Before Your International Travel

 Time to travel again!

I am excited to start my next vacation!

But now we have to do more than check in for our flight.  My flight to Punta Cana will be on Wednesday.  I have decided to get a covid test prior to my flight, no it is not required but when I return to the US I need to test negative so I just want to be sure before I leave.  

We also need to check our destination to see if they require any forms to be filled out prior to travel. 

So remember to do your homework and if you book with a travel agent they will do it for you!

I will be on a nonstop Delta flight so that will be wonderful.  

Now as we all know we do not need to wear a mask, but when you arrive at your destination you might need to so check that out!

I plan to wear my mask because I need a negative covid test to return to the states so I will try to be very careful however that is up to each passenger.  

I hope you will join me in this trip as I will be staying at 2 resorts.  I am sure they will not disappoint!

 Travel is Back!!

March 2020 changed they way we travel or should I say the way we did not travel.  In March 2020 we took our kids and their significant others to Cozumel Mexico (one of my favorite destinations).  We had a blast.  Maybe not the few that got sick on the private catamaran I booked.  It was very strange to return on March 11th 2020.  I think we all felt strange getting on the plane to return.  Little did we know travel would be very limited after that trip.  My best memory of covid will be going to the store the day after we got home and everyone had toilet paper!  I was thinking they must be having a sale!  No I did not get any and well I should have!

So here we are today April 2022 and things are getting back to normal.  My husband and I did a cruise in December 2021 and March 2022.  Of course it was more stressful than usual, but we were traveling.  

I am heading out next week for Punta Cana because when you work in travel you need to travel!  I do not need a covid test to enter Punta Cana however I will take a test just to be sure because when I return I need a negative test. Right now masks are not required on planes however that is subject to change.  If you are not comfortable not wearing a mask then you should wear your mask.  I have gotten used to the mask so I will be safe knowing I need to test negative.  

During this time it has been hard for me to promote travel, however now I feel we need to travel more than ever!  We have learned a few lessons, like get travel protection yes it adds to the cost of your vacation but then you have protection.  

I look forward to talking about the Symphony of Seas and Wonder of the Seas in the next few weeks.  And of course I will give reviews on my trip to Punta Cana, the Riu Palace Punta Cana and Secrets Cap Cana.  

Thinking about a Cruise?

Have you been dreaming about taking a cruise?  

I have taken a few work cruises but last year when we sailed on RCCL Harmony of the Seas it was very different because I had to figure out a few things and not just go where I was told!
Plus I was traveling with my husband so he expected me to know everything!   I was actually stressed about what to do next. Lucky for me my niece loves to cruise so I asked her a lot of questions. But you might not have anyone to help you, unless you book with a travel consultant, we love to answer your questions!

 I have clients leaving on Sunday for their first cruise so as I was sending them information I thought it would be a great blog idea!  

Let's assume you booked your cruise with a travel consultant which is your first good decision as we can get you the same pricing as you can booking it yourself but now you have a travel assistant to answer your questions, book your air, pre night hotel, and answer all of your questions!

My clients are booked On RCCL, they booked their own air, but I did book their pre night cruise hotel because I do recommend you fly to your port the day before so you avoid any flight issues, and you will be minutes from the port.  I selected a hotel that included a airport shuttle (tip- before you go put the hotel phone number in your phone so you are not searching for the number).
It is very fun to just walk around and if you are from Minnesota you will just love the warm weather.

Some hotels offer a shuttle to the port for a fee, which is what we usually do, but you can take a taxi, Lyft or Uber, I also use SuperShuttle so you have some options.  

When you book a cruise you do your own online check in, which is nice because it is all done when you arrive at port, they also recommend when you should arrive at port so they can hopefully avoid long lines.  You also have your cruise planner which is fun to pick the shows you want to see (included in your cruise).  And you can look at all of the tour options, believe me they have something for everyone.  

When you arrive at port your driver will drop you off at the luggage area, I have to admit this seemed crazy just leaving your bag but you will have a luggage tag so it is a easy process!  Remember carry on your bags that have valuables, medicine, documents just in case!

Once you are on the ship you can go enjoy lunch or a drink until your cabin is ready, and enjoy your home on the water for hopefully a week or more.

When you are considering a cruise there are a lot of things to decide, first you need to decide your budget which will determine your cabin!  What about travel protection, this couple opted for the travel protection which is good because they had to change dates, so as their travel consultant/assistant I filled out the forms for them, and made sure when the voucher came it was applied to the new cruise.  Then do you want to pre pay your tips, I did the first year but this year I am not, you will be charged daily unless you go to the customer care desk to have them removed or changed (this is if you want to tip on your own to your room attendant, servers in dining rooms and bars).  Everyone works so hard on the cruise so we actually pre paid ours last year plus tipped!  Then you can decide on what you want to do when you get to ports, but it is a fun process.  
Of course anyone can book their own cruise, but why when you can have someone that has knowledge and experience help you.  

If you have questions or would like a quote on a cruise or any travel give me a call 763-878-2763 or email me cindy@vacationsrspecialtravel.com. 

Save money on your special vacation

Are you thinking about your next vacation?  

Remember when you book with a Travel agent we have access to many discounts, and we always make sure we offer these to our clients.  Right now many of our Suppliers, such as Apple Vacations, Delta Vacations, Funjet Vacations and Sun Country Vacations are offering early booking discounts. Some require a promo code, and some are just a book by this date offer.

I know many people still believe that you can get a last minute deal that is going to be a much lower price, not usually.  Many of my clients are already looking at their winter escape for 2019 and will soon book to take advantage of the promo codes and early booking discounts.

Each year I see my clients learning to look early, as they enjoy the warm summer they know it won't last and they will want to escape.  So they can relax by the pool knowing I will be working to find them the best prices.

I have several clients that I check pricing for every day!  I do this because I know a happy client will return each year!  They also know I am in contact with my suppliers and I know the product.  This past year I went to Punta Cana on a work only trip, it is great for me to experience the resorts and destination.  In 2017 I went to Mexico twice on work trips, of course I manage to do a few vacation only trips.  

Do not forget I have clients booking cruises year round and a year in advance.  I booked my last cruise a year in advance and I have a March 2019 cruise booked.  If you want a certain cabin or a suite you need to plan ahead.  

Of course you can book that vacation online, but with no service fees why not let the professionals handle your next vacation.


Enjoy the weekend, and if you would like to send me a trip request give email me cindy@vacationsrspecialtravel.com with your travel request, or give me a call at 763-878-2763, yes I work weekends too!

Are you buying an airline ticket soon?

Today I want to talk about air travel, I actually do not sell air only, however many of my clients need air for their cruise or other types of travel, so I purchase air for my clients and myself.  

Recently we heard about our local airline leaving clients at their international destination because they no longer flew that route, my opinion-not cool!  And domestic flight delays, overnights at the airport, the list goes on.  I do want to share an experience my daughter just had over the weekend, and it might make you read the fine print, and think twice about which airline you want to spend your money on.

This is a learning experience, not a great one for my daughter.  I won't give every detail but this is how it went, she left MSP on her way to New York City, flying into LaGuardia Airport, now that is a easy flight not like she was flying to a city in the middle of no where, most airlines fly this route many times a day.

But then the weather became an issue, so they ended up landing in Pittsburgh, then all the flights to LaGuardia Airport were cancelled, leaving my daughter to overnight in Pittsburgh!  Now at first they said because of the weather no hotel or food vouchers would be given, but then it came out the flight crew could no longer fly so she received $79 for hotel and $12 for food, good deal if you had unlimited time to get to your destination and wanted to spend your friday night in a cheap airport hotel in Pittsburgh.

So let's look at this first part (yes I said first part)!  Did you realize if your flight was cancelled or delayed due to weather the airline is not responsible? Well yes I know it but I actually never think about it when booking my ticket.  

Now she was scheduled to return to MSP on tuesday, so back to the airport, and on the plane, wait no we are back in the airport because the flight was cancelled.  She had sent me a text while on the plane so I found another flight with the same airline, yep go figure that was cancelled also.

So back to her friends apartment but lets look at this she paid an Uber to get to the airport, then back to friends place.  And back to the airport the next day! Yes another Uber.

Now we are back at the airport Wednesday morning, she arrived early to find out her flight was once again cancelled, really!!!  But they were able to get her on a flight to Dallas, and back in MSP that afternoon!

What a weekend!  So I want to share a few thoughts that might make your next flight enjoyable and not the nightmare she experienced!

First, this is huge, no matter where you are flying you might want to consider travel insurance, I usually add it to my flights.  But I will be honest when I add it I am thinking incase I have to cancel not what happens if we have bad weather!  That way if you have a weather delay you can save your receipts and submit a claim.

Next, look at your airline schedule do they fly to your destination several times a day, every day? Let's say you select an airline that has one flight a day to your destination and not every day!  That great price might not be worth it. 

I just wanted to share this so hopefully you will be picky when selecting your next airline.  Remember to prepare for your flight and be prepared when you fly for a unexpected delay.  Make sure you have all medicine in carry on, phone chargers, snacks.  Sometimes travel can be stressful but plan ahead for a stress free vacation!

I plan to sit down with my daughter and we will write a letter to the airline because I have never heard of so many issues with an airline.  I will keep you posted, hopefully they will at least acknowledge they made a few mistakes.

Have a great day!


Cindy
cindy@vacationsrspecialtravel.com
763-878-2763

Highlight on the Bahia Principe AquaMarine in Punta Cana

Hi everyone, I hope you are enjoying your summer, remember soon the snow will fly and you will be looking for that 2019 Winter Escape!

Recently I was working on a vacation for a client and I  discovered this resort, set to open in November 2018, it is a rebranding of Bahia Principe Ambar Green. So if you are looking for that special vacation you might want me to price this one for you.

The AquaMarine is part of the Bahia Principe Complex in Punta Cana, other resorts in this complex are Bahia Principe Esmeralda, Bahia Principe Bavaro, Bavaro Premier, and Bahia Principe Punta Cana.

The AquaMarine is not oceanfront, it has it owns restaurants but also shares some with the other resorts.  

You will not be bored here with the water sports, paddle surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, volleyball, dance classes, soccer, tennis and even karaoke!

Let's talk about the dining, right at the AquaMarine you have the main buffet, they have a Pool Restaurant with International Cuisine, or the Beach Restaurant, which is seaside dining no reservations for any of these restaurants in the AquaMarine.

However we are not done!  Try these adults only, and reservations are required, Mashua Nikkei ( Japanese and Peruvian fusion), El Olivo Gourmet, Capriccio Restaurant (Italian).

Now these ones are not adults only Maiko (Japanese), Tex Mex Santa Fe (Mexican), BBQ Restaurant in the Olas, which is buffet, El Pescador (Mediterranean), Garden Grill (Steak House) and Los Corales (Dominican).

As for the rooms at AquaMarine, you can select a Jr Suite which will have a king or two double beds, sofa, hydromassage tub, and wi-fi these are just a few of the amenities, if you upgrade to a Jr Suite Superior you will have a king bed along with the amenities.  

This resort will be a great match for couples, and couples that travel with friends.  Give me a call for pricing.  And of course these details are subject to change.

Have a great day!


Cindy Kissinger
763-878-2763
cindy@vacationsrspecialtravel.com

August Newsletter

At Vacations R Special Travel we are always looking for ways to keep our clients informed.  Which is why I am working with different social media outlets, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and email Newsletters.

Today I sent out a newsletter to my clients if you would like to view this then click on the below link
http://conta.cc/2M9jlvu

I will soon start sending emails and updates for travel so sign up now.

You should be able to sign up to receive my newsletters and travel information if not please email me at cindy@vacationsrspecialtravel.com


Enjoy your summer I will be back with another blog soon!


Thanks,

Cindy