Grace's Daily Travel Blog

Sylvia Berman-Guest Blogger-Cannes France-ILTM

2011-12-19T08:35:00.000-05:00

From Dec.3-10th I was in Cannes, France for the International Luxury Travel Mart. This was my first time attending, although we have always sent one of our travel advisors to this event, specifically to find new and exciting properties to introduce to our clients.

After many hours flying to Cannes, France, I had two choices, a bus to the hotel or a helicopter ride into Cannes. I opted for the six minute helicopter ride and that was a definite WOW. Flying over the water, seeing Cannes from the air was spectacular. When you land, both you and your luggage are wisked to your hotel. The Hotel Majestic Barriere is the perfect location if attending any function at the Convention Center, as it is almost across the street.
Since it was still early afternoon, I decided to take my own walking tour of the town and stopped in at the JW Marriott and the Carlton Hotel. Both well situated for any one coming to Cannes.

None of the stores were open, but the city was bustling with both locals and tourists out for a walk (with their dogs) or off to dinner. I decided that I really wanted French Onion Soup for dinner, but to no avail. Not at any of the hotel restaurants or on the menu of the many small restaurants I looked at. What a disappointent. After a great night's sleep, I took off again, this time to find postcards to write and mail. Again, no luck, but I will keep trying.

What a perfect way to start ILTM. Each location was new to me and wonderful information for our clients. Luxury resorts in St. Barth, Jamaica and even Montana.

My first meeting was at noon and I was looking forward to the beginning of a long informative week. Lunch was at the RADISSON Blu compliments of Dominique Debay hotels.

Winter 2011 Newsletter

2011-12-19T08:24:00.000-05:00

This issue of our newsletter focuses on how we as world travelers can give back to the people we rely on to make our travel experiences memorable. There are quite a few stories from clients and our own advisors on how they share what they can with the people, especially children, they visit with. Some great photos too! Enjoy this issue, and check out the offers on the rest of our website!

http://www.posthastetravel.com/newsletter.pdf

Guest Blogger- Barbars Stein in North Korea

2011-12-01T07:57:00.000-05:00

Barbara Stein visited North Korea in August 2011...she also has been hosting segments of world cruises since September and will be traveling until December 30th, before returning to the office.

www.eptours.com/northkorea.htm

Please copy and paste this link into your browser to see her North Korea Blog!

National Cruise Vacation Month-You Are Invited!

2011-09-20T13:08:00.000-04:00

9/11

2011-09-11T17:49:00.002-04:00

I think all of us, after giving our moment of reflection on 9/11, have gone on, importantly, to living our lives as if that terror will not win...I respectfully thank all my friends for not making the whole day a day of sorrow...and blessings to those that lost someone...we can not live their horror

'Speed dating' a big draw at Virtuoso's annual conference - Travel Weekly

2011-08-30T08:02:00.000-04:00

'Speed dating' a big draw at Virtuoso's annual conference - Travel Weekly

Grace's Daily Travel Blog: PHT Fall Newsletter

2011-08-29T16:23:00.000-04:00

Grace's Daily Travel Blog: PHT Fall Newsletter

PHT Fall Newsletter

2011-08-29T16:22:00.000-04:00

Follow the link to our Fall Newsletter on the PHT website. This is a good one!

Post Haste Travel Fall 2011 Newsletter

2011-08-12T11:22:00.000-04:00

Hugh McCauley's Culinary Cruise on Oceania's Riviera

2011-08-09T10:44:00.001-04:00

Join Hugh McCauley and friends aboard the Oceania Riviera for a culinary delight of a cruise vacation! More information about the cruise to follow soon. Book early for addtional amenitites.

Call Lynva at 954-966-7690

About Ramadan

2011-08-01T08:30:00.000-04:00

About Ramadan:

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Every day during this month, Muslims around the world spend the daylight hours in a complete fast.

During the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-sacrifice, Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking.

Muslims are called upon to use this month to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance. We are to make peace with those who have wronged us, strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits -- essentially to clean up our lives, our thoughts, and our feelings. The Arabic word for "fasting" (sawm) literally means "to refrain" - and it means not only refraining from food and drink, but from evil actions, thoughts, and words.

During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In such a way, every part of the body observes the fast.

Therefore, fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one's self on the worship of God.

Benefits from Ramadan

1. It strengthens one's ties with Allah and trains the soul to observe duties of devotion in accordance with the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh).

2. It enforces patience and determination in the Muslim individual.

3. It promotes the principle of sincerity by keeping the Muslim away from arrogance and showing off, since it is an act between the individual and his Creator.

4. It promotes good character, particularly truthfulness and trust-worthiness.

5. It encourages the Muslim to do away with bad habits and change his/her circumstances for the better.

6. It enhances generosity, hospitality, and spending on charitable causes.

7. It reinforces feelings of unity and brotherhood among Muslims.

8. It instills orderliness and close observance of the value of time.

9. It serves as an opportunity for children to perform acts of obedience and to practice Islamic acts of worship.

10. It offers a chance to balance one's attention to both physical and spiritual needs.

Assalaamu'alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh -

May God's peace and blessings be upon you

Wishing you a very blessed and prosperous Happy Ramadan. May Allah (God) bring happiness, peace, reward, and joy to all of you and your families and to all of humanity. We hope that this sacred month is a source of blessing and happiness and that all good works are accepted.

Your global eTurboNews team
by Juergen Thomas Steinmetz, publisher

Guest Blogger-Meredith McCleary-Insight into Ethiopia

2011-06-13T11:30:00.001-04:00

Ethiopia is best described as a vast land of contrast, beauty, and extremes. The images and scenes of the people, in many cases, are highly distorted. The country is not barren, dusty or a land with starving people.
Several years ago I toured the historical Northern route, with my group viewing the splendid, carved, rock-hewn churches, ceremonies ,the many obelisks and the fascinating stories of their origin. Also we learned of the passage and return to the homeland of Ethiopia. We visited UNESCO sites, castles, ancients churches and ruins with many tales of the building of a dynasty. It was my great pleasure to sail on Lake Tana and the Blue Nile. It is there I became aware of the developing tourist market for the southern portion of Ethiopia. The Rift Valley lakes and masses of bird and marine life, as well as wildlife in the National Parks bordering Kenya.
This is the portion of Africa often portrayed through elaborate photography of colorful people, customs, and practices in expedition and nature magazines.
I recently had the opportunity to return and visit the Omo Valley Region with its popular ethnic treasures, and the place where 50% of the ethnic groups reside. We started from Addis Ababa, and descended via comfortable 4X4 wheel vehicle with a skilled driver and professional English –speaking guide into the region. Along the way we passed through small towns and stopped to visit along the highway villages, meeting people, families and visiting the homes belonging to the Konso people, with their beautiful and most effective terracing agricultural practices and elaborate farms; the Mursi people with their barbarian lifestyle (it is as if time has stood still for hundreds of years). True preservation of the culture! We were then on to visit and shop at the Markets with the colorful Hammer people (body painting and ceremonies) and then to the Karo people (similar to the Hammer people with the body painting, but with adornments from brass, cattle hides and skins, beads or shells.) Many are semi-nomadic. The men and boys work the cattle and farms, the women maintain the homes, fields, and children. Everyone has a job or task to perform (from the time they can walk). This world of Ethiopia is in general a world where African traditions are genuine and demonstrated in the daily traditions of folk music, dress, rituals, and way of life. I have observed many of the traditional practices by African descendents from rural USA and the Americas; through West, East and sections of South and Southern Africa. Whether in Jamaica, Brazil, Aboriginal country of Australia, the Tiwi Islands, some things have survived the long journey from “the Motherland”. In additional to the tremendous cultural beauty, the landscape of the Rift Valley and Omo Valley region is a nature lover’s paradise, off the beaten path. The beautiful Lakes, from blood red to clear waters, hold a mystique and mystery that I must return to explore. The area boasts of some of the largest crocodiles in the world, and numerous Hippos (whom I heard but time did not permit me to witness this aspect on my journey, that is for the next visit).
Accommodations at the Wenney Eco-lodge were comfortable, clean and ecologically minded, (although hot water). I had the opportunity to stay in the bungalow occupied by the President of the Ethiopia – I liked it too! This lodge was hand built by the owner for the purpose of sustainable tourism – using local resources and people . Great stop on the shores of Lake Langano, reportedly bilharzias-free, allowing swimming. There are excellent opportunities for forest exploration, which I would like to do soon.

Our next stop was at Swaynes Hotel constructed in the Dorze , elephant style, currently the best in the region (HOT WATER). The most spectacular feature other than the design to me was the location; on a hill overlooking glorious views of Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo. Here we visited the Dorze village known for its elephant motif built homes, dancing children, beautiful hand woven cotton scarves and Aki (a local home brew) served with bread, fresh honey from the comb and chili sauce. Whew! It was all HOT! My tight schedule again did not afford my cruise on the Lake.

We left for the lower valley and even hotter climate to Evangadi Lodge where we had access to visit several of the local tribes (Hammer,Karos and Mursi) and markets of the area. Unfortunately we were not able to witness a bull-jumping ceremony (marriage proposal) – but the markets were quite a treat.
A bit of caution. Every picture you snap may costs you 2 – 5 Birr. Thankfully, our guide was able to negotiate most of this for us. The markets are an opportunity to not only sell wares, and the harvest, but a social event for the three tribes to meet and interact, court and look for new spouse. It is quite a show of traditional dress, adornments, and “profiling”. It is also becoming known (to the locals) that the tourist are now coming for pictures, so there are the stagers – which I could easily identify. However, it was fun for all.

En route to a visit to the villages, located much off the beaten path, I saw some of the most interesting termite mound formations – having traveled most of Africa this was amazing to me (elephants, giraffes – almost works of art!).

Village life was much like most of rural Africa. Huts from mud and or cow dung, or bamboo shoots ,sticks, banana trees and leaves all with thatched roofs. Near town, the use of tin roofs was spotted on some of the mud huts. Various tribes have elaborate symbols identifying the front.
On the highway – cattle is King. The definition of “traffic jam" is herds of cattle and goats as they travel to and from water at river beds. There was never a dull moment during the trip.
The most challenging part of the experience was the “pit or bush stops” between towns Even this was better than some of the bathroom stops. Just like on safari, only few bushes!. Ladies get plenty of knee bending exercise (smile). Be Prepared!

The trip was everything I had anticipated and most of what I wish to see! It is for the adventurer and explorer traveler. A photographer’s paradise and a cultural enthusiast’s dream. A pure delight for one who has done it all and seekers of a new experience and cultural enlightening!

Please see my website www.ebonyheritagetravel for itinerary and pictures.

Travel Consultant
Ebony Heritage Travel
Master Kenya Authorized Travel Specialist
South African Fundi Destination Specialist
Botswana Specialist
Southern Africa Spa Specialist
www.ebonyheritagetravel.com
Direct Line 954-484-5773

The Art of Traveling

2011-05-31T12:49:00.001-04:00

The Art of Traveling - by Sylvia Berman, President, Post Haste Travel

When you pack your bags to explore the beauties of your own country
or to travel around the world, consider these keys to a happy journey:

Travel Lightly – You are not traveling for people to see how you look.

Travel Expectantly – Every place you visit is like a surprise package to be opened. Untie the strings with an expectation of high adventure.

Travel Hopefully – “To travel hopefully”, wrote Robert Louis Stevenson, “is better than to arrive”.

Travel Humbly – Visit people and places with reverence and respect for their traditions and way of life.

Travel Courteously – Consideration for your fellow travelers and your hosts will smooth the way through any difficult days.

Travel Gratefully – Show appreciation for the many things that are being done by others for your enjoyment and comfort.

Travel with an Open Mind – Leave your prejudices at home.

Travel with Curiosity – It is not how far you go, but how deeply you go that mines the gold of experience.

Travel with Imagination – As the old Spanish proverb puts it: “ He who would bring home the wealth of the Indies must carry the wealth of the Indies with him.”

Travel Fearlessly – Banish worry and timidity; the world and its people belong to you, just as you belong to the world.

Travel Relaxed – Make up your mind to have a good time. Let go and enjoy.

Travel Patiently – It takes time to understand others, especially when there are barriers of language and custom; keep flexible and adaptable to all situations.

Travel with the Spirit of a World Citizen – You’ll discover that people are basically the same the world over. Be an ambassador of good will to all people. Put your best foot forward.

Tehnology Marketing University 2011

2011-05-18T12:04:00.002-04:00

I am sitting in a class to learn how to be a better travel blogger. Andy Hayes and Trisha Miller are our instructors today...both avid bloggers. I should go home with lot's of homework and lessons on how to do this better. Here we go!
How many of you read blogs? How about my blog? Is this blog pertinent to you? Is it succesful for me? And what are the alternatives to blogging? How do we measure the succes of a blog? By the number of comments? By the number of phone calls or emails? Or by the ranking by Google?
I good thing is this blog is linked to our website, www.posthastetravel.com so I hope reading this will lead you to read our website content. I also post our quarterly newsletter on our website and link that to this blog, my Facebook pages, my Twitter accounts...do you go to that link and read the newsletter? Is a blog worth the time and effort?
I tend to post info on cruises, properties and specific trips that someone in our office had recently been on...including photos when possible. I hope this content is timely and accurate.
I have recently used guest bloggers. Colleagues that have been on a fabulous trip and have written a really comprehesive message that I couldn't possibly do. I think that for Post Haste Travel we should do that more often. You will get to know our advisors better by the vacations they take on their own or with groups. I will post cruises by our advisors that are Virtuoso Voyager Club Hosts to get their percpective...I will post the many experiences our Africa and Safari advisors and clients have...with pictures...and if you have any questions wbout any of this, it's important that you comment so I can know if I'm doing this right. So, I'm going back to listening to my instructors right now. Let me know what you think!

Guest blogger-Meredith McCleary-About Africa

2011-04-26T11:31:00.000-04:00

West Africa and Beyond: A New Adventure

Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It consists of deserts, lush tropical rainforests, coastal and swampy regions, plenty of natural resources, and of course the routes of the Slave trade. All are intriguing and all in West Africa. Most of you who are Post Haste Travel or Ebony Heritage clients are most familiar with or have visited romantic and exotic places in South and Southern Africa, Grand Safaris in Kenya and Tanzania, trekking for gorillas and primates in Uganda, or viewing the Pyramids while swaying in the breeze along the Nile.
At Post Haste we offer the opportunity to those who are looking for a new experience or adventure to visit some of the roads less traveled; to see and visit with new people and faces; to witness and appreciate their unique culture and customs, talents, artistic creations; feel the rhythm and sway to the beat, dance to the music, or just March to a Different Drummer. Belief me it can be an exhilarating experience and a breath of fresh air. The sights, sounds, and smells of the open-air markets exude a level of excitement for the ardent world’s traveler. The colorful costumes and attire leads the way to designer shoes and fashions fit for a King or Queen. Let us take a brief glimpse at West Africa and Beyond!
West Africa consists of approximately 16 countries. We have toured and marveled at a few – Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Some of you world cruisers have visited the shops on the recent addition of ports of call around the Horn or Western coast of Africa or Jet vacations to Morocco or Mali. Yes, these are all fabulous and I hope to return to all of them too! However, if you say, " I’ve been there, done that", then it’s time to try another part of Africa or see these sights through another pair of eyes – mine. The Djembe (Music), Kora (Music), the silk Kente cloth (Dress) of the Akan peoples of Ghana and the distinct Sudano-Sahelian architectural style (artist) seen in the many mosques of the region, are the primary symbolic icons of West African culture.
Ethiopia affords one the opportunity to take a journey and witness the spiritual influences of ancient religions, through an historic tour of the Northern area of the country. See the Architectural delights in rock hewn churches, and magnificent castles, and monuments with the fascinating historical perspectives of the various influences that have shaped this country. Trek, if you wish, in the mountains, and cruise on the Blue Nile, and follow the Nile across Africa. End your trip with a journey south (as I will do in May) to the Omo Valley region to meet the colorful tribes in their villages and experience the everyday life of markets, rituals and ceremonies. (If I am lucky I hope to get a boat ride to see the wildlife in this area). The same can be said for Uganda. Being a bit beyond my trekking years, (for Gorillas’) I did it for primates. A worthwhile visit was to explore the cultural and historical sites around Kampala, Jinja, and Entebbe. The museums and historical sites are amazing preserved and very good. Nothing could do better than my visit to the filming sites of the “Great King of Scotland’. For lovers of history the tour to visit and touch the Source of the Nile was overwhelming as I headed to spend time at Murchison Falls. Beyond the experience of cruising on this portion to the mouth of the Falls, the abundant display of wildlife in and on both sides of the River was spectacular. Being a lover of safari, my driver and I head out in the late afternoon for a short game drive at the Resort. I had just completed two weeks on safari in Kenya and what I saw equaled about the amount of my entire Kenyan trip! While in Kenya I took a three day road trip to Kisumu, and a day trip to nearby Kigelo - the hometown of the Kenya Obama, Sr. Family. The day was spent visiting schools, gravesites and meeting relatives of the original Obama Family – Yes, I did get a private seating with the paternal grandmother Sarah. As my pictures will show, she is a delight. My Aktion Club of Kiwanis sent signature caps for the schoolchildren. The soccer teams had just won a significant competition and we presented the hats to them. What a cheering they gave! That was their special trophy! Mama Sarah wanted her own and of course she got it. Memories are made of this.
No, it is not for everyone. Collector, musicians, music lovers, designers, historians, educators, artists, sportsman, nature lovers, sociologists, medical professional, and herbalist ,this is the trip for you!
We offer the opportunity for you visit another world; Senegal, Ghana, Gambia, Togo, Benin, Mali or Burkina Faso – to name a few. Our local, English speaking drivers, and ground operators will escort you on a journey of a lifetime. There are modest accommodations in all locations we will visit. Travel is usually via air-conditioned vehicles. The road systems are new to fairly good in most of the destinations. Food is good to excellent. Camps in the deserts are camps! Special festivals and celebrations are ongoing in West Africa, from Music in the desert in Mali (Jan) – to the Roots festival every other year in the Gambia.
These are the trips that are not measured by the breathes you take - but – the experiences that will take your breathe away.
You are invited to view pictures on the website: www.ebonyheritagetravel.com

Conversation with Lindsey-Lake Tahoe and Celebrate Africa

2011-04-07T10:57:00.003-04:00

Lake Tahoe was great! I went with my son and his friends, so that was a little strange when I realized my son’s girlfriend is 30 years younger than me…His girlfriend, Renae is from Northern California, so we stayed with her parents the first night, then drove to South lake Tahoe the next morning and stayed at a Hyatt Vacation place where my brother has a timeshare. There was soooooo much snow! And I love cold weather. We spent that first day shopping and getting everyting ready for skiing on Monday. I used to ski everywhere every year for 20 years, but haven’t been in about 10 years. My first day on the mountain was a little tiring, but I did alright. Tuesday I had all kinds of problems staying up, and getting up when I fell, and it turned out that my right leg had just given out. I could keep that ski straight for anything! So I just took my skis off, and the ski patrol came and got me…laid me down in one of those toboggans, covered me up and went straight down the mountain….faster than I’d ever been before! I figured everyone thought they were bringing a dead body down the mountain! LOL!!!! I spent the next 2 days peacefully alone in the room , reading, napping, taking long walks…Friday we walked down to the Lake, and it was gorgeous. We had great weather the whole time, some snow, lot’s of sun. The others spent some time winning money at the casino and partying…but I got a good break. When we went back to California, I met some cowboy and went horseback riding Saturday morning. I’ve had horses all my life, but it’s been a while since I’d ridden. Great fun. My flight was a red eye out of Sacremento and I didn’t get back to Ft Laud. Until 10AM Sunday. Then I spent the next 3 weeks sick as a dog. I’m finally feeling better. We went to s LHW event Monday night to see the Last Lions, and I won an 8 day trip to South Africa! My mother is an Africa specialist, she’s been over 30 times, so I am going to extend my stay in South Africa and see some additional properties and do a little extra safaris…I’m thinking of going in June or July…it’s winter there and that will make me happy! We’ve been really busy, selling lots of cruises, Africa and Europe…how ‘bout you? We’re having a “Celebrate Africa” event next Wednesday night, with 12 suppliers, about 60 guests, and it’s being held at a facility that has an Africa themed room. I’ll post the photos so you can see. Glad you like Bora Bora…I’ve never been…yet, but we have quite a few specialists in the office. Let’s keep this conversation going…there’s so much to learn from each other! Talk to you soon.

Promote the Value of Travel Agents!

2011-04-07T07:29:00.001-04:00

Promote the Value of Travel Agents! Read Mark Murphy's wonderful article on the purpose and committment of travel advisors. Their wisdom and knowledge is pricless...well not pricless...we do have to charge a fee for our services, but think of all the time and effort you save by using an expert!

Crystal Symphony

2011-03-21T10:55:00.008-04:00

The Crystal Symphony was in Miami last week and I had the opportunity to take a ship tour. I have been on this ship previously, but that was 2 years ago, and there have been some minor changes made. The main deck, Grand Entry is beautiful, and the piano player creates a soothing atmosphere when you walk in. There is a coffee bar and cocktail bar around the sitting area and you can just sit and relax and watch the people walk by.

The Crystal Lounge is a large lounge, with dancing and partying fun. There is a smoking area around the bar, for those of us that still like to smoke with our cocktails. It''s bright and airy and a very comfortable area to meet your friends before dinner.

The Casino is quit large, with all the games you could ask for...plus poker tournaments, and bingo tournaments. There is a smoking area available.

Great colors...

The pool deck has recently been refurbished with new comfortable lounge chairs, couchs, umbrellas and new colors. The pool is quite large, with a great hot tub above and attached to the pool. There is a shaded seating area next to a bar and food station for snack food and cocktails. It's absolutely beautiful. With 2 specialty restaurants, the Crytal Dining Room, a private 5 course dinner available with wine pairings for up to 10 couples, a Cigar Lounge, computer learning center, Bridge/card room, nice library, and big theater with Broadway style shows....these are just a few of the great things available on board. The cabins are good size, the bathrooms well designed. Feel free to ask more about the special offers available on Crystal for the upcoming year. Thanks.

More conversation with a NextGen travel Advisor

2011-02-25T08:12:00.001-05:00

These blog posts are a little out of order, but still make sense!
I can't believe that – the best part of being in the industry is getting to travel! Your month in Israel and Africa sounds phenomenal – what a dream. I love getting to travel and, luckily, I'm not tied down to much right now (husband or children-wise), so I do it as much as possible. In the past year, I've gone on a fam trip to St. Lucia and hosted a Seabourn cruise along the Med – I actually took my parents on the latter, their my favorite travel partners! I'll be going on an Islands in the Sun fam to French Polynesia in March – that's the farthest I've ever traveled and I'm thrilled to see Tahiti, Bora Bora, La Taha'a, and Moorea. You've definitely got to find the time to do so – I hope you have a blast on your Tahoe trip. How old is your son now, and is he your only child?
I can't believe your mother has been to Africa 30 times – how incredible! An African safari is number one on my bucket list to visit and to sell – I can't wait to have the opportunity to research it more for a client and to go one day myself. Micato's mission is beautiful and I'd like to give back to it as much as possible. I'm with you on India, Cambodia, and Vietnam... there are too many places I'd like to see over those. I'm sending my grandmother on an Ireland and Scotland trip with Trafalgar this May – I'll let you know how she likes it!
Thank you for the offer to extend to my friends – where exactly are you located? Let me know if I can ever be of help to your company. Right after Travel Mart, I had discussed working with one of the Next Gen panelists about a venture into recruiting for agencies. You never know what might happen with that, people my age just need to hear it from someone like them in the business – it's really fun and very exciting to be involved in. I would love to continue this discussion, thanks again for getting in touch and I hope we can both learn from one another!

First conversation with a NextGen travel advisor

2011-02-25T08:08:00.001-05:00

I wanted to shoot you an e-mail per your direct message (I'm an English major, so keeping it to 140 characters is hard for me), thanks for getting in touch!

I love being a young travel consultant because I feel like the industry is going through such a dramatic change and it's exciting to be part of that change. With the internet's threat to the industry, it's sink or swim – either fight it or learn to integrate it. I'm happy to be involved in a Virtuoso agency so I learn from fellow agencies that are all swimming. I'm actually an advisor at 21 – I'm the youngest I've met so far, even at Travel Mart, but I definitely don't regard my age as a disadvantage. I think I've really had an incredible opportunity to learn at such a young age from veterans in the industry and the Virtuoso network has been so welcoming to my rookie self.

For a little over a year, I've been selling travel as an independent contractor from my apartment in Athens, GA (my home agency is in Columbus, GA) while finishing up my degree and certificates at the University of Georgia. I graduate in May and it's a little up in the air what will happen after that. I want to pursue a career in travel full time, my complication is that I'm not sure which part of the industry is the best for me. I really enjoy being a consultant, but I would love to try my hand at either travel writing (I currently keep a travel blog and write a travel section for a regional magazine in GA) or, as high-stretching of a dream that this is, I would love to get into travel hosting. I've done a little commercial work in the past and feel that if I could combine that passion with travel (all the while keeping up my writing via a travel blog), I'd definitely be living my dream job. Samantha Brown, watch your back!

Speaking of blogs, I checked yours out when you tweeted about the Oceania Marina. What a beautiful ship! I saw the Entertainment Tonight feature on the ship and fell in love – your post just fueled that love – looks like you had an incredible time. Your writing is great!
So, that's a little background on me and my short but growing time in the travel business. I would love to hear your story – how you got involved, what you do now, where's the number one place you've visited that everyone should have on their bucket list, any advice, etc. :)

Sorry I wrote a short novel – told you those 140 characters just don't cut it! Thanks again for getting in touch, look forward to hearing back from you!

Continuing Conversation with a NextGen travel advisor

2011-02-25T08:03:00.002-05:00

I asked Lindsey if she minded that we blog our conversation....
Grace,
I don't mind at all, I'm flattered that you asked!
As far as the 30 year old woman, (a possible new advisor for us at PHT) I guess it depends on the set-up. As an IC, I'm solely commission based and within this first year I've made roughly the equivalent of someone who works full time at minimum wage. When you consider the fact that I was doing it part time while going to school full time, I actually think that's a pretty good amount to have earned on the side. When I think about taking the IC career full time as a single girl in my 20s, it scares me that I'll be relying completely on commission, just because that fluctuates so much. It can also be beneficial at times – if you make yourself, you can far exceed a salaried job. I'm also very fortunate to have the support of my parents – they've been so accommodating with letting me move back in and helping me out during the first couple years of being in the real world!
With all of that being said, it has taken me a solid year to build up a good client base and the way I've done that was mainly through attending bridal shows – it's good to give an IC a niche because it's a good place to start. I started learning about the honeymoon industry and along the way, I picked up leads from professors, family friends, etc. I think my career was definitely jump-started by working the bridal shows, though, so 2 years would be a pretty good estimate to build those clients. As far as the 5-years to make a living good enough to be just and advisor, I would imagine that's about right – since I'm only going on year 2 of my career, it's hard to say.

Hope that helps, and please let me know if there's anything else I can answer for you – I'm excited about this conversation and do hope that it can benefit others.

Best,

Lindsey

Conversation with a NextGen Travel Advisor

2011-02-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

It’s funny, when I was young, my parents traveled a lot..before mom bought the agency, and I was able to travel around the world often…my father had business in South America, Panama (although I never got there) and I traveled with friends throughout Europe…I honeymooned in the Greek Islands, visited Turkey, and through my own photography business did a lot of the Caribbean. Once mom bought the agency, she and my dad took all of us kids and my son (8 at the time) for a month in Africa and Israel. Since I’ve been in the business, other than lot’s of 2 night cruises, and 1 trip to Paws Up in Montana, I don’t think I’ve been out of the country. I just can’t seem to find the time to be able to be gone for more than a week. I just can’t be gone long enough to go overseas. I am going to Lake Tahoe next week to go skiing, but am staying at my brothers condo with my son and his friends! I didn’t really want to have to do site inspections while on vacation! I would love to go to Ireland and Scotland…I’d love to go to the Netherlands and Russia in the winter…I do love cold weather….I’d like to visit South Africa, especially since my mother is an Africa expert and has been 30 times! I’m not great in crowds…I’d actually like to do a 2 week cruise somewhere, by myself, so no one can bother me and I could really rest…maybe on Oceania or Regent…that day will come I’m sure of it…but for now, I’ve got to be content and get my days off whenever I can. Let’s keep this conversation going, I enjoy talking with you. And if you have any friends that are looking for a place to get their feet wet in this business, I’ll be happy to talk with them too! Thanks!

Oceania Marina

2011-02-09T14:56:00.020-05:00

On Saturday February 5th, Sylvia Berman and I boarded the brand new Oceania Marina.
We went to our cabin, a very nice Deluxe Verandah cabin, on the concierge level, 282 sq. ft.-very comfortable, lots of storage, tub and shower in the bathroom, dropped off our bags and went to see the ship. Mary Hart, the ships godmother, was all over, filming segments of her show to be broadcast later in the week.

The first stop was the pool deck, deck 12...lot's of Balinese day beds, comfortable lounge chairs, a good sized swimming pool, showers, hot tubs, The Wave Bar, and a smoking area. Also on Deck 12 is the Terrace Grill, with indoor and outdoor seating areas. Multiple food stations served fresh made food of all types...(as a matter of fact, we had dinner there our first night, (we were not ready for a 2 hour meal that night) and had delicious lamb chops, lobster, crab legs, fruits and vegetables. there was hand made pasta, pizzas, and anything else you would want. The food was wonderful.) Also on Deck 12 is the Bon Apetit cooking school, which holds 24 students for a rousing fun filled cooking lesson. There is also a painting and photography studio available for classes. After grabbing a quick bite to eat for lunch, we went to the next deck up, 14, and visited the Canyon Ranch Spa....beautiful, spacious, with many treatment rooms, good sized gym, and beautiful, private, resting areas overlooking the bow of the ship. You can lay on heated tiled lounges inside, or comfortable lounges outdoors. Towards the back of the ship is the computer room, available for lessons and access to the Internet. One of my favorite parts of the ship is the Library...dark woods, many small areas surrounded by well stocked bookshelves, with very comfortable leather chairs, and a small fireplace to read by. A perfect place to put your feet up and read your favorite novel. On Deck 15 is the Horizon Lounge, a large bar, lot's of seating and the other smoking lounge on the ship. There is also a putting green, tennis, bocce ball, table tennis, and many other light sports available.

At 3:30 we all disembarked the ship to take our seats for the christening of the ship. Some nice entertainment, hor douerves and champagne preceded the formal christening by Mary Hart. Frank Del Rio, President of and other notables made brief but impassioned speeches, describing the attention to detail and passion for design that went into the Marina. Mary hart was noticeably excited about being the godmother of the Marina, and took great joy in the christening.

After reboarding the ship, we all gathered on the pool deck to watch the fireworks as Marina pulled out of port...a few cocktails, then dinner, then an early bedtime. The beds are extremely comfortable, as are the sheets, TV has a good choice of stations, and off to sleep we went. Early morning for a day at sea, and more seeing the ship. Beautiful shops around a more beautiful Grand Staircase, all Lalique glass...we stopped in each of the 4 specialty restaurants, Red Ginger, (Asian fusion and gorgeous!) Jacques, (Jacques Pepin's first cruise ship restaurant, French, obviously) The Polo Grill, (Steakhouse perfection) and the Italian restaurant, whose name escapes me at this moment! All 4 restaurants are no charge, but reservations are required. There are 2 more food spots...Privee', a private dining experience for up to 10 people at $1000, including all courses and wine pairings, and La Reserve, sponsored by Food and Wine Spectator, another private dining experience by reservation only. Lunch was a Virtuoso hosted lunch at Jacques...fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!!!! Virtuoso as a consortium is the leading seller of Oceania cruises, which made us all very proud to be a part of Oceania's success. After lunch, a short nap, since Sunday night was the Super Bowl party and I wanted to make sure I could stay up for that.

I joined some friends in the Horizon Lounge, which has a very big screen TV, and watched the game, drank lot's of cocktails, and smoked to my hearts content in the smoking lounge. It had to be midnight before I got back to our cabin. But I was happy with the new friends I had made, and the outcome of the game.

The next morning we landed in Nassau, and after a quick breakfast, disembarked to visit The Cove, Atlantis, and the One and Only hotel properties. Lot's of walking before we got smart and got a shuttle between the properties and were fortunate to get 2 very good guided inspections at the Cove and One and Only, both beautiful Virtuoso properties. Then back to the ship to inspect the other cabins on board. The penthouse suites are large, and have spacious everything! Including exercise equipment in the cabin, and private media rooms. The Owners Suite is the most beautiful suite I have ever seen on any ship...it takes up the whole back of the ship, with a balcony all around...HUGE bathrooms, exercise room, really masculine, comfortable living room area, with leather furniture, area rugs, seating areas, desk....everything you could ever want for your time at sea. The artwork throughout the Marina is eclectic and wonderful....we looked very hard to see if we could find anything wrong with this ship and the answer is yes...we found 1, yes ONE thing wrong....when the elevator doors open on any "floor" (that's what the elevator says) it is very hard to see the sign that lets you know what deck you're on...that's it...we couldn't find anything else anywhere on the ship that needed improvement! The staff was incredible, the ship beautiful, the food fabulous. I would send any client on this ship with utter confidence that they will have a marvelous time. Oh, this is not a ship for children at all...there is nothing for them to do and no facilities to take care of them, so leave the kids at home and give yourself a well deserved vacation from the world. Enter the world of Marina....

The Post Haste Daily news

2011-01-03T12:52:00.001-05:00

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check out our Post Haste Daily News...updated daily from my Twitter account

Allure of the Seas

2010-12-03T11:37:00.011-05:00

On November 29th Sylvia and I spent 2 nights on the Allure of the Seas. This was the last agent inspection before the regular December 1st sailing. We were a little late getting on board, so we had to rush to our cabin, drop off our luggage and go directly to our muster station for the lifeboat drill. We were in the Jazz Lounge, and the Blaze Nightclub, Comedy club and Theaters are all on the same deck. After that was over, we decided to start at the top of the ship and work our way down, seeing what we could before our 6 PM dinner in Giovanni's, one of the specialty restaurants in Central Park.

The top decks of the ship are where the Flowriders, Zipline, Miniture Golf and other sports areas are located. The Sky Loft Suite overlooks the golf course. From the Royal Loft Suite with balcony, you overlook the basketball court, FlowRiders, Zipline, Aquatheater and Rock climbing walls. The pool area is fabulous. In the bow of the ship are the adult pools, and near the stern is the kids area, with great decor and multiple pools for the little ones. The are multiple bars serving adult beverages. The Windjammer Marketplace dining area is also on the same deck and opens at 7 AM. Dinner at Giovanni's was exceptionally good...we ate "Family Style" with dishes brought to the table for everyone to share. The Central Park area has a few improvements from the Oasis of the Seas...ramps instead of steps to get to the restaurants, and covered seating areas to dine outside. Central Park is a peaceful place any time of the day.

Tuesday morning we started out continuing our tour of the ship. There are a few new shops in the Promenade...and there was a parade at 10:30, including many characters from the Lion King, Shrek and other Dreamworks films. The parade is held twice per cruise, so try to get a spot in the middle of the Promenade or on the staircases or you will have a hard time seeing it. Our Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony was fine for 2 people, with plenty of storage and closet space. The bathroom is a bit small, but they have moved the electrical outlets in the cabin above the desk, making them easy to access. There are also iPod docking stations in the cabins. The rest of the cabins and suites we saw are very similar to the Oasis, with some holding up to 14 guests. We went to the production of Chicago in the afternoon...which, although I didn't particularly like the story, (I hadn't seen it before) the production itself was Broadway worthy. Dinner was in the main dining room, and the service was good, food better. Sylvia then went to the Aquatheater for the early show and said it was incredible. The Allure has so much to do at all hours day and night that you will never get bored unless you want to. There are many quiet and private places on the ship, and of course there is always the spa. Allure will be sailing from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean throughout 2011, and space is going fast. Bring your family for a great time...there is something for everyone.

Celebrity Eclipse

2010-12-03T10:44:00.011-05:00

On November 15th Sylvia Berman and I took sailed on the Celebrity Eclipse for a 2 night cruise and inspection of the ship. Our first impression was one of comfortable elegance. The colors are muted and soothing, and the ship is spacious. Our balcony cabin was a nice size for 2 people, although there is not much storage space...only 4 small drawers and a small closet. We then took a walk around the ship, starting with the top deck, where Celebrity's signature grass area is a peaceful place to take your shoes off, have a cocktail, and watch the on board Glass blowing

demonstrations. The pool area is beautiful...with 2 adult pools, and a fountain area you can sit in and play. The pool lounge chairs are comfortable, and it's not too crowded. There are plenty of places to sit in the shade or sun. And the pool crew was constantly available to serve your favorite cocktails.In the common area there is a coffee bar, a cocktail bar and a dedicated Vodka tasting bar...unfortunately closed for our stay.

The main dining room is absolutely elegant...and the food was exceptional.

The library is unique...it is open 2 levels high, full of comfortable chairs, on both levels. You can see the library from the elevators and looked like a wonderful place to spend an afternoon reading.

The whole feel of the ship is casual elegance. There are interesting designs, a good traffic flow, and it never felt crowded. The suites we saw were very nice, and there are family suites available. The gym and spa were also very nice. Celebrity Eclipse will be sailing the Caribbean until the Summer, when it will head to Europe for the season.

ASTA Study Finds Average Agent Salary is Less Than $30,000

2010-11-09T07:45:00.000-05:00

ASTA Study Finds Average Agent Salary is Less Than $30,000

Post haste Travel Newsletter Fall 2010

2010-10-27T07:37:00.014-04:00

In Memory of Lou..the best dog

2010-10-18T18:53:00.002-04:00

My dog,Lou is dying tonight. He's 16, not in pain...just old. I actually want him to just stop breathing...it's time. But his story is one of love of a friend, a pet and a traveling companion. Lou has been with me through many incarnations. My life as a marketing person in Atlanta, my life in Florida with Post Haste Travel, and his life as part of my immediate family. But h e has many stories. When Lou was just 8 months old I started taking him with me to clients offices. Including Coca Cola headquarters, in Atlanta, to CNN, to Georgia Pacific...and plenty of advertising agencies...he was so well behaved that every one loved having him there. I brought him everywhere. When we went on road trips, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC,he was more than welcomed. As a matter of fact, and this is kinda funny,whenever we went to NYC, on the trip through the NY thruway and NJ turnpike, any time we entered a tunnel, he "ducked"as we entered the tunnels...We stayed at Gramercy Park...which he loved...we went to restaurants where he knew to hide at my feet so no one could see him..same with bars all over the country...since he's a black dog, he knew to hide at my feet,and the bar never asked him to leave.
In Texas we went to lot's of bars and hotels...and no one knew he was there. What a quiet and simple friend. I can't imagine having another travel partner that knows how to act in any situation.
My loss of my partner may not ever be replaced. I have always been one that includes my dog.
I don't know if Ill ever find another partner like this. Lou didn't get to go to Belize with me...he didn't get to go to Paws Up with me...he hasn't been on a cruise with me...but he's always waited patiently at home for me. He always new when i was packing for a trip, and he didn't like it. But he waited. And whenever I made it home, he was thrilled to see me. What is it about dogs that they understand suitcases? And as I sit , waiting for Lou to take his last breath...all I can do is cry for the memories of the best travel partner I've ever had. I don't know that I will get an other dog. I've always had one. But at 53, and having to travel often, if it fair to leave a beloved partner home alone? I don't know.I still have a 3 legged cat...he can stay home, and doesn't really care if we're here or not...but it's not the same.I Will post a photo of by beloved Lou and hope you understand the pain and fear I have about not having a dog in my life. I haven't made any decision yet...and it's not time to do that. If you have a traveling companion, that you love and have storied about...let me know. It will make me feel better. Thank you.

Places I've been

2010-10-06T09:04:00.000-04:00

As a child, and through my young adult years, I was lucky enough to travel to different parts of the US and world with my parents and brothers. When we were very young, my mother would load us up in the station wagon and travel the Southeast, stopping at every single tourist trap there was. It was a lot of fun! Lots of “are we there yet?” arguing in the backseat! As I got older, I spent a month in South America with my parents, visiting Columbia, Brazil, Peru, and Chile, with a brief stop in Argentina. (There was a coup happening, and they wouldn’t let us off the plane!) I spent many years as a professional photographer, so my travels gave me an opportunity to add to my portfolios. I also spent a month in Europe with a business partner/friend, traveling through Bavaria, (Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria) driving the back roads and visiting small towns and the large cities. I’ve been to England a number of times, France, Greece, Turkey, Israel and East Africa. Some of this was business, some pleasure. My most pleasurable trips have always been to the mountains. I just hate heat, don’t ever really get cold, and I love to breath the fresh air of the mountains. I loved the Alps and the Rockies, and I do love to ski, although I have not been in way too long. I love wearing warm clothes and sitting by a fire, and the cold is so energizing to me. Then of course, there is Belize. I love Belize because of the diversity of the country. The mountains, rivers, archeology, the birds and animals really speak to me of a great history. Though not much of a beach person, the island of Ambergris Caye has such character and characters that I thoroughly enjoy every stay there. I do not snorkel, dive or even get in the water (very much) but the beauty of the island and the graciousness of the local people make it a fun, relaxing destination. Since being in the travel business, I have learned to appreciate cruising, and do short cruises quite often. Unfortunately, lately, I am so busy I don’t really get a chance to travel to distant destinations very often, although I do get invited to many places. Maybe next year I’ll have some extra time!

Guest Blogger-Cathie Inman-Clayquot Wilderness Resort

2010-09-28T10:30:00.001-04:00

Jan Hammond (Travel Consultant) & I recently had the opportunity to travel to Vancouver and Clayquot Wilderness Resort. The first night, we stayed at The Shangri-La Hotel and dined at Jean-George’s “Market” at the hotel. After spending a wonderful day in Vancouver, we traveled by train from downtown to the airport (thanks to the 2010 Winter Olympics). What an EASY way to get around Vancouver….AND CHEAP! We hopped on a 9-seater Cessna seaplane to Clayoquot Wilderness Resort. It was one of the most exciting and beautiful flights I have ever experienced. We flew over the Vancouver waterway and over the vast wilderness and little towns that makes up Vancouver Island. A great opportunity for a photographer to go wild taking pictures…and I did!We approached the waterway in the Sound where our seaplane touched down into the entrance of Clayoquot, where the staff and owners (and dogs!) were there to greet us at our “new home” for the next few days. We were whisked up to the lodge by horse drawn carriage and welcomed with a glass of champagne with fresh berries. After an amazing meal, we were taken by one of the staff members of to one of 20 guest tents throughout the rainforest, boardwalk and lake. Lavishly appointed by antiques-bed, tables, lamps, propane wood stove, fresh wild flowers picked daily on every table, oil lamps and candles illuminating the white canvas tent with tapestry carpets on the wooden floor. I felt transported into the “late 1800’s” with all the 21st Century amenities…especially ELECTRICITY! Waking up early to the sounds of birds and dogs barking in the distance, we headed up to the lodge for breakfast. After another unforgettable Five-Star food event consisting of smoked salmon benedict and other coastal specialties, we were fitted with our” state of the art” gear for our first adventure activity-harbor seals, black bears and whale watching-guaranteed to see all 3…and we did…lots of them! After a late lunch (can’t miss a meal!), the afternoon was spent getting a massage (included in your package), hitting the sauna and hot tubs at the Spa.Then hors d’oeuveres and cocktails in the beautiful outside living room with a fireplace, where you’ll find a few of the 13+ dogs hanging out on the property,looking for a little attention or to come along on one of the 100’s of activities like horseback riding, hiking up the waterfalls, mountain biking, skeet shooting, archery, kayaking, deep sea fishing, repelling, picnicking, or fly fishing. You can even swim with the salmon!! Clayquot is committed to conserving, respecting and bettering the environment that UNESCO has designated it as a Biosphere Reserve. An amazing and unforgettable adventure of a lifetime that will remain in my “Top Five” favorite travel experiences for a long, long time!

Capital Hotel Little Rock Ar ~ Travel Mart 2010

2010-09-07T13:00:00.000-04:00

Travel mart and more...

2010-09-03T09:58:00.003-04:00

The week of August 13th - 20th was Virtuoso's annual Travel Mart, held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. This is the time when 1500 of the world's best travel consultants meet with the world's best travel suppliers...hoteliers, tour operators, cruise lines, and other travel vendors, for 4 days, for 4 minute meetings with each of the 1500 suppliers that attended. Post Haste Travel sent Sylvia Berman, Grace DeVita, Arlene Feen, Cheryl Bechtol, Janet Rubinger, Jan Hammond, Cathie Inman, Barbara Stein and Fran Thorz to meet with the suppliers and attend the various trainings provided by Virtuoso to improve our knowledge and skills as travel advisors. We now know so much more about the great experiences available to you around the world, and have improved our skills for providing you with the best service possible. Even with the grueling 6:30 AM - 6PM daily schedule, we still had time to play, at the many cocktail parties and dinners we were invited to, staying out until 10PM each night. Not much time for sleep, but this opportunity only comes once a year!

We have shared the information we received with everyone else in the office, and Virtuoso's proprietary software, Composer, contains all the information for every Virtuoso supplier in the world, so we all have the information at our fingertips. Make sure to contact your favorite travel consultant when you start thinking about where you want to go on your next vacation. The holidays are coming quickly, and it's a great time to travel with your family, whether on a cruise, or at a resort, or maybe a fun adventure filled trip. We are here and ready to plan everything for you so feel free to give us a call...800-881-7690.

Summer 2010 Newsletter

2010-07-15T11:21:00.002-04:00

I've just loaded our newest edition of our Summer 2010 Newsletter on to our www.posthastetravel.com website. This issue is dedicated to booking your holiday travel now. There are great articles from our consultants and clients about where they've been recently. some really great destinations with some really great ideas for travel. Make sure you get a chance to read it!

Norwegian Epic

2010-07-12T11:49:00.006-04:00

Well, Sylvia and I are back from our 2 night sailing on the Norwegian Epic. There are some very nice things about the ship and some real problems, as I see it. Let's start with the good...

The food was surprisingly good....there are 21 restaurants on board, 11 that you must pay for, but our first night we ate in the Manhattan Room, which is one of the main dining rooms, and the food was excellent, as was the service. We also ate in the Chinese restaurant, Shanghai, and again the food and service was excellent. Breakfast and lunch are available all over the ship and serve nice breakfast food, hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, etc. The kids daycare area, Recess, is really nicely done. One of the features of the Epic are the single cabins, called Studios, that has its own private lounge area. These are going to be very popular with single travelers...the cabins are quite nice, and are only accessible to those staying in the Studios. The Courtyard Villa and suites are gorgeous. Again these are only accessible to those staying in the Courtyard part of the ship, and it has it's own pool, restaurant, and butlers. These are spacious and beautifully decorated and will be great for families traveling together. The spa is very nice as is the gym. The Ice Bar is small but fun, and the entertainment (we saw Blue Man Group) was fabulous.

Now for the problems...the biggest one being the design, or rather no design, of the "bathrooms" in ALL the cabins. When you walk into the balcony staterooms, there is a toilet"pod" on one side, enclosed only with a frosted glass door, that you can see through, and hear everything. On the other side is the shower "pod" with the same frosted glass door. If you are not traveling with someone you are really really comfortable with, going to the bathroom could be an embarrassing experience. We spoke with some other passengers that asked their room mate to leave the cabin so they could use the toilet privately. Same problem with the shower. There is a curtain that you can pull across that separates the area from the cabin, but does nothing for noise and really doesn't give you any privacy. And when you get out of the shower, you are standing in front of your cabin door, so potentially your traveling companion could come into the cabin and you'd just be standing there soaking wet...also, the sink is inside the cabin, and in the case of the balcony cabins it is just across from the couch or bed, leaving no room for anyone to pass if you are using the sink. Also, the faucet on the sink is very tall and curved, making it impossible to lean forward to wash your face or brush your teeth...you have to stand straight up, and the water splashed all over the place, making a big mess. ALL cabins have a similar "bathroom" layout, although the suites and penthouse toilets and shower "pods" have opaque glass instead of frosted glass enclosures, and the "bathroom" areas are separated from the bedroom areas. Also, the toilet "pods" are quite small, and larger people will have trouble using them...

Next big design problem...there are no pools on board. There are 3 "plunge" type pools that might hold up to 3o people standing up...2 in the main pool area, 1 at the rear of the ship in a semi-private area. These "pools" are 4.5 feet deep and are not suitable for any type of swimming. And there is no kids pool. There are a couple of hot tubs, and a huge water slide, but I can't figure out where teenagers are supposed to go to swim, never mind small children, although there is a cute area for small children to play in fountains. There are "misters" and fountains around the pool area, but that doesn't make up for the lack of any swimming. There is also only one bar on the pool deck and when the ship is full I can see that being a real service problem. The line to check out and return towels was very long, and the ship was only 1/2 full.

I felt very crowded throughout the ship. On decks 5 & 6 where the restaurants, shops and casino are located, you can only walk through the center hallway, and it really was crowded, especially when you have to walk through all the gaming machines the casino has placed right through the middle of the walkway.

All in all, the bathrooms are going to be a huge problem. We will have to be very careful who travels together in these cabins. And I don't understand how they could build a ship with no pools that can actually be used for swimming. There were so many nice things about the ship, but the topic of conversation we heard from everyone was only about the toilets....We will have to be very careful which cabins we will sell to our clients, and will stick to the suites, penthouses, Courtyard villas and Studios. We are very glad we went on board to see these things for ourselves, and our consultants will all get the opportunity to visit for themselves soon.

Wrap Up for Paws Up

2010-06-16T08:52:00.003-04:00

Well, I am missing Montana already. The Resort at Paws Up is truly an amazing vacation location. Sunday morning we got to watch staff do a test run for a new ballooning adventure, and although they never left the ground, it was a beautiful sight. On Monday morning, I had breakfast delivered to the house, right on time, and set up for me on the kitchen table. Delicious as usual. My transfer to the Missoula airport was around 9 AM...the airport is really a throw back in time, small yet efficient, and full of mounted animals....bears, mountain lions,etc. Pretty cool. The most difficult part of this vacation is the amount of time it takes to travel to and from Ft. Lauderdale and Missoula...10-12 hours of travel. I'll have to find better connections for the next time I go out there, and there will be a next time! Paws Up has a great winter program that looks like a lot of fun, and I love the snow, so maybe then? Make sure to contact me with any questions if you'd like to go either by yourself, with friends or family. The tented camps are a great value and as elegant as the homes...although the homes can accommodate more people at a time. I am presenting what I've learned to all our staff at today's lunch meeting, so all of us here at Post Haste will be able to help you get to Paws Up.

Last day at Paws Up

2010-06-14T08:08:00.002-04:00

Sunday was my last full day here, and we had a nature hike scheduled for 10 AM. Paulette (my new friend from ProTravel in Beverly Hills) and I got to the Wilderness Center after another great breakfast and met our guide, Dean. We went by van and were dropped off at a trail head about a mile from the center. We hadn't been walking for very long when I heard a branch snap, we stopped, and I saw a big black bear, and then another smaller, cinnamon bear....we were able to watch them run off for a few seconds and were thrilled with the sighting! The wildflowers along the trail were gorgeous and in full bloom. The weather was perfect for a hike, warm and sunny. We walked the trail though woods and fields, and at another brief stop, I looked down and saw some "poop"...I asked Dean what he thought left it, and he said, Mountain Lion...I'm counting that as an animal sighting! We then saw a mother turkey and her brood of chicks, and a coyote not too far from them. After 2 hours we were almost done with our hike, and as we waited for the van to pick us up, a bald eagle flew above us. All in all a very successful nature hike! I spent the rest of the afternoon reading a book and getting my last bit of relaxation of my vacation. Monday is a long travel day and it's back to work first thing Tuesday morning. I am very pleased with everything at Paws Up. From the electric vehicles available for visitors to use, to the no plastic bottles policy, to the extremely attentive staff, this resort will be highly recommended by me for a long time to come. Make sure to take the opportunity to visit this most beautiful "Last Best Place".

More Paws Up

2010-06-12T17:50:00.002-04:00

Today was a Chamber of Commerce day...the bluest skies I've seen in a long time, temp around 75 degrees, cool wind. I got a book and sat on the deck in my bathing suit, got some sun, then hit the hot tub for a bit...my legs still were sore from my horseback riding day...then I did the most wonderful thing...I had a hot stone massage, in a tent, looking out at snow capped mountains. First of all, I've never had a hot stone massage, and I must say, it's the best massage I've ever had. And with the fresh mountain air...amazing. My legs no longer are sore and I've finally realized that I'm in Montana. What a beautiful awe inspiring country...I feel not only refreshed, but ready for my next adventure here at Paws Up...a little wine, great company from all across the country and even the time change isn't bothering me any more. For dinner tonight I'm trying the Bison...all the food here is amazing. Tomorrow, we are taking a 2 h our guided hike throughout the countryside. I'm really looking forward to it. See you then!

Paws Up Day 2

2010-06-12T09:16:00.002-04:00

I really enjoyed the horseback ride yesterday, even though I had a problem with a saddle that didn't fit and my butt is really sore today! We had a great bar-b-Que dinner with the owner, Nadine, last night, with a jazz band, kids playing outside and really good company. Local residents also joined the dinner and it was interesting to hear how much they appreciated the local support Paws Up provides, from artists to farmers. The fireplaces were roaring, since the weather has gone from hot to cold to rain to sun 7 or 8 times during the day. I love it. I fell asleep so fast and as always was up with the sun, which here is 5 AM...oh, it doesn't get dark until 10 PM so my internal clock is a little screwed up. Today I am going to relax this morning, read a book and wait for my 1 PM massage...what a perfect was to spend the day. I'm sure I'll find time to walk around and look for animals. Yesterday I saw a skunk, a fox, a coyote, plenty of deer and ground squirrels. I'm still looking to see elk. Maybe today. The staff here is so accommodating, your really want for nothing. I'm looking forward to great meals again today. And who knows what tonight will bring. There's always something to do...or in my case, since I choose to...nothing. Check out my Facebook page for lot's of images.

Paws Up Day 1

2010-06-11T07:34:00.002-04:00

My first night at Paws Up was so cozy...it's about 30 minutes from the airport in Missoula, and a beautiful drive. The mountains are awesome! They've had a lot of rain up here lately so everything is very green. Once I got to the resort, I checked in at the beautifully rustic main office, then was brought to the house I'll be staying at for the next 3 days. This is a huge 3 bedroom, 3 bath ranch style house, (think Ponderosa) with huge private bedrooms, bathrooms en suite, a massive fireplace in the living area and a fully stocked kitchen. The bathrooms have tubs and showers and great etched glass. Cocktails were in the bar, Trough, and on the deck overlooking the fields going off into the distance, where the horses were grazing. Dinner was magnificent. Brown butter for the bread, a watermelon, tomato, olive salad...( I never thought of that combination before and it was delicious) and the best elk I've ever had. A subtle red wine, and nice light desert put me completely ready to get into bed after my 10 hours of travel, even though it doesn't get dark here until after 10 pm. The bed is dreamy, soft, comfortable, warm, all those superlatives that describe my first great nights sleep. Today, we start with a site inspection that will take all morning. Then my horseback ride. I'll continue later tonight.....

The Resort at Paws Up-Montana

2010-06-10T11:55:00.002-04:00

I've been waiting to to to Montana all my life. The Northwest is one of the few places I haven't been, so going to The Resort at Paws Up is really exciting for me. First, getting away from the heat for a few days will be marvelous, and I understand it's been in the 40's at night, 70's during the day. And I'll get some good horse time for the first time in over 6 months...and riding inn the mountains will be breathtaking, I'm sure. I will keep up this blog over the next 4 days and give detailed descriptions about the property, food, activities and surroundings. I'm sure there will be lot's of good things to say about Paws Up. Until tomorrow

Travel Agents Experiences funny stories

2010-03-23T08:44:00.002-04:00

I don't know who these are from...I received them in an email...and even if they're not all true, they are just too funny to ignore. As travel agents we hear all kinds of silly things, but these take the cake.

Subject: US Travel Agent Experience

US Travel Agent ExperienceA DC airport ticket agency offers some examples of 'why' our country is in trouble!
1. I had a New Hampshire Congresswoman (Carol Shea-Porter) ask for an aisle seat so that her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window. (On an airplane!)

2. I got a call from a Kansas Congressman's (Moore) staffer (Howard Bauleke), who wanted to go to Capetown. I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information, and then he interrupted me with, ''I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Capetown is in Massachusetts .'' Without trying to make him look stupid, I calmly explained, ''Cape Cod is in Massachusetts , Capetown is in Africa ''. His response -- click.

3. A senior Vermont Congressman (Bernie Sanders) called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando . He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried toexplain that's not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, 'don't lie to me, I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state!'' (OMG)

4. I got a call from a lawmaker's wife (Landra Reid) who asked, ''Is it possible to see England from Canada ?'' I said, ''No.'' She said, ''But they look so close on the map.'' (OMG, again!)

5. An aide for a cabinet member(Janet Napolitano) once called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas . I pulled up the reservation and noticed he had only a 1-hour layover in Dallas . When I asked him why hewanted to rent a car, he said, ''I heard Dallas was a big airport, and we will need a car to drive between gates to save time.'' (Aghhhh)

6.An Illinois Congresswoman (Jan Schakowsky) called last week. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:30 a.m., and got to Chicago at 8:33 a.m. I explained that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois , but she couldn't understand the concept of time zones. Finally, I told her the plane went fast, and she bought that.

7. A New York lawmaker, (Jerrold Nadler) called and asked, ''Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?'' I said, 'No, why do you ask?' he replied, ''Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said (FAT), and I'm overweight. I think that's very rude!'' After putting him on hold for a minute, while I looked into it. (I was dying laughing). I came back and explained the city code for Fresno , Ca. is (FAT - Fresno Air Terminal), and the airline was just putting adestination tag on his luggage.

8. A Senator John Kerry aide (Lindsay Ross) called to inquire about a trip package to Hawaii . After going over all the cost info, she asked, ''Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train toHawaii ?''

9. I just got off the phone with a freshman Congressman, Bobby Bright (D) from Ala who asked, ''How do I know which plane to get on?'' I asked him what exactly he meant, to which he replied, ''I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these planes have numbers on them.''

10. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) called and said, ''I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola , Florida . Do I have to get on one of those little computer planes?'' I asked if she meant fly to Pensacola , FL on a commuter plane. She said, ''Yeah, whatever, smarty!''

11. Mary Landrieu (D) La. Senator called and had a question about the documents she needed in order to fly to China . After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded her that she needed a visa. 'Oh,no I don't. I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those.'' I double checked and sure enough, her stay required a visa. When I told her this she said, ''Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express!''

12. A New Jersey Congressman ( John Adler) called to make reservations, ''I want to go from Chicago to Rhino, New York ..'' I was at a loss for words. Finally, I said, ''Are you sure that's the name of the town?'' 'Yes, what flights do you have?'' replied the man. After some searching, I came back with, ''I'm sorry, sir, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a Rhino anywhere." ''The man retorted, ''Oh, don't be silly! Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!'' So I scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, ''You don't mean Buffalo , do you?'' The reply? ''Whatever! I knew it was a big animal..''

Now you know why the Government is in the shape that it's in! Could anyone be this DUMB? YES, THEY WALK AMONG US, ARE IN POLITICS, AND THEY CONTINUE TO BREED. I don't write it, I just offer it for your consideration. Like manure, you just gotta spread it around.

10 ways to keep your figure on a cruise

2010-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

A common concern for travelers is not how much they bring with them, but how much they bring back...on the hips and thighs. To help keep away the extra weight that comes with luxury vacation splurges, Crystal Cruises has come up with 10 ways to stay fit aboard Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.
1. If you're not busy practicing your golf swing, walk or jog around the 360-degree promenade deck.
2. Opt for fresh fruit or salads at the Trident Grill. Keep in mind that all dining options are trans fat-free.
3. Instead of heavier dinner foods, dine at Nobu for light and healthy sushi or sashimi.
4. Book time with a private trainer.
5. Take advantage of the complimentary bottles of water.
6. Try an aerobics or yoga class.
7. Pamper yourself with detoxifying body wraps at the Crystal Spa.
8. When the ships dock engage in physical activity like kayaking, hiking or snorkeling.
9. Swim laps in the pool.
10. Rejuvenate your body with onboard acupuncture and shiatsu massages.

Southern African Safari 2010

2009-12-21T15:02:00.002-05:00

Picture yourself watching a pride of lion as they wake, to head off on the hunt. Find leopard sleeping in a tree. Enjoy sundown from you Land Rover as elephant have their last drink of the day in front of you. Listen to the calls of hippo from your elegant tent on the Zambezi River.

Join Africa Expert, Sylvia Berman, on her annual trip to Southern Africa. September 22 - October 9, 2010. 18 days, 15 nights. Only 8 guests may join in this exciting safari experience.

The trip includes a day with historian Robin Binckes in Johannesburg. Two nights in Johannesburg at the Melrose Arch Hotel. Three nights in the Northern Kruger at King's Camp. Three nights in the Sabi Sand at Mala Mala main camp. Two nights at Toka Leya tented camp in Victoria Falls, Zambia. Five nights at the Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town. A sundown cruise on the Zambezi River, a tour of Victoria Falls, and elephant encounter, Cape Point, Boulders and the African penguins, Robben Island, Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Gardens, and the famous Wine Lands. The land price of $9039.00, double occupancy includes: Accomodations and touring as listed above, all transfers, chartered intra-Africa flights, all game drives, 15 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 8 dinners. Call for a complete itinerary. 954-966-7690 or 800-881-7690.

From Arlene Feen, Travel Consultant

2009-12-21T14:53:00.003-05:00

Crystal Cruise – Serenity – Athens to Venice – 12 days with overnight in Alexandra. It had been awhile since I had sailed and was looking forward to a getting away with a girlfriend. Many questions concerned us. Would we be the only couple of younger girls? Would there be enough to keep us busy? How could 2 ladies share one bathroom? Our questions were answered the moment we boarded. We were welcomed and felt we were home for 12 days. Tammi and I found it very easy to make friends, and enjoy life on board the ship. I do not know what they put into the employee's water; Service was consistently out-of-this-world! When we arrived at breakfast the next morning, everyone knew our names. Always smiling, vigorously inquiring what they could do for us. Crystal has the well-deserved reputation for dining, service and big-ship options, Crystal Cruises is particularly known for signature features that include onboard specialty restaurants Nobu, and Prego, huge wine cellars, paddle tennis, expansive Computer University@Sea labs and one of the best enrichment programs in cruising. Wait I forgot to mention the Mozart Tea, the Asian themed buffet, the Grand buffet, and the spa I wanted to move into. Crystal Cruises still preserves a traditional, two-seating dining pattern in its main restaurant and does formal nights. We were thrilled to have Dr. Jeffry and Mrs. Meryl Perkins, and Mr. Seth and Mrs. Ellyn Lehr (my clients) as dinning companions. Tammi and I have a rolodex of new friends. There were many single lads, and the on- board hosts were always there to make sure we were dancing and having a wonderful time. Our time on board lead to discussions of World Events, Sports, Music, to why doesn't the gift shop carry more items for us to purchase for grandchildren. Life on board the Serenity is just what you planed. You will not be disappointed and very pleasantly surprised at finding yourself thinking perhaps I should take back to back cruises. The cabins are small, but the bathroom does have double sinks, and a bathtub. We were able to both get dressed at the same time, and there was plenty of storage space. Our itinerary was wonderful Athens, Santorini, Rhodes, Jerusalem (Ashod) Alexandria, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice. Each port offered unique opportunities and wonderful memories. Tammi and I had the opportunity to overnight in Venice before we parted for home. Ask me about the wonderful walk from San Marcos Square back to the cruise ship. I flew from Venice to Paris for additional 4 nights. (More about this trip in the next news letter.) My flight was considered domestic. The weight of my baggage: way over the allocated 30kg. Something everyone should keep in mind. Contact me to avoid the penalty that could be very hefty.
Happy Sailing: Arlene Feen

Oasis of the Seas photos

2009-11-30T08:55:00.012-05:00

Oasis of the Seas

2009-11-30T07:51:00.004-05:00

Oasis of the Seas...Friday November 27th: We arrived at the new cruise terminal around 2 PM. The terminal has it's own parking lot that holds 1,000 cars. It's easy to access and the terminal check in was quick and efficient. As we boarded the ship, we were really unprepared for what was to come. Entering on deck 5, which is the Royal Promenade, we were surprised that we were in a shopping area...mall is more like it. The Royal Promenade is vast, and beautifully designed. The space is huge...many stories high, so you feel almost like you are outside...the space made me feel like I was in a subtle version of Las Vegas...There are restaurants, gift shops, bars, Guest services, coffee shops...and it is so wide! To get to our cabins we turned towards the elevators, which have glass doors so you can see through them, and saw a flat panel image on the wall of the ship...it's touch screen and you can enter your cabin number to get directions, or choose multiple other items to find on the ship. We were on deck 14, (the kids neighborhood is on this deck, yet it is separated and unobtrusive) so we went to our cabin and unpacked. We decided to start at the top of the ship and work our way down, so we headed to deck 17. The first impression I got of the Oasis was how really big she is. Even though there were over 3,000 people on board for our 2 night cruise, it didn't feel anywhere near crowded. The Oasis can hold up to 6300 passengers, with a crew of 2200 (approx.) The ship is extremely well designed, and very easy to find your way around. From the very beginning, I had no problem orienting myself, or finding anything on the ship. In the middle of the ship on deck 15 there are 4 pools...plus hot tubs...each pool has a different theme. There are whirlpools for adults on the sides, overhanging the ship. We headed towards the stern, where the Zip Line, wave riders, and miniature golf are located. There was already a long line of people signing up for the Zip line. Demonstrations of the wave riders were great. The Zip Line travels over the Boardwalk underneath, 8 decks (I think) down. There are inside balcony cabins that overlook the Boardwalk area, and many passengers were on their balconies watching the Zip line riders. The Boardwalk area is a great neighborhood, where the carousel is located, along with the 2 rock climbing walls, 2 movie screens and the pool for the water show. There are restaurants, coffee and donut shops, and it's an altogether great meeting place for lunch and people watching. The artwork leading up to the carousel is wonderful, life size wood sculptures showing how the carousel horses are carved. There are 6 suites overlooking the Boardwalk, with very large balconies. You could spend a better part of your day on the balcony of one of these suites and be completely entertained. Then to Central Park. What a beautiful concept! Central Park is the location of many specialty restaurants and bars. The winding path through the live garden area is peaceful and quiet. There are plenty of seating areas. Balcony cabins also overlook this area. Again, this is a very high, open area and you do get the feeling that you are outside. It was getting close to leaving port and I found a spot on the port side of deck 16, along with many hundreds of other guests...but it still wasn't crowded. As the ship pulled out of port I really got a sense of how massive this ship is...there was another cruise ship across from us, and we just overshadowed the ship. The folks that live along the channel out of the port were out in force, waving at us, with bull horns and banners...we were as high as the top of some of the condos along the channel. We got a quick bite to eat, and headed back to our cabins for an early night.
First thing Saturday morning, we searched around for a cup of coffee, and some breakfast, then started out again on our self guided tour. We found the Casino and were truly amazed at the size of it. Beautifully decorated, well laid out...then to the theater for a quick peek. There is a Comedy club and a night club on the same deck as the Casino. The Library is quite small for a ship this large, but I don't think too many people will be sitting inside it reading. We had a Q&A meeting with Royal Caribbean executives, located in the Ice Skating arena. Many great questions asked and answered. Lunch was on the Boardwalk, and I must say, it's a really great area to hang out and watch all the activity around you. After lunch we began our cabin inspections, which took over 2 hours, since there are so many categories of cabins. This is going to be a great ship for families and groups of friends to cruise on. Bunk beds are available for kids, couches turn into beds, you can fit up to 16 people in one of the suites, and many other combinations are used. I took some time off and got into one of the adult whirlpools overlooking the ocean. Then off to see the musical "Hairspray". It was a fabulous production. All this time I really felt comfortable on the ship. I never felt disoriented or turned around, never felt crowded...the crews service was wonderful and efficient, and for the most part they crew was a happy, smiling bunch. The ship is always being cleaned. I have probably left out something, oh wait, the Spa! The Spa area and Fitness Center could be located in any mall in America. Spacious, almost elegant, (the spa), we were truly impressed by both. There is a jogging track that circles deck 5...12 laps equals 5 miles. Amazing. Anyway, I'm sure I'm forgetting something, so please just ask...I would recommend Oasis of the Seas to anyone that wants plenty or entertainment and fun, with options galor. This will be a great ship for kids (who, by the way, get a GPS armband so they can be found anywhere on board), great ship for parents and grandparents, great cruising for any group of friends, and couples who want alot to do on board. If you do have any questions, please feel free to contact me, either by phone at 954-966-7690, or email grace@posthastetravel.com .

Busy week with cruise ships

2009-11-13T13:53:00.004-05:00

This has been a busy week for me and cruise ships. Monday Jamie and I flew to New York to spend the night on the Crystal Symphony. It was my first time on a Crystal Cruises ship. The Symphony holds 940 passengers (if my memory serves me right) but has a very intimate feeling. The ship was recently refurbished, and the new elegance shows. All the staterooms and suites were upgraded, and although a bit small, the appointments were lovely. Great colors, comfortable bedding, a huge bathroom, (big enough for 2 to fit comfortably) with tub and shower...the Nobu specialty restaurant is artfully done, with a vary calming, oriental influence, and Prego is an intimate, subtly fun room. The food was absolutely wonderful, as was the service. Even though we were only on board for the one night (and we didn't leave the dock) it seemed as if the staff already knew us and our preferences. The only thing that struck me as odd, was the choice of a pink carpet for one of the decks...I couldn't imagine having to walk to the end of a pink hallway to get to my cabin. We flew home Tuesday afternoon, having listened to a great sales and marketing presentation by the President and Sales and Marketing Manager. Crystal has some great itineraries for 2010 and 2011 and is definitely worth sailing with.

Thursday afternoon, Sylvia Berman, President of Post Haste Travel, (and my mother) were off to spend one night on the Seabourn Odyssey. This is the first time the Odyssey has been in Fort Lauderdale, and although larger than her sister ships, at 400 guests, she is still intimate and elegant. The Odyssey is so well designed and thought out. The public areas seem cozy and intimate while at the same time being bright and open. The low profile seating keeps the view from being blocked from any location, and the seating arrangements allow for privacy or friendly interaction, whichever you choose. There are nooks and crannies all throughout the ship. The pool area is very well laid out and comfortable. The cabins are large, roomy and almost all have balconies. The Weingarden (sp?) Suite was amazing! A special spa tub on the veranda, separate from the rest of the balcony...dinner was marvelous. Multiple small courses, and lobster done just right. I think the staff could use a bit more training, but all in all, they were very friendly and attentive. This beautiful ship is a must for the discerning cruiser who is looking to visit the smaller ports and wants comfortable elegance.

And to top it all off, this morning we watched the Oasis of the Seas enter Fort Lauderdale from the deck of the Odyssey. I was at the rail about 6:30 AM and saw the Oasis appear from the clouds on the horizon...very eery...it's a behemoth of a ship. After watching the Oasis wait until it was the right time to enter Port Everglades, she finally approached the port, and what a sight! Bigger and bigger as she got nearer. There are condo's right at the edge of the entrance to the Port, and the Oasis completely covered them...and she just kept coming! How the pilot got her so easily into her dock is beyond comprehension. Sylvia and I will be on board the Oasis November 27th and 28th for a travel agent preview. I will be sure to tell you all about this amazing ship. This is one week I will remember for a long time.

When does it pay to buy travel insurance?

2009-10-21T09:14:00.001-04:00

When Does It Pay to Buy Travel Insurance?
October 20, 2009 Posted in Practical Travel Tips

By Doug StallingsFodor's Editor
I have seen travel insurance described as everything from a Ponzi scheme to an essential travel tool. It seems that people who don't like travel insurance are often those who find out that their insurance doesn't cover them for the problem that they face. Conversely, those that swear by the policies are often the ones who have been reimbursed by their insurer. My mother's friend is in the latter camp. She fractured her hip during a bad fall on the last night of her Alaska cruise, and several weeks and 1 operation later she had to be taken back home in a wheelchair. Her travel insurance covered everything all the costs that Medicare didn't, including her first-class plane ticket.
I'm squarely behind the idea of travel insurance. Not everyone agrees with me, but I think on the whole there are many more positive stories than negative ones about how travel insurance has come in to save someone from financial ruin. But for the doubters, especially those who don't regularly buy insurance, here are some things to think about next time you consider whether or not to buy a policy.
Has travel insurance ever come in handy for you?

5 Simple (and Important) Things to Remember about Travel Insurance

1. Understand what your policy covers
Like all insurers, travel insurance companies live and die by the fine print in their policies. It bears remembering that you should read that fine print before buying a policy to make sure you're covered for the problems you anticipate (or perhaps even for those that you don't). Are you concerned you might have to cancel your trip because your Great-Aunt Sue is in the hospital? Make sure a great-aunt is one of the close relatives for which you can cancel a trip. Do you have hurricane phobia? Make sure you can cancel easily if a hurricane warning is issued for your destination, not just when all travel there is suspended because of an imminent storm (in some cases a day or two difference either way determines whether or not you will be reimbursed for your cancellation).

2. Documentation is key
I read a sad story recently of someone who bought insurance and canceled a trip because of an illness, expecting to be reimbursed for the cost. Unfortunately, the person didn't bother to see a doctor because this was a long-standing medical condition that the person experienced from time to time. Sad to say, there was no reimbursement forthcoming because there was no doctor's record that the individual was sick. Fair? Well, why should an insurance company simply take your word that an illness has prevented you from traveling? If you're sick, you should see a doctor and get a note. If you have a car accident, you need to take pictures of the damage. If something is stolen from you, you must file a police report. Having this documentation may be the difference between a welcome reimbursement or a very unwelcome refusal from the insurer.

3. Don't pay for coverage you don't need (but do pay for coverage that you do need)
High reimbursement numbers may give you a feeling of security, but do you need $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage? Probably not, unless you're going to some remote jungle in the middle of nowhere. Do you really need a policy that allows you to cancel for any reason? Probably not, though you'll pay almost double for that privilege. And what about health care coverage? Someone asked in our forums recently whether it was worthwhile to pay extra to have a travel medical policy that acted as a primary health insurer rather than as a secondary insurer (the person already had health insurance). While this might be a valid question for a car-rental collision-damage waiver policy, it's not really relevant for health insurance. Travel health insurance pays for what your regular insurance doesn't, and your regular insurance doesn't go up just because you make a claim (unlike auto insurance). So there is no benefit in paying extra just to get "primary" coverage.
As with the case of the policy offering "primary" health insurance, be aware of things that sound as if they are a great benefit but actually add little value to your policy. A policy isn't better simply because it is labeled "gold" or "platinum." Instead, read the fine print to make sure the coverage levels are what you need. Don't pay extra for a car-rental policy that covers "exotic" vehicles such as $80,000 Mercedes convertibles and Cadillac Escalade SUVs unless you plan to rent one. Don't pay extra for a policy covering extreme sports activities such as bungee jumping or mountain climbing unless you plan to participate in these activities. But always get the narrowest policy that covers you adequately for the activities you plan to partake in; not all policies will cover you for injuries in white-water rafting, for instance, unless you buy a higher level of coverage.

4. Insure yourself when you put down a nonrefundable deposit far in advance—and when you do buy insurance for these trips, buy it immediately
The one time I tell people that travel insurance is an absolute must is when they are booking a nonrefundable trip far in advance. Who knows what may happen 6 to 12 months down the line? Will you be laid off from your job? Will your parents become incapacitated by an unexpected illness? Will you trip and fall down the stairs the week before you're expected to leave and have your ankle in a cast for 8 to 12 weeks? Will you injure yourself in the gym two days before your departure? Will your tour operator go bankrupt and be unable to refund your deposit? The future is unknowable, and the purpose of insurance is to give you peace of mind when you have to face the unexpected and unpleasant. It's certainly worth while to spend an extra 5% of your trip cost to buy insurance that will reimburse you for 95% to 100% of your out-of-pocket expenses in the case of an unforeseen occurrence.
Moreover, most travel insurance policies offer much broader coverage if you buy a policy within a few days of putting down your initial deposit. You may only be covered for pre-existing medical conditions in such a case. And you will certainly not be covered if your tour company goes out of business unless you have purchased a policy before the company declares that it's in financial dire straits. So-called "Cancel for any Reason" policies must usually be purchased within a few days of your initial trip deposit in order for you to receive the full benefits. I could go on, but the basic issue is this: you must purchase your travel insurance policy before something goes wrong, so the longer you wait, the more risk you must incur yourself.

5. Always buy medical coverage when you travel overseas, especially if you are a senior
If you are a senior on Medicare, your medical bills will not be covered if you get sick outside of the U.S. except in Mexico and Canada (and that includes any time you spend aboard a cruise ship, even if it leaves from a U.S. port). A Medi-Gap policy may also not cover your out-of-pocket costs if you are not covered by Medicare, so make sure you understand what your policy does and does not cover before you travel. Some HMOs have similar provisions, failing to cover you outside of the U.S. While medical care outside of the U.S. is often just as good as at home (and often quite a bit cheaper), it's still not free.
And if you trip on a quaint cobblestone street in Venice or slip on the stairs at Wat Po or have a car accident in Bolivia, you might sustain serious injuries that could require extensive care and rehabilitation; you might even have to end your trip suddenly and be brought home in a specially chartered plane. Regardless of how careful you are and how carefully you avoid germs, you might have appendicitis in Tanzania or suffer altitude sickness in the Swiss Alps. While quick care may save your life, it won't be free, and you might need to be moved to the nearest large hospital for surgery or immediate treatment, and that cost can be considerable.
And here's a sixth, "bonus" tip: A collision-damage waiver is almost always cheaper when you buy it from a travel insurance company rather than from the car-rental company. You'll pay about $9 per day as opposed to $14 to $25 per day.
Travel Insurance Resources

Compare costs of several plans
Several Web sites will allow you to compare the costs and fine print of similar policies (for similar coverage). InsureMyTrip.com and SquareMouth.com both allow you to do this.
Comprehensive Travel Insurance
There are several bit companies that offer comprehensive travel insurance, including (but not limited to) Access America, CSA Travel Protection, HTH Worldwide, Travelex Insurance, Travel Guard International, and Travel Insured International. These companies offer coverage for many different kinds of events, and most offer a "cancel for any reason" option (though you'll pay dearly for it). Otherwise, expect the cost of a comprehensive policy to be between 5% and 12% of the cost of your total trip (depending on your age).
If you want to purchase only medical coverage from a comprehensive travel insurer, enter a trip cost of $0; you won't be covered if you have to cancel your trip, but you will be covered for hospital and doctor's costs and for medical evacuation if you become ill along the way.
International Medical Plans

There are several companies that offer only international medical plans. While these are primarily useful if you are doing an extensive trip, these plans might be useful to you if you travel a lot (most are aimed at frequent international travelers). Some of the major insurers include Wallach & Company, International Medical Group, and International SOS. One other company that can be helpful is not really an insurance company; MedjetAssist is a members-only medical evacuation company. When you pay to become a member, you are entitled to medical evacuation to your hospital of choice from anywhere in the world regardless of the reason for your hospitalization

For Americans, Plastic Buys Less

2009-10-02T13:23:00.000-04:00

October 4, 2009

Practical Traveler

For Americans, Plastic Buys Less

By MICHELLE HIGGINS

BETTER pack some cash on your next trip abroad. Americans are finding that their credit and bank cards aren’t as convenient as they once were while traveling overseas.

The problem: American cards lack a special chip, now commonly used in many foreign countries, causing the cards to be rejected by some merchants and kiosks.

That’s what Nancy Elkind, a lawyer from Denver, discovered in Paris when she wanted to use the popular Vélib’ bicycle rental system on a weeklong vacation with her husband last spring. They tried to swipe various cards at the rental kiosk, which doesn’t take cash, and all the cards were rejected.

Then, thinking the problem might be with the kiosk and not their cards, they tried other Vélib’ locations around the city. But each time, their cards were not accepted.

“We gave up, and kept walking around Paris, commenting occasionally on how much fun it would be to do some exploring by bike,” Ms. Elkind said.

The couple’s cards, which rely on magnetic-stripe technology for transactions, lacked an embedded microprocessor chip, which stores and processes data and is now commonly used in Europe. Such chip-based cards — commonly referred to as chip-and-PIN cards because users punch in a personal identification number instead of signing for the purchase — offer an extra layer of protection against the theft of cardholder data and counterfeiting, and they are designed to replace magnetic stripe technology and signature payments.

The chip-and-PIN technology usually isn’t much of an issue when making purchases at a store, or paying for a meal in a restaurant, as most of those merchants still have credit card terminals that can read the magnetic stripes. Likewise, A.T.M.’s typically recognize and accept many cards whether they have a chip or a magnetic stripe.

But American cardholders have had their cards rejected by automated ticket kiosks at train stations, gas pumps, parking garages and other places where there are no cashiers.

The alternatives aren’t ideal. Carrying around a wad of cash is a throwback, not to mention a security concern, for many travelers trained over the years to use plastic for purchases abroad.

And as more countries around the world move to chip-and-PIN cards, it’s inevitable that Americans will encounter more difficulties paying for things abroad.

Twenty-two countries, including much of Europe, Mexico, Brazil and Japan, have adopted the technology, according to the Smart Card Alliance, a nonprofit association that promotes chip cards. About 50 other countries are in various stages of migrating to the technology in the next two years, including China, India and most of Latin America, according to the association.

In the last year, Canada began rolling out chip-and-PIN cards and plans to stop accepting magnetic stripe debit cards at A.T.M.’s after 2012 and at point-of-sale terminals after 2015.

These governments like the cards because they reduce fraud. With an embedded microcontroller, large amounts of data can be stored on the card itself rather than in a central database, and counterfeiting such a card is difficult.

But the United States banking industry has no immediate plans to adopt the technology. Part of the reason, experts say, is that fraud issues haven’t been as prevalent here as in other countries.

The expense of converting the country to chip-and-PIN technology is also a deterrent. Javelin Strategy and Research, a consulting company for the financial services industry, has estimated the cost for the United States’ to migrate to the technology at $5.5 billion, mainly for new payment terminals — an expense that neither retailers nor banks want to shoulder.

Doug Johnson, vice president for risk management policy at the American Bankers Association, said that American banks were concerned about security but that there were no plans to move to chip-and-PIN cards. “There are a lot of hurdles,” he said, “both from a cost standpoint as well as a network standpoint, we need to broach.”

It should be noted that chip-and-PIN cards are different from the radio frequency chip that some American credit cards now have, which allows customers to wave their card at a check-out scanner, instead of physically swiping it. Visa’s payWave cards and Expresspay cards from American Express are two examples.

But regardless of the technology used, merchants have a certain amount of control over what kinds of cards they accept. Vélib’, for example, accepts American Express cards whether they have chip-and-PIN technology or not. But it doesn’t accept Visa or MasterCards unless they have the chip-and-PIN technology.

CREDIT card issuers acknowledge the problems but offer few solutions at the moment. Randa N. Ghnaim, a spokeswoman for Visa, said the company was working with banks and merchants across Europe to ensure that they accept magnetic stripe cards in addition to chip-and-PINs.

“We have heard of limited instances where merchants have refused to accept Visa magnetic stripe cards, but by and large, the majority of Visa cards are seamlessly accepted internationally,” she said. “It’s usually a lack of understanding that could lead to any issues rather than any issue related to the type of card a consumer may carry.”

And at least one company, Travelex, the global payment services company, says it is working on a chip-and-PIN card for Americans that could be loaded with up to 6,000 euros or £4,500 — about $9,000 or $7,400 at recent exchange rates. But that solution is still at least a year away.

“It’s definitely something we’ve been hearing more and more of,” said Tracy Hammock, a senior vice president at Travelex.

For now, though, there is little an American traveler can do besides insisting, if a cashier refuses your card, that the merchant swipe it anyway. Despite what the cashier thinks, the terminal may be able to read the magnetic strip and approve the purchase.

But realistically, it’s not a huge problem, and there are ways to work around it. You can still buy things like train tickets and subway cards online ahead of time, carry traveler’s checks or simply pack a lot of cash.

That’s what Hope Einstein, a retired financial analyst from Stamford, Conn., decided to do on a trip to Great Missenden, England, last month, after she encountered chip-and-PIN issues two years ago. Lucky she did. Ms. Einstein still wasn’t able to withdraw money from A.T.M.’s. But this time, she wisely exchanged some dollars for pounds before leaving the United States.

Recalling her first visit, she said, “It’s humbling to be walking around London with five bucks in your pocket.”

Travel Mart

2009-08-14T13:57:00.002-04:00

We are all getting ready to attend this years Virtuoso mega meeting, Travel Mart, at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. In addition to the many training meetings, we will be meeting with all the top suppliers of luxury travel, from the world over. We have a few tables to tend, and the suppliers each have 4 minutes to present their product to us...we will see approximately 1500 different suppliers over 4 days, in 4 minute intervals. This includes cruise lines, tour companies, hotel and resort properties, private jets, private car companies, and all the myriad suppliers to the luxury travel industry. Breakfast meetings start at 6:45 AM- supplier meetings are from 8-12, then 2-5, with a business meeting lunch in between. Cocktails start at 6 PM, then formal dinners from 8-10. Sleep is a precious commodity.
The amount of information we get is overwhelming, but fortunately, Virtuoso posts spec sheets from each supplier on a private website so we can have access to all the information we will need in the future to be able to make well informed recommendations to all our clients. This is a real opportunity to meet some of our suppliers face to face. So much of the time they are just a voice on an international phone call.
Personally, I go to bed each night at 8:30 PM, so I miss a lot of the dinner extravaganza's, and I never get to go to any of the Vegas shows, but I trade that for feeling decent in the morning. I will be sure to post info on any spectacular or new travel opportunities we learn about.
In the meantime, we will be operating with a skeleton crew in the office this week. Be patient with us...we'll come back with great recommendations for your holiday travel plans!

Sixth Star Travel and Post Haste Travel

2009-08-10T14:00:00.003-04:00

Sixth Star Travel, a Virtuoso travel agency, is now part of the Post Haste Travel family. Sixth Star, which specialized in high end luxury travel, merged with Post Haste as of August 1, 2009. We are very excited to have the talent of Jean Sauleau, Jan Hammond, Lynva Bridges, and Monika Dysart as part of our team. All of these experienced travel consultants have a long a varied background in the travel industry. Jean Sauleau started Sixth Star, after a long career in the travel industry, in St. Louis, and moved to S FL in 2002. She has been very active in Virtuoso, has many accolades, and is a certified seller of travel for Virgin Galactic's space travel. Monika Dysart is still in St. Louis and will represent Post Haste as an independent consultant. Jan Hammond has been in the S FL travel industry for many years, being very active with various industry organizations. Lynva Bridges also has many years experience in travel, coming from the cruise supplier side, (and Wales) and brings great experience to our efforts.
Post Haste Travel now has 6 inside travel consultants, 26 independent consultants, and a great supporting staff. Our combined travel experiences cover all of the world, many times over, from cruises, tours, independent travel, family travel, heritage tours, adventure travel and more. Our travel consultants have specialty training and we share our mutual knowledge to the benefit of all our clients. We are thrilled to have such experienced consultants join us in our pursuit of unequaled customer service.

Tips for taking great travel photos

2009-07-20T14:46:00.004-04:00

From the Seattle Times......

SHOOT STEADY. A lack of sharpness due to camera shake or blur is a common mistake, says Schaub. "Avoid holding the camera out. It's probably the least steady posture for taking a picture."
LEARN TO LOOK AT LIGHT. Daylight is best during the first and last hours, says Holmes. "Get up early and stay out late. There's no secret to great landscapes, you just have to be in the right place at the right time. Make sure you know what time that is."
ANTICIPATE THE SHOT. With point-and-shoot cameras, it's easy to miss the picture because of shutter lag, the "delay between when you think you're taking a picture and when the camera actually takes the picture," Schaub says. Engage the shutter halfway and allow the camera to focus, then press the rest of the way slightly early.
DON'T TURN THE SUBJECT INTO SCENERY. We've all taken the picture of a loved one — 30 feet away — standing in front of some monument or cathedral. What's the point if you can't make out the person's face? Fill a third of your frame (left side or right) with the person standing 3 to 5 feet away, then fill the remaining two-thirds with your scenery. Shoot from a lower angle if necessary.
GET CLOSER. Most photographs can be improved if the photographer moves closer to the subject.
OUTFLANK YOUR SUBJECT. Instead of shooting buildings head-on from the front, move to one side or the other (depending on the light) and shoot across the front. You get more of the building without a wider lens and the picture shows depth.
KEEP IT SIMPLE. "Don't get hung up on equipment," says Holmes. "Learning to see is the important part of photography, not the amount of equipment you have."
ALWAYS BE AWARE OF WHAT'S IN YOUR FRAME. You are responsible for everything that appears in the final photograph. Learn to see like the camera and you won't get nasty surprises.
LOOK CAREFULLY FOR GESTURES. When taking pictures of people, a simple hand gesture can make or break a shot. Be preoccupied with detail.
EXPLORE THE SCENE MODES. "Introduce yourself to image effects," says Schaub. "You should understand what those things do so you can translate it when you get a little more savvy."
SIT A SPELL. People make better subjects when they're comfortable, so spend a little time and get the shot when they relax.
LOOK TO THE SKIES. Stormy weather combined with dawn light is a winning combination for landscape, says Holmes.
SHOOT A LOT. Digital-camera memory is cheap, much cheaper than film ever was. Shoot intelligently, but don't be afraid to keep shooting until you have the shot you feel expresses what you want to say.
About preparation, back up your files as soon as possible, and carry spares of everything essential to shooting, including batteries, cables and even a spare camera. Probably the most important tip may be the easiest: Just have fun.

What to do when you lose your passport, credit cards and money while traveling

2009-07-15T09:00:00.003-04:00

From Fodor's Travel, by Doug Stallings

1. Make copies of everything. When traveling, make color copies of your passport, all credit cards and ATM card (both front and back), and driver's license. Print out a copy to take with you and email a copy to yourself and someone else. If you lose any of your cards or passport, it's much easier to get them replaced if you have a good copy.
2. Know your bank's policies. Can your bank mail you a replacement credit or ATM card immediately? Does it have branches or offices in the country where you'll be traveling? How about a local contact number? If not, how do you reach them? Always do a little research before you leave, either on your bank's web site or by asking when you alert the bank that you'll be traveling abroad. If you bank at a small credit union, you may have more difficulties getting a replacement card abroad than if you bank with Citibank or HSBC, which actually have many branch offices throughout the world. But all banks will allow you to call collect from abroad and will provide a replacement card for you if yours is lost or stolen, though this may take 2 or 3 days. Some banks will require you to file a police report if your card is stolen; ask about that when you call about the theft. And if your bank has a branch in the city you're in, you might be able to walk in and get a replacement ATM card on the spot, or at least some cash if you know your account number.
3. Know the number and location of the nearest U.S. consulate. If you are traveling abroad, you should always have the telephone number and location of the nearest U.S. consulate, which you will have to visit in person to get an temporary replacement passport in the event that yours is lost or stolen. There will usually be an emergency number that is answered after hours, even on weekends and holidays; write that down too. Otherwise, you can call during business hours and make an appointment. Replacing a stolen passport is generally considered an emergency, especially if your departure from the country is imminent. However, you must apply for a passport in person, and some countries have only one U.S. consulate that can process emergency passport applications. You'll need a copy of your passport or some other kind of identification, but if you have nothing, you can also have someone vouch for you. It's usually possible to get an emergency passport within 24 hours.
4. Know about the American Citizens Services. The ACS is the part of the U.S. Department of State that helps U.S. citizens traveling abroad. Every consulate has an ACS department, which can do much more than replace a lost or stolen passport. The ACS can help you reach someone back home in an emergency and even act as a conduit so you can have money wired to you by someone back home if you lose all your cash. People back home can also use the ACS to help contact you by calling the agency at 202/647-5225.
5. Know that Western Union is almost everywhere. You can have a friend or relative at home send you money by Western Union in about an hour to virtually any destination on earth. All they need is a credit or debit card, and they can do the transaction online or over the phone. This is a reliable service and, while somewhat expensive (it's considered a cash advance by some credit cards, so there's a higher fee and interest beyond that charged by Western Union), it can be a godsend in a genuine emergency.
6. Get travel insurance. Travel Guard offers a 24-hour live help line for any client who buys their insurance. They can help you with an emergency cash transfer or can find the nearest consulate or an English-speaking doctor; the company will even help you rebook flights if you miss a connection. Other travel insurance companies and some credit cards offer similar services.
7.Have a secret stash always on hand. When traveling, always keep a $100 bill or $100 traveler's check hidden in your carry-on bag separate from other money just in case of an emergency. I've never had to use it, but having some emergency money set aside helps me sleep better at night.

Merecedes Benz showcase event

2009-07-09T09:53:00.005-04:00

PRESS RELEASE

July 9, 2009

Post Haste Travel was invited to attend the unveiling of 2 new Mercedes Benz
automobiles at a Mercedes Benz of Fort Lauderdale extravaganza event,

from 6-9 PM, on June 25th, 2009.

Along with Saks Fifth Avenue, The Ritz Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, Harley-Davidson,

Merrill Lynch and other local upscale businesses, Post Haste Travel was given

display space to offer services to the more than 750 attendees at the gala event.

As part of our Africa travel themed presentation, Sylvia Berman, President, Grace DeVita, marketing manager, Arlene Feen, consultant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises local business development representative Phil Devillier, Mark Conroy, Regent President, (offering Regents African cruises), and James Currie, from &Beyond, (showcasing safari camps and expedition services), were all at our table.

The event was a huge success both for vendors and Mercedes Benz. All attending vendors supplied gifts for a raffle, and we received a mailing list of attendees that registered for the raffle. After running the list through the Virtuoso database, Post Haste Travel will be able to market to this very elite list of prospective clients.

Mercedes Benz general manager Tony Giordano sent his thanks:
“On behalf of myself and our Team, we would like to thank you for being a part of a very exiting evening at Mercedes-Benz of Fort Lauderdale. We could not have been able to pull this off without the attentiveness of your staff that allowed us the opportunity to provide our Customers with "A World Class Experience".

We look forward to a continued partnership with Mercedes Benz of Fort Lauderdale, which started in October 2008 when Post Haste Travel hosted an Africa themed event at the dealership. Plans are in the works for another presentation from Post Haste Travel to the clients of Mercedes Benz.

Wednesday-last day of vacation

2009-06-24T09:04:00.002-04:00

I think everyone should make sure to take a day or two at home to rest and regroup after your vacation. It gives you time to clean everything that needs cleaning, get your house back in order along with your mind. I was lucky enough to have a wonderful, stormy day yesterday, and made a big pot of bean soup with cornbread. In my pajamas! All day! I'll finish all my errands today, pay my bills, and I'll be really ready to go back to work tomorrow. Then just 2 days and it's the weekend again. I finally got my cat back home this morning, (he went missing from my mothers for 2 days). This is the perfect end to some real rest.

Make sure to use your vacation time to separate yourself from your day to day life. The memories I have of the mountains in N GA will get me through the worst part of this FL summer. I do miss hearing the songbirds already though.

My next trip will be business, in Las Vegas, in August. More heat. Uh.

I'll be back to writing my regular blog by the beginning of next week. Until then.....

Photos from road trip

2009-06-23T15:34:00.013-04:00

A few photos from our road trip....I haven't figured out how to maximize the space in the blog yet....

Monday back at home

2009-06-22T07:43:00.002-04:00

It's Monday morning, and we are back at home. We had to cut the road trip short, due to an electrical problem with the old Mercedes, but I am still on vacation. We did get a chance to visit with Jamie's dad, and it was a wonderful few hours. On our way to North Florida, we decided to get a hotel room instead of trying to get to our campsite late in the day. Also, it was 100 degrees out. We got to Ichitucknee Springs at 8 AM Sunday morning, and it was packed with Fathers Day crowds. People with inner tubes and canoes were all over the place. A little too crowded for us. So we took a few minutes and swam in the springs, and decided to head home. Lou wasn't allowed near the water, (new rules to protect the springs are actually good, considering how many people use them) so we really didn't have a good reason to spend the night camping. The drive home took longer than I remembered, and although the car had been running fine, for some reason when we stopped at a rest area, she didn't start, again, and we needed a jump.
This morning we are going to Fort Lauderdale beach. It's going to be hot, but hey, a beach day is just the way to end this vacation. I'll be back at work Wednesday or Thursday...I haven't decided yet. Photos will follow soon. Until next time....

Saturday morning Woodlands Inn

2009-06-20T08:52:00.002-04:00

Dinner last night was a marvel. We opted not to eat from the prix fixe menu, but to order a la carte. We receive an "amuse" (sp?) as an opener...a spoonful of some fizzy powder with a piece of strawberry and cream as a palate freshener. What a surprise taste in your mouth! Then beautiful plates of shrimp, for Jamie, and asparagus with morels for me. The bread was served with 2 types of butter and 2 types of salt, and was delicious and fresh. I had a bowl of fragrant pasta, and we were already full. Then off to the most luscious, cozy 4 poster bed. soft pillows, perfect comforters, chocolates on the bed in a crystal bowl. Lou was given an organic dog bone, and loved it. We slept like babies.
I was up at 6 AM, and since this is a non smoking property, went out for a smoke and a walk for Lou. The temperature was warm, the humidity not too bad, yet. Coffee is served with 2 types of cubed sugar, brown and white, and was rich and fragrant. I just had a peaceful swim in the pool surrounded by crepe myrtles and magnolias. We're going to read a little this morning, then hit the road again around noon. Tonight,perhaps, we'll be in our tent at Ichitucknee Springs. If there is wi-fi, I'll report again.

Friday night 4th night of road trip

2009-06-19T17:39:00.002-04:00

We are in Summerville, SC, at the 5 star resort, Woodlands Inn, finally. I haven't been able to write in my blog the past 4 nights, since up in the mountains of North Georgia, we didn't have a wi-fi signal. Or any access to the Internet. Which was actually, wonderful. Let me back up some, and start with the beginning of the road trip.
We left Fort Lauderdale Monday night, 6 PM, and made it to Ocala by 10 PM. got a room at a Days Inn for the night, and were up early Tuesday morning, and on the road by 5:30 AM. We stopped in a rest area about 80 miles into Georgia, and the car wouldn't start. Got a jump from a friendly traveler, and were on our way again. When we got into North Georgia, the battery went again, and we called AAA, and found out we needed a new battery, so we went to a local Wal-Mart, bought a battery, and finally made it into Dahlonega, and Forrest Hills Resort, by 4 PM.
What a beautiful, secluded, rustic place! There are about 30 individual cabins, all in the woods, with kitchenettes, wrap around porches with swings, fireplaces, and ours had a full sized hot tub with a deck inside. There is horseback riding, a pool, and plenty of walking trails. It was so quiet. The birds were all we could hear. No car traffic, no electrical hum in the background, no noise whatsoever, except nature.
Breakfast was in a quaint restaurant called the Secret Garden. Dark and cozy, with picture windows overlooking a real secret garden, with classical music in the background. The buffet breakfast food was fabulous. Real country cooking with a very light touch. Outside the restaurant are formal rose gardens, with a couple of cats having a very loud argument. I took Lou for a wonderful walk through the woods, along groomed, paved, walking trails, with wildflowers growing everywhere.. I actually did this walk numerous times. I will post photos on my Facebook page, and in our newsletter. We spent the afternoon and evening with close friends, at Amicalola Falls, and went to bed early. The hot tub was a wonderful perk to have before bedtime. I saw my horse, and cried a bit when I had to leave him. Lou was having a wonderful time walking through the undergrowth around the cabin, looking for rabbits and smelling for deer. I walked alot. My unused calf muscles remembered how hills worked. We could have stayed there 2 or 3 more days. Forrest Hills, is remote, and secluded, and quiet and peaceful, and I recommend it for couples and families who want some real together time.
It's our first few hours here at Woodlands Inn, and I have to say, this is a real, elegant , Old South inn. European elegance. Gravel trails, beautiful, manicured grounds, and free wi-fi! It's a real comfort after our 7 hour drive down from the mountains. Oh, by the way, we stayed off the interstates, and traveled through all the small towns on Highway 78 from Georgia through South Carolina. It was the most direct route, and although we never drove faster than 65 mph, it was an easy drive. I'll have more to tell tomorrow, after dinner and swimming tonight.
Give yourself the chance to take a road trip. Even thought we've had to cut off the Maryland portion of the trip due to car trouble, this has been fantastic! Sweet dreams!

Top 10 reasons to use a travel agent

2009-06-15T08:24:00.002-04:00

From Travel Agent Central......
1. You've Googled "Mexico vacation," and come up with 17.8 million responses. Need a little help editing those choices?
2. Remember when you used that obscure website to book your hotel, and when you got there you spent your beach vacation overlooking a parking lot?
3. How many hours were you on hold with the airline when your flight was canceled because of a snowstorm?
4. Did you really mean to spend your honeymoon at that resort whose one tiny pool was filled all day with 12 screaming children?
5. Who knew that when you booked that "villa" in Tuscany, it would be a small room with a kitchenette and no air conditioning? Funny, it looked much better on your computer screen.
6. No one explained to you that in July, it's winter time in Rio, and so you showed up there with nothing but five Hawaiian shirts and three pairs of swimming trunks.
7. How about the time you really needed a restful vacation, and you ended up in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and someone threw up on your shoes?
8. Yes, I guess that hotel must have used a telephoto lens when they took a picture of those guest rooms that you saw on their website.
9. I suppose contacting the Attorney General to resolve the fact that that Internet site has billed your credit card three times instead of once is the only route to take at this point.
10. It was definitely odd that there were no cab drivers at the airport at 3 o'clock in the morning when you finally landed in Costa Rica, but booking a transfer to your very remote hotel would have been a good thing to remember when you purchased your airline ticket and hotel online.
Now give us a call and let us take away all the confusion and information overload!
800-881-7690

Roadtrip finalized!

2009-06-10T13:55:00.004-04:00

I got all the plans together for our road trip. After leaving the 5 star Woodlands Inn Resort in Summerville SC Tuesday morning, the 23rd, we'll be stopping in Estill, SC for a short family visit, then driving to North Florida, between Lake City and Alachua, to Ichitucknee Springs. Ichitucknee Springs is a crystal clear cavern spring and river filled with wildlife and surrounded by forest. We'll set up camp, yes, tents and sleeping bags, and spend our last night out in the open. The campgrounds are beautiful, there's a small tavern in the park, and we'll have access to other facilities. I hope the bugs aren't too bad. I know that Lou, the dog, will love it. Wednesday morning we'll spend our time swimming and canoeing the river. It should be a great way to end the road trip. Then a 6 hour drive back to Fort Lauderdale. I will be blogging and "Tweeting" from the road, so be sure to follow our progress. Pictures too!

"On the road again......"

Help me decide on my last day of my roadtrip

2009-06-08T13:18:00.002-04:00

How fast should I try to get home from my roadtrip? Should I just take an extra day and find some out of the way place to stay? Or should I end the trip in a fancy hotel? You decide....

My Summer Road trip-making arrangements

2009-06-08T10:38:00.002-04:00

I'm well into making my arrangements for my summer road trip. We've had to change our start date to June 16th due to a doctors appointment, but fortunately, that's a benefit to a road trip...you can make last minute changes. We'll head north towards Atlanta and have a long drive our first day, 11 hours. I'm still waiting for the confirmation for staying at Forrest Hills Resort outside of Dahlonega, GA. They have a single cabin in the woods, with a fireplace and hot tub, and are pet friendly. That's where we want to make our home base for the 3 days we'll be in the N. GA area. We've got lot's of friends to visit with, and I need to see my horse. I know we'll take one day and just hike in the woods and maybe tube down the Chattahoochee River out of Helen, GA. From there, we're heading to Maryland to stay with some friends for 3 nights. They have 10 acres, so it will still feel like we're in the country, and Lou, my dog, will be able to roam around and chase rabbits. Jamie and I will go into Washington DC on Saturday the 20th to visit the Native American Museum and we'll be able to leave Lou at the farm. Monday morning we're going to South Carolina and staying at the Woodlands Inn, in Summerville, near Charleston. The Woodlands Inn is a Virtuoso property, rated 5 stars, and is pet friendly. It sits on 43 acres and I can't wait to visit. Tuesday we'll spend some time in Charleston, one of my favorite cities, and one that Jamie is very familiar with, since he helped care for many of the formal gardens in the downtown estates...then off to Estill, SC to visit with Jamie's father. That's about as far as I have gotten. I know we have to head back to Florida, but I'm not sure if we'll got to Savannah for a night, or maybe head into North Florida right away, or what. We will stay somewhere in N FL for a night so we can spend a day canoeing or tubing down some of the crystal clear rivers that flow through this part of the state. I'll let you know more as soon as I do! I love the freedom of making these kind of travel plans. And of course, I can always change my mind!

My summer road trip

2009-06-03T13:39:00.002-04:00

I have decided to take some time off early this summer, pack my bags, boyfriend and dog and hit the road for a week or so. Just an old fashioned American road trip. A few choice destinations, then where ever the road leads. We are first stopping somewhere in the North Georgia mountains. I found a pet friendly resort where we hope to rent a cabin for 3 nights, visit old friends in Atlanta, and hike around the woods near Dahlonega and Helen. Just sitting on the wrap around porch at night, in the woods, will be absolutely refreshing! Then we'll head north, maybe stop in Charlotte, again visiting friends, before heading up towards Washington DC and Maryland. We both have wanted to see the Native American Museum, and will leave my dog Lou with friends that have 10 acres just north of DC. I don't think we'll spend much more time in DC, we both have already seen most of the sights there. From there, we'll head south down I-95 to South Carolina. I'm trying to get one night at a Virtuoso resort property so we'll at least have one luxurious evening. Then a visit with some family and maybe a day along the South Carolina beach coast. And of course we won't miss Charleston. We may stop at South of the Border in South Carolina, on US 301...if anyone remembers stopping there with their folks when you were young, you'll remember what a treat that was. I hope it's still there. On our way back to South Florida, we'll stop in north Florida, staying in an area of crystal rivers, tubing or canoeing a day away. If we see anything anywhere along the way, I'll be sure to stop for a look see. Some think a road trip takes too much time and is too much trouble, but I see it as a relaxing way to actually see where I'm going. My own time table. No airline mess, no crowds. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Updating your travel preferences

2009-05-27T11:28:00.004-04:00

We have recently sent out an email survey, asking clients to updates their travel preferences. We keep a detailed database on all clients wants and desires for their travel experiences, including budgets, number of times per year they travel,who they travel with, (i.e. spouse, single, grandchildren, etc.) what type of travel they enjoy, whether cruise, tour, adventure, among others, and favorite destinations. Everyone's choices change over time, and updating this information helps us make sure that we only send the travel information that is relevant and wanted. We actively market to those of our clients that want to receive travel information, and are very careful not to send marketing to those not interested in receiving updates. Also, we want to make sure that no one misses out on some of the great travel deals available now. Cruises are unbelievably affordable, and many of our clients have been able to move up to to a move luxurious level of cruising for the same money as they've paid on other cruise lines. Hotel properties around the world are offering great amenities, including extra nights at no cost, spa credits, and of course, including our Virtuoso amenities. We have safaris to Africa coming up later this year, and many cruises with space reserved.
It's important to us to know where you're thinking of going on your next vacation, whether it's in the next few weeks or next year. This gives us the time to look at all the offers available and make you aware of them at the right time.
So when you receive your survey, please take the time to complete it. Our database will be updated automatically, and we can then follow up and make sure your needs are being met. If you haven't received an email survey, visit our websites and fill in a basic survey from there. Please make sure we have your up to date contact information too! New phone numbers and email addresses are very important. The TSA is also requiring we have your full name, (same as on your government issued ID) and date of birth of all travelers. We will be contacting you for this information soon.
Feel free to contact us by phone, 800-881-7690, or email, grace@posthasteatarvel.com, with any questions. We want to provide the best service possible to make sure you don't miss out on spectacular deals, exciting destinations, and all the extras a Virtuoso agency can provide. Be part of your own travel destiny. Thanks you for your help in making us the best travel advisers we can be.

Cruise space availability

2009-05-19T12:12:00.003-04:00

I promised I would list some of the cruise group space we have reserved for the foreseeable future. All of these cruises have varying amenities and special offers available. Some are Virtuoso cruises, some are hosted. Please contact us for prices and accommodation information. Post Haste Travel -800-881-7690.

NCL- Roundtrip New York-to Bermuda August 2, 2009

Oceania- Barcelona to Istanbul -14 days-August 9-23, 2009

Oceania-Istanbul to Athens-12 days- August 23-September 5,2009

Princess-London to Rome-14 days - September 5-19, 2009

NCL-Athens to Istanbul- 10 days-September 29 -October 9, 2009

Holland America- Transatlantic-36 days-October 24- November 29, 2009

NCL-Roundtrip Barcelona-7 days-November 1-8, 2009

Princess-Transatlantic, Rome to Fort Lauderdale, 21 days-November 30 -December 21, 2009

Celebrity-Eastern Caribbean, Roundtrip Fort Lauderdale-7 days-December 20-27, 2009

Royal Caribbean-Eastern Caribbean-RT Fort Lauderdale-8 days-December 26 - January 3, 2010

Princess-Panama Canal, RT Fort Lauderdale-10 days-February 8-18, 2010

These are just a few of the cruises that Post Haste Travel has reserved space. We also have space on cruises from Singapore to Shanghai, and an Amazon River cruise.

Please give us a call. The offers are great and there is no better time to cruise than now!

Post Haste Travel 800-881-7690

Check our website for other travel offers. www.posthastetravel.com

Post Haste Travel newsletter article from my mother, the boss

2009-05-18T09:47:00.002-04:00

From Sylvia Berman's " The Presidents Desk" column in the Post Haste Travel newsletter...
This is the first article I will write as "I", and not as "we". After 53 years I will be traveling alone, as my husband, Bob, passed away in March. The change is barely noticeable, as my daily routine is the same. The evenings are when life is quiet, and that is overcome with the myriad of work that I am able to bring home. Where do I go from here? Onward and upward. I will continue to travel to the countries that we both love in Africa, only now my companions will be other travelers who wish to learn what I can teach. To find the excitement in new places, new faces, new experiences. Africa is its people, as well as its animals, and it is never the same.
I will continue to take the easiest of all vacations, the cruise. I will cruise to locations that whet one’s appetite, to taste the unusual, and the unexplored. New ports are opening up to travelers that were closed a recently as last year. New parts of the world fulfill different needs for different people and for me, it means the ability to visit other cultures, other lands, where things are not the same as they are at home. Today that becomes easier and easier and so I will seek out the cruise lines that offer these new cities.
I guess that’s why Bob and I found Africa, the place we returned to year after year, so enticing. We never tired of having a lion trot next to our vehicle, or watch families of elephant parade in front of us, to see cheetah cubs frolicking with their mother, to push through the brush as we followed a rhino after its mate. Never the same, only now you can join me. Call and talk to me about my trip to South Africa this October. Become part of this learning experience.

Client Relationship management

2009-05-04T08:51:00.002-04:00

I'm heading to Las Vegas this morning for a weeklong conference on client relationship management. The travel industry has it's own industry specific CRM tools. Trams, or ClientBase, is a very deep, detailed program that helps travel agents and agencies compile a detailed list of clients data, desires,marketing info, destination info, family members, financial info, passport info, and tons of other information neccessary to make sure that each client is taken care of and that all marketing is done correctly. This conference will get us up to date on the addtional updates to the program, which means we will be able to collect even more information! Having this info is a great timesaver, and helps us connect to our clients all the better. We can notify them when their passports are about to expire. We can search their travel history and see what their preferences are, or notify them about great new deals on their favorite cruise lines. We can follow their family members birthdays and anniversaries, and make sure we know when big events are upcoming. All this helps us plan the best vacations for all our clients.

The conference is very intense for 4 days...7:30 AM - 8PM, then parties into the night. I'm an early to bed, early to rise person, so I usually miss the late nights. And the time changes does me no good either. By the time I get back Friday morning, after taking the red eye Thursday night, I'm exhausted. But I will have a ton of new information to share with our agents on all the new ways they can keep up with their clients in order to provide the best travel experiences possible.

Continuing your education in any field is ultimately important these days. With all the new software available, it's impossible to know everything, but important to keep up with as much as you can. That's my job, and I'm sticking to it!

Economic downturn changing the way people travel

2009-04-30T11:24:00.001-04:00

This information is from the HotelMarketing.com website.

From bargain hunting for accommodations to hopping in a car instead of on a plane, many individuals and companies are responding to the uncertain economic climate by adjusting their travel behaviors in 2009 to find more affordable ways to travel, but many aren’t eliminating travel plans altogether.
In a recent poll conducted by Harris Interactive®, 48% of U.S. adults say their financial situation is worse now than it was one year ago. For some that is translating into plans for fewer vacations and fewer dollars spent on leisure travel in 2009.
While almost half plan to travel just as much or more in 2009 as they did in 2008, two-fifths (38%) anticipate that the economy will have no impact on their travel plans, and 8% plan to travel more in the next 12 months than they did in 2008, nearly two-fifths (37%) of consumers say they are less likely to travel within the next 12 months due to economic conditions.
Other findings from the study include:
- Over one-fourth (27%) will decrease the duration of their leisure trips.
- Four in ten (40%) will reduce the amount of money they spend on leisure trips. Among these consumers looking to cut costs: Roughly three-fifths will find less expensive accommodations (62%), less expensive meal options (61%), or will look for less expensive activities (58%). Nearly half will reduce travel expenses by vacationing closer to home (48%), staying with friends/family instead of a hotel (46%), or reduce expenses by driving rather than flying (45%). One-third (34%) will stretch their vacation dollars by going on a “staycation” close to home or by sharing travel costs with friends or other families.
Companies are also changing their travel spending habits in 2009. Three in five (61%) people surveyed said their companies had changed their travel policies in last 12 months, and one in five (21%) said they were less likely to travel for business in 2009 than they were in 2008.
Reducing or eliminating nonessential travel was the most frequently reported method of cutting business travel expenses. Three in ten people (30%) reported that their companies had reduced or eliminated all nonessential travel, and 21% said their companies were using technology to reduce or eliminate travel costs. Other reported changes to company travel policies include encouraging day trips (13%), booking with hotels and airlines that provide preferred rates (12%), and enforcing per diem allowances (10%).
According to Allison Powell, Research Director of Harris Interactive’s Travel and Tourism practice, “The recent economic conditions of a declining U.S. dollar, mortgage foreclosures, and job losses are giving many consumers reason to reevaluate their vacation plans. The good news is that travelers are still taking vacations; however, the nature of their vacations has changed. From finding less expensive accommodations to taking a road trip rather than flying, consumers are finding ways to continue taking vacations. The question remains – how long will this trend last?”

Mexico travel promotion

2009-04-28T09:54:00.003-04:00

If there is a bright side to the swine flu problem we are currently monitoring, it will be that travel to Mexico will eventually become an even better deal than it is right now. Hotels and resorts will do everything in their power to make sure you can get great prices, extra value added amenities, and many other specials not thought of yet. We do recommend you also purchase "Cancel for any reason" travel insurance, just in case. For our Twitter Travel Tuesday Special,On Tuesday, April 28th, Post Haste Travel will not charge a fee for any travel arrangements to Mexico, made today, for travel valued at $5000 or less. This offer is only available to Twitterers, for one day only, and has a value of from $25-$150. We will also make sure that you receive all available Virtuoso amenities, including room upgrades at time of booking or check-in, breakfasts included, and a nice gift or resort credit as available. Please call 800-881-7690 for Post Haste Travel. Visit our website to see other special offers. http://www.posthastetravel.com/ . Office hours are from 8:30 AM - 6 PM EST. Make sure to mention you saw this offer on Twitter. This offer is good for US citizens only.

And, for bookings on any Oceania Cruise made today you will receive an additional $100 shipboard credit. Please call the number above.

Twitter Travel Tuesday Special

2009-04-21T10:43:00.000-04:00

Twitter Travel Tuesday Special
On Tuesday, April 21st, Post Haste Travel and Forever Cruising will not charge a fee for any travel arrangements made that day, for travel valued at $5000 or less. This offer is only available to Twitterers, for one day only, and has a value of from $25-$150. Please call 800-881-7690 for Post Haste Travel, and 800-338-8005 for Forever Cruising. Visit both websites to see special offers. http://www.posthastetravel.com/, and http://www.forevercruising.com/ . Office hours are from 8:30 AM - 6 PM EST. Make sure to mention you saw this offer on Twitter. This offer is good for US citizens only.

On any Oceania Cruise booking made today you will receive an additional $100 shipboard credit. Please call the numbers above.

Top 10 Tips for cruising

2009-04-20T09:46:00.005-04:00

Top 10 Tips For Cruising

Virtuoso travel advisors are experts not only at booking your next voyage, but also at helping you recognize and plan for situations that may arise along the way. Here are our top ten tips for assuring a carefree cruise vacation.

CHOOSE AN APPROPRIATE DESINATION- a romantic cruise throught the Greek Isles may be right for an anniverary. A cruise to the Caribbean is a good choice for younger kids, while teens are better able to appreciate Europe.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT CRUISE LINE- Intimate ships are perect for a refined escape for two, but may not offer as wide a range of activities and amenitites
GET ENOUGH SPACE-This is key. A standard ship stateroom my be large enough for a couple with young children, but too tight for teens. Consider a suite, or even adjoining rooms.
CHECK ON CHILDREN'S AMENITIES- What are the minimum age requirements to participate in your ship's kids program? Does it offer after hours babysitting services? Are there any extra fees for certain activities? Our Virtuoso travel adviors can help.
PRE-ORDER WINE AND DINE PACKAGES- May cruise lines offer special wine packages, allowing you to sample some of the finest vintages with dinner while saving 25 percent or more.
BUY SODA CARDS FOR THE KIDS- Those fountain drinks can really add up on a cruise. Many ships offer prepaid all-you-can-drink cards for around the price of one soda a day.
BOOK SPA APPOINTMENTS EARLY - More exotic and specialty spa appointments fill up quickly, especially on days when your ship is at sea. book yours soon after you embark, if not before.
BOOK SHORE EXCURSIONS EARLY, TOO- Again, reseravations for the most popular shore excursions, as well as the most exclusive small-group tours, go fast. Our Virtuoso travel advisors can help you avoid disappointments.
THINK SAFETY - Make sure the entire family attends and understands the ship's dafety drill. Make sure your kids memorize your stateroom number, and never allow children to wander without supervision.
CONSIDER A PRE-CRUISE PACKAGE- Reduce the stress of getting to your ship on time by arriving in port a day or two early. Ask about Virtuoso Discoveries pre-cruise packages.
CONTACT YOUR VITUOSO TRAVEL ADVISOR- We can make your cruise vacation virtually hassle free. Call us at 800-881-7690 to plan your voyage today!

Tips for Women traveling alone-attributed to Travel Agent Central

2009-04-16T12:48:00.004-04:00

Admittedly, I copied this directly from Travel Agent Central. But it's very important for women to be able to travel safely by themselves or with friends. Here is very good advice!

Increasingly women are traveling alone, both for business and pleasure. While statistics are limited, an estimated 32 million single American women traveled at least once in the last year for business or pleasure, and a third of them made tracks five times or more, according to the Travel Industry Association.
Here’s a list of tips from the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) that you can share with your women clients traveling on their own to make their trip a safe and pleasant one:

Know Before You Go. Learn as much about the destination as possible, especially when traveling to a foreign country. An area's religious or cultural beliefs can directly impact you, compelling you to adapt your dress and demeanor to comply with local customs. Also, what is regarded as sexual harassment in one country is part of the social fabric of another, so avoid form-fitting or revealing clothing to prevent unwanted attention.

Welcome to Hotel Safety. Get to know the staff, who will be familiar with guests and are able to more effectively monitor who enters and exits the building. Ask beforehand if a member of the staff will be available to escort you to your room if you arrive late at night. Ask for a room on a higher floor near the elevator but away from emergency exits, stairwells and any renovation work. Never accept a room if the clerk loudly calls out your name and room number.While at the front desk, grab a card from the counter with the hotel's name, address and phone number on it, and keep this card on you at all times. Once inside your room, make sure the door has a peephole and a deadbolt. If it doesn't, make sure you don't open the door to someone you don't know.

Travel Documents. Make two copies of important travel documents—one set for the trip, and one for friends or family to keep at home.

Packing Smart. Pack light so you won't be weighed down and look weighed down, both of which would make you an ideal target for pickpockets. Avoid expensive-looking baggage and clothing, lock all suitcases and only use covered luggage with your office address written on it rather than your home. Carry only one credit card, and don't keep all your money in one place.

Transportation. Explore transportation options available at your destination ahead of time, especially if you will be arriving late in the evening. Travel agents can help determine the safest choice and make the necessary arrangements. If renting a car, carefully examine maps, write out directions in advance and bring along a cellular phone.Know Your Surroundings. Study a map of the area you will be visiting. Learn as much as possible about getting around the streets to avoid looking like a lost tourist. Ask the concierge about where—and, more importantly, where not—to go.

The Best Vacation Memories are Good Vacation Memories. There may be safety in numbers, but there is also safety in knowledge. With some advance planning and the advice of a professional travel agent, your vacation or business trip can be safe, hassle free and memorable.

Twitter Travel Tuesday Special

2009-04-13T14:12:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday, April 13th, Post Haste Travel and Forever Cruising will not charge a fee for any travel arrangements made that day, for travel valued at $5000 or less. This offer is only available to Twitterers, for one day only, and has a value of from $25-$150. Please call 800-881-7690 for Post Haste Travel, and 800-338-8005 for Forever Cruising. Visit both websites to see special offers. http://www.posthastetravel.com/, and http://www.forevercruising.com/ . Office hours are from 8:30 AM - 6 PM EST. Make sure to mention you saw this offer on Twitter. This offer is good for US citizens only.

On any Oceania Cruise booking made today you will receive an additional $100 shipboard credit. Please call the numbers above.

Too much information

2009-04-13T13:54:00.002-04:00

Is there too much travel information available today? Between travel websites, travel blogs, Twitter and all the other sources of data, it seems to me that we are inundated with so many offers that it is difficult to make an informed choice of any kind. You can look up airfares and book flights online, then have to continuously keep checking to see if there is a better deal to be had. Cruise lines have so many itineraries and added amenities,with so many different cabin categories, at so many different price points that you have to be a mathmetician to be able to figure out what is really the best deal. And back to those itineraries, where do you want to go? You can choose the same destinations on multiple carriers and other than the quality of food and service, among other things, you'll get to the same places and do and see the same things. So you have to choose what your priorities are and what you can afford. And cruise lines, too, are lowering prices daily. As travel consultants we get hundreds of new offers daily. Is this too much information? Is it confusing to you as travelers to receive direct mail, email promotions, web promotions constantly? Is there a best way to decide what to ignore? And how can you be sure that what you see is what you'll actually get when you finally decide where you want to go and how much you have to spend? Use your travel consultant to manage your travel. We can keep all your information updated and notify you of any changes. But I really want your opinion...are you seeing and receiving too much travel info? Please let me know.

Happy Twitter Travel Thursday

2009-04-02T07:48:00.003-04:00

On Thursday, April 2, 2009, Post Haste Travel and Forever Cruising will not charge a fee for any travel arrangements made that day, for travel valued at $5000 or less. This offer is only available to Twitterers, for one day only, and has a value of from $25-$150. Please call 800-881-7690 for Post Haste Travel, and 800-338-8005 for Forever Cruising. Visit both websites to see special offers. http://www.posthastetravel.com/, and http://www.forevercruising.com/ . Office hours are from 8:30 AM - 6 PM EST. Make sure to mention you saw this offer on Twitter. This offer is good for US citizens only.

On any Oceania Cruise booking made today you will receive an additional $100 shipboard credit. Please call the numbers above.

Happy Twitter Travel Thursday!

Comments about our websites

2009-04-01T11:06:00.002-04:00

I would like you to take a look at all three of our websites:
www.posthastetravel.com
www.forevercruising.com
www.ebonyheritagetravel.com

I'm looking for comments on user-friendliness, content, and design. Any other comments are also welcomed. You can comment here on the blog, on Twitter, @gdevita or @posthastetravel, or email me at grace@posthastetravel.com.

Thank you in advance for your input.

Twitter Thursday Special Offer

2009-03-25T10:34:00.004-04:00

On Thursday, March 26th, 2009, Post Haste Travel and Forever Cruising will not charge a fee for any travel arrangements made that day, for travel valued at $5000 or less. This offer is only available to Twitterers, for one day only, and has a value of from $25-$150. Please call 800-881-7690 for Post Haste Travel, and 800-338-8005 for Forever Cruising. Visit both websites to see special offers. http://www.posthastetravel.com/, and http://www.forevercruising.com/ . Office hours are from 8:30 AM - 6 PM EST. Make sure to mention you saw this offer on Twitter. This offer is good for US citizens only.

A tribute to my father, world traveler

2009-03-20T10:29:00.005-04:00

My father, Robert Berman, passed away March 11th. While it was not unexpected, you are never prepared for the reality of that final day. His suffering is over. And he has left many memories for all who knew him. My father was a world traveler. He and my mother married very young, but that didn't stop them from vacationing, even with 4 kids. They would go to Paris for dinner, New York for theater. There were the ubiquitious fishing trips all over the world; Costa Rica, East and South Africa, Baja, and always the Florida Keys. My father went to China with a business delegation from the Nixon Administration. My parents took me to South America for a month in my senior year of high school. They owned a home in the country of Panama and visited often, along with many friends. Friends were always invited to join in traveling. They cruised on almost every cruiseline, to almost every port in the world. My father loved to drive. He would just get in a car and go. Sometimes following maps and a schedule, sometimes turning wherever looked interesting. Anywhere in the world. My parents visited Europe many, many times. Then the Africa bug took hold. First East Africa, Kenya and Tanzania, then South Africa. He made sure all 9 of his grandchildren were able to visit Africa. All told they have been 28 times. He collected art from all the places he had been, and that artwork is a legacy in his home. He had great taste. When he retired from his own business, he became more involved with the travel agency and never missed an opportunity to attend the many conferences and seminars required in todays travel business. His last trip was to Virtuoso's TravelMart in August of 2008. His last cruise was on one of the first Azamara cruises to South America. At his funeral we weren't surprised at the number of suppliers and vendor representatives that came. It was an honor. His advice will be missed. But his memory will remain. I love you ,dad, and thank you for the opportunities to travel with you.

A Travel Blog about Travel Blogs...thank you Jerry Seinfeld

2009-03-06T14:16:00.003-05:00

If you Google "travel blog" you will get 113,000,000 hits. That's a whole lot of information out there. There is a travel blog for every type of travel, for every type of traveler, and for all things in between. Travelers of all kinds from all over the world put their experiences and images on the web for anyone to access. It's a wonderful thing. No matter what your interest, you can find someone who has been there, done that, and wants to tell you all about it. There are blogs from critics, there are blogs from novices, photographers, wanderers, sailors, skiiers, just anything you want to know. It doesn't really matter how much experience someone has; it matters that they are willing to share it. You can always get great advice from seasoned travel advisors, but they sometimes can't share the "local color" that a strangers vision can impart. It's so much fun to search the web. Travel vicariously through other eyes. And now there is "Twitter", and so many travel "tweets" that you can't count them. I am "following" a traveler, @Everywheretrip , on Twitter, that sold his house and is traveling the world. He's got a web page, http://everything-everywhere.com/, that I have linked to my Google home page, and I can see his photos as soon as he can post them. His experiences are wonderful to follow. And what a great thing to be able to share them so instantaneously.
Be a good traveler and share your own experiences. Or maybe only the good ones. Save the bad ones for the critics.

Virtuoso Life magazine

2009-03-03T10:58:00.006-05:00

Todays' blog is straight from this issue of Virtuoso Life Magazine. Here are ten questions to ask yourself about your next dream vacation. Get advice from your Virtuoso travel agent.

What's the dream destination at the top of your wish list?
Which island escape allures you?
What the most enticing cruise itinerary you'd set sail for?
What's your perfect family vacation destination?
What's the most romantic city to explore with someone you love?
In which gourmet city do you most want to linger over a meal?
Which wine region do you most want to toast?
What's your idea of a great outdoor adventure?
Where would you go to expand your horizons?
Can you imagine your trip of a lifetime?

Call us at Post Haste Travel for details to arrange your trip of a lifetime, no matter the budget. 800-881-7690 or email Sylvia@posthastetravel.com

Mistakes to avoid when planning your vacation

2009-02-26T10:42:00.004-05:00

There a many little things that can cause problems when planning your vacation. You've decided that you're ready to go, somewhere, and start thinking about where you'd like to visit.

Make sure you have an honest budget. Decide how much you are willing to spend, but be prepared for the extra incidentals. The cost of a cruise does not always include food and drinks on board, or shore excursions, flights, and transfers. Make sure you allow for souvenirs and gifts. Vacations at resorts may mean paying additional fees for diving or fishing trips or other activities.

Be prepared for the amount of time it may take you to get to your destination. Long flights are physically stressful, and jet lag can eat into your travel days.

Be flexible while making your plans. You may be able to get better pricing if you can fly at night, or change your dates by a day or two. Planning for pre or post cruise dates can give you extra time in case of flight delays or other unexpected problems.

Buy Cancellation insurance. You never know when an illness or job loss may force you to cancel your travel plans. Having insurance will guarantee that you don't lose your investment.

Don't over pack. Take 1/2 of what you think you're going to need. Especially with today's luggage restrictions. And you want to leave room to bring home items you may purchase.

Pay attention to the details. Make sure you check the dates on your passport to make sure it is valid for at least 6 months after your return. Check if you need visas. Read all your travel documents when your receive them. Waiting to check your documents until the last minute can cause serious problems if there are mistakes in spelling, or dates, or flights.

Use a qualified travel consultant. A travel consultant can help you plan for all the details and make sure you are using reputable tour operators, or rental car companies, or help choose the cruise line that is the right one for your needs, and will know if there are problems with a hotel or resort property. Travel consultants are able to check for the best prices, new offers, and make suggestions you may not have thought of, and can keep your vacation on budget.

One quick tip...when traveling in Europe, do not tip more than 10%. That is all that is expected, and Americans tend to tip 15-20%. You don't have to.

Much thanks to @GMarketingGuy for todays blog idea!

Use caution when traveling

2009-02-24T09:03:00.003-05:00

http://tinyurl.com/28txe2- Link to US Department of State Travel Warning to Mexico.

I was thinking of the above warning the State Department has issued for travel to Mexico, and realized that it's almost unfair to issue this particular warning. Most of Mexico is safe. And beautiful, and relaxing. There are small pockets that are dangerous, and just as in any US city, you wouldn't want to go there. But the government must issue these warnings. Just as they have for Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Mauritius and other destinations. We at Post Haste Travel have clients visiting all these places right now. Yes, including Iran and Iraq. They are a very adventurous group, and make a point of seeing all of the world, good and bad. Now, you may not be that brave, but it does make the point that if you are careful, and have good tour guides and good tour companies smoothing the way, that you really can go anywhere. So think about how badly you want to see the world and what you are willing to do for that opportunity. Remember to avoid dangerous locations, no matter where they are. There are parts of Miami I wouldn't venture into. Use the internet to plan your visit, or call us for suggestions and reservations with top rate, secure travel suppliers. Happy trails!

Travel related emails

2009-02-23T08:36:00.003-05:00

From Hotelmarketing.com 2/23/09

My question today is are you willing to accept travel marketing meails? If not, why? Please comment.

In a nationwide survey of permission-based email recipients, 63 percent said they were more likely to buy from the sending companies, and 55 percent said they have a more favorable opinion of those companies as a direct result of the communications, according to the latest Epsilon research. Fifty percent also said they feel more loyal towards the sending companies and their brands.
“In the travel industry where so much activity has moved to the online arena, it’s crucial that companies communicate effectively and efficiently with their customers and cater to their personal needs,” said Kevin Mabley, senior vice president, Epsilon Strategic Services. “Our research demonstrates the many online and offline, measurable and immeasurable benefits of email marketing campaigns. Those benefits start with direct online airline ticket and hotel reservation transactions and extend to brand loyalty in multiple channels.”
Epsilon’s email branding study is based on a mid-October 2008 survey of 1517 consumers. The survey was conducted by ROI Research, of Lancaster, PA. It explored the general impact of permission-based email marketing as well as specific product categories that included, in addition to Travel, Financial Services, Retail, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Pharmaceuticals-Healthcare.
Other results:
- 86 percent of respondents who opt to receive email from travel companies do so to learn about sales, discounts and special offers; - 51 percent subscribe to learn about existing packages and destinations; - 48 percent subscribe to receive coupons; - 46 percent subscribe to hear about new packages, routes and destinations; - 69 percent want to receive personalized content based on their website activity and past purchases, rather than generic content; - 48 percent of respondents who receive permission-based email from a travel company said the email has a direct impact on offline purchases.
The findings showed that 71% of recipients of an email from a travel company visit an aggregator site as a direct result of receiving the email; 33% type or copy a URL directly into their browser and 14% contact a travel agent.

Closer to Home

2009-02-19T12:26:00.004-05:00

Today's blog is linked to an article in USA today about traveling closer to home. many smaller cities around the country are benefiting from the downturn in the economy, attracting visitors to their unique offerings. Sanibel Island, FL is a great place to hang out on the beach and collect shells. Philadelphia has a wealth of history and just outside of the city some wonderful countryside. Charleston, SC has beautiful antebellum homes and gardens, and a haunted house tour by horse and buggy. Read the attach article to find out more.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2009-02-18-travel-trends_N.htm

Travel Insurance

2009-02-18T10:50:00.003-05:00

It is imperative that you purchase travel insurance for any trip you have significant money invested. That could be a short weekend holiday, a cruise, or in a new development, a weekend flight. Jet Blue has announced that they will refund your money if you lose your job and have to cancel your trip. Many travel insurance companies have policies that allow you to cancel for business reasons, or any reason at all. Those policies are a bit more expensive, but are crucial if you have any doubts or concerns about your plans. You get your money back, less the cost of the insurance, no matter what reason you need to cancel. Other insurance plans cover for basic medical, including pre-existing conditions, catastrophic medical and other reasons. Some insurance covers for natural and human made disasters. During hurricane season it is important to buy coverage if you are taking a cruise in the Caribbean. In many cases, children are covered for free. You can buy travel insurance through your travel agent even if you bought your airfare and hotels online. There is a difference between the insurance you can purachase through cruise and tour companies and the insurance you purchase through a dedicated insurance seller like your travel agency. Make sure to check with your travel consultant on the many variables available with travel insurance.

Fantasy Travel Quest

2009-02-13T14:32:00.002-05:00

Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world? Let's say you have an unlimited budget, and all the time in the world. I really want to hear from you. Would you take a world cruise? Or an adventure vacation in Costa Rica or the Amazon? Would you find an out of the way resort, maybe in Bali, and just sit on the beach and drink cocktails all day? Maybe a fishing safari? Or an African Safari...walking with gorillas? How about horseback riding in the Serengeti? Or horseback riding across Ireland? Perhaps the Grand Tour in Europe. A river cruise? Camping in the Canadian Rockies in a 5 star tented resort? Where would you go and what would you do? Archaelogy interests you? Art and music? Wine and Food? I'd love to know what type of travel gift you would give to yourself and/or your family. Me personally, I've always wanted to do a pub crawl in Ireland and go horseback riding in Scotland. In the winter. In the cold. That way the good whiskey would really keep me warm! I might try to do that this year. And if I can't go when it's cold, the Garden Route in Ireland is supposed to be fabulous, if you're into that kind of thing. The Chelsea Flower show sounds great too...with a week or two to travel around England and visit castles. Let me know what your travel fantasy is...

Where do you go next?

2009-02-12T08:55:00.003-05:00

If you haven't had a vacation, or even a short break, lately, the big question is where do you go next? Assuming you have less money to spend than perhaps last year, it might be too easy to tell yourself to just stay put. But we humans need to get outside of ourselves, to get away from our daily routines, in order to keep a clear vision of what our daily lives are really all about. You owe it to yourself, and your family, to take that break, long or short, to stay healthy and happy. So, where to go next? If your time frame and finances only allow a short break, there are 3 and 4 day cruises available now for tiny amounts of money. Some cruises are covering your cost of airfare, along with 2 for 1 fares, that make a week long cruise truly affordable. Most of your local (within 200 miles) resorts or spas have lowered their rates, or added additional days and amenities. If you can travel farther, your options are greater, again with special rates, added amenities, additional days at no charge. The Euro is now much more affordable and tours throughout Europe have become a bargain again. Airfare is still tricky, but good fares can be found. Try to find somewhere to go that will let you get completely out of your normal routines. Make sure to take lots of photos. Bring back a few souvenirs. Start to plan your next vacation even before you get back from this one. Actually, dream on a 5 year travel plan. There are so many places to see in the world, and planning for the future is a pleasure in itself. Your travel agent is priceless for getting information about what's going to be the next hot spot, or travel value. Don't be afraid to ask.

From the LA Times-How to find a travel consultant

2009-02-09T14:55:00.004-05:00

So how do you find the right person or agency to plan your trip? Here are 10 questions to ask before booking:
Why should I use a travel agent instead of the Internet? Doing your own checks of websites for flights and hotels can be educational, but it's also time-consuming and can be risky business. You've worked hard to earn the money you'll spend on a vacation; you don't want to end up staying at a destination or hotel that doesn't match your vacation goals. A good agent will be able to tell you why you should turn your travel planning over to a professional.
What are your rates? Some agents charge service or planning fees for their work. You need to know up front about these fees and commissions: Have the agent spell it out for you.
What will I get for my money? Travel agents have access to the same deals you find on the Internet, but they often also know about cheap fares, hotel deals and other travel perks that average consumers cannot get on their own. They should also tell you they'll back you up if you have problems on the trip.
How long have you been a travel agent? Experience counts. An agent who knows how to work the system can score better deals for you and give you more relevant advice. They can save you time, prevent travel mistakes and help you get the most value for your money. And if you're planning a complex trip, they can be an indispensable resource.
"People are entrusting not only their time to us, but also lots of money," "They deserve to know something about us and how long we've been in business."
Do you have any specialties? Make sure your agent is a good match for you. If you find an agent who specializes in the type of trip, cruise or tour you want to take, he or she will help you have a better experience. "It's like finding the best doctor," They all have degrees and have graduated from great medical schools, but some are more skilled in certain areas," Those are the people you want to find."
Have you been there? "You don't want an agent who's just a salesman," she said. "You don't travel to a place just to see the inside of a hotel. You need to find someone who knows the hotels, the restaurants and the activities that are available. They can say to you, 'Drive here and you can have a great ice cream."
Do you have a special association with airlines or other travel providers? "Sometimes that means we can find lower fares for our clients," Other agencies may belong to associations or groups that make special perks available to them. They may be able to get you better seats, upgrades, express check-in or discounts on parking.
Are you registered to sell travel where required?Some states require all sellers of travel to register with the attorney general's office and to display the number on all advertising. Although not assuring that the company is reputable, a valid registration signals that the seller of travel has at least followed the law to be registered. Another good thing to find out: Does the agency belong to professional organizations, such as ASTA, or Virtuoso,which promote ethical business practices?
Can you give me specifics? Ask what services will be provided. If you're traveling domestically, you want your agent to find you the best connections and the best value; you may also want him to change or cancel a flight for you. If you're going abroad, you may need to know how to get a visa or where to change money. Ask about insurance. Ask the agent to give you specifics about how she can help with your trip.
What questions would you like to ask me? The agent should get to know your travel preferences. "Do you want a large-ship experience or do you like small ships? Are you watching your budget? Will there be children along?" Finding a good agent was like finding a good barber. "Once you've found one," he said, "you keep going back again and again. That's how I want clients to view us."

Working harder for you

2009-02-03T11:47:00.002-05:00

I excerpted some of this from Hal Becker at Biz Journals.....
Two things that are for sure:
1. The economy eventually will improve and get better.
2. Most companies rely on salespeople to help with the bottom line. Continuing sales of a product or service for an organization, along with great salespeople, will be needed even more during these tough times. Which means your travel agent is even more important these days.
The first thing, which is of the utmost importance, is you, the customer.
This is the time to protect our customer base and make sure that you are satisfied, period!
The one way to do this is to get in touch with you. We want to build relationships with you and build them the way they are supposed to be built - by people dealing directly with people!
We need to ask you a simple and direct question: "How are we doing for you? Be honest, and tell me the truth." We are going to have to work harder. This means not only visiting existing customers and checking their true level of customer satisfaction but also going out and getting new business. Sure, the economy is slow, and none of us are buying as much of anything as we did a few years ago, but the fact remains that there is still business being done out here. And there are still plenty of places you can afford to go. But I would like to hear from you...great service stories and horror stories alike. What can Post Haste Travel, and Forever Cruising do for you to make your next travel experience exceptional? Let me know.

Travel close to home

2009-02-02T11:26:00.003-05:00

"People are continuing to plan vacations despite the economic downturn, but they are searching for deals and staying a bit closer to home, according to travel agents in Arizona. "People are a little tighter to the pocket right now," said Brian Korgel, AAA Arizona international travel agent. "They're still planning on traveling, but they're waiting a little while before they make their reservations. One other trend is people are really looking at value when it comes to travel right now." East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.)" So as you can see, there is no real reason to not take some time to get away for that much needed break. Take a brief respite from daily life on a long weekend close to home, no matter where that may be. If you're snowed in, find a wonderful little lodge with a fireplace and all services taken care of for you so you can enjoy the snow instead of dread it. If you're tired of the dry air and heat in South Florida , take a few hours drive to the west coast and enjoy a fishing village with all the fresh seafood that implies. There are so many ways to sneak off for a bit and not destroy your budget. don't forget to bring the kids, they could use a change too. Just make sure they bring their homework!

Valentine's Day Travel

2009-01-30T14:19:00.002-05:00

It's Friday, again, and the end of January already. Valentines Day is just around the corner, and no matter the economy, there is always somewhere romantic to travel. The continental US has wonderful lodges, spas and resorts to take a long weekend break. If you're in the Southeast US check out Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa, Little Palm Island or Amelia Island in Florida, or Sea Island/The Cloisters, on the Georgia coast. If you're a bit more adventurous, or a lot more adventurous, here is a short list of exotic destinations: the Aman Resorts in Bali, the Royal Hideaway in Playacar, Mexico, Pazula Hotel & Spa in South Africa, Soneva Gili in the Maldives, Six Senses Hideaway Ninh Van Bay in Vietnam, or Amansara Resort in Siem Reap Cambodia. If these are budget busters, find a local bed & breakfast, and hide away together for a day or two. Google is a great way to find places you never knew existed. If you want to plan one of the more exotic trips, call one of our travel advisors. You'll need help with multiple flights, special amenities, and other important items that will make your Valentine's Day extra special. www.posthastetravel.com 800-881-7690. Don't forget the flowers!

Value and Trust

2009-01-28T07:38:00.005-05:00

According to Travel Trade the most important thing to travelers right now is getting value for their money and trust in their travel provider. Using a qualified travel consultant not only provides you with the expertise and knowledge to get the best values, but you are certain to have someone to contact with any changes, problems, and questions.
"....But value is what is important to baby boomers right now, so travel agents and suppliers need to emphasize the value for money when selling to boomers.
Marc Kazlauskas, president of Insight Vacations, agreed that the baby boomer market is still strong, but he also emphasized the importance of... past customers.
"Right now, its about loyalty and trust," Kazlauskas said. In today's economic climate, people are more leery about trusting you with their money if they haven't worked with you before. Agents and suppliers don't want to be prospecting now, he said. Instead, companies should be reconnecting with past customers.
Joanne D. Smith, senior vice president of in-flight services and global product development for Delta Air Lines, also said past passengers are of utmost importance. Smith told the audience of travel executives, marketers and press that Delta is targeting much of its marketing to its frequent fliers."
Families are stressed out right now and need to reconnect away from the pressures of everyday life, so no matter what type of family mix you have, being able to get away for a few days or a few weeks will be healthy and relaxing. If you have family members that are ill, or have physical challenges, there are many vendors that can accomodate them. You can also buy insurance for the trip even if someone has a pre-existing condition that may cause the trip to be cancelled. There are really no excuses for not taking a much needed break from all the craziness going on in the world today. There are vacations available in all price ranges, with many resorts and cruises offering extra days, better amenities, and lower prices. Take advantage while you can!

Monday and time is passing quickly

2009-01-26T13:22:00.003-05:00

It's already Monday afternoon and I feel like today is flying by. Speaking of flying, many of the cruiselines have free or reduced rate airfares to their cruises, so on top of the great deals available, you can also get to your ship for next to nothing, comparatively speaking. Take the opportunity to cruise to destinations you wouldn't have thought of before. Fly to Europe, or South America to start your cruise to exotic destinations such as Croatia, or Chile and Peru. Try the Galapagos Islands. Or Antarctica. You need a little more time than a Caribbean cruise, but you're worth it. The Return on Life you get from a real once in a lifetime experience lasts forever. If you can find time for members of your family to join you, you can have a multi generational experience that can only brighten lifelong memories. And cruising is so easy for a group. Unpack once, dine together or separately, play, swim, sun, read, together or alone. And the shore excursions can be amazing. It's time to start planning for a summer trip. Actually, it's time to start planning for next winter too. Remember the seasons are opposite south of the equator, and families usually have time off during the winter holiday season. Check out our website for ideas. Call us if you need more information. Until tomorrow.....

Friday and its time for a break

2009-01-23T10:50:00.002-05:00

It's Friday and I haven't written in my blog all week. That's because we have been very busy at work, which is a good thing. People are starting to book vacations again. Many tours right now, to Europe, and the US West and Alaska. Tours are a great way to get alot of bang for your buck. Seeing so much of many places in a reasonable amount of time, usually 2 weeks. Being able to taste the local foods, meet the local people and see the famous sights up close with plenty of time to visit is very rewarding. The slow pace of some tours allows you to get enough rest and relaxation, withought the hurry up of doing one port every day that cruises require. And you can take the whole family to any part of the world for a wonderful experience. An Africa safari with the whole family creates a lifetime of memories. Adventures by Disney has great tours to many parts of the world. Both Tauck and Travcoa have various types of tours available for spring and summer. I would like to do a pub crawl and garden route tour in Ireland in the Spring. Or maybe a river cruise for the Tulips in Holland. River cruises are a type of tour that you don't have to unpack every day. The boat is your hotel and you still get to see the small towns and mingle with the local people. Consider your mental health and make time for a tour of this country or others. It will add to your Return on Life.

Thursday and its cold

2009-01-15T08:38:00.002-05:00

For South Florida, 60 degrees is a little chilly. Especially when the wind is blowing. It seems to be cold everywhere around the country now. This is a good time to be thinking about that ski trip you've been wanting to take for years now. Whether in the US West or North, or in Europe, a ski trip can be a long weekend or a longer week or two. If you can get away from your busy life for a bit, a break from what seemed like the longest holiday season, would be great for your health and well being. Or if cold weather isn't your thing, there are so many fabulous cruises available on short notice right now it's silly not to try to get away. Either way, new experiences that add to your Return on Life are available for every budget. A quick getaway to the islands in the Caribbean, a glorious, peaceful hotel stay where you can be pampered for a few days, even a quick trip to DisneyWorld...find some time for yourself and family. Or plan for that fast arriving summer vacation. Make time for yourself. Don't forget, you work to support your off time!

What do you want to see?

2009-01-12T13:38:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note...what do you want to see or learn from a travel websote and blog? Are you interested in destinations? Prices? Itineraries? Exotic locales? New hotels? New hotspots? Is there information you are not getting from all the noise on the web? Let me know what's important to you and I will do my best to get that information out there. Everything in the world of travel is available at all price points and for all imaginations. Have you a dream vacation that you want to put together? Or a family reunion on a cruise ship? What do you want from your Return on Life? Let me know.

Twitter

2009-01-12T10:19:00.003-05:00

For the past few days I have been trying to wrap my head around this not so new tool, Twitter. I have learned how to "tweet" short little sentences and am including my blog http://grace-devita.blogspot.com/, and my LinkedIn profile so that all of you can follow all my travel discussions. You are welsomed to join in anytime. I amparticularly interested in any new or unusual destinations you are interested in traveling to. Cruise lines are adding new itineraries regularly, and tours companies are expanding their offers daily. You can take a 4 day mini-vacation within the US, or a 90 day cruise to multiple destinations around the world. don't forget about Space Travel. Virgin Atlantic is offering a once in a lifetime trip into space. If you can't afford the full trip into space, you can do all the training and come away feeling like you've been to space and back. Now that's a Return on Life you'll never forget.

Open House for African travel

2009-01-08T15:00:00.002-05:00

Post Haste Travel is holding an Open House Feb. 5th from 5:30 to 7 PM in conjunction with Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Tauck Tours, and CC Africa (&Beyond) to share information on traveling by sea to South Africa and then continuing on with a tour and Safari. If you haven't seen South Africa, and the wonderous animals there, there is no easier way to travel to a fabulous destination than by cruise ship. South Africa is cosmopolitan and modern, and the safari's are a days ride from civilization. See the Big 5 from the comfort of 5 star lodges. More information will be available at the open house. Call 954-966-7690.