Tips on Thursday - Bring Your Own Wine

Recently Royal Caribbean International changed a long-standing policy which prevented guests from bringing their own beverages, including alcoholic beverages onboard any Royal Caribbean cruise.  Sure guests could purchase alcohol while in port, but once back on board the purchases had to be secured in the ship’s storage until the end of the voyage. Additionally, any alcoholic beverages seized on embarkation day were not returned to guests. Period.  

Royal’s new policy allows for two 750-milliliter bottles of wine per cabin to be brought onboard ship, that may be consumed in the guest’s cabin or on a balcony without charge. If the wine is consumed in a public space, there will be a $25 corkage fee.  Further the policy requires that the wine bottles must retain the original manufacturer’s seals and exhibit no signs of tampering.  If a guest brings more than two bottles, the additional bottles will be secured by ship personnel and returned just prior to the end of the cruise.   

According to Royal Caribbean, the change of heart comes from the recognition that "vacationers may have a particular bottle of wine or champagne that they would like bring on board to commemorate a special day or event while on their cruise."  It has been well received by many cruisers, and provides a slight edge for those considering a cruise vacation, looking to enjoy some wine while onboard.  

Tuesday Trivia - Ships of the Disney Cruise Line

Did you know that there is enough cable onboard the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder to run an extension cord between Texas and Michigan... 1,367 miles worth!  And there's even more on Disney Cruise Line's newer ships the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy!  

Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day!

It's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Whether you have the day off today or not, pause for a moment and remember the influence this great American had for ending racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States.  

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! 

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - The Original Disney Hotel Finally Comes into the Family

January 21, 1989 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

The Walt Disney Company acquires the Wrather Corporation, whose assets include the Disneyland Hotel, across the street from Disneyland.  At this time Wrather's assets also includes the RMS Queen Mary and Hughes H-4 Hercules (the "Spruce Goose") in Long Beach, as well as the rights to “The Lone Ranger” and the “Lassie” TV series.

Featured Foto Friday - Illuminating Headboards

The recent 2011/12 renovations at the Disneyland Hotel saw the introduction of these charming, illuminating headboards. Now you can drift off to sleep as "When You Wish Upon a Star" gently plays in the background, and fireworks burst over the carved image of Sleeping Beauty Castle. It serves as a great way to tuck the kids in to bed after a long day a the Happiest Place on Earth, or as a really cool nightlight.  

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Tomorrowland Additions

January 15, 1975 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

Space Mountain opens in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.  A space-themed indoor roller coaster, originally envisioned by Walt Disney for Tomorrowland at Disneyland in the 1960’s, the technology to build it simply didn’t yet exist when Walt dreamed it up.  The first official ride is taken by Colonel James Irwin, the pilot of the Apollo XV Lunar Module on Apollo XV.

Also opening on this day in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom is the Carousel of Progress, an attraction relocated to Florida from Disneyland in California, tracing 100 years of innovations in electricity. The attraction had a home in Tomorrowland at Disneyland from 1967 – 1972, but it originally debuted at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.  It features a rotating carousel, whereby the guests are seated and rotate around the various stationary stages where an audio-animatronics family showcases American life from the days before electricity to the present.

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - International Gateway Opens

January 12, 1990 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

The International Gateway opens at EPCOT Center. This new second entrance allows guests staying in the various Epcot area resort hotels access to the park without having to take a bus to the front of the park.  The new entrance is located between the United Kingdom and France pavilions in World Showcase.

Saturday Savers - More VALUE Found in the Travel Advisor Community

Again in researching information to provide for Saturday Savers, I found another great article to demonstrate the VALUE that a good Travel Agent can bring to the table for their clients.  Click the link and check out this article below and let me know what you think.  

Hurricane Sandy's Lessons to Travelers: Use a Travel Agent

Many of us plan out vacations to the nth degree, but ultimately life doesn't always happen the way that you plan. Things happen, especially when mother nature is concerned.  As this article from this past fall demonstrates, sometimes mother nature gets in the way and disrupts even the best laid plans.  Having a Travel Agent in your corner can truly be beneficial when things don't turn out the way that you imagined they would.  In the end, that can truly be translated... VALUE.  But only when you use the Travel Agent from the beginning to help you put together your fantastic plans.  When you trust them to help you plan things, and use their services to book your vacation, Travel Agents will be right there for you when things go a bit awry, and they just might end up saving you time and money and help you get home again instead of sitting in an overcrowded terminal for days as many people had to during the still recent events of Hurricane Sandy.  

New Realms of Fun

Today in between pricing out vacations for clients, I enjoying climbing all over a roof and through attic space as I shadow a home inspector. No I'm not learning the trade, but rather prepping for the next phase of business. My lovely bride and I are investing in properties to lease out. Yes, we will become landlords soon as we expand revenue streams and diversify our investment portfolio. Phase II of a life-changing master plan is kicking in.  What are you doing in 2013 to better your own situation?

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disneyland's 35th Celebration

January 11, 1990 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

Disneyland kicks off its 35th anniversary celebration.  Reuniting in front of the Main Street Train Station for the first time since the 1955 Grand Opening live broadcast on ABC TV are all three of the original broadcast hosts:  Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan to kick off the anniversary celebration featuring the all-new Party Gras Parade, with New Orleans-style floats and 40-foot-tall balloons of famed Disney characters in their best party styles: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Roger Rabbit.  

Featured Foto Friday - Downtown Disney Lego Creations

The Lego store at Walt Disney World has some terrific creations on display.  Here, the classic scene from "Sleeping Beauty" where Prince Phillip battles the evil Maleficent turned into a dragon, in order to get to the castle to find his true love.  

Another Cruise Line to Offer Fireworks at Sea!!

Soon Disney will no longer be the only cruise line offering fireworks at sea!  Norwegian Breakaway, which debuts in May in New York City, will feature a fireworks show on every cruise!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFOSvMKzI1E

Norwegian Breakaway will be sailing its' inaugural cruise this May, and will be based in New York City year-round.  From spring to fall it will be sailing to Bermuda on 7-night sailings, and then from fall to spring it will be sailing to Florida and the Bahamas on 7-night sailings.  This beautiful new ship includes many innovations and will include the largest sports deck at sea, covering more than three levels, with some of the longest and tallest water slides in the industry.  Now YOU can cruise like a Norwegian, from New York City!

The Best Cruise

"What is the best cruise?”  It’s a question that every cruise expert gets at some point in time, often repeatedly.  Variations might include “which is the best cruise line?" or “which is the best cruise for visiting ….. (choose your destination)” .  While the questioner might truly be looking for a solid answer to their question, there truly is no one size fits all response. 

As often as I receive these questions, I never have an easy answer.  Why?  Because the “best” cruise for you might not be the same for your neighbor, or your sister or Uncle Henry.  The best cruise is a truly a matter of personal taste, timing and always a bit of luck - in that order.  What might be the best cruise choice for me might be bust for you, or the other way around.  Therefore whenever I get the inevitable question, I always turn it around and start asking questions back to the inquisitor.

This "best cruise" conundrum causes many of us in the industry a healthy dose of concern.  It is not my place to tell anyone what I think is the best cruise line or best cruise ship, rather it is my job to provide factual information about any given cruise line or ship, not my opinion.  The "best cruise" question will always be a personal opinion, whether mine, yours, or someone else’s.  My own best cruise experiences must be seen in the context of my personal tastes.  In the same vein, I can only tell you what I think is the best cruise for you when I know your personal preferences.  Certainly, as I work through the answers that my clients provide to a list of standard questions that I ask to help determine their tastes, interests, desires, and budget I will make recommendations, but I never tell clients which ship will be the “best” for them.  Providing information about ships, itineraries and various stateroom categories then allow my clients to determine for themselves what the “best cruise” will be for them. 

So the next time that you are ready to start planning a vacation, whether you come to me or another expert in the industry, be prepared to start answering questions yourself so that I can start putting together the pieces of the puzzle to help you determine which is the “best cruise” for you and your loved ones.   In the meantime, feel free to take a look at some itineraries for yourself via my website.  When you’re ready to explore options, I’ll be ready to assist you!

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Star Tours Debuts

January 9, 1987 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

Star Tours opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland, occupying the space once occupied by Adventure Thru Inner Space. A flight simulator ride based on George Lucas’ Star Wars film trilogy, it is the park's first attraction not to use Disney-designed imagery. The opening celebration lasts for 60 hours and guests are given a Star Tours Watch when they enter the park. 

Tuesday Trivia - United Kingdom Pavilion

The United Kingdom pavilion found in Epcot's World Showcase features eight different architectural styles for a tour of the islands that make up the U.K.  Styles include:  London Victorian, Yorkshire manor, Tudor, Georgian, Hyde Park, Regency and Shakespearean cottage.  

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disney-MGM Studios Changes

January 7, 1992 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

Disney-MGM Studios debuts the all-new Voyage of The Little Mermaid, a multi-media presentation, replacing Here Come the Muppets. The new show is a 17-minute experience, featuring a unique combination of special effects, film clips, live performances and innovative puppetry.

January 7, 2008 – Walt Disney World – Lake Buena Vista, FL

Disney-MGM Studios is now officially called Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Saturday Savers - The Value of Using A Travel Agent

As I have been researching new savings tips to highlight in order to resurrect in 2013 this irregular feature from 2012, I came across this terrific article that really resounded with the overall concept of the Saturday Savers column.  Savings isn't always translated into "dollars off" (or "cents off").  Sure that is the general connotation, but very often the VALUE that you receive from a special is much more important than the reduction in the price you pay.  Personally, I always look for the total VALUE of a purchase before merely saving a few bucks off of something's price. Check out the article and let me know your thoughts by commenting below.  And quite honestly, Travel Agents, Consultants, Advisors... whatever they go by, do bring VALUE to their clientele. 

Why We Really Don't Want Travel Agents To Die

Featured Foto Friday - Mr. Ray at Art of Animation

Mr. Ray at Disney's newest resort, Art of Animation at Walt Disney World.  It's just one of many oversized icons around the resort.  This new value-level resort includes both traditional rooms and family suites.  It has 4 phases: Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. 

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,

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disneyland's Tencennial

January 3, 1965 – Disneyland – Anaheim, CA

Disneyland observes its tenth anniversary with a Tencennial Parade.  On television Walt Disney introduces a host of new attractions coming to the theme park on his “Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color” Sunday night program. He is joined in this episode by the first Disneyland Ambassador, Julie Reihm, whom he refers to as Miss Disneyland.