Posted by David Porter on September 11, 2015 · 2 Comments
Flash Sale: Windstar Cruises, up to 81% Off
A Windstar Cruises sailing is totally on our bucket list. How ’bout you?
It seems that when the herd thinks about an ocean cruise, they tend to only give consideration to the large floating cities that abound on the oceans these days.
And while many of these larger cruise ships are certainly luxurious and worthy of consideration, it is our opinion that a sailing on one of these Windstar Cruises sailing yachts would simply be the cat’s meow, and bring a certain romance that just isn’t available on the larger ships.
Note: Flash Sale Ends September 17, 2015
Why is Windstar Cruises offering these flash sale prices? It’s quite simple. They’re filling up the few remaining unsold staterooms in their 2015 inventory. And if you’re one who has the time and inclination to take advantage of a last-minute offering, then one of these fabulous sailings just might be waiting for you!
They have a sprinkling of staterooms spread among quite a few itineraries. Too many, in fact, for us to go into a lot of detail. But if this peaks your interest, take a peek at the sailings below and give us a call. We have back-channels with Windstar and we can get you all of the details you need.
Take a peek at the available Windstar Cruises Flash-Sale Last-Minute Offerings:
Terms and conditions:
Rates valid 9/10-9/17/15.
New bookings only, no retros will be granted.
Offer applies on select sailings only.
Standard Payment Terms and Cancellation Terms Apply.
Offer is not combinable with any other promotion, including: Cruise Fare, Sail & Stay, GROUP, Nationwide Offers or any other promotional offer,amenity or discount.
Not combinable with any other shipboard credit promotions except Yacht Club Referral.
Offer is not combinable with any discounts including but not limited to, Alumni discount, Back to Back discount, Sail and Stay Hotels, Travel Agent,Interline or ERP promotions.
Offer is capacity controlled and may be withdrawn or modified at the discretion of Windstar.
Bookings are non-transferable.
No name changes will be allowed.
For a no-obligation conversation about these very special travel packages, call us at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient information request form by clicking here, and we’ll call you. Hurry, the flash sale ends 9/17/2015. We’ll make your booking, offer advice about stateroom locations, and more. We do the work, you have the fun!
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Posted by David Porter on September 11, 2015 · 1 Comment
A common question we get from our travel agency clients has to do with international travel safety. And in particular, what to do when the U.S. State Department issues a travel alert, or travel warning.
Avoid Information Extremes
First of all, we tend to see responses to the extreme left and right when these alerts come along:
- Extreme Left: Oh My Gosh! I’m not going to _____ now that this alert/warning has been issued.
- Extreme Right: I don’t care, I’m going anyway.
I think both of these approaches are extreme, and we would like to offer a more cogent approach to the problem.
What to do about U.S. State Department Travel Warnings, Alerts
- Raise your travel warning/alert antenna – sadly, violence is a part of our contemporary landscape. And, this violence is not strictly limited to overseas nations. As I write this, some nut-ball is shooting at cars driving down the highway here in Arizona. And we can’t seem to get a week to go by without reading about someone shooting someone for something. So, should we just all stay home? Well, for Carol and I, we’re not going to let these nefarious yahoos keep us from traveling. But, on the other hand, we’re going to be smart about our travel plans. If there’s riots in Ferguson, we’re certainly not going to go visit. So, my point is, just be aware and vigilant about this issue as you begin your travel planning.
- Media & travel alerts – remember that the media’s ultimate job is to “sell newspapers”, right? The definition of “sell newspapers” has changed in our digital age, but the concept is still alive and well. The media will tend to over dramatize to get your attention. So, listen to the information, but then head over to the U.S. State Department website to get the real scoop.
- U. S. State Department Travel Website: first of all, here’s the link. Now let’s understand the difference between a travel alert, and a travel warning from the lips of the State Department:
- Travel Alerts: “we issue a Travel Alert for short-term events we think you should know about when planning travel to a country. Examples of reasons for issuing a Travel Alert might include an election season that is bound to have many strikes, demonstrations, or disturbances; a health alert like an outbreak of H1N1; or evidence of an elevated risk of terrorist attacks. When these short-term events are over, we cancel the Travel Alert.”
- Travel Warnings: “we issue a Travel Warning when we want you to consider very carefully whether you should go to a country at all. Examples of reasons for issuing a Travel Warning might include unstable government, civil war, ongoing intense crime or violence, or frequent terrorist attacks. We want you to know the risks of traveling to these places and to strongly consider not going to them at all. Travel Warnings remain in place until the situation changes; some have been in effect for years.”
- On the ground reconnaissance: once we understand the situation from our government’s perspective, one of the advantages we offer our clients is the ability to communicate with our travel partners on the ground in affected areas of the world. This proved especially helpful this summer as the media was focused on protests in Athens, Greece over the financial instability that this country experienced in the summer of 2015. Over concerns voiced from clients headed to Greece, we called our contacts on the ground and they shared that they had over 100 travelers on the ground in Greece and that they had not experienced even one complaint, or concern. Our clients went on their trip, and had the experience of a lifetime. If they had let the media sway their concerns, they probably would not have taken their trip and lost their travel investment. Moral to the story? Sometimes, things are not a bad as the media would have us believe.
Bottom Line? Pay attention, do your homework, and gather as much information as possible. Then, after an informed exploration of the facts, make your decision about whether to travel to an area with a travel alert, or warning.
Hope this helps. We know that these can sometimes be daunting decisions when our travelers have thousands of travel dollars on the line.
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Posted by David Porter on September 9, 2015 · Leave a Comment
European Luxury Holiday Packages
Starting at $2519*
Have you ever dreamed of spending the holidays in one of Europe’s most magical cities?
Imagine Christmas in Paris, London, Rome, Frankfurt, Zurich, or Barcelona!
Well, for a very limited time, our connections make available to you these heavily discounted, business-class airfare packages.
Just look, these packages include round-trip business-class airfare, a 3-night stay at a 5-star city-center hotel, and round-trip private luxury chauffeur transfers!
These packages are valid for departures December 19, 2015 through January 2, 2016. Valid for returns December 22, 2015 through January 6, 2016. Weekend surcharges and blackout dates may apply.
*Terms: Special package pricing valid for departures December 19, 2015 through January 2, 2016. Valid for returns December 22, 2015 through January 6, 2016. Prices are based upon availability and are subject to change without notice. Airfare is round-trip including taxes and fuel surcharges. Hotel prices are based on double occupancy including taxes.
All prices are subject to availability and can change without notice.
For a no-obligation conversation about these very special travel packages, call us at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient information request form by clicking here, and we’ll call you. Hurry, these packages won’t last long!
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Posted by David Porter on September 9, 2015 · 1 Comment
September is National Passport Awareness Month and the U.S. Department of State is marking the occasion by issuing a warning to all U.S. citizens that are thinking about renewing their current passports or applying for the first time: Apply Early!
Why the warning? Well, it seems that back in 2007 they issued an unprecedented 18+ million passports. And these passports will be coming due for renewal in the next few years, on top of the present surge in new passport applications as a result of the current interest in overseas travel.
Travel Tip: apply or renew your passport early as significant backlogs are expected in the coming years!
Renewing an adult’s passport may be done conveniently by mail at any time if the applicant meets certain criteria. Children and adults applying for the first time must appear in person at a passport acceptance facility, including designated U.S. post offices, clerks of court, and public libraries. Passport acceptance facilities offer routine service (4-6 weeks) and expedited service (3 weeks). The expedited service costs an additional $60. Applying during the off-peak months of September, October, and November can help ensure passports are processed well within the service commitments. The Department is offering weekend hours at passport agencies throughout the country on select Saturdays during September and October as an added convenience for people to apply or renew early.
For more U.S. Passport Tips, and the procedures for obtaining or renewing your passport, CLICK HERE.
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Posted by David Porter on September 8, 2015 · Leave a Comment
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The Roaming Boomers
