Group Travel Experience - Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - AVAILABLE NOW!

 

 

Up, up and away! This is an experience not to be missed! The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta has grown into one of the world’s most photographed events. Set in New Mexico, a place diverse in culture and scenic beauty, the Fiesta is simply one of the most spectacular displays of sound and color you are ever to witness.  Check out these amazing TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:  Balloon Fiesta, Old Town Albuquerque, National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Turquoise Trail, Santa Fe, Open-Air Tram Tour, Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe School of Cooking

 

We have limited availability for this incredible annual event, taking place this October, with an escorted tour of the surrounding area as well. Package pricing includes air from IND (but can be changed to a different gateway if desired...just ask!)

 

Learn more and register here

 

 

#travel #adventure #tourism #vacation #exploremore #supportsmallbusinesses #travelagent #theinternetisforlookingbuttravelagentsareforbooking #experiences #balloonfiesta #seeitforyourself

Did You Know We Can Book That? SCUBA VACATIONS

Few trips or experiences can compete with the underwater adventure and beauty of a scuba vacation!  Check out this experience in Hawaii, just one of many that we can help you book around the world in some of the best dive locations. 

 

 

SCUBA DIVING WITH MANTA RAYS & MORE IN HAWAII

 

The Big Island's volcanic underwater topography filled with lava tubes, arches, and craters is a diver's wonderland.

Kona is located on the Big Island of Hawaii. Offering a week of liveaboard scuba diving along the western coast of the island at favorite sites. The yacht ventures far from the reach of day operators to beautiful South Point, the southernmost tip of Hawaii.

 

 

The Kona liveaboard experience operates out of downtown Kailua-Kona. Kona liveaboard scuba diving in Hawaii begins Sunday morning and ends Friday afternoon when the yacht returns to port.

- Average of up to 27 dives on 7-night charters (multiple day and night dives)

- Average water temperature: 72 – 80F, 22 – 27C with thermoclines

- 3-5mm wetsuit and hood is recommended year-round

- All dives are from the yacht. 

Dive tours available year-round.

 

Love Scuba diving but have already been to Hawaii? Check out these other incredible international dive tours available:

 

The Bahamas | Belize | Cayman Islands | Costa Rica | Galapagos | Indonesia | Maldives | Palau | Philippines | Red Sea | Roatan | Sri Lanka | Thailand | Turks & Caicos and more   

 

There's a video for each one of these locations on my Scuba page within my website. 

 

Interested? Let me know your travel dates and number of travelers and let’s get you booked! I love helping people get out & explore with all types of adventurous experiences!

 

#travel #adventure #tourism #vacation #exploremore #supportsmallbusinesses #travelagent #theinternetisforlookingbuttravelagentsareforbooking #getbacktonature #gounderwater #scuba #scubadiving #diving #oceans #discoverhawaii #hawaiiunderwaterlife #konahawaii

Continuing Education Update - Faith-Based Travel

My newest certification is all about faith-based travel. Israel anyone?

More ongoing education taking place this month. My newest certification is all about faith-based travel. Israel anyone? Their borders are getting closer to re-opening now that 30% of their entire population has been vaccinated. Individuals and groups will be returning to visit the Holy Land later this year. I have some incredible opportunities for those interested to join on their own, or as a small group, including a custom group I'm putting together for early 2022.

 

I would love to help you celebrate your faith like never before with our spiritual guided tours, designed to take you all over the world exploring the deep roots of your faith. These dual-purpose tours not only let you explore new places and cultures but also explore the bigger questions of life and spirituality. We're ready to help you discover more with your travels. Check out this video, and then reach out when you are ready to plan an incredibly moving journey of discovery for you, and your faith community.  I would also welcome an introduction to your pastor or priest to talk about how they might lead a trip to the Holy Land themselves. 

 

2021 Winter Travel Planner Magazine is Here!

 

Our newest digital issue of the Travel Planner magazine is here!

 

If YOU are comfortable and ready to travel, I'd love to help you plan your trip! This magazine is a great source of inspiration, with some great possibilities for land-based vacations that could be enjoyed now, and when the cruise lines are able to start sailing again...river cruises in the USA and in Europe and ocean cruises all over the world. Many of the offers are valid for booking before April 30th, others are through various dates in March. If you see something that intrigues you...ask me about it!

 

I know everyone has a different comfort level at this time, but please know that a wide range of travel opportunities can be booked for this year, next year, or even 2023. This 45-page e-zine will certainly give you some great ideas to ponder and dream about in the following categories dedicated to those regions or sub-regions.

 

• Let’s Go Caribbean & Mexico

• Let’s Go USA & Hawaii

• Let’s Go Alaska

• Let’s Go Exotics & Expeditions

• Let’s Go Europe

 

It also has several featurettes sprinkled throughout, with embedded YouTube videos to continue to spark your travel imagination! When you're ready to book, please reach out to me and I will be very happy to take care of all the details for you. Just click the image to explore and start dreaming! (Plus on page 3, you could register to win a 7-night AMA WATERWAYS river cruise for two! Must enter by April 30th)

  

Where2Next: Europe

Our Next Virtual Vacation Presentation is coming up! 

It's time for an adventure that the whole family can embark on! Join Cruise Planners with our partners, Tauck, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Globus for a virtual trip to Europe, family-style. From stunning gardens and parks to exciting museums and zoos, there's plenty of fun, culture, and history for the whole crew to enjoy together. Indulge your travel passions and ignite new memories as a family in some of the most unique places in the world.

 

Register today and then tune in on January 20th at 5 pm EST/2 pm PST or a Cruise Planners® Exclusive booking offer, giveaways, and the grand prize announcement!

 

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/VirtualEurope

Where2Next: Alaska

Greetings, adventurous friends! Your friendly neighborhood travel agency owner here to invite you to our next free virtual travel series event. Is ALASKA on your bucket list? Have you ever visited our 49th state? It's an AMAZING place that's great for exploration on land and sea for families, couples, and groups. I've been there more than once and can't wait to be able to return again! There's so much to see and do you can't go just once - it's definitely NOT a once-in-a-lifetime destination.

Join us for ALASKA: Discover the Last Frontier...which will take you on a virtual adventure through the wilds of Alaska. You can learn about the best places to catch sight of a whale breaching, how you can walk on top of a glacier and where to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis. And that's just a taste of all the amazing experiences Alaska offers you.

Be sure to register via this included link and tune in on October 21 at 5 pm to learn more about Alaska. https://tinyurl.com/VirtualAlaska

Ancestry Journeys are HOT in 2020

Ancestry Tourism — or traveling to the places where your family and ancestors lived — has been on the rise, and it's still gaining momentum. Is Ancestry Tourism part of your plan for 2020?

 

Over the past decade, millions have used genetics kits or searched through genealogy sites such as Ancestry.com to discover or uncover their familial roots and bonds.  And some of the hottest travel trends in 2019 and for 2020 are taking the trips to experience their family's places of origin first-hand. Many go to see the ancestral home, others to look up and meet members of the family that stayed behind - or descendants of those who did. Over the past several years this type of travel has been booming, and all expectations within the travel trade are that it will continue for years to come.  According to Business Insider magazine, it's even expected to see a hotel boom with dozens of new hotels being built in Warsaw, Poland as the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II approaches, as the Polish nation expects a major uptick in tourism.  Another anticipated ancestry tourism uptick is expected with a special ocean voyage being offered by Cunard that is designed to replicate the Mayflower voyage that 400 years ago took English citizens across the Atlantic to settle in North America.

 

Many nations that have been the homeland of immigrants heading to the United States in search of a new life are anticipating continued ancestral tourism visitors in the years to come.  May 2020 is the year that you'll go out in search of your family's heritage.   

 

An Alaskan Cruise. Is Alaska on Your Bucket List?

 

When it comes to cruises, an Alaskan cruise is in a league of its own and provides an experience of a lifetime. The voyage itself is certainly different from a typical cruise headed to the warm and sunny beach destinations of the Caribbean.  An Alaskan cruise brings forth another type of awe-inspiring beauty altogether. and provides passengers the opportunity to see pristine landscapes and wildlife in a way that they might never have experienced before. A Bucket List destination for many, Alaska is a top cruise destination.

Here are just a few reasons why an Alaskan Cruise should be at the top of your travel list.

Cruise Lines Cater to All Ages

Once upon a time, it seemed that the vast majority of passengers on Alaskan cruises were elderly. However that has changed, and most major cruise lines, which cater to all ages, now travel to Alaska.  Disney Cruise Line, known for being family-oriented, cruises to this destination on the Disney Wonder, which has been specially retrofitted to enhance the Alaskan experience for her guests. Oceangoing cruise lines that serve the Alaska market include Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Silversea, and Crystal Cruises. Additionally, smaller river cruise ships that serve the Alaska market include American Cruise Lines, Tauck, and UnCruise Adventures. 

Port Adventures

Regardless of age, there's something for everyone at the assorted port destinations. Examples include: children can pan for gold and watch dog sledding, adults can sample local brews and visit spectacular fjords and glaciers, and people of all ages can enjoy whale watching. For the more adventurous types, white water rafting, ziplining, or exploring glacier tops via helicopter ride can be great fun. Other more passive adventures include rides on the Alaskan railroad, shopping, and mild nature walks.  

See Glaciers

While glaciers are the most sought-after tourist attraction in Alaska, they are also endangered and are decreasing at an alarming rate. See them from the cruise ship, get closer to them via kayak, take a hiking tour, or see them from a flightseeing tour. You don't want to miss seeing this magnificent sight!

The Wildlife

Alaska is known for magnificent wildlife, which you may first glimpse from the deck of your ship. Just imagine seeing humpback whales, orca whales, beluga whales, and dolphins, as you enjoy a meal or relax. You will also have the opportunity to take port excursions, enabling you to get close to native wildlife, which may include bears, elk, bald eagles, moose, and much more. It is a bird-lovers paradise, with hundreds of different varieties just waiting to be spotted. Be sure to bring along binoculars! 

Cruise Season

The Alaskan cruise season is much shorter than in other areas of the world. The cruise ships first arrive in mid to late April, and all depart by mid-September.  
 

Itinerary Options

There are numerous itinerary options and ways to experience Alaska, which allows you to find the best fit for you. There are four basic ways to cruise Alaska:

1. Round-trip, sailing from either Vancouver, Seattle, and sometimes San Francisco, which will head north, typically through the Inside Passage, stopping in a handful of ports, and then return back to the originating port. 
2. Northbound one-way, which sails from Vancouver or Seattle heading north, again typically through the Inside Passage with multiple stops along the way, and then ending in the Anchorage area to either Whittier or Seward.  Guests then disembark the ship and board the Alaskan railroad for the 2+ hour train trip to Anchorage, where they would then fly home. 
3. Southbound one-way, which is the opposite of the northbound, as guests would fly into Anchorage, and then ride the Alaskan railroad south to Seward or Whittier to board their ship. The ship would then sail through the assorted ports of call, down through the Inside Passage, and then on to Vancouver or Seattle, where guests would disembark and fly home.
4. CruiseTour, which is a combination of a pre or post-cruise land experience coupled with the cruise itself.  Guests can choose between 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or even 7-day land experiences that include visits to Denali National Park and other exciting destinations throughout southern and central Alaska or Vancouver.  Typically a pre-cruise tour will find guests flying into Fairbanks and beginning their land experiences and ending in Anchorage for the journey south on the Alaskan railroad to board their ship for a southbound cruise; though there are land experiences that begin in the Vancouver area with guests touring Whistler and the surrounding areas of Canada. Post-cruise tours are similar, just taking place after the cruise.   

On Sale soon
The 2017 Alaskan itineraries are going to be released by the cruise lines very soon. Typically they release their coming year's schedule in late February or very early March, though Celebrity's 2017 sailings are already on sale. For more information and to learn more about Alaskan cruises, call Christopher today at 855.776.1733, or complete this link!

LONDON - Is it on Your Bucket List?

London.  The city which is steeped in pomp and pageantry; the city where history and tradition are not merely prized, but rather integrated into daily life; the city of modernity in art, fashion, music, education, commerce, and entertainment; the city that claims itself to be the capital of the 21^st-century Europe.  London, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “is the epitome of our times, and the Rome of today.”

   

  

London has served as the capital of England, and the United Kingdom since the 10^th century.  It is the largest metropolitan city in England and is generally considered the largest metropolitan city in all of the European Union.  It was originally founded nearly 2,000 years ago by the Romans, as Londinium.  

London has always been a popular destination within Europe.  Given its’ age as a city, and the vast array of historical, political, and social events and movements that have taken place within the community, there is a dramatic number of museums, gardens, palaces, galleries, cathedrals, parks, concert halls, neighborhoods and shopping destinations to visit.   Depending on the length of an individual stay, visitors to London will have ample opportunity to take in many of London’s most famous sites – including such historic places as:

• Westminster Abbey (dating back 1066)
• Windsor Castle (similarly dating back to the 10^th century)
• Tower of London (dating back to the 11^th century)
• St. Paul’s Cathedral (dating back to the 17^th century)
• Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens (dating back to the 1730s)
• Buckingham Palace (dating back to 1705, expanded to its’ current size in the 1830s)
• and so many more.

When was the last time you visited this enchanting city?  If you haven't yet visited, is London on your bucket list?  When would you like to visit?

Magical Mondays - River Cruising: The Pros About Going Small

River cruising is a HOT new way to explore, since nothing quite compares with the river. Where else but on the river can you journey into the heart of the world’s greatest cities and towns, and discover the true nature of the land? Comfortable and convenient, river cruises offer a greater variety of destinations than you could encounter any other way. Spend less time getting there and more time being there. Little wonder that river cruising is the fastest-growing segment of the travel industry.  With River Cruising, you get up close and personal on the rivers of Europe, China & Egpyt.

For those only familiar with the rules of big ships, here are three reasons riverboat fanatics come back, time and again, for more.

Dinner
Forget buffet dining with 2,000 strangers. River cruises average about 200 passengers per boat, so the waitstaff will likely know your name by the end of the first meal (and so will your fellow travelers).

Evening Entertainment
Instead of dance clubs, karaoke, and glitzy Vegas-style reviews, nightlife on river cruises trends toward string quartets, guest lectures on regional history, and staring out at actual scenery, not just a watery horizon.

Extra Costs
The dirty little secrets of ocean cruises? They always charge extra for excursions, and beer and wine costs are on par with pro sports arenas. River cruise lines opt for flat fees up front.

River cruising is such a fast-growing trend that there are twice as many new river ships debuting in 2012 than there are traditional big ships. In fact, Viking River is building 6 new ships to accommodate the demand. I for one thought that this was for the older generation but I was completely wrong in more ways than one. This new way to cruise is for the adventurous. You are docked right into the heart of the city. You walk on cobblestones. You are eating pho, knockwurst and other traditional foods. You are there to really experience the cultures and sounds of the world.  This is for the “Bucket List” crowd. 

If you would like to learn more about river cruising, let me know, and I'd be happy to discuss ships, itineraries and more with you.