Traveling is Exceptional

Travel Tip St Martin St Maarten Island Caribbean

2011-12-13T14:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a great travel tip to tuck away for your next cruise to St Martin Island in the Caribbean. If you are looking for free WiFi go the Greenhouse restaurant on the Dutch side of the island or St Maarten.

Have a couple of cold Carib beers while you are there!

Celebrity Millinium - Great Cruise to Cozumel and Isla Roatan

2011-12-11T18:50:00.002-05:00

We just returned from a great cruise aboard the Celebrity Millennium. Our ports of call were Isla Roatan and Cozumel.

Millennium next to the huge Oasis

The Celebrity Millennium will be undergoing an upgrade shortly It is currently a millennium class ship. There are for ships in this class.

Celebrity Cruise Line says; These four award-winning ships are visually stunning and superbly designed. Marvel at the expansive atrium that spans 11 decks. Soak in the sophisticated ambiance resplendent with teak and glass accents. Ride the glass elevator along the outside of the ship. Take in endless ocean views. Retreat to one of the most luxurious spa facilities at sea. Every detail is designed to capture the romantic exhilaration of travel.

It will be upgraded to a Solstice class. Celebrity describes this class as; The most stylish ships at sea. Each, a destination unto itself, offers more unique experiences, more restaurants, and an entirely new approach to stateroom design. Currently, there are three in this class, with our newest poised to premiere in 2012.

Having been to Isla Roatan before we wanted to delve into the countryside and island life more this time around. My wife, Sally, discovered a private tour company called Christopher Tours. Our one-on-one guide Charley met us just outside the gates at the cruise dock. He was great! We told him what we wanted to experience and he custom designed our day for us. We learned a lot about the political structure and history of Roatan as well as family life.

Beautiful panoramic mountaintop views Roatan

We had asked Charley to take us to his favorite lunch spot before the tour was over. We ended up at a great little restaurant. His cousin was the chef. We ate our huge bowls of excellent fish chowder right on the water. Our waiter gave us even more insight into the political structure of the two governors of the island. Great day, excellent company.

We do love Cozumel. After the hurricane hit a few years ago they have really recovered. It is really turning into a great cruise destination. The diving and snorkeling are exceptional. We always, always go to our dear friend Veronica's Cozumel Spa for the best massage treatments in the Caribbean.

Our dear friend Veronica at Cozumel Spa

Veronica was kind enough to take us to the beach for the day. Sally gave her daughter Dany a swimming lesson while they snorkeled looking for "big fish". It was a wonderful day. We can't wait to go back to this beautiful island and it's warm people.

Dany and Sally looking for "Big Fish"

Punta Cana

2011-11-09T09:15:00.007-05:00

Well I finally made it to the Dominican Republic. Our stay was in Punta Cana at the beautiful Gran Bahia Principe Esmeralda. We were actually there for the launch of our new travel product called Luxevo The Evolution of Travel.

Apple Vacations sponsored our trip. We were joined by 110 of our fellow KHM Travel Group travel agents. This is a great all-inclusive resort with nice beaches. I especially enjoyed all of the mature palm groves on the beaches.

One of our agents had suggested a company that supported a local grade school. She contacted them and arranged for each agent to bring a book bag with school supplies

Later on Sally and I along with two other of our agents booked an excursion through this company, Jungle Outback Safari, to see more of the island. Part of the excursion was to stop in for a visit to the school they support.

We were allowed to donate more school supplies or candy but never money. They do not want to teach the children to beg. They told us many of these children walk five days a week 2-4 miles up rough country roads to get to school. There are two sessions per day. It's not unusual for the first group of kids to have siblings that attend the second session. They may even share uniforms.

If the parents are unemployed the children can not get a free education. There's a high unemployment rate here. Groups like Outback Safari step in to sponsor schools so these children can go to school. They also sponsor a clinic/hospital so that people in this area can have medical care.

This excursion was one of the most rewarding parts of our trip.

The Evolution of Travel is Here!

2011-10-15T11:20:00.002-04:00

Finally a travel product that makes sense, saves you money and makes you money all at the same time!

Being both a travel agent and consumer of travel products myself (yes I love to travel) it is sometimes difficult to put all of the pieces and parts together for that perfect vacation.

Finding the right cruise or that perfect all-inclusive resort get-away or the family Disney vacation of a lifetime can be challenging. Normally it's all about timing. When can you go? The more time we have to plan your trip the better. Better choices, better prices and even better perks.

But now we have to factor in the economy and its effect on our day to day lives. Paying the bills, more out of pocket to fill the tank to get to work, trying to find money to save for a rainy day and then that much needed get-away.

Don't get me wrong the travel industry is really robust. It took a slight downturn after 9/11, but what didn't? However, the travel industry was one of the first to recover. You love to travel and vacation... I love to travel and vacation! Too much work and stress is not good for anyone. We all need to get-away to relax, to reconnect with family, friends and ourselves.

Now it is affordable, in fact you can actually build up points toward free trips, you can save money, you can actually make money, and you can find those discount Disney tickets you've needed!

Let me give you a real example of what's possible with "The Evolution of Travel". The owner of the host travel agency my wife Sally and I are working with recently took his family to Vegas. Normally you are going pay around $275 - $375 per night for 1 bedroom hotel room there. Burt booked a 3 bedroom condo with a full kitchen, full size family room, 2 full bathrooms and more for a week for just $375! Not per night! For the whole week!

The name of this new travel product is Luxevo (pronounced Lux-E-voe) and it is The Evolution of Travel! You won't find this travel product anywhere else; it is exclusive to our travel agents.

There is so much packed into this product I can't even begin to cover it all. Go to this website now https://luxevoclub.com/20027033 and watch the video. You’ll learn new words like LuxCursions, LuxScapes and LuxPoints.

Remember I mentioned you could earn points toward free travel? That's called LuxPoints (they never expire).http://luxevoclub.com/20027033/luxpoints.html Oh yes... you can actually make money! That's called refer-a-friend! http://luxevoclub.com/20027033/refer-a-friend.html There's a nice little video you can watch that explains it! Wow! I haven't even mentioned the Advantage Benefits Program... well you just need to see for yourself!

If you'd like to start saving money, earning free travel points and actually making money for once click on the membership tab at the website to learn more. I'm member and love it!

Welcome to The Evolution of Travel! Welcome to Luxevo!

Loved this B&B and already planning return stay!

2011-08-30T16:19:00.000-04:00

Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed & Breakfast in Amish Country

Our review from Trip Advisor

Reviewed August 14, 2011

This beautiful bed & breakfast in the heart of Ohio's Amish country is a must stay! Off the beaten path, yet close to shopping and many wonderful Amish style restaurants.

Each room has it's own theme.

You will really enjoy the evening social hour around the traditional nightly "campfire". It was great fun to get to know guests from other parts of the country. Inn Keepers Herb & Carol kept the conversation lively. They know every road and buggy trail there is in Millersburg and surrounding area. They really are experts on the area and local culture.

You will love this place!

Room Tip: Google Garden Gate Get Away Millersburg Ohio to learn about the different room themes.

Top Ten Summer Beaches

2011-08-14T16:09:00.000-04:00

With summer in full swing take a look at the viewers choices for the top 10 beaches for the summer!

Lanikai Beach - Kailua, Oahu
Horseshoe Bay Beach - Southampton, Bermuda (if you've never seen pink sand this is a must!)
Rosemary Beach - Panama City Beach, FL
Rialto Beach - Olympic National Park, WA
Crane Beach - Ispwich, MA
Orient Beach - St Maarten/St Martin
Gold Rock Beach - Grand Bahama Island
Smuggler's Cove - Tortola, British Virgin Island
Paradise Beach - Cozumel, Mexico
Hapuna Beach - Kamuela, Hawaii

Summer is the time for beaches and many of these beaches are perfect even in "not so summer months"!

Trip Advisor Post on Cedar Brook in Seattle

2011-08-06T23:11:00.000-04:00

Cedarbrook Lodge

“While in Seattle area a must experience, we will be back!”

Reviewed July 28, 2011

1 person found this review helpful

Fantastic property with top notch staff. All about service and will NOT accept tips! Full service FREE breakfast with wait staff and omelet chef. Superb rooms with common areas in each themed building. They stock the common area kitchens with fresh sandwiches, bagels, fruit, soft drinks, juices, bottled water, coffee and yogurts so that you can "raid the refrigerator" after hours if you like. How fun is that?

There is a great little bar with a billiard table, reading area, social area in front of a floor to ceiling fireplace. If you need a business retreat this place is it.... over the top conference facilities.
You want to stay here. Watch hotels.com for good rates ;-)

http://www.cedarbrooklodge.com/

Punta Cana on the Horizon

2011-07-28T21:57:00.000-04:00

Duty calls! Sally and I have been informed we will be going to Punta Cana for 7 days in October 2011. Our travel company, KHM Travel Group, is launching "Project X" The Evolution of Travel!

Very exciting times! More details to follow!

Venus Sunshine Spa Puerto Vallarta

2011-04-05T13:31:00.002-04:00

When you travel to Puerto Vallarta area you must schedule a massage with our friend Norma at Venus Sunshine Spa downtown.

The ladies here are professionally trained massage therapist. On the average fees are only $45-50 USD for a deep tissue full body massage. You would expect to pay closer to $80 an hour for the same treatment in the U.S.

We were here fall of 2010 and took 5 travel agents with us. They loved it!!!

Enter to Win FREE 9-Night Cruise Vacation on Celebrity's Newest Ship!

2011-03-30T08:07:00.004-04:00

Enter for a chance to win an exhilarating, 9-night inaugural cruise vacation for two aboard the newest Solstice Class ship, Celebrity Silhouette

Their newest masterpiece, Celebrity Silhouette, is getting her finishing touches and will be introduced this July 2011. Enter for a chance to win an exhilarating, 9-night inaugural European escape for two and be one of the first to experience an innovation in luxury with an extraordinary ship and vacation package.

Attend Celebrity Silhouette’s two-night naming ceremony in Hamburg, Germany, and then her 7-night inaugural cruise from Hamburg to Rome.

Enjoy the good life in your suite featuring a private, spacious veranda and 24/7 butler service.

Receive round trip airfare to Europe with complimentary transfers to and from the ship.

Get a $300 onboard credit to use anywhere on the ship, including their specialty restaurants and rejuvenating spa treatments. And they’ll cover the taxes and fees.

Enter to win (clicking here will take you to our website) Simply scroll to the bottom for the contest link.

This will take you right to the entry form. It is painless to fill out... good luck! Share this blog entry with your family and friends. Who knows maybe they'll invite you along if they win!!

New Travel Sites

2011-03-27T18:50:00.000-04:00

Well they have finally arrived! Our two new travel sites are finally live! For great information on vactioning and traveling to the Caribbean, Mexico and other beautiful spots in the world check out Caribbean Cruise Travel Guide

Caribbean Cruise Travel Guide is a dynamic interactive site loaded with information for you to learn more about this part of the world. But what's even better -- content pages are built into several pages where you can leave a post on your favorite cruise, beach, all inclusive resort and more. These content pages are very interactive and much like facebook! Other people can comment on your comments and you can choose to be notified by email, if you like, when someone comments on your review! How cool is that!

Here are a couple of examples for you to check out: Comments on Sandals White House Resort Jamaica or a review on Why Cruise! Read why Lynette loves cruises so much -- she's been on 23! Feel free to leave your own comments or even start your own new review!

Our second new trave site is very exciting and new in the travel industry! It is going to rival sites like Orbitz & Travelocity -- only better -- why? Because you can actually reach a real live personal travel agent! Check out SAND Travel to plan, shop or even book your own vacations now!

Amazing Haitian Artist - Jean Claude Martin

2011-03-14T22:58:00.001-04:00

While take a brief break from our midwest Ohio winter this year we decided to spend a couple of days in beautiful Savannah, Georgia before driving on to Florida.

When in Savannah we always love walking through the historic squares and along the river front. The Savannah river front is home to many different restaurants, shops and stores. It also has some amazing street performers and vendors.

I have to admit my wife, Sally, is much more of a shopper than I am. Sometimes, like this time around, I like to just sit in the sun with a good book and read or people watch.

Within a few minutes an artist named Jean Claude Martin from Haiti starting setting out his paintings. As I sat on the brick wall reading I asked him if I could move down so he could have more room for his paintings. He said maybe just a couple of feet and I would be fine.

As I viewed his paintings I became interested in the beautiful blend of vibrant colors and Caribbean scenes. As I casually began to ask Jean Claude about himself and his art I became intrigued.

Jean Claude Martin setting up his paintings

A sample of Jean Claudes vibrate colorful talent!

Jean Claude Martin was born in the impoverished country of Haiti. At an early age he become "a man". Jean Claude was forced to learn a trade (skill) at an early age if he wanted to survive.

Jean spent his time watching his elders as they farmed and harvested the crops, carved sculptures, made baskets, prepared the animals they raised for the market and painting pictures. These were the things the native Haitians did daily to prepare for trade at the markets.

After much time spent observing and practicing, Jean discovered his talent and destiny. He became an artist.

I returned later to discuss with Jean Claude's which of his paintings I would like to purchase

We ended up buying the one in Jean Claudes hand. Love it!!

Jean Claude paints three styles 1) the market place 2) the countryside 3) and the ocean view. All of his paintings are done in acrylics which are much more durable than oils. He has been painting for over 20 years!

If you want to collect some one-of-a-kind art you simply must stop by to see aspiring Haitian artist Jean Claude Martin. He can also be reached at 912-441-2725

Traveling is Exceptional: Latest Travel Updates: Mexico's West Coast

2011-03-07T08:43:00.000-05:00

Traveling is Exceptional: Latest Travel Updates: Mexico's West Coast

Latest Travel Updates: Mexico's West Coast

2011-03-07T08:42:00.003-05:00

We absolutely loved Puerto Vallarta and Rivera Nayarit! With a beautiful hospitable people and scenery that is second to none.

If you love Palm Trees like I do you will want to stay at the beautiful Westin Resort and Spa

Built on an old Coconut Plantation with over 200 mature palms!

Want to Step-up Your Game?

If you are looking for a more upscale experience try the Marival Residences and World Spa. Located in Rivera Nayarit these are beautiful condo like villas. An all-inclusive property where all really is included (except your spa services). We stayed here a week and plan on going back in November 2011.
We will be splitting our stay between the Marival Residences, Marival Resorts, Westin Resort and, downtown beach front property, the Buenaventura Grand. We really wanted to go back and explore each one of these fabulous properties and their surrounding areas.

Our spacious condo at Marival Residences and World Spa

A very good bottle of Merlot on the house

Street Performers Puerto Vallarta

Amazing aireal street performers on the beach downtown

Buenaventura Grand

Close to downtown for great shopping and right on the beach!

We loved the Buenaventura Grand. We plan on staying here Nov. 2011

Sally's BFF Louie the Silver Guy

Sally buying her silver from Louie on the beach

Louie is located right by the Marival Resort

We've all done this before!

Our friends Josepha and Kevin burying Yasmina in the sand.

This is winter weather in Puerto Vallarta!

Massages and Spas

We did get our massages at Venus Sunshine Spa! Sally arranged for 5 of us to go in! One of the best massages I think I have ever had. I would highly recommend them to you! Our friend Onelly has promised to take us to a spa that the locals go to next time we visit. $20-30 and hour. I'm in!

Book Your Own Travel

Do you like to find and book your own travel online, but like the idea of having a travel agent to ask questions of? If so check out SAND Travel.

Busy Travel Year and New Projects!

2010-11-08T13:27:00.002-05:00

With Sally's new job as Group Coordinator for KHM Travel Group, the largest host travel company in the U.S. we have hit the ground running! Already this year Sally has been to Jamaica three times, Riviera Maya (2 weeks ago) and we are packing to leave for Puerto Vallarta the end of this week, Nov. 12th.

I actually tagged along with Sally on her last trip to Jamaica. We stayed at the fabulous Sandals Whitehouse Resort. We had a great time and toured several other Sandals properties on the island.

Me and Sally enjoying sunset on our Jamaican beach

Sally took several of her friends along with about 40 other ladies on a W.I.N.O.S. get-away to the Riviera Maya in Mexico. W.I..N.O.S. stands for Women In Need Of Something (I thought maybe time away from men?) They all had an amazing time shopping, dancing, feasting on great food and of course a bit of the nightlife.

Sally and her two amigos buenos. Hola!

We will be staying at the Marival Residences and World Spa near Puerto Vallarta. A beautiful property from what we understand. We are excited to see this property and experience all they have to offer as well as tour the other properties they have lined up for us to see.

Sally is excited to see her friend Norma again. Norma owns and operates Venus Sunshine Spas in Puerto Vallarta. Sally tells me this is where she received one of the best massages she has ever had. I said, "Really?!" As you may know from earlier post I was a professional massage therapist for 10 years. She has received her fair share from my skilled hands!!

I am looking forward to meeting Norma and getting one of these really great massages!

Before I close, I have to mention my new project.... this is my baby! http://www.caribbean-cruise-travel-guide.com/

The website is a really labor of love. You will be able to find all sorts of great information about the Caribbean on it. Anything from the best cruise ports, what to do when you get there, best places to eat and drink. Where to get the best prices on massages, where to sample as much free rum and tequilla as you want and much more. Even traditional Caribbean recipes including favorite island drink recipes.

Within a very short time it will be very interactive and you will be able to leave your comments and talk about your favorite Caribbean places to go and things to do. It is live now, but is still getting content added almost daily so stay tuned!

Vacations Tips Western Caribbean

2009-11-25T18:41:00.001-05:00

My wife and I just returned from a training/vacation trip to Tampa and the Western Caribbean.

Carnival Cruise Line hosted two days in Tampa, Florida at the fabulous Embassy Suites downtown for ship tours. We toured the Carnival Inspiration and Legend. The Tampa Visitors Bureau gave us a tour of Tampa Aquarium. Very nice! I had never realized how silky soft the flipper of a stingray felt until our tour.

If you have any cigar aficionado’s in your life then Ybor City, Florida is a must visit for them! Ybor City was once the cigar capitol of the world. If you like craft beers check out the Tampa Brewery in Ybor City.

Ybor City is rich in heritage and history. Actually on Nov. 21, 2009 an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the longest hand rolled cigar will be judged at the Ybor City festival. It will be 185 feet long.

We found the beaches around Clearwater, Florida to be to our liking. Powdery white sand, palms for shade and nice wide beaches.

After touring the Carnival Legend we boarded her about a week later, after spending a great week in Key Largo, and headed for Cozumel Mexico. Cozumel is an interesting port in that there is plenty to do but it is somewhat touristy. We have rented a jeep and driven around the island before while visiting beaches and ancient ruins.

This time around we discovered Cozumel Massage. This is wonderful place in the center of the downtowns main street. It is a professional massage studio located at Av. Rafael E. Melgar # 471 Col. Centro. Check them out at www.cozumelmassage.net (make sure you use .net and not .com) Fantastic massage for only $40 US! Veronica owns and operates it. We opted for the deep tissue massage.

Our next stop on the cruise was Grand Cayman Island. This can be somewhat spendy here. Several people we met on the ship took excursions. Some opted for the “beach party” excursion. They were taken to a public beach area with nice lounge chairs which also included a drink for a cost of around $40 US.

My wife and I jumped on the public bus system for $2 each and got off at the same beach. Put our towels on the sand and swam in the same beautiful water. We then asked the folks renting snorkel equipment where the locals snorkeled. They told us to walk up the beach about ½ mile to Cemetery Beach to a great reef. My wife brought her own gear.

We had a wonderful walk up a fabulous beach and met some nice people staying at a private condo. They pointed out some great spots to see tons of fish. After great snorkeling we caught the bus back for $2. When we reached the port we even found a spot to sample free rum. We ended up taking a couple bottles with us.

Our next stop was Belize. Belize is very famous for its reefs. There are amazing diving and snorkeling opportunities here. There is also zip lining here too as well as tours of the area.

We stayed fairly low keyed here and opted to head outside the “cruise village” to an inexpensive internet café we had heard about. It was a short walk and cheap. It only cost us $1.75 for 45 minutes of fast internet connection. Then we walked through the local straw market and had a couple Belize beers at the Wet Lizard Tavern and Restaurant. www.thewetlizard.com/

Our next and final stop was Isla Roatan off Honduras. We really enjoyed this stop and took the zip line excursion here as we had heard it was the highest, longest and safest in the Caribbean. We ended up booking through a company online called Island Marketing. We only spent $52 US apiece for almost 2 hours of incredible zip lining.

After the zip line portion they took us to a private beach club and bought us all a drink. We spent about an hour on the beach. This was a great price compared to the cruise line excursion offered in Belize at $150 US. We returned to the port with plenty of time to check out the straw markets and try some local beer.

To learn more about the zip line on Isla Roatan check out www.southshorecanopy.com Tell them Sally and Norm from SAND Travel suggested them. We loved it and will do it again!

Are the Planes We Fly in Safe?

2009-10-22T09:45:00.004-04:00

Imagine you're a pilot, and you're flying a Boeing 737 filled with more than 100 passengers. Suddenly, the gauges show that Engine No. 2 is in trouble, so you shut it off and start flying the plane on the other engine alone.

To Cut Costs, Airlines Send Repairs Abroad Oct. 19, 2009
That's a troubling enough scenario. But what if it's worse than that: What if it turns out that a mechanic mixed up the wires in the cockpit, not long before you took off — so your gauges are reversed and you actually turned off the one good engine?

Mechanics who had just repaired the plane at the Aeroman repair company in El Salvador had, in fact, crossed the wires on two engine indicators in the cockpit. NPR obtained internal US Airways documents that describe the incident, and a senior company executive confirmed it.

Mistakes In El Salvador

This is just one of at least three troubling maintenance mistakes that mechanics in El Salvador have made recently while fixing US Airways planes. There could be more. But airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration don't make maintenance problems public. NPR first learned about these incidents from mechanics at Aeroman and at US Airways.

Pressure To Hasten Repairs
"It's a great responsibility," one mechanic says, sitting under a cactus along a narrow road near San Salvador. "Our supervisors are constantly highlighting to us that our job is not a game. The life of 200, 250 people that are flying depends on us."

But the mechanics say managers keep pressuring them to fix the planes faster. For instance, if there's rust on a metal beam, but it's just a little over tolerance, "the supervisor says, 'Oh, just leave it like that,' " the mechanic says, through an interpreter. " 'There's no need to repair it.' "

Outsourcing Aircraft Maintenance

Nine major air carriers reviewed by the FAA's inspector general sent 71 percent of their heavy airframe maintenance checks to outside repair stations in 2007, up from 34 percent in 2003. Foreign repair stations got 19 percent of these major maintenance jobs in 2007. The work includes complete teardowns of aircraft.

The FAA requires that mechanics fix the planes according to the airline manuals — whether they're in the U.S. or overseas. But the mechanics at Aeroman say their supervisors often say that takes too much time.

One mechanic says that just a few days earlier, he and his colleagues were replacing a kind of rivet, commonly called a Hi-Lok, along the fuselage. The airline's manual said they should use a "shear" Hi-Lok that's carefully engineered to withstand a specific amount of pressure on a specific part of the plane. But the mechanic says Aeroman didn't have the right Hi-Loks on hand, so the supervisor told them to use "tension" Hi-Loks that weren't approved for that repair.

The mechanic says he resisted, because the wrong Hi-Loks "would cause, actually, a crack in the fuselage when there is turbulence." When the supervisor pressured him to use the incorrect part anyway, "I told him no, because the manual does not allow me to do that," he says. But the supervisor ordered him "to go ahead and install it, because we were in a hurry to turn around the airplane."

Another mechanic ticked off other problems at Aeroman. Some employees don't store glues at the required temperatures, he says. That means the glues could fail — which potentially means that parts of the airplane could fall apart.

And this mechanic says some workers can't even read the airlines' repair manuals. The manuals are written in English, but some mechanics at Aeroman can't read English including him.

FAA Inspections: No Surprise

In theory, FAA inspectors should catch these problems. The FAA is supposed to inspect every repair shop that fixes U.S. airplanes, in the U.S. and overseas. But the mechanics at Aeroman say FAA inspections are a joke, because the inspectors always tell management at Aeroman when they are going to show up — they do not do surprise inspections.

That means mechanics put the glues away in the proper temperature-controlled storage areas. They get rid of any unauthorized parts. "Then, the FAA won't ever find anything," the mechanic says. The inspector general's investigations have found that FAA inspectors never even showed up at some foreign repair stations, for as long as three to five years.

Legislative Action

Some aviation specialists and members of Congress say that as the industry cuts maintenance costs and other expenses, the margin of safety is getting thinner.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) is pushing legislation in Congress that would require the FAA to be tougher on foreign repair companies. "When you have a situation like this," McCaskill says, "and the company in El Salvador is going to make a lot more money if they can promise the planes out more quickly, then that is a dangerous stew that we are stirring."

In late September 2009, US Airways discovered another mistake at Aeroman: Mechanics mixed up the wires in the cockpit of another plane — the second case of crossed wiring in less than a week. Again, the gauges were connected to the wrong engines.

Here is a list of airlines that outsource their heavy airframe maintenance: AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, America West Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Northwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. http://pamablog.typepad.com/pama/outsourcedcontract_maintenance/

Links to this story:http://www.npr.mobi/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=113877784 http://search1.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113877784&ps=cprs http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113942431

Victims of a Park West at Sea Art Auction Speak

2009-09-25T11:27:00.005-04:00

This is something to certainly be aware of while sailing:

Victims of a Park West at Sea, Park West Gallery Cruise Line Art Auction Scam Speak Out
Dr. Venkatraman Srinivasan and his wife, Jayanthi
by David Phillips
The following is, unfortunately, a true story. It is illustrative of how Park West at Sea art auctions and auctioneers work to fleece unsuspecting people of large sums of money under the false pretense of providing great bargains and superb investments.

Here is the story in Dr. Srinivasan's words:
I am a cardiologist in Pittsburgh PA.
In the third week of August this year, from the 17th to 24th, my wife and I and our two daughters took a cruise on Celebrity Cruises from Vancouver to Anchorage. We did a few days of land trip and then flew back home.
I had had no dealings with art before, other than buying a few pieces that were mostly decorative, not collection pieces. We were strolling around on the ship and of course we came into contact with the Park West Gallery exhibit. We walked around and looked at it but we didn't do anything. Subsequently there was an auction that was advertised by the cruise newsletter as an event, so my wife and I attended. We are decorating our house and were looking for some art and we found something by Krasnyansky. We looked at it, and there was an auction and the lady said, "Well, you have to register and pick out some painting with a sticker," which I did.
The auction came and I asked the lady how much it was; she said the price was $1,200 so I registered and it came up for $950; I bid on it and there were no other bids. They said, "Fine, you won that." The auctioneer said, "Meet me at 7 this evening so we can conclude the deal."
When I came back they started talking to me. They said, "You bought this piece, it's not very expensive, but here is this other fantastic piece; it's a collector item and it's going at a 50% discount," and they showed me a Peter Max painting. I said, "How much is it?" and they said, "It's about $50,000 but you probably will get it for about $30,000." This was not an auction, mind you. The auction was over hours earlier.
My wife and I were looking at it. I said, "I never collect art. That looks like an awfully big investment." The auctioneer, Jason Davey, a young man from Canada, said he had been doing this all his life. He told us how much it was worth. He told me that his gallery was the largest gallery in the world. I said, "Why would I buy it on a ship? I would buy it in Pittsburgh." He said, "No, in Pittsburgh they charge tax, we don't charge tax. They all have overheads; we have very low overheads, we're on a ship."
I said, "I really don’t know you at all. I am not looking to invest that much money."
He said, "Look, this is an investment piece. You can go back and sell it for twice the amount. And we'll give you a certificate of authenticity. And to allay any fears," he said, "Do you know that the Celebrity Cruise Line is a very reliable, famous line?" I said, "Yes, it's a very reliable line; I've heard good things about it." He said, "If we are fraudulent, do you think the cruise line would let me have a shop here?" He said, "If you trust this ship and the reputation of the cruise line, then you have to trust my reputation."
I said, "That's a very valid argument." I said, "You know, this cruise ship is so reputable, if you're a fraud, why would they have you? That would be a big negative on their reputation."
I know very little about art. He told us all about Peter Max and so forth and he said, "It's an original." I said, "What do you mean it's an original?" "It’s one of a kind." He said, "It just came to the market, and he did this painting after Katrina, in memory of Katrina."
I said, "What is it called?" He said, "It's called Better World.” He added, "He's a philanthropic man, he's donated a lot of money to a lot of people, and he's such a great man, he's the this generation Picasso." He said, "Picasso was a very bad human being. He was a great painter but he did a lot of bad things. Peter Max on the contrary is a good human being. He gives a lot of money to charity and he's into nature and the environment."
And my wife is a great environmentalist, so she fell for it right away. He said, "This painting is in commemoration of Katrina," so we felt sympathetic for that. So we said, "Everything is positive. Here is a guy who is selling the painting at near 50% discount, very philanthropic guy, good human being." He said, "He's 70 years old and he may not last long, after he passes away this painting is going to be worth $100,000. Just like Picasso."
I have no idea why I got drawn in. We thought we were doing a good thing. I said, "Fine, we'll buy it. Can you give me a discount?" He said, "Yes, $600 discount, and guess what, you're going to apply for our credit card so you don't even have to pay for three months. Plus you'll get 5% discount."
He started writing it up. It was all very fast and very pressured. He didn't give us much time. The woman sitting there, I don't know if she was his equal or his boss, said, "It's only 2 ½%, not 5%." I said, "Well he just told me 5%." She said, "They changed the rules." (The glossy brochure we were handed specifically said 5%. It also said no interest and no payments for 13 months.) Then he said his computer didn't work for a while. He said, "We're going to close down soon, so we'll take care of it."
I said, "What about the painting?" He said, "Well, it will be all reframed and will arrive at your house in four weeks. And if you don't like it, just send it back."
I said, "Fine, if I don't like it I'll just send it back. What's the big deal? I'll just show it to an expert in Pittsburgh and see if it's really worth it. I have nothing to lose."
And so he gave me the papers. I didn't know there was something on the back to read. He gave me a form to fill out for this credit card. They ask you all these questions to give you a credit. And then he got up and said, "You got a great deal. You must be proud of yourself."
I saw him that night and he said, "Do you know Doctor, after you left there were two people who came asking for that painting and I told them it was sold."
I said. "Fine," I didn't think much of it. I thought I got a great deal.
Then I came back to Pittsburgh and spoke to my golfing buddy, who's a real art collector with a lot of very expensive paintings which he goes to Sotheby's and Christie's to buy.
Click for Larger Image
The Park West at Sea invoice. Note it says "You saved $2,530 off the hammer price on this piece!", yet the Peter Max piece was never shown to Dr. Srinivasan at auction, rather he was approached regarding this piece after the auction had ended.
I told him I bought a Peter Max. He said, "You are a fool."
I said, "What do you mean?" He said, "Where did you buy it? From the cruise ship? You are a fool." He said, "You should never buy those things. And Peter Max, my god, he's a washed up artist," and he said he was indicted for tax fraud years ago. He said, "They sold you a bill of goods." He said, "What is the name of the painting?"
I said, "Better World." He said, "Give me the invoice. Look, the invoice says Better World serial number, it's Volume XVIII, Number 11." And he said, "There are so many reproductions of this. What does it mean by number 11?" I said, I didn't even know. I'm looking at it for the first time. He said, "Well that means there are a lot of other paintings floating around." He went to the computer – he is registered in some society – and said he would print out the records of all the Peter Max paintings sold in the last few years.
He gave me a big print out sheet. And it was like $3,000, $4,000. And everything is called Better World. I said, "What do you mean, Better World? I thought this guy said there's only one Better World."
He said, "No, no, Srini, you fell for it. He has so many Better Worlds. He calls a lot of his paintings Better World. You really got taken in."
So I was really angry. I called the customer service rep, a woman called Leslie. I said, "Look, I think I've been taken in. I didn't understand any of this." She said, "Too bad, doctor, you signed the contract and that's the end of the story. We cannot return it."
I said, "Look, I really don't want it. When it comes I'm going to return it."
She said, "That's too bad. You signed it and you own it." I said, "I'll have to go to a lawyer."
She said, "You have to do what you have to do. You go to a lawyer and our lawyer will answer that."
I also told her I was going to write a letter to the editor of my local newspaper and warn people. She said, "Let me warn you that we may sue you for slander." I said, "Don't worry about it, I'll be checking with my attorney before I do that."
So I went to my attorney, one that I had dealt with before. He couldn't believe it. He said, "This is total misrepresentation." But he said, "You didn't sign this bill of sale. The invoice is unsigned. I will write them a letter."
The auctioneer charged me 15% buyer's premium, shipping and handling, appraisal fee, and the painting came to over $35,000. I'm frustrated and I feel we were totally deceived. So the lawyer has written a letter saying this is null and void because I never signed the invoice.
My lawyer told me in any event when UPS delivers the painting, reject it and return it and do not accept it. I've told my wife not to accept delivery. That was my lawyer's advice.
My lawyer said they may keep sending it and you just refuse it. Don't pay it.
It's just a mental harassment and I feel badly for a lot of senior citizens and a lot of people. Apparently Park West have done $600 million business this year on 60 or so ships. These guys are raking in money like crazy by misrepresenting the value of what they are offering. I'm very angry at the cruise company because they are enabling this activity. I went to the auction only because I trusted the cruise line and would not otherwise have attended at all.
Only subsequently have I researched the internet and found that the cruise ship has a lot to gain by this, financial gain, and therefore they're abetting this activity.
Park West must have gotten away with it all these years because they were probably selling paintings and prints that were $500, $600, $700. Even though people felt cheated, many of them didn't know, because you don't bother about that much.
But when they started getting greedy and going into these $20,000, $30,000, $40,000 paintings, then people go home and they check. I think these people got greedy and now they're in trouble.
Dr. Srinivasan has no intention of going through with a fraudulent deal that he never signed for. In addition, he has contacted AARP, of which he is a member, with a view to warning other passengers, particularly senior citizens, to stay away from fraudulent cruise line art auction deals. He has also contacted 60 Minutes with the details of the story.

It is not only for themselves that the Srinivasans are concerned. It is for all the potential victims who walk unsuspectingly into the cruise line auction, Park West at Sea scams.

http://www.fineartregistry.com/articles/far_investigates/parkwest-auction-victim.php

My wife and I have also had dealings with Park West at Sea. It is a fun exciting time onboard ship but we are not pleased with the end experience. We will be advising any and all to beware of any at sea art auctions.

Save Money at Little Known Spas Mexican Riviera

2009-08-21T12:18:00.005-04:00

My wife took a cruise on Royal Caribbean to the Mexican Riviera last October and came across to really great spas that were just too inexpensive to pass up.

Mazatlan
She and several of her traveling companions decided to check them both out while in port.

While in Mazatlan, Mexico they took taxies to the Aroma Spa. It is actually a massage school started by the world famous spa consultant Knute Berry.

The Aroma Spa is located at 320 Mariano Escobedo in Mazatlan about a block and a half west of Machado Square.

The place is a bit rustic compared to USA standards, but you are in Mexico go with it!

Most of the massage practitioners are female, although there are some males. Depending on the time of year you are there you can expect to pay from $15 – 25 US for an hour to an hour and half massage. I am a retired Licensed Massage Therapist and I can tell you these are amazing prices! You could easily pay from $80 – 125 US for the same service!

My wife and most of her friends went for an hour and a half massage and paid around $20 apiece. Not bad for walking in unannounced.

They have something called a twenty-finger massage that sounds interesting. Two practitioners work on you at the same time. It’s supposed to be very relaxing.
Check them out at http://www.aromaspa.ws/ I see they are running a special through December 1, 2009 and are giving away a free 30 minute massage! Looks like you have to email them for a certificate! Wish we were headed back there during that time instead of January 2010. I would add that on to the hour and half massage I already plan on getting! Yes I do love massages!

Travel tips here:
* Do pay cash and avoid credit card processing fees
* Do leave a decent tip as that’s how they make a little extra money

Puerto Vallarta
While in Puerto Vallarta my wife and a couple of friends were told to try out the Venus Sunshine Spa located in the marina close to the lighthouse.

Venus Sunshine Spa is probably more of what folks from the USA would be accustomed to. The prices are a bit more mainly because this is an actual spa and not a spa school.

You will be more in the old town portion which will get you away from all the tourist locations and vendors. In our book that’s very nice.

Expect to spend around $40-45 each for about an hour and 15 minute massage. This is still a great bargain based on US prices. Enjoy yourself and tell other cruisers about these great spots to relax and save some money!

Three of Seattle’s Undiscovered Gems

2009-08-07T10:47:00.005-04:00

Seattle, Washington is truly a Metropolitan city. It has it all from its bustling seaport, business, entertainment, shopping and many recreational opportunities to its outstanding scenery.

When I mention gems some of you may be thinking diamonds, emeralds and rubies! What I’m actually referring to are the undiscovered places you may not hear about unless you live in Seattle.

First off if you are going to be staying a one night or a few you must check out a gem of place called the Cedarbrook Center just outside of Seattle near the airport in an area called SeaTac. Cedarbrook is the former Washington Mutual Leadership Center which is now open to the public http://www.cedarbrookcenter.com/ . It was built as a premium training facility. It has a main lobby with a theatre style conference room at one end on the main floor. On the lower level is a beautiful floor to ceiling stone fireplace with a bar and billiards table to one side. There is an excellent restaurant on this floor that also serves a complimentary full buffet style breakfast with omelet chefs and wait staff.

The guestrooms are large and well done. The guestroom buildings each have a common area with a kitchenette, sitting area with big screen TV. The refrigerator is stocked each evening with free soft drinks, juices, yogurts, fruits and sandwiches.

The Cedarbrook Center offers complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport as well as downtown Seattle.

The service and staff are excellent and make your stay memorable. They want you to enjoy yourself and come back. We left a tip for our waitress at breakfast and as we were walking back to our room the dining room host discreetly informed us that Cedarbrook was a non-tipping facility and quietly handed our money back! The rates for this amazing facility were very reasonable!

If you enjoy incredible spices and curries that are fresh and even hard to find then you need to checkout a gem called World Spice just off of Pike Street. http://www.worldspice.com/home/home.shtml

They carry a large selection of pure spice, mixed spices and curries, leaf teas and some incredible peppers! They are located directly across the street from the Pikes Place Public Market, which by the way is a fantastic place to shop. http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/frameset.asp?flash=true

Across the street from World Spice and along side of the Pikes Place Public Market is a little Mexican Restaurant called El Puerco Lloron. This little gem of place is true authentic Mexican cooking! They only have about ten items to choose from but they are all nice portions under $7.25. http://www.elpuercolloron.com/

For all of you coffee lovers remember the original Starbucks is right in this area too.

Enjoy Seattle!

Vacation to Hawaii

2009-07-24T14:35:00.007-04:00

Even though the Hawaiian Islands are part of the United States they are absolutely an exotic location to vacation. The culture is fantastic as is the weather and diverse landscape!

We escorted a group of 54 people to Hawaii. We flew from Ohio to Honolulu. Now at this time we had been using a third party travel company to arrange our group travel for us. They are out of NJ and will remain nameless. First class ground transportation was supposed to have been arranged for our group to take a short trip from the airport to the Marriott on Waikiki Beach. All we can say is never use a bus service by a person named Aunt Hattie! Seems our “used-to-be” travel company went on the cheap with our ground transportation. If you held your fingers near the window you could almost feel the AC in these vintage 1960’s buses. We ended up putting one of our suitcases on the ground for a step at the hotel because the hydraulics’ didn’t work and they couldn’t lower the bus closer to the ground.

Remember this blog is not all fluff. If we come across something you should be aware of we will mention it.

OK enough of that! The Marriott Resort at Waikiki was beautiful. The beach was spectacular as was our view of Diamond Head. Several of our group made the trek up Diamond Head the next morning.

We found there was a free concert at the open air bar every Sunday evening by locally famous Martin Pahinui and his band playing traditional Hawaiian slack key guitar, lap steel guitar and singing traditional Hawaiian songs. Very nice!

Waikiki is a vibrant and beautiful area. The prices are a bit spendy but that goes with the area. If you are a bit hungry or are just looking for small gifts to take home you will want to stop in the ABC stores. They are located everywhere. ABC’s carry inexpensive sandwiches and drinks along with basic needs like sunscreen, Hawaiian shirts and other gifts at better than gift store prices.

We did discover the International Market Place on Kalakaua Ave. This is a large open air market within walking distance of the hotel. There are many different vendors to choose from here. We also stumbled across a small open air breakfast buffet that was really great. Lots of fresh fruits, melons and regular buffet items. All you can eat for only $5. Our point being don’t be afraid to explore and ask the locals where they go.

From here we took a short ride to the cruise docks and boarded the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Pride of America.

NCL started the whole Free Style Dining experience for cruise ships. One tip I would pass on to you is: once you get settled in take a tour of all the restaurants and choose any that you want to have reservations in. Make your reservations the first or the second day in advance as the premium dining times do fill up. Just a tip to get you a head of the game.

Taking a cruise line, like NCL, is really the best way to see the Hawaiian Islands. All of your meals and lodging are already paid for. You don’t have to pay for inter-island transportation or any other extras, except maybe any shore excursions you want to indulge in. We took a couple excursions, but on two of the islands a group of us rented a van and shared the cost and driving and toured on our own. It was great!

Points to remember:

If you learn just two words in Hawaiian, learn these. They are two of the most important words in the Hawaiian language. Aloha and mahalo pronounced ah loh hah and mah hah loh.

The other thing you will see often is the unique wave. With your palm facing inward point your thumb up while curling your middle three fingers toward your palm and extending your pinky. Now flex your hand at the wrist up and down. That's it you have it!

You can view pictures of some of the sites we visited in Hawaii by clicking the link Hawaii Pictures to the left.

If you have interest in vacationing to the fabulous Hawaiian Islands please contact us at travel@sandtravel.com or visit our website at http://www.sandtravel.com/

Sally & Norm

Bermuda as a Destination

2009-07-10T15:24:00.004-04:00

Thinking about traveling to Bermuda? Here are a few tips, highlights and pictures from a group we escorted there.

Bermuda is a unique culture blended with a proper English tradition and dynamic lively African natives, American and Spanish Caribbean people.

If you are fortunate you will catch a performance by a local Gombey dance troupe. They are unique to the culture. Dressed in colorful hand made customs and until recently having no written form to pass along their dance and music it was taught to very young children to carry on the tradition. For more information on the Gombey dancers you can easily Google them.

Tips on transportation: if you come by cruise ship one of the best deals is to purchase from the excursion desk a two day transportation pass. We spent $20 apiece and were able to ride the pink public buses all over the islands as well as take the water ferries. It is by far the best way to get around the island. Do bear in mind since Bermuda was under British authority they drive on the non-American side of the rode. So you Americans traveling think of it like looking in a mirror. Your bus stops are on the opposite side of the road than you would normally think and the buses travel in the other direction! There are no sidewalks to speak of so don’t be surprised when you see a road crew member turn sideways and flatten against a wall to let a bus go by.

Another tip while traveling about, don’t just walk up to a Bermudian and ask a straight forward question. Make pleasantry’s first. As an example, don’t walk and ask, “Is this the bus that goes back to the cruise ship?” You may get ignored or you may get a lesson in Bermudian culture such as a come back, “Isn’t the sky blue today, isn’t it a beautiful day today?” Once you ask or answer that and are pleasant then ask away.

Bermuda is famous for its pink sand beaches. They really are pink! We rode the pink public buses to Elbow beach and spent a great afternoon exploring and walking. From there we hopped on and off the bus making our way back toward our cruise ship dock. We explored different bays and villages. We stopped at out of the way shops and had lunch overlooking a beautiful bay while sipping a local favorite rum drink called a Dark-n-Stormy! It consists of 2 oz of Gosling’s Black Seal rum and 4 oz of Ginger beer. Very refreshing!

Taxes are high in Bermuda. We found from conversations with locals that many of them will do major shopping on the U.S. mainland in order to save on taxes. Since we ate most of our meals onboard our Royal Caribbean cruise ship we were little affected by this.

You must be a Bermudian to own a car on the islands. There are no car rentals. You can however brave the roads on a rented Moped. The main reason for this is the limited road infrastructure.
Bermuda has no natural source of fresh drinking water. You will notice while traveling around the island beautiful well kept homes of all sizes with curious looking roofs. A very unique feature of Bermuda roofs has been their role in water supply. Water is collected on roofs where wedge shaped limestone glides are formed into sloping gutters. These divert rain water into larger gutters that lead into cisterns in the foundation. It is a fairly simple and ingenious system. Now they also convert seawater into drinkable water.

We escorted a group of 60 people on this cruise and all in all we had a great time on Bermuda. We would return again.

We have posted the Bermuda slideshow to the left. We have also posted a utube link so you may watch short video clips of Gombey Dancers in action. Click on each frame and its video will play for you.

If you are interested in booking travel to Bermuda you can find more information at www.sandtravel.com

Resorts Report Riviera Maya Mexico

2009-07-03T11:28:00.010-04:00

A group of us were invited by Apple Vacations on a FAM (familiarization) trip to tour fourteen properties in the Riviera Maya just south of Cancun Mexico.

Apple Vacations and the fabulous Grand Sirenis Resort hosted us for four days. We worked hard but had a great time touring these outstanding properties.

The Riviera Maya is a beautiful and upcoming coastal resort area just south of well known Cancun Mexico. Riviera Maya tends to be more historical and considered by many to be the gateway to the Mayan ruins. Riviera Maya is quiet close to the famous Tulum region.

We found the people to be very friendly and hospitable, granted once you leave the resorts and venture into the tourist areas you will be treated like a tourist. This area tends to be quieter and less touristy. Inside the resorts hospitality is practiced to the highest degree.

We toured several well established resorts and some that were still under construction. This area is really becoming the new vacation hotspot with great beaches!

One of the main differences you will notice between the established and the newer resorts is the vegetation. Very simply put in a resort that has been there for a few years the vegetation has had time to mature and establish its self, while the newer resorts vegetation is still growing. On the other hand the newer resorts are very willing to please and work all that much harder to make sure you have a great experience in order to establish themselves as a place to remember and return to.

All in all we loved this area and recommend our clients travel here as well. One tip we do pass on to our clients is to use a travel agent that utilizes Apple Vacations or other such group. If you ever run into a problem at a resort Apple Vacations has a dedicated staff person at the resort to assist you. Not to mention the all inclusive nature of their vaction packages.

Enjoy the pictures we have posted in Links We Like section named Riviera Maya. Included are pictures of Grand Sirenis, Iberostar Grand, Secrets Carpri, Secrets Moroma, Secrets Silver Sands, RIU Palace and a map of the coast line to orient yourself.

If you find our blog useful please click on the Follow link or feel free to select our Newsletter link to the left of our page. Tell your friends and family about us, too!

Have an amazing day!

Sally & Norm
http://www.sandtravel.com/

Only a Six Hour Ride to Baltimore!

2009-06-23T23:15:00.004-04:00

We had a fantastic time on the inaugural cruise out of Baltimore aboard the Carnival Pride!
Baltimore is an excellent gateway for this sailing. My wife and I decided to drive in a day early and check out the sites. We toured the inner harbor, rode the Light Rail and watched the excitement of the media as the event unfolded.
The Carnival Pride is really a ship all about art. The theme on board is “Icons of Beauty”. You will find reproductions of famous Renaissance paintings and statues by Raphael, Botticelli and even a reproduction of Michelangelo's David. Pride is also embellished with Renaissance style murals on the walls and ceilings.
The staff on board was great. We were well taken care of and the food was very good. Carnival has worked very hard to overcome the party ship image and has done that in our opinion.
We started out with two days at sea, which I really needed to just unwind and relax. We then stopped in Nassau. A group of us ended up catching a ride on the local bus service to the Royal Bahamian Sandals Resort. As travel agents we were invited to tour their resort and spend the day with them. When you go to Nassau this is a great stay or an excursion from aboard ship. I recommend the swim up bar! Our next day we spent on Freeport where we did some shopping then loaded onto a van and headed to a beautiful beach for the day. On our way back to Baltimore we had dinner at Prides signature supper club David’s. The food and service were great.
Carnival will be sailing year around out of Baltimore to the Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean.
Since our return we have already put together a meeting with Rick Zimmerman, CEO of KHM Travel, Burt Kramer, Director of KHM Travel, Virgil Lengel, Lakefront Bus Lines and Sally Nyburg, SAND Travel to decide how to best offer ongoing trips out of NE Ohio roundtrip to Baltimore to take these great year round sailings. Sally has over 20 years expertise in group travel.
Just think of it no airfare to buy, no airport hassles, no long lines to stand in. Just a comfortable Lakefront Lines luxury coach to relax on all the way to the cruise dock!

We can offer family reunions, school reunions, vacations, incentives, fund raising trips as well friend’s get-a-ways. For all your travel planning needs visit us at http://www.sandtravels.com/

Inaugural Sailing from Baltimore!

2009-06-23T21:12:00.002-04:00

I was work the other day, phones nearly ringing off the hooks when my cell phone rings. Caller ID reads KHM Travel. That’s usually Burt the director of KHM. I took a break and answered my cell and sure enough it was Burt Kramer, Director of KHM Travel Group the largest online travel agency in the country. He gets right to the point, “Norm I just got off the phone with Geoff our BDM (business development manager) from Carnival Cruise Lines and they have three cabins they have to give away. Do you and Sally want to go on a FREE cruise May 27th?” I said I needed to look at a calendar. I asked what the itinerary was. There was awkward phone silence for only a moment until we both kind of said at the same time, “Who cares? It’s free!” I told Burt it sounded really great, but I did need to check with Sally. He said, “Geoff needs to know in the next fifteen minutes or they go away!” Then he sealed the deal with, “Did I mention they were balconies?” Long story short, Sally considered it for about two seconds and had me call him right back.

Baltimore is a new gateway for Carnival. It should open up a lot more Northeast, East Coast and Midwest business for them. We were invited along to check out the new sailing aboard the Carnival Pride. Sally has been doing a nice group business with local bus companies from the Cleveland area for about twenty years and has some great contacts with them. We are hoping to put the bus companies, the easy trip to Baltimore, Carnival and local travel groups all together for a nice time.

Back to the trip, we are leaving a day early to explore the port area a bit before we board the Pride on May 27th. From there we have two relaxing days at sea, a day in Nassau, a day in Freeport and a return day at sea. All in all this will be a six cruise, wonderful!! If the timing is right we will get to tour the All-Inclusive Sandals Resort while on Nassau.