And after the long week I have had, laughing is good!   There is something to be said about having a day like this as spring is around the corner and dreams of a vacation loom.  For me this day is the first day of the countdown to a milestone birthday this month!

The jokes and pranks are spreading world-wide and hopefully in good taste  

Here are a few outrageous ones that I found on www.wikipedia.org from over the years that had me laughing!

Taco Liberty Bell: In 1996, Taco Bell took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times announcing that they had purchased the Liberty Bell to “reduce the country’s debt” and renamed it the “Taco Liberty Bell”. When asked about the sale, White House press secretary Mike McCurry replied tongue-in-cheek that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold and would henceforth be known as the Lincoln Mercury Memorial.

U2 live on rooftop in Cork: In 2009, hundreds of U2 fans were duped in an elaborate prank when they rushed to a shopping centre in Cork believing that the band were playing a surprise rooftop concert. The prank was organised by Cork radio station RedFM. The band was in fact just a tribute band called U2opia.

Trips to Mars:  Expedia  ran a prank on 1 April 2009, offering flights to Mars. This was internally known as Project Dawnstar.

Scratch and Sniff:   In 2010, British newspaper The Sun run an article about its new “Scratch and Sniff” paper, providing a sample of plain newspaper. This led to a lot of readers sniffing the paper in an attempt to smell the scent.

Whatever the joke or prank – take it light-heartedly today.   Luckily April Fool’s Day only happens once a year!

Have a favorite prank to share?

Happy Travels!

Wow!  March Madness is upon us with college basketball teams getting ready to compete for the national title and bragging rights.

But I believe there is other March Madness in the air too!   Spring breaks, celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, pollen in the air, warm sunshine, and lots of cabin fever blues to be shed!

Even here in the South it has been an interesting and long winter season.  Spring couldn’t come soon enough – minus the pollen though. I know it is crucial to the success of a wonderful blooming spring but does it have to cover everything in sight?!

Personally, I’ve been busy planning last-minute spring break vacations for families who decided it was time to get away.  The cruise ships and resorts will be at capacity for the next few weeks!

But on a much sadder note the madness could not have been predicted when an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan.  Mother Nature at her fiercest.   My prayers go out those in need.

Do you have March Madness fever?   Hope you find a cure – even if it is getting outside for a moment, taking a deep breath and enjoying the sunshine!

Happy Travels!

Happy New Year to everyone!  My goal is to write more on this blog in 2011.

So it is Day 5 of being snowed in (more like iced in).   While the family time has been wonderful – great crock pot meals, watching movies, playing games – the gray days have not been so nice.    But there is sunshine today which brightens my day and we are going out later today. 

But during this time I’ve had time to get organized for the year and begin to think about adventures that are to come for 2011.    A big birthday on the horizon, some summer time fun, maybe a trip to see the leaves change.

What’s on your horizon?  There are some wonderful new cruise ships on the seas now, great resorts opening in the Caribbean and beyond and some fabulous new shows in Las Vegas.  You name it, there is a travel destination in mind!

So dream big in 2011!  Make this the year to enjoy travel with friends and family.   Start checking off items on your Bucket List.  Simply travel.

Happy 2011 and here is to happy travels!

Oh sunshine, it is so nice to see you today!

It’s been too long since I posted on this blog!   Life certainly gets in the way.   During my hiatus I was blessed to travel with some family members on a 7-night cruise.   While being with family and escaping to tropical destinations was wonderful, the service experience before the cruise and while onboard was disappointing.  It seems this particular cruise line has cut corners (even for a new ship) that greatly impacts the satisfaction of their guests.  Without going into boring details, I will say that our family will think twice before sailing with the cruise line again.

This situation was one of few lately that makes me doubt if customer service is alive and well.    Polite tones of voice, finding answers to questions, not getting disconnected, actually following up when promised, doing what you say you will do.   These are not outrageous requests for a customer.  Correct?

This is indeed a busy time of year and everyone seems to be a little more stressed, over worked and simply crabby. Maybe we should all take a deep breath.   We could all use a ray of sunshine every now and then too.  I think what I have learned from the events of the last few weeks is that I don’t wish these stresses on my customers.   I smile more often when talking to my clients now and have been reminded of why I love what I do.

So thank you cruise-line-that-shall-remain-nameless (unless you ask me directly) for reminding me that human connections and customer service (yes it is alive!) are more important than the bottom line!

May you and your family have a happy holiday season!

Happy Travels!

Things are busy this time of year as we prepare for the end of the year.   Travel specials are plentiful like the season.

This is also the time of year when the leaves are changing and the air is getting crisp.  Football is in full season.  Apples are ripe and pumpkins are ready for picking too.  This is my favorite time of year!  

Along with this season, comes Halloween and Thanksgiving before winter sets in and Christmas is here before you know it.  Whether you take a hay ride with the family at your favorite pumpkin patch or sip apple cider at a bonfire while making smores, this is the season to explore the outdoors.   Maybe take a road trip to New England or the Great Smoky mountains for leaf watching or make your favorite Halloween costumes from scratch.  Travel local or travel far and wide.  One of my favorite fall memories is a Canada/New England cruise out of Boston we took years ago.

Whatever you choose, enjoy this season as the weather cools and winter nips at your heels.  Spend time with the ones you love and be thankful for each day you have together.    Enjoy the season!

Happy Travels!

Business has been steady this time of year and there have been a lot of questions lately on documentation for travel – particularly for cruises.  So I thought I would share a few tips and requirements for taking a cruise. 

 This is the kind of information that is not always clear to even the most experienced cruisers, who may have sailed with different documents in the past.  So as a quick reminder – all U.S. citizens must bring one of the following WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) compliant documents in order to sail on a cruise that departs and ends from the same U.S. port:

• Valid U.S. Passport
• Passport Card
• Original or legible copy of a Birth Certificate (issued by the Department of Vital Statistics)
• Certificate of Naturalization
• Enhanced Driver’s License
• Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card (i.e. Nexus Card, Sentri Card or Fast Card)
• A Consular Report of Birth Abroad

Copies of the following will NOT be allowed by a cruise line:

• US Passports
• Naturalization Papers

Originals, or copies will NOT be allowed by a cruise line:

• Baptismal Certificates
• Hospital issued “Certificate of Birth”

It is always recommended that all guests travel with a passport (valid for at least six months beyond completion of travel). Although a passport is not required for U.S. citizens taking cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port, traveling with a passport facilitates your disembarkation experience. It also makes it easier for you to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port should you miss your scheduled embarkation or need to fly back to the U.S. for an emergency.

By taking the time to familiarize yourself with these requirements and asking your travel planner questions, your overall cruise experience will be that much more enjoyable!

Happy Travels!

It was a journey back to the past for me and all the good times shared with him.   The rides on the riding lawn mower, the family reunions, his love of sweets and a game of golf or going to feed the ducks at the lake. 

The day brought smiles as well. It was the coming together of family from all over the US over a meal before the service.  It was the gentle reminder to me from my grandmother after the service to keep the memories alive of granddaddy.   It was the innocence of my son’s face as he watched and heard in awe the 21 gun salute at the grave side service.

These memories along with others from the past will always be in my heart.  I have traveled all over the world but nothing feels more right than when you come back to a place where you have such fond memories.

You are dearly missed Granddaddy but I know you are at peace now.  Thank you for the memories.  Oh and….”Hot Dawg!” – you always made me laugh when you said that

A good question lately!  Once there was a rather large dust-up when it was disclosed that a major cruise line had given away some free cruises to a core group of its fans who posted regularly on a large cruise community site.  There were many cries of “foul” and “reverse censorship”.  While this may have been blown a bit out of proportion, it does open the door to a question lots of novice cruisers ask.  And the question is “Should I trust the reviews I read on sites like Cruise Critic?”  The answer is Yes and No.

Why the ambiguity?  Because the most important thing to remember that what you are reading is just one person (or couple’s) opinion about a particular ship, cruise line or service amenity.  Have you ever gone to a shore side restaurant that a friend raves about and found it to be very disappointing?  I think we all have.  And what about that fabulous plumber who was recommended strongly?  The one who broke the pipe and flooded your new carpet?  Oops.

So, it is best to consider these reviews with a note of caution.  They are good for general trends and recommendations and certainly provide some insider tips.  Generally, if there are a large number of reviews and all or most of them are negative on a topic, there is likely to be some underlying cause. 

The fact that 80% of all people who cruise indicate they will sail again points out that if you work with a knowledgeable travel agent and he or she matches your needs with the most suitable ship, it is almost inevitable that you will have a great vacation!

How relevant to you find cruise reviews to be?

Happy Travels!

The family summer vacation has been planned, hotels picked out or maybe a family cruise, bags are being packed and anticipation of the travel is escalating.   But traveling as a teen in today’s world presents more challenges in years past.    Yet with the right guidelines in place, a fabulous vacation can still be a reality.

So here is my travel advice for teens:

• Program into your cell phone an “In Case of Emergency” or “ICE” entry.  The entry can be your parent’s phone number or the person you are traveling with.  Apparently emergency workers such as the police are trained to check cell-phone address books for an ICE entry to find a person to contact.
• There’s safety in numbers and no exploring should be done without a buddy. Before you take off on adventure though, also program the hotel’s number in your cell phone and make sure you have a hotel card or stationery with the address on it.
   
• This is common sense but bears repeating.  Do not accept rides, drinks or food from strangers.
• Don’t walk around listening to your iPod or chatting on your cell phone. In new surroundings, you need to be aware of what’s going on around you at all times.  Besides this way you can take in all the beautiful scenery around you as well as the local culture.
• Be aware of the lack of privacy on most of the Wi-Fi free systems, whether in a coffee shop or in an airport.  Gmail uses a secure login page by default, which means that the username and password are encrypted. But the actual mail can easily be read by an eavesdropper. Yahoo Mail and Hotmail offer secure login as options.
• Finally, set a protocol for the requirement of a password should a stranger say your parents have sent him or her to fetch you in an emergency.  The password remains the same for every trip and outing.

Keep these safety tips in mind, always keep the communication open with your parents, and most of all have a fun vacation.   Before long you will be off to college and these trips will be memories!

Happy Travels!

Do you have some travel tips for teens?

A guest post from Blythe Lipman is the president of Baby Instructions

Summer is here and many of you will be traveling with your babies and toddlers. Thought you would enjoy this article.

15 Tips for Traveling with Your Little Ones

If you are planning a summer trip with your baby or toddler, make sure to plan ahead. Here are fifteen sure-fire ways to make traveling easy and fun.

1. Before your trip, visit the dollar store and stock up on coloring books, paint with water books, and age appropriate toys for your toddler. And save them for a trip.  There is nothing better than something new!
2. If you have a small video player, stock up on age appropriate movies for your little one. Baby Einstein has some great videos for a younger baby.
3. If you can plan your plane schedule around your child’s nap-time, your trip will be a breeze.
4. When traveling on a plane, feed the baby while the plane is taking off and landing. This keeps the Eustachian tubes open so the baby’s ears won’t hurt.
5. When traveling on a plane with a toddler, it’s sometimes difficult to sit still during take-off and landing. Give him a sippy cup and some goldfish crackers and play a counting game with the crackers. It will be fifteen minutes of fun, instead of fifteen minutes of tantrums.
6. Always take a change of clothes, extra diapers, wipes and socks for your baby or toddler. Spills happen in the blink of an eye.
7. Remember to take a change of clothes for yourself on the plane. There is nothing worse than meeting the family smelling like formula.
8. Bring lots of healthy snacks for your toddler whether you are traveling by car or plane. Buying them at convenience stores can get very costly.
9. Bring extra formula for your baby when traveling. One spill could result in lots of tears.
10.  When staying in a hotel, bring along the lullaby CD that you play at home. Most hotels have CD players or you can request one. There is nothing more comforting than the sounds of home.
11.  And don’t forget to bring your toddler’s favorite lovey and bedtime book along.
12. Try and stick to your bedtime rituals while away the best you can. Consistency makes everything easier.
13. If your toddler has a difficult time falling asleep in a different crib or bed, let him listen to your Ipod. He will be snoring away before you can count to ten.
14. If you are staying in a hotel and are going to hire a sitter for the evening, ask that she come and meet your children a few hours before you leave. It is worth it not to have that dreaded phone call to come back.
15. Don’t forget to bring along extra batteries, photo card for your camera and protein bars for you.

Most of all have fun and happy travels!

Blythe Lipman is the president of Baby Instructions. She is passionate about babies, toddlers and their parents. After working in the field for over twenty-five years, she wrote her third award-winning book, HELP! MY BABY CAME WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS which is available at  www.babyinstructions.com  and all major bookstores . You can hear Blythe’s weekly radio show on Mondays, 11am EST @ www.toginet.com  Blythe is available for in-home, video and telephone consultations. ©Blythe Lipman 2010