Brrr! Time to go to the warm Caribbean!

Yes it's that time of year  to get out of the cold and visit a Caribbean island (or more). If you are going on a cruise you will need to know which of the three types of Caribbean cruises you want. The Western Caribbean consists of Cozumel, Grand Cayman and perhaps Jamaica or Belize.
The Eastern Caribbean consists of St, Thomas and St. Martin or St. Maarten (one side of the island is French and the other side is Dutch).
The Southern Caribbean has several islands including St. Thomas, St. Martin, Barbados, Antigua, St. Kitts, Dominica, Grenada, Curacao, Aruba. The 7 day cruises depart from San Juan, P.R. but there are some 10 day cruises departing from Florida.
Last winter I took a short 5 day cruise on Royal Caribbean's ship, Liberty of the Seas with 11 other people. We left from Ft. Lauderdale and spent a day in Belize and a day in Cozumel.

Looking down the promenade on our ship is like being on a street. There are shops and even some parades on the street. Some of the rooms overlook this street.

We took a tour of the city.

Went to the Mayan ruins.

How to Obtain a Passport

First of all apply early as it will take up to six weeks to get it. Even if you are traveling somewhere that doesn't require a passport (such as in the U.S.) having one for identification can make check-ins at airports faster.

Step 1

Download, print and complete Department of State form DS-11, "Application for a U.S. Passport." Provide your name, address and other personal details, as well as your parents' names and birthplaces. Sign and date your application.

Step 2

Have two passport-size photos taken at a local photo studio, pharmacy or a store such as Wal-Mart or Target. Avoid wearing glasses or styling your hair in extreme ways to ensure foreign border officials can always recognize you based on your usual appearance. Affix the photos to your passport application using a paper clip.

Step 3

Obtain copies of your Social Security card and birth certificate if you lack them. Visit one of several Social Security administrations in and around Winston-Salem -- locations exist in Greensboro and Asheboro, for example -- to apply for a copy of your Social Security card. Order a certified copy of your birth certificate from the county in which you were born -- Forsyth County if you were born in Winston-Salem. These documents establish your identity and citizenship, both of which you must verify before being granted a U.S. passport.

Step 4

Deliver your documents to a local branch of the U.S. post office that processes applications, of which there are seven locations within 20 miles of Winston-Salem's city center. In Winston Salem there are 3 locations - Hanes Mall post office, Northpoint post office and on the campus of Winston State University. Allow between four to six weeks for delivery of your U.S. passport, keeping in mind that you have the ability to track your application on the State Department's website.

Happy Traveling!

Top 10 Reasons to Use a Travel Agent

1. You've Googled "Mexico vacation," and come up with 17.8 million responses. Need a little help editing those choices?

2. Remember when you used that obscure website to book your hotel, and when you got there you spent your beach vacation overlooking a parking lot?
3. How many hours were you on hold with the airline when your flight was canceled because of a snowstorm?
4. Did you really mean to spend your honeymoon at that resort whose one tiny pool was filled all day with 12 screaming children?
5. Who knew that when you booked that "villa" in Tuscany, it would be a small room with a kitchenette and no air conditioning? Funny, it looked much better on your computer screen.
6. No one explained to you that in July, it's winter time in Rio, and so you showed up there with nothing but five Hawaiian shirts and three pairs of swimming trunks.
7. How about the time you really needed a restful vacation, and you ended up in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and someone threw up on your shoes?
8. Yes, I guess that hotel must have used a telephoto lens when they took a picture of those guest rooms that you saw on their website.
9. I suppose contacting the Attorney General to resolve the fact that that Internet site has billed your credit card three times instead of once is the only route to take at this point.
10. It was definitely odd that there were no cab drivers at the airport at 3 o'clock in the morning when you finally landed in Costa Rica, but booking a transfer to your very remote hotel would have been a good thing to remember when you purchased your airline ticket and hotel online.

(Thanks to Ruth Terrero)

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!
Still need a special Christmas gift? How about one that will have lasting memories? Give the gift of travel. Contact me for a gift certificate either for a certain destination or you can decide on where you want to go later in 2013.

Disney Dream Cruise

Here is your chance to experience one of Disney's newest ships at a reasonable price!

 Cruise on Disney's Dream on Dec. 13 for 3 nights to Nassau and their private island, Castaway Cay.
The Dream was new in 2011 and is 40% larger than Disney Wonder or Disney Magic and offers many new experiences onboard.

Prices start at $399 per adult plus $52.74 taxes and fees on Dec. 13. Kids are even less!
Or cruise for 4 nights on Dec. 9 for only $499 per adult plus $46.74 taxes. Same itinerary with a day at sea.

You will love the Disney experience!  Call me for prices on other dates - 336-922-1837.

Vacation Checklist

Before you leave home here is a checklist to help you prepare:

1. Purchase travel insurance and make sure you keep contact info with you as you travel.
    This will protect your investment in case you need to cancel due to illness or death in the family. It will also cover expenses up to a certain amount if you should lose your luggage or it is delayed. Your insurance will also protect you if you should get sick on your trip and need medical attention or to fly home (and that can get very expensive). I ALWAYS buy this for myself. It's a small price to pay for piece of mind.

2. Make sure you have your passport and required I.D. Your passport must not expire within 6 months of when you are traveling.  Also if required obtain necessary visas and immunizations.

3. For a cruise pre-register your guest information online and print out your edocs.

4. Don't forget to call your credit card company and let them know you will be out of the country and the dates. Otherwise if they see charges on your credit card which look out of the ordinary they may put a freeze on your card.

5.  Leave a copy of your credit card and passport with a family member or friend. I also take a copy with me and put it in my safe.

6.  Remember to stop mail and newspaper.

7.  Reserve any shore excursions. You can do this online or your travel agent will be happy to help you with this. Many times I can reserve an excursion which has fewer people and costs less. I can also give you some recommendations of can't-miss sights based on my experience as well as the experiences of my past clients.

8.  Print out any hotel or transfer vouchers which your travel agent emailed to you.

9.  Go and enjoy!

I will cover some packing tips in an upcoming blog.
Happy travels!

Wow! Look at this January cruise!

January is a great time to head for warmer weather but you must act now to take advantage of this low price. It is on the Caribbean Princess departing on Jan. 19 from Ft. Lauderdale. Ports of call are Aruba, Curacao and Princess Cays. Usually you have to book a 10 day cruise or depart from San Juan to visit Aruba and Curacao but now you can cruise there on a 7 day cruise from Florida.
Not only is this a different and interesting itinerary but look at these prices! Inside cabins start at $633.47 per person including all taxes and govt. fees. Ocean view is only $50 more pp. and balcony cabins are $883.47 pp.
Call me soon to reserve this and I will also give you $50 shipboard credit per cabin to use as you wish.
Contact me at 336-922-1837 or email becki@cruisetogether.com.