Saving $$ on Hotels

I just learned a great new way to save us all money when booking hotel rooms.  And my new database is installed and ready to go - I just have to figure it all out.  I've had fabulous training this morning from the director of sales of the company and two of his trainers, so it shouldn't be too long.

Soon I'll be contacting you for your travel preferences, family information, and special dates so that I am better prepared to help you plan those family dream vacations.

Orlando is hot and humid, and I miss my family terribly.  But it has been worth the separation and unpleasant weather to learn all of these ways I can serve you better.

A Room With a Disney View

Good Morning from Orlando!  I walked out on my balcony just now and snapped this picture.  The Mary Poppins balloon (which is up during business hours) and the Planet Hollywood Restaurant are both part of Downtown Disney.  The big ball in the back of the photo below is Spaceship Earth at Epcot.  I can also see the Swan and Dolphin hotels from here.

My room was supposed to be 'Resort View', which means I'd be looking at other hotel rooms.  When I registered, I asked if I could have a room with a Disney View.  So there you have it - a room with a view. 

The point of this anecdote is that you should always ask for a free upgrade.  The Laurie Strickland philosophy is "All they can say is no".  Just ask politely and be gracious if they do say no.

It is so very quiet in my hotel room.  I have no children talking to me, no dogs jumping on me, and no husband here to keep me company.  I was looking forward to some quiet, but this is REALLY quiet, almost too quiet.

My conference training classes start today, followed by a reception sponsored by the Marriott tonight.  I hope they have food there so I don't have to pay for dinner somewhere . . .

Some Things We Really Care About

Good Morning, Intrepid Travelers,

My travel e-mail this morning is filled with all kinds of important information. I've narrowed it all down to the top 3 stories that affect our Legacy Family Travel friends and family the most.

3. Holland America Line has announced more detail about their newest and yet to be delivered ship, Nieuw Amsterdam. Since we have a group sailing aboard her in March, I thought you might like to take a peak at this new information. Click here - http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=73440

2. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, who has for many years been an advocate of the Haitian people, has partnered with some other folks to assist Haiti as they try to recover economically from the earthquake. You'll find the story at http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=73427


1. For all of us who love our pets and like to travel with them, there is this story about the new Best Friends Pet Care Resort in Walt Disney World: http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=73453



To celebrate the exciting news, I'm going to post a couple of pictures of Royal Caribbean and Holland America ships that we saw in Vancouver. Yeah, I know - I promised you these 3 weeks ago. So without further delay, please enjoy these shots of Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas and Holland America's Zuiderdam.

And just for good measure, here is Andy, who will serve as your visual aid for the

Best Friends Pet Care Resort:

And in honor of my good friend Jill, there is this from Vancouver:

Hilton Offers Money Back Guarantee for Gulf Coast Hotels

Lots of folks have reservations (some non-refundable) for Hilton family hotels in the Gulf Coast. If you are one of them, you can rest easy about your vacation versus the oil. Hilton is offering a Money Back Guarantee on all of their Gulf Coast hotels. These include Hilton, Hampton Inn, DoubleTree, Homewood Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Waldorf Astoria, Embassy Suites and Hilton Grand Vacations.

Don't be afraid to make a reservation and take off for a great family vacation! You are protected by Hilton's desire to earn and keep your business. In fact, I'd say this might be a really good time to go as the beaches will be less crowded due to the fear surrounding the oil spill.

All you Madison/Huntsville and Atlanta folks ought to take advantage of this. Call me for more details. 888-87LEGACY.

Unexpected and Wonderful News from Disney!

On Friday I got word that Disney Cruise Line is allowing kids to sail free on Mexican Riviera cruises between January 23 and March 30. This is a huge savings! I've never seen Disney put out a "Kids Sail Free" promotion that involves a round trip from a U.S. Port.

With two paying adults, kids traveling in the same stateroom will be free.

This is an amazing deal! If you have ever, ever, ever wanted to go on a Disney cruise, you won't find a better deal than this, especially for those of us who live in Colorado and the west. The port of Los Angeles is a whole heap of alot closer to us than Port Canaveral.

I am very excited about this and I just had to tell you. Let me know if you are excited, too.

Brand New Announcement from Royal Caribbean

Well, first of all, I still haven't posted pictures from our stay here in Vancouver. This cruise training folks have kept us really busy! But we have had a great time learning how to better serve you and your family.

I wanted to pass this information on to you quickly. Royal Caribbean has formed a partnership with DreamWorks, meaning you will soon have access to your favorite characters aboard Royal Caribbean ships. I hope you'll take a look at this link to see what all this can mean for your vacation plans.


http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentSitelet.do?pagename=dreamworks_main


Have a blessed day!

Vibes from Vancouver

The Sickness

Jeff and I are ailing! We are just as sick as we can be. This week we are in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for Cruise3Sixty. Cruise3Sixty is a trade show and training conference at the Vancouver Convention Center/Cruise Terminal. As close as we are to the ships, we sadly remain ‘shore locked’. Even though we get to actually get on some of the ships, alas, they make us get off just a few hours later. It is truly crushing us to be this close to cruising and not be participating.

To earn our first level of certification from the Cruises Lines International Association, we have to inspect 5 ships, take 1 short and 1 long cruise, and complete coursework requirements. Right now, Jeff is aboard Holland America’s Volendam to do a ship inspection. The inspection entails a tour of the ship and an incredible meal in the main dining room. Later in the week he will be inspecting Holland America’s Ryndam. I will be inspecting the Sapphire Princess on Saturday and the Celebrity Mercury on Sunday. As you probably have surmised, all these ships are Alaska bound this time of year.

I hope to use our time together (my writing, your reading) to give you updates on our ship inspections, news from the world of cruising, and pictures that we take of the beautiful cruise ships coming in and going out of Vancouver Harbor.

So here’s today’s update: It’s wet! Living in Colorado has spoiled me with so many gorgeous, sunny days. Here, we are wearing raincoats, carrying umbrellas, and traveling through tunnels every chance we get. (Not sewer tunnels, mind you, but ones built for keeping wimpy tourists like me dry.)

Once Jeff gets back, I’ll post some of the pictures he takes aboard the Volendam and maybe some of all the wet stuff falling from the sky.

So stay tuned!