Yes, prices went up today with Carnival, and I suspect we’ll see more increases with other travel packages during the year. There are some very real indications that the travel industry as a whole is experiencing growth once again.

That doesn’t mean that very real and substantial deals can’t be had however.

YTB Travel Network has partnered with Pleasant Holidays once again to offer substantial savings (up to $500 per booking) to some very exotic and attractive destinations. The live webcast will air right here on your computer tomorrow night, March 23rd, simply by clicking on the link found on BandBVacations.com. It all starts at 8:00 Eastern, with a rebroadcast again at 9:00PM and 10:00PM Eastern Standard Time. Phone lines will be open from 8:00 to 11:00PM Eastern toll free at 866-400-9382.

This is the perfect opportunity to invite friends, and family over to see if something might fit for their next vacation. What could be better than a tropical getaway to Hawaii, Mexico, Fiji, Tahiti, Moorea, or Bora Bora? You really need to see these exotic properties during this Sale-a-Thon to see how incredible these sale prices really are.

To give you a heads up on what kind of specials we’re talking about here Pleasant Holidays has produced a number of fliers for you to take a look at.

And here they are:

Special savings to Fiji – $500 savings per booking.

• Your vacation Includes: Air from Los Angeles on Air Pacific, meet & greet with shell lei, round trip Airport transfers, 7 nights’ accommodations at Sonaisali Island Resort Fiji, Beachfront room, two FREE nights, breakfast daily, complimentary welcome cocktail, free jungle cruise per person, special invitation to the General Manager’s Monday cocktail party, one scuba pool splash per person, FREE kids club & Travel Protection Plan.

Special savings to Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora – $500 savings per booking.

• Vacation Includes: Air from Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui, round trip inter-island air on Air Tahiti, Round trip airport transfers, 7 nights’ accommodations at Le Meridien Tahiti, Garden View room, two FREE nights & Travel Protection Plan.

Special savings to Hawaii – Free Hertz Rental Car.

• Free Hertz rental car with a minimum 5 night stay on the island of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, or Hawaii’s Big Island for travel through 3/31/10; 5/1 – 5/31/10; 9/1 – 12/15/10. Save $100 on a Hertz car rental with a minimum 5 night stay for travel from 4/1 – 4/30/10 & 6/1 – 8/31/10.

Special savings to Mexico – $100 savings per booking.

• Vacations Includes: round trip air from Chicago and 3 night accommodations to Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cobos starting from just $262 for new bookings made through May 1, 2010.

One of the nice features about these webinars is that it’s designed to educate you with the best, most knowledgeable Managers Pleasant Holidays has to offer. They know their business better than anyone and can offer tips and insight on just how and why you need to take advantage of these special deals with them compared to someone else.

So check out Pleasant Holidays for your next vacation – they’re one of the largest tour operators in the business with destinations to Mexico, Costa Rica, Las Vegas, Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific.

Hope to see you then!

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A couple months ago I read an article that compared Travel Agents to Doctors. With the Swine Flu scare that has hit both the US and Mexico I can’t imagine anyone calling a Travel Agent about what they should do to prevent the spread of this virus. To me it’s like calling an electrician to come unclog your stopped up sink. However, if you need advice from an Agent concerning the swine flu, I do know an RTA who is also an RN up in the Bronx. She’s the only Agent I would trust with actual medical training to help in the prevention of this area. (Otherwise I would simply go to a Doctor.) I realize there are Traditional Agents who claim to be authorities in just about any area you could think of.

If you choose to call a Travel Agent concerning advice, please ask for some type of credentials that qualify them as someone who knows squat about the spread of this virus. Personally, I think a someone with medical training would be far more appropriate, but that’s just me.

I contacted Gail last night to ask permission to re-post since she’s the only Agent I know who is actually qualified to offer advice in this area as an RN.

Mexico, the Swine Flu and Travel

The Swine Flu was a hot topic at work today with my co-workers and my patients. As I nurse I am doing double duty addressing the medical issues and the Travel side of this public health issue with friends and family. There has been 103 confirmed deaths in Mexico as of this writing . There are 44 confirmed cases in the US, which are milder than the strain found in Mexico. 28 of them are in New York isolated to a school in Queens, NY. World Health Organization elevated the Pandemic alert to Phase 4 out of 6.  So of course every time someone sneezed in our facility they came over to “Nurses’ Row” My office is in the Bronx which is just over the bridge from Queens.

Ah…. Let the fun begin!

Its important to note that this Swine flu operates as any other flu and the same precautions should be taken to prevent its spread. I have heard and read some interesting concepts about the flu. Like it came from eating Pork, or from people having un-natural relations with Pigs, which is also a myth. So lets begin with:

What is the Swine Flu?

It is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by an influenza (flu) virus. Most people do not realize that animals get illnesses that are also common to humans, like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Yes the flu. Human cases of Swine flu occur around people who are around pigs. It can also pass from person to person. This strain of Swine flu also has bird flu and human flu genes.

How do you catch swine flu and is it Contagious?

Swine flu is spread by contact with infected pigs or their surrounding area that has been contaminated with Swine flu viruses.. Also spread by contact with a person who has been infected with the Swine flu. It is considered contagious which simply means it can be spread from person to person.

How Can We Prevent spreading the Swine Flu

* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
* Cough or sneeze in the bend of your el bow if you do not have a tissue available
* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners, like Purel are also effective.
* Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
* stay home from work or school if you become ill with the Swine Flu. Pleeeeeese!!!!
* limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
*Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. That is how Germs are spread.

What should I do if I get sick?

If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others. Contact your doctor. You may be prescribed an anti-viral medication such as Tamiflu or Relenza which can lessen the severity of the flu.

I planned a Trip to Mexico, Should I cancel it?

Many people are asking if they should change their travel plans. The US is planning on issuing a Travel Alert for non-essential travel to Mexico. This is the perfect scenario to emphasize the importance of purchasing Travel Insurance. This is the type of situation that it is very useful in.
So far No cruises to Mexico have been canceled. For example, Carnival Cruise line offered this on their site:

“Fortunately, there currently is no evidence of a swine flu pandemic and there have been no reports of guests exhibiting symptoms of swine flu on Carnival’s ships. Carnival enforces the highest of standards for cleaning and sanitation on all of our ships to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We are monitoring the situation in Mexico and maintain regular contact with the Centers for Disease Control. We do not anticipate that our guests’ cruise experience will be impacted by this type of illness and will not be making any adjustments to our itineraries.”

No Airline flights have been canceled. Some airlines are offering passengers to change their travel plans without penalty. Other airlines are offering to reschedule flights and/or travel plans at no extra charge. This may change day to day. Check with your airlines for their policy, or the travel agent you booked with.

Information is changing and evolving daily. Check at the CDC.Gov site for the most up to date information on Travel to Mexico and the effect that the Swine Flu may have on it.

In the meantime, lets pray for Mexico. Its been a difficult year for our neighbors to the South.

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Pleasant Holidays is celebrating it’s 50th year in business. When the doors first opened in 1959 their specialty was Hawaii and this privately held company has turned into one of the largest tour operators with destinations to Mexico, Costa Rica, Las Vegas, Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific offering a comprehensive range of products and destinations. Pleasant Holidays has long-term partnerships with some of the world’s leading airlines, hotels, car rental companies, cruise lines, travel agencies and is also the official travel provider to the NFL Pro Bowl annually in Hawaii. (With the possible exception of 2010 when it’s hosted in Miami, but will once again say Aloha in 2011 and 2012.)

Tonight starting at 8:00PM Eastern (7:00PM Central, 6:00PM Mountain, and 5:00PM Pacific) YTB Travel Network will host it’s fourth Sale-A-Thon with YTB’s third supplier Pleasant Holidays. The webniar which can be viewed from the comfort of your own home is designed to educate viewers from the best, most knowledgeable Manager Pleasant Holidays has to offer. The hour long broadcast will offer insight about the Pleasant Holidays product and exclusive specials for some spectacular deals to destinations they specialize in.

What kind of specials will you find if you click in? As an example you’ll be offered $100 off any 3-star property or $200 off any 4 or 5 star property in Hawaii, Mexico or the Caribbean for travel dates from April 22 through December 15, 2009. (Vacation package must be a minimum of 5 nights with air and hotel accommodations.)

You can view our webcast at http://travelshow.ytb.com or by clicking on the link from BandBVacations.com tonight starting at 8:00 Eastern, with a rebroadcast again at 9:00PM and 10:00PM Eastern Standard Time. Phone lines will be open from 8:00 to 11:00PM Eastern toll free at 866-400-9382

This is the perfect opportunity to invite friends, and family over to see if something might fit for your summer vacation. What could be better than a great tropical getaways to Hawaii, the Caribbean or Mexico? You really need to see the incredible properties shown during this Sale-a-Thon to see how incredible these sale prices really are.

So take some time and click to see what Pleasant Holidays has to offer, direct from…well…Pleasant Holidays!

Hope to see you there tonight!

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Shopping for that perfect holiday gift?

What do you get for the person who has EVERYTHING?

What about the person that’s SO hard to shop for?

Have I got a stocking stuffer for you!

It’s that time of year again. YTB’s second annual Carnival One Day Sale. Carnival Cruise Gift Certificates are available NOW from BandBVacations.com. Choose from 18 different Gift Certificate options available for online purchase through December 31, 2008. (Don’t think you could miss it…but it’s that LARGE ad with the Carnival Funnel wrapped in Christmas lights…)

If a gift certificate isn’t you type of thing, we also have over 100 Carnival Cruise Specials if you head to our Group Bookings page. I would suggest you look at this entire list of groups. (Although it may take some time with well over 500 groups at any one time.) This page is ALWAYS the first place I look for clients because it’s the one place I know that can’t be beat when it comes to price. And please don’t think you’ll be stuck playing Parcheesi all week if you book with any one particular group. You’re free to do what you want, when you want, and the group probably won’t even know you booked with their group. But you can take advantage of the special group pricing to save anywhere between $50 and $250 per person.

If you’re not sure about which cruise you’d like, that’s fine too, the Gift Certificates are a great save now, cruise later option. This way you can let someone decide on their own what cruise they might like, or even when they want to go over the next 18 months.

By the way…all of these Gift Certificates can be upgraded to ANY cruise of their choice. Simply pay the difference. I have a certificate valid for a 3-4 day for two, but want to take the entire family on a 5 day this spring. The Promotions Department at Carnival will be extremely accommodating for any upgrade and use what you have to fulfill you dream cruise.

If you’re just now thinking about a cruise for a stocking stuffer, you might not know where to begin, or what is offered in regards to ports, destinations, and the wide variety of selections available. To help out with that, review the following documents for options.

CCL DEPARTURE PORTS
CCL MORE FUN EVERYWHERE
CCL FUN SHIP FINDER
CCL 2009-10 CRUISE CATALOG

Of course, you could also join YTB tonight, December 4 from 5 -10:00 pm CST for a live webcast from YTB Headquarters in Wood River, Illinois. (Contact me and I’ll send you the link.) While you certainly don’t have to watch Coach, Kim, and Scott, and Carnival’s own Ann Sedgwick, but last years live webcast was a lot of fun. Last year’s event was loaded with all kinds of information on why a cruise is not only a great value, but has all kinds of activities and options to make your experience enjoyable.

Regardless if you want to watch or not, phones will be open till Midnight CST at the Home Office to take your reservations, with a special reservation number 800-400-9382. Of course, I’m available at 678-458-5812 at any time. (Even later in the month, or any time for that matter.)

Our goal is to be #1 with the #1. There’s a reason why Carnival is the Most Popular Cruise Line in the World. We’ve sailed with Carnival so much, they feel like home. We know the ships, we know the activities, we know the benefits.

Regardless if you’re a seasoned cruise veteran like us, or a first timer, a 100,000 ton cruise ship could be the most unique stocking stuffer your special someone has ever seen.

Bon Voyage!

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There has been much debate and confusion about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and requirements for Passports when traveling outside of the US. So much so, many of the trade magazines that I subscribe to (Agent at Home, Travel Weekly, and Vacation Agent) have dedicated entire articles to keep us informed in an effort to keep our clients informed about what’s going on. Confusion about the program’s deadlines caused panicked travelers to swamp passport offices, which quickly became overwhelmed by a volume of passport applications for which officials were unprepared. Eventually relenting to all the backlash from both business travelers and those that would have to cancel personal vacations, a proposal was adopted and passed to let U.S. residents and citizens arriving at airports from travel in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean region re-enter the United States if they could show they had simply applied for passports.

Initially, the drop dead date was January 1st, 2007, but when both the cruise industry, and US Government realized that literally millions of Americans still did not possess the proper Passport for travel outside of the US, our current Administration postponed the date until today, October 1st, 2007. If you are planning a trip outside of the country past today via air travel, you need to have a passport in hand in order to get back into this country if traveling outside of the US.

I have to admit, what they feared was true due to many of our clients applying for and waiting anywhere from 6 to 9 weeks, sometimes even longer for their passports to be processed and in the hands of our clients. The US Department of State experienced a backlog of some 18 Million applications being processed over the last several months and times have been very stressful both for us as Agents, and our clients who were traveling abroad.

If you find yourself stuck without realizing that you need a passport or yours has not arrived due to the backlog with everyone else scrambling you can have your Passports Expedited for a nominal charge.

As a Travel Agent I know there are still some loopholes when traveling outside of the US via land and sea ports right now, but that will soon change and as your travel agent, you should have one anyway, so do yourself a favor, put this whole mess behind you and get a passport for yourself and your family so that when you do have a chance to travel outside of the US, you’re ready.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

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