Travel Blog
Hi Everyone and welcome to my travel blog. Right now with the concerns of hurricanes and tornadoes, I will try to keep you all as up to date. I will send it out via my blog immediately after I read it. Anyone with travel plans that needs assistance changing travel plans please call our office. We want all our clients to be safe, well informed and confident we are there for you.
4/30/20099:19:06 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Swine Flu Update: Mexico Cruise Itinerary Changes 
(11:30 p.m. EDT) -- Cruise lines continue to announce itinerary changes in light of ongoing swine flu concerns. Below, we've listed the cruise lines calling on Mexico ports in the near future, and the latest information available from each:
Carnival Cruise Lines
Disney Cruise Line
Fred. Olsen Cruise Line
Holland America Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean/Celebrity
Carnival Cruise Lines
With 15 ships affected, Carnival Cruise Lines is the hardest hit by swine flu. The two ships that are most impacted are Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Ecstasy, with select four-night cruises actually being canceled to accommodate new, seven-night itineraries. Here's how it will work:
Carnival Fantasy's May 2 and May 11 departures from New Orleans (originally five-day cruises) have been converted into seven-day cruises departing on May 2 and May 9. The cruises will call on Key West, Freeport and Nassau in lieu of Progreso and Cozumel. That ship's May 7 departure, a four-day cruise from New Orleans, has been canceled.
Carnival Ecstasy's May 2 and May 11 departures from Galveston (originally five-day cruises) have been converted into seven-day cruises departing on May 2 and May 9. The cruises will call on Montego Bay and Grand Cayman in lieu of Progreso and Cozumel. That ship's May 7 departure, a four-day cruise from Galveston, has been canceled.
Guests who cannot switch to or do not want to sail on any of modified itineraries may opt to receive a refund in the form of a future cruise credit or money back equal to the full amount paid for the voyage.
Beyond these two ships, most of the modifications announced -- though there are a lot of them -- involve simple port swaps or extra days at sea:
Carnival Imagination's May 4 departure from Miami (four-day cruise) will call at Nassau instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Destiny's April 30 departure from Miami (four-day cruise) will call at Nassau instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Triumph's May 3 departure from Miami (seven-day cruise) will call at Belize instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Liberty's May 2 departure from Miami (seven-day cruise) will call at Roatan instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Valor's May 3 departure from Miami (seven-day cruise) will call at Key West instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Glory's May 2 departure from Port Canaveral (seven-day cruise) will sail an Eastern Caribbean itinerary rather than Western. The original itinerary included Cozumel, Belize, Costa Maya and Nassau. The ship will still call on Nassau -- but will now visit St. Thomas and St. Maarten in lieu of the other ports.
Carnival Inspiration's April 30 departure from Tampa (four-day cruise) will call at Grand Cayman instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Legend's May 3 departure from Tampa (five-day cruise) will spend two days in Grand Cayman to make up for the loss of Cozumel (it was already scheduled to call in Grand Cayman once).
Carnival's Holiday, departing April 30 from Mobile (four-day cruise), will call on Key West instead of Cozumel. The May 4 departure (five-day cruise) will call on Key West and Freeport instead of Cozumel and Calica.
Carnival Conquest's May 3 departure from Galveston (seven-day cruise) will have an extra sea day in lieu of Cozumel.
Carnival Elation's April 30 departure from San Diego (three-day cruise) will call on Catalina instead of Ensenada. The May 3 departure (four-day cruise) will simply skip Ensenada and spend the day at sea.
Carnival Paradise's May 1 departure from Long Beach (three-day cruise) will call on Catalina instead of Ensenada. The May 4 departure (four-day cruise) will simply skip Ensenada and spend the day at sea.
Carnival Splendor's May 3 departure from Long Beach (seven-day cruise) will head north to San Francisco, Victoria and Seattle in lieu of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.
On these itineraries, guests who do not wish to sail may opt to receive a refund in the form of a future cruise credit.
Carnival says that guests who choose to sail will receive compensation for missed ports/altered itineraries (where applicable) -- and that it varies by itinerary. The cruise line also says that information on cruises departing after May 4 will be provided "in the near future."
For information on itinerary changes to sailings already in progress, visit carnival.com.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Magic will cancel its call in Cozumel on May 6 and will replace it with a call in Nassau. The cruise line has not yet announced any further changes.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Line
Fred. Olsen's Balmoral will skip a call on Acapulco next week. The ship will have an extended stay in San Diego, and an extra port -- Costa Rica's Puntarenas -- has been added.
Holland America
Holland America has announced that five sailings will be impacted by swine flu:
Ryndam, which departed on April 24, will spend two days at sea in lieu of calls to Topolobampo and Guaymas, and will call at San Diego and Long Beach in lieu of La Paz and Cabo San Lucas, respectively.
Statendam, which departed on April 17 for a Panama Canal transit, stayed at sea instead of calling on Cabo San Lucas; the ship will arrive in San Diego as scheduled on May1.
Westerdam , which departed on April 19 for a Panama Canal transit, will visit Puerto Quetzal instead of Puerto Chiapas and Corinto instead of Huatulco, then spend a day at sea in lieu of Acapulco.
Zuiderdam, which departed on April 18 for a Panama Canal transit, will skip calls at Puerto Chiapas, Huatulco, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas. Costa Rica's Puntarenas, San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua and Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala have been added.
Veendam, which departs on May 1 for a Panama Canal transit, will visit Corinto and Puerto Quetzal in lieu of Huatulco, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas. Golfo Dulce scenic cruising has also been added.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Pearl has canceled its April 29 call on Acapulco and its May 1 call on Cabo San Lucas. Instead, the ship will call in San Diego on May 2. Norwegian's scheduled itineraries do not include any more Mexico calls until the end of September 2009.
Princess
Six Princess ships are currently scheduled for calls in Mexican ports through May, as they reposition to Alaska for the summer season. In total, eight itineraries and 22 calls in Mexico are affected:
Sapphire Princess will visit San Diego and Catalina on its current voyage, and Santa Barbara and San Diego on its next voyage (departing May 2), in lieu of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas -- with technical stops in Ensenada.
Coral Princess will not call on Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatulco, Manzanillo or Puerto Vallarta on its current Panama Canal voyage, which departed on April 26. Calls at San Diego and San Juan del Sur have been added.
Star Princess will skip Acapulco, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas on its current voyage, calling in Santa Barbara and Catalina (other days are spent at sea). It departed for the Mexican Riviera on April 27.
Sea Princess will skip Huatulco in favor of San Juan del Sur and Acapulco in favor of Puerto Quetzal on its Panama Canal transit departing May 9. The ship will stay at sea insted of calling on Cabo San Lucas.
Island Princess has swapped a Huatulco call for a day at sea on its current Panama Canal cruise, which departed April 23.
Pacific Princess will not call on Acapulco or Cabo San Lucas on its current Panama Canal cruise, which departed April 24. The dates of some ports have been shifted, and a call at San Juan del Sur has been added.
Royal Caribbean/Celebrity
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is temporarily suspending its port calls in Mexico. The announcement impacts several ships. Most impacted:
Mariner of the Seas will sail a fully revised itinerary through the June 14 sailing, visiting Canada and the U.S. West Coast. Those seven-night cruises depart from Los Angeles and visit San Francisco, Victoria and Seattle (note: the ship's May 10 sailing will feature a port call in Astoria, Oregon, rather than San Francisco). Royal Caribbean has established a special help desk to assist guests booked on these cruises. The toll-free number is 800-327-6700.
Other ships will simply make alternative port calls or spend additional time at sea:
Enchantment of the Seas's five-night sailings from Ft. Lauderdale on Mondays will spend additional time in Key West and add an extra sea day in lieu of Cozumel. Its four-night sailings that depart on Thursdays will also spend additional time in Key West, and call in Nassau in lieu of Cozumel. Five-night sailings that depart Ft. Lauderdale on Saturdays will call at Ocho Rios instead of Cozumel.
Freedom of the Seas will spend additional time in Grand Cayman and add an extra sea day in lieu of Cozumel.
Liberty of the Seas will call in Coco Cay in the Bahamas in lieu of Cozumel.
Radiance of the Seas will replace its port calls in Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with an extended, overnight port call in San Diego, California, and additional time at sea.
Serenade of the Seas will call at San Diego in lieu of Cabo San Lucas.
Celebrity Infinity will skip its calls at Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas; more information on its replacement itinerary was not available at press time.
This week, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. and the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office issued travel warnings advising citizens against nonessential travel to Mexico.
4/30/20099:17:53 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Swine Flu Update: Mexico Cruise Itinerary Changes (11:30 p.m. EDT) -- Cruise lines continue to announce itinerary changes in light of ongoing swine flu concerns. Below, we've listed the cruise lines calling on Mexico ports in the near future, and the latest information available from each:
Carnival Cruise Lines
Disney Cruise Line
Fred. Olsen Cruise Line
Holland America Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean/Celebrity
Carnival Cruise Lines
With 15 ships affected, Carnival Cruise Lines is the hardest hit by swine flu. The two ships that are most impacted are Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Ecstasy, with select four-night cruises actually being canceled to accommodate new, seven-night itineraries. Here's how it will work:
Carnival Fantasy's May 2 and May 11 departures from New Orleans (originally five-day cruises) have been converted into seven-day cruises departing on May 2 and May 9. The cruises will call on Key West, Freeport and Nassau in lieu of Progreso and Cozumel. That ship's May 7 departure, a four-day cruise from New Orleans, has been canceled.
Carnival Ecstasy's May 2 and May 11 departures from Galveston (originally five-day cruises) have been converted into seven-day cruises departing on May 2 and May 9. The cruises will call on Montego Bay and Grand Cayman in lieu of Progreso and Cozumel. That ship's May 7 departure, a four-day cruise from Galveston, has been canceled.
Guests who cannot switch to or do not want to sail on any of modified itineraries may opt to receive a refund in the form of a future cruise credit or money back equal to the full amount paid for the voyage.
Beyond these two ships, most of the modifications announced -- though there are a lot of them -- involve simple port swaps or extra days at sea:
Carnival Imagination's May 4 departure from Miami (four-day cruise) will call at Nassau instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Destiny's April 30 departure from Miami (four-day cruise) will call at Nassau instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Triumph's May 3 departure from Miami (seven-day cruise) will call at Belize instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Liberty's May 2 departure from Miami (seven-day cruise) will call at Roatan instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Valor's May 3 departure from Miami (seven-day cruise) will call at Key West instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Glory's May 2 departure from Port Canaveral (seven-day cruise) will sail an Eastern Caribbean itinerary rather than Western. The original itinerary included Cozumel, Belize, Costa Maya and Nassau. The ship will still call on Nassau -- but will now visit St. Thomas and St. Maarten in lieu of the other ports.
Carnival Inspiration's April 30 departure from Tampa (four-day cruise) will call at Grand Cayman instead of Cozumel.
Carnival Legend's May 3 departure from Tampa (five-day cruise) will spend two days in Grand Cayman to make up for the loss of Cozumel (it was already scheduled to call in Grand Cayman once).
Carnival's Holiday, departing April 30 from Mobile (four-day cruise), will call on Key West instead of Cozumel. The May 4 departure (five-day cruise) will call on Key West and Freeport instead of Cozumel and Calica.
Carnival Conquest's May 3 departure from Galveston (seven-day cruise) will have an extra sea day in lieu of Cozumel.
Carnival Elation's April 30 departure from San Diego (three-day cruise) will call on Catalina instead of Ensenada. The May 3 departure (four-day cruise) will simply skip Ensenada and spend the day at sea.
Carnival Paradise's May 1 departure from Long Beach (three-day cruise) will call on Catalina instead of Ensenada. The May 4 departure (four-day cruise) will simply skip Ensenada and spend the day at sea.
Carnival Splendor's May 3 departure from Long Beach (seven-day cruise) will head north to San Francisco, Victoria and Seattle in lieu of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.
On these itineraries, guests who do not wish to sail may opt to receive a refund in the form of a future cruise credit.
Carnival says that guests who choose to sail will receive compensation for missed ports/altered itineraries (where applicable) -- and that it varies by itinerary. The cruise line also says that information on cruises departing after May 4 will be provided "in the near future."
For information on itinerary changes to sailings already in progress, visit carnival.com.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Magic will cancel its call in Cozumel on May 6 and will replace it with a call in Nassau. The cruise line has not yet announced any further changes.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Line
Fred. Olsen's Balmoral will skip a call on Acapulco next week. The ship will have an extended stay in San Diego, and an extra port -- Costa Rica's Puntarenas -- has been added.
Holland America
Holland America has announced that five sailings will be impacted by swine flu:
Ryndam, which departed on April 24, will spend two days at sea in lieu of calls to Topolobampo and Guaymas, and will call at San Diego and Long Beach in lieu of La Paz and Cabo San Lucas, respectively.
Statendam, which departed on April 17 for a Panama Canal transit, stayed at sea instead of calling on Cabo San Lucas; the ship will arrive in San Diego as scheduled on May1.
Westerdam , which departed on April 19 for a Panama Canal transit, will visit Puerto Quetzal instead of Puerto Chiapas and Corinto instead of Huatulco, then spend a day at sea in lieu of Acapulco.
Zuiderdam, which departed on April 18 for a Panama Canal transit, will skip calls at Puerto Chiapas, Huatulco, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas. Costa Rica's Puntarenas, San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua and Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala have been added.
Veendam, which departs on May 1 for a Panama Canal transit, will visit Corinto and Puerto Quetzal in lieu of Huatulco, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas. Golfo Dulce scenic cruising has also been added.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Pearl has canceled its April 29 call on Acapulco and its May 1 call on Cabo San Lucas. Instead, the ship will call in San Diego on May 2. Norwegian's scheduled itineraries do not include any more Mexico calls until the end of September 2009.
Princess
Six Princess ships are currently scheduled for calls in Mexican ports through May, as they reposition to Alaska for the summer season. In total, eight itineraries and 22 calls in Mexico are affected:
Sapphire Princess will visit San Diego and Catalina on its current voyage, and Santa Barbara and San Diego on its next voyage (departing May 2), in lieu of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas -- with technical stops in Ensenada.
Coral Princess will not call on Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatulco, Manzanillo or Puerto Vallarta on its current Panama Canal voyage, which departed on April 26. Calls at San Diego and San Juan del Sur have been added.
Star Princess will skip Acapulco, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas on its current voyage, calling in Santa Barbara and Catalina (other days are spent at sea). It departed for the Mexican Riviera on April 27.
Sea Princess will skip Huatulco in favor of San Juan del Sur and Acapulco in favor of Puerto Quetzal on its Panama Canal transit departing May 9. The ship will stay at sea insted of calling on Cabo San Lucas.
Island Princess has swapped a Huatulco call for a day at sea on its current Panama Canal cruise, which departed April 23.
Pacific Princess will not call on Acapulco or Cabo San Lucas on its current Panama Canal cruise, which departed April 24. The dates of some ports have been shifted, and a call at San Juan del Sur has been added.
Royal Caribbean/Celebrity
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is temporarily suspending its port calls in Mexico. The announcement impacts several ships. Most impacted:
Mariner of the Seas will sail a fully revised itinerary through the June 14 sailing, visiting Canada and the U.S. West Coast. Those seven-night cruises depart from Los Angeles and visit San Francisco, Victoria and Seattle (note: the ship's May 10 sailing will feature a port call in Astoria, Oregon, rather than San Francisco). Royal Caribbean has established a special help desk to assist guests booked on these cruises. The toll-free number is 800-327-6700.
Other ships will simply make alternative port calls or spend additional time at sea:
Enchantment of the Seas's five-night sailings from Ft. Lauderdale on Mondays will spend additional time in Key West and add an extra sea day in lieu of Cozumel. Its four-night sailings that depart on Thursdays will also spend additional time in Key West, and call in Nassau in lieu of Cozumel. Five-night sailings that depart Ft. Lauderdale on Saturdays will call at Ocho Rios instead of Cozumel.
Freedom of the Seas will spend additional time in Grand Cayman and add an extra sea day in lieu of Cozumel.
Liberty of the Seas will call in Coco Cay in the Bahamas in lieu of Cozumel.
Radiance of the Seas will replace its port calls in Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with an extended, overnight port call in San Diego, California, and additional time at sea.
Serenade of the Seas will call at San Diego in lieu of Cabo San Lucas.
Celebrity Infinity will skip its calls at Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas; more information on its replacement itinerary was not available at press time.
This week, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. and the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office issued travel warnings advising citizens against nonessential travel to Mexico.
4/28/20093:29:58 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM & THE MEXICO TOURISM BOARDSWINE FLU EPIDEMICWe are concerned with the recent outbreaks of Swine flu that are affecting certain regions of our country.At this time, our number one priority is to maintain the health and well being of our tourists.We are closely monitoring the development of the outbreak and are communicating in the most transparent and direct way possible. We are encouraging travelers to follow the preventive measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as well as Mexican health authorities.We respect the precautionary measures that certain countries are implementing with regard to travel to Mexico and other countries where similar cases have been confirmed.We are confident that as soon as this situation returns to normalcy, Mexico’s diverse tourism destinations, first-class infrastructure, and hospitality will continue to attract and welcome millions of international tourists.** As a side note. Our Group leaving June 20th to Cozumel is still going and we have a few slots left if you want to join us. As of today, we have had no cancellations of cruises or air/hotel packages scheduled to Mexico for the month of April, May or June. But in saying that, anyone concerned about traveling to Mexico who is booked through RTTravel can call our office and we will change your trip with little or no cost, this will done by a case to case basis. RTTravel considers the safety of our clients, Number 1
Thank you
4/24/200910:45:23 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Thank you so much for all the birthday cards, ecards, calls, flowers and giftsl. I am so overwhelmed and humbled by all this love and friendship. Thank you for making today so special already and its only 10:30am today.
4/16/20092:33:36 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Sorry for the bad copy but if you need more information on Carnival's 72 Hour Sale please call our office. Thanks
IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL AGENT.
We have a group traveling June 20-24, 2009 to Cozumel. We are staying that the gorgeous El Cozumeleno Resort and Spa. There will be some great optional tours that we will be organizing as well. If you have not met Robin, now is the time to do so. Also, look for more cruise specials on the upcoming ships NCL Epic, RCI Allure of the Seas, MSC Poesia, Carnival Dream and many, many more. Aadiós
4/15/20099:27:44 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
72 hour
Cash ba
Rates IN
ONLY!ck plus Best available upgrades onselect 3-8 DAY summer sailings.CARNIVAL ELATION 3 Day San Diego 6/25/09
$289 $309 N/CARNIVAL ELATION 4 Day San Diego 5/31/09
$289 $309 N/HOLIDAY 4 Day Mobile 8/20/09
$299 $329 N/CARNIVAL DESTINY 5 Day Miami 8/24/09
$429 $509 $609HOLIDAY 5 Day Mobile 8/10/09
$429 $469 N/CARNIVAL FREEDOM 6 Day Ft Lauderdale 6/28/09
$699 $819 $929CARNIVAL LEGEND 7 Day Tampa 8/23/09
$629 $729 $829CARNIVAL LIBERTY 7 Day Miami 5/30/09
$649 $699 $799CARNIVAL FREEDOM 8 Day Ft Lauderdale 6/06/09
$799 $929 $1099The company reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests at up to $9 per person per day if the NYMEX oil price exceeds $70 per barrel.
Addition
al ships & sail dates are availableFun Ship cruises can be booked through Bookccl.com; Amadeus Sabre Cruises; ; Revelex;Travelport Cruise & Tour; Focalpoint (just type: LSAC/V:CCL then enter)
For assistance please contact: eSolutions at 1-800-845-2599, Monday through Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturdays 9am to 6pm (Eastern Time).
Terms and conditions:
Cruise rates are in U.S. dollars, per person and based on double occupancy. Cash back offer is non-transferable. Cash back is provided as a refundable onboard credit to your Sail & Sign account of: (i) $50 per person up to a maximum of $100 per stateroom on select 3 - 4 day sailings (ii) up to $75 per person up to a maximum of $150 per stateroom on select 5 day sailings; or (iii) up to $120 per person up to a maximum of $240 per stateroom on select 6, 7 or 8 day sailings. If your Sail & Sign account has a cash balance at the end of the cruise after all authorized purchases have been applied to the account, any remaining unused portion of the cash back onboard credit will be delivered in check form to your stateroom on the morning of debarkation with your final Sail & Sign statement.
Cash back offer is capacity controlled and combinable with best available upgrades only. Offer not combinable with any other discount or promotional offer. Best available stateroom upgrades available within like cabin categories (Interior to Interior, Ocean view to Ocean view and Balcony to balcony). Limited ocean view upgrades may be available on select ships. Combinable with Fun Select rates only. Rates are subject to
Carnival does not endorse nor authorize the practice of blast faxing or unsolicited faxing of any materials promoting Carnival or its products. Materials promoting Carnival may only be faxed to individuals who have requested the promotional information. If you would like to stop receiving promotional emails, please call 1-800-438-6744 ext 65480 or fax 1-877-245-1171
change at any time without prior notice. Category restrictions and exclusions apply. Minimum purchase of category 4A is required. Blackout dates may apply. Valid on new individual and group bookings made between 4/16/09 – 4/18/09. Offer expires at midnight EST on 4/18/09.Group bookings are restricted to berth, does not support amenities, and standard T/Cs apply. Promotion is applicable to select ships and departures between 5/24/09-9/4/09. Offer can be booked through e-channels only: BookCCL.com; Amadeus Sabre Cruises; Revelex; Travelport Cruise & Tour; Focalpoint (just type: LSAC/V: CCL then enter).Government taxes and fees are additional for all guests. Cash back may not be applied to cruise fare or government taxes and fees. Please request fare code OWP. Ships’ Registry: The Bahamas & Panama.".CCL041409OWP
ISAVAILABLETHROUGHALL ELECTRONIC CHANNELSONLY.THISPROMOTION AAAATERIOROCEAN VIEW BALCONY Starting from4/15/200911:26:36 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
I just want to sent a note out to my wonderful clients. This has been a very trying time for me and my family and we appreciate everyone's patience with my sometime delays. We have Mom here going through Chemo and Radiation so I have been the one to take her to and from. BTW, she is doing amazingly well and hope to have her back to her duties as Office Manager in June when the treatments are over with. In Addition, we have upgraded both computers in our office and installed a high efficiency printer as well. So between our family and technology I appreciate everyone's patience with my delays. We hope to be back in form no later than May 31st. Thanks again for all your prayers, emails and calls.......Robin and Bertha (Beverly)............
