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Bucket List Travel: Antarctica

A couple of years ago I watched the movie Where’d you go Bernadette? and immediately became obsessed with the idea of going to Antarctica. I later found out that the scenes that are supposed to be in Antarctica were actually filmed in Greenland, but that hasn’t waivered my need to visit Antarctica!

Anyone who knows me is well aware that I am the least outdoorsy person you will ever meet, so I know me wanting to go on thiss trip is going to be a surprise to many.

But look at this…

Iceberg, Lindblad Cove, Antarctica aboard National Geographic Explorer. January 2011

I want to go there and see this…

An explosion of gentoo penguins alongside makes this kayaking experience doubly extraordinary.

Antarctica is one of the world’s last great wildernesses. It is said that a voyage to Antarctica is one of the most exhilarating adventures the planet offers, and one of the most life-enhancing travel decisions any traveler can make.

There are a number of cruise lines that venture down to Antarctica. One that I have my eye on is with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions.

Lars-Eric Lindblad, considered by many to be the “father of ecotourism,” founded Lindblad Travel in 1958. In 1966, he brought the first group of “citizen explorers” to Antarctica. Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic have joined forces to further inspire the world through expedition travel.

Together they are good stewards to the earth and encourage greater awareness and understanding of issues impacting the regions where they travel.

National Geographic Orion, Lemaire Channel, Antarctica

The 148-guest National Geographic Explorer and 126-guest National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Resolution are purpose-built Antarctic expedition ships designed to safely explore Antarctica—the most remote, wild place on the planet. They are fully stabilized, ice-class vessels with ice-strengthened hulls strong enough to push through the Antarctic ice. Their construction and the caliber of their Icemaster Captains and veteran expedition teams are your assurances of safety.

It’s in the early season (Oct.-Nov.) when the Captain can adroitly “park” National Geographic Explorer, allowing guests to disembark directly on the ice.

Every expedition sails with a veteran expedition leader and a team of eight naturalists, many of them polar veterans, of a variety of specialties: zoology, biology, ornithology, geology, polar history, and more. Other members of the 15-person team include an undersea specialist, a National Geographic photographer, plus a Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructor, a video chronicler and a wellness specialist. Together, they provide you with a greater understanding and appreciation for this exceptional place.  

Hikers, Neko Harbor, Antarctica

Who’s ready for this amazing adventure?

My Bucket List

Amawaterways Christmas Market River Cruises

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Walt Disney World Ticket Offer

Play, stay and enjoy more magic with this special offer at Walt Disney World Resort—where magical moments are waiting for you.

Receive 2 extra days added to your ticket when you buy a 4-night/3-day room-and-ticket package at select Disney Resort hotels, valid for arrivals most nights from now through September 25, 2021.

Want to stay longer? Check about packages for other lengths of stay—and get 2 extra days added to your ticket.

Enjoy added peace of mind when booking! You can modify or cancel your reservation with extra flexibility through April 30, 2021. See Important Details.

The number of rooms are limited. 5-day theme park tickets included in this package are valid for admission beginning on date of check-in and must be used within 8 days. Visit disneydestinationstickets.com/usage for more details.

Ready to start planning your next Disney World vacation? Let’s chat!

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2022 Walt Disney World packages are now available to book

Get a head start on planning your future vacations by booking your 2022 Walt Disney World Resort vacation packages now!

Please note, the check-in date of your vacation cannot be more than 500 days in the future. There are some resort hotels that are not open at this time and not available to book. Disney Dining packages remain unavailable at this time, but can always be added to your Disney World package later.

A $200 fully-refundable deposit is all that’s needed to book your 2022 Walt Disney World Vacation. Packages can be modified or canceled up until 30 days prior to arrival.

Let’s start planning your 2022 Disney Word Vacation today!!!

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Delta SkyMiles now available to use on Delta Vacations Package

Delta Vacations is once again allowing Delta Skymiles members to redeem their miles for Delta Gift Cards that can then be applied Delta Vacations package that includes airfare.

What’s the benefit of redeeming your SkyMiles for gift cards and using them to book a Delta Vacations package? When you use this feature and book with Wishes and Waves Travel, you will accrue flown miles and bonuses, that you will not receive by booking using your miles alone.

To purchase a Delta Gift Card with miles:

  • Log into your SkyMiles Member account
  • Visit the mileage redemption for Delta Gift Cards page where you can select the desired gift card amount and quantity
  • Only one SkyMiles Member account can be used for payment per gift card. If you wish to use miles from separate accounts, each account
  • There is a limit of five gift cards that can be used per booking. See full terms and conditions.
  • Call or email me with your Delta Gift Card number and I can apply it to your booking.

Contact me today to start planning your next getaway!

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Royal Caribbean to homeport in Bridgetown, Barbados

Get ready for sun-soaked adventures to captivating southern Caribbean isles onboard Grandeur of the Seas®, sailing from the newest Royal Caribbean® home port — beautiful Bridgetown, Barbados.

With its idyllic pink-sand beaches, warm clear seas and gentle tropical breezes, and emerald hills and valleys, Barbados is an unforgettable destination in its own right. But there’s so much more to this tropical Caribbean paradise. From botanical gardens to caves, a visit to Barbados will be unforgettable. As the birthplace of rum, a stop at one of their distilleries for a tasting is a must. Historical Bridgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage site, where your clients can enjoy the charm of the city as well as the famous Bajan cuisine.

There are three different itineraries, including two separate 7-night sailings and a 14-night sailing with stops in St. Lucia, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent, Grenada, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and more. The 14-night itinerary visits the ABCs with an overnight in Aruba and includes destinations like Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Cartagena, Colombia and Colon, Panama. By departing from Barbados, Royal Caribbean can reach more of the less explored ports and offer more back-to-back port days versus days at sea.

The adventure begins in Barbados, Winter 2021. As your personal travel advisor, I’m here to ensure your journey is hassle-free and expertly planned!

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Disney’s Blizzard Beach is Reopening!

Disney’s Blizzard Beach will be reopening on March 7, 2021 and you will soon be able to once again leisurely float across Cross Country Creek and speed down Summit Plummet! First opened to the public on April 1, 1995, this spring will kick off Blizzard Beach’s 25th season.

When Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park reopens, it will operate in alignment with the health and safety protocols implemented throughout the Walt Disney World Resort, including reduced capacity, temperature screenings, physical distancing markings and face coverings. You can find the most updated information on the dedicated Know Before You Go section of the microsite.

Fun facts about Disney’s Blizzard Beach:

  • Summit Plummet is a 120-foot-tall waterslide with a near-vertical drop is one of the fastest waterslides in the world! Guests accelerate up to 65 mph on the slide, making it one of the fastest attractions at Walt Disney World. 
  • At 3,000 feet, Cross Country Creek ranks among the longest lazy rivers in the country. It takes between 20 and 30 minutes to complete one journey around the waterway – depending, of course, on how lazy you want to be!
  • One of the world’s longest family whitewater raft ride is none other than Teamboat Springs at Blizzard Beach. Along the winding rapids of Teamboat Springs, you will encounter remnants of the fabled snowstorm in the form of snowshoes, snow shovels, melting icicles and a snow mobile!

Tickets to Blizzard Beach are now available. Contact me today to plan your next trip!

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Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Announced

This week Disney announced Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth, taking place November 27 through December 30, 2020. This magical event will feature delicious food, fun activities for the whole family, and the chance to see some Disney characters in their holiday finest.

At this year’s festival, enjoy a global celebration of seasonal cuisine at the Holiday Kitchens, located throughout EPCOT’s World Showcase, including three kitchens inside the World ShowPlace Events Pavilion. Indulge in festival favorites like the slow-roasted turkey from the American Holiday Table, pork schnitzel at the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen or the beef bourguignon from the Yukon Holiday Kitchen. 

As you sip, savor and sample your way through the Holiday Kitchens, you may spot some of your favorite characters – dressed in their holiday best – traveling through World Showcase to spread holiday cheer. Keep an eye out for Queen Anna and Elsa in the “Frozen Holiday Promenade,” and Mickey Mouse and his pals making merry on the “Mickey and Friends Holiday World Tour.” And we can’t forget about Santa Claus! When Santa visits EPCOT during this festive time of year, he’ll take a grand horse-drawn tour around World Showcase, calling out happy holiday wishes to all.

Be sure to visit America Gardens Theatre to enjoy the sounds of the season from Voices of Liberty, who will share favorite carols through their incredible harmonies. Mariachi Cobre will bring to life Las Posadas, a celebration of Mexican holiday customs through music and dance. Over at the Canada pavilion, JAMMitors will grace the Mill Stage with their playful percussion. And, enjoy the shopping, sights AND sounds inside World ShowPlace as fan-favorite JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season will bring you on an uplifting journey through R&B, gospel, contemporary and traditional Christmas and holiday music. 

The Holiday Cookie Stroll returns this year, with a complimentary cookie as a reward for completing the confectionery collection. The delicious array of sweet treats to choose from will include cookies from five different locations throughout the park. You can also pick up an adorable cookie jar to collect all of your cookies, available for purchase at the Holiday Markets throughout World Showcase, while supplies last.

To share holiday traditions from around the world, everyone’s favorite snowman from Frozen invites kids of all ages on the new “Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition,” a festive adventure around World Showcase to round up holiday traditions Olaf misplaces. You can purchase the expedition map at Mouse Gear, Disney Traders, or World Traveler at International Gateway, then look for hidden Olafs throughout the World Showcase pavilions. Once they find them all, they’ll receive a gift worth melting for (while supplies last).

The holiday season across the rest of Walt Disney World begins November 6, 2020, with seasonal celebrations at Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Disney Springs, and Disney Resort hotels.

To get started planning your next Disney World vacation, contact me here.

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Disney Announces ‘Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts’ to begin Jan. 8, 2021

Disney announced today that the global celebration of the visual, culinary, and performing arts will return to the Walt Disney World Resort early next year, as the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is set for Jan. 8 – Feb. 22, 2021.

The Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts offers fun for the whole family. Here is Disney has shared with us of what to expect when the event debuts in January:

  • Indulge in over 15 Food Studios serving culinary art all around World Showcase
  • Explore and purchase the brilliant and diverse work of Disney and other invited artists on display in marketplaces encircling World Showcase Lagoon
  • Step into the scene at special photo locations scattered around the park
  • Participate in a paint-by-number mural that serves as a collaborative art project for all
  • Watch as visiting artists create magic right before your eyes
  • Catch performances by favorite EPCOT musical artists Mariachi Cobre and the JAMMitors.
  • Join an artful scavenger hunt and search for Figment around World Showcase
  • Shop for festival-exclusive merchandise

We’ll have more details on the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts as Disney announces them.

To get started planning your next Disney World vacation, contact us here.

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Resort Spotlight: Couples Tower Isle

Back in July, I had the pleasure of staying at Couples Tower Isle. This beautiful all-inclusive, adults-only, couples hotel is located in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. This property was built in 1949 and was the first resort built on Jamaica’s undeveloped north coast. In 1978, the founder, Abraham Issa introduced the “all-inclusive, couples-only” concept to Jamaica, and the Tower Isle was renamed, Couples Ocho Rios. The property was again renamed years later as Couples Tower Isle.

While this resort has been renovated, the art deco architecture remains.

The Pool Grill – Open for lunch and dinner as well as late night food service.

I found many things to love about this resort, but the food was definitely a highlight! There were many restaurants to choose from, however with COVID-19, not every restaurant was open every day, so we had to plan our meals out to make sure we hit as many restaurants as we could. Reservations are required for dinner at most restaurants and it was super easy to make them the app for our entire stay.

We ate most of our meals at The Patio which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They offer both a buffet (currently modified with a server plating the items you select) and an á la carte menu. Our favorite meal was at 8 Rivers. This restaurant has a glamorous 1950s era feel, serving classic food while incorporating local Jamaican and Caribbean ingredients. Reservations are required and a dress code is enforced. Dinner at The Verandah was also a treat! The website describes it as, “For those nights when you crave continental cuisine at its finest.” While it was continental cuisine, the chefs elevated it in both the fusion of flavors and presentation.

One restaurant that we did not get to try was Bayside. I heard incredible things about the casual and candle-lit Asian restaurant situated on the sea.

This resort is very romantic and great for couples celebrating their honeymoon or anniversary. They do offer nightly entertainment with live music and dance shows including resident band and cabaret performances, but the resort gets pretty quiet at night.

While there are garden view rooms, most guest rooms face the Caribbean Sea, many with views of Tower Isle. Tower Isle is a small private island for au naturel sunbathing. The beach here is small but private so you will not encounter vendors trying to sell you anything. During our stay, the water and beach were full of seaweed and there were red flag warnings, so we didn’t spend much time there. Luckily there are two pools, one with a swim-up bar that we enjoyed.

Every room features air conditioning plus a ceiling fan, private balcony or patio furnished with wide cushion seating and an outdoor table, large bathroom with a shower or tub, IPOD/MP3 player, satellite flat-screen TV, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, in-room safe, complimentary minibar that is refreshed daily, and nightly turndown service (the turndown service is currently on hold due to COVID-19). The furniture in the rooms felt a bit dated, but the rooms were clean and comfortable. The bed was so comfortable, we slept like babies.

Being a travel agent, I do have the opportunity to stay at a variety of resorts. Couples Tower Isle is now one of my favorites. The hotel itself felt special with its art deco architecture. The views were incredible and the staff was lovely! This resort felt like home to me. I think it is a great choice for a couple looking for a quiet, relaxing getaway.

To see more of this resort and the other Couples Resorts I visited on this trip, visit my YouTube channel and if you are ready to plan your next vacation, contact me here.

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Traveling to Cancun during a pandemic

After traveling to Jamaica at the end of July and having such a good experience, I jumped at the chance to go to Cancun last week. Spoiler alert, it was quite a different experience. 

I flew from Grand Rapids to Chicago and on to Cancun. Both of my flights were full, in fact, over-sold. American Airlines was still implementing the same safety protocols — mandatory face masks, no in-flight service, and asking all passengers to remain seated during the duration of the flight. Unlike a few of the other airlines, they are not leaving the middle seat open. 

Other than the flight because being completely packed, it was fine. I wasn’t super comfortable, but I wore my mask and face shield and tried to relax. For this trip I was traveling alone, so I think that made me a bit more on edge. 

While in Jamaica, the resorts where we stayed were around 20% occupancy. There was social distancing and serious safety precautions. For this trip, because it was hosted, I was not able to select the resort for my stay. Our group of travel agents were placed at the RIU Palace Peninsula in the Hotel Zone in Cancun. 

The resort was at 60% capacity which was the government allowance at the time I traveled. This felt like a lot to me. The resort didn’t feel crowded, but felt very full.

RIU Palace Peninsula

During COVID-19, everyones comfort level is different and I understand that. Personally, I traveled within my comfort level and am pointing out the practices and protocols that bother me. In my opinion, The RIU Palace Peninsula did a lot of things “right”…

  • Hand sanitizing upon entry to the hotel.
  • Washing/wiping of your shoes upon entering the hotel. 
  • Thermal temperature taken as you enter. 
  • Social distancing markers at check-in and at the buffets. 
  • Plexiglass barriers are the front desk. 
  • Enforcing masks be worn in the lobby and when you order at bars (with one exception). 
  • Elevators were marked for 4 guests per elevator.

However there were a few things that I felt they did very wrong and these few points bothered me. A LOT.

  • Buffets were still self serve with shared serving utensils (I was told they were changed out every 30 minutes and did see them changed once).
  • Social distancing was almost never followed by guests, especially at the buffet where guests would come right up behind you. In my experience when I hung back, guests would cut right in front of me.
  • Tables were not spaced out and there were no outdoor dining options.

I had quite a few problems with my stay at the RIU Palace Peninsula, as did almost all of the agents that I traveled with, but that’s a story for another day. Don’t ever request to stay there because I won’t send you. It was that bad.

The good news is that I visited 8 other properties in Cancun and saw and learned a ton! There are many resorts where I would feel comfortable staying and booking clients during this time. I think that the biggest takeaway from this trip is that to travel during COVID-19, you need to understand the protocols of each resort and where they fall within your comfort level. This is why traveling during this time is so important for me to do for my clients.

Will this experience deter me from traveling again soon? Absolutely not!!! Having visited two different countries now within the last 90 days, I feel comfortable traveling at this time and hope to get on a plane again soon! 😉

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