On our first full day in Costa Rica we scheduled 3 activities. The first was called Safari Float. Our tour guide; Sunset Tours, arrived at the hotel on time and we were off on a 45 minute ride to the San Carlos River. We all put on life jackets and climbed into a 5-man raft for what would be a relaxing 2-hour float. Our English-speaking guide talked about the various trees, birds, monkeys and iguanas we saw along the way. This trip was perfectly safe for everyone in the family and even included a stop along the river to visit a 98 yr old farmer whose daughter served us coffee and Cassava bread. They had cows and chickens.
Back at the hotel for lunch, we prepared for a very exhilarating afternoon. Sky Trek and Sky Tram is the most daring of the country’s canopy tours. At base camp, we were fitted with harnesses and ran through an instruction and safety briefing. We were then loaded into steel gondolas suspended on a cable and pulley system and brought to the top of the track. One by one we attached our clips to the pulley system and off we went…squealing as we pushed off the platforms sailing through the trees hundreds of feet above the ground. It was cool!
That evening we went to the best hot springs spa in the country, Tabacon. For $70 you can enjoy their lavish buffet dinner, and then report to the changing area for a towel and locker. The facility is well maintained and it’s incredible to see such detail in the jungle. Tabacon Hot Springs is a labyrinth of stone and tile paths winding through native trees and manicured gardens, perfectly lit to capture the mystery and intrigue of the tropical rainforest. Steam rises from the hot water that flows off the mountain and collects in pools formed out of ancient volcanic rock. What an experience!
That night we fell into bed, exhausted from a full day of playing in the Costa Rican mountains.
The next day we said good-bye to our hosts at the Arenal Paraiso. Our guides Danny and Mario (from Destination Costa Rica) picked us up at the lobby and we began the long journey to Manuel Antonio.
From Arenal Volcano (and the mountain town of La Fortuna), it takes 4 hours to drive straight West to hotels located on the Pacific coast. This is the province of Guanacaste. Travel down the coast a short ways and you come to the town of Tamarindo. Once just a college surfer type destination, Tamarindo today is growing into a shopping, restaurant, and resort destination. Here you’ll find a selection of corporate all-inclusives mixed in with the smaller, locally-owned Mom and Pop hotels. The growth is ongoing so traffic delays are to be expected at this time. Your patience will be rewarded, however, the beach is beautiful here. Softer, lighter sand and good waves make Tamarindo a great second stop on your Costa Rica vacation. If you follow the coastline southward from here, you’ll enter the Nicoya Peninsula. You can cross the Peninsula and take the car ferry over to Punta Arenas on the mainland. Punta Arenas is the cruise ship dock. Cruise ships through the Panama Canal call on Costa Rica at Punta Arenas.
45 minutes south of Punta Arenas is Jaco Beach. What I’ve learned is that there’s a new East/West highway that connects the capitol city San Jose (in the center of the country) with beach towns from Punta Arenas on southward. This allows tourists (who want to bypass the volcanoes in favor of the beach) a one and a half hour transfer from the Capitol and International Airport. Sweet!
We stopped in Jaco at a Grocery store to buy liquor. The name of the store was Maxi Bodega and we discovered that it is owned by Walmart. The only way I could tell is that next to the register while checking out, I noticed a display of re-usable grocery sacks with the Walmart logo on them. It reminded me of that Diana Ross song, “Ain’t no mountain high enough…” (Oh, Pleeeze)
Danny and Mario were super nice guys, but still; after 6 hours in a van, we were ready to be off the road. That’s when we arrived at the town of Quepos. Quepos is a town of about 20,000 and home to a small tuna fleet. Today the largest employer is (you guessed it), tourism. We crossed through Quepos pretty quickly and on the other end of town, our driver Mario found a road leading up the hill to the hotels of Manuel Antonio. We took this winding mountain road for about 3 miles until we came to our second hotel on this trip, Villa Roca. www.villaroca.com
Thursday, April 8, 2010
My story starts with a Red Eye flight (non-stop on Frontier Airlines) from Denver to San Jose, the capitol city. It was a 5 hours and went so smoothly that I think you can jet away to Costa Rica for a long weekend.
As a travel agent, we book our Costa Rica hotels and tours through a package company named Way To Go Costa Rica. Their staff of agents are very knowledgeable about the destination.
Costa Rica is a democratic republic, meaning they hold elections, collect taxes, and have a representative government for the four and a half million residents of her 7 provinces (States). It is a tiny country by US standards (being 1/3 the size of my home state of Colorado) but her richness is in the welcoming personality of her people and her soil. Everything grows here. Tourism is now Cost Rica’s “numero uno” industry. But right behind tourism is Bananas, Papaya, Pineapples, Coffee and so much more.
A US citizen needs a valid Passport good for at least 90 days, because that’s how long you can stay here as a tourist; 90 days. Then you have to leave for 3 days, and then you can come back again, and repeat the cycle. No need to have dual citizenship. There’s about a quarter million North Americans living here year round or vacationing like “snow-birds.”
Your first vacation or two in Costa Rica is like vacationing in Hawaii…you don’t stay in one location the whole time. Most people will visit two or three provinces during the typical 7-night trip. On this trip, we are visiting the Central Valley region (San Jose up to Arenal) and then West Coastal region (Quepos/Manuel Antonio).
San Jose has built a modern “international arrivals” terminal. So, Immigration and Customs was quick, Our destination management company, Destination Costa Rica, sent an English-speaking Driver/Guide to pick us up. His name was Roberto and he was holding up a paper sign that had my first and last name on it. He was standing outside the terminal building (with a lot of other drivers) leaning against a plate glass window. I gave him the “hi sign” and he flashed a wide smile. Everything went smoothly. After exchanging big hellos, we walked a short distance to his Toyota 9 passenger van.
Along the 3-hour drive to the town of Fortuna, we talked about the people, the history, and what we can do to have fun in his country. Your driver will make a stop along the way for pie and coffee or to a local Super Market (if you’d like a bottle of water for the ride). Speaking of water, I do recommend that you drink bottled water while in Costa Rica. In addition, a Pepto Bismol tablet each morning is cheap insurance against an upset stomach.
Our first hotel for this trip was the Arenal Paraiso hotel. www.ArenalParaiso.com The AP covers many acres and in keeping with the jungle feel, has a series of 100 small stone and wood bungalows. We were located close to the highway. The better rooms were the wooden duplex’s located up on the hill because they were away from the direct noise of the road and had better views of the Volcano Arenal. All the rooms have private bathroom (with shower only), king or two double beds, vanity, satellite TV, small refrigerator, and a 2-cup coffee maker. To me the best feature of the rooms was the Costa Rican made rocking chairs on the patio. It was nice just sitting their with coffee or a drink and relaxing. Each room came with it’s own parking spot in case guests had rented a car. I rate the Arenal Paraiso 3-stars and it’s a great family resort in that they have nice swimming pools, daily complimentary breakfast buffet, and reasonably priced food for the rest of your meals. Plus this hotel has a great view of Arenal, a small hot springs, and a well-priced Canopy Tour right on site so you don’t need to go anywhere if you don’t want to. $45 US for the zip-line, lunches at $7-$10, dinner for $10-$20. One thing I always recommend when you first arrive to your room at a tropical hotel, get the bellman to show you how to use the air conditioner. The Arenal Paraiso was able to get us into rooms by 11am on our day of arrival, and that was nice seeing we flew all night. However, the A/C could not keep up during the heat of the day. Only after the sun went down did the air conditioning make the room comfortable enough for sleeping. The resort had a moderately priced Spa and a small gym with 3 machines. I had “Today’s Gentlemen” treatment package which was a combination of a full body Swedish Massage, facial, and pedicure, all for $125 USD plus tip. The Arenal Paraiso is built on the side of a hill. We are in the mountains here so access for the handicapped (while not impossible) will be somewhat of a struggle. I would come back to the Arenal Paraiso. Other hotels we saw along this stretch of road were the Kioro, the Volcano Lodge, the Tabacon Lodge, and the new Royal Corin. We were told the best accommodations are at the Arenal Springs Resort and Spa.
As a travel agent, we book our Costa Rica hotels and tours through a package company named Way To Go Costa Rica. Their staff of agents are very knowledgeable about the destination.
Costa Rica is a democratic republic, meaning they hold elections, collect taxes, and have a representative government for the four and a half million residents of her 7 provinces (States). It is a tiny country by US standards (being 1/3 the size of my home state of Colorado) but her richness is in the welcoming personality of her people and her soil. Everything grows here. Tourism is now Cost Rica’s “numero uno” industry. But right behind tourism is Bananas, Papaya, Pineapples, Coffee and so much more.
A US citizen needs a valid Passport good for at least 90 days, because that’s how long you can stay here as a tourist; 90 days. Then you have to leave for 3 days, and then you can come back again, and repeat the cycle. No need to have dual citizenship. There’s about a quarter million North Americans living here year round or vacationing like “snow-birds.”
Your first vacation or two in Costa Rica is like vacationing in Hawaii…you don’t stay in one location the whole time. Most people will visit two or three provinces during the typical 7-night trip. On this trip, we are visiting the Central Valley region (San Jose up to Arenal) and then West Coastal region (Quepos/Manuel Antonio).
San Jose has built a modern “international arrivals” terminal. So, Immigration and Customs was quick, Our destination management company, Destination Costa Rica, sent an English-speaking Driver/Guide to pick us up. His name was Roberto and he was holding up a paper sign that had my first and last name on it. He was standing outside the terminal building (with a lot of other drivers) leaning against a plate glass window. I gave him the “hi sign” and he flashed a wide smile. Everything went smoothly. After exchanging big hellos, we walked a short distance to his Toyota 9 passenger van.
Along the 3-hour drive to the town of Fortuna, we talked about the people, the history, and what we can do to have fun in his country. Your driver will make a stop along the way for pie and coffee or to a local Super Market (if you’d like a bottle of water for the ride). Speaking of water, I do recommend that you drink bottled water while in Costa Rica. In addition, a Pepto Bismol tablet each morning is cheap insurance against an upset stomach.
Our first hotel for this trip was the Arenal Paraiso hotel. www.ArenalParaiso.com The AP covers many acres and in keeping with the jungle feel, has a series of 100 small stone and wood bungalows. We were located close to the highway. The better rooms were the wooden duplex’s located up on the hill because they were away from the direct noise of the road and had better views of the Volcano Arenal. All the rooms have private bathroom (with shower only), king or two double beds, vanity, satellite TV, small refrigerator, and a 2-cup coffee maker. To me the best feature of the rooms was the Costa Rican made rocking chairs on the patio. It was nice just sitting their with coffee or a drink and relaxing. Each room came with it’s own parking spot in case guests had rented a car. I rate the Arenal Paraiso 3-stars and it’s a great family resort in that they have nice swimming pools, daily complimentary breakfast buffet, and reasonably priced food for the rest of your meals. Plus this hotel has a great view of Arenal, a small hot springs, and a well-priced Canopy Tour right on site so you don’t need to go anywhere if you don’t want to. $45 US for the zip-line, lunches at $7-$10, dinner for $10-$20. One thing I always recommend when you first arrive to your room at a tropical hotel, get the bellman to show you how to use the air conditioner. The Arenal Paraiso was able to get us into rooms by 11am on our day of arrival, and that was nice seeing we flew all night. However, the A/C could not keep up during the heat of the day. Only after the sun went down did the air conditioning make the room comfortable enough for sleeping. The resort had a moderately priced Spa and a small gym with 3 machines. I had “Today’s Gentlemen” treatment package which was a combination of a full body Swedish Massage, facial, and pedicure, all for $125 USD plus tip. The Arenal Paraiso is built on the side of a hill. We are in the mountains here so access for the handicapped (while not impossible) will be somewhat of a struggle. I would come back to the Arenal Paraiso. Other hotels we saw along this stretch of road were the Kioro, the Volcano Lodge, the Tabacon Lodge, and the new Royal Corin. We were told the best accommodations are at the Arenal Springs Resort and Spa.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter in Costa Rica
I am having a most perfect day in Costa RicaIt is Easter Sunday April 4th 2010. I begin this story from the swimming pool of the Arenal Paraiso hotel. (www.arenalparaiso.com) I’m 36 hours into what has to be one of the best vacations I’ve ever taken. In front of me is the clearest, most gorgeous views of Arenal Volcano. Now, I have seen many beautiful sights in my traveling career, but humbled is how I feel in the presence of such an iconic creation of Mother Earth. If you’ve been behind a computer at your desk during our harsh, North American Winter, you owe it to your soul to experience the abundance of life happening closer to the Equator. Don’t commit suicide until you see Costa Rica. I guarantee you’ll change your mind. The variety of plants and trees and the different songs of the brightly colored birds are enough to lift even the lowest of spirits. Nothing in this life can be more overwhelming than the beauty of nature is enlivening.
Hi, This is Steve Lord of All-Inclusive Vacations in Lakewood Colorado
and this is my story about my third trip to Costa Rica
Hi, This is Steve Lord of All-Inclusive Vacations in Lakewood Colorado
and this is my story about my third trip to Costa Rica
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Oasis of the Seas…Blog entry #4 (final)
It is now Sunday night, November 29th
Thanksgiving has come and gone. I’ve discussed the Oasis ship with many of my clients and these thoughts have come back to me time and time again. I’d like to share them with you now…
The Oasis is truly a different cruise ship than I have ever experienced before. It’s segment is the “mass market” which is to say, it’s size and features offer something for everyone. I dislike using that expression because I feel that if you’re going to throw your travel business to a professional agent, he or she should be willing voice their true opinion and not worry about offending someone. So I am willing to defend my use of the expression “offers something for everyone”.
By now, you have no doubt heard through various media, that the ship is big. The Oasis is big. What I find interesting though is that it is much wider (208 ft) and much taller (16 decks) than other large cruise ships (like the Carnival Dream and the Royal Caribbean Freedom Class ships). But, it is not that much longer. At 1,185 ft, it is only 75 feet longer that the previous RCCL Freedom class ships. In addition, the ship’s bottom sits down 30 ft in the water. This extra width and depth makes it naturally very stable. Previous hull designs came with extendable stabilizers to help achieve stability under power or in rough water. My guess is the additional drag really lowered fuel efficiency. The Oasis Captain mentioned that his ship is 30% more efficient. I’m only speculating here, but I bet, the lack of stabilizers has something to do with this improvement.
The Oasis sails with many more people aboard than any previous cruise ship ever built. But in the case of the Oasis, more people does not translate to more crowding. The reasons for this are many. The Oasis has 24 different types of cabins. For a single traveler on a budget, I recommend the 149 Sq Ft “Q” interior cabin. All cabins have flat screen televisions. This feature allowed RCCL to make the vanity in the room, 3-4 inches narrower. But, these few inches left our Superior Ocean View Balcony cabin (at 182 Sq Ft) feeling small even to me, (and I am a 5’ 6” tall). Out of 2700 cabins on board, roughly half of them are this category. If you think you need more space to be comfortable, the Junior Suite category has a generous 287 Sq Ft. My personal favorites were the padded “widow seat” cabins that looked out onto the Promenade or Central Park. These are 199 Sq Ft. and what’s cool is you can sit in the window and read a book or just relax while people watching. If you want an ocean view, I have to recommend the “slanted glass” ones in the front of the ship. They reminded me of when I stayed in the pyramid of the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas…you seem to get extra floor space even though the wall is slanted.
Another cool cabin is the Family Suite. You can have one on the interior, with an ocean view or with balcony. They all come with a king bed (that can be made into twins), a full size pull-out sofa, and a set of bunk beds (minimum of 5 people). Far and away however, I think the best cabins on the ship are the Aquatheater Suites. One whole side of the accommodation is glass and balcony. Your view is to the rear of the ship, the Boardwalk and the Aquatheater with it’s two huge viewing screens. You can be part of the action, without being down with the people.
The bottom line is, RCCL left more space on the ship for public areas. Having more public areas allowed RCCL to develop what they call the “neighborhood” concept. This concept separates people so you don’t get large crowds at any one venue. The neighborhoods each have a personality, and while you will no doubt take the first 2 days of your cruise vacation and see everything on board, you will eventually feel more comfortable in the neighborhood that suits your personality and you’ll probably stay there. This neighborhood concept is further enhanced by the fact that the ship has 24 restaurants. You can have breakfast lunch and dinner in a different restaurant everyday and never eat at the same place twice in a 7 day cruise. And they are spread out throughout the ship. Another cool feature of this ship is what I will call “electronic crowd control”. You can pre-book dinner reservations in the up-charge Specialty restaurants before you arrive on board. But this is not mandatory. The ship displays occupancy levels of the various restaurants so you know at a glance where to eat if you don’t want to wait. Same with the four main entertainment venues, Opal Theater, Studio B, Comedy Live, and the Aquatheater…you can book your entertainment online before boarding the ship. Your complete reservation profile is loaded onto your room key card and issued to you when you arrive for check in. Which by the way…took less than 15 minutes to complete!
I liked the Oasis ship. You’ll like it too. In fact, Royal Caribbean is banking on you’re liking it. On a 7 night Eastern or Western Caribbean cruise you will only hit 3 Ports of Call. This will give you more time on board to enjoy everything she has to offer.
P,S. I even heard crickets in the gardens of Central Park. Remember, you’re at sea!
Steve Lord and Jeff Gregory sailed on the Oasis of the Seas on one of the new ship’s shakedown cruises Nov 20th to 22nd, 2009 For more complete information about Oasis or other RCCL ships, log onto www.RCCL.com or call the travel office at (303) 980-6483
Thanksgiving has come and gone. I’ve discussed the Oasis ship with many of my clients and these thoughts have come back to me time and time again. I’d like to share them with you now…
The Oasis is truly a different cruise ship than I have ever experienced before. It’s segment is the “mass market” which is to say, it’s size and features offer something for everyone. I dislike using that expression because I feel that if you’re going to throw your travel business to a professional agent, he or she should be willing voice their true opinion and not worry about offending someone. So I am willing to defend my use of the expression “offers something for everyone”.
By now, you have no doubt heard through various media, that the ship is big. The Oasis is big. What I find interesting though is that it is much wider (208 ft) and much taller (16 decks) than other large cruise ships (like the Carnival Dream and the Royal Caribbean Freedom Class ships). But, it is not that much longer. At 1,185 ft, it is only 75 feet longer that the previous RCCL Freedom class ships. In addition, the ship’s bottom sits down 30 ft in the water. This extra width and depth makes it naturally very stable. Previous hull designs came with extendable stabilizers to help achieve stability under power or in rough water. My guess is the additional drag really lowered fuel efficiency. The Oasis Captain mentioned that his ship is 30% more efficient. I’m only speculating here, but I bet, the lack of stabilizers has something to do with this improvement.
The Oasis sails with many more people aboard than any previous cruise ship ever built. But in the case of the Oasis, more people does not translate to more crowding. The reasons for this are many. The Oasis has 24 different types of cabins. For a single traveler on a budget, I recommend the 149 Sq Ft “Q” interior cabin. All cabins have flat screen televisions. This feature allowed RCCL to make the vanity in the room, 3-4 inches narrower. But, these few inches left our Superior Ocean View Balcony cabin (at 182 Sq Ft) feeling small even to me, (and I am a 5’ 6” tall). Out of 2700 cabins on board, roughly half of them are this category. If you think you need more space to be comfortable, the Junior Suite category has a generous 287 Sq Ft. My personal favorites were the padded “widow seat” cabins that looked out onto the Promenade or Central Park. These are 199 Sq Ft. and what’s cool is you can sit in the window and read a book or just relax while people watching. If you want an ocean view, I have to recommend the “slanted glass” ones in the front of the ship. They reminded me of when I stayed in the pyramid of the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas…you seem to get extra floor space even though the wall is slanted.
Another cool cabin is the Family Suite. You can have one on the interior, with an ocean view or with balcony. They all come with a king bed (that can be made into twins), a full size pull-out sofa, and a set of bunk beds (minimum of 5 people). Far and away however, I think the best cabins on the ship are the Aquatheater Suites. One whole side of the accommodation is glass and balcony. Your view is to the rear of the ship, the Boardwalk and the Aquatheater with it’s two huge viewing screens. You can be part of the action, without being down with the people.
The bottom line is, RCCL left more space on the ship for public areas. Having more public areas allowed RCCL to develop what they call the “neighborhood” concept. This concept separates people so you don’t get large crowds at any one venue. The neighborhoods each have a personality, and while you will no doubt take the first 2 days of your cruise vacation and see everything on board, you will eventually feel more comfortable in the neighborhood that suits your personality and you’ll probably stay there. This neighborhood concept is further enhanced by the fact that the ship has 24 restaurants. You can have breakfast lunch and dinner in a different restaurant everyday and never eat at the same place twice in a 7 day cruise. And they are spread out throughout the ship. Another cool feature of this ship is what I will call “electronic crowd control”. You can pre-book dinner reservations in the up-charge Specialty restaurants before you arrive on board. But this is not mandatory. The ship displays occupancy levels of the various restaurants so you know at a glance where to eat if you don’t want to wait. Same with the four main entertainment venues, Opal Theater, Studio B, Comedy Live, and the Aquatheater…you can book your entertainment online before boarding the ship. Your complete reservation profile is loaded onto your room key card and issued to you when you arrive for check in. Which by the way…took less than 15 minutes to complete!
I liked the Oasis ship. You’ll like it too. In fact, Royal Caribbean is banking on you’re liking it. On a 7 night Eastern or Western Caribbean cruise you will only hit 3 Ports of Call. This will give you more time on board to enjoy everything she has to offer.
P,S. I even heard crickets in the gardens of Central Park. Remember, you’re at sea!
Steve Lord and Jeff Gregory sailed on the Oasis of the Seas on one of the new ship’s shakedown cruises Nov 20th to 22nd, 2009 For more complete information about Oasis or other RCCL ships, log onto www.RCCL.com or call the travel office at (303) 980-6483
Thursday, November 19, 2009
A Convention of 300 cruise sellers!
Oasis of the Seas…Blog Entry #4
It’s now Thursday morning, Nov 19th. Yesterday was a full day of meetings followed by a booze cruise and dinner on the inter-coastal waterway.
We first met with the Cruise Planners “sales and technology” team to learn that in January, 2010, CP will be rolling out a new “one-stop” web site where members will be able to research, book, and make payment on all our future cruise sales. This will save time and allow us to provide our clients with information much faster. It’s no surprise that Royal Caribbean will have a prominent presence on the new site.
Next, we learned about all the new training opportunities as well as the new CPU (Cruise Planners University Accreditation Program. It will be on the web site as well. Agents can educate themselves, earn points, and receive status with Cruise Planners. The cruise industry is growing and changing and always adding new options for the guest. Education provides the sales professional with confidence.
We met reps from Azamara Cruises, Celebrity, and Princess during Wednesday’s sessions. We were also introduced to other CP members that were succeeding in their cruise businesses and learned first hand what was working for them. I would say the over-riding theme of the breakout sessions yesterday was networking. Networking is building relationships with your clients and communicating with them on a regular basis. Whether that communication is a mailing once a quarter or remembering their Special Occasions with a card or phone call, you need to let them know you’re thinking of them.
Networking also means joining a business leads groups like BNI, doing Social Media like Facebook, e-mail marketing, and joining community service organizations. All of these are examples of how people connect, learn to trust you and may eventually do business with you. You might do one, two, or all of these forms of networking.
On Thursday, we had presentations from Carnival, Norwegian, and Holland America. These cruise lines presented in forum style, all the different Special Fares available to our clients. Not sale fares, but Special fares, like Union membership, Military service, the Senior community, and community service providers like Policeman and Fire Fighters.
In the afternoon, I sat in on two classes that gave me a much better idea of what Social Media was all about; things like Facebook and Twitter, what fan pages, and Linked In.
We had the evening off to pack and collect our thoughts. Tomorrow, we have morning presentations and then it’s off to board the new ship, Oasis. One of the agents commented that he thought all this week she was probably being outfitted with her 26,000 plants in Central Park. That made total sense seeing she came from Finland where it was winter and her tugboat escorts were breaking the ice for her on the first few hundred miles out to sea.
Well, it’s off to bed. It’s a early and long day Friday! Wish I could watch good morning America before heading out to the ship!Steve Lord and Jeff Gregory own a travel agency called All-Inclusive Vacations www.all-inclusivevacations.com
It’s now Thursday morning, Nov 19th. Yesterday was a full day of meetings followed by a booze cruise and dinner on the inter-coastal waterway.
We first met with the Cruise Planners “sales and technology” team to learn that in January, 2010, CP will be rolling out a new “one-stop” web site where members will be able to research, book, and make payment on all our future cruise sales. This will save time and allow us to provide our clients with information much faster. It’s no surprise that Royal Caribbean will have a prominent presence on the new site.
Next, we learned about all the new training opportunities as well as the new CPU (Cruise Planners University Accreditation Program. It will be on the web site as well. Agents can educate themselves, earn points, and receive status with Cruise Planners. The cruise industry is growing and changing and always adding new options for the guest. Education provides the sales professional with confidence.
We met reps from Azamara Cruises, Celebrity, and Princess during Wednesday’s sessions. We were also introduced to other CP members that were succeeding in their cruise businesses and learned first hand what was working for them. I would say the over-riding theme of the breakout sessions yesterday was networking. Networking is building relationships with your clients and communicating with them on a regular basis. Whether that communication is a mailing once a quarter or remembering their Special Occasions with a card or phone call, you need to let them know you’re thinking of them.
Networking also means joining a business leads groups like BNI, doing Social Media like Facebook, e-mail marketing, and joining community service organizations. All of these are examples of how people connect, learn to trust you and may eventually do business with you. You might do one, two, or all of these forms of networking.
On Thursday, we had presentations from Carnival, Norwegian, and Holland America. These cruise lines presented in forum style, all the different Special Fares available to our clients. Not sale fares, but Special fares, like Union membership, Military service, the Senior community, and community service providers like Policeman and Fire Fighters.
In the afternoon, I sat in on two classes that gave me a much better idea of what Social Media was all about; things like Facebook and Twitter, what fan pages, and Linked In.
We had the evening off to pack and collect our thoughts. Tomorrow, we have morning presentations and then it’s off to board the new ship, Oasis. One of the agents commented that he thought all this week she was probably being outfitted with her 26,000 plants in Central Park. That made total sense seeing she came from Finland where it was winter and her tugboat escorts were breaking the ice for her on the first few hundred miles out to sea.
Well, it’s off to bed. It’s a early and long day Friday! Wish I could watch good morning America before heading out to the ship!Steve Lord and Jeff Gregory own a travel agency called All-Inclusive Vacations www.all-inclusivevacations.com
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Ft Lauderdale
Oasis of the Seas…Blog Entry #3
It’s 10pm EST, Tuesday Nov 17th as I am writing this. Jeff and I arrived into Ft Lauderdale from Denver on a delightful Southwest Airlines flight about 4pm. We gathered our bags and hailed a taxi for the 10-minute ($12.50) ride to our host hotel, the Embassy Suites. This Embassy is located adjacent to Terminal 18. Our room turned out to be # 922 which happens to overlook a good size shopping center, and of course, the Oasis of the Seas. This is the perfect hotel for clients arriving a day early for their cruise vacation. And, Wow! We couldn’t have asked for a better room.
We quickly changed into slacks and shirt and made our way down to the vendor tradeshow. There were representatives from all the major CLIA cruise lines; Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Holland America and many more. We picked up many brochures and business cards to take back to the office with us. But, our favorite booth was the one manned by the Ft Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was there we met Josh Winston. Josh is 32, works for the CVB, and he loves promoting tourism to his city. Of the many things he told us about Ft Lauderdale, Josh said in particular there are two sight-seeing tours everyone should take when they come to Ft Lauderdale. The first one is taking the guided tour at Sawgrass Recreation Park. This is an airboat tour in the Florida Everglades www.sawgrassrecreationpark.com. The second must-see tour is the Water Taxi www.watertaxi.com . The Water Taxi starts at 10am and runs to 13 different stops all day long. You can get off and get back on at any stop along the route, all day long for one price. It’s a great way to see the highlights and experience the history of Ft Lauderdale.
Well, off to bed. Tomorrow is a full day of seminars and classes.
Steve Lord and Jeff Gregory own and operate a travel agency in Denver Colorado, www.all-inclusivevacations.com
It’s 10pm EST, Tuesday Nov 17th as I am writing this. Jeff and I arrived into Ft Lauderdale from Denver on a delightful Southwest Airlines flight about 4pm. We gathered our bags and hailed a taxi for the 10-minute ($12.50) ride to our host hotel, the Embassy Suites. This Embassy is located adjacent to Terminal 18. Our room turned out to be # 922 which happens to overlook a good size shopping center, and of course, the Oasis of the Seas. This is the perfect hotel for clients arriving a day early for their cruise vacation. And, Wow! We couldn’t have asked for a better room.
We quickly changed into slacks and shirt and made our way down to the vendor tradeshow. There were representatives from all the major CLIA cruise lines; Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Holland America and many more. We picked up many brochures and business cards to take back to the office with us. But, our favorite booth was the one manned by the Ft Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was there we met Josh Winston. Josh is 32, works for the CVB, and he loves promoting tourism to his city. Of the many things he told us about Ft Lauderdale, Josh said in particular there are two sight-seeing tours everyone should take when they come to Ft Lauderdale. The first one is taking the guided tour at Sawgrass Recreation Park. This is an airboat tour in the Florida Everglades www.sawgrassrecreationpark.com. The second must-see tour is the Water Taxi www.watertaxi.com . The Water Taxi starts at 10am and runs to 13 different stops all day long. You can get off and get back on at any stop along the route, all day long for one price. It’s a great way to see the highlights and experience the history of Ft Lauderdale.
Well, off to bed. Tomorrow is a full day of seminars and classes.
Steve Lord and Jeff Gregory own and operate a travel agency in Denver Colorado, www.all-inclusivevacations.com
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Oasis of the Seas, from a travel agent's perspective
Oasis of the Seas…Blog entry #2 November 15th, 2009
Oasis arrived with much fanfare, to her home, Port Everglades in Ft Lauderdale FL, on Friday morning November 13th
From here she will take a series of short, “shakedown” cruises to be sure her staff and systems are 100% functional for the first revenue customers on December 5th. I will be on one of those shakedown cruises, November 20th to 22nd. My name is Stephen Lord and I am a travel agent in Denver Colorado.
I’m fascinated by her size. There is nothing larger than the Oasis floating on water. The Oasis has 2,700 cruise cabins. At double occupancy, this equates to 5,400 guests. With triples and quads, her population can swell to 6,300. Add another 2,100 crew members and you begin to realize the enormity of potential problems. And with that largess, come a need for a much larger cruise ship Terminal and a more technologically advanced infrastructure.
Port Everglades and Broward County (owners of the Pier) spent 75 million dollars and took 22 months to triple the size of Terminal 18, just to handle this ship (and her sister Allure of the Seas due out in 2010). # 18 is the largest, and technically innovative, single- ship terminal in the world. It has 90 check-in counters, digital signage (that can be updated in a moment’s notice) to direct the flow of traffic and keep people moving. Obviously, RCCL would be worried about long lines of people.
For it’s part, Royal Caribbean says there will be no back-ups! RCCL claims that your cruise vacation will begin the moment you arrive at the Terminal. Terminal advances and their new system of online check-in promises to take guests from “the Curb to the Cabin” in 15 minutes. I will let you know.
But, if she’s that big, where will she go? Well, with a draft of 30 feet, cruise ports that hope to lure-in this ship (and her potential economic gains) have to “super-size” as well. Nassau Bahamas, St Thomas USVI, St Maarten, Costa Maya Mexico, Cozumel Mexico, Falmouth Jamaica, and Labadee Haiti (RCCL’s private island experience) are currently the only cruise ports large enough (and deep enough) to handle our gal.
In my next entry, I will talk about the on-board experience. There is nothing like Oasis in the fleet of any other cruise line. Restaurants, entertainment, and organization are all on steroids when it comes to Oasis of the Seas
Stephen Lord and Jeff Gregory own All-Inclusive Vacations, an agency specializing in vacation travel, located in Denver Colorado www.all-inclusivevacations.com (303) 980-6483
Oasis arrived with much fanfare, to her home, Port Everglades in Ft Lauderdale FL, on Friday morning November 13th
From here she will take a series of short, “shakedown” cruises to be sure her staff and systems are 100% functional for the first revenue customers on December 5th. I will be on one of those shakedown cruises, November 20th to 22nd. My name is Stephen Lord and I am a travel agent in Denver Colorado.
I’m fascinated by her size. There is nothing larger than the Oasis floating on water. The Oasis has 2,700 cruise cabins. At double occupancy, this equates to 5,400 guests. With triples and quads, her population can swell to 6,300. Add another 2,100 crew members and you begin to realize the enormity of potential problems. And with that largess, come a need for a much larger cruise ship Terminal and a more technologically advanced infrastructure.
Port Everglades and Broward County (owners of the Pier) spent 75 million dollars and took 22 months to triple the size of Terminal 18, just to handle this ship (and her sister Allure of the Seas due out in 2010). # 18 is the largest, and technically innovative, single- ship terminal in the world. It has 90 check-in counters, digital signage (that can be updated in a moment’s notice) to direct the flow of traffic and keep people moving. Obviously, RCCL would be worried about long lines of people.
For it’s part, Royal Caribbean says there will be no back-ups! RCCL claims that your cruise vacation will begin the moment you arrive at the Terminal. Terminal advances and their new system of online check-in promises to take guests from “the Curb to the Cabin” in 15 minutes. I will let you know.
But, if she’s that big, where will she go? Well, with a draft of 30 feet, cruise ports that hope to lure-in this ship (and her potential economic gains) have to “super-size” as well. Nassau Bahamas, St Thomas USVI, St Maarten, Costa Maya Mexico, Cozumel Mexico, Falmouth Jamaica, and Labadee Haiti (RCCL’s private island experience) are currently the only cruise ports large enough (and deep enough) to handle our gal.
In my next entry, I will talk about the on-board experience. There is nothing like Oasis in the fleet of any other cruise line. Restaurants, entertainment, and organization are all on steroids when it comes to Oasis of the Seas
Stephen Lord and Jeff Gregory own All-Inclusive Vacations, an agency specializing in vacation travel, located in Denver Colorado www.all-inclusivevacations.com (303) 980-6483
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