of people are going to be glued to their television sets next Wednesday evening as the new American Idol will be crowned with the victory. Now after the season finally, many of you may be dreaming of the 2011 season, and who will be the lucky person to be chosen to sing among millions of potential screaming fans.

Sounds exciting I bet, but one problem. You have to line up among thousands of potential contestants for hours to fight for limited spots, right? What if we tell you that there may be a loophole and it all starts at Disneyworld. Say What! What you talking about Willis?

Yup! Disneyworld has been successfully running the American Idol Experience for almost a year now, where you could have the opportunity to be that lucky contestant to move to the front of the line at the next American Idol auditions. Sounds to good to be true, don’t take my word for it, check out these videos below that will explain everything to you.

Just think about it, go to Disneyworld and have a fun vacation and in the process try and become a singing sensation!

For information on how you can take part in the American Idol Experience, we encourage you to visit Disneyworld’s website where most if not all your questions will be answered. Click this link here: Disneyworld’s American Idol Experience! Good luck and say hi to Mickey and Donald for me while you’re down there.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/05/17/bc-flightcancelled.html

It’s true: beware of online travel sites that promise amazing cheap prices! You could be paying double in the long run, and deal with so many headaches in the process.

What Should I Look For?

If you do not see the “IATA” symbol on the travel website, stay away! “IATA” is the International Air Transport Authority, and if you’re booking on a website that is not a member of IATA, they can’t ticket your reservation. You don’t want to be caught in a position where a 3^rd party company could be issuing your ticket – or worse off, not even issuing it at all and you dealing with the consequences when you check in for your supposed flight!

What’s this about Price Changes?

Another thing that could happen is, you want to book a flight, and you go through the whole booking process. You get to the final page, and now you get a message saying your price has changed! Why does this happen? Prices are never guaranteed until your ticket is actually issued. Meaning, the price can change at the very last minute. The online travel sites lure you in with the lower prices, but the clincher is, that price likely is not available!

How Can I Avoid This From Happening?

Simple. If you book online, make sure the company you’re booking through is a member of IATA. Also, ensure that you will be on top of your reservation from beginning to end, and that also means reconfirming your flights 72 hours prior to your departure. Or, better yet, you can always book through a travel agent. Our job is to be here for you and take care of your trip from start to finish, and you don’t have to worry about any hassles at all.

I’m not trying to use this as a plug to use a travel agent, but more as an awareness to just be careful when you think you’re getting an amazing deal online. Use your gut instincts: if you think a price is too good to be true, it probably is.

What Exactly Are Green Hotels?

Green hotels are properties that are following environmentally friendly procedures to help save water, energy and to reduce waste. This is why you’ll see the signs in your hotel room to hang your towels once you’ve used them, to show that you’ll use them again, and also why there’s the water saving shower head in the bathtub, to name a few ideas. When looking for green hotels, they will prominently display their green status in their property description. For example, the Wyndham hotels have a separate website for their green intentions, at www.wyndhamgreen.com.

What Does It Mean To Offset Carbon Emissions?

When we take a flight, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere and this contributes to climate change. Airlines such as Air Canada have a note as you’re booking a flight stating that you can offset your carbon emissions. Basically, one can calculate the cost of their share of the emissions created by their flight and purchase corresponding offsets. For example, a round-trip flight from Vancouver to Toronto will equal 0.7 total emissions (tonnes of CO2 per flight), resulting in an offset cost of $11.20CAD. It’s really not a lot once you look at it that way!

Traveling green is as easy as taking the above steps, and also being considerate to the earth while on vacation, such as taking public transportation, trying to take as direct a flight as possible, eating organic foods while dining out, using reusable water bottles, and of course, keeping our Earth beautiful by not littering!

What are your thoughts on traveling green? Is it something that you try to do, or is it a concern to you? We’d love to hear your comments and thoughts. Leave a message here, or visit our fan page on Facebook under Bill & Maria’s – The Traveling Agent.

In a travel agent’s perspective, this means opportunity for the vacationer that is searching for a more unique holiday experience that goes above and beyond the average all-inclusive package or pre-designed vacation tour!

No denying F.I.T. can be a term that stands for so many things. However,  allow me to explain to you what it means to me as a travel agent!

F + I + T = Fully Independent Tours!

Fully Independent Tours are like a buffet, and our vacation suppliers allow us to pick and choose the travel components that will best meet our vacation client’s needs.

Let’s look at an example of an African Jungle Tour. You want to take a Safari tour in South Africa, however, you don’t want to be a part of a prepackaged tour that departs on a specific date, has a set itinerary, and a group too large for that intimate experience.

Plus add the fact that you want the wild safari experience, but at the end of the day, you want to relax and sleep in a luxurious resort style hotel, not a tent.

What we do after listening to you, is approach one of our Adventure Tour suppliers that provide all the vacation components that you’re wanting, and they help us piece them all together to make your African Safari the way you like.

From the flights and airline of your choice, to the date you want to leave and return, plus the exact tour itinerary that follows with each stop at a luxurious exotic resort hotel where you can unwind with your small intimate group!

How does that sound to you as the perfect vacation? I’m sure you’re dreaming of it right now. Oh, you’re not into safaris and wild animals, okay, no worries, because we can offer you so much more.

F.I.T. Vacations Can Range From All-Inclusive Resorts To Specialty Eco-Tours!

Many of us have been seasoned by the traditional All-Inclusive vacation package, and may think that there are no other options. This is far from the truth, because we have access to so many F.I.T. Suppliers that are willing to put your dream vacation package together, and provide you everything you’re looking for in a unique holiday.

However, there are a couple things you need to know, and the first being that you will have to expect most Independent Tours to be a bit more in cost than standard prepackages. But if you plan your trip in far in advance, the supplier may have access to airline, resort, and tour discounts that can bring this cost down!

Think Bulk Vacation Sales Versus A One Time Specialty Holiday Order…

No question a pre-packaged vacation or tour is going to be less expensive, because it’s sold in volumes to the public. The package price is a set cost, and you will find very little flexibility in these packages.

They have preselected travel components, such as a charter flight, property, and transfers that will pick you up at the airport and return you after your trip. You must fly out on a specific day and select time, and there is no negotiation with the supplier if the resort is only offering one type of room category in the package offered. You may be able to upgrade when you get to your resort property though.

With a F.I.T. Vacation, you will pay more, but you’re paying for quality and flexibility, so if this is important to you, this style of vacation is the way to go! The tour company you go with will take care in selecting the exact individual travel components you want, and then piece them all together for you. So you are pretty much paying for the vacation experience that you want, and always have dreamed of having, and many vacationers are starting to prefer it that way.

Let’s Recap The Benefits Of Traveling On A Fully Independent Tour?

-  You can choose the flight date, time, and airline.

- You can select the duration of stay. Unlike prepackaged vacations that normally have 7 or 14 day durations, your F.I.T. vacation can be as long or as short as you like.

- You can select any type of accommodation that fits your style and comfort needs, and you can even combine different hotels, resorts and other properties to make your stay completely unique.

- Tour components such as the example above where you can be a part of an intimate safari tour that spends more time with the animals and with less people on your tour, versus the traditional safari tours that are on a set itinerary.

There’s no question that if you don’t have a set budget, you can create your dream vacation, and many independent vacation suppliers out there today can make this happen.

But also keep in mind that we have access to many other tour suppliers that cater to travelers who enjoy the off-the-beaten path holiday, and can provide you the best of both worlds, and this is a set package, with a la carte offerings. Which means by adding additional vacation components, you can make your vacation unique, but still take advantage of the great semi-packaged savings.

In the end the choice is yours, and you may have so many more options at your fingertips that you might not have been aware of until now!

What am I talking about? Well recently Cuba announced that anyone entering their country as a tourist and other means I will not talk about here, it’s now mandatory that you carry travel medical insurance coverage prior to entering Cuba!

Over the past couple of months the Cuban Government issued a list of authorized travel insurance providers, and to my current knowledge, if your insurance company is not on their list, it will not be valid.

What Happens If My Travel Insurance Coverage Is Not On Cuba’s List?

If your preferred travel insurer is not on the list, then you do have the options to purchase any of the white listed insurance companies, or you can opt to purchase medical insurance in the airport the moment you arrive in Cuba. However, we hope to have more information and details on the cost and coverage they will be offering, because at this time it seems to be somewhat vague.

Will This Impact Tourism To Cuba From Confused Or Angry Canadians?

There’s no question that as each Canadian listens to this controversial story, no one really understands the true nature behind it! As a travel professional I have been selling my clients travel medical insurance to all destinations outside Canada, including Cuba, and have always expressed the importance of this coverage when visiting countries outside of Canada.

To my knowledge, I was not aware that Cuba’s medical services were being offered to foreign travellers for free, and in my opinion, I don’t know of any country that would be able to do such a service without losing a ton of money in the process.

The question on my mind and I’m sure on many others throughout the travel industry will be; how is this going to impact tourism to Cuba? My guess is for travellers that love to visit Cuba year after year this is not going to affect them. But for vacationers that are planning to get away next winter may re-think going to Cuba and may select another vacation spot, such as the Dominican, Mexico, and Jamaica to name only a few.

I’m thinking anyone that’s undecided and had Cuba on their list, will be looking at the pro’s and con’s. I would be almost certain any traveller that snubbed or made an effort to rebel against medical coverage this would be a major deciding factor for them.

Let’s Get To The Real Issue At Hand About Travel Insurance!

You see, in my opinion it doesn’t matter to me whether a country such as Cuba issues a mandatory statement to carry medical insurance or not. I have been telling my clients for years that travel medical along with sufficient cancellation & interruption coverage is crucial for anyone travelling outside of their country.

It’s not just about the country you’re visiting! I love to give people true scenarios and occurrences that paint the reality of what could happen at any moment during or after a vacation.

One example I talk about with passion is when a traveller decides to visit a Caribbean Island, and we will use Cuba. Let’s say you made the choice to not purchase a preferred Canadian travel medical policy and decided to go with Cuba’s local coverage.

Now you’re having a great time in Cuba, and then all of a sudden you start feeling extremely sharp pains. You contact the insurance company from the policy you just purchased, and you pray that the person on the other end speaks English. Okay they do speak English and the next step they recommend make arrangements to get you to the nearest Cuban hospital.

After all the tests are done, they claim it’s your appendix and it has serious damage. The hospital provides you medication and sends you on your way.

Let’s fast forward. You were extremely happy that you purchased the Cuban medical coverage, and your tests and medication was covered. Your trip is over and you’re about to board the plane to arrive back into Canada.

Here’s Where The Proper Travel Insurance Coverage Makes A Difference!

You’re sitting on the plane thinking about your close call at the Cuban hospital, and feeling very lucky with your choice. Then all of a sudden, you start getting extremely jolting pains that feel that someone knifed you repeatedly.

At this very moment the pain is so excruciating that you yell for the flight attendant to help you, and at that moment the pain is so bad that you are virtually passing out. Good thing the flight attendant is recognizing your signs, and realizes that you may have experienced a burst appendix.

Having to make a quick decision, the pilots flying the charter flight back to Canada announce that due to the serious nature of the situation, they’re going to have to land in the closest available city, guess where?

You guessed it! These pilots now have to land in the closest city which happens to be the United States. Wow, who would have expected this to happen? Probably no one, yet this is an occurrence that has happened before, and can easily happen again.

The fact that you’re now admitted to a United States hospital changes everything. Does the Cuban medical coverage provide protection anywhere outside your country, more than likely not. Do you now have medical insurance to cover your surgery costs and the days you may need to recover in the U.S. hospital, nope!

With no medical insurance coverage, you will now be responsible for paying full medical costs, less what your province of residence may or may not cover. Less than 30% off the top of my head, and of course there will be restrictions to what is covered.

Let’s say you were in the hospital for 4 days, which includes the surgery. Do the math, because to knowledge some hospitals in the United States charge somewhere between $2000 per day and up, and that doesn’t include the surgery costs. I’m thinking that before you walk out the hospital door, your bill is going to humongous!

The moral of the story here is that no matter if a destination country now requires mandatory medical insurance or not, it’s always in your best interest to find the best coverage that not only will protect you at the destination you’re visiting, but also anywhere in the world, just in case something unexpected happens that’s totally out of your control.

As you can see in my example, you made the smart choice to purchase the Cuban medical coverage, but was it the smartest choice? I leave that up to you to decide.

Remember, we offer the best coverage in the travel industry to date, and guess what? It’s on the Cuban approval list!

Oasis of the Seas – In St. Thomas USVI

Oasis of the Seas arrives in St Thomas to the sounds of the Caribbean and the beauty of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Relax on the beach or explore this tropical island destination, which serves as port to the inclusive Oasis of the Seas cruise ship.

Oasis of the Seas – In St. Maarten

It takes a lot of work to prepare for the world’s largest cruise ship, but a chance to visit the tropical beauty and Dutch and French heritages of St. Maarten makes it worth it. Discover what makes this island such a priceless destination.

These are the two ports of call you will be visiting if you decide to join us on our hosted group cruise. Not only will you have an incredible cruising experience onboard the Oasis of the Seas, but these exotic ports of call will amaze you in every way possible. From shopping and cuisine, to culture and the feeling of relaxation as the warm Caribbean breeze and Cool waters will truly sooth your souls.

To find out how you can join us by visiting our contact us page or you can easily Pre-Register here: Hosted Group Cruise Pre-Registration

See you on the inside very soon!