#LifeisBetterTraveling Archives - Page 11 of 15

How to Spot a Dirty Hotel Room

How Dirty is Your Hotel Room?

I have been watching a lot of Hotel Impossible on Netflix lately. I am strangely drawn to this show where one guy evaluates hotels that are in the decline. He revamps everything from management, the front desk area, and the cleaning crew’s philosophy on what is actually a clean room. By the end of the show the hotel looks great, the staff is unified, and bookings start increasing.

It does have me thinking though – if all these places he is visiting have issues with cleaning, am I doing a good job finding inadequacies when I stay at a hotel. After all, the first thing I do when I enter my hotel room is get out my antibacterial wipe and clean down the remote. But what else am I missing? I have come up with a few tips on what to “spot” if you have a dirty room. I came up with these from my own experiences and from watching the show. They have helped me on several occasions even when we have stayed in big name, five star hotels. These tips even hold true if you are renting a house at the beach for a week. Those cleaning crews really don’t have enough time to clean everything!

Tip #1: Make sure you have antibacterial wipes or Clorox wipes with you when you go on vacation. Clorox now has a convenient small pack in the travel size section. Make sure to wipe down the remote (dirtiest thing in the room based on several studies), any handles i.e. toilet, facets and the inside door, the toilet seat and cover, the telephone even the ear piece, and if you have a kitchen you may want to do a bit more work there if you are planning on using it.

Tip#2: Check for bed bugs! Bed bugs are the worst thing you want to bring back with you. In order to find them you have to pull

Our hotel room in Venice

the fitted sheet back and expose the mattress all together. Look in the seam of the mattress at the top and bottom curves. Some people see bugs and some people see what looks like dirt. Either way, if you find them get another room immediately! Don’t trust your bed bug spray that you bought at the hardware store is going to work. Let the hotel call someone in to take care of it. It you are renting a house, then definitely use the spray but keep all luggage outside until you know it has worked. The last thing you want is bed bugs to get into your luggage and you bring them home!

Tip #3: Since I was a child my mother never let me touch the bed cover, duvet, or comforter that was on the bed. That was always the first thing off the bed on onto the floor. Hotel policy should be to change them after each guest and clean them but that doesn’t always happen. After all, they are heavy and thick so how can one person lug 20 of them on their tiny cart. Check the bed cover for any stains. The top of the cover typically has bright colors so you may not be able to detect any stains. Flip it over and look at the white part underneath. Any stains need an immediate call to housekeeping. This also holds true for the sheets.

Tip #4: Check the toilet! I know that this can be disgusting but from watching the show I have really learned that places aren’t very good at cleaning the toilet. Just because they lay that piece of paper over the lid that says it has been cleaned, most times, it hasn’t. When you lift the lid try to look under the lip of the toilet or if you are even more daring take a piece of toilet paper around the lip of the toilet to check it was cleaned.

Tip #5: Check the shower and especially the shower curtain. I am finding that more and more hotels are not cleaning their shower curtains. One time I even had one curtain switched out and the newer curtain had more mold and soap build up than the other one. This was not acceptable and I told them they needed to find one that was either straight out of the packaging or washed.

Tip #6: The one thing that most people don’t seem to check is the pillow. It is very easy to change out the pillow cases, but I know that when I change out my pillow case my pillow sometimes needs to be washed too. You should check both pillow cases and the actually pillow for stains. Hotels have tons of pillows so they can easily get you more.

Remember, that you are a guest at their hotel. You have right to request things to be switched out if they have stains, mold, soap scum, are dirty or even broken. Most of the time the rooms that I have been staying in are brand name hotels and are over $150/night, not your highway motel with a rate at $49/night. There are many websites that allow the consumer to rate hotels including TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Hotels.com to name a few. If you may be concerned about the hotel you are going to be staying at you may want to consider checking out the reviews or even making a review based off of your personal experience. Either way, make sure to protect yourself the next time you are staying at a hotel.

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What type of Traveler are You?

Liz Hough on

I absolutely love my job and the best part of my job is meeting new people. I love hearing how someone had an amazing time on their vacation! When I hear this it means that I am doing a good job by pairing them on the right vacation. But how do I know which vacation is right for each person? I ask a lot of questions that help me understand what type of traveler you are. You are probably thinking, “what kind of traveler am I?” Here are some of the categories I have come up with: Active, Eco-friendly, History Buff, Beach, and Laid-back. Believe it or not each person is a type of traveler and sometimes you may be more than one. So read the categories below and figure out which type of traveler you are.

1. Active Traveler – the Active traveler is someone who doesn’t stop. They want to enjoy every single moment of their vacation. They get up early to be on the streets observing the locals and tasting that fresh baked bread as it comes out of the oven. They usually sign up for at least one tour every day. The Active traveler isn’t worried about where they are staying because they feel that it is just a bed, someplace to rest for a few hours. They want to spend their time and money exploring and learning as much as possible. Active travelers are also the most likely to enjoy some type of physical activity during their vacation!

2. Eco-Friendly Traveler – the Eco-Friendly traveler is someone who wants to do something better for the environment or a community. Ecotourism is a very popular way to travel today. Many people choose vacations where they submerse themselves in nature or helping a community. They trek around the jungle or enjoy the sounds of the ocean while trying to do something good for the Earth. The resorts they choose to stay at have little carbon footprint on the earth and believe in all natural products and foods. This is a very healthy and rewarding way to travel!

3. History Buff Traveler – I love this category of traveler because I personally fall into this category. I love reading about the places we are going to visit and preparing for everything we are going to see. A History Buff is someone who likes to walk through old cities and take in their surroundings. They appreciate and enjoy the history of the places they are in. They typically like a city’s architecture, museums, shops, pubs, and/or attractions. In some ways the History Buff is an Active traveler as they want to see everything and may get up early and stay out late, but they know their limits. The History Buff has purchased travel books so that they know the general history, but they always look for guided tours so that can hear the local versions of the history. Listening to stories and exploring off-the-beaten-path locations is the best part of their vacation!

4. Beach Traveler– Beach Travelers really enjoy the beach. Warm weather, white sand, and most importantly plenty of sun! This type of traveler has going to the beach down to a science. They have done their research on places and resorts, and if they find a destination that they really like they will go back there several times. Beach Travelers tend to have the ultimate relaxation vacation because they don’t have anywhere else they need to be. It’s all about soaking up the sun’s rays and re-energizing their body! Don’t be fooled thinking that the Beach Traveler just lays on the beach all day, no sir. They love the water too so snorkeling, paddling boarding, riding wave runners are just a few water activities that they love to do.

5. Laid-back Traveler – the Laid-back traveler is the best type of traveler to take on vacation with any of the other type of travelers. The Laid-back travelers are very happy to be away from their normal routine and most of the time are willing to do anything you want to do. They don’t care what type of hotel or resort they are staying in, they just enjoy being away with their friends or family. They may want to have some time for themselves to just take a day and relax or sight-see on their own. But they are interested in joining you on your adventures and will always say yes to the next vacation idea!

The great thing about a traveling type is that it sometime it changes. In the middle of winter when we have had snow every day for 60 days straight, I am ready to be a Beach Traveler. When I was younger I was more of the Active traveler as I didn’t want to miss anything. Now, having kids has now made me more of the Laid-back traveler. No matter which type of traveler you are there are so many amazing vacation to be had, so keep on traveling!

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation. Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs.

Travel Agent Scams Local Families

Liz Hough on

For the past couple of weeks I have been writing about reasons one would use a travel agent and to watch out for hidden fees with those large Online Travel Agencies (OTA) like Travelocity. I recently learned that in a small town outside of Pittsburgh, a lady who was a travel agent had been scamming people out of their hard earned money. She had a brick and mortar office, was a member of the local chamber of commerce, was “licensed” according to the news station (but there was no elaboration on what they meant by being licensed), and even generated invoices for booked vacations. Unfortunately it appears that she had her own debts to pay before her client’s vacations bills. I am sure after reading this you are reconsidering using a travel agent, right? Don’t be! I am going to give you some tips on how to make sure that your travel agent is legitimate and how to avoid being scammed out of your hard earned money.

Tip #1: Check their credentials. Ask them if they have taken any course work related to travel and tourism. Do they have certifications in the travel industry, are they rated on Angie’s list, the Better Business Bureau, or another reputable business rating website? Are they part of any networking works like chamber of commerce, Business Network International (BNI), or the Women’s Business Network (WBN)? And you should always ask for references! Asking for a past client’s phone number or email address to give them a referral should be easy.

Tip #2: When booking with a new travel agent, only give the deposit amount required to secure your booking, payment for any trip insurance, and any service fees your travel agent charges. Service fee amounts should be clearly stated on anything you sign. Unless you are booking within a 90 day window of departure, you should not have to put down the full amount. If your travel agent is requiring you put the full amount down, ask to see the supplier’s brochure and look in the very back for their deposit requirements. If you feel uncomfortable about booking at that time, politely say “it was more than you were looking to put down at this time so you will have to get back with you later.” Then get up and walk out!

Tip #3: In a world where credit cards are so easily used and they seem to be like potato chips where we all don’t just have one, please always use your credit card. There is built in fraud protection on most, if not all credit cards nowadays. Use this card to make your deposits and final payments. I would recommend against using a debit card unless you have been working with this person for years. Please be aware of any travel agent who ONLY takes checks as their form of payment as it is very easy to set up an account to take credit cards. Always check your credit card statements to ensure that the charges discussed are the exact charges on your bill. And don’t be afraid to ask questions if you find an error. An honest agent will review everything to find any mistakes.

Tip #4: Once you have made your reservation, your travel agent should give you an invoice with a reservation number of the supplier being used. If they have not, please ask them for this information. This gives you the opportunity to call the supplier directly or go on the supplier’s website to verify your booking. Now this sounds easy enough, but if you are part of a tour group that the travel agent has put together you will not have supplier reservation numbers. The best way to double check your tour is legitimate is to call one of the hotels you will be staying at and ask them if your group is booked.

Tip #5: Always listen to your instincts. If you don’t click with your travel agent then please don’t feel like you have to stick with them. Find someone who works well with you and your family. If you feel like something is wrong, ask a lot of questions or just leave. You have the right to ask questions. My mother has always told me that “if it sounds too good to be true then it is too good to be true.” There are deals out there that are really good, but do some research. Before talking with your travel get an idea of the cost of the vacation you want to take but remember that your travel agent can sometimes get you the same price or lower with added amenities.

Now you are prepared to work with any travel agent!

All Fun Must Come to an End :(

Liz Hough on

It seems like each cruise line has their own “private island” where they make a stop for you to enjoy various water activities, light shopping, heavy eating, and/or a relaxing day at the beach. We stopped at Royal Caribbean’s Coco Cay. Unlike Nassau, we had to take a tender from the ship to the island. I have taken many tenders on my various cruises and I have to say they are not my favorite. Either you are one of the first people to get on the tender that you end up sitting there waiting for it to fill or you are the last people to get on and are stuck on the top deck with the sun beating down on you. We were the former. Coco Cay is only a mile long island that offered many activities from beach volleyball, scuba, snorkeling, kayaking, beach spa treatments, and a floating, bouncy area for the kids or brave adults. We opted to kayak and snorkel. I am so glad that we choose the kayaking tour. We had a great tour guide who was from South Africa. She was one of a handful of people who lived on the island for a contractual period of time and even though this sounds like a fun experience it apparently can feel like Gilligan’s island and buying personal products can be difficult, i.e. deodorant.

The kayaking tour was an hour and a half. I am happy to report that we had calm waters that day so it was very easy to paddle. Now when I am on the beach and I look out into the water and see the various shades of blues, I have always assumed that the really dark areas were deep. This is not the case at all. The darker blue areas actually had more seaweed growing there than the lighter blue areas but in either case we could get out of the kayak and stand in the water. This was convenient when we found a conch along the way and got out to examine it. We also encountered several sting rays with a wing span the length of our kayak, and I also got to hold a sea cucumber, which is nothing more than a big squashy blob with hundreds of tiny legs. I highly recommend the kayaking adventure because you get to see a lot of the island when you are out on the water and you also get to see a lot of sea creatures in the safety of the kayak. No sharks, but our tour guide was hoping so badly to see one as they were her favorite creatures.

Now as I had said earlier, we had booked the kayaking and snorkeling tour. Thinking this would be one activity we were surprised to hear that the snorkeling portion was on our own. Now snorkeling is not my favorite activity. A lot of energy and muscles are used that I personally don’t use on a daily basis but when in paradise act like you are in paradise. The area they have enclosed for the snorkeling is really nice. There is a natural reef and several man made reefs that they put in for fun. When looking at this area on the beach it didn’t seem too large but half way through I was exhausted. I had to take several breaks on the floating islands they have for us weak people. The good news is there are three lifeguard stations around the area in case you get to tired to make it back to shore or get stung by a jellyfish. If you are interested in snorkeling then I recommend do it in halves. Surprisingly, these two activities with lunch made the day go by so fast. Before we knew it we were back on the tender.

We had one last excursion to take the next day it was the Kennedy Space Center. Unfortunately when we got back to our room the excursion had been cancelled due to lack of interest. We were also told to set up a transfer at the Customer Service desk and when we got down there around 6pm they told us that they were not handling transfers anymore and we would have to do it once we got off the ship. This was a bit confusing but the next day we opted for early departure from the ship and decided instead to rent a car. When you get off the ship there are several buses for transfers to the airport and you can pay them right there or you can go a little further down the way to pick up a shuttle for any of the major car rental companies. We rented a car from Enterprise and took our own tour of the Kennedy Space Center. I absolutely loved the Kennedy Space center. Their motorcoach tour was amazing or maybe it was the fact that our bus driver was amazing. He was a retired engineer from NASA and knew his way around the island. Our 10 minute tour turned into a private 40 minute motorcoach tour of areas I don’t think we were supposed to go to. We actually drove behind the launch pad where the shuttles took off and saw one of the ground plates.

Now Florida is notorious for their thunderstorms and this day was no different. As the storm clouds started to roll in we decided to head back to Orlando to grab some lunch in Downtown Disney. I did have a plan to eat lunch in Downtown Disney at their new restaurant the Boathouse then do some shopping at the Disney store for the girls. Unfortunately the rain had other plans for us. We opted to eat at Bongos café since that was the closest to the parking garage. In all the years that I have been going to Disney, this was the first time eating at Bongos. I remember when it first opened it was so hard to get a reservation and they would have live entertainment at night. The food was really good and the atmosphere makes you feel like you are in a Cuban restaurant. With the rain beating down as hard it was we decided to call it a day and head to the airport to return our rental car and get through airport security.

My overall impression of Royal Caribbean was good. I can’t say that I had a great experience because I didn’t get WOW’d. I am still going to take a vacation on one of their Oasis class and Quantum class ships and I am sure that I will be over the moon WOW’d. But, Enchantment of the Seas was a good weekend getaway cruise which if that is what someone is looking for then I would recommend this cruise. Nassau has changed a lot since I was there last and I felt comfortable and safe doing my own thing instead of booking a tour. There is still a lot for me to see there so I wouldn’t mind going back some day. Either way, it was a great weekend with the hubby with lots of rest and relaxation.

Weekend Getaway: Nassau

Liz Hough on

Now the last time I was in Nassau was in 1990 when we took one of the first Disney Cruises. From what I remember, it was very run down and the main focal point was the purple or maybe blue Merv Griffin hotel/casino. Today, you can walk down the street and buy anything from Fendi to Rolex. The buildings are very colorful, the streets were clean, and there was public transportation. Even though there were several excursions that were offered by the cruise ship, we decided we wanted to do our own thing. If you want to opt out of an excursion it is very easy to get around. The ship docks right by the main streets and there are plenty of taxi cabs, horse drawn carriages, and private services one can hire. It is a lot of chaos but after saying “No Thank You” a hundred times we made it to the main street.

We decided we wanted to hit a few of the jewelry stores to get our lower cost items that our cruise shopping director suggested. I also wanted to get to the Straw Market. In the 90’s it was an open air market, which parts of it still are but most of it is inside a huge building. There are many vendors selling various types of straw products from straw bags to hats to personal organizers. You can watch the ladies making your hat or bag right in front of your eyes or you can purchase a pre-made item. You can also buy shirts, sun dresses, and these crazy walking turtles that some lady thought it may be funny to attack me. She thought my kids might find them amusing as I had bought two Disney Princess bags from her but that is also part of the process when shopping in the Straw Market. HAGGLING! You definitely don’t buy anything at full price so bargaining is encouraged and most of the time they initiate the bargaining process. If you are lucky they will attack you with walking turtles too!

Also tucked inside this among the vast pickings of straw merchandise is a small food vendor where you can purchase authentic Bahamian food. All the straw vendors inside were lined up to get some food so you know the saying “Eat where the locals eat,” it must be really good food. Being Greek, we ate at a recommended Greek restaurant, Athena’s. Really good, authentic Greek food and fresh, lightly breaded fried calamari. Since our ship was docked until 11pm, we also decided to eat dinner at the local Bahamian Lukka Kairi restaurant. It was right on the water where the ships were docked so we got to see several ships leave. They had a big tank with lobsters that you could pick which one you wanted for dinner, not my cup of tea, but many people opted for it. We decided on some tapas and some local beer. Great atmosphere, great food, and amazing views!

Among our tour of the island we experienced the Pirate museum. Now I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a cheesy version of Pirates of the Caribbean and when we first walked into the museum it seemed that way. However, we found it very educational about pirating that occurred in the Caribbean for centuries. We learned that people didn’t walk the plank, pirates didn’t want to kill people but it happened, woman pirates were very well respected, more loot was given to the injured, and that they did like to have parrots as pets. The one thing I did find interesting is if you were actually caught and tried as a pirate you were immediately hung. Needless to say, this happened a lot!

We also walked down to the fort, which really isn’t easy to get to, but the walk was interesting. There are several shacks on the beach where you can have fruity drinks, get some Bahamian chicken, purchase water activities, or get a massage. A lot of the locals were out as it was a public beach. We also came across a BBQ where people where just coming up and getting food. It looked as though one guy brings a huge smoker and while he cooks, people gather and talk and drink. This is why we love just doing our own thing. You never know what or who you will come across when your venture out. I have to say I was very skeptical about what to encounter on Nassau since I didn’t have great memories but I would go back again and check out more of the island.

Nine hours touring around Nassau ourselves was tiring, but we had enough energy to sit in the casino and enjoy the slot machines. My husband has much better luck than myself. He went to the bonus round on several machines while I sat at the same machine for two and never got to the bonus round. Though by day three I think the machine felt bad for me so it kept going to the bonus round.

Onto Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island. Sunny or Rainy? Read next week to find out.

Weekend Getaway: Enchantment of the Seas

Liz Hough on

Well, we made it to the port and I breathed a huge sigh of relief! Luggage taken by attendants, carry-on in hand, time to get through security.

If you have never taken a cruise before, security is very much like the airport security. You have to present a government issued photo identification, passports preferred, and your cruise information. You have to put your carry-on luggage through an X-ray machine and walk through the metal detectors. You have to check in with cruise terminal personnel who will again verify all of your information, take your photo, and give you your cruise identification cards. These cards act as your identification to get on and off the ship, cabin entry card, your ship money, and casino points card. A.K.A. a cruise credit card.

People rate airports so I have to give my two cents on the cruise terminal. The second cruise I was on was out of Miami back in 2006. At the time, I wasn’t impressed with their cruise terminal at all. I felt rushed, no direction, people wall to wall, and I felt it was tiny. When we took a cruise out of Barcelona, I was impressed. Spacious, open, very well light, people directing you, everything was clean, and bathrooms were around every corner, which is good if you have to wait to board. I have to say I was equally impressed by Port Canaveral’s newer cruise port terminal. Very much like Barcelona’s cruise terminal and there were personnel everywhere to answer questions and direct you. Total time from when we entered the doors of the terminal to the time we stepped foot on the ship was 15 minutes. Very quick!

So after we received our cruise cards we were able to board the ship. If the ship is not ready for you to board, then you wait in the waiting area and they will call you by group numbers. I understand that everyone is excited for their cruise so checking in early can cause back-ups but the down side is you may have to wait to board. If you haven’t checked in online a few days before departure, then you will have to fill out paperwork. To fill out paperwork you must get there earlier than 90 to 120 minutes before departure or you may not be able to board. Lucky for us they were ready for us to board immediately.

Before you even get on the ship there are still a few more things you can do. Get professional pictures taken, buy beverage packages, make reservations at the specialty restaurants, get security bands for your kids, and get more information on the Royal Caribbean brand. We opted for the pictures as you don’t have to pay for them unless you like them.

Our first steps onto the ship lead us to the grand atrium area. You see people sitting in chairs with their luggage that they didn’t give to the attendants, and the bar is already full. We decided to start walking around the ship to become more familiar with where things were located. Being a travel consultant I wanted to get some good pictures of the ship without too many people in them. For an almost 20 year old ship, I was surprised how nicely kept it was. I didn’t see too much wear and tear considering they do three night Bahama cruises back to back. The ship had plenty of lounges, bars, elevators, huge main dining room with upper level seating, two cafes for additional dining options, a specialty restaurant, a very spacious casino, large theater, spa, fitness center, rock wall climb, trampoline jumps, and several pools and Jacuzzis including an adult only pool and children’s splash area. There was way more than enough to keep us occupied on a three night cruise.

In the customer service area they had their cruise planner (daily printed schedule of activities) which highlights what will be going on during the day. Since we really aren’t pool people and we couldn’t get into our cabin until 1:30pm, we opted to do another activity, planning our shopping in Nassau. They had a shopping concierge on the ship who gave tips as to what to buy in Nassau and where to buy it. It was a very interesting lecture and we were able to set up our shopping game plan within that timeframe. I highly recommend reading the cruise planner daily. They have some interesting activities from basketball games, to charity events, Bingo, lectures, art auctions, wine and liquor tastings, dancing, and show times.

I must say I was so happy with the amount of activities that they offered that we almost forget that we could finally get into our cabin. For a three night cruise I, personally, didn’t think that we needed a balcony. I also didn’t want to be at the bottom of the boat. There are a few select rooms on the upper decks called the Panoramic Ocean view. They cost slightly more than just an ocean view but you get a floor to ceiling window. I had seen these rooms on a ship inspection that I had done a few years ago and have wanted to stay in one since. I do have to say that I was disappointed with how dirty the cabin was. There were crumbs all over the carpet, the bathroom shower was grimy, the sink clogged, the toilet was not clean but we won’t get descriptive about that, and the window had an oil film on the outside of it. The only thing that was clean was the bed. A phone call to housekeeping and most of the stuff was cleaned up very quickly.

After our Bingo Loss we are onto to Nassau!

Weekend Getaway to the Bahamas.

Liz Hough on

I am excited to report that I recently took a 3-night Bahamas cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas. This was my first Royal Caribbean experience. Why did I choose Royal to take my cruise? My client’s suggestion. Even though it is my job to give my clients my suggestions on travel and travel suppliers, I also listen to my client’s and get their feedback of which suppliers they like. Royal has been consistently reviewed by my client’s as a great experience and highly recommended. When something comes highly recommended you tend to what to try it.

I took my husband with on this familiarization trip and we decided to leave a night early. Our ship didn’t require us to embark until Friday so we thought it would be fun to go down Thursday night and maybe get dinner at Downtown Disney. Unfortunately for us, there were thunderstorms up and down the east coast which made for a very bumpy plane ride. It is also hard to walk around Downtown Disney when it is raining so we opted to eat near the hotel. I normally don’t say this when in Orlando but the rain actually ended up being a good thing because even though our hotel had shuttles to the Disney theme parks, it did not have one to take us to Downtown Disney. Yes, Downtown Disney is part of the Walt Disney World Resort and even though this hotel was a Disney partnered hotel, they just didn’t offer a shuttle there. We found a Giordano’s Chicago Pizzeria in the shopping plaza right next to the hotel. We ate at the original one in Chicago and we loved their pizza. Their pizza was also great in Orlando!

After a great night’s sleep, we woke up to beautiful weather. Since we stayed in Orlando for the night we needed a way to get to Port Canaveral so I decided to book us a private transfer through Viator. I really like this company because they offer transfers, tours, long weekend getaways, etc. all over the world and the pricing isn’t too expensive. We ended up having Mear’s motocoach company which is Disney’s go to motorcoach company. Our driver was on time and the car they chose for us was a Lincoln SUV. The car was clean, spacious, very high end amenities, comfortable, and didn’t smell. Our driver was great! He was from Venezuela and talked with us the whole way to the cruise port which was about an hour drive.

Now, it has been 15 years since I took a cruise out of Port Canaveral. I had no idea what to expect. Once we came over the bridge and got our first glimpse of several ships, excitement rushed over me and then panic. There were three cruise ships that we saw: Disney Dream, Carnival, and what I believed to be MSC but we couldn’t read the name. No Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas! Now Royal has their signature blue anchor on their ship’s stacks. No fourth ship and no blue anchor, time to panic! We had the right day, we were there five hours before the ship was supposed to leave dock, but where is it? Our driver took us to the Carnival cruise line terminal. He pops the trunk and gets ready to let us out figuring that the ship had to be close by. Well, when 3000 plus people are trying to get on one ship, you can image how hectic it is with everyone trying to get their luggage onto carts, and unpacking their cars. This is where I take after my mother, but I demanded that he ask where the Royal Caribbean ship was. He asked one of the luggage attendants about Royal Caribbean and the guy told him no this is Carnival. The driver asked again where the Royal Caribbean ship is located, the luggage guy said at the new port just down the road. Feeling relieved, the driver got back into the car and look confused. We started off to the new port and within a few minutes we could see a single ship off in the distance. Hope! Blue anchor on the stacks, Enchantment of the Seas on the bow, and people unloading their luggage. Whew, we made it!

Now with all of my travels, one thing that I have learned is to listen to my instincts. If you feel like something is wrong then something is wrong! Don’t be afraid to ask questions and demand answers if you have too. When I don’t listen to my instincts I have lost a whole large box of souvenirs, almost didn’t eat for 9 hours, and slept on a mattress that was about 100 years old. We learn from our mistakes so I wasn’t about to make the mistake of being left at a port where I didn’t see our ship.

It was nice that our driver admitted that he didn’t know this was here and apologized, but I was still a little upset feeling like he was just going to leave us a the Carnival Cruise line terminal. There would have been no way for us to walk to the Royal Caribbean terminal as it was about one mile away. Even though the driver had learned something new that day, I would highly recommend this company as they showed up on time, did get us there on time, and the car was clean and didn’t smell.

Now, we did pay for the transfer up front but tip is not included in the pricing. For a transfer service I typically recommend 10% to 15% of the net rate, taxes not included. Since the driver had a nice clean car that didn’t smell, was personable, got us to the correct terminal, and took out our luggage for us, I felt that 15% was well earned.

We Made It!

Beware of Booking Travel Online: Read the fine print.

Liz Hough on

I recently had a friend ask me what to do when she needed to change their flight that they booked through one of these large travel booking engines or in the travel business what we call an Online Travel Agency (OTA). The problem was that the airline they were using was now using Expedia or Travelocity exclusively and not offering direct booking on their website. When they needed to change the flight, they had to call the booking engine company directly and not the airline. They had a lot of trouble speaking with a person and once they did they were charged all these extra fees to change the ticket. These fees were almost as much as the cost of the original airline ticket! So why do we use these travel booking engines, is it easier?

So many people ask me “why should I use you or any other travel agent when I can just book on-line?” People who are looking for a “deal” only think that they can get that online. Unfortunately, when you book online if something goes wrong it could end up costing you many hours, energy, and money to get it fixed. My friend not only had to pay the airline fees to change the flight (which can be up to $150 on domestic or $200 on international) but they also had to pay the travel booking engine fee. For example, Travelocity’s fee to reissue an airline ticket is $40 per passenger in addition to the airlines fees.

I looked further into these “fees” that some of these online booking engines charge. I found that Travelocity also charges a “Processing Service Fee” for all cruise line reservations. There is no set amount so it may vary depending on the price of your cruise. When booking vacation packages they have a “Facilitation Fee” that you pay them for facilitating your travel arrangements. Again, there is no amount so it probably is a percentage of your total amount of the vacation package. All of these fees are incorporated into your final amount. So double check when you get to the payment page the additional fees from the travel booking engine should be clearly listed.

Other travel booking engines like Expedia have similar fees but you really have to look deep in their website to find them. If you don’t have the patience to do this then I would suggest going through the booking steps until you reach the final payment page to see how much the additional fees are and then decide if you want to continue.

If you did or didn’t know that you were paying these fees, do you still feel the same way about booking online? Now my question is, why not pay a travel agent service fee to have a real life person to talk to and handle your reservation for you? Some travel agents don’t have service fees but to me the ones that do are the one that are serious about what they do. When we think of lawyers they charge a service fee and the more they charge we think the better they are. So why not think this way about your travel agent?

I truly believe that if you are paying a service fee to a travel agent you should be able to get that person on the phone every time you call them and they should take care of any and all changes for you. Having a travel agent also gives you peace of mind that when something goes wrong you have someone who is in your corner and already knows your information and details. You won’t have to repeat it 10 times like my friend did with the booking engine company! Also, travel agents can sometimes get you incentives that you won’t get from booking on-line. Want a free massage, a suite upgrade, a $250 resort credit, or a free tour? Yes, these are all incentives that, if available, a travel agent can provide to you. When you book on-line you get what you order. If you book a standard room you will get a standard room. That’s it, no frills.

When it comes to finding a travel agent find someone out there who has a niche for where you want to travel. Try them out. They may or may not be a good fit for you. When picking a travel agent make sure you do your research. You don’t want somebody who doesn’t know what they are doing or hasn’t been to the places they are selling. I am speaking from experience, having had a great travel agent for our first Mediterranean cruise. She helped us find tours we never would have found on our own. So when you find a travel agent you love, DON’T LOSE THEM!!!! Good travel agents are like good doctors, they are hard to find but when you find them hold onto them, even if you have to pay a service fee! Besides you will be spending a lot of money on your trip and you want the special touches and reassurance that a travel agent can give you.

Presentation is Everything!

Liz Hough on

Do you have a favorite travel supplier?

Even before I became a travel consultant I had my favorite travel suppliers. I would go to their websites first to check out itineraries and pricing. If I didn’t find something that appealed to me, I would check out other suppliers. I do the same thing for my clients. The suppliers I use must pass a few criteria before I will use them:

1. Customer Service – Let’s be honest, I believe customer service has to be held at a high standard because like any company you deal with if they don’t treat you right then they don’t get my business.

2. Travel Industry Reviews – I do read reviews from various travel societies, associations, and forums. I also take these reviews with a grain of salt. I am constantly getting emails from suppliers begging me to vote for this title or that title because if they get the most votes then they will be whatever of the year. I even get these emails from suppliers I have never even used! So when a review is a title, I take it with a grain of salt. When the review is a personal experience from the head of the association, I take it into consideration.

3. Customer Reviews – The best review is a past customer. People will be honest with you about their experiences with the supplier whether it was good or bad. I have had a couple of clients tell me their stories about a supplier and after reading other reviews, I will either use them or steer clear of using them.

4. Personal Experience – If I have personally used a supplier and really liked them I will use them over and over again. I will still consider using them even if I get a negative complaint. The experience I had, was worth it, but some time could have passed and the company may have gone in a new direction.

I think that personal experience is the major reason why people use the same travel supplier over and over again. You really get an all encompassing viewpoint of the company and if it works for you then why change it? I hear over and over again how Disney Cruise line is one of the best cruises that they have ever taken. I have clients hear the same from other people. I have never heard or read a bad thing about the Disney Cruise line either. Would I consider them one of my preferred suppliers, you bet I do! I also like when suppliers bundle everything in a neat little package for my clients. For instance, AmaWaterways sends little zippered travel bags with information books, vouchers, luggage tags, etc. CIE tours sends backpacks with luggage tags and strap, a rain poncho, ticket wallet, maps, and a phone card. When a supplier provides little packages like this it give me the impression that they want the customer have the best experience possible starting from the moment they receive the package. After all the saying goes “Presentation is Everything!”

So why am I writing an article about preferred suppliers and presentation? Well, I recently had some great clients of mine book a tour. I have heard nothing but great things about this company, which will remain unnamed. I personally had amazing customer service every time I had called and find their website easy to navigate. I am really excited for their tour in a couple of months but when I got the supplier’s “neat little package” in the mail I literally said to myself, “Huh, this is it?” I even called the company to ask if something got lost in the mail because I couldn’t believe that was all that they sent. I went through my checklist: customer service – great, travel industry reviews – great, customer reviews – great, no personal experience. Maybe my standards are too high or my expectations are too high? After all, it is about the experience that they will have on the vacation and the memories of a lifetime that they will craft. But why do I feel like this supplier fell flat with presenting my clients their vacation?

I have met a lot of other travel consultants throughout the years and I hear repeatedly that they only send their clients the final document about 2 to 3 weeks prior to the trip. To me this is not customer service. This is the same thing that their clients could do booking their trip on the computer. On top of that they charge a $250 service for their time. What time? What service was provided? And would you consider this service outstanding?

When I started my travel agency I wanted to make sure that everyone received exceptional quality and outstanding service each time they used us. This is the motto of our company and it is on my business cards and the first thing you see on our website. But like I said earlier on in this article, if you don’t like your customer service experience you tend not to go back! I didn’t have to take long to figure out what type of service our company would provide, it came rather easy to me. I had to provide something I myself would use and want to use! I want our company to make it easier and less stress-full to plan a vacation. I want our company to do all the work planning and organizing so my clients have more time for stuff that they want to do. I want our company to provide gadgets and gather final documents so that it makes it easier when my client travels. Our company has done exactly what we set out to do and our clients love it. So I guess I am just going to have to deal with the fact that not all travel suppliers hold their standards as high as I hold our company’s. After all, if the client has a great vacation then that is what matters the most to me.

Romantic Venice, Italy

Liz Hough on

Italy is one of those places in Europe that is a must see. I know that a lot of people go to Italy for their first European adventure. Why not, there are so many great cities to visit. Venice is one of those great Italian cities and in this article I am going to tell you why.

Our hotel room in Venice

Venice is in northern Italy along the Adriatic sea. Venice consists of the mainland and the historic city. The historic city has the beautiful canals and endless bridges. If you decide to stay in the historic city you will pay more but it is worth the experience. There is nothing like walking out of your hotel in the morning and seeing the gondolas lined up in the water or seeing the vendors getting ready to open their shops.

Venice has been around for over a thousand years and some of the buildings date back to this time. The hotels not so much and they are limited on space. There is a picture of our hotel room and you can see our luggage is against the cabinet and almost touching the bed. Also, make sure that you if you want your privacy that you book a hotel room with a bathroom en-suite. Otherwise, you will really get to know your fellow travelers in ways you weren’t expecting!

Piazza San Marco

Our hotel was located just a few steps from Piazza San Marco or as some people call it Saint Mark’s Square. This square has been famously shown in many movies including one of my favorites The Italian Job. There are shops, cafes, and alleyways that lead to those beautiful canals all around the Piazza. Early in the morning there is nobody around, not even the pigeons. By lunch time there are swarms of visitors feeding thousands of pigeons that seem to come from the water. If you are afraid of birds, I would highly recommend staying away from this area from mid-morning to evening.

Also, part of this large Piazza is the astrological clock. If you enter into the alleyway under the clock it takes you into a labyrinth of shops, markets, cafes, gelato stands, and restaurants. It feels like it is never ending and one can easily get lost. Just enjoy the treats that are offered to you along the way. On of my husband’s favorite stories to tell is that even though we got lost, we always ended up finding the same gelato stand! He didn’t really complain since he loved the tiramisu flavored gelato and I didn’t mind it too much either.

One of the most eye catching parts of the Piazza is Saint Mark’s Basilica and Saint Mark’s Campanile (the bell tower to Saint Mark’s Basilica). The bell tower is an iconic symbol of the this historic city along with the winged lions that symbolize Saint Mark, see picture below.

Astrological Clock

Saint Mark’s Basilica is part of the Catholic church and is open for anyone to take a tour. In the hot summer months when you may be wearing a sleeveless shirt the Basilica requests your shoulders and knees be covered. If you don’t have something to cover with they will provide you with a cloth. Once inside you are mesmerized by marble floors, bright mosaics, and a treasury that boosts one of the largest collections of preserved Byzantine objects. This is a very popular site and lines can be long. According to the Basilica’s website, the average wait is 45 minutes. But they do offer reservations so plan in advance!

Bridge of Sighs

Right next to the Basilica is another well-known landmark, Doge’s Palace. I didn’t know what a Doge was until I went to Venice but a Doge is an elected official. Typically this was the eldest male in the city and the position was a life-long position. If you were elected you and your family lived in the Doge’s Palace. Now the Palace was both a home and work area for the elected official. It also housed the jail from which the infamous Casanova resided until his escape. Many prisoners walked over the Bridge of Sighs which was given its’ name because it was the prisoners last glimpse of the beautiful Venetian lagoon before going to jail. For an amazing experience, ask about a private tour! We had splurged and taken a VIP tour of the palace. We went into the work chambers of the all the past Doge’s, which is not typically seen by any tour, and we took secret passage ways around the palace. We even came out of a tour where a tour group was behind the red rope and thought we were famous people. Very exciting!

Rialto Bridge

Venice is definitely known for it’s beautiful and plentiful canals but the main canal is the Grand Canal. You can walk up and down the canal and enjoy the site of boats, gondoliers, shops, restaurants, and brightly colored buildings. The Grand Canal is one of the wider canals that originally split Venice into San Marco and San Polo districts. The bridge that connected these two was the Rialto Bridge. Even though there are multiple bridges along the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge is the oldest. Many visitors stop along the bridge to get their photo taken over the canal. Now I really enjoyed see the Grand Canal but I preferred the more intimate canals through the rest of the city. They had charm, and honestly were not as polluted as the Grand Canal. I am not sure if it was the time of year, but there was a lot of food and bottles floating in the water.

When it comes to souvenirs in Venice purchasing one of the famous masquerade masks or Venetian masks is a must! We were told to make sure you ask around which are the authentic shops. There are a lot of stores that sell beautiful porcelain masks but the authentic ones are made from paper mache. These stores will also ship them for you so you don’t have to worry about making sure your fragile purchase makes it home in one piece.

Whichever cities you choose to see on your trip to Italy make sure that you fit in Venice. If you decide to take a gondola ride make sure that you have the Euros to pay for it. They can be quite expensive but it is a great way to see the city. There are a lot of cafes and restaurants so make sure to ask your concierge which ones they recommend. Whatever you eat will be the best meal of your life but make sure that you save room for some gelato, preferably the tiramisu flavor.

Venice was my very first European city and I want to say thank you to this beautiful, well-preserved, and romantic city for helping me understand why Life is Better Traveling.