No Tricks...TREAT Yourself!

Happy Halloween! It's time to TREAT yourself to a great vacation! Call me, I’d love to assist you.

 

Resevations Now Open for Celebrity's Newest Ship - Celebrity Edge

Celebrity Edge sets sail on Dec. 16, 2018. Reservations opened today for this amazing new ship, that will revolutionize cruising once again. Contact me at 317.776.1733 for info and pricing or www.icanshowyoutheworld.vacations. Alternating between the eastern and western Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, this new ship shouldn't be missed.

It's Been a Full Day!

 

It was a very long day here in NYC booking great vacations for people! Hot topics of the day included Alaska, Bermuda, Sandals resorts, and European River cruises. I'm excited with the results thus far and looking forward to another great day tomorrow. After the show, it was great to eat in one of my favorite places here in the city - Junior's Restaurant, where I enjoyed an enormous roast beef sandwich. After such a big meal, the cool night air feels great as I walk back to my hotel for a little rest before the show starts again tomorrow. Good night from Times Square!

A Weekend of Fun Selling Experiences & Adventures for People to Getaway and Have Some Fun!

And the fun begins.... NOW! The doors will be opening in just a few moments and we're right up front by the entry doors, ready to sell amazing experiences for people to get away from their stress and some rejuvenation. If you're in the NYC area today, come see me! We're at The New York Times Travel Show at Javits Center.

The Internet & Travel Shows are for Looking...but TRAVEL AGENTS Are for Booking!

We're all set up and ready for a great weekend event! The hall is filled with so many amazing destinations and vacation opportunities from every continent on display this weekend at the show... but the best part is, I can help plan your amazing vacation to any of them! The internet and travel shows are for looking, but agents like me are for booking!!

#vacationtime #starttheplanning #CruisePlanners #Morethanjustcruises

Chicago Travel Show Has Been So Busy!!

Time for another great day at the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show! Cuba, Europe, Cruises, Walt Disney World, and Hawaii, plus a Destination Wedding were all the hot topics yesterday...excited to learn where else I can send today's guests. If you're local, come see us! Next weekend is New York City. It's (always) the vacation booking season!

Take the Trip. Make the Memories While You Can.

When the kids are young, and often budgets are tight, it might not seem possible to be able to take vacations. At the moment it seems like they'll be small forever - but in reality, they'll be grown and gone before you know it. Stuff will always be waiting for you to buy. Time with the kids won't always be available. Take the trip. Make the memories while you can. I'd be honored to help you create some fantastic memories for your family in 2017 and beyond. www.icanshowyoutheworld.vacations 317.776.1733

Black Friday Offers A Plenty

My inbox is full of amazing Black Friday offers on travel...too many to list from all-inclusive resorts, cruises, and more... this one however is one you won't see anywhere else – it is an exclusive sale through Cruise Planners only on Oceania Cruises. The last day to book is November 30th and it includes a reduced deposit, pre-paid gratuities, included shore excursions, and more. This is a perfect line for Foodies!

Message me, call me at 317.776.1733 or send me an email at clingren@cruiseplanners.com for Oceania or any of the other Black Friday travel deals! There are LOTS of them! Learn more about the Oceania offer here: bit.ly/CP_OceaniaSale

It's Time for U.S. Companies to Update their Ideas About Time Off

 

"When Netflix still had your typical vacation policy, employees asked an important question:

“We don’t track the time we spend working outside of the office—like

e-mails we answer from home and the work we do at night and on weekends—so why do we track the time we spend off the job?”

Management listened. They couldn’t deny the simple logic behind the question."

All too often I hear from people that they can't help or participate in this, that, or something else because they've used up their time off allotment for the year already... if only other companies would "get it" too. Of course many will think I'm sharing this because I am a travel professional, but it's NOT just about going on trips to rejuvenate yourself...often it's about being able to volunteer within the community, or to go camping as a mentor, to be able to spend a day here or they're working in a shelter or with Habitat or some other worthwhile organization, or just to recharge mentally and physically with the family at home. We don't live in the industrial age any longer... why do so many U.S. companies still have policies that date back to that era? My last employer had a policy requiring that at least one of the several weeks of vacation provided must be taken all at the same time to ensure time was taken for rejuvenating, while the rest was free to use in smaller segments as needed - that was a step in the right direction. Moving away from such regimented regulations would be so much better for employees everywhere.

You Use a Professional for your Health, Finances, Insurance, Legal Concerns, and Even Your Hair...You Should for Travel Too!

DIY can be great for many assorted projects - Pinterest has flourished for that reason alone - but when it comes to things like your hair, your health, your finances, insurance, legal advice - and YES - your travel plans - you really should seek a professional who does it day in and day out all year long for that one vacation per year you take. Why spend hours upon hours searching through too much information available online when you can easily turn to a professional to take care of you. Nolan lays out the reasons plainly and simply.

#travelagentawareness

Welcome 2013 - Bring on the Fun

Happy New Year everyone!  It’s been a crazy holiday season for my family and I, but it’s over, and we’re now into a new year.  2012 is officially in the record books, and the blank canvas that is 2013 looks to be an exceptionally fun, exciting, and possibly interesting picture that we’ll be painting over the next 12 months.  Along the path throughout 2012, we saw and experienced a variety of changes that we did not foresee back in January a year ago – so here on just the third day of January, I can definitely say that what we currently THINK the year-end picture will be, will undoubtedly only be a shadow of what it truly will become.

Some of the highlights of 2012 include planning quite a few multi-generational family vacations for clients, along with various anniversary trips and the like.  Our business has grown in various ways, and we are very grateful for each and every twist and turn in the road that has spurred that growth.  Our Facebook page growth has been phenomenal in the number of fans and followers, as well as the growth we’ve experienced in other online platforms such as Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and more. 

It has been very gratifying to be able to help families and individuals put together vacation plans that will help them create memories to last a lifetime.  From those couples traveling without children, to the groups of friends traveling for Girlfriends Getaways or simply couples traveling together, our knowledge and experience within industry just continues to grow.  We have become trusted resources for many throughout this past year, and look to continue the upward trend in the coming year.  With an online presence reaching into homes in more than 75% of the states within these United States, and a variety of nations beyond our borders thanks to this blog, we are finding clients from all across the country coming to us for assistance in putting together their vacations.  For that we are very grateful.  We can’t go beyond North America (by nature of the rules of the various vendors with which we work), but it is exciting to see how people find us from all around the globe.  As that famous (or infamous) song that the Sherman brothers wrote for Walt Disney back in 1964 says, it really is a small world after all! 

Thanks to each one of you who subscribe to this blog, and to those of you who have opted to get updates by email or RSS.  We truly appreciate your readership, and hope that you will continue to do so in 2013.  I’ve said it before, and truly hope to be able to act upon it this year – I look forward to expanding what is shared in this space, including having some guest contributors in the hopefully not too distant future.  

With that I will bid you all a happy, safe, peaceful and prosperous New Year. 

Until next time,

Tips on Thursday - How to Get the Best Cruise Vacation Deal

Should I wait to book my cruise? 

Well that depends on you. Do you have the luxury of traveling at the last minute? If not, contact your local cruise agent and book well in advance. This will assure you the best cabin at the best rate available. That doesn’t mean that the cruise rate won’t change; but if you are dealing with a good agent, they will guarantee to change your rate if the cruise line adjusts the prices prior to final payment.

How do I know if I am dealing with a good agent?
Check out the company you are dealing with – try using one that has a good reputation or touts they are “Top Producers” with the cruise line of your choice. This typically means that they have buying power and will have special pricing or amenities available.

When is the best time to travel?
If you are traveling to any exotic port, there are usually softer booking periods in which pricing can be hundreds of dollars lower. For example, if you are sailing to Alaska – book in May or September and your savings will be substantial. Caribbean is dirt cheap in the fall – it’s so inexpensive, it’s almost free. Well, maybe not, but it can be less than $100 dollars per day which is cheaper than staying home. Again, choose a reputable, knowledgeable agent who can guide you to these savings.

How do I find the best cruise deals?
Ask your travel agent if they send out weekly specials. Most competent agents send out a weekly e-mail promotion. This will give you a heads up when they have special cruise deals. In other words, agents regularly have access to cruise line promotions that include: shipboard credit, cabin category upgrades, reduced payment deposits, coupon booklets for onboard savings, and even free gratuities. But you will miss the deal, if you don’t know about it.

Tips on Thursday - Riding the Wave

Welcome to wave season - the best time to book your next cruise vacation. It happens every year. Between January through the end of March, all the cruise lines offer their very best deals of the year on cruises to just about every corner of the globe. There are some outstanding early booking incentives and extras that can vary from cruise line to cruise line. Some of the most common of the incentives include:

• Special Pricing
• Extra Value Offers
• On-Board Credits
• Cabin Upgrades (usually within the same category)
• Reduced Deposits
• On-Board Coupon Booklets

Family summer vacation to the Caribbean on Royal Caribbean, sure why not? River cruise through Paris and Normandy, no problem. Cruise through the Mediterranean on the coolest ship ever, Norwegian Epic we’ve got it! Anniversary trip to a long dreamed about trek down under to Australia or New Zealand on Princess Cruises? OK! Taking a trek to the great northern wonderland of Alaska with Disney? No problem. 

If you haven't already received the January issue of the Cruise Planner Magazine, visit my website today to be sure and sign up for the next issue coming out in July. It's packed full of Wave Season specials that will get you thinking about your next vacation. And until then, why not sign-up for my weekly ePostcard, using the special "Travel Deals" green box here, which will provide 4-6 exclusive offers and discounts directly to your email's inbox each week. You never know when inspiration will strike and the sea calls you. Why not be ready to answer the call and this question:

Where would you like to go?