Is there somewhere NEW we can go?

Canada Day falls on the weirdest day possible this year, smack-dab in the middle of the week on a Wednesday.  We Canadians love it when Canada Day hitches up to a weekend and we can get a long weekend in July.  It usually corresponds with the first heat wave, the first trip to the beach, or a picnic and fireworks. If you're really lucky you have a cottage or know someone who does.  The ultimate Canadian staycation, the Cottage.  

As much as we love the vacation we're taking, we can't help dreaming about the vacation we've yet to take.  The winter all-inclusive island beach vacation.  It's as much our right of passage as the summer cottage staycation.  We dream about it. We plan it, and every year it gets a little bigger and better than the year before.  

This year, the winter of 2026/27 the island all-inclusive is harder to plan.  There seems to be more obstacles in the way of making plans and booking our vacations.  The first problem is where to go? If you always went to Cuba you now have nowhere to go.  Cuba is out of the question and will be for quite some time. It may take years before the infrastructure is up and running again to accept visitors. 

After Cuba, many people tried Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic only to be disappointed.  The beaches are not the some at all, the people are not as friendly, and the resorts are run down and in bad need of upgrades.  The two destinations are not a fair comparison.  

To get beaches that compare to Cuba, you have to double your budget, and go to Punta Cana, the Mayan Riviera Mexico, or Jamaica.The positive side of that is the upgrade to the resorts. With the increase in budget comes nicer resorts with more amenities, such as better rooms, food, and activites.  This is great for poeple who have the money to afford the increase in budget.

The vast majority of Canadians who travel south in the winter live on a modest income and enjoyed their simple trip to Cuba for a cheap price to get a break from winter.  Unfortunately for those people, it's going to be a long winter this year.  There is no alternative to Cuba.

The top question in the Travel Agency this year is, "Is there somewhere NEW we can go?" 

I kid you not! Geography is not everyone's best subject from school. The simple answer is NO. There are no new islands.  

Do yourself a favour. Do some research into destinations. Find a place you feel safe exploring. If you never leave the resort than research resort chains. Find one's that suit you. Then call your Travel Agent to get the best dates and price.  Don't ask them a dozen times, once is enough. They see all the prices for all the dates at one time. 

Book early to get the best price. Then go back to the hotdogs and fireworks happy in the knowledge that you have your next vacation planned.

When & How to book an All-inclusive Vacation

I wish I had a crystal ball.  Then I would know when to book everyone’s all-inclusive vacation.  As Travel Agents we see trends year after year, we monitor the sales and deals, and we can give you a pretty good idea when to book. 

It’s the third week in January, if you are not already booked to go away this winter, you will most likely not get a deal or, save money.  

I understand that some people don’t have a choice.  They have to book last minute.  They can’t get the time off work, the kids don’t have their hockey schedule, the in-laws are sick and can’t watch the dog.  We all have busy, complicated lives.  I get it. 

However, if you can plan ahead, here is a little advice.  Book early.  I mean as early as August, but certainly before the end of November.  Last year I booked my vacation in November.  We watched the price, looked at highs and lows for the resort we wanted and then booked when the price hit its lowest.  The next week, our resort sold out.  If we had waited for last minute we would not have got what we wanted.

That’s the service your travel agent should provide.  If they are not, get a new Agent.  Using a Travel Agent does not mean you are week, or that you don’t understand the internet, or that you are not a world class traveler.  It means that you are secure enough in yourself to ask for help.

I give this advice now because we are dealing with a lot of disappointed people.  The phones are ringing off the hook with people wanting to go to Cuba for $800.  The taxes and fees alone are $400.  They expect a seat on a plane, a roof over their heads, a bed to sleep in, and all the food they can eat and drink for $400.  The resorts are at 90 – 100% capacity and they don’t need to sell off anything. 

When the resorts are full, they have to put people every room.  Even the ones that need repair.  Last week, we had a customer that didn’t have a toilet seat in the bathroom.  The resort was filling every room they had to keep up with the demand. 

Don’t get me wrong, I think you should travel this time of year, it is the greatest feeling to be warm when the rest of your world is freezing.  Just be realistic.  If the budget will allow, upgrade the star rating  of your resort.  Upgrade your room category

If your room category is “Super Saver" or “Daily Deal” you’re not getting a room, you’re getting a broom closet.  What is “Super Saver”?  That’s not a room category.  Don’t get caught with the “last minute” people with rooms that overlook the parking lot.

My advice to you: Whenever possible in life, Upgrade,  You’ll never regret it.

Packing! What a Nightmare

I just spent the weekend packing for our Christmas Holiday trip to Puerto Vallarta.  Yes, I'm spoiled.  My husband surprised me with a trip to Puerto Vallarta for Christmas.

This will be our first time away from home on Christmas Day, and I think I will be alright with it.  I'll let you know when I get home.

This year packing was especially challenging because I was doing it in the middle of Christmas wrapping, family dinners, eggnog, Christmas carols and the in-laws.

Packing?  My first dilemma is always what size suitcase should I take?  There is the challenge of weight versus my need to have the things I want.  I love to rise to the challenge of complying to the airlines weight and size restrictions.  I pride myself in never having to pay the fees for being over weight. On the other hand I need to take everything I want to have a great vacation.

For example, I need to have three or four bathing suits to wear over seven days, and each bathing suit weighs two pounds.  (Yes, they weigh two pounds each.  I'm over 50 years, nothing that I have fits into a string bikini, and Lycra is heavy)

Then there are the cover-ups, the day time clothes, the evening clothes, and the appropriate shoes to go with it all.  That's three outfits per day over seven days.  You do the math. 

I need four pairs of shoes, minimum.  Running shoes for the plane, walking sandals, beach sandals, and evening sandals.  And even then I have to wear the same sandals with every outfit every evening.  What's fun about that? 

Going down my check list there are necessary things to pack.  The extra book to read, the sun hat and the beach bag.  Sun tan lotion alone can weight up to ten pounds.  You need the SPF 30+ for the first two days, then you can drop to the SPF 15 for two days, and then finally you might be able to drop to an SPF 4, if you don't get two days of rain that sets back you tanning progress.  Oh, and you can't forget the SPF 80 for your nose and toes.

Another thing that gets complicated are purses and bags.  You need a big purse to carry your valuables on the plane, but once you've arrived at a Resort, you don't need a big purse anymore.  You need a small purse to carry around the resort that holds your room key card, SPF lip gloss, and cell phone.  Heaven forbid, you didn't have your cell phone and missed the facebook posting of the cute cat under the Christmas tree.

You need a beach bag to carry your book/kindle or tablet and the multiple bottles of suntan lotion.  You may need a knapsack or shoulder bag for day excursions which is not the same as a beach bag.  All of these bags and purses are important and very necessary.   I hear you guffawing in disbelief.  Yes, one bag can be used for more than one purpose.  What's fun about that?

Did you know that some high end resorts are now using the wrist band as your room key, eliminating the need to carry a room card in your bathing suit top.  Very Smart.

Finally there is the decision of whether to take a carry-on suitcase or not.  Now I'm not talking to the women who can travel with only a carry-on suitcase.  I don't relate at all of those skinny women who can wear a string bikini, with a sarong that doubles for evening wear.  Real women need stuff and more than one suitcase.  I can assure you that I use everything that I pack.

In closing I'm proud to say that I packed it all.  Everything that I wanted to take, and I met the airlines weight challenge.  My suitcase weighs 42 pounds (allowance is 50 lbs)  That's enough weigh allowance to buy two bottles of tequila cream, and I know I'll get it back safely, because I remembered to pack my bubble wrap.

See you in the New Year.

How to get an Amazing Vacation

Picking a Resort among the hundreds of options.

This time of year, every Travel Agent in Canada is pricing out package vacations to the Caribbean.   It’s what we do.  Some days, it seems like it’s all we do.   Customers can be hard to please and I know why.  Everyone wants an amazing vacation.  What does that mean, amazing? 

An amazing vacation is a vacation that dazzles you the minute you walk off the plane. 

Where people smile at you and make you feel like you are the most important person in the world. 

Where your favorite cocktail is waiting for you when you arrive at the resort.

Where someone carries your luggage to your room while graciously telling you about the pools and the spa and then refuses your offer of a tip, because he is simply "pleased to serve".

In this fantasy of an amazing vacation, you have miraculously lost ten pounds during the flight and found a whole new wardrobe in your suitcase.

Sounds wonderful?  Now let’s call your Travel Agent and find That Resort.

Do you know what your travel agent hears?  “I want to go to a 5 star Resort in Cuba for $800 in peak season”

The expectations of the customer and the reality are rarely the same.  However, it is our job to find you the best resort possible.

Here are a few hints to help make the process easier.  If you know what you like, what’s important to you, what you can live with and what you can’t live without, then the process will be so much easier.

Your travel agent is not clairvoyant, the more information you provide, the better the outcome.  Answer these simple questions, and your Travel Agents will be able to make suggestions that will get you so much closer to your amazing vacation.

• Are you a pool or a beach person?
• Are you a picky eater?  Do you like spicy food?
• What kind of décor do you like, Spanish Revival, or Ultra Modern?
• Do you like to explore off the resort? Do you want to go parasailing, or shopping?
• What are your daily habits?  Are you up with the birds for a walk on the beach, or stay up late dancing in the Disco?
• Do you like to meet strangers or keep to yourself?
• Do you like to dress up or stay in a bathing suit the whole time?
• Which TV show would you want to appear on?  Gillian’s Island? the Love Boat? Magnum PI? 

Remember:

• set a flexible budget; don’t buy the cheapest option, it’s cheap because no one else wants it.

• don’t wait for last minute, last minute is what’s left over that no one else wants. 

• expect the worst of your airline and be pleasantly surprised when everything goes according to plan. 

• when ever possible in this life, Upgrade.  Upgrade your seats, upgrade your room, you won't regret it
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• and finally, if you don’t like bugs, stay home.  You are going to the Tropics.  There are bugs everywhere.  Spend your money on a nice Spa Day here in Canada and leave your poor travel agent alone.

Here's wishing you an  Amazing Vacation!

Living out of a Suitcase

Living out of a suitcase sounds like a very exciting way to live.  It implies that you are carefree, easy going, can roll with the punches.  It means you are not tied down by a lot of clutter and things that get in your way like nick knacks.  All you need is a bathing suit, a tooth brush and a passport.  If you are a backpacker, you can even live with just one change of underwear, one good pair of jeans and two tee shirts. 

You can be the ultimate traveler.  Just let it all go and let the wind take you.

This, of course, is not me.  As much as I love to travel, I need my creature comforts.  My suitcase is always just under the allowed weight. I mean just, like a ounce or two.  When I put my suitcase on the scale at the airport, I hold my breath and say a little pray to the Travel Gods that it will not weigh over and cost me money for excess baggage.  When it comes in slightly under, I do a little dance, and think  "Yes, I did it. Take that you oppressive airline with your rules and restrictions.  Ha!" 

Let's take a moment and talk about my Creature Comforts.  You won't believe what I put in a suitcase.  First, let's address the need for one pair of underwear per day, and one extra, just on case.  That's what my mother taught me and I cannot do any less.  I have heard about the four ways to wear a pair of underwear, and frankly, Yuk, I'm not interested.

Next, I cannot travel with less than three pair of shoes, one for walking/sightseeing, one pair of sandals, and a pair for evening wear.  It's very difficult to narrow the choices down to just three pair.  No one understands the sacrifice I am making.  If I could get away with it, I'd have a carry-on bag full of shoes.

What I am most proud of is my emergency Kit, it is a miniature version of: a tool box; a sewing kit; a first aid kit; office supplies; and kitchen gadgets; all in one.  It is approximately 4" X 8" and weights 3 pounds.  Trust me, if you need it, I've got it.  The phrase "Be Prepared" was coined after me and my Emergency Kit.  Not one trip goes by when I don't bail out a fellow traveler with a safety pin, or blister band-aid. I can fix your sunglasses, open your wine, and give you drugs to help you poop.  I am the "Ultimate Traveler".  (Wow! I think I just invented my Super Hero Name).

And last but not least, always travel with bubble wrap, don't you?

I'm not Crazy, I have Wanderlust!

I'm not Crazy, I have Wanderlust!

Do you ever start a conversation with someone about your travels, only to have them look at you like you are crazy?  As if they can't imagine taking a trip, let alone going to a foreign country half way around the world.

To these people I say, "I'm not crazy, I'm not broken, you don't need to Fix me."

I have wanderlust. 

That feeling deep inside that bubbles up every time the weather turns nasty and you want to run away, or you see a picture of a beach, and you know where it was taken because you have studied it for so long on the internet.  It's a feeling of excitement when it's time to get the suitcase from the back of the closet and start to pack.  Do you count the sleeps before you depart?

Are you one of those people who carries their passport in their purse, just in case?  Or has a suitcase permanently packed  because there is no point in putting your travel clothes away?  In April do you get the urge to get in the car and drive south until you see a spring flower?  If so, then you have wanderlust too.

For me, it's a feeling that started very early in my childhood when my family did camping trips, and road trips.  They were the highlight of the year.  The feeling was encouraged by my Aunt Jessie who saved all of her wages from being a Grocery Store Check-out girl so that they could go on a trip every year.  When they got back I would sit around her kitchen table and listen for hours about Egypt, London, Edinburgh and Cruise ships.

My first trip to the Caribbean was with my Husband and the poor thing never knew the beast he unleashed in me.  I was so taken with everything NEW, that I couldn't get enough.  I wanted to go again, and again.  That's why I got into the Travel Business twelve years ago.  Since then I have been fortunate enough to have traveled to Mexico and the Caribbean over 20 times, to Europe seven times, and taken countless cruises.

Be Warned!!! Wanderlust does not go away.  It's is not an affliction that can be cured.  It is a beast that needs to be fed.  It is never happy until it knows what's around the next corner, down the street, or at the end of the runway.  Just like any "Lust" it is never satisfied.  It can only be satiated temporarily by giving it what it wants.  The next trip. Contact me, we'll feed your beast.

My Life as a 50+ Travel Agent

My life as a 50+ Travel Agent, the invisible me.

Days after my 57th birthday I traveled to Ireland with a group of other Travel Agents.  I was so excited to go and I had a marvelous time.  Ireland is a beautiful country.  A trip like this one is called a FAM, (Familiarization Tour).  The Tour Company puts a load of Travel Agents into a bus and tours us around showing us, at break neck speed, all of the things our customers might see and do.  It's tonnes of fun and very exhausting.  It consists of hotel inspections, late nights, and long hours on a bus.

To prepare for this trip I began a diet to lose a few pounds.  These trips are physically hard and carrying a lot of extra weight makes it even harder.  I was so proud of myself for losing 10 whole pounds in the two months leading up to the trip.  I felt great.

While I was gone, my husband planned to put down laminate flooring in our bedroom.  Great idea. Then I don't have to live in the mess.  So, an hour before I left for the airport, we moved the dressers out, down the hall and into another room.  In the process, I ran a dresser over my big toe and bruised it very badly.  There was nothing I could do at the time but drive the three hours to the airport with my foot on a cold pack.

I had a visible limp the whole trip, and most of the time I was in a great deal of pain.  So much for felling good about myself.  I took care to elevate it at night and bandage it during the day.  I was determined not to let it slow me down or leave me behind.  Over half of the group were under 40.  No way was I going to appear weak in front of them.

It's two weeks later, I've been home for a week. My toe is healed and I'm fine. Yet, something significant happened to me on that trip.  I don't know if it was the limping, or that I don't look as young as I used to.  Part way through the week I realized that I was invisible to the younger crowd.  I'm used to being in charge, in having people come to me for leadership and guidance.  But that didn't happen this time.

Don't get me wrong, no one was mean to me, or unkind.  It was more like I didn't exist at all.  Like I was invisible.  I understand that this happens to women over 50, but it's never happened to me.

As a result, I'm more determined than ever to create Travel Experiences for women over 50, especially Widows.  They are treated worse then the rest of us when it comes to being dismissed and invisible.   I'm not certain where I'm going, I'd love suggestions from you.

Hey, how would you like to go to Ireland?  I found a few pubs along the way where an old lady can get a drink.