Life of a Travel Agent

World's Largest Cruise Event!

2010-09-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year again! National Cruise Vacation month is being celebrated this month. But at Cruise Planners, we have taken the party to a whole new level. From October 12 to 19th we are showing our Cruisitude by holding a gigantic World’s Largest Cruise Event Sale. We have special offers from 7 of the most popular cruise lines and knock-your-socks-off promotions ranging from shipboard credits to 2 for 1 airfares. But don’t procrastinate because these limited time offers will sail away with you.

You don't have to be present to take advantage of these great deals.

Cambridge Who's Who

2010-09-08T11:33:00.001-07:00

It is official, I am finally a member.

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/lina-dicola-inducted-into-cambridge-whos-who-169388.php

It's midnight and there is an emergency.

2010-09-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

My daughter works on the NCL Pride of America and one night......she was sitting in the crew mess area late at night when the emergency signals went off. She and her friends all briefly looked at each other for a split second to register what that meant and then they were off running to their stations. They train for a week prior to learning their actual job, to make sure they can do what it may take in the event of an emergency. They learn crowd control, how to put out a fire and make sure they can swim and save a life. This is not all they learn, but it is what comes to my mind. That evening they were pumped running door to door alerting the guests and interrupting their sleep and showers. Grab your life vests and head to your station now! The fire crew were running and changing into their fire safety uniforms at the same time. How difficult that must be, but they did it. After about 7 minutes of ciaos, someone comes on the intercom and says it was a false (faulty alarm). Some of the crew was happy, others a bit disappointed because that is what they train for and well you can imagine how upset some of the guests were. Here is my thinking; if I was on that ship and a faulty alarm goes off. Why would I be mad? Because I was inconvenienced for a few minutes? No!!! I would be first relieved that it was a false alarm and I can safely go about my business and be grateful that I have a crew that knows what to do. I think I would feel much safer after a display like that, wouldn't you?

Can you trust the cruise ship reviews online?

2010-09-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

There was recently 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 grain of salt. 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. Then again, there is a certain group of people that would complain if they got a million dollars in cash that it was in old bills and not crisp new ones. Go figure.

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

The Internet

2010-09-01T04:55:00.000-07:00

The Internet is full of information, but a Travel Agent is full of knowledge.

While sitting through a webinar yesterday I heard this phrase. I am asked many times a day why should I use a travel agent instead of just booking it myself? Now, I have a clear answer. Sometimes with the internet being so full of information it can confuse the consumer on making the best choices for themselves. I think I have touched on this in another blog, but the good travel agents are not order takers. We work hard and train to make sure we have the most up to date knowledge of the industry, so that we can assist you in making the best vacation decision. How do you find a well trained agent you may ask? Easy, you can go to www.cruising.org (CLIA - Cruise Line International Association) and search for a CLIA certified agent in your area. If you are a past cruiser, you can go to your favorite cruise lines website and search for a travel professional in your area as well. The cruise lines will list those agents who have taken the time to learn and become experts with their product. I can't speak for all travel professionals, but I can say that if you use my services I look out for you and your bottom dollar. This doesn't mean that I sell you the cheapest thing all the time, but I do give you all the options, ask questions and explain the differences in categories, so that you are well informed to make a good decision and gain a bit of knowledge for the future. After all, we both want you to have a fun and memorable vacation, right? Right! If you are worried about fees, don't be most of us agents are compensated for our hard work by the cruise lines. Happy Cruising!

Cruising Myths

2010-08-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

So I did a little research and discovered that the reason 80% of the population hasn't cruised yet is because of cruise myths. I say Hogwash! So let's rip these myths apart and see if I can get you cruising.

Myth #1 - I am afraid to get sick!

People do occasionally suffer from motion sickness and this is a very valid concern. However, these more modern ships are all built with stabilizers to reduce swaying. They are also controlled by sophisticated computer aided design equipment to minimize pitching (up and down motion). There are a few different over the counter meds you can take Bonine, Dramamine, sea sick patches and bands. I usually take Bonine the morning I am board to get my sea legs and then I am good. It probably isn't necessary, but I like to be cautious. The key is not waiting until you feel sick. If you do decide to take one of these things make sure it is only one. I have seen folks who are wearing the patches behind their ears and the bracelets and who take the pills and well if they got sick, it was from over medicating.

Myth #2 - I'll be bored!

I just don't know how that is possible, have you seen a brochure lately? There is so much to do on a cruise ship especially the Mega Ships. On a cruise ship you can play trivia, Bingo, watch or enter a Hairy legs or chest contest. Watch Broadway style shows, Ice Skate, Surf, Climb a Rock Wall. Play Putt Putt; gamble the list goes on and on. For children each cruise line has their own children’s program which is broken down by ages. I literally had to make appointments to see my kids they just had so much supervised fun, who needs mom and dad.

Myth #3 - Everyone is old.

Are you kidding me? Many years ago, cruising was stereotyped into being the rich and the retired. Not anymore, it is really your best valued family vacation. Now I have to admit that some cruise lines cater to the older crowd, but a lot are catering to the family market. If you work with a travel agent they can make sure that you are well suited for the cruise line of your choice.

Myth #4 - Cruising is too regimented

On the contrary. Again many years ago the ships were smaller and had limited space for options. Not anymore, you can select a dining time or choose to eat when you are hungry. Each cruise line calls it something different like Freestyle Dining or My Time Dining or Total Choice dining, etc. I am sure you get the picture. If you take advantage of one of these dining programs you can dine anytime from 5:00 to 9:00. Now how is that regimented? Ah, yes formal nights well they're optional too. You just choice to dining in another restaurant that night instead of the formal dining room.

Myth #5 - Too Expensive - You have to be rich to cruise

Well again, Hogwash! According to the CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), half of today's cruisers have household incomes under $60,000 a year.

Prices are very competitive, especially considering everything that is included, meaning your cabin, entertainment, and meals. This makes cruising more affordable than other vacation options.
Cruises are departing from more ports than ever, so if you live near the coast, you may not even have to pay for airfare.

To help keep the cost down, you want to deposit as soon as a sailing is announced. This does a few things it ensures that you are going to get the best rate for that sailing and it gives you time to make payments. Kind of like a lay-away plan.

Myth #6 - You get fat when you cruise.

In some cases if you are out to get your monies worth and eat to you almost explode then yes there is a good chance you will put on 5 to 7 pounds in a 7 day sailing. However, the cruise lines do have healthier alternatives that are just as delicious. The offer a spa menu in the dining room as well. Most ships are equipped with a workout facility to help burn those extra calories as well. It is really up to you how much you will gain. I just recently did a 9 Night cruise and only gained 3 pounds and I never felt deprived.

I am sure there are more myths out there, but try it and see for yourself. A great way to test the waters, so to speak; is try a cruise to nowhere or a 3 night cruise. These are fun and inexpensive and a great way to see what cruising is all about.

Charleston and the Original Pub Tour

2010-08-11T12:05:00.001-07:00

So Dave and I set out reasonably early to have breakfast and head to the cruise terminal. We had breakfast at the hotel (wouldn't do that again) and then decided to walk to the terminal. We had no problems finding it, but we sure had a tough time trying to figure out where we needed to go. It seems that the police aren't certain either. We found our way and things we a bit confusing, they had two peope trying to preboard two separte wedding groups an us two travel agents. It took some time, but we made it onboard. From the outside, you can tell that the Carnival Fantasy has seen better years, but the inside was a pleasant surprise. Clean and bright, not gaudy like some of their other ships. I hear she will be going into dry dock in November to get a bit of a facelift. That is awesome news for us travel agents! You can check out my Facebook page to see some of the pictures I took. I am definately looking forward to sailing on her in October with my scrapbooking group.

Once the ship inspection was complete, Dave an I headed back to our hotel to change and get comfortable for the heat. My brother Mark met us at the hotel and we headed back into town to grab some lunch and see what we can get ourselves into. We stopped at Ohara and Flynn's Wine Bar on Meeting Street. What a plesant and quant place. This ended up being our pre-lunch, yep wine. I turned out to be our favorite place in town and we visited there a few additional time throughout our stay. Then we headed to Pearlz Oyster Bar. This place is just outstanding! Mark and I did a few Oyster Shooter (yep more alcohol), can you see where this is going? We order some lunch, more oysters please. We then headed over to Market Street book The Origianl Pub Tour. $25.00 pp later we are booked, but have to wait. Where else is a better place to do that than Wet Willies, you guessed it more alcohol and this drink has a cool name "Superman". You can only imagine the state of mind we were in by 7:00. So the pub tour begins and we can already tell this is going to be a long night. Our tour guide Chris did an awesome job on keeping us safe and did a great job trying to teach us something about the history of Charleston. The tour was supposed to be over by 10:00 and well ours didn't end until well after midnight. We visited 5 different bars and at each place you got a free specialty shot from the bartender. Again, pictures will be up on my facebook. I didn't even know I could play the tamborine. You don't have to drink it up like we did, but you definately should do the tour and ask for Chris he will show you a crazy time.

City of Charleston and the Carnival Fantasy

2010-08-11T12:04:00.001-07:00

So Dave and I decided to visit the beautiful city of Charleston and while we were there, we'd do a ship inspection on the Carnival Fantasy. We arrived on Friday afternoon and to be honest, Dave and I weren't seeing the charm that we've heard about time and time again. The roads into town are a bit confusing (until you get use to them) and the folks drive like they are on their way to a fire. We decided to try out two different hotels while we were in Charleston. The first one is the Holiday Inn on Calhoun street. We were impressed how clean and charming the hotel was, especially for a Holiday Inn. The rooms are spacious and reasonably priced. The pool is a typical rectangle, but it looked clean and was very busy while we were there. It is a very hot summer and it was full of children. To our surprise we heard that beginning January 1, 2011 it will no longer be a Holiday Inn and is switching over to be a Courtyard Marriott. I think that is a great thing, being that the closest Marriott to downtown is on the west side, by the marina. We had reservations there, because I am a Marriott Rewards member, but we cancelled it to stay closer into town at the Best Western King Charles Inn on Meeting Street. I will let you know how that is, once we arrive and check it out. The Holiday Inn is about a 20 minute walk to Market Street. Market Street seems to be where all the night life, restaurants and bars are. There is also a Market (go figure) you can browse through to do a little shopping. Last night Dave and I ate at the Charleston Crab House. This was a neat little place and very busy. Service was great and you didn't have to wait long for your food. I had the Wasabi Crusted Tuna with Collard Greens and Red Rice. The dish was good, but I was disappointed with their Wasabi. The crust itself didn't seem to have wasabi in it and the dalop of Wasabi they served with the dish was bright green and didn't have much flavor. For any of you who knows wasabi, it shouldn't take very much to burn your nose hairs. Well, I was smearing their wasabi on every bite and never really got that reaction. The tuna itself was fabulous, so I guess their downfall is their take on Wasabi. Dave had a Lowcountry Boil. For those of you who is not sure what that is, it is steamed shrimp, corn, sausage and potatoes. My brother Mark, who lives in Savannah, has spoiled us on this with no one's low country boil living up to his. While this was not bad, the portion size was small, and it was kind of bland, not having the flavors steamed in that we are used to. We followed dinner with drinks at the Noisy Oyster and Aroma's. While there was nothing memorable about the Noisy Oyster, other then the drinks being a bit pricey, Aroma's was a nice find. It is a quaint little bar with good service, drinks, and pricing. A local jazz/blues band/duet named "Cotton Blue" was playing there. Their music was good and provided a nice atmosphere. We will be returning there during our trip. This is where we ended our night. Tomorrow is a ship inspection on the Carnival Fantasy and my brother Mark comes for a visit.

Elite Cruise Counselor and More

2010-07-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

When I first started out in the industry, I didn't know much about cruising except that I loved doing it. After purchasing the franchise, I started to sink myself into absorbing as much knowledge I could to be successful and to learn how to sell the right product to my clients. After all you want to get the best bang for you buck and a well educated travel agent can help. Over the years I have attended the Disney College of Knowledge, became a WOW Expert Plus with Royal Caribbean, NCL Advanced Specialist and my greatest acheivement Elite Cruise Counselor with CLIA (Cruise Line International Association). Cruise Planners has begun their own University which I am currently a Junior and I just completed Carnival's Certification as well. As you can see this list goes on with my accomplishments, but I am sure you can also see that it takes a lot of work, time and dedication to gain this knowledge. So when you are looking for a travel agent, be sure you ask the right questions. How long have you been an agent? What are your certifications, not their company's as a whole; but theirs personally? I wish I would have known to ask these questions when I bought my first cruise. That way I would have probalby used someone else who knew what they were doing and wouldn't have ended up in the very front of the ship with a port hole (was suppose to be an Ocean View). The window was 18 inches in diameter, you couldn't see much of that beautiful ocean, unless you were on a deck. The worst part was when we docked away from the island, because we were tendering in that day and they dropped anchor at 6:00 in the morning. The entire cabin vibrated like we were living through an earthquake. It was a horrible rude awakening and I would never allow my clients to have that experience. I recognize that there are a lot of people who claim to be travel agents, but there are a small amount of agents who really take the time to educate themselves, so that they can sell what is best for the client. I pride myself on my knowledge and my service and I will continue to develope both. Happy Cruising!

Trying Something New

2010-07-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

I just finished a webinar with Senior Cruise Director John Heald - Carnival Cruise Lines. If you don't know who he is; well he has become the #1 Blogger in the Cruise Industry. So with his encouragement, I thought I'd give it a try. So bare with me as I get started on this new journey.

Wow! Deciding what to talk about isn't easy. I wonder to myself; who would want to hear about what I have to say? Well I am told anyone and everyone, so here I go.

My name is Lina and I was born in Savannah, GA. At 10 years old my parents divorced and my mother remarried a Army Soldier. About a year after they were married, we moved to Germany where I spent the next 6 years of my life. Living in Europe gave me the opportunity to travel and see a lot of wonderful places. All the traveling we did, gave me the thirst to see more and help others see God's beautiful world. My life took a completely different direction and after leaving Germany I traveled very little. I went on my first cruise Royal Caribbeans Grandeur of the Seas in June of 2000. We (my ex-hubby and I) sailed to the Eastern Caribbean. I had no clue what cruising was about. I had no anticipation (other than a much needed vacation without the kids) of anything . So to my surprise, I just couldn't believe that these people were just so darn nice. I had never felt so pampered and well important. They made me feel like I was Princess Lina (How cool is that?) The whole remembering my name thing, well that just blew me away. Who really takes the time to remember someones name that is waiting on you or your waiting on? I do now, because I know how important it is in making people feel good about themselves. Anyway, when it came time to disembark and load up on the bus, I began to cry; literally. I wanted to just stay on the ship. Have you ever had a vacation experience that touched you in away that you'd never forget? Well, I'd say I did and it wasn't because of the company I was keeping. I just knew I would cruise again.

In September 2001, I was going through a divorce (go figure) and just started the dating process when the countries tragedy became a personal one as well. My mother was working in the Pentagon that horrible day and well needless to say she didn't survive. To my saving grace, I had just started dating Dave and well hew was my angel through the whole thing. We were married in July of 2002 and combined our two families to become what Vicky Garcia from Cruise Planners Home Office - the Brady Bunch plus Alice. Dave has four children and I have three. What a family and they all love cruising! Anyhow, Dave had always wanted to go to Aruba and he decided that Aruba was where he wanted to celebrate his 40th birthday. Hello; opportunity knocking! Yep, that is right I quickly suggested a cruise and well Dave got his wish. In December 2003, we boarded Royal Caribbeans Adventure of the Seas out of San Juan Puerto Rico and headed to the breath taking Southern Caribbean. Dave and I had an incredible time, except Dave's ear hurt from all my talking about how great cruising is. Well, it is Great!

Immediately after we returned home and without my knowledge Dave begun researching franchise opportunities. Shortly after we purchased our business and headed to a one week training in sunny Ft. Lauderdale Florida. One week, you ask? Yes,one week to get an idea of what the heck we got ourselves into. Since then I have been running the business on my own with a great hubby supporting me. Dave doesn't do as much of the selling, but he sure knows how to talk me and cruising up and send folks my way.

Since 2004, I have won two Bronze awards from home office and I like everyone else has had a few good years and a few not so good. Being a travel agent isn't as easy as you think. Sure there are businesses out there that will sell you anything you want, without any questions asked . And of course you can do it yourself on the Internet, without any questions as well. But those are the people who never use the same resource twice, because something didn't go as planned or got something they didn't want. I know this is true, because that was me before I became a Travel Agent or as I would like to call it a Cruise Specialist. Hey, I work hard for that title and you will understand why in my up-coming blogs, so stay tuned.

Until next time and Thanks for reading my blog,

Lina DiCola, ECC