Group Travel

October Newsletter
Vol. 1, issue 8

                                                     Travel & Cruise News  

                              & Items of Interest 

               A newsletter from Rosswin Travel, Courtenay, Vancouver Island, BC

Glengarry, Ontario Scenes
Lancaster Wharf early to mid 1800's
painting by R. Ross, copied from a post card
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Contents
Group Cruising
How to book an affordable cruise
Artist of the Month
Joke

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                                      Group Cruising

Have you ever cruised or toured with a group before, many people believe that you have to belong to a club, organization, church etc before you can join a tour or cruise as a group, not true, you can form a group with friends, family, a Square Dance group, Gay Group etc. 

Group travel can be cheaper but that is not always the case, as sales can give you a better deal.

See a travel agent to book cabins with an existing group providing that group has available space, as long as there is extra rooms available you do not have to belong to that particular group.   Book a cruise through your travel agent with a group and enjoy what group amenities are available and once on board you can go your own way, just let the tour or cruise host know you are not going to join in any of the group activities.

Decide where you want to go and check with your travel agent to see if there are any group’s available for that cruise or tour.  

Forming your own group

Appoint a Cruise or Tour leader to keep track of names and numbers of persons interested in the trip and who will oversea the booking arrangements. If possible check with a travel agent who has handled group travel before and see what arrangements can be made, go to more that one agent if necessary and find one that you are comfortable working with. 

The travel agent will guide you on what to do. 

Find out where the cabins are on the ship, if you book early enough you can arrange to have the cabins close by and all on the one deck if you are all booking similar type accommodation. The earlier you book on a cruise line the more amenities you will receive, later booking have no extra amenities. 

 MLM Group Cruise  on the Carnival Miracle

You can organize a group with as little as 6 persons with some cruise lines. If you have booked extra space put out word that there is a cruise group that has berths available by advertising in a newspaper and on a website or facebook etc.

When selecting a cruise ship consider if there are going to be children in the group, then check which cruise lines have activities for children, is there cabins for the handicapped if you have someone that needs a wheelchair.  

Try to pick a cruise that will accommodate the needs of the group.  For example you would not want to book space on a Fun or Gay cruise when you have mostly seniors who would not enjoy the activities that would be planned for that cruise. 

If your group wants to meet for lectures etc then have your travel agent arrange for a meeting room, your group might also warrant a cocktail party. 

Give everyone a list of the excursions and try to arrange them before you leave to ensure your group will travel to-gather. 

On most cruise lines If you book 15 berths you get a free berth 30 berths a free cabin for 2. This can be allotted to the organizer or the money value divided among the group. 

There is good information on the internet on planning a cruise which should be checked out before you visit your travel agent, then you will be more knowledgable about what she is telling you and you will probably have a lot more question to ask.

This above information is only a very short summery of what can be done with groups, If you are thinking of forming a group please do your homework before approaching your organization etc as there will be a lot of questions and you will need to be knowledgeable to answer them. 

Please comment if you have any suggestions for group cruising or group tours that I should have covered. Thanks

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Travel Tip

How to Book an Affordable Cruise

Photo: Peter Arkle

I’m booking a cruise and am overwhelmed by all the options. Where will I find the best rate—through a travel agent or online?

From September 2012 By Amy Farley

Appeared as "Trip Doctor" in T+L Magazine

Question submitted by Alex Bruno, Boston, Mass.

Trip Doctor’s Answer

Book through an agent. Cruise lines are strict about keeping pricing consistent across the board—so if you find a discount offered online, your agent should have access to the same rate. “The playing field is pretty level in terms of what vendors can sell a cruise for,” says Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of cruisecritic.com. When deals do pop up, they usually take the form of onboard credits, excursions, and other perks. Note the fine print: a lower price online could be for a different cabin category and may not include the same extras. Given the potential for confusion, it’s no surprise that 80 percent of cruisers still book through a travel agent, says T+L’s cruise editor, Jane Wooldridge. “If you don’t care what ship you’re on or where you’re going, you can buy a cruise like you would an airline ticket, and just grab a good deal you see online.” But agents can offer insight and advice that a website cannot. The best of them will be familiar with the features and quirks of a ship, will tell you if upgrades become available later, and may get you access to onboard welcome parties. (If you’re using miles for your flights, they can also help you obtain air credit.) “In general, you’re not going to pay more to book through an agent,” Wooldridge says—yet the advantages are clear.
Have a travel conundrum? The trip doctor is in. Send questions to tripdoctor@aexp.com.
With thanks to Travel + Leisure for access to this article

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Artist of the Month

Comox Bay Marina
Oil on Canvas
20x16 i


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Debbie Salmon, Union Bay, Vancouver Island, BC,  

Debbie Salmon graduated form Kwantlen College with a diploma in Graphic & Communications, and has taken fine art lessons at the University of Concordia, Montreal, as well as privately. She began her art career at a textile company in Burnaby where she made logos and drew caricatures to be 

silkscreened on t-shirts, caps and jackets and sometimes sports bags. Three years later, Debbie accepted a job as a creative ad designer at one of the large newspaper chains in Vancouver. She enjoys being creative, seeking new ideas to make ads look special but her true passion is to sketch and paint.  Debbie also freelanced her skills by drawing illustrations which she sold to a high quality clothing company in Gastown to be silkscreened on their clothing.  Her artistic talent became known at an early age; her mother still had the picture that Debbie’s kindergarten teacher was most impressed with.  Debbie Salmon  has lived in the Comox Valley since 1992

She has painted in oils and acrylics for over twenty-five years and is diverse in both subject and media.

She focuses her energy on what is most important to her - inner peace - through her painting and in everyday life.

Her subjects are carefully chosen; she looks for both a challenge and inspiration.  She say she never stops learning, just as in life itself.

Go to http://www.debbiesalmon.com to view Debbie’s work. 

“Art and life is a masterpiece”.

       Joke Time

I took my dad to the mall the other day to buy some new shoes (he is 66). We decided to grab a bite at the food court. I noticed he was watching a teenager sitting next to him. The teenager had spiked hair in all different colours - green, red, Orange, and blue. My dad kept staring at her. The teenager kept looking and would find my dad staring every time. When the teenager had had enough, she sarcastically asked: "What's the matter old man, never done anything wild in your life?" Knowing my Dad, I quickly swallowed my food so that I would not Choke on his response; I knew he would have a good one! In classic style he responded without batting an eyelid .... "Got stoned once and had sex with a parrot, I was just wondering if you might be my kid."

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I will be glad of any comments or corrections or if you wish to see something that is of interest to you please let me know. Thanks, Rhoda

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Rosswin Travel,  

1 250-338-6334 / 1 866-517-2113

e-mail: rosswin@shaw.ca

420 Harmston Ave, Courtenay, BC, V9N 2X2

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