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We consider ourselves experienced travelers to tropical locations, but there was one vacation destination we hadn't visited…until now. Jamaica! This was a last-minute trip so we settled for a long 4-day weekend. The resort's close proximity to the Montego Bay Airport made it very convenient but also produced another unexpected surprise…more on that later. Since this was our first visit to Jamaica, we decided to take advantage of Club Mobay (extra cost) to have someone guide us through the airport and customs. We were greeted by a Club Mobay rep who was super friendly and very helpful. She escorted us directly to a special customs area for Club Mobay visitors. Welcome to Jamaica! It's starting to feel like vacation! Another advantage of Club Mobay is access to their lounge (circled below) when arriving or departing the airport. But since we were vacationing with Sandals on this trip, we also had access to the Sandals Lounge. Club Mobay circled in the background We checked into the Sandals lounge and was told the wait would be 15 minutes for the shuttle, but it turned out to be a 45-minute wait. Not a big deal – we're on vacation! The lounge was very nice, well furnished, and provided a refreshment area with fountain drinks and assorted snacks. No liquor though (Mental note: Club Mobay has liquor!) Sandals Airport Lounge The drive to the airport was a quick 20 minute commute. Darkness made it difficult to enjoy the entrance “arrival" but based on the bus needing to do a 3-point turn to get into the resort, it was easy to recognize there wasn't a grand entrance worth seeing anyway. Once the bus departed the property, it was easier to see the up-lighting and landscaped entrance. Now here's where I'm going to get real with you for a minute. As I walked through the open-air lobby area, I commented to Tammy, “This must be their flagship property". Not because it impressed, but more because it under-whelmed, especially compared to newer resorts. The property is also wedged along a very narrow strip of land between the airport and Caribbean – definitely not a location any developer today would say is a great location for a resort. I later learned Montego Bay is indeed Sandal's flagship property, originally constructed in the late 1980's but had recently completed renovations in 2019. The renovations must have all been concentrated in the suites and to adding the restaurants Tokyo Joe's and Butch because the lobby still felt dated – maybe it was the paint, the low ceiling, or maybe the furniture, either way it felt nostalgic. Now, don't get me wrong, once you walked through the lobby, you could venture onto a great outdoor patio area with fabulous views of the Caribbean. We would later learn that our room would be adjacent to this beautiful patio area with views from our balcony. I caught Tammy hanging out on the balcony one morning! The convenient location of this room was it's best asset. This had to be the only set of rooms that weren't renovated in 2019. I took some pics but the rooms were so small and dark, I didn't like the finished product. Imagine a four-post wooden bed with antique furnishings. I thought at any moment Ricardo Montalban from the 1980's Fantasy Island TV show was going to walk around the corner. This was the hallway leading to our room. Once again, a little unassuming, narrow, and plain. I imagine this is what a 1950's medical ward felt like. Thankfully the room was conveniently located to almost everything on the property, so we were able to overlook the nostalgic feel of this particular building. Let's talk pools! There aren't many pools on this property. Below is the “main" pool for the property. Even if you haven't visited other all-inclusive resorts, you can tell this pool doesn't accommodate a lot of people – very small for a “main" pool. There also aren't a lot of options for lounging around the pool. But it was quiet! Most people opted for the beach or hanging out in the “activity" pool located elsewhere on the property (but it too was tiny). If we had stayed in a “swim up" room, we may not have ever visited this main pool. In the picture below you can see the main pool is surrounded by cabanas that were first-come, first-served. I'm an early riser so I noticed most of the cabanas had been “reserved" with towels, books, hats, or floats by 6:00AM. It was disappointing to see several of the cabanas that had been “reserved" so early in the morning sit empty until noon or later. There's an open area next to the main pool for basketball and corn hole. The beach offered plenty of lounge chairs but limited palapas. Here's the obligatory picture everyone posts while on vacation. My view (and yours) from the beach chaise lounge. Now, here is an area where Sandals (at least at this resort) needs to get a handle on things. I mentioned earlier that I'm an early riser, meaning I'm usually up by 5:00AM. I usually like to walk the property and then grab a chair to enjoy the sunrise, read a book, or just wait for Tammy to rise and join me. Each morning, ALL the palapas chair were reserved with floats or towels by 5:30AM, and I thought this was odd because most people on vacation aren't early risers. So, these chairs were either being saved the night before or by Sandal's Butler Service (extra cost). I don't have anything against reserving chairs, or Butler Service (I liked to be pampered sometimes too), but most of the “reserved" spaces didn't have anyone sitting in them until 10:00AM. The number of “reserved" chairs was aggravating for other beach goers who were trying to find a spot earlier in the morning.  Here's what most of the reserved spaces looked like early in the mornings. Once the sun comes up, and you can't find a beach chair, you can always wade out to this cabana to enjoy the vibe. If privacy is what you're searching for, you can rent one of the over-the-water cabanas. One of the coolest places to hangout is Latitudes Bar. You feel connected to the resort and it's location over the water provides a VIP feel. Check out these cool hammocks suspended over the water at Latitudes. Guess what? Cancun isn't the only tropical location with swings! Oh! Remember how convenient I said the resort was to the airport? And remember the “unexpected surprise" I mentioned? Well, here it it. A couple of times in the morning, and again between the hours of 2-4PM, you'll be jolted awake from your nap as planes take-off from the adjoining runway. Here's a view of how close the runway is to the resort. Busiest Time for Take-Offs: 1PM-4PM Let's talk restaurants. Cucina is the Italian restaurant with awesome 2nd floor views of the beach, water, and sunset! Caution: Being an open-air, elevated restaurant, the temperature was a tad warm with very little breeze during our visit. Our favorite menu item was the lasagna. Cucina is also a good breakfast spot too. Tokyo Joe's, added during the 2019 renovations, was a favorite spot for us. Think Hibachi-style grill. The restaurant is snuggled up against the resort, sitting atop pylons, hovering over the water. The food at Tokyo Joe's was fresh and delicious. Better than anything we've eaten at a Unico, Secrets, or Excellence resorts. The spicy tuna sushi and spring rolls were perfect appetizers. I didn't get a picture of the food (I was too busy shoveling it in my mouth), but I did get a picture of my date! Check out this hottie. One of favorite after-dinner spots each evening were these fire pits adjacent to Tokyo Joes. Another favorite restaurant of ours was Butch's Steakhouse. The addition of this restaurant was also part of the 2019 renovations. There is a really cool outdoor bar area for your pre-dinner drinks. The interior design at Butch's provides a much better high-end feel than other areas on the resort. And the food didn't disappoint. It was delicious. The Grilled Black Pepper Bacon and Crab Scallop Balls were some of the best appetizers we've ever eaten. Well, our time has come to an end. In all, we enjoyed our first trip to Jamaica. “Island time" is a real thing here, but once you come to terms with the fact that the service and pace is slightly slower than other all-inclusive resorts, you'll enjoy the stay even more. We will definitely visit Jamaica again but more than likely will try another resort brand or other Sandals property. Stay tuned! Until next time! And always remember, Never Regret Fun!

Greetings friends! Eddie here. Tammy asked me to take on the roll as blogger for this trip, so when your beautiful, travel agent wife asks you to carry your weight, you gladly respond “As you wish" (The Princess Bride fans will get that reference). Our 2021 travel year started in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic). With COVID still lingering around the globe, our options were limited but still luxurious and tropical. In 2020, we had traveled to other All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico, like Unico and Excellence Playa Mujeres, so we wanted to venture to a new destination and selected Secrets Cap Cana. Here we go… The Punta Cana International Airport was surprisingly quaint. No mobile ramps or modern architecture to detract from the tropical paradise that awaits you. The thatched terminal rooftops left no doubt you had arrived to the Caribbean. The Customs and Immigration areas were spacious and well marked for travelers. COVID safety protocols were in full effect. Since this was our fourth international trip during the world pandemic, we were used to these measures, and so was everyone else around us. The baggage claim area maintained the charm of thatched ceilings and open breezeways. The warm tropical breezes were beckoning us. Punta Cana Baggage Claim Once you exit baggage claim, the shuttle/taxi area is very easy to navigate and find where you need to go. We had arranged transportation to Secrets Cap Cana through Mike Fisher Tours and Travel. The drive from the airport to Cap Cana was a very short 15 minutes. We've arrived! The welcome staff was friendly and very helpful. They always enjoyed pausing a moment for a great picture! In typical Secrets fashion, we were handed a glass of champagne upon arrival to kickoff vacation! Eddie, Tammy, and our two newest travel buddies: Julie and Angela! Tammy enjoying her champagne while I perform my duties as business photographer. The open-air lobby area is reminiscent of other Secrets Resorts. Their architects and designers do such a wonderful job creating great signature views as soon as you arrive. We were staying in the Preferred Club for this trip, so we were escorted to the Preferred Lounge for check-in. Along the way you get an opportunity to see restaurant locations or subtle landscape elements that make each walk memorable. Jourdain was patient with our questions. This was my favorite restaurant. My mother's side of the family is Italian (shout out to the Lazzuri peeps!), so naturally I quickly see the Italian restaurant Portofino's on the walk to check-in. This restaurant would later provide a great outdoor dinner experience on Day 2. There's something about wine bottles hanging from a tree that mesmerizes me, as if calling out my name. After a short five minute walk, we arrive at the Preferred Club lounge for check-in. Karla helped check us in as we waited for our Room Host (sometimes referred to as a “butler") Oliver, to arrive. Yes, I believe those are watermelon margaritas. And who else would it be, none other than the famous Javier! He was fantastic behind the Preferred Club bar. I watched him handle a many obnoxious and loud guests with grace in the evening hours. Oliver is on his way…here's where we're headed! Oliver is going over the details of the room. COVID cleaning protocols are visible throughout the room. Yes, Tammy is still nursing her margarita. Sanitized TV Remote and Tablet The snacks and refrigerator were stocked with plentiful options. If you wanted more or less of particular items, your room host can easily accommodate. So….you wanna see the beach! So did we. We quickly grabbed our bathing suits and headed out to the Preferred Club beach area! This was a great way to unwind from a quick flight and relax before dinner. You can see more beach, pool, and property pictures here. #DominicanRepublicAllInclusiveResorts #SecretsCapCana

Thinking about vacationing at Secrets Cap Cana? Read this first. Tammy and I have visited other Secret Resorts (Secrets Akumal and Secrets Maroma) but this would be our first vacation to the Dominican Republic and Secrets Cap Cana. Let me say, it did NOT disappoint! From the moment you arrive, the Secrets brand of open-air lobbies welcomes you home. Cap Cana has one of the widest and most beautiful beaches we've ever visited. Lobby bar area Plenty of seating through the lobby Frequent visitors to Secret Resorts will recognize Coco Cafe. Strategically located in the lobby with fantastic views over the property. View from outside Coco Cafe Lets take a look inside Coco Cafe real quick. Muffins, Donuts, Cake. Yes, please. Lets cut to the chase. Here's the pool area. View from the beach. Early morning walk view Luis helped me every morning The best feature of Secrets Cap Cana is the view of the beach from the pool. Fantastic. View from our pool location Obligatory :quot:Wish You Were Here:quot: photograph. Tammy and our two travel buddies, Angela and Julie, enjoying some quality pool time. Can:apos:t vacation without a :quot:drinks in the pool:quot: picture Want a night time picture of the pool? Here you go. Swim Up Rooms provide same colorful glow Special Occasion Seating In The Pool The Preferred Club Pool area was small but intimate. Seating was understandably very limited during COVID-restrictions. Oceanfront Bungalow Here is the headliner…The Beach! Tammy was my model this evening. Preferred Club Beach Area View from our beach chairs under the Palapa Bali Beds Available for Extra Fee Early morning strolls provided some of the best picture opportunities. Beach Wedding Setup The clear water wasn't beaming with fish but I was able to see several conch shells. I placed it back where I found it. One last stop – the fitness center, just in case you want to burn off some calories. The center had plenty of well-maintained machines and weights to keep up with any fitness routine. Standalone Facility next to Building 9 Secrets Cap Cana is a fantastic resort. I wish we could've stayed a few more days. Stay tuned for a review on some of the restaurants we visited.

Hi, I'm Eddie (My friends call me Fast Eddie but that's a story for another time). It looks like my beautiful, talented, travel agent wife, Tammy, has handed me the reigns for this blog. I question her decision but if you're married, I know you understand the art of compromise. Here's a picture of compromise when your wife tells you to get on the swing when you don't want to. Now, I think you should know right up front that I'm not as eloquent with the written word as Tammy, but I am honest and to-the-point…which I think most people appreciate. If you're into connecting with an authors feelings or intimate thoughts, you can try reading some of Tammy's trip blogs on the Grand Canyon, Disney World, or Alaska! Having provided that disclaimer, lets get started! Trying to celebrate a wedding anniversary in the middle of a World Pandemic is difficult, but we haven't let COVID slow us down yet (Disney During COVID and Unico 20.87). So off we go! Before we take you straight to Excellence, this blog may be your first introduction to Mexico! If so, WELCOME! After you arrive to the Cancun International Airport and depart immigrations, you will have to pass through a rental car and resort sales area. If you have pre-arranged transportation to your resort, which we highly recommend, you don't need to stop in this area. Just keep walking to the double doors that lead outside to the transportation hub. Here you will see all the private transportation and public transportation options. Tammy and I prefer pre-arranging transportation with Kalido and Amstar. Each of them have provided great service. Tip and shameless plug:  If you book your trip with Tammy, not only will she help you select the perfect resort, she will also prearrange your transportation for you (her travel agent service is at no cost to you!) This is the hub where your transportation greeter will escort you and your baggage. Here you will meet your driver. We selected Kalido for this vacation. Our driver was Adriano Sosa. He was one of the best drivers we've ever had. Kalido drivers have always been polite, helpful, and safe. As soon as we exited our van and before we enter the resort doors, the Excellence staff sanitizes your luggage, provides hand sanitizer, and requires guests to walk on a sanitation pad. Entrance through the front doors of Excellence offers the view of a seemingly ordinary lobby area. But when you take a few steps forward, the lobby opens up to this spectacular view! The COVID precautions continue at the check-in desk with temperature cameras and plexi-glass. Excellence staff decorated the room door to help us celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Oscar did a fantastic job helping with the luggage and showing us the room. We had a fantastic swim up room in Building 7 with a king bed, full-size tub, and beautiful view of the lazy river outside. This room was fabulous. Having said that, there is one area for improvement. What is difficult to know by looking at this picture is how small and low these bathroom mirrors are fixed. For anyone shorter than 5'3", they will struggle to see more than the top half of their head. Like most resort showers, there are two shower heads, with one being a large rainfall element. The shower dimensions are huge. The winner of the mini-bar contest goes to Excellence! Forget the mini-bottles…They provided full bottles of liquors for consumption during the stay. So, if the all-inclusive alcohol at all the bars wasn't enough, you could still stumble back to the room. Or, if a subtle evening is more your speed, you could enjoy a quiet evening with a drink on the patio. The actual mini-bar was reserved for some delightful beverages too. After we unpacked and settled in, we decided to take a stroll around the resort. The pools and beach are stunning. The Prelude Terrace Bar provided a festive environment for bands and musical entertainment. Stars Theater was a fabulous open-air venue that provided entertainment every evening at 9:00PM. During our stay, the theater hosted a range of options from Fire Dancers to the Michael Jackson Tribute Show. Excellence is home to Aroma, a specialty coffee and pastry restaurant. The drink menu offers a variety of options for guests. There were 20 different flavors of sorbet. Check 'em out! The pastries and donuts were unbelievably fresh and hand-delivered every morning by the pastry chefs themselves. Aroma also has pre-made sandwiches for a quick bite. Perfect for a meal-on-go before you head to the airport. One of our favorite restaurants was Spice. You didn't need reservations unless you wanted the traditional dog-and-pony hibachi show. We opted for a quiet table and ordered off the menu. The decor, lighting, and food were all perfect. Although chicken teriyaki wasn't on the menu, the kitchen was kind enough to replace the steak teriyaki with chicken for Tammy. The tenderness was perfectly moist. Better than any Asian dish we've had back home. I opted for the Kung Pao that was packed with flavor. But the best stuff of the night was dessert. The Banana Tempura with warm chocolate sauce was sinfully good. OH. MY. Every restaurant was perfect. The food. The atmosphere. The service. But I won't bore you with all the details of every menu item we savored, but I have to devote a few sentences to our meal at the Indian restaurant Basmati. I can't adequately describe the flavor, spices, and aroma this dinner delivered. We love Indian food and have never tasted anything this good. The Korma Chicken (cashew nut, rich poppy seed flavored finished with rich cream) and Chicken Kadhi (chicken, green pepper, onion, tempered with roasted blended spices) was off the chart. The kitchen was also able to prepare a dish of Butter Chicken that wasn't on the menu. This meal was the highlight of all meals. Here are some delicious pictures of other food favorites we enjoyed! Oh! I almost forgot to mention the most important meal of the day…breakfast. Tammy and I chose to enjoy breakfast two mornings at The Lobster House which provided some great views. And like most great resorts, the drinks were plentiful and delicious. Tropical Buzz Having stayed at Unico a few months ago, we were eager to see how Excellence Playa Mujeres compared.  It was almost on even par in all areas. There were two clear areas where Excellence exceeded expectations – the food and the beach.  Every single meal was fantastic and the beach had plenty of lounge chairs, palapas, a long stretch of area to walk and activities such as jet skis and parasailing just steps away. There are a lot of resorts that provide wonderful service and amenities in Cancun. Excellence Playa Mujeres ranks in our Top 2 (A trip report of our Top 5 resorts coming soon). As we wrap up this trip report, here are some positive elements if considering Excellence Playa Mujeres: Plentiful Beach Palapas Lounge Chairs in Pool Breakfast views at The Lobster House Large room shower Wide Beach Agave restaurant (Awesome Mexican Food) Spice (Great Asian/Better than Unico) Basmati Indian Restaurant Toscana Italian Dinner/Breakfast Also….Excellence Playa Mujeres has some wonderful art. Check out a few of these landscape sculptures. These sculptures as scattered throughout the property and add to the elegance. When we returned home I noticed that we didn't have a lot pictures of ourselves from this Anniversary retreat, but I'll leave you with one of my favorites during our dinner at Toscana. #adultsonlyallinclusive #excellenceplayamujeres #mexico #playamujeres

You want to visit Disney World during COVID but you’re unsure how safe it is. Well, this blog is for you. In July 2020, Disney World opened its doors with limited capacity and many new safety protocols were in place to keep their guests safe. Temperature checks at entrances, social distancing in lines, sanitizer stations, partitioned stantions, and limited bus seating are some of the new experiences at Disney parks. We arrived at Disney early evening. Since we were staying at the Yacht Club we decided to take a stroll on the Boardwalk over to restaurant Trattoria al Forno. The evening was warm with clearing skies, and the walk over was quiet. It was almost as if we had the Boardwalk to ourselves. Empty Boardwalk Our first full-day was a visit to Hollywood Studios to check out the newly opened Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railway and the possibility of getting a Boarding Group number for Star Wars’ Rise of the Resistance. On our walk to Hollywood Studios, we passed the Skyliner. This is where we first saw the new social distancing placards on the ground. The placards identified the safe waiting distances between guests, as was the case for this extended waiting line at the Skyliner. Please Wait Here Before entering any of the Disney parks, guests must pass through a temperature check point. Wearing masks was mandatory. The only time you were not required to wear a mask was when you were eating or drinking while stationary…this rule was strictly, but politely, enforced. Temperature Check Point Masks Mandatory Masks? Check. Time to get our Mickey on, so we begin our wait for Runaway Railroad! Aside from the temperature checks and mandatory mask wearing, the most noticeable COVID protocol was the expanded social distancing measures. Remember those “Please Wait Here" placards? Well, they are everywhere. The placement of placards extended wait lines swirling down sidewalks and streets. The extended lines create an image that wait times are forever, but the lines actually move fairly quickly. The image below illustrates the area where the Runaway Railway spilled out to the vast concrete areas in front of the former Chinese Theatre. There are patio umbrellas strategically placed to provide shade for waiting guests. See placards on ground. Once inside the Runaway Railway, the permanent stantions were outfitted with sturdy plexi-glass and metal framing. Here we go! Notice the cast members are masked up with face shields. If you haven’t seen or experienced the new Skyliner, here’s a quick pic. The Skyliner connects EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and the resorts of Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera. Once back at the Yacht Club, we decided to have some relaxation time. Even the pool area was COVID-proof. There were signs reminding guests of COVID regulations and plenty of space between lounge chairs for social distance….which we didn’t have to worry about because we had the quiet pool to ourselves! Yacht Club Quiet Pool Later in the afternoon we headed back to Hollywood Studios for our #42 Boarding Group (2:40 PM) for Stars Wars Rise of the Resistance. Social distancing was still in full effect. Tammy was admiring the Stars Wars gear along the route to help the Resistance. Psst…she’s not a big Star Wars fan so this photo was staged. Guests ultimately end up outside prior to boarding an escape pod. Everyone was assigned a numbers for proper social distancing. This was your number throughout the remainder of the ride. I’m not easily impressed but Disney…WOW…you really impressed me with the Death Star hanger bay. It was stunning. Death Star Hanger Bay Even the storm troopers were masked up. After Rise of the Resistance, we headed over to Rock’n Rollercoaster. My hair is proof I was obviously still shocked from my experience on the Death Star. If you’ve ridden Rock’n Rollercoaster before, you know this scene is out of the ordinary. Never before has the line spiraled like this. With the heat index at 99 degrees, this was the hottest wait of the day. Everybody below was socially distanced in line. The permanent plexi-glass closest to the boarding area really complemented the “city" feel. After a long, hot, exhausting day, it was time to head over to Disney Springs for dinner. This was our opportunity to see the COVID measures on the Disney buses. All of the seats were numbered and dividers were added in between seats grouped together. Before stepping onto the bus, the driver would ask how many people are in your party, then assign you a seat number. The straps hanging from the overhead rails were zip tied unusable, so there is no standing allowed. The days of seeing 50 people crammed on a bus are over for now. Well, that concludes our hot, late summer, visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You can also check out our visit to EPCOT for the Food and Wine Festival. We hope our story and pictures help you feel comfortable and safe visiting Disney during COVID. If you’re excited and want to book a trip, you know the best person to call is my talented wife and Disney-expert, Tammy.

Hey traveling couples, Eddie here. I decided to give Tammy a break and handle this blog myself. In September, Tammy and I decided to take a quick trip to Disney World for the International Food and Wine Festival. COVID obvisouly made it a different experience from year’s past but it was worth it! Safety first, so before entering every park, each guest must walk through a health tent. Taking Temperatures at Entrance Plenty of social distancing We entered EPCOT via the International Gateway near Boardwalk, so we started our food and beverage tasting in France. What better way to start than with a drink! Grey Goose Slushy I’ll cut to the chase. There were several food favorites but Brazil has the best option: Crispy Pork Belly and Cheesy Bread. Crispy Pork Belly A very close second was Morocco’s hummus fries. Morocco also has the Kefka Pocket (ground beef with carmalized onions, garlic, and spicy tomato). Hummus Fries My mother’s side of the family is Italian, so I crave pasta, cheese, onions, and ham. And what better place to taste all those food ingredients mixed together than in Germany. Germany? Oh yeah! Do yourself a favor and get you some Schinkennudeln. Delicious! Grubbing on Schinkennudeln We originally walked past the Spain kiosk but my curiosity turned us around and we decided to try the Shrimp Paella. This dish was surprisingly delicious. The spices were subtle and flavorful. Wait, maybe this should’ve been my #1 option. Hmmm. Shrimp Paella The Festival Market used different kiosk spread througout the World Showcase. Several of the kiosk contained merchandise from the Flower and Garden Festival too. Grape Themed Mickey Ears Grab a growler This year’s festival was great, even with the COVID limitations. The weather was warm the day we visited (99 degree heat index) but we made sure we stayed hydrated and paced ourselves accordingly. The crowds picked up mid-afternoon but there was plenty of space to socially distance, sit, and enjoy our food and wine selections in the shade. Always a must do!

Have you ever heard the saying, “You get what you pay for?” Right, of course you have. How about when it’s applied to your family vacation? I only ask because this sentiment could not be any truer when it comes to booking a cruise for your family. Believe me, I understand the appeal of what looks like a great deal. I’m guilty of buying things just because they’re on sale only to never even use them. I get it. But at the end of the day, a deal is only as good as what you’re getting out of it. If you’re paying $199 per person for a cruise and it feels a little too good to be true, it probably is. The moment you board that ship and see that it’s sporting outdated 80s décor, pink walls, old carpet, one outdoor movie screen, and maybe some added entertainment if you’re lucky, you’ll wish you’d spent the extra money on something that’s worth it. Let me explain why. Most cruise lines go to the same destinations. You’ll rarely find a port that doesn’t play host to most of the major players in the industry, which means you’ll never have to choose your cruise based on WHERE you want to go. Instead, base your decision on HOW you get there. Why? Because the majority of your vacation time is spent on the ship, so you want some nice activities and amenities for your family to enjoy. Newer ships, such as Royal Caribbean’s “amplified” line up, include things like ice skating, laser tag, rock climbing, Flow Rider surf simulation, VR trampolines, mini golf, and so on and so forth. Your ship isn’t like an airplane or a taxi, taking you from one destination to the next; it’s your resort. Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to book the most expensive, grandiose ship on the water in order to enjoy an incredible cruise. You can book a high-quality ship at an affordable price if you know what you’re doing. That’s where I come in. You tell me exactly what you’re looking for in a cruise experience, and I’ll use my wealth of experience to lead you in the right direction. So, contact me at tammy@mousecounselors.com or by requesting a quote online, and I’ll tell you what ships I would recommend based on your family’s budget and needs.

I hear it time and time again, “I would never pay for a travel agent.” or “I don’t need one. I can do it myself.” or “I like having control of my own vacation.” Everyone has a reason for NOT using a travel agent, but most of these people may not actually understand how a travel agent works. So, let’s clear the air, shall we? First and foremost, it’s FREE. Yes, you read that right. Using a travel agent is absolutely free to you. When you enlist a travel agent to help plan your vacation and take care of all the tedious booking, you don’t have to shell out an hourly fee or an upfront charge. Secondly, you aren’t actually “losing control” of your vacation. If you book a cruise through me, you can still access your cruise planner account to choose your own excursions, buy your drink packages, sign up for specialty dining, etc. It’s all still right there, at your fingertips. You can access your Disney account to make dining and FastPass+ reservations or you can ask me to. Either way, you’re still in control. The only thing you must allow the agent to do is book the trip, make payments on the trip, and handle any changes/cancellations to the trip. And seriously, why would you want to call a 1-800 number just to be on hold for 45+ minutes when someone else can do that for you? This is about saving you the hassle, not taking away your control. See, having a travel agent is similar to having an insurance policy (without the cost, of course). By booking through me, you’ll always have someone there to take care of things whenever something unexpected comes up. I’m looking at you, Hurricane Dorian. We plan our vacations far in advance. That’s the nature of the industry. But we can never really know for sure what’s going to happen when the time comes to take that trip. Will you have time to sit on the phone with Royal Caribbean or Disney or Sandals or any number of resorts if something suddenly changes? I will. I’ll figure out what your options are and present you with the best scenarios for adjusting your travel plans. You don’t have to worry about any of it. If that doesn’t already have you sold on booking with a travel agent, don’t worry. What I’m about to tell you might just put you over the edge… Travel agents get you the BEST deals. We have access to hundreds of suppliers that regular travelers don’t, meaning that there are deals out there you’ll never be able to find without booking through me. And I assure you, if it’s out there, I’ll find it. In fact, if I book your vacation with a great deal only to discover a newer, greater deal months later, I can automatically add the better offer to your vacation. Big corporations like Disney aren’t going to do that for you, but I can. Just like I can sometimes provide special perks like Onboard Credits for cruises, special group rates, and more. As you can see, there are several reasons why using a travel agent to book your vacation is beneficial to you—and I haven’t even mentioned the wealth of knowledge we all have regarding destinations and activities—but to me, the most important reason to book through a travel agent is the simple fact that you’ll be supporting a small business. I’m not a multi-billion-dollar company; I’m a mom. I’m a mom who’s paying for her kids to go to college, to take dance lessons, to inevitably go over their cell phone minutes. I’m a mom who loves to travel hassle-free with her family, and I want the same easy, convenient experience for yours. That’s why you should book with me. So, what do you say? Are you starting to see the perks of booking through a travel agent? If the answer’s yes, don’t waste any time waiting. Request a quote with me today!

The Grand Canyon. Enormous. Majestic. Kid friendly? Believe it or not, the answer is yes! Despite the fact that our children, ranging from 10 to 18 years old, were less than enthusiastic about adding the Grand Canyon to our family vacation this year, it turned out to be one of their favorite parts of the trip out west. What do I mean by less than enthusiastic? I believe the word “boring” was used once or twice. As far as they were concerned, they’d already seen the Grand Canyon time and time again in photographs. But a photograph isn’t the same as seeing it in person, and seeing this incredible landscape in person is anything but boring. As soon as we arrived, they quickly realized that the pictures didn’t do it justice. They were in awe. Imagine that, a 10-year-old in awe of something over a million years old. Now, that same 10-year-old girl is learning about the Grand Canyon in school, and she proudly tells her classmates, “I’ve been there!” Not only has she been there, but she’s taken photos there (some goofier than others) and she’s made memories there—memories that she’ll cherish for the rest of her life. So yes, your kids may groan about how “boring” a bunch of rocks may be, but don’t rule it out. We didn’t, and we’re so glad because of it. With that said, the Grand Canyon probably isn’t the ONLY place you want to visit on a vacation to the Southwest, as two days there is more than enough for your children. That’s why I recommend visiting any of the many places close by. In fact, we took a day trip out to the Canyon from Las Vegas! If you’re interested in learning more about building a family vacation around the Grand Canyon (or adding it to your already-planned vacation in the area), contact me for a quote today!

We all know that the Disney parks are decorated beautifully during the holiday season, but did you know that you can also get a little Christmas in Disney Springs?  In recent years, Disney Springs has put up a “Christmas Tree Trail” which includes themed trees from Disney characters and Disney movies.  New trees are added each year – with this year including the following themes:  Haunted Mansion, Star Wars, Four Parks (with a monorail), Nordic Winter and Nostalgic Mickey & Minnie. The magic begins on November 8, 2018 and runs through January 6, 2019.  There are a total of 27 trees.  The trail is complete with Christmas music, falling snow and of course – the gorgeous themed trees.   We have been the past 3 years and last year they had Photopass photographers stationed throughout which was a nice touch!   The trail is open from 11:00am to 11:00pm.  At the end of the trail, you’ll also find Santa’s Chalet where you can meet the man himself!  Santa will be there November 8, 2018 to December 24, 2018, 11:00am – 11:00pm.  The line for Santa can get long, so you can check in at the podium, give your cell number to one of Santa’s helpers, then go shop, eat or just enjoy the sights.  You will receive a text message notifying you when to return to take your place in line to meet Santa! Here are some pics from our trips to the Christmas Tree Trail – I seriously want to pack up these trees and take home to decorate my house! One of my favorites – Minnie Mouse tree! As I mentioned, last year they had Photopass photographers stationed in the trail, here’s one of us and you can see the “snow” falling around us. I can’t wait for another visit this year to see the new trees!  Don’t forget there’s also special Christmas/Holiday themed shopping, eating & holiday performances at Disney Springs.  While there try one of my favorite quick service restaurants – Blaze Pizza or Polite Pig!  You can find a list of holiday happenings at Disney Springs here. As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you.

My husband and I recently attended the Passholder Play Time event at Toy Story Land.  This was our first time ever passholder event and let me tell you – it did not disappoint!!! Our event time was scheduled from 7am – 8am, with entry to begin around 6:45am.  We got to our bus stop that morning right at 6:00am and a bus came up immediately (just like the sign says!): These signs are stationed at the Disney resort bus stops to let you know how approximately how long you’ll have to wait. We always found them to be pretty accurate! We were the only ones on the bus!! We were at the entrance by 6:20am and were greeted with the sight of all of the Cast Members awaiting our arrival: This was super cool; we were only the 3rd or 4th people to arrive.  We waited up front talking to a nice cast member until it was time to let us in.  The cast member told us that it was open to 300 passholders, but we weren’t sure if that was per hour, or for the entire 2 hours. First in line! Once open, the cast members walked us over to Toy Story Land.  The sun was just beginning to rise, so it was still all lit up which was pretty cool. We headed straight for Slinky Dog Dash.  We did have to tap our magic bands (similar to a fastpass) but only had to do that the first time.  After that we went through a separate line. Pics of the empty queue: Our first ride: Our 3rd ride: Our 5th ride: Our 7th (and final) ride: By the time we finished our 7th ride (we thought about going for 10, but we were both feeling a little nauseous after the 7th time), it was only 7:30am.  We walked over to Alien Swirling Saucers for our first ride.  On the way over we stopped for some PhotoPass pics: The CLAW!!! We walked right on to Alien Swirling Saucers.  This wasn’t our favorite ride and wasn’t something we wanted to ride a second time, even though we could have walked right back on. We stopped for a bathroom break and then took some more pics: As you can see, the park was pretty empty – it was amazing!! Afterwards we headed over to the Woody & Jessie meet and greet.  This would be our longest line of the day…..which was about 10 minutes total.  The characters are out in the sun with no shade cover, so they take breaks frequently.  We had some cute interaction with them and ended up with a shirt full of stickers: Next we were off to meet Buzz and to get our Photopass picture by the entrance sign: After meeting Buzz, we decided to head over to Woody’s Lunch Box for breakfast.  I have heard good things about this quick service meal, and it did not disappoint.  You can check out their menu here. Eddie ordered the Breakfast Bowl: Breakfast bowl with potato barrels, eggs, green onion, and smoked brisket country gravy I ordered the Smoked Turkey breakfast sandwich on sourdough: Smoked turkey, swiss cheese and egg on sourdough bread – yummy! Everything was really good.  We decided to go ride Toy Story Mania next.  It was another walk on. Eddie beat me. Ugh! We were hoping the cast member would let us stay on for a second ride (because some of the queue lines were empty), but there was someone at our number, so we had to get off and get back in line.  No worries though – we walked right back on again!  On our way out we took some more pics: Then ran into a Photopass photographer who offered to take our picture: At this point it was around 9:00am so we decided to leave Toy Story Land now that the park had opened to everyone else and it was getting crowded.  As we walked out right at 9am, we saw that the line for Slinky Dog Dash was at a 60 minute wait! We walked towards Rock ‘n Rollercoaster and stopped for some Photopass pics since the streets were pretty empty: We walked right on Rock ‘n Rollercoaster.  When I say walked right on – I mean it!  We didn’t even see the pre-show with Aerosmith!  That has never happened!! Check out this EMPTY queue!!  Now keep in mind – passholder play time had ended and the park was open to everyone!  I cannot stress the importance of early park arrival!!! Next we walked over to Tower of Terror.  Another walk on, although we did see the pre-show Twilight Zone video. We finished up around 9:35am and decided to go into the shops to look at the Toy Story Land pins (my husband has a severe Disney pin addiction), along with anything else we might want, lol. We were out at the bus stop by 10:15am, and back at our resort (Port Orleans French Quarter) by 10:40am. Did I mention this was the BEST.PARK.DAY.EVER?!!   We were so lucky to be able to get tickets to experience this event – I wish we could experience all of the parks like this! Click here to read my other Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #HollywoodStudios #AnnualPassholder #SlinkyDogDash #PassholderPlayTime #ToyStoryLand

In case you missed it, click hereto start with Day 1 of the Trip Report. Disembarkation Day – Vancouver Sightseeing This morning our breakfast was scheduled for 7:00am since we were on the Main Dining schedule.  We knew we didn’t have to be off the ship until 9:00am (out of our room by 8:30), so we left our bags in our room and headed to breakfast.  We were sad to say goodbye to Svetlana and Istvan and told them we would be sure to request them as our servers next time we are on the Wonder.   Breakfast went pretty quick, and we went back to the room and did a final sweep of the room before heading out around 8:00am or so.  Walking out we had to stop by this table to pick up the knives they had “confiscated” that we had purchased in Alaska.  Once you return on ship from a port, they take anything you’ve purchased that is not allowed on the ship (such as alcohol or knives, etc) and give you a card with a number on it.  You give that card to the staff at the table to collect your items.  It was a seamless and quick process. It was a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver.  We had a Vancouver Delights tour scheduled with LandSea Tours, but we weren’t due to meet the representative until 9:30am.  So we found a bench and just enjoyed the beautiful weather and seeing some behind the scenes action for the Wonder: Loading food and supplies for the next sailing About 9:15am we headed to the front entrance to meet our LandSea representative.  He asked us to walk across the street with him just because it was easier for the driver to navigate to that side.  I had done a lot of research, and there was a Vancouver tour that Disney was offering for the same price, but that tour didn’t have as many stops as this tour, and this tour also delivered us to the airport and stored our bags.  They had a regular Vancouver City Tour that was around 4 hours long, and this one (Vancouver Delights Tour) which was 7 hours long.  We didn’t have to be at the airport until 8:00pm, so this one worked perfect for us. Our driver picked us up and then made some stops at a few other hotels and then we were on our way.  Our driver, Summer, was a local and very informative.  Our first stop was at the Granville Public Market.  We had heard this was very similar to Pike Place Market in Seattle which we loved, and this was an accurate description.  In fact, I think I enjoyed Granville Market a little more, and would love to go back and spend a full day there.  We were given an hour to shop, eat, etc.  I wished we had stopped here closer to lunch, because they had so much that looked delicious that I would have loved to try!  We did buy a scone and some chocolate chip cookies to snack on later.  Here are some pics of the market area: After we left here, our next stop was the Vancouver Lookout.  Admission was included in the price of the tour which was awesome.  It would have been $17.50 (CAD) each otherwise.  We had great 360 degree views from the lookout, and there were signs posted all over giving some history of the sights in Vancouver.  We spent about 30 minutes here before heading out. View of Canada Place and the Disney Wonder from the Vancouver Lookout Tower While driving to each location, Summer was great about pointing out other areas and giving us some history or details (such as the beach area with logs placed all around to watch the sunset, the Rogers Centre stadium, the Olympic Cauldron, etc). Our next stop was at Stanley Park where the totem poles were located.  Stanley Park was PACKED and Eddie and I were so glad that we had got up early the first morning of our cruise and experienced Stanley Park where we felt like we were the only ones there! Our next stop in Stanley Park was at Prospect Point.  This offers beautiful views of Lions Gate Bridge and Vancouver.  They have a café there and some outside tables as well.  On the way to Prospect Point we passed a Stanley Park Brewery that is being built.  We can’t wait to come back to Vancouver and spend more time. There was a gift shop at Prospect Point so of course I had to buy a Christmas tree ornament: After our scenic pictures, we got back on the bus and headed to Capilano Salmon Hatchery and then the Capilano Suspension Bridge.  Admission was also included in the price of the tour.  The Salmon Hatchery was neat and had some beautiful trails: Next was the Suspension Bridge: The Suspension Bridge was so crowded! Canada Day was the day before which is why they had the flag up. That was pretty cool to see. We walked the bridge across and back and then got some lunch.  It was around 3:00pm at this point and we hadn’t ate since breakfast on the ship.  We stopped at Logger’s and got a huge hot dog and fries.  Eddie and I split one, but Hunter had his own, lol. This was their indoor sit-down restaurant Definitely big enough to share (unless you’re a teenage boy, lol!) We were all given these certificates when we were getting ready to leave Capilano Suspension Bridge: Isn’t he cute? Our driver dropped off the others at their hotels (there were about 4 stops).  That was another great thing about this tour….we were given priority at the Vancouver Lookout and at the Capilano Suspension Bridge (no waiting in line) and the bus was small, we had 19 people in our group.  We were dropped off last at the airport, and we did tip Summer well.  Not only was she a great tour guide, we would have had to pay around $43 for a taxi to take us to the airport, not to mention all the admission fees we would have had to pay to the sites we visited.  This tour can’t be beat, and I am definitely recommending this to all of my clients who go to Vancouver, either for a cruise or just to visit Vancouver. By the time we got to the airport, we were starting to get tired.  We arrived around 6:00 or 6:30pm, and we couldn’t check in until 3 hours before our flight (8:00pm).  Luckily Vancouver airport has a nice food court outside the terminals where we sat and relaxed until we could check in.  We decided to wait to get something to eat until we had went through security since we had a late lunch.  The process was a little quirky, we used the kiosk to check-in, then were told to take our bags to another location in the airport to be checked.  Once we got there, we were told that once we arrived in Chicago (our layover), that we would need to collect our bags and re-check them.  We were a little frustrated by this because we only had a 1 hour and 20 minute layover.  It was something to do with being late at night and security, etc.  Thankfully once we got to Chicago everything went pretty quickly, but it was a hassle having to go through security again.  Especially when it was 5:00am and our bodies were functioning on very little sleep. We made it back to our home airport around 9:30am and were home by 11:00am.  We immediately took a nap and set our alarms for 2:00pm so we wouldn’t sleep all day.  That worked well.  We were ready to go to bed at our usual time of 10:00pm that night.  We did sleep pretty late the following day, but we needed it.  We are glad we had that extra day to readjust before heading back to work. Well this is the end of this report, I hope you enjoyed it!  Please send me a message if you have any questions about Alaska!  We absolutely loved this cruise and are already trying to figure out when we can go back again.  Eddie said he never wants to do another Caribbean cruise again, LOL (I wouldn’t go that far, haha!).  But seriously, the scenery cannot be beat.  God’s creation is absolutely stunning and we were very fortunate to be able to go on this adventure. Click here to read my other Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #Alaska #Skagway #DisneyCruise #Ketchikan #Juneau #TripReport #Vancouver #Excursion #CruiseReviews