Let it snow...

People ask me when my busiest time of year is and this is the answer. Thanks to Travel Research Online, Open Jaw and Sean Kapitain. Please feel free to make me busier! Email me at lisa@traveldivalisa.com or call (330) 329-9178.

Secrets to the most popular cruise ports

CNNTravel has a great article from Budget Travel on what to do to make the most of the ports you will visit on a Caribbean, Central America or Alaska cruise. See article HERE.

Make sure to contact me to help plan your next cruise or any other vacation! I'll be glad to help!

Contact me via email at lisa@traveldivalisa or call 330-329-9178. Thank you!!

An Announcement!!

A little over a year and a half ago I announced the ending of my association with Unlimited Vacations & Cruises on my Facebook page. I am happy to announce that I have recommitted to my career in travel after spending most of the time taking care of my parents (and still do). My own home-based travel agency is called TravelDivaLisa.com (named after my blog at that web address).

My full service travel agency has a focus on customer service while providing travel planning at its most personal and professional. I will work as your concierge to find the best honeymoon or vacation for you and yours. I am excited about TravelDivaLisa.com and am ready and waiting to take care of all of your travel planning needs.

What makes my agency different from the others?

· I am available! You can call; send me emails or text message if you need me, especially if you have any concerns or problems while traveling.

· I can meet with my clients anywhere! I can come to your home for a consultation, meet you at Starbucks or you can come and meet with me at my home.

· I am focused on my clients and their satisfaction! At my previous agencies, I handled my clients in addition to the agencies’ clients. With my own business, I won’t be distracted away from my clients and can provide better customer service.

Contact me today for all of your travel planning needs by:

Phone: (330) 329-9178 (text messages also)

Email: lisa@traveldivalisa.com

Blog/website: www.TravelDivaLisa.com

I want to thank all of my loyal clients who have encouraged me and stood by me during this transition in my life. You mean a lot to me and I appreciate it! I love you guys!!!!!

Travel Wise | Handling money on trips abroad | Seattle Times Newspaper

Check out this great article:
Travel Wise | Handling money on trips abroad | Seattle Times Newspaper

If you have any questions on currency exchange, using credit cards abroad or need any travel planning assistance, please fee free to contact me at lisa@traveldivalisa.com or call 330-329-9178. Thank you!!

~ Lisa

Sandals Resorts Set to Drop the Royal Plantation Brand

The following is a reprint of an article from TravelPulse, a travel agent news source with the latest news about Sandals Resorts and the Royal Plantation resorts brand:

Published on: August 10, 2010

Sandals Resorts International (SRI) Chairman and founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart said that beginning Sept. 1, the Royal Plantation Collection brand will be retired and properties operating under the Royal Plantation banner will be folded into Sandals Resorts or operated independently. Stewart said the move has been in the works for the past year and is part of an overall strategic plan that began nearly a decade ago to elevate the Sandals Resorts experience.

“We have been on a long and determined journey for the last 10 years to develop Sandals Resorts into a true luxury product,” Stewart said. “When we introduced the Royal Plantation brand in 2000, it allowed us [Sandals Resorts International] to acquire properties, talent and practices that have now become part of the Sandals Resorts Luxury Included experience. Our reasons for a second brand no longer exist. Sandals Resorts defines luxury within our company. We are confident in our product and feel now is the time to bring the family together.”

Officially launched in 2006, Sandals Resorts’ Luxury Included concept was aimed at setting a new standard of luxury at Sandals Resorts, featuring better service and amenities, including suites with private plunge pools and Jacuzzis, exclusive dining options and partnerships with the London-based Guild of Professional English Butlers, Beringer Wines and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. In February 2010, Sandals introduced a 500-acre beachfront resort, Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas, as the first Sandals Resort offering butler service to all guests, a championship golf course designed by Greg Norman and a world-class marina.

As a part of the brand restructuring, Royal Plantation Ocho Rios, Jamaica will become Sandals Royal Plantation, Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and like all Sandals Resorts, will no longer offer an EP plan or accept singles. The resort will remain open during the transition and guest services will not be interrupted. Sandals Royal Plantation, which offers 74 oceanfront suites, joins sister property Sandals Emerald Bay in providing every couple with a professionally-trained butler during their stay and will embrace all of the amenities that Sandals Resorts is known for including a Red Lane Spa, gourmet a la carte dining and luxury accommodations.

With regard to the villas operating under the Royal Plantation brand, Royal Plantation Island, Exumas will revert to its original name, Fowl Cay Resort, while Royal Plantation Private Villas, located in Discovery Bay, Ocho Rios and Whitehouse, Jamaica, will retain its name. These properties will not become part of Sandals Resorts and will be marketed independently.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about Sandals Resorts, let me know! I am a Gold Certified Sandals Specialist! Contact me at lisa@traveldivalisa.com or call (330) 329-9178.

Choosing Travel Protection for Your Next Vacation

Adding travel insurance to your vacation is a way of protecting your investment. This is why it is an important consideration when planning your next vacation. With travel insurance, the price of your vacation can be refunded (less the cost of the insurance) should any unforeseen circumstances arise.

To find the right travel insurance for your vacation, knowing your options is essential. Below are some points to consider that will help you choose the right travel insurance for your next vacation.

Types of Travel Insurance

The first type is a true comprehensive insurance product that covers cancellations prior to departure as well as for circumstances during your trip. This insurance can be purchased from your travel agent, directly from an insurance company or from the tour company or cruise line when you book your trip.

The second type is called a penalty waiver and is technically not insurance. With a penalty waiver, the cancellation fees charged by the tour operator or cruise line are waived should you need to cancel. Waivers are offered by travel agents and tour operators.

Types of Coverage

Comprehensive travel insurance covers much more than a penalty waiver. The coverage includes cancellation, trip interruption, baggage loss, theft and emergency medical coverage. It also offers added benefits such as 24-hour emergency assistance and coverage due to bankruptcy of the airline, cruise line or tour operator.

Cancellation reasons that are covered are medical in nature due to illness or injury of either you, an immediate family member or a traveling companion. Some other unforeseen circumstances for cancellation may be considered and is dependent on the type and amount of coverage you choose.

If the comprehensive travel insurance is purchased at time of booking or within a week or two of booking, most insurers will waive any preexisting conditions. This insurance is ideal for seniors as it includes medical insurance that covers them outside of the United States, a coverage not included by Medicare and many other stateside medical insurance companies.

Penalty waivers are primarily used to cover cancellations prior to departure. Should you need to cancel your trip, the penalties that you would normally be charged will be waived. An added bonus is that penalty waivers allow for cancellations that are not medical in nature and can be for any reason. Some cancellation penalty waivers additionally include price protection and hurricane guarantees.

Typical Costs

Comprehensive travel insurance usually costs about 7% of the total trip price. This cost is generally higher than a cancellation waiver as it covers more and takes the age of the travelers into consideration. (For example, an 75 year old would be charged more than a 25 year old due to a higher chance of illness or injury.)

Cancellation penalty waiver costs depend on the length of your trip and can vary between tour operators. Waivers can offer different levels of coverage at corresponding price levels. Prices generally start from $29.99 and can run up to $159.00 per person.

Know Your Bottom Line

Make sure that you thoroughly read and understand your travel insurance or penalty waiver policy before purchasing. If you have questions, ask your travel agent or the insurance company for details.

To learn more about travel insurance/waivers for your next vacation, contact me at divalisatravel@gmail.com!! ~ Lisa :)

Booking Vacations Through an Agent vs. Online

Here's another interesting article from USA Today. CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE!
Let me know what you think!!
For any travel planning needs, email me at lisa@traveldivalisa.com or call me at 330-329-9178!

Travel agents vs. Internet travel agencies - Another View

The following is a link to a blog article that I found. It gives a true point of view of the value of a travel agent over an internet travel agency. Let me know what you think!

Go to: http://blogs.computerworld.com/15902/why_travel_search_engines_suck?source=rss_blogs

To contact me directly, email me at: lisa@traveldivalisa.com or call 330-329-9178.

Travel agents vs. Internet travel agencies

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I have often been asked why booking with a travel agent is better than if you book on the internet. A while ago I wrote an article for Associated Content addressing this. My article also addresses the fact that you can benefit your local community rather than a "big box" store, i.e., a Mom n' Pop store vs. Wal-Mart, for example. You can read the full article at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/427603/the_internet_vs_your_local_travel_agency.html.

Please let me know what you think of the article. I would love your feedback.

Please keep in mind also, when you are booking with a travel agent, you are dealing one on one rather than with numerous agents, often located outside the U.S. (should you get a human being) if you book online and need to call in with a question.

I recently had a client that found a lower priced package online than what I could find. In this rare instance, I could not match the price she found (normally I can do so without a problem). She decided to go with the online agency, however to get the price that she found, she actually had to be on the phone with them for 2 HOURS as the site kept coming up with errors.

My question is – what is your time worth? If she was booking with a travel agent, she would have been booked and done for about $100 more total rather than spending 2 HOURS on the phone to save this money. With me, she could have just paid a deposit and her final payment would be due 45 days prior to departure. With an online agency, you have to pay in full. What would you choose?

When you are booking with a travel agent, you build a relationship with your agent. Your agent learns what your likes and dislikes are and will find the right vacation for you based on this information. For my clients, I keep their needs at heart when working with them. Does a dot com travel agency do that for you?

For personalized service, email me at: divalisatravel@gmail.com!!

Honeymoon & Vacation Planning

Honeymoon planning

Recently I met with a really nice couple for honeymoon planning. My favorite trips to book are often honeymoons and Disney packages. The people going on these trips are enthusiastic, funny, optimistic and above all, excited. That excitement gets me excited about the trip I want to book for them, to fulfill their dreams in a way.

Honeymooners often have a "vision" of what they want for their honeymoon. (Sometimes it's a budget-based vision, but that's okay too!) It is a fun challenge to bring their vision to life for them or if possible, to pleasantly surprise them! What can be really interesting during honeymoon planning is that each couple's vision of their perfect dream honeymoon can be completely different. And sometimes completely different than what their agent expects. This is where we take ourselves out of the picture so that we focus on what our clients want and need for their trip. If we leave ourselves in the picture, it simply doesn't work.

Give Us More Info, Please!

This might be a little bit of a rant, so please bear with me. :-)

During honeymoon planning it is important to be a part of the process. If you give me good, detailed information, that helps me find the best trip for you. For example, if you tell me that you want nonstop flights -- no connections, that's fine. But if you qualify this with "I'm a nervous flier" or tell me that you're claustrophobic, that tells me exactly what you want and why it's important to you. I don't care why you ask for certain things, but if you tell me as much as you can, honeymoon planning or vacation planning will go much easier.

On the flipside, if you are very specific and tell me that you only want nonstops and you can only go on these dates, that's what I'll give you. Standard procedure after I've given these to you is that I call to follow up and see if you have any more questions or if you're ready to book. Sometimes when I follow up, I am told that you already booked online. When I ask if it was the same as what I quoted you following your parameters, I am often told "no, we're leaving on a different day now" or "no, we are changing planes".

Can you imagine how frustrating/confusing this is? I have put a lot of work into pricing your request and when I am told that you can do things that you ruled out when you first contacted me I feel a bit like my time has been wasted. Not to mention, I just worked for you for free with a lot of time and effort with zero outcome. Please note: I don't get paid unless you book with me. Ultimately, it is your choice how you book your trip, and all that I ask is to give me or your agent a fair chance for your honeymoon planning and vacation planning.

Contrary to popular belief in the travel agent community, I believe that competition is good for us and keeps us "real". There is enough business for all of us in the travel business, and it is our job to promote ourselves and tell you through our actions and words why you should book with us and what makes us different. We have to show you why we may have more value to you than an online travel site or the other travel agency nearby.

Between the traveler and the agent, there is a relationship. The more give and take from each side, the more patience, the more communication, the more information, the better it is for both of us.

For questions about honeymoon and vacation planning, contact me at divalisatravel@gmail.com!!