Maybe You Don’t Need Travel Insurance!

 

Can you can answer “yes” to these seven questions?  If so, you can probably safely skip buying travel insurance!

1- Are you okay with losing your money due to cancellation penalties if you should have to cancel your trip even due to an emergency?

2- Can you afford the loss if your airline, cruise line, tour operator ceases operations?

3- Can you afford to pick up costs (i.e. airfare, lodging, transportation, meals) that could be associated with a mechanical, weather, medical emergency or labor-caused delay during your trip?

4- Do you have international health coverage?

5- Does your health coverage include medevac?

6- Does your health coverage include repatriation? If not, can your estate cover this?

7- Will you have access to paying out-of-pocket for emergency medical or medevac expenses during your trip until the claim you file once you are back home is reimbursed?

If the answer to each of the above seven questions is “yes,” then you can save money by not purchasing travel insurance. If you answered “no” to any questions, you can’t afford to not purchase travel insurance.

To obtain a quote or purchase insurance, click here.

~ Connie

This Cruise Night Gives Back

 
Connie George Travel Associates held a Cruise Night at the Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square last week. So exactly what is a Cruise Night? And is there a benefit to you if you didn’t attend it? (Yes! Keep reading!)

Simply put, Cruise Nights are an informational event sponsored by a travel agency and at least one cruise line. They usually include light refreshments, announcements of special promotions and door prizes. We had a typical mix of experienced cruisers, those who had never cruised, mixed ages, people who are already clients of ours and others were new to us. Three people were group leaders excited about their groups being announced that night.

We partnered with Royal Caribbean International. Our district sales manager, Nancy, gave an exciting presentation on cruising from the nearby ports of Baltimore on Enchantment of the Seas and Bayonne (Cape Liberty Port) on Explorer of the Seas, and also about the incredible Oasis-class ships which sail from Fort Lauderdale. Feedback and questions from the audience were great!

Afterward, I gave a short overview of Connie George Travel Associates and what makes us so special in the travel industry. We announced  promotions for Cruise Night attendees (hold onto your keyboard because I’m going to share them with you!), shared a couple of new group cruises in the area (and you are invited to join in!) and drew for the prizes. The event was about 90 minutes long, but many stayed afterward to talk about vacations.





We had an exciting addition to our Cruise Night. We asked everyone attending to bring a canned food item to be donated to the Kennett Area Food Cupboard. With our thanks to those who came, we were able to collect dozens of cans and a monetary donation to be sent to them. I challenge my fellow travel agents to add a canned food drive for a local food bank if they produce a Cruise Night. It’s exciting to know you are giving back to the community you are asking to support you!

I think my only disappointment for the evening was that we were planning to present a check to the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Fellowship of Hope organizer for the fundraising cruise they had recently operated, but the person who runs it was unable to attend due to illness.



With group leaders on hand and flyers to distribute, we announced their “AG Cabin Fever 2012” group which is for families looking for a spring break cruise and also a new Chicks at Sea (girls getaway cruise) called “Oldies Gone Wild 2012” for next Memorial Day weekend. Both groups are open to people outside the area and you can get more information by clicking on the above links.



So what about the promotions? Some promotions are only available to the actual participants who were at the Cruise Night. But there are two which we can share with others who read this blog.  If you book any Royal Caribbean International cruise through Connie George Travel Associates between 6/24-7/1/11 and mention “Cruise Night," you will receive a shipboard discount coupon booklet and if you book an oceanview or higher, you will also receive a bottle of wine in your cabin.  Each item is one per cabin.

Email info@cgta.com or call 610-532-0989 to book your cruise and get your bonus features!

~ Connie

Get Your Free Chillin' Out in Alaska Souvenir Blanket

Our “Chillin’ Out in Alaska” blankets were a very popular souvenir for our Alaska-bound clients a few years ago. In fact, I was recently talking to someone who was an entertainer and workshop presenter on an Alaska cruise conference we arranged in 2006 and he commented about how they still have and use their blanket!

It had been a while so we decided to buy these for our clients again this year. Here’s a photo of our first batch of blankets that I hauled out for shipping last week.


Would you like a free blanket? We ordered a few extra. Book a Princess Cruises’ 2011 Alaska cruise or CruiseTour with Connie George Travel Associates and mention this blog to our consultant assigned to you for your free blanket! (one per cabin) Ask him or her to check with me to see if there’s another spare blanket and, if so, for me to set it aside for you. But hurry because we only have a few extras! Once we run out, we won’t be ordering more this year.



- Connie

Tips & Surprises for That Keith Wann Show's Fans

 

 Being a guest on That Keith Wann Show… Cultural Bridges with Keith and his co-host, Windell "Wink" Smith, last Wednesday night was the most fun I’ve ever had on a radio show!

If you’re not familiar with it, this is a weekly internet radio show geared toward the Deaf community with the theme of bridging between the Deaf and Hearing cultures. The format is the typical audio, but there’s a chat room in which the show is being closed captioned and also a chat area for readers and listeners to interact with each other and the hosts. An audio podcast is uploaded shortly afterward. Later, an ASL interpreted video version is uploaded to Keith’s Vimeo website.

We had a lot of fun and it was an opportunity for people to learn more about the upcoming ASL Community Cruise, the CruisEUs interpreter conference cruise, our agency, how we first got involved with the Deaf community and a promised surprise for those going on either of those mentioned trips!

The hour flew by so quickly that we were in the middle of sharing some travel tips for Keith and Wink’s fans that I promised to post them. Here are 12 tips for Keith and Wink's fans:

Packing:

• Electrical power strip (there’s only 1 outlet in the cabin!)
• Zip lock bags (use them for liquid, wet & dirty items)
• Highlighter (mark what you want to do the next day on the ship’s newsletter)
• Safety pins (a “quick fix” for broken buttons, snaps & zippers)
• Extra batteries (better too many than not enough)
• One dollar bills (tipping for room service & other times when a dollar or two is good to have for tipping on the cruise, hotel, in the airport or in the port)

 Luggage Protection:

•  Be sure you have a luggage tag attached to the handle.
•  Attach a bow, ribbon or some other unique item to your suitcase so it stands out.
•  If flying, leave a paper inside your luggage that has your name, address, phone number, cruise line, ship & cruise itinerary on it.

 TSA Airport Security:

•  Remember “3-1-1” which means all liquids and gels that you carry with you into the plane must be in containers no larger than 3 ounces and all bottles must fit into ONE 1-quart Ziploc bag.

 Workshop Survival:

•  Grab a few cookies or a piece of fruit from the buffet at lunch for a mid-afternoon snack

Documents:

• A state-issued birth certificate is a valid form of citizenship. (The one from the hospital that has the cute footprints is NOT valid for travel!)

Did you hear about the surprise? Connie George Travel Associates is going to give an “ASL Rocks!” gift bag to everyone who books onto one of these two cruises by June 24. And we think it’s fairest to also include a bag for everyone who has already booked! One bag per cabin (but there are duplicates of some items in the bag.) CODA365 will distribute the bags on the ship for the ASL Community Cruise. Our office will mail the bags for CruisEUs.

Want to catch the 6/02/11 show?  You can listen to the podcast at http://www.toginet.com/show/thatkeithwannshowculturalbridges (once on that page, look on the right side for the list of "recent shows" for the one listed as 6/02/2011)or see the ASL version when it's posted on Keith's Vimeo channel.

~ Connie

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

The fifth of May has evolved into a celebration of parades and parties in the United States as the Cinco de Mayo excitement spreads through Mexico’s northern neighbor.

The May 5th holiday celebrates an important day in the history of Mexico, its roots stemming from the "Batalla de Puebla.” After years of occupation by the French, the smaller and less-equipped Mexican Army held a victory over the French in 1862 at the Battle of Pueblo, an unlikely victory as the French had not experienced a defeat in decades. While this victory didn’t turn the tide on the war, it understandably created an intense pride in having overcome overwhelming odds.

This holiday with quieter and historical roots in Mexico has evolved in the U.S. to a celebration of cultural pride and heritage similar to St. Patrick’s Day, Oktoberfest and Chinese New Year. Whether it’s pride, commercialism, unity or a good reason for parties and parades (probably all of those!), Cinco de Mayo continues to grow in the U.S.

In celebration of the holiday, here are some fun links we wanted to share with you:

Oriental Trading – My favorite online source for for parties, themes and gift bags.  Parents, you could use this store to plan your own fun family culture-inspired celebrations.

35 Words and Phrases translated from English to Spanish with a pronunciation guide - Check this out if you want to learn for fun or if you are preparing to be a courteous traveler.


Easy home recipe for a healthy knock-off of Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza by the author of the upcoming book, “Eating Well on the Road”, Candy Harrington.

Cilantro- Everyone seems to love it or hate it. It’s my favorite herb. Here’s a great link to recipes, storage, cooking and an FAQ for cilantro.

AllRecipes.com offers a page of "Top 20 Mexican Recipes." Yum!

Cozumel is one of the most popular Western Caribbean itinerary stops.  Cruise ships use International Pier, Punta Langosta Pier and Puerta Maya Pier. Puerto Maya offers a website full of great information and a live webcam.

Mexico’s ports have never been more popular. From traditional Mexican Riviera itineraries which visit its west coast, Western Caribbean which call on its east coast or Panama Canal cruises which also visit western Mexico. When you are planning your cruise, be sure to team up with a cruise specialist from Connie George Travel Associates.

Do you have a favorite Mexican recipe, book, singer, beverage or item? Let us know by commenting below.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

~ Connie 

Autobots or Real People? Your Choice!

When you book your vacation, are you getting outstanding customer service?


With Connie George Travel Associates, you’ll receive an actual reply to your email or phone call information request by a real live human being. Not autobots that are ignoring your individual questions or concerns. Our theory? If you aren’t a robot, you shouldn’t have a robot replying to you! From the beginning, an actual person will take time to work with you.

While we have much respect for people around the world (after all, we’re selling the world, right?), we feel that a business in the United States should have people in the United States responding to you, not someone working with a call center in WhoKnowsWhere, East Jabip.

And speaking of who is responding, would you like to work with a professional travel consultant such as ours or call center agent who reads off the screen and who may never attended training or even been out of the town in which they grew up?

Our thought? Value = Service + Cost +Features

When spending the hard-earned money and time you have dedicated to your vacation, consider value and who is guiding you on the journey.

~ Connie

What “They” Don’t Want You to Know

I don’t understand why someone would book directly with a cruise line. I just can’t think of any advantage. If I quit being a travel consultant tomorrow, I'd likely book my own cruises for a little while, but once I was removed from the industry for a while, I would search out a relationship with a travel consultant.

I can think of disadvantages for people booking direct. Cruise lines, obviously, want you to book with them and to spend as much as possible doing so. Hey, I don’t blame them at all. It’s just that, as a travel consultant, our “bread and butter” is the client so a good travel consultant is going to look at what’s best for their client. Cruise lines sell a product. Travel consultants sell a service.

To gain and keep your business, we have to look out for what’s best for you. That does not mean pushing you to “buy a cabin on my cruise line and spend as much as possible to do so.” Here are seven things you could hear from a good travel consultant, but are not likely to hear from a cruise line:

1. “In this case, I would not recommend upgrading to a higher category because………”
2. “There’s a third party travel insurance that, in your case, is a better choice than the cruise line’s vacation protection because……”
3. “There’s another option for an excursion in that port that’s offered by a third party that you might want to consider instead of the cruise line’s excursions because……”
4. “I would suggest booking with this other cruise line because…..”
5. “Don’t book this yet. You can save money by waiting until……”
6. “Are you flexible with your date because……”
7. (My favorite) “I’m calling to tell you that we saw that we saw a new promotion that you could qualify for so you are now saving……… “.

The next time you want to book a vacation with a professional who is going to watch your back, contact a good travel agency.  Call Connie George Travel Associates at 610-532-0989 or email us at info@cgta.com.

~ Connie