News from the Office... Due to our great news this month we have moved our talk about Spring Break travel to it's own column below and reduced our coverage on the Featured Special. So what is all this big news? Well we are excited about a new development that has been going on here at Ambiance Travel. (and no we are not expecting another baby!) As you all know we are constantly working to bring our valued clients the best in travel services and products and are regularly looking out for companies and products that we feel would benefit you. On the same token we are also continually on the search for technology and business practices that we can implement to better service you as a professional travel firm. Whether it is a newsletter, better back office system or continued training.  A few weeks ago at the annual Grand Rapids Press Travel Trade Show we were invited to form an alliance with a large area travel agency. After a long meeting on October 28th we are proud to announce our new alliance with Dolphin Travel of Grand Rapids,MI. As one of only 300 agencies to be invited to be a member of the prestigious Virtuoso luxury travel network, the leading and most well connected network in the industry, we knew that this was the best move for us to make for our clients. From a professional travel consultant's perspective, we are excited about the access to one of the most exclusive travel networks in the business. The agent perks that come with it include access to some of the most privileged and in depth destination and product training available, which we hope to immediately utilize. So what does this mean for you? How does this change things? Ambiance Travel is still an independent travel firm and our business practices, hours and services will not change. Neither will our commitment to you, our clients. You will not be able to call Dolphin direct and reach us. It is a partnership on a business level. However, because of Dolphin's affiliation with Virtuoso and now our alliance with them you will enjoy an even higher caliber of service. Exclusive and personalized consultation and services from Ambiance Travel now with even more destination and produce knowledge (if you thought we knew a lot before just wait another month!), major clout in the travel industry behind you and all of the extra services, perks and world wide exclusive connections provided through Virtuoso. - Nina Proud to be a Virtuoso Affiliated Agency!
Thoughts on Spring Break '08 Every year around Jan 5 or 6 I get a call from someone looking to book a spring break vacation for their family for that same year. Although, we usually get something to work out it is not with the best flights or the nicest hotel or cruise that would have been easily available had they booked just a few months before. Planning ahead always has it's benefits. The junior suite at the 5 star resort booked in August, September or October for March dates for $300.00 a night is $500.00 a night or sold out by December/January. As are the prime time non-stop flights north to south. Although you may find a last minute special for some destinations more often than not it is the cruise line or resort trying to sell off the last remaining undesirable rooms. So start planning your spring break trip now!
A few ideas for your next trip: Cruises are of course a very popular spring break vacation option for families and with many lines sailing from more ports the options are endless. Want to beat the airfare war? Chose a less popular departure port such as New York or Bayonne, NJ. Airfare to these ports are usually less then fares to Florida and the hotels less crowded as everyone else heads south. Cruises from these ports head to warm sunny destinations so you can still have a tropical vacation and escape from the frigged northern weather. Another great option for spring break families are vacation homes. We recommend Casa Coco Resort Homes in West Palm Beach (WPB), FL. In preparation for this column we did a simple test and priced out 3 different hotels in the WPB area at places we thought most families would be comfortable staying at. Here is what we found: Out of the 4 hotels we looked at the La Quinta Inn WPB was the best value. A newer hotel, centrally located with clean rooms and a nice pool. For the price of 2 rooms at the 3 star La Quinta Inn WPB you could stay at the exclusive 5 star Casita Coco with all the comforts and conveniences of a fine hotel within the privacy of a private home away from home. (So where would you choose to stay?) This is a terrific option for families wanting to escape the more crowded beach hotels or cruise ships. Have a few teens that still want in on the action? The famous Fort Lauderdale & Miami beaches are just an easy drive away. While Dad masters the top of the line grill on the patio the kids will splash away in the private pool. Mom will love the security of knowing that the entire property is completely fenced while enjoying a book in the hammock under the chickee hut. For those of you who are tied into vacationing during the spring break season but want to avoid throngs of kids and teens, take a longer cruise to the Panama Canal or South America. If a longer cruise is out of your time budget take a shorter trip on a premium or luxury line. A 6 day transatlantic voyage with a couple days in London or Paris during the off season would be an excellent choice. Where ever you plan on traveling I can not stress enough the need to plan ahead! With more and more families traveling each year it is getting harder to make last minute plans that truly work. | Packing Tips Ever arrive at the baggage claim and stare at a myriad of black suitcases and wonder which one is yours? Well, it's time to put the tired black ones for sale and get yourself a new set of "you" luggage. With all the options out there it is very  easy to purchase an "outstanding" bag. Easy to recognize with the additional perk of added security. It is relatively easy for someone to swipe a bag that looks like everyone else's and get away with it. Thieves are less likely to nab that stylish brown bag with the bright blue polka dots!
Small Look at Travel News:
Featured Special... Spring Break on Royal Caribbean Take your family on a wonderful 9 night cruise onboard Explorer of the Seas to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Dominican Republic and  Labadee, their private island getaway. A spacious Junior Suite with private balcony will be sure to enhance the whole experience.  This March, instead of de-icing your windshield, kayak the beautiful bioluminescent bay and swim in a natural lagoon in Puerto Rico after checking out Old San Juan, a beautiful Caribbean city. Put on your shorts instead of your parka while enjoying horseback riding or a round of golf at one of the best courses in the Caribbean while visiting the Dominican Republic. In Labadee enjoy snorkeling, jet skiing or a game of volleyball with your kids. Or, just sit on the beach and soak up the sun knowing that everyone you left behind are all still shoveling snow. While onboard ship you and your kids will be far from bored. (The Explorer of the Seas' royal promenade will leave you speechless) Check out their spa while the kids play mini-golf or go rock climbing. Make f  un memories taking a dance class all together and your yearly family portrait will have a story behind it when you pose together on formal night. Dad can practice his serious swing at the golf simulator or take on a table tennis tournament. Young cruisers will love the highly acclaimed Adventure Ocean program with age oriented activities from scavenger hunts all over the ship to teen movie nights. Evening children's activities makes it is easy for mom and dad to book a romantic dinner at one of the specialty restaurants for a little alone time. This is a vacation that the whole family will love and talk about for years to come. (And want to repeat!) So claim your space before it is gone because....your hammocks waiting... For a family of four this 9 night escape in a junior suite is only $5619.00 and includes all taxes and port charges. Does not include airfare, gratuities or items of a personal nature. | Experience Highlight on Celebrity Cruises My first Celebrity cruise was onboard the lovely Century, a midsize ship full of charm and elegance. shown here off the coast of St.Maarten. From the moment James and I stepped on board we knew that it was going to be a different experience then what we had become accustomed to sailing Royal Caribbean. We were met by a smiling white gloved gentlemen who graciously took our carryon luggage. Another smiling gal offered us a choice of champagne or orange juice to enjoy while being escorted to our cabin. For a second I thought "have we been upgraded to a suite?" Unfortunately no, we were lead straight to our inside cabin on Vista deck. After being shown around the cabin and how everything worked we were left to unpack. The whole time all my husband and I said to each other was..."this is so different then Royal Caribbean!" Our cabin #9167 was well appointed with rich wood, soft colors and plenty of mirrors which gave it a more spacious feel. Because of the cabin configuration  we walked into the bedroom rather then into the hall of the cabin. We really liked this as it felt larger and was easier to get around. -Nina Enjoys Room Service- We were surprised when we saw the bathroom. Although no larger than a small closet it was fully stocked with everything you could need. Directly across from the bathroom was a large closet complete with 2 fluffy robes. We quickly unpacked and headed out to get some lunch. James was looking for beef but when I saw the sushi bar it was all over. Now James regrets not trying sushi sooner! We sat next to the window and called my Mother to say goodbye to Arlana one more time before leaving cellphone land. After exploring the ship we attended the lifeboat drill. It went quickly compared to the other's we had attended. (either that or we had gotten used to it!) Because we were aboard to attend a seminar we dressed for dinner and headed to Hemisphere's Lounge to attend a cocktail party. What a wonderful sunny room! A nice place to read and watch the wake off the back of the ship. (Another good place for this is the sunset bar) Our first dinner onboard was a fantastic experience. Nuno (pictured below) our wonderful waiter was a  funny and entertaining young man from Portugal who missed his mother. He quickly noted our preferences and often went out of his way to make our meals perfect. Even when chocolate was not on the menu he brought something anyway along with my coffee, cream no sugar. He also sent someone to bring James his much looked forward to filet mignon dinner when he was a bit sea sick on the first formal night and stayed in the cabin. We didn't ask him too. He just remembered James commenting how much he was looking forward to it from the day before. (after popping Bonine he was fine and enjoyed his dinner while watching the heavy seas on the in room TV). The Cova Cafe was a terrific place to grab a cup of coffee and people watch. The shows in the main theater were very good and we throughly enjoyed each one. A very talented group of people here! During the day when we were not in class, we enjoyed ballroom dance classes, trivia contests, ping pong tournaments (Just James on that one, I couldn't hit a ball straight if my life depended on it! I was playing scrabble in the card room.) and lazy hours by the pool to name a few. We visited 4 ports of call in 7 nights all of which were great.  Nina chats with a guest while nearing Puerto Rico I will cover them in another issue. I didn't get to enjoy the spa this trip although I did take a tour. Very nice facilites that will relax you the moment you enter. I gathered from the rest of our group onboard that all of their treatments were very good. Next time I plan on trying it out for myself. Everything about this ship was well run and a full two steps up from Royal Caribbean and three steps from Norwegian Cruise Line. The staff were wonderful, food was great and the ship beautiful and well laid out. The only drawback was having to get off! We look forward to our next Celebrity experience possibly next year. (If I can squeeze it in!)
Looking ahead to next issue... We recap 2007 and look ahead to 2008 in News from the Agency..., have a Featured Special to the Mediterranean and our Experience Highlight hits the rails. |