Travel & Cruise News and Items of interest
A Newsletter from Rosswin Travel, Courtenay, Vancouver Island, BC
Business Opportunity: http://rosswintravelthecomoxvalley.blogspot.ca
Table of Contents:
Alaska Cruise Season
Discover Alaska
Retiring & Travel
CCRA Travel Tricks that Work
Artist of the Month
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Alaska Cruise Season Coming Up
Have you booked your Alaska Cruise yet, if you are planing an Alaska cruise this year then book soon, the Alaska cruise season is about to begin. May to Sept., is the usual months for the large cruise ships to sail to Alaska. There are quite a few cruise lines offering sales for the Alaska season but the bargains will not last long, so book soon.
I have added another cruise company to the list this season
"Discover Alaska"
"All- Inclusive Alaska Cruise/Tour Vacation"
I believe this is the only company that offers an all-inclusive cruise and tour to Alaska
Discover Alaska
Have you booked your Alaska Cruise yet, if you are planing an Alaska cruise this year then book soon, the Alaska cruise season is about to begin. May to Sept., is the usual months for the large cruise ships to sail to Alaska. There are quite a few cruise lines offering sales for the Alaska season but the bargains will not last long, so book soon.
I have added another cruise company to the list this season
"Discover Alaska"
"All- Inclusive Alaska Cruise/Tour Vacation"
I believe this is the only company that offers an all-inclusive cruise and tour to Alaska
Discover Alaska
|
Fully Customized 10/14/15/ Day Cruise and Land Tour Packages - The 2013 Alaskan Experience
http://www.discoveralaska.biz/ Contact: 899-624-7718
Price for cruise and tours are all inclusive.
The cruise sips that are being used for this All-Inclusive cruise and tour
The cruise sips that are being used for this All-Inclusive cruise and tour
With Royal Caribbean Cruise lines - "Radiance of the Seas"
14 Day Northbound and 14 Day southbound cruise and Tour Itinerary, 2013
Additional Programs: Denali Tundra and Wilderness Tour
With Holland America Cruise lines - "Statendam" or "Zaandam"
Fully Customized 14 Day Cruise and Land packages, 2013
Northbound Crise/Tour and Southbound Cruise/ tour
Additional Programs:
10 Day Cruise only
15 Day - Double Denali
Denali Tundra
Wilderness Tour
Note: if you just wanted to do the cruise portion of the tour then that can be arranged.
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Note: if you just wanted to do the cruise portion of the tour then that can be arranged.
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Check out my Alaska Blog for the listing of cruise lines and their schedule for sailing's to Alaska http://bit.ly/ZT0HZn, the blog also has other useful information relating to Alaska.
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Are you Retiring, do you want to travel,
then here are some tips from BrighterLife.ca
Do you dream of travelling extensively during retirement but wonder whether you can afford it? It is possible: The key to efficient and frugal travel is finding ways to make the best use of your travel dollar without compromising on quality.
1. Consider house-sitting
Homeowners like having their homes taken care of while they’re away and many seniors like travelling to and living in new places — that’s a win-win recipe. Homeowners tend to prefer seniors as house-sitters because of their maturity level and sense of responsibility. House-sitting can be a great way to explore a new locale or enjoy experiences normally well beyond your means (such as a few weeks at a waterfront mansion). While short-term house-sitting is seldom paid, the accommodations are rent-free and in some cases you can negotiate for living expenses while you mind the house.
Long-term house-sitting can even provide a modest supplement to your income. Websites such as mindmyhouse.com and canadianhousesitters.com are a good resource for matching yourself with homeowners who need houses tended. Expect a sign-up fee in the range of $20 to $30.
- Bright idea: If the homeowner you’re sitting for has pets, you may even be able to bring your own pet along.
2. Embrace off-peak and last-minute travel
Now that you’re free of your workplace shackles you can take advantage of off-peak travel pricing and last-minute deals. Travelling during off-peak times is not only cheaper but also less crowded. Having the freedom to pack up and ship out at potentially short notice can be exciting, and flash-sale travel discount sites aren’t just for web-savvy youngsters — they’re also a perfect way for you to stretch your travel dollar in retirement.
- Bright idea: Mid-week flights are often cheaper than those on the weekend.
3. Get travel and health insurance
Besides budget, the other major factor affecting your travel potential is your health. Good travel insurance can save you a lot of money if you get into trouble. Foreign hospitals can sometimes command a small fortune to treat you and a myriad of factors could pop up before your departure date that could force you to cancel your trip, so being insured will give you real peace of mind. These days travel insurance can get pretty sophisticated, from covering flight cancellations to refunding boat rental fees for your fishing trip. Make sure you look carefully at the fine print and pick the cancellation/travel health policy that best fits your needs.
- Bright idea: If you have any pre-existing health conditions, be sure your policy covers any complications or cancellations that could result from them.
4. Plan your medications and treatment options
Make sure you have extra amounts of any medication you’ll need and pre-pack pillboxes ahead of time. Research what kind of medical facilities are available nearby to your chosen vacation spot or, if you’re not planning to be particularly close to civilization on your trip, find out what emergency services are available, particularly if you have serious health issues.
If you know you need health care within reach, you can still travel: Consider a cruise or a specialty resort. Cruises always have their own medical staff on board, and certain resorts geared towards retirees will have full hospital facilities on site. Find out about your specific health-related limitations (such as altitude, humidity or exertion), and get your doctor’s okay to travel before you book.
Always keep your medication in your carry-on luggage, not your checked luggage, but be sure to comply with the rules about original packaging, liquids and gels. Check this out in advance so you don’t have an unpleasant surprise or delay at the airport.
- Bright idea: Watch out for changing time zones and medication schedules so you don’t skip doses accidentally.
5. Keep your health information handy
If you have a non-trivial medical condition, bring your medical history with you as well as spare prescriptions for any crucial meds — bags can be stolen or lost so it pays to have a back-up plan. Doctors will have an easier time treating you when illness strikes if they have your information.
- Bright idea: Notify resort staff of any serious health conditions you have so they can respond quickly and appropriately in case of emergency.
Wherever your travels take you, remember that you don’t have to give up adventure just because you’re retired — in fact, with a little planning, you can find more adventure than ever before!
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From CCRA Travel Solutions
Travel Tricks That Work
By Heather Brewer on March 26th, 2013
The Huffington Post’s SmarterTravel has come up with 9 travel tricks that really work. Here is what they have to say, “At SmarterTravel, we’re big fans of “lifehacks,” or MacGyver-like workarounds for common problems. From making the elevator go directly to your floor to fixing a broken zipper, these not-so-well-known tips make travel a little bit easier.” Here are their tricks:
- Expedite Your Elevator Trip – If you want to upgrade your elevator to VIP status, simply press the desired floor number and the “door close” buttons simultaneously for several seconds.
- Cancel for Free – If you missed the cancellation window for your hotel, restaurant, or car booking but can still change the reservation date free of charge, move your reservation back by several weeks or months. Then call back to cancel with a different representative.
- Defend Your Legroom – For those passengers sitting behind the reclining ones, we have some solutions to defend your legroom from encroachment. The first is the controversial Knee Defender ($19.95), a pocket-sized plastic device that locks onto your tray table and prevents the seat in front of you from reclining. It won’t win you any friends, but it is approved by the FAA for use. The second solution? Just ask. I’ve had good luck with politely asking the flyer in front of me if they would refrain from reclining while I ate or used my laptop.
- Fix a Broken Suitcase Zipper – It’s happened to everyone: Your suitcase zips just fine when you leave, but upon packing for your return trip, it fails to close. Rather than replace your luggage, consider these quick zipper hacks. If the zipper appears to be stuck, rub Vaseline, lip balm, or bar soap on the teeth to get it moving. Zipper teeth no longer staying closed? Usually a single tooth is bent out of shape. Feel along the length of the zipper until you find the one that sticks out, and then a quick adjustment with pliers will do the trick. And if the zipper handle has snapped off from the slider completely, replace it by looping a souvenir keychain through the slider, creating a makeshift zipper pull. (An eye-catching keychain will also help you identify your bag on the luggage carousel.)
- Find Free Wi-Fi (Really) – Our favorite (above-board) tip is to download a program such as NetStumbler, which goes above and beyond your computer’s built-in Wi-Fi detector by locating “hidden” Wi-Fi networks your PC might have missed. If you’re on a Bluetooth-enabled Mac, iStumbler will provide the same service. Smartphone users can get apps like JiWire’s Free Wi-Fi Finder, whose directory tracks the exact location of nearly 150,000 free networks worldwide. If all else fails, find the inevitable Starbucks. Many locations offer free Wi-Fi (and you can usually perch right outside the entrance and secure a connection).
- Ask for a Free Phone Charger – Just landed, only to realize you forgot to pack your phone charger? Don’t run out to replace it just yet. We’ve recently discovered that the number-one most-common item left behind in hotels is the phone charger. So before you buy another, check with the hotel’s front desk for a spare.
- Check International Airline Websites for Deals – When booking international flights, don’t forget to compare fares to those on the airline’s foreign-language website. If the airline is running a sale in a different regional market, you may be able to score sizeable savings on your overseas flight. If your credit card has a low international-transaction fee, the savings could be well worth it.
- Avoid Commission Fees … with Coffee – Starbucks addicts, rejoice! SmarterTravel Editor Caroline Costello shares a clever way to avoid having to pay a commission fee to convert that last bit of foreign cash to US dollars at the end of a vacation. First, pick up a free reloadable Starbucks Card before your international trip. Then, Costello says, “If you have leftover money in the local currency when you’re on your way home, use it to reload your card at the Starbucks location in your international airport.”
- Smart Self-Defense Hacks – Purchase a second wallet or money clip to carry while traveling. “Pad the wallet with some small bills and make it look more real by slipping in one or two of those sample credit cards you get with offers in the mail,” recommends SmarterTravel Senior Editor Christine Sarkis. “In the scary and unlikely case of an actual mugging, it also gives you something to throw and run, buying you time to escape with your safety and your actual wallet.”
To read SmarterTravel’s complete article on The Huffington Post website, click here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/smartertravel/9-surprising-travel-tricks_b_2776262.html
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Artist of the Month
Debbie Reusch
Born and raised on the West Coast of Canada, Debbie has always had an interest in art. She took art in High school, some Graphic Design at Malaspina College and has been commissioned to paint windows, wall murals, portraits of people and animals as well as corporate scenes and signs. As her young family grows less dependant, Debbie has had more time to return to her art. After ‘submission and jury’ of her works, she has recently achieved active status as member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and the International Guild of Realism. Feel free to contact Debbie with your questions, comments or if you would like to commission a painting.
http://www.debbiereusch.com
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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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