Did you see ABC’s - “The Lookout” last night? They did an expose on “all-inclusive” resorts. The facts are that many online travel booking sites display photos (supplied by resorts) that may not be accurate of their guest rooms or grounds. These websites may not give full detailed information regarding the details of the “all-inclusive” package offered at the resort. Not all “all-inclusive” packages are created equal. Many do not allow dining at all of the resort’s restaurants or limit you as to how many times you can frequent them. Many do not include water sports or all alcoholic beverages from every bar location. Resort decriptions may not be accurate.
How can you avoid being misinformed? Being dissappointed? Or getting really angry about getting false information? Call a travel agent!! We do this everyday! We go and tour many, many resorts each year to see for ourselves what these resorts offer. We know which resorts offer TRUE “all-Inclusive” packages and we know what your guestroom is really going to look like. Ask a professional and you won’t have to worry about arriving at a resort where half of the restaurants are closed and you can only get a beer between the hours of noon and 11pm. Travel Agencies are the ticket to a great vacation!

Travel Lovers

We’ve been very quiet for quite some time and we do apologize for our silence. In reality, we’ve been so incredibly busy over the last six months sending people away, we’ve barely had time to catch our collective breaths. But we want to do better and give you good articles or news to read so here we go….

Oh and by the way, you may want to go and check out our brand new WEBSITE. www.travellovers.com. You can request a quote or just browse around. Let us know what you think about it.

In mid April, I decided to use a free airline ticket I had earned from Delta and after checking around the Caribbean to see where I wanted to land, I decided to take a good friend (and my Mom) to Jamaica for a long weekend. She had never been and was ready to leave at the last minute.

The taxis in Jamaica are regulated so the ride from the airport to any hotel or resort in Montego Bay will run you $20. Easy price to pay and it’s always good when everyone is charging the same price. I chose the RIU Montego Bay for a variety of reasons. They have alcohol dispensers in each guest room so you never go far needing a cocktail, the pricing is reasonable and they are fairly close to the airport. When headed into Jamaica for only 4 nights, you don’t want to have to travel too far once you’re on the ground. Many people don’t like being close to the airport with planes taking off overhead all day long but it didn’t bother me. The RIU has an active beach area for lounging, activities and my favorite - Jerk Chicken each day for lunch. Watch out for the SPICY sauce - it’s get ya.

You can enjoy a selection of water activities, snorkeling, wind surfing and other options right from the resort. You can even get married here and we watched a wedding on the beach during our stay. Tours are also offered from the resort or from the transfer companies in Jamaica to Dunns River Falls, Bob Marley Tours, diving, horseback riding, river floats and yes, even Jamaica Bob Sledding actitivites. There is no lack of things to do. You may have heard people speak negatively about Jamaica and tell you scary stories. In reality, every town or city has places that can be scary or where you shouldn’t walk alone at night. Don’t be afraid of Jamaica - the people are very friendly and take great care of you. If you stay at your resort or go out to explore with a tour company, you’ll be safe and sound and have a wonderful time!!

Jamaica is beautiful with sugar sand beaches, misty mountains (where their Blue Mountain coffee comes from) and cool refreshing streams and rivers. Oh, and did I mention the jerk chicken?? It’s fabulous.

The pools are nice and cool here at the RIU and only near the swim-up pool bar does it get a little loud in the afternoon. The staff is organizing pool games with the guests or you can lounge by or in the pool on the water loungers. Plenty of chairs are around, you don’t have to fight for one.

When it comes to dinner time, you have your choice of the Steak House, a Japanese Restaurant, and Italian or the International Restaurant which offers a buffet at dinner time. Now, most peopel either really like or hate a buffet, but the buffets in many Caribbean resorts offer pretty good options. Many nights during the week will have a Theme Night that changes up the menu. The focus may be on Jamaican food, Asian, Mexican, Seafood or even BBQ’s. Always worth checking out, the buffet lets you eat when you want without making any reservations.

The RIU is a moderate property that offers good value for couples, families, seniors or groups of friends. They have a variety of bedding in most of the guestrooms to take care of larger families or just couples. The furniture is nothing fancy but what do you care? You’re going to be outside, right. This is a great option for a quick getaway for friends or couples.

I think there is room for your beach chair right about here! Little wave action so you can float around if you like. I wore swim shoes while I was here as the sea bottom can be grassy and that feels funny to me if I step on a patch.

If you have any questions about this Jamaican resort or any other, for that matter, just ask. We love the opportunity to pass along great intel.

I hope youa re planning your next getaway. Maybe it’ll be Jamaica Mon.

Thanks for reading,

Laura

Strategies to beat jet lag.

The most important thing is to time you light exposure and sleep can help.

If you have ever traveled across time zones, you probaly felt the symptoms of jet lag. The symptoms can be fatigue, trouble sleeping, digestive problems, headaches and irritability.

Jet lag is not good for leisure travelers. It can make your first day in any city make you feel disoriented.

British Airways has developed an online “ Jet Lag Advisor” This advisor will help you in managing your jet lag. You just plug in some of your information about your sleep patterns the advisor will help you in beating jet lag.

Hotels are also trying to help come up with ways to beat jet lag. The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas has introduced 42 “Stay Well” rooms with special lighting that is supposed to imporve the body’s internal clock and help regulate melatonin.

Experts say there is no one quick fix for jet lag. How much a person is affected by the lag depends on several things, such as the number of hours your are ahead or behind, the time of day you leave and the direction you are traveling.

The rule of thumb is it takes about a day for each time zone you cross to adjust.

Expert Steven Lockley of Harvard University says that any traveler should understand the science behind jet lag. Everyone has a circadian rhythm, or internal clock. Some people have shorter internal clocks ans some have longer ones. Those who have shorter ones tend to sleep and wake up early. Those with longer ones stay up and wake up later.

When you travel westward, you have to delay your clock. So if you live in New York that means the people in LA are three hours behind you. When you go east you have to advance your clock. When you are eating dinner on the East Coast people in London are going to bed.

Most people have longer, or delayed clocks. This means that most people find it easier to travel westward. That is because the body clocks are already going in that direction.

One of the things that you can do is to think what the people in the time zone that you are going to are doing and start doing what they are doing.

If you are going from the East Coast to LA then you will need to delay your system and go to bed later than normal for several days before you go. If you are going East you will need to go to bed earlier. I would not go to bed at 7 if your normal bedtime is 11 but maybe for a few days go to bed at 9:30 or 10.

Small changes help too. If you can adjust your schedule for 15 minutes a day in the days before you depart will really help. If you have the time to adjust an hour or two before you go then you will be better off.

The best thing to do is to see as much light as you can. If you leave New York at 7pm and arrive in London at 7am. Then you need to wake up at 2am, New York time. So sleep on the plane use sunglasses or even an eye mask. Even keep your sunglasses on until about 11am in London, and

when it is 6am in New York you are ready for light.

If you have trouble sleeping, melatonin, a natural sleep inducer or a sleeping pill such as Ambien could help. But, consult your doctor first.

Just remember to limit the number of alcoholic drinks and eat light and healthy.

Beautiful and exotic Costa Rica!

My heart and concerns go out to all of those effected by Hurricane Sandy along the east cost. Thousands of people are stuck in homes without power and thousands more are stranded in airports or airport hotels waiting to go home or just to go. This situation gives me the opportunity to talk about “crisis management” when traveling. I hope you’ll find this information helpful and it’s in no particular order so here goes.

First of all, it’s important to always be prepared. Isn’t that the Boy Scout Motto? They had the right idea. Before you leave home, make sure you have phone numbers or emergency information for your travel agent, airline, hotel, tour company, insurance company, etc. You should have a number to call for assistance if things start going south. Have your phone and all devices fully charged and take the chargers with you. Pack non-electronic entertainment, too. I always take a pocket flashlight with me. Whether I’m walking in a dark hallway or trying to find what I dropped under the bed, it’s a handy item to have. Make sure you always keep your receipts; if you have insurance, you may get reimbursed for hotel, meals, taxis, etc. once your ordeal is over.

When severe storms impact travel, all manner of issues can pop up. If your airport or hotel looses power, make sure you have brought entertainment that doesn’t require a recharge or a power plug. Never travel without a few extra days of any medication you need. Packing some clothes in your carry-on bag along with some basic toiletries, can save you if stranded in an airport. Bring cash!! If power is out those debit and credit cards won’t help you. Make sure you still know how to use a pay phone and have some change. You may not have packed a travel pillow or blanket in your carry-on but if you did, you will be the envy of hundreds of travelers.

Weather can interrupt travel in so many ways and rain is a common issue. If the rain is hard enough to stall aircraft on the tarmac, you could be stuck in your seat from 30 minutes to several hours waiting for a storm to pass. Are you prepared? Did you pack a snack in your carry-on bag? Do you have a book to read or a puzzle to work? What if it rains all day during your Caribbean getaway? Perhaps you can take a tour to another part of the island (it can be raining on you and not 15 minutes away) or enjoy the Spa or some shopping. I like to “hunker down” under a hut or palapa and wait it out. Are you traveling with children, take a pack of cards or a small travel game, you’ll be glad you did. When kids are bored (it’s easy when their games don’t work) they will make you crazy. Be creative and have something to pass the time. If your tropical resort requests that you move to a more protected area of the property when a storm is approaching - DO IT!! They know how storms effect their area, trust them.

Keep in mind that bad weather doesn’t have to be happening in your area to cause your flight to be delayed or cancelled. The airline routing system acts like a domino effect when weather is severe. A summer electrical storm in Charlotte, NC can delay flights into and out of Philadelphia and Phoenix, Arizona. It’s that “ripple effect” that contributed to over 19,000 flights being cancelled over the last 4 days.

When your flight is cancelled, call the airline while heading over to get in the ticketing line to be assisted; sometimes you can be re-ticketed before you make it to the front of the line. Be flexible! The airline may be able to place you on another carrier routed though another city to get you to your destination. Weather delays don’t usually get you a hotel room voucher so it’s another reason to pack that pillow and blanket. You don’t always have access to your checked luggage when stranded so having a few items with you in a carry-on bag can be a life saver in many ways. It’s important to know that if large amounts of flights start getting cancelled, call the 800 number for a nearby hotel and get a room reserved. There are always more people stuck in airports that there are hotel rooms nearby. Get yours!!

In closing, be creative if Mother Nature messes with your travel plans. Stay positive and try to be patient. Play “guess the nationality” while in an airport or maybe even stroll down to the perfume store and sniff some samples. At a resort, take that nap or head to the lobby bar to share travel tales and woes with other guests. Remember that others are stuck as well and make the best of a bad situation. It’s going to be a good story that you will tell later to entertain your friends.

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend. Travel safe!

Laura

One of my favorite things to do is cruising, and cruising with a group is even better!  Cruising is the perfect vacation if you like being catered to, like having someone else do the cooking, make your bed and clean your room, and have access to great entertainment.  Group cruising gives you all this, plus the advantage of being with people you know, or with whom you have common interests.  Today you can cruise almost anywhere, and itineraries are so varied that you will surely find what you are interested in. 

Groups can include family, business associates, or special interest groups, and can be customized to your purposes. For example, if you’re cruising as a group for team building purposes, a personal cruise agent can customize your package to include use of meeting rooms, complete with top-of-the-line audio and visual equipment and specialty dining options.

If you are participating in a family, high school, sorority, fraternity, or college reunion, then private cocktail parties and group photos can be arranged. 

Shore excursions can be offered for your group, or individuals may choose those in which they have an interest.  You will find trips which appeal to history lovers, adventure seekers, low-key sight seers, or shoppers. 

Group cruising can also have monetary benefits.  Most cruise lines offer benefits to the cruise organizer, some even free cabins, making it very worthwhile to be the one in charge!  Requirements for a group are usually a minimum of 16 passengers in 8 full-fare cabins.  Ship board credit and on board amenities may also be offered to the organizer and/or the group passengers.  So grab a bunch of your closest family, friends, or co-workers and take a cruise!

Barbara