Posted by David Porter on May 25, 2016 · 1 Comment
Click to view larger image.
Back in January, we shared with you that the CDC had issued a travel alert to those who are considering travel to areas that present the opportunity of exposure to the Zika Virus.
Sadly, because of this and other mosquito-born illness, the affected regions are really starting to feel the economic pinch as concerned travelers avoid the area.
Carol and I were recently on a webcast presented by ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) presenting information that they recommended that we pass along to you.
Important Things to Know About the Zika Virus
Countries & Territories with Active Zika Virus Transmission – currently the virus presents in Mexico, most of the Caribbean, Central America, nearly all of South America, a few of the South Pacific Islands, Cape Verde in South Africa, and Papua New Guinea.- While this list seems alarming, when you consider the millions of folks that live and have traveled to these areas, the number of infection cases remains relatively small. Nonetheless, the virus seems to continue spreading and you should be aware if you’re considering travel to any of the affected areas.
- One of the problems with the Zika virus is that the symptoms are generally so mild that travelers are not even aware that they are affected.
- Zika is predominantly spread by mosquito, but scientists are now learning that the virus can also be spread from an infected individual to a baby during pregnancy, through sexual contact, and blood transfusions.
- One of the big concerns in the scientific community is that infected individuals will bring the virus back home, and further spread the virus to mosquito populations throughout the world by a mosquito biting an infected person thereby creating the possibility of outbreaks in other parts of the world.
- The scientific community is working hard to create a simple test that might demonstrate if a traveler is infected by the virus.
- The greatest danger seems to exist with women of childbearing age as this virus possesses the possibility of infecting the fetus with a birth defect called Microcephaly which is a condition where a baby’s head is developed much smaller than expected.
To learn more about this important travel alert, read the CDC Zika Website.
What to do?
- Well, first of all, be informed.
- Secondly, if you’re a woman of childbearing age, the virus is dangerous to your fetus. And while the chances of infection might be very low, I wouldn’t want the young women in my family taking a chance. Rather than taking your honeymoon in the Caribbean, head to Hawaii.
- Third. Don’t panic. A healthy dose of prevention from mosquito bites can go a long ways with proper clothing, mosquito repellents, and avoiding specific areas where mosquitoes breed. Carol and I will be visiting Puerto Rico in the fall and we intend to keep prevention front and center in our minds.
We have many friends and travel partners in the affected areas of this virus and it saddens us to see their regions and travel brands suffering a potential economic downturn from this outbreak. We’ve certainly noticed that our honeymooners are avoiding the area.
So, it is our hope and prayer that the medical community can find a way to eradicate this virus and allow folks to travel to these areas without giving any thought to a pesky mosquito.
If you enjoyed this article, sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep abreast of our best travel tips, on-location reviews, exclusive travel offers, group travel events, and much more.
Posted by David Porter on May 24, 2016 · 1 Comment
Guaranteed Best Rates + Complimentary VIP Perks at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
There’s a lot of noise about the best rates, lowest prices, and shopping for your best deal on the Internet and on our television screens. Right? Frankly, Carol and I find it all downright annoying.
We get it. Folks don’t want to pay anymore than necessary. But, can I share a little-known secret with you?
The absolute best rates (guaranteed) and complimentary VIP perks from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are only available through travel advisors who have been invited into the Four Seasons Preferred Partner Program.
Our by-invitation-only access brings you the very best-of-the-best offers!
When we received our affiliate access, we were very excited because this lets us know that Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts considers us to be one of the premier travel agencies in the world. But more importantly, we knew that we now had access to the very best-of-the-best Four Seasons offers for our clients.
Four Seasons guarantees us, and thereby you, that when you book a stay through us at any Four Seasons Hotel and Resort in the world, that you will receive the very best offers and perks available in the marketplace. Period. End of story.
And you know what is even more peculiar? Our Preferred Partner offers are not even available on the Four Seasons websites. “Why”, you ask? Because we have the ability to bring them repeat guests across all of their properties around the world. Through our affiliations, we have $26 billion/year of clout. When you go book yourself, it’s just you. Make sense?
The old adage holds true: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
Plus, our access brings you more than just a best-price guarantee. We also come bearing complimentary perks like complimentary upgrades, complimentary breakfast for two each day, complimentary resort credits that you can use on the property, valuable early check-in/check-out privileges, and quite often, free night stays.
Therefore, when it comes time to book a stay at a luxurious Four Seasons Hotel and Resort, you can drive yourself crazy shopping on the Internet, or simply give us a call. We’ll take care of all of the details, and bring you the very best available rates and perks.
We’re pretty excited about that, and we hope you are too!
How to Book a Four Seasons Hotel or Resort
- Visit the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts website. Remember, we’re bringing you not only the best available rates but complimentary VIP perks you won’t get on your own!
- Find a hotel or resort that you desire to visit.
- Then give us a shout to take advantage of our guaranteed best offers and perks.
To book a stay at any Four Seasons Hotel and Resort in the world, give our office a call at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
Note: you should also know that we have been invited into similar programs with Belmond Hotels, Dorchester Collection, Leading Hotels of the World, Jumeirah Hotel Group, Mandarin Oriental, The Peninsula, Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood Hotels, Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and more.
If you enjoyed this article, sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep abreast of our best travel tips, on-location reviews, exclusive travel offers, group travel events, and much more.
Posted by David Porter on May 23, 2016 · 1 Comment
12-day last-minute flash sale offering 2-nights Paris, 8-day river cruise, and 2-nights Prague with staterooms starting at $1,999/person, Cat C-F. Offer expires May 31, 2016!
We’ve not seen Viking offer this particular sailing in their previous last-minute flash sale offerings in the past. And we think this looks pretty exciting.
Discover the romance of Paris and Prague and all the quaint small towns in between on this 12-day journey, including two nights each in Paris and Prague and a scenic river cruise along the Moselle, Rhine and Main Rivers. Take in the picturesque landscape of vineyard-clad hillsides as you cruise through Germany and sample fine wines of the region.
A 12-day European vacation starting at $1,999/person is a remarkable offer!
Before we get started, there are a few things you need to know:
- These offers are not advertised to the general public and will not be found on the Viking River Cruises website. We bring our clients and readers access to these offers because of our relationship with Viking. We do a lot of business with Viking, and they only make these offers available to their best travel partners.
- These offers are very limited in supply. Viking is filling up the remaining staterooms on this sailing, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. So, if you’re interested, don’t delay.
- Because these are very special and limited offers, Viking will require full payment at booking, or within 90 days of departure, if earlier.
- This offer does not include air. This is a departure from Viking’s past last-minute offers. For those of you with lots of airline miles, this will give you a lower cost entry point. And, for those of you who do not have airline mileage points, Viking has a separate offer available that includes up to free air.
- All of the prices below are per person prices based on double occupancy.
- Lastly, these last-minute offers are for new bookings only.
If you’re interested, and want to check on availability, call our office at (480) 550-1235. Or, use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
OK. Now that we got that on the table, let us tell you about this wonderful offer from Viking River Cruises…
All this is Included:
- 8-day cruise with river-view stateroom
- 2 nights each at the Le Méridien Étoile and Hilton Prague (or similar)
- 10 guided tours with audio headset
- All onboard meals: 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches & 7 dinners, featuring regional specialties and including Welcome Cocktail Reception & Dinner plus breakfast at the Paris & Prague hotels
- Complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with onboard dinner and lunch service
- Visit 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Culture Curriculum: Enjoy a folkloric performance; attend lectures on the European Union & the Main River; learn how to make your own German bread pudding & Rüdesheimer coffee; get to know a local glassblower and his craft
- All port charges
- Free Wi-Fi, connection speed may vary
Stateroom Pricing
Note: Veranda staterooms are offered starting at $2,499/person based on double occupancy.
Listen folks, these are remarkable offers. To be frank, there’s no way in creation you could have a 4-star+ European, all-inclusive vacation at these prices.
What to do
If you’re interested, and want to check on availability, call our office at (480) 550-1235. Or, use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
We’ll get an idea of what dates work for you and then check with our back channels at Viking to check on availability. Please know that at these prices, these staterooms will get scooped up quickly. Therefore, don’t delay!
Here’s the fine print: Cruise from $1,999 per person (Cats C-F); $2,499 per person (cats A-B) based on available July, August & late October 2016 departures of Cities of Light. Other months higher; call for details. Combinable with Viking Explorer Society Travel Credits and Viking Referral Rewards. Other restrictions may apply; ask for details. Pay in full by May 31, 2016, or within 90 days of departure, if earlier. Offer expires May 31, 2016. Offer applies to new bookings as of May 23, 2016 in US dollars for US residents only.
Lastly, To keep abreast of other exciting last-minute offers, be sure to join our email list by clicking below!
If you enjoyed this article, sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep abreast of our best travel tips, on-location reviews, exclusive travel offers, group travel events, and much more.
Posted by David Porter on May 17, 2016 · Leave a Comment
Flash Sale: 7-Night Alaska Cruise, Celebrity Cruises
As most of our readers are baby boomers and older, we know that last-minute travel opportunities are of great interest to you because you have the opportunity to take advantage of these special offers as they come across our computer screen.
Now that we are in the month of May (beginning of the Alaska cruise season) a great many of the world’s great cruise lines have committed a sizeable portion of their fleets to cruising in and around Alaska’s stunningly beautiful Inside Passage. And for that reason, we are going to keep our attention on these last-minute Alaska cruise offers and pass them along to you when we see them.
For our first such offer, we first want to share with you an exciting offer from our friends at Celebrity Cruises.
If you’re not familiar with Celebrity Cruises, they are perennial winners of the “best of premium class”. If you’re thinking stars, you might consider this ship 4+-stars. We’ve found that a number of our 5-star travelers enjoy sailing with Celebrity Cruises because they can book a suite on this ship for a price that is comparable to a standard stateroom on the luxury cruise lines. Plus, as this particular ship sails with 2,850 passengers, they will be able to enjoy some of the entertainment venues that the smaller ships can’t offer.
Celebrity Cruises Flash Sale Offer
Now, before I get into the particulars of this offer, I need you to understand that these flash offers are very limited in the number of staterooms available AND very limited in the time to respond. So, wait too long and they’re certain to be scooped up.
Celebrity Cruises has 3 ships sailing Alaska during the summer months, and while we have quite a number of last-minute offers available, we’re going to highlight the one that seems to be the best of the current offers. It’s on Celebrity’s newest class of ships, and offers a very special price on what they call their Sky Suite.
The Sky Suite (illustrated above) is 300 square feet, with a veranda at 79 sq ft. Ordinarily, this suite is offered at $3,399/person, or $3,799/person depending on its location on the ship.
However, when you book this suite with us, you’ll enjoy one of these suites at $2,699/person. That’s a savings of up to $900/person.
When I say “up to”, while you’re guaranteed one of these suites at this special price, you won’t know which one and where it’s located on the ship until a week before sailing.
This particular sailing is roundtrip Seattle to Seattle, and you’ll enjoy popular ports like Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Victoria, plus, you’ll cruise the famous Tracy Arm Fjord.
Plus, when you stay in a Sky Suite, you’ll enjoy the luxury of European-style butler service. This includes assistance with unpacking and packing. In-suite lunch and dinner service. Afternoon tea. Evening hors d’oeuvres, complimentary in-suite espresso and cappuccino from Café al Bacio; a dedicated private restaurant, Luminae , reserved exclusively for all Suite Class guests, priority check-in, priority debarkation, priority tenders, and much, much more.
But wait, there’s more. These last minute offers are available on more than just suites. While we think this suite offer is the best offer, there are also other categories available under this special last-minute offer with ocean-view staterooms starting at $1,099/person. Take a peek below…
What to do?
We know that this can all be very confusing. So frankly, if you’re interested, the best thing to do is give us a call. Also, there are other sailings available with this special last-minute offer on different ships and different dates. There’s simply too much to try and explain in this post. So, please, feel free to give us a call. We don’t bite. Really.
Carol and I have sailed Alaska’s inside passage twice and we would gleefully do it again. It’s that beautiful. If you haven’t sailed Alaska yet, you should!
To learn more, or to book one of these last-minute offers from Celebrity Cruises, give our office a call at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you. Now, don’t forget, this is a very limited offer. Don’t delay.
If you enjoyed this article, sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep abreast of our best travel tips, on-location reviews, exclusive travel offers, group travel events, and much more.
Posted by David Porter on May 11, 2016 · 2 Comments
FLASH: Viking River Cruises Offers New Solo Traveler Rates
For the past few years, Viking River Cruises has been selling out their ships every single year. Finally, with 60 ships sailing Europe’s rivers, Viking now has enough inventory to begin offering attractive fares to solo travelers.
Over the past few years, we’ve listened to more than one frustrated solo traveler lament, because if they wanted to sail Viking, they had to pay an extra 100% to cover a single supplement.
This is no more. Viking is now offering solo travelers very attractive fares. Let us show you one example of many…
Solo Traveler Fares From Viking River Cruises
To share an example, I grabbed a solo traveler fare sailing August 19th, 2016 on the Rhine Getaway highlighted above. Here’s a few things you should know:
- These solo traveler fares are not published on the Viking River Cruises website. Therefore, the best thing to do is to give us a call. We’ll share with you the sailings that fall under this special solo traveler offering.
- The special traveler fare for the sailing mentioned above is $3,320 (category F) plus up to FREE air. Generally speaking, the free air is from the east coast, a bit more if you live in the middle of the country, and a bit more if you live on the west coast.
- These special solo traveler fares are available on all stateroom categories. So, if you desire a balcony stateroom, you can have it along with a special solo traveler fare, albeit at a higher rate than the category F we have listed above.
- Special solo traveler fares are now available on the Rhine, the Danube, the Seine, the two wine regions in France, and more.
Imagine, an 8-day Solo Traveler European vacation for only $3,320 and up to FREE air!
- These solo traveler fares include:
- 8-day cruise with river-view stateroom
- 6 guided tours with audio headset
- All meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 7 dinners, featuring regional specialties and including Welcome Cocktail Reception & Dinner
- Complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with onboard dinner and lunch service
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- All port charges
- Free Wi-Fi, connection speeds may vary
Pretty incredible. Right?
To learn more, or to book your exciting solo traveler river cruise, call us at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you. Hurry. These special solo traveler fares are limited and this offer expires on May 31st.
If you enjoyed this article, sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep abreast of our best travel tips, on-location reviews, exclusive travel offers, group travel events, and much more.
The Roaming Boomers
