Looking for a Relaxing Adult Vacation?

School will be out for most families in the next 2 weeks. That marks the beginning of Family Travel Season - and predictions are that family travel will break records this year. If you'll be planning an "adult vacation" this summer, beware!

The huge explosion in the popularity of Family Vacations has unwittingly caused a challenge for those looking for a quiet, adult atmosphere.  As more and more resorts and cruise lines place greater emphasis on capturing their share of this massive trend, the sanctity of adult-oriented vacation spots is at risk.

Very frequently, a client of our travel agency asks us to arrange a "return" to a special place. Maybe it's the romantic spa resort they loved 5 years ago. The real and present danger is that this resort may have shifted its marketing direction toward "capturing the wave" of family travel. Here's a personal story form a previous blog post that dramatizes how a previously romantic upscale resort quietly (pun intended!) became a family-oriented place complete with water slides and kid's menus.

Over the years, we had a particular cruise line that we liked. Today, it is more like a family cruise line. With Disney Cruise Line, their targeted clientele is obvious... with other upscale lines that historically enjoyed a sophisticated image, it's not so obvious.

When you are embarking upon a relaxing, renewing escape there is nothing worse than finding yourself in "the wrong place"! I urge you to rely upon a good travel professional for guidance - many people think travel agencies are their most expensive option. They are dead wrong! If you don't have a reliable travel advisor, find one!!!!!!

Cheers,

Dick

We've come to the End of the Road...

Summertime is time to park the Tumi in the closet - for awhile! As we begin the glorious summer season at our Minnesota lake place, it's time to stay off airplanes for a few months. In the past several months, I and my wife have enjoyed some marvelous trips - Panama & Costa Rica, Riviera Maya, New Orleans and South Florida. But, now it's time for summer weekends at our lake place in northern Minnesota and to catch up on the golf game! For those of you fellow Minnesotans (and Wisconsinites), you know that there is no greater place to be during the summer than home!!!

So until our next trip to Europe (a Silversea Cruise through the Adriatic Region from Venice in September) our Tumi luggage resides in deep storage!

Speaking of Cruises in Europe, we are seeing the biggest season ever for selling European Cruises at our travel agency - both Ocean cruises and River Cruises. There are more ships in Europe than ever before - and they are largely sold out already. The cruise lines have already opened booking for 2015 - the earliest that the industry has ever come out with future sailings.

Take a look at my previous post on River Cruising… this is a segment of tourism that is white-hot these days! Of particular interest is sailing the Rhine and Danube during the Holiday Markets season throughout Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

If you are interested in explanations for this phenomenon, go to Cruise News at www.gatewayexpress.com.

Cheers,
Dick

I would love to hear from you! Click the "comments" link below to make your comments then, under “Choose an Identity”, select “Nickname" if you want to leave a name (your name or a ‘blog handle’) or just leave it blank. OR, you can select ‘Anonymous’. 

Europe's Oceans & Waterways

Hi Everyone,
With the terrific popularity of seeing Europe via Cruise Ship - both Ocean and River cruising-  I thought I would blab on the differences between the two cruise modes. As a veteran of many Ocean Cruises in Europe, my wife and I enjoyed our first River Cruise last year... so here's my 2-cents worth:

Strong Points for River Cruising:

• Smaller ships carrying 100 to 140 passengers promotes a more intimate ambiance and a more personal interaction with crew.
• Beautiful scenery while on the move. River ships are cruising during the day whereas ocean ships typically sail during the night.
• River cruise stops are mostly small towns and villages - and the ships dock right in the middle of town so you can walk to most of the attractions.

Strong Points for Ocean Cruising:

• Larger ships provide more creature comforts and more options for lounging (cocktail hours and late evening lounging), dining, entertainment, spas & fitness centers, etc.
• Full days in port and glorious days at sea. More like a floating resort.
• Cruise ports are typically at larger cities with greater variety of attractions and activities.

See what I mean about "different"? 

In actuality, river cruising is better compared to driving through Europe or a Motorcoach Vacation. A terrific alternative to the hassles of driving or riding the highways of Europe vs sitting back and taking in the scenic wonders from rivers rather than highways. And, you are relieved of having to change hotels every couple days - and all the hassles that entails.

Bottom line is that there are two types of travelers to whom we strongly recommend river cruising:

1. People like us who have seen all there is to see of "Coastal Europe".
2. People who ordinarily would wear themselves out with an arduous driving excursion through Europe. (Here's hint: Virtually all the big tour companies in Europe are now offering a River Cruise product - either their own ships or in a marketing agreement with an existing river cruise company.)

As with all forms of vacations, choosing the right line and the right itinerary are the make or break factors in having a memorable vacation. Find a Travel Professional that knows their stuff. (we would love to entice you to contact our travel agency - Acendas Vacations!)

Cheers,

Dick

Here's Why You Need a Travel Agent

My agency's most popular Sun Destination is the Riviera Maya. If you look at our web site (and I really hope that you do!) you'll see that we claim to feature 3 or 4 different resort groups along this fabulous Mexican "sun coast".

Every one of them is 4-Star or better; and every one of them is very high quality. So, why do we "specialize" more than one? The answer is simple: Every client has a little different set of interests.

For example, our personal favorite has the very best cuisine and a fabulous spa. And, we love fine dining as well as nice spa facilities and service. But, we are not beach people! We prefer being around the resort's pools. This particular resort does not have a particularly great beach. In getting to know our client, we learn that they love walking the beach and playing in the ocean. Further, they are not spa people. So, for them, our favorite is not right for them. We recommend another resort that does have a gorgeous beach.

Another element: A client matching the desires noted above may have been to XYZ Resort seven years ago, loved the beautiful beach and want to go back. What was a beautiful beach before the last hurricane is now gone. We know that... but do they? Will that resort honestly point out that their beach is gone?

Now, if you look them up on-line, the pictures and descriptions are lovely. The price for each is about the same. But these nuances are not contained in the information.That's why you need a professional!

We've been there. And, we get constant feedback from the clients we've sent. Rely upon a good travel agent!!! I would hope you choose us, but there are many good ones out there!

(One final note: Many people think that reviews on TripAdvisor will guide them. But, it is becoming increasingly evident that many reviews are skewed. Resort owners and managers posing as past guests are making glowing comments AND people connected with competing resorts also posing... this time to unfairly criticize a resort. Beware!)

Cheers,

Dick

Grand Velas Resorts are Fabulous!

Last January we loved our stay at the Grand Velas Resort Riviera Nayarit near Puerto Vallarta. In fact, we liked it so much we thawed out at the Grand Velas Resort Riviera Maya near Cancun.


Now we're back in the freezing winter wonderland of Minnesota and the memories of our stay in Mexico last week are all we have to keep us warm!

We have always loved luxury cruises - most notably Silversea Cruises and Seabourn Cruises - largely because of the extraordinarily friendly and efficient service… and the fabulous food. The Grand Velas resorts are every bit as good as those two cruise lines - and that's saying a lot!!!!

Our travel company, Acendas/Gateway Express, recommends Grand Velas Resorts for the very finest in all-inclusive resorts!

If this sounds good to you, I would be happy to share more and perhaps give you some tips. Just email me.

Happy Landing,

Dick

Cruises for People who (think they) Hate Cruises

At our travel agency, when we ask people who say they won't consider a cruise vacation, the reason most commonly sited is that they don't like the "regimentation" that goes along with being two of 3,600 passengers. I couldn't agree more! It's unfortunate that these super tankers in the cruise industry get all the attention, thus distorting many people's image of cruising.

How about spending a week or more on a ship that carries fewer than 200 passengers and has a crew to passenger ratio of almost1-to-1?

We took our first-ever "expedition cruise" aboard Silversea Expeditions' 120 passenger Silver Explorer a few months ago… and absolutely loved it!  For more on our  "Jungles & Rain Forests of Panama and Costa Rica" adventure, scroll back to my post of December 31st.       

In addition to Expedition Cruising, there are two other "new" ways of seeing the world that are rapidly gaining popularity… River Cruising and Adventure Cruising.

 River Cruising is totally different from Ocean Cruising. The 5 leading river cruise lines have built over 130 new vessels just in the last 5 years - and their average size is about 140 passengers. This is the quintessential experience for people who hate cruises!!!!!  I talked about our first river cruise in this post.

 Adventure Cruising is lovingly referred to as the "Un-Cruise"! If you really want to get "close to nature" and see Alaska, Hawaii or the Sea of Cortez off the Baja Peninsula in a way very few have ever experienced these areas, this is an idea for you.  You'll love active adventures on Zodiacs combined with extraordinary comforts aboard 60-passenger ships. This is different than anything you've done before. Here are some details of a typical Alaska Adventure.

Any of these three adventure segments will change your view of "cruise vacations"!!!

Cheers,

Dick

Wailea Maui gets better and better!

In my early days of travel, I visited Hawaii numerous times. In fact, I thought of it as a home away from home! But having had limited experience with other tropical destinations, what did I know? 

Well, after 30 years of extensive travel, I can tell you that Hawaii is No Ka Oi. (is the best.) 
I constantly hear people say that the long flights discourage them from Hawaii in favor of Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean. But, in my view, some things are well worth the effort - and Hawaii is! 

Except for Waikiki, Hawaii is a relaxed and atmospheric place that is always hard to leave. The Hawaiian people are the most gracious on Earth - and that goes for the "Mainlanders" that now call Hawaii home. From the moment you step off the plane, the aroma of orchids and other tropical flora make it clear that you have just arrived at a very special place! 

On our last visit to Maui, we returned to a Wailea Beach resort where we had stayed over 18 years earlier. It indeed was like coming home. If you are "thinking Hawaii", I would be happy to share our experience and give you some things tips. Email me.

Finally, if you are a golfer, Wailea area courses are spectacular. The picture I use in the "About Me" panel of this blog was taken at the Gold Course at Wailea. 
Happy Landings,

Dick

Tips for a Perfect Maui Vacation

I recently met a guy who had just returned from a 25th Anniversary trip in Hawaii. (Wailea, Maui to be exact.) He and his wife were very disappointed with their gorgeous 5-Star resort. (You may ask how anyone could be "disappointed" with a 5-Star hotel?) The place was beautiful, the service was great… the problem was that it was crawling with families with small children!

Your first thought might be that this mainly impacted their time at the pool or on the beach but it affected the entire experience. They knew immediately that they were in trouble - upon settling into their room and changing into tropical clothing they went to the lobby bar for an "Aloha Cocktail". There were a number of preschool-age kids running around the lobby area just 30 feet from them. One was yelling at a sibling; the sibling was crying. How's that for romantic?

My 'new' friend related that the restaurants were very nice and the food was excellent but, again, they were far from relaxing or romantic. He added that the menus reflected the nature of their clientele.

As it happens, there is another 5-Star resort hotel right next door and I have stayed at both over the years. The ambiance of the two could not possibly be more opposite. Years ago, both were elegant... now one remains so with an adult clientele while the other began marketing itself to family vacations a few years earlier.

If you look at the websites of both, you will not be able to distinguish between them. Both look fabulously classy with pictures that could possibly be interchanged. The only hint, if you have a trained eye, is the water slide in the distant background of one pool picture. A good travel consultant (like any of mine at Gateway Express/Acendas Vacations) would have known the difference and saved this fellow's trip!

Cheers,

Dick

To comment, please click the "comments" link below, type in your comments then, under “Choose an Identity”, select “Nickname" if you want to leave a name (your name or a ‘blog handle’) or just leave it blank. OR, you can select ‘Anonymous’. I would love to hear from you!

Silversea Expeditions are Spectacular!

After many cruise vacations in Europe (mostly Mediterranean), we wanted to see what all the buzz over Adventure Travel was.  Our favorite cruise line, Silversea, launched their new Expedition Cruise division a year ago so a vacation with Silversea Expeditions was an easy choice for us.

Still, we had to decide what kind of adventure sounded good. After combing through the itineraries, we settled upon "The Jungles & Rain Forests" of Panama and Costa Rica. And, in retrospect, we made a perfect decision! The experience was spectacular!

In mid-October, we boarded the Silver Explorer in Colon, Panama for our passage through the Panama Canal from the Caribbean side to the Pacific side where we would spend the next 7 days venturing into the jungles, reefs and rain forests of Panama and Costa Rica. For our entire week, the ship would anchor offshore in small bays and we would go ashore ashore via Zodiacs.

Our first excursion was into the Darien Jungle... by far, the most exotic experience of our whole trip! Our Zodiacs took us far up the Chucunaque River to an Embera tribal village that is only visited by a handful of small expedition groups each year. Because this journey can only be made during high tide, we couldn’t venture out until mid-afternoon... which meant that our Zodiac ride back to the ship was after dark in a tropical downpour and fairly rough seas. We were soaked - but that seemed to be perfectly fitting for a tropical jungle adventure! (Being soaked isn’t so bad when it’s 83 degrees!) On this evening, we particularly enjoyed our cocktail hour and our gourmet dinner!

We spent the ensuing days hiking through various rain forests where we were treated to up-close views of dozens of species of tropical birds including the colorful Macaws and Toucans. We were particularly fascinated with the 3 species of monkeys that we encountered - Spider, Capuchin and Howler Monkeys.  

The best part of traveling is to meet people who lead unbelievably different lives. In addition to visiting that remote tribal village, we spent a couple fascinating hours with a woman who runs an animal rescue facility deep within a Costa Rican rainforest. Adding to our visit, an injured sloth was brought in while we were there. 

As mentioned above, elegant cocktail hours and gourmet dinners are especially enjoyable after being “hosed down” in the mud room upon returning to the ship from the day’s expedition! (I exaggerate - slightly!) Having enjoyed the luxury of traditional Silversea cruises in the past, we wondered how the ruggedness of exploration cruising would mesh with the elegance for which Silversea is known. No problem!!!! The two elements complimented one-another perfectly. Nice job, Silversea!

We’ll definitely do another expedition trip in the future.

Happy Traveling!

Dick

Trust Your Travel Advisor!!!!

It happens very infrequently, but once in awhile a client of our agency returns from their vacation trip "less-than-thrilled". Yesterday, a good client returned from Cabo San Lucas and reported that, although there were a lot of good things, the experience was poor - and they won't go back to Mexico.

It turns out, they ignored almost everything we advised. First off, we urged them to book a resort that we have had great "happy traveler" results but they opted for a lesser (cheaper) property.
Then, because they were going during the very busy "high season" period, we urged them to book the premium section of the resort which would allow them special privileges including better access to the specialty restaurants. 
They "passed". 
Then, they did not heed our advice about eating at restaurants away from the resorts, staying in the mid-day sun too long, etc.

It's quite sad... their $2,500 vacation was largely ruined... and they have a negative view of a very nice sun destination.

Why don't people listen to us?

Journey Well,

Dick
P.S. Don't put all your faith in Trip Advisor and other similar forums. Many glowing reports are submitted by owners and managers of that resort - and poor reports are oftentimes posted by competing resorts in the area. When your travel advisor makes recommendations, they are based upon their own personal experience or those of the clients they have sent there previously.

Cabo San Lucas is Hot...

... in so many ways!
There are 3 "hot", sun destinations going these days.... Costa Rica, Punta Cana and Cabo San Lucas. (More on the first two another day.) We just returned from our 3rd trek to Cabo and enjoyed it even more than on previous visits. This place rocks!

Those of you who know me are aware that I'm not that big a Mexico fan. (Hawaii is my first love, second love and third love!) But, man cannot live on Hawaii alone!

Each time we go to Cabo, we find something new. This time it was the new Capella Resort which is situated "through" the mountain from downtown. Yup, I said through! The only access to this incredibly upscale resort is through a 1/4 mile tunnel that was drilled through the mountain that separates the town from the Pacific Coast.

Literally built into the beach-side of this very large rock, the Capella Resort gives you seclusion only 1/3 of a mile from nightlife of downtown - Cabo Wabo and such!

If you can't afford to stay at Capella, you at least should dine there- and be sure your credit card accounts have plenty of available credit. (But, a word of warning.... you won't get past the front gate without being on the resort or restaurant reservation list.)

I'm exaggerating a bit... it IS pricy, but well worth the splurge!

Cheers,

Dick

Cabo San Lucas, here we come!

It's time once again to "break out the Tumi" as we head for this very unique sun destination. Even though the 2012 version of Minnesota Winters has been a cake walk, it will be good to get to some REAL warm sunshine...  Basking by the Pool, Dining on a Veranda at sunset, Whale Watching and World Class Golf have me giddy!
If you want to come along, let me know!


Cheers,
Dick

River Cruising in Europe - an Awesome Experience!

Cochem, Germany

We're back from our first ever river cruise (as I described in my last post) and it was an awesome trip. As I said earlier, we were unsure as to how it would compare with our many luxury ocean cruises. Reflecting back, I would say that it generally exceeded our expectations. There were some things that clearly did not measure up to those ocean cruises and some things that were better. More on that in my next post.
We boarded our AMA Waterways ship, the Amadagio, in Amsterdam and enjoyed the first night in our floating hotel before sailing the next afternoon. That allowed us to see the city before moving on. Most of our itinerary, after sailing down a canal to the Rhine, was in Germany. We stopped at Cologne, Heidelberg and several small German towns that you have never heard of. After 3 days on the Rhine, we "took a right turn" onto the Mosel River. The scenery on the Rhine was spectacular - and, on the Mosel, it was even better. Absolutely stunning!!!! At a couple stops, we were able to take bikes on long rides to burn off some of the luscious food we were treated to. That helped!
On the seventh day, we ended the cruise in Luxembourg (a very aesthetic city) and took the TGV (bullet train) to Paris for a 3-day stay. In Luxembourg, we visited the American Cemetery and General Patton's grave. In Paris, we just enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere of one of the World's greatest (and most expensive) cities. While there we did make it out to Fountainbleu, the "hunting shack" of many Kings. More on Paris later.
One of the things making this a very easy trip was the joy of having no air connections... non-stop to Amsterdam and non-stop home from Paris.


Cheers,


Dick 

River Cruising in Europe - On the Road Again!

Well, after a nice summer dangling my feet off the end of the dock (when not working of course!) it's time again to break out the Tumi luggage and hit the road!

Those who know me or follow this blog know that we head for Europe this time each year. For 8 or 9 years, we have cruised the Mediterranean, Adriatic & Aegean Seas. This year we are following the hot trend toward river cruising with a 7 day trip on the Rhine and Mosel rivers from Amsterdam to Luxembourg followed by 3 days in Paris.

My travel company, Gateway Express Travel, has seen incredible growth in this type of vacation... and we seem to be the perfect client for river cruises - people who love the ease and pampering of life on a cruise ship - but who have run out of itineraries and need a change of pace. 

We love ocean cruising and are wondering if we'll like the river cruises as much. I'll let you know along the way! 

Cheers,

Dick

Good Deals on Cruises!

Anyone concerned with "truth in advertising" should have a ball with the cruise industry.
My travel agency, Gateway Express, sells a lot of cruise vacations - and, I personally, "heart" cruising. BUT! Although the value of cruise vacations is awesome, the pricing policies are very dishonest.
Gateway Express gets "sale bulletins" almost hourly pitching the unbelievable deals. Just taking one example, I just saw a number of 7-night Caribbean sailings through the winter where the "advertised" price for an Oceanview cabin ranges from $699 to $749 per person. Good deal, eh?
Well, the whole industry conveniently excludes taxes and port usage costs from their advertised prices. Those items can add up to almost as much as the advertised price. So, your $749 cruise is really $1,294.  
For comparison, suppose the airlines (who have their own set of issues) deducted all their airport usage costs and the myriad of taxes they must pay from the published fares. The $478 fare includes all this although the fine print on your ticket does break out the taxes. So you are well aware that the actual fare on that $478 was $392 and the rest was tax. But, suppose they excluded all their airport usage costs and advertised an airfare of $310.
So, if they advertised like the cruise industry does, you would see a fare of $310 when the actual price of your ticket will be $478. Totally dishonest.
Don't get me wrong... $1,294 for the afore-mentioned cruise is a terrific value. I just wish they could be honest about it!


Cheers,
Dick

Mexico: A Great Vacation Choice!

At my travel agency, we have been alarmed by the number of clients who are telling us that they don't want to consider a Mexican vacation because of the reports of violence.

There are many valid personal reasons for a specific client to not care for Mexico, but concern over the reports of violence should not be one of them - unless you're thinking of those wonderful vacation spots such as Juarez or Tijuana. The drug wars along the U.S. border are thousands of miles from the popular beach resort areas of Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. It's sort of like avoiding Vail or Big Sky because of border violence around Tucson or El Paso!

My agency, Gateway Express Travel, doesn't particularly "push" Mexico, but it is a fine option for beach vacations. Our two most popular destinations in Mexico (by far) are Cabo and the Riviera Maya. Both are at the tips of thousand mile long peninsulas - far from the crossroads of Mexico and even further from the U.S. border. Both present dozens of great resorts with outstanding service and dining. And the values are terrific! Your vacation dollar goes further in Mexico than any place else.

Actually, my personal favorite is, and will always be, Hawaii. But I often recommend Mexico to certain people depending upon their interests for a specific outing... It's a great value and, with a lot of non-stop flight options, it's easy to get to.

Happy Traveling,

Dick

Note: The owner of another travel agency reported that she had a client cancel a Puerto Vallarta vacation because of a recent incident there. Where did they go instead? Phoenix... one of the most troubled cities in the country because of the drug violence. Go figure!!!!

Traveling Happy

It's all about the "expectations"!

Those of you who know me are aware that we focus on quality experiences rather than numerous experiences. We don't travel very often, but when we do go, we go "in style".

As veterans of about 10 luxury cruises on Silversea, Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas as well as numerous stays at Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton resorts & hotels one might say that we're horribly spoiled. And one might be right.

But this is a story of a short 5 night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean Lines' Radiance of the Seas. We did this trip with friends on a bit of a lark back in March. I must admit that, although I was greatly looking forward to spending time traveling with people we enjoy, my expectations were fairly low. Traveling with 3,000 people didn't sound like our cup of tea. And, we knew that the food would be far below that to which we have been accustomed.

But, I'm happy to report that we came home with a fond memory of a great trip. Dollar for dollar, it could not have been better!

The key, of course, is to have realistic expectations. Even with the "high-end" products, you are well-guided to understand that perfection is not typically part of the world we live in. Bumps in the road are to be expected - and if that is your attitude you will rarely be disappointed with the experience. Travel Happy; Be Happy!

Cheers,

Dick

Vacation Tips: Why Won't They Listen?

A good client of our agency just returned from Mexico and reported that, although there were a lot of good things, the experience was poor - and they won't go back to Mexico.

Turns out, they ignored almost everything we advised. First off, we urged them to book a resort that we have had great "happy traveler" results but they opted for a lesser (cheaper) property. Then, because they were staying during the very, very busy spring break period, we urged them to book the premium section of the resort which would allow them special privileges including better access to the specialty restaurants. They "passed". Then, they did not heed our advice about eating at restaurants away from the resorts, staying in the mid-day sun too long, etc.

It's quite sad... their $2,800 vacation was largely ruined... and they have a negative view of a very nice sun destination.

Why don't people listen to us?

Journey Well,

Dick

Where to Go on Vacation

Just a quick follow-up to the last post...

Several people were surprised by my "where to go" thoughts. Many thought that knowing where they want to go is a no-brainer. But, it isn't!

Here's the problem: You see the TV ads; you see the beautiful beach depictions on the web sites. They leave one with the perception that tropical beach locations are just heavenly - and most are. But some are not. And, even with those that are wonderful, there are good areas and not-so-good areas. (TV ads can even make North Dakota look interesting!)

I remember several years back when a young couple asked specifically for a honeymoon on Waikiki Beach. They wanted a relaxing, romantic atmosphere. As you all know there is nothing relaxing or romantic about Waikiki Beach. We tried to talk them out of it.... to no avail.

Journey On!

Dick

Booking Your Vacation On-Line

Here's some free advice for those who enjoy combing the websites for their vacation package...

There are many perils to on-line booking unless you absolutely know the destination and the resort from from personal RECENT experience. So, if you are going to shop for yourself, here are some things be mindful of:

First, do you know WHERE you want to go? We've seen so many instances of people going to an absolutely wrong destination for their personal interests and lifestyle.

Second, (assuming you have chosen the right destination) different resorts (or cruise lines) may "look" similar on the websites but there are distinct differences in their ambiance, their quality and their clientele. These can make or break your vacation experience!

Third, trusting the pictures and information found on web sites can be a fatal mistake. Photoshopped pictures, very old pictures, bogus testimonials on Trip Advisor and other such sites and deceptive pricing are the major areas of concern.

For more detail, here is a paper I wrote on this subject.

Go ahead and have fun searching... but then, why not enlist a travel professional to review your selection before you hit the "Buy" button. 99% of the time, they will be able to book the very same vacation for you at the same price - and no additional charges. Some agencies now provide a "Trip Validation Service". For a nominal Advisory Fee (my agency charges $75), they will "validate" that you have made a correct choice - and that the price shown is valid (no tricks or hidden charges). With a professional opinion supporting your selection, you can go ahead and "Buy" with confidence.

Cheers,

Dick