Travel Products: Stocking Stuffers under $25

Travel Gift Essentials

AirTags

The number one fear of travel surprisingly is not flying, but losing one's luggage.  Now, for less than $25 each, travelers can use these ingenious little devices to help track and locate their luggage via their iPhone.  For multiple bags, there are value packs available, and while there are multiple manufactures that produce these I personally prefer Apple Products as my own iMac, Airport Extreme and Apple TV have served me without an issue well over 10yrs and the AirTag connects easily to the Find My app.

Water Proof Phone Case with Lanyards 

Once you have arrived to that Tropical Getaway, or Cruise, the next question you will encounter is 'What to do with those expensive phones, your ID and Credit Cards while on an excursion, at the pool or on the beach?'  Especially for women's apparel like Bikini's, protecting these sensitive items from being lost, or stolen can become troublesome.  Using the attached lanyards that come with these waterproof cases, for less than $25, travelers can conveniently carry those sensitive items with them without fear, or bulking up someone else's pockets !  I personally own a pair from 'Rynapac' and have been pleased with it's simplicity and reliability.

Water Shoes

Surprisingly, many warm Caribbean waters are lined with sharp uncomfortable and often slippery beds of shell, stone or coral. In addition, the decks of cruise ships are often quite slippery especially around the pool and galley areas where either drinks have spilled, or swimmers have walked dripping from the pool to their lounge chair or to grab their next Pina colada at the bar.  This means unexpected slips leading to injury often occur aboard cruise ships, pre-maturely ending one's enjoyment.  Water Shoes are a fantastic inexpensive solution to keeping the entire family maximizing their fun.  Because Water Shoes are intended to get wet, they will have a shorter life span than most shoes, and often the foot liner will wear out first, making them nearly a disposable product, therefore it is unnecessary to purchase the top of the line, but you should consider the overall ruggedness of the sole, and elasticity and breathability of the material as protection of the bottoms of your feet are the main point to wearing these gear and Water Shoes tend to get very warm outside of the water.

 

Final Thoughts:

I am not an affiliate marketer, I do not receive any compensation of any kind for any product I may feature within my blog.  As a Travel Professional and frequent traveler I have found certain products to be useful, and in keeping with my promise to my clients of maximizing their travel experiences, I share only those products I believe to be of the greatest value.I welcome your comments and questions.  

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 'Sustainable Tourism is Everyone's Responsibility '

Virgin Voyages: Is a one of a kind Cruise

                              

In this Virgin Voyages review, i'll point out while Virgin Voyages Cruises may be considered 'luxury,'  stylistically, this adults only cruise line is in a class all its own.  

Is Virgin Voyages right for you?

The beauty to sailing with Virgin is you will receive the amazing value the industry is known for, while also the creative 'Voyages Sailor' experience which draws a definitive line in the proverbial 'beach sand.' Virgin Voyages is 100% absolutely worth it for the ideal 'Sailor.'  

• Voyages is within the Luxury class, so an ideal 'Sailor,' will not be too price sensitive but will receive the quality in service, food and entertainment they expect

• Voyages is an 'Adults Only Cruise,' which means you may experience some coarse language, adult content during some of it's entertainment there will be as little or as much alcohol as you like, however you will not find obscenity, inappropriateness or excessiveness anywhere in public spaces.  Voyages are tastefully executed experiences for a mature persons

• Third, Voyages heavily leverages technology, and their Sailor Services will be available to answer your every question

Are the public spaces of Virgin Cruise Ships nice?

• The Voyages ships are very new.  Scarlet Lady is the oldest in the fleet and is only 2 years old as of this writing.  This means, that the Virgin ships have the smartest deck planning, latest technology and processes in place

• All of this works together to create the most efficient onboard experience to their passengers.  Beginning with the deck space, each deck has been carefully planned to maximize human traffic flow.  This is very important in a cruise, as time is often wasted walking between decks, restaurants, pools, bars and entertainment

• Another departure from the industry norm Virgin made was in minimizing it's grand atrium space.  While Grand Atriums offer beautiful vistas from the center of most ships, they remove valuable space, and create additional walking for passengers.   Virgin has reduced the classic atrium to only one deck at midship, hence maximizing flow but retaining that Classic Spiral staircase for photo ops

Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady: Grand Atrium

• Next, with having removed the buffet space from it's deck design, loads of additional public lounging areas, including the galley have been created.  This is invaluable during those 'full days at sea' when sailors are looking to either read or enjoy quiet conversation 

• Even during peak meal times, and at full ship capacity, the spacious decking quickly affords you a seat.  Continuing with getting around the ship, smaller but much faster and more numerous elevators have been smartly located at the front, mid and back of the ship, making vertical commute much faster

•  The latest technology is leveraged throughout the 'Sailors' experience to maximize enjoyment and ease, including inside these elevators

                                            

                                                      Virgin Voyages: Public Spaces aboard the Valiant Lady

Is Virgin Voyages Entertainment & Dining Good?

• The short answer is absolutely YES !  Virgin made a courageous step by removing the industry famous 'food buffet' from it's galleys.  In place of the 'buffet style' eating spaces, Virgin created numerous eateries, and restaurants smartly located throughout their ships 

• As a 'Sailor' moves thru ship decks, to restaurants and bars she may encounter a few suggestive names such as an ice cream shop called 'Lick Me Till Ice Cream,' a reminder that this is for adults only.  As night falls, the beautiful ships turn on their running lights which glow red, and the crew prepare the ships for unique entertaining such as 'Scarlet Night,' and a 'Pajama Party.'  

• If seen from outside, with their thousands of little red lights glowing amid cabin windows and music filling the Caribbean air, other cruise ships passing in the night can't help but feel a little left out.   

Virgin Voyages: 'Gunbae' Korean Barbeque Restaurant

                                             

Is Virgin Voyages Service Good?

In addition to many aspects already mentioned,Voyages differentiates themselves from the rest of the industry and even Luxury Class peers with pricing and promise.  Voyages pricing is 'All-Inclusive,' even gratuities.  Typical cruise lines will charge separately for their cabins, then premium restaurants, then soft drinks, gratuities and will relentlessly push beverage package sales.  

• With Voyages, everything, with some limited exception, is included (beverage packages are available but never pushed), and Virgin promises that you will never be asked for a gratuity.  Virgin stands behind this promise to the extent that they will ask in a post-cruise survey if anyone had asked you for a tip.  So, how is this related to onboard service?  

• First, this translates to a very transparent pricing system of getting exactly what you pay for.  Second, you will not be incessantly bothered to purchase a drink or a beverage package while seated in the public spaces of Virgin Voyages.  Instead, being within the 'Luxury Class,' you can expect the crew, like a consummate butler, to quietly remove any empty glasses from your lounging area without the slightest interruption to your conversation

• Well before boarding the ships and while still at the terminal, Voyages will equip each sailor with a waterproof wrist band.  The wristband acts as a form of ID, Credit Card, and cabin door key.  This frees sailors from the burdens of carrying around and protecting those valuables during their life onboard. Anywhere the sailor goes onboard the wristband can be used to make purchases, and no need to worry about sharing that key card for someone to go back to the cabin for a forgotten book.  Their wristband will open the door! The technology does not start and stop there however 

Virgin Voyages: Onboard Wrist Band

Do people like Virgin Voyages Excursions?

• Yes, while the ports of call and excursions are superb such as the Ancient Ruins of Costa Maya, Mexico, exotic Islands of Roatan, Honduras and Virgin's own private beach club in Bimini, Bahama, the typical 'Sailor' aboard Voyages tends to have as many as 6 prior cruises under her belt and some are hyper-cruisers taking as many as 16 or more cruises per year !  

• This means that the average 'Sailor'  aboard Voyages knows exactly how a cruise works, and books everything well in advanced.  While the Voyages destinations are gorgeous, these 'Sailors' with their experience, tend to be more concerned with the 'Cruise' itself and are seeking a departure from convention and reality thru the unique Voyages experience.                

   

Virgin Voyages Private Beach Club: Bimini Bahama    

Is Virgin Voyages different from other cruise lines?                                                        

Beginning with it's focus on 'Adults Only,' Virgin has made it clear that it is not interested being all things to all people.  Virgin is laser focused on it's target audience which can best be described as either an experienced cruiser, or tech 'comfy' or even 'hyper-planners.'  

• Virgin Voyages steps outside of the mold, sometimes boldly, and at other times subtle.  Starting with it's ship names and icons painted on the sides of it's fleet; Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady,  Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady, Virgin is making it clear that they are different.  

• Virgin uses a very easy phone App to allow their sailors to book restaurants, shows, and excursions well in advanced of your sail date, and Virgin will continue pushing alerts via the app throughout your cruise, keeping you apprised of any important information such as show cancelations, or gangway locations and 'all aboard times.'  

Technology continues throughout the ships including within the smart elevators to inform sailors of vital disembarking information via built in flat screen monitors that double as art.  Once you've finally made it into your cabin, you're television will greet you with a message turning your attention to yet another piece of technology that will control your entire cabin.  Sailor cabins are equipped with a 'Tablet' technology which will very easily control your cabin lightening, air conditioning, television, and even open and close your cabin curtains.  

Another, small but very important difference from other cruise lines will be found within your Television movie selections.  Many cruise lines discourage their passengers from lengthy stay inside their cabins, and may intentionally minimize movie selection from within them, forcing passengers out and into the public spaces where beverages are then sold at a premium.  Virgin Voyages, however, offers a wide selection of quality new and classic movies to choose from.  So, once again, a subtle but very important difference is felt in the public spacing of the Voyages and this is connected to Voyages pricing and their promise. 

    

Final Thoughts:

If you are comfortable with the 'adults only' description but are either new to cruising, or completely uncomfortable with technology and feel you may require more hand holding, consider the fun  of cruising Voyages with a friend who can help, but don't worry Voyages Sailor Services will be there for everyone who needs a little help getting things done. 

The absolute best experience always start with knowing yourself, and having the right expectations.  Virgin does make things simple and has made the courageous move of televising it's crew and itineraries, so if you would like a greater glimpse into what to expect from the Voyages experience, you can watch the cruise ship documentary  'The Cruise,' on Amazon Prime Video

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 'Sustainable Tourism is Everyone's Responsibility '

Travel Tip #2: Myth of booking yourself online

Time Management Continued:

(Adriana Da Silva, Dream Vacations Travel Advisor)

My name is Adriana Da Silva, I am a Local Travel Advisor living in Longwood, Florida.  I write these travel reviews to help the public and my clients plan the best vacation getaways.  Did you miss a post or know a busy person who needs a holiday?  Will you be their hero and forward this post. Don't forget to start booking your own getaway now.

When to use a Travel Advisor

Recently I was speaking with a good friend who happens to be a financial advisor, and I asked her, "How do your clients know when they should hire an Advisor?" 

She said the answer was easy.  'If a person does not have;   time,  tools  or  talent,  they should consider the value of a professional.'   

Is it better to use a Travel Advisor?

In a 2020 Google Study, Google found the average person was experiencing over 400 'digital moments,' involved in making their online travel plans with hotel reservations, online booking flights, and rental cars.  

This did not include the additional digital moments that then came after their purchase of things like excursions, activities, luggage, and other travel related attire and then even more 'digital moments,' related to resolving travel problems with flights and other logistics in their holidays.  This means that on average 'do-it-yourselfers,' are clicking thru more than 400 internet pages before even making their first reservation!

According to Fodor's, a respected travel source, on average people spend 10-20 hours of planning a  1 week trip up to 3 - 5 months in advanced.  Americans, spend substantially more, with an average of 23 hours planning.  Of this time spent planning, 5 hours alone is spent researching airlines, and another 4- 6 hours researching hotels, and then even further time researching car rental when applicable.  

Now, according to Expedia, notably one of the largest online-do-it-yourself booking sites, Americans will then spend another 12 hours resolving the very same airline arrangements they had booked themselves.  All in, Americans are spending up to 36 hours of their time 'doing it themselves.'  If these figures don't sound right to you, then perhaps consider jogging your memory back to where you were seated while planning your last trip.  

Most people, are spending these hours behind their keyboards while at work.  This is exceptionally true with the increased number of people now working remotely.  Lot's of productivity is being lost to planning that next vacation.  Instead of replying to a client's question, or submitting that report to your boss, people are clicking thru hundreds of internet pages trying to find the best hotel during their next stay in Orlando.  The surprises don't stop here.

Is it cheaper to use a Travel Advisor?

There is a common perception it will cost extra to hire a travel agent.  Other than occasional nominal fees associated with some suppliers, or airline bookings thru a system you will read about momentarily, this is not true.  

An exact dollar figure is very difficult to determine because each persons travel experience is so very different, however, your first trip with an agent will most likely be the same as an online booking giant, and you will have saved substantial time, and begun establishing client loyal rewards with your new Advisor as well was bundling existing rewards whenever applicable such as frequent flyer miles.  

Lastly, going back to if there becomes a problem with your trip, your agent will do all of the hard work with the airlines, hotel or other vendors themselves, allowing you to enjoy your trip in tranquility the way it should be.  This becomes an unbeatable compounding value of discounts and time savings!

Where's my money going ?

You may not know  'who' really owns the mega booking companies but you should.  

Airlines have had beneficial ownership interest in these aggregators for decades.  This dates back to the 1960's with American Airlines and IBM working together to create their own reservation system, which then became available in the late 1970's to travel agents.  At that time profit margins in airline pricing were big enough to incentivize agents to book air travel on behalf of the airlines.  

Fast forward more than 40 years, and due to pricing wars and the evolution of this system into what it has become today, agents may still book your air travel, however, they may either charge a nominal fee such as $10 if this is the only service used, or if it is one piece to the rest of a bigger travel package the agent may simply consider the time involved with the airline booking as just 'the cost of doing business.'   

What  all of this means to you is first, the online booking companies did not appear from out of the 'blue,' and second, the airlines ingeniously repurposed their existing booking systems to both cast even greater webs of 'self check-out' venues thru these portals, while distancing themselves even further from the burdens associated with resolving booking issues.  After all, when you book yourself, you agree to the terms and conditions in the very fine print. 

Final Thoughts:

My strongest advice to anyone is:  'If you don't get travel help with myself, then consider the value a Travel Advisor can provide.  Think twice before using the Mega Online Booking Companies yourself.'  

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 'Sustainable Tourism is Everyone's Responsibility '

Travel Tip #1: Time Management

Time Management Part I

Travel Tip #1

The greatest travel mistake that everyone will eventually make occurs well before packing their luggage, and purchasing their sunblock.  With more than 30 years of extensive travel experience, I have learned arranging for the proper amount of time is imperative to enjoying a holiday.  The old adage 'we should never grocery shop while hungry,' also applies to travel.  Inexperienced travelers tend to either under or over estimate time needed, resulting in either feeling rushed to seeing too many attractions in too little time, or bored having run out of things to see too early.  To help maximize your enjoyment, I am sharing a few personal guidelines I have developed.

Be honest with yourself:

First, you must really be honest with yourself in what you are expecting from your holiday.  If 'sight seeing' is the objective, with exception to major destinations, most locations will not have enough attractions to justify a stay beyond 3 or 4 days.  In the case of Island stays, this may be less, averaging 1-3 days, again with exception major destinations.  If sitting on a beach to rest, and read a good book is what you have in mind, then understanding how much time you will require balancing between personal down time with other activity will help you plan more effectively.  Trust me, as a long time resident of Florida, and originally from Brazil, more than 4 days on a beach without other options can be a trial of your patience.  Be sure to 'understand yourself', and then plan accordingly.

Know where you are going:

Second, as already stated above, with the exception to major destinations, most locations will not have enough attractions to support a visit beyond 3 or 4 days, while the major destinations may easily require 10 days and beyond to see everything properly.  This means having a firm understanding of what you want to see, prioritizing what is important to you, and where each attraction is located and the time necessary to not only commute between attractions but also to properly experience them will help you manage your time more efficiently.  Once you have done this, you can easily schedule a day planner, leaving enough time in between each attraction to rest.  My best guidance to scheduling your day planner, is to plan it with 'Highs and Lows' where the day of low impact sight seeing is placed in between the hard charging days.  This will end up feeling a lot like a beautiful symphony and keep everyone with you in harmony.

Rule of thumb (One/One/One):

While there are exceptions to every rule, over time, I have developed a rule of thumb to planning my holiday time that has worked so well, I considered almost to be my 'law of travel.'  My rule of thumb (One/One/One) works like this;  when considering how long I should book my stay at my final destination, I consider how long a one way commute to the final destination will take in hours and then multiply that round number by days as my approximate duration.  What is wonderful about this rule is that it has worked regardless of the mode of travel I take; car, high speed train, or plane.  

Here is an example;  Let's say I want to visit Brazil, and I live in Orlando, Florida.  I find that a one way flight to Brazil will take 8 hours.  So, my rule of thumb says, 1 day for every one hour of the one way trip.  This means I should consider staying in Brazil no less than 8 days.  If I am also following the first two pieces of advice, of being honest with myself, and knowing where I am going I am well on my way to avoiding beginner travel mistakes.

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 'Sustainable Tourism is Everyone's Responsibility '

About this Travel Blog

Cruise Companies, Tropical Vacations & All-Inclusive Resorts

Featured Cruise Companies: 

Comparison of Major Cruise Lines                             

Virgin Voyages                                                                                                                 

Celebrity Cruise Lines                                                               

Princess Cruise Lines                                            

Holland America   

Royal Caribbean    

MSC                                                                                                                                                                                               

Featured Resorts: 

Live Aqua Beach Club, Dominican Rep.  

Waikoloa Beach Club, Hawaii 

Sandals, Ocho Rios

Mohonk Mountain House

Mayan Princess Beach & Dive Resort, Roatan Honduras

Featured Tropical Vacations:

Tortola, BVI 

St. Thomas, US.VI

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Bimini, Bahama 

Eleuthera, Bahama

St. Lucia

Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio

Grand Cayman

While I do not exclude anyone, my niche is mostly focuses on a getaway for couples, therefore you will often find reviews involving; Cruise Lines, Tropical Getaways, Adults Only Resorts or All-Inclusive Adults Only.    

Reading Categories:

The categories are where you can find more specific information on; Cruise Lines, Tropical Vacations, All-Inclusive Resorts, or Travel Products, Tips and more. 

• Cruise Companies:  There are important differences in cruise lines.  There are several tiers or classes of Cruise Lines, each of which are competing for a specific audience.  To maximize your cruise enjoyment it is very important to understand the differences between the cruise lines, their ideal client, itineraries, excursions, as well their ships and even the seasonal changes called 'repositioning,' that you can take advantage of.

• Tropical Vacations:  The Tropics encompass a large band around the globe which includes Mexico, Hawaii, Central and parts of South America, and so I am not exclusive to only the Caribbean Vacations and Bahamas vacation packages.

• Resorts:  Like cruise lines, All-Inclusive resorts offer amazing values, and come in different tiers competing for specific audiences.  As their description implies everything is included, this means when staying at one of these luxurious destinations travelers may spend more money up front, but actually do tend to save significantly more than when compared to parceling their vacations out across different hotels, and restaurants.  Like cruise lines, it is very important to understand which resort and location is right for you.  While many All-Inclusive Resorts are found throughout the Tropics, I am not exclusive to the region for this topic.  

• Tour Companies, Products & Tips:  I am not an affiliate marketer, I do not receive any compensation of any kind for any product I may feature within my blog.  As a Travel Professional and frequent traveler I have found certain products to be useful, and in keeping with my promise to my clients of maximizing their travel experiences, I share only those products I believe to be of the greatest value.  I may, however, receive compensation from a Tours Company as part of an overall Travel Package for my clients.

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Full Service | Travel Agent  | Longwood, Fl

 

 'Sustainable Tourism is Everyone's Responsibility '