Think before you book!

I always make sure my clients are sure this is the vacation they are looking for because no one likes buyers regret!  And even if you add the travel insurance you want to be sure this is the vacation you dream about!

So back in 2017 I booked my RCCL cruise on Harmony of the Seas, was it my dream?

Actually no it was not!  I had my heart set on a Viking River Cruise!  My husband and I would be celebrating our 30th Anniversary.  However he wanted one cruise I wanted another one and so we kind of gave up on that option.  But then I decided it would be great to spend a week with my niece Wendy and her family(Tad and Samantha) , then my sister( Karen) and her husband (Bob) decided to join us.  I loved being with my family and can't wait to do it again.

I have no regrets!! It was an amazing cruise and honestly traveling with family or friends on a cruise is a great option.  You can be together as much or as little as you like.

But before I book my next cruise I decided I better explore my River Cruise dream! 

So to recap yesterday I planned to book a cruise on RCCL either the Harmony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas or Oasis of the Seas.  I decided against booking on the newest ship because prices seemed high right now.

But sale alert this is the time to book your RCCL cruise because they are having a BOGO sale so call me 763-878-2763 or email me at cindy@vacationsrspecialtravel.com for pricing. 

Keep in mind I have very flexible office hours!

So before I lock in for my perfect cruise I am going to check out a few River Cruises.  I encourage my clients to do the same thing!  However I might just put that cruise on hold so I do not lose it while I am checking out the River Cruise.  I wanted to add a few Harmony of the Seas pictures plus my favorite desert!  Check back tomorrow as I look at my dream cruise in Europe!

With so many ships on RCCL how do I choose my next cruise?

So you have decided to take a cruise, now you need to decide on the ship and the ports that meet your needs.  Let's go through the process.

I am focusing on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line because I have been selling them for years and I feel they meet the needs of most of my clients and myself.

Usually a client will come to me with a ship in mind because they have either sailed on that ship or they have done their research.  So how many ships are we talking about?

Let's discuss the Classes of Ships, they are the Radiance Class, Voyager Class, Freedom Class, Sovereign Class, Vision Class, and Oasis Class, these are in no certain order.

The Radiance Class has four ships, Radiance, Brilliance, Serenade and Jewel.  They all have amazing views, open spaces, glass walls.  The viewing areas offer panoramic views of both land and sea.

The Voyager Class includes the Voyager, Explorer, Adventure, Navigator and Mariner.  They were the first to feature an ice rink with lessons and shows!  They feature climbing walls, mini golf, pubs and busy boulevards.

The Freedom Class includes the Freedom, Liberty and Independence.  You can surf on the Flow Rider, do some boxing or relax in a whirlpool.

The Sovereign Class includes the Monarch and Majesty.  These ships are great for the family traveling together from grandparents to grandchildren they will all be entertained.

The Vision Class includes the Legend, Splendour, Grandeur, Rhapsody, Enchantment and Vision.  These ships are popular for their swimming pools, solarium, casinos, and themed dining rooms and lounges.

The Oasis Class includes the Oasis, Allure, Harmony and the Symphony.  These ships are the world's largest passenger ships, they are designed around a neighborhood concept, with a park, a moving bar, zip line, aqua theater and beautiful suites.

I have to be honest until I started this research I had not heard of some of these ships, I would say they have a lot of ships!

Of course I pointed out just a highlight or two but it gives you an idea of what direction to start looking.  I have decided for my wants the Oasis Class is best for my husband and I, this might be a crazy reason but having enjoyed a suite on my last cruise I love the amenities such as the Suite Lounge and Coastal Kitchen.  So I have four ships to explore!  Have a great day!

To cruise or not to cruise?  As I mentioned I was not into the idea of cruising however I am ready to book my next cruise!
For myself the reasons I enjoyed cruising might be different than your reason.

1. The service on a RCCL cruise is outstanding, and I love great service.  The staff regardless if it was the cabin attendant or the bar staff always provided the best service.
2. Quality of the food and beverage.  I know I am a picky eater but I always found many options at each meal, and the beverages were always made with the alcohol you requested.
3. The entertainment was another plus for me, I enjoy a well produced show to entertain me after a great meal!
4. Night time on the ship is full of options, this is a huge reason I will book another cruise.  I enjoyed the Rising Tide, and the Schooner Bar, we were in a Suite so we also had access to the Suite Lounge which was a great perk!  But these are just a few of the options.  
5. When I am on vacation I might not enjoy doing a lot of activities that take me off the resort but when you are on a ship no need to hassle with transfers to your fun it is on your ship.  I enjoyed being able to change the scenery by simply changing decks!

So these are a few of my favorite things I experienced on the Harmony of the Seas, and why I am in the process of selecting my next cruise.  

Being a travel professional selecting my next vacation is never easy.  I tend to over think the process and I encourage my clients to think about their selection also, I never make a quick decision because all vacations are special so take your time, ask questions so you truly enjoy your vacation.

Next I will go through my process of selecting the next ship for my cruise.

Travel Insurance

Hi I am going to talk today about Travel Insurance.  I live in Minnesota and you probably heard no spring for us!
You would never think this time of year you would have a major issue getting on your flight or as many experienced not getting back from vacation.
While for many of us that seems like it isn't a problem but when you have no where to stay and you are stuck at an airport, being forced for many having to purchase a one way ticket home because your airline no longer services that area.  It is a nightmare.
I am currently in Punta Cana for a work trip, I was on a 7am Delta Flight on Saturday morning, the weather did not look good so I cancelled my shuttle, my flight and the hotel I was going to pre night at, however 15 minutes later the forecast did not look good for Sunday so I called Delta Vacations once again and asked to be put on my old flight.  They were great no shaming the travel agent for changing her mind!  I called my shuttle company Executive Express out of St Cloud MN and they put me on a 3:30am shuttle. 
Our flight left late as they had to de-ice then wait, and it was a bumpy flight but I arrived at my destination, just alittle late.
However not everyone was so lucky many, many flights were cancelled.  So that is just one reason travel insurance will help you out, lets hope we do not get another snow storm in April but remember you can not control Mother Nature, sickness or even death in a family.
It might seem like an extra expense but when you have an issue it sure comes in handy.

So how is Punta Cana, amazing and kind of warm, but I guess it is better than shoveling snow!  I am staying at the Riu Palace Macao, until Wednesday then off to Breathless! 
A huge part of being a successful travel agent is to actually experience and learn about the destinations, which is what I am doing.  This is a great resort, several pools, beautiful beach, great food.  The first night we had lobster tail and it was very good.  One of my favorite things is in the lobby they have alittle food area, I just had a chocolate croissant and a great coffee! 
Punta Cana is in the Dominican Republic, about a 5 hour flight from MSP. 
So I will continue about life on the Harmony of the Seas I just felt the need to talk about our recent storm.  I always offer travel insurance to my clients, especially those with health issues because if you do not get it right away you can not get the cancel for any reason or pre existing condition.  So think about it next time.
Thanks Cindy

Harmony of the Seas Adventure

Life on the Harmony of the Seas, is different than I expected.  I am used to going to an all inclusive resort, and the dining is fine and entertainment is so so.  But the dining and entertainment on the cruise was outstanding!
Dining- as I mentioned being in a suite we had the option to eat at the Coastal Kitchen but do not think if you are not in a suite the dining isn't great.  Of course you can enjoy the dining room, or many of the other options.  Some of the fun options would be Sorrentos for pizza, or the Boardwalk Dog House.  Johnny Rockets is another fun option there is no fee for breakfast but for lunch there is a fee.  And they have plenty of Specialty Restaurants also, but they come with a fee, for example we ate at the Chops Grill that was a very nice meal.  We also had dinner at Wonderland which is a dining experience!  From smoked buffalo eggs to liquid lobster it was a interesting experience.  The deserts were the hit!

You will not be disappointed with your dining experience.  And the service is amazing, we had dinner in the Main Dining Room all but 2 nights, and our waiter would have our wine as soon as we arrived.  It takes great food and great service to make a great meal and Harmony of the Seas will not disappoint!

Entertainment was great the Theater was beautiful we enjoyed seeing a few shows that were top of the line entertainment.  I never took any pictures but the Theater was so large I could not believe it was on a ship!  They also have aqua entertainment however our cruise was a little windy so were not able to catch the show.

Right now RCCL is having a great sale so if you are interested in more information please send me an email cindy@vacationsrspecialtravel.com I am currently in Punta Cana but I will be able to check my email.  

Life on the Harmony of the Seas

As I mentioned before I was nervous about spending a week on a ship with about 6500 other people.  But I was really surprised I loved cruising!  I loved having the access to the benefits of having a suite cabin.  I will post a few pictures, it was an amazing cabin, we were celebrating our 30th Anniversary (late of course).  We were on deck 17 and 18, yes our bedroom was actually considered deck 18.  It felt more like a small apartment, so when in our cabin I did not feel like I was on a ship.  On the main floor we had a full bathroom and a small living room, and small table with coffee service and a great place to enjoy your room service meal.  This cabin would be great for parents with one or two children.  There was plenty of space to store our empty luggage, and all of our things.  Overall this cabin was amazing and possibly large for two people but we enjoyed the large area.  One thing I want to point out is the large window looking out which is two stories high!  And in the bedroom upstairs you have the control so you can open it when you wake up and gaze upon that beautiful blue ocean!

So when you book a suite do you just get a beautiful cabin?  Absolutely not!  I guess my highlight was having the Suite Lounge it was close to our cabin so we could go over and grab a drink and a few appetizers to enjoy in our room before dinner.  It was a great space to enjoy drinks, snacks, and your concierge is located there so you can discuss anything you need with them, they were great, and always greeted you by name.  It reminds me of the song "where everyone knows your name"!  Needless to stay we spent some time here.  This is also where the Coastal Kitchen is located which is dining for the suite guests for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  We had breakfast and lunch there pretty much every day.  They have a great menu!  We did not have dinner here as we had family with us so we did the main dining room and a few specialty restaurants.  I will have to talk about the main dining room in a separate blog as it was a great experience.

As a suite guest you also have reserved seating in the theater so you can enjoy all of those amazing shows.  Also when you board you are given your own area to board so that goes very smoothly.  As for when you leave the ship, we decided to go it on our own, so I can not tell you if that process would have been easier or not.  It took us about an hour or so to get off but we also went at prime time and alot of waiting in line!

I also want to mention our suite attendants that were great, they seemed to be waiting outside of your door if you had a question or needed anything.  They cleaned the cabin twice a day.  They would chat with you and ask about your day, it was really nice.  We never really needed anything because they did such a great job, a real perk for the suite cabin's.

I will continue tomorrow and hopefully finish up by Saturday as I will be heading to Punta Cana for a work trip, no rest for this travel consultant!  Have a great day!

My Harmony of the Seas Adventure

When you book a cruise you have many questions, hopefully I will help answer your questions, if not give me a call or email.  Once my cruise was booked I began looking for airfare, knowing I wanted to arrive in Fort Lauderdale the day before my cruise.  You don't want to miss your cruise because your flight was late!  I booked a pre night stay at the Embassy Suites I included transfers to the hotel and from the hotel to port the next day, for my first cruise I did not want any stress!  I love staying at the Embassy Suites because they offer a managers reception with cocktails and snacks, and a wonderful breakfast in the morning.  Get a good nights sleep because your next week will be pretty busy!

When we went to get our transfer to the port I started stressing out!!  I was starting to second guess doing this, the entire lobby of the hotel was full of people waiting for a transfer to the port so you start to freak out, but no worries you step up and tell them what ship and off in your shuttle you go!  Okay what is the next step--good question I at that point I had no idea what to do after we were dropped off, but I was quickly directed to drop our bags and we started walking towards the ship, pretty easy.  We were sailing in a suite so we just followed the sign and within minutes we were actually on the ship!  Which is a crazy weird feeling because we came out by the Pub, my first reaction was to stop and get a beer but my husband frowned at that idea!  It was about 11:30am so with a suite we had access to the Suite Lounge so off we went.  So why have a beer when you can have champagne!  We quickly fell in love with the Suite Lounge, and why not you can get a drink or snack and relax in a beautiful place.  So now we are on the ship and waiting to settle into our cabin.  We had booked the Crown Loft Suite on Deck 17 as we were celebrating our 30th Anniversary late.  Before this cruise I was a land lover, we loved beach destinations because I did not want to be trapped on a ship being bored for a week!!  Ha Ha how would I know I would love my week on the Harmony of the Seas and once home start looking for my next cruise!  Now that you know what to expect from your pre night at the port I can start sharing the fun we had that week!  Have a great day!

Vacations R Special Travel

Welcome to Vacations R Special Travel, where your special vacation begins!  This is our new blog to keep our clients informed and maybe amused with our adventures.  We also want to share knowledge with our clients on destinations, suppliers and travel news.  For the next few weeks I will be sharing my recent adventure on RCCL Harmony of the Seas which is currently the largest ship in the world, until tomorrow when the Symphony of the Seas becomes the largest ship in the world! 

Right now RCCL is having a great sale which is 50% off of the second guest, this is a great time to consider your first cruise or your next cruise.  This is a great way to plan that vacation with all of your family, because it is a really big ship so you will get to enjoy what you want during the day then join together at night in the Main Dining room for a wonderful meal with great service.  And do not worry about the kids being bored, with the kids or teen club they will make great friends.  Between the slides, climbing wall, escape room and the many other things to do as a family. 

Let's start with a little background, I have been a travel consultant for twelve years and I have done a few short work cruises, one was a 5 day RCCL cruise to Bermuda and a few short Disney Cruises but they were basically for work.  So this was my first vacation cruise for 7 nights, and I really wasn't sure if it was a great idea or not!  My husband and I usually do a warm weather trip each year to a fun beach destination so the idea of spending a week on a ship with 6500 other people, well I wasn't sure it would be my cup of tea! 

I did my homework!  Yep I printed deck plans for each deck so I would not miss a thing, my goal was to have a drink at all 22 bars!  Actually there are probably more than 22 if you count the bars in each restaurant, but let's go with 22!  Did I accomplish my goal?  What do you think?  Actually I did not but I did see all 22 so that was good enough for me. 

So enough for now,  my next blog is going to wrap up the booking process, pre night hotel and transfers to the port.  Then we can focus on that week of fun??  Remember at this point I was not sure if the life of cruising was for me.  Have a great day