30 Days and Counting

The "countdown" is officially on!!!  November 29, 2010 I embark (literally) on 2 days of a little history and adventure.

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas is just about to join the rest of the Royal Caribbean fleet.   Two days before it's maiden voyage for the public on December 1, a select group of travel planners and Royal Caribbean employees will get to "test the waters" so to speak.  And I'm so excited to be one of the 7,500 aboard the sailing!!!

The Allure of the Seas, along with it's sister ship the Oasis of the Seas which made it's debut just one year ago, will now share the title of the largest cruise ship in the world.  She will have the first "Starbucks at Sea", two surfing simulators, two rock climbing walls, a basket ball court, zipline, an "Aqua Theater", a boardwalk, an incredible spa, and dozens of restaurants and lounges.  How will I ever be able to take it all in in just two days?  It is truly a "City at Sea"!!!

I am so looking forward to this incredible opportunity to be a part of history in the cruise industry and to experience a true inaugural sailing for the first time!  30 days and counting..... See you soon Allure of the Seas,  looking forward to meeting you!

Fall Fun!!!

Although the weather hasn't been very "fall-like", here in Birmingham anyway, there is definitely the sense that Fall is in the air.  Football games, Fall Festivals, Halloween parties, hayrides are in full swing and it's reminded me of "falls past".

I'll never forget Kayla's first Halloween 15 years ago... she was my little pumpkin. And the next year... I had two precious "angels" when Morgan was only 1 month old.  And was it just one year later that I had 3 little M & M's when Andrew came into the picture?  Wow, how time flies.  I remember those 3 years as if they were yesterday!

Some of my favorite Halloweens are those that we spent at Disney World.  Mickey's Not So Scary Party was a blast, and my little 4 year old "Beast" had strangers asking to take their picture with him all night long, and my Belle and Cinderella were the prettiest of all the princesses in the Kingdom that night.  Just last year we got to enjoy the best Halloween Party ever again when we celebrated Morgan's 13th Birthday in Disney World.... the "Island Princesses" danced 'til we dropped.

Another favorite Halloween was one that I actually spent on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship just a few years ago.  The costume parties were so much fun, and I had a blast getting my picture made with every person in costume that I walked by all night long.   Good times....  I'm definitely looking forward to taking another Halloween Cruise sometime in the future.

This Halloween I'll be spending the evening with Captain Jack Sparrow... aka my husband, Rob.  He makes an excellent Cap'n Jack!  We'll be handing out candy and pirate coins at our local city park and talking about the new Disney ship, the Disney Dream!!!  Come see us if you're around...  and Happy Fall!!!

Information Overload

Do you ever get overwhelmed and confused when planning your vacation?  Cruise Lines and Resorts have made booking travel so easy and accessible these days, however they've also overloaded us with too much information, but we don't always have the knowledge to process it all.

With just the click of the mouse, you can book your next cruise, choose your stateroom, or put yourself in an all-inclusive Caribbean resort for a week.  But how do you know if you've made the right decision?  Did you choose the right cruise line or ship for your family's needs?   There are hundreds of different "categories" within each cruise line, ship and resort.  Do you know enough about each one to make right decision?  Are the restaurants at the resort going to live up to your expectations?  Is the picture on the website what you should expect when you arrive to your destination?

And then there's more.... Which cruise lines have the best shows?  Which port has more activities, Barbados or St. Lucia?  I know the resort has 8 restaurants, but should I book my dinner reservations and excursions before I arrive?  I see 30 options for excursions on my trip, but are there alternative excursions that the cruise line or resort doesn't offer, possibly at a lower cost?

Over the last 8 years, I have made it my job to learn as much about as many destinations, resorts and cruise lines as possible, and yet, still everyday I learn something new.  The travel world is constantly changing.  New ships come into the fleet every year, and resorts are being built and/or renovated year round.  Not only do I study about and take courses about the ins and outs of travel, but I also am able to provide my clients with first hand information by visiting different resorts, ships and destinations.

Why would you trouble yourself with all the details when there is someone who can take care of them for you, at no cost to you.  A travel consultant can take care of everything from the transportation, to the lodging, to booking dinner reservations, excursions and other special events.  All you have to do is pack and show up for your vacation. It's that easy!   And, just in case you do need assistance while on your trip, you always have a real live person to call.

I love my job, and I love helping others to see this big world that we live in!!!

My Most Favorite Vacation

How do you choose a favorite vacation?  For me, it's not so easy.  Every trip I go on is my favorite, whether it be a family vacation, getaway with my hubbie, a girl friend's getaway, mission trip, or what I call a "work trip".  I love them ALL, for different reasons.

I would rather travel than anything else.  I'm not crazy about accumulating more "stuff".  While having a bigger house would have it's advantages, I don't really NEED that.  A car is just a necessity to me, I don't have to have the newest, best one out there.  I would rather come to the end of my life and have created incredible memories with my family and friends as opposed to having a bunch of stuff that has to be divvied out to my kids.  I would rather enrich my kids' lives by providing them with the opportunity to see more than what lies between Gatlinburg, TN and Gulf Shores, AL, which is all that many children their age have seen.

So... what are my most favorite trips???  Every single one I've been on.  Although some trips may have had some mishaps, I've NEVER had a bad one!!!  And it's not always the destination, the ship, or the resort that makes the vacation so wonderful.  It's spending time with the people I care about, getting to know new friends, and creating memories that will last a lifetime.  "Stuff" doesn't last a lifetime.

In Search of the Perfect Getaway

Today I have decided that one of my life-long goals is to be in search of the perfect getaway.  This is a great goal, because since there is no such place, until I see heaven, I will be able to pursue my goal for as long as I'm on this earth.  This is a very exciting thing for me, you see, because I LOVE to travel.

For as long as I can remember, I've always been fascinated with seeing the world.  I love experiencing new cultures, languages, food, and meeting new people from different backgrounds.  I love trying new and  different things, and am not afraid to do so.   Because of this passion that I have for travel, I am so fortunate to have the best job that I could have... to help others see the world too!

I am the owner of Classic Travel Connection, a full service travel agency specializing in Disney World Vacations, Cruises, Caribbean Vacations, Central American Destinations, and so much more.  I enjoy helping others plan their dream vacations, and my goal is to make the process as simple as possible, from the inception of the dream all the way until my clients walk back into the door of their home.

So, as I continue my quest for my "Perfect Getaway" ~ let me help you find yours as well!  We may not find it this year or the next, but hopefully we'll have many years to keep looking, and we'll see many new places, meet new people, and make great memories along the way!