NCL U PHD@SEA 7-Day Hawaii Cruise on Pride of America
30 May 2010 6 Comments
Aloha! Growing up, I was fortunate to have travelled and lived in many parts of the world because my dad was a diplomat and one of the places we visited while living in Japan that I vaguely remember and always wanted to return to was Hawaii. You can imagine my excitement when the Norwegian Cruise Line University PHD@SEA program invitation came to my email and had Hawaii as one of the sailings, but that’s not all… It sails on my birthday May 1,!!! WOW does it get any better than this, I asked myself. But of course it does, I was soon to find that out when we got to Hawaii. By the way, the PHD@SEA program is only open to NCL U Freestyle Certified Graduates.
I was so excited and over joyed that when the day for sign up came, I did not get any work done that morning and was simply waiting for 1:00pm to click my mouse and a prayer in my heart to get in. Yippee it worked, I guess you figure that one out since you are reading my blog! Anyway, this was a trip I wanted to go with my kids but since it was an official trip, I was only allowed to invite one guest; I decided to invite my fun girlfriend Lois, I know you are thinking why girlfriend? Hawaii is romantic and I should invite a boyfriend or according to my neighbor make sure you get one there and do something, right? Wrong!! I know I’ve got your juices all flowing but let’s just say I am taking that long desired break from the male species, but that is another blog all together, back to PHD@SEA and Hawaii.
We arrived a day before our Cruise into Honolulu and checked into the beautiful and majestic Outrigger Reef on the Beach Resort. I have been in many Resort and Hotel rooms but to be honest, this one took my breath away! We were in an Ocean front room and the view was simply breathtaking. When you step onto the balcony, it was not just the ocean that captures you or the strong waves typical of the Pacific but the combination of that and the Palm Trees right within reach of my hands… swaying in the gentle breeze painted a picture all too perfect to be real but then it was and I was in it. I took out my iphone, captured the picture and posted it quickly on facebook. I love sharing good things, don’t you? The room was the best for me because it had all my colors, earth colors, brown and green with a soothing feel, the whole day was intoxicating and memories of my Dad came rushing back. Lois was beyond speech, she kept on screaming “Binta we are in Hawaii” ”girl this room is too much for one night and girlfriends, next time we are going to couple up” I simply laughed but somehow agreed with her, take someone you love when going to Hawaii!!! We later went to the Ala Moana Mall with some of our other friends, had an early birthday dinner at a Japanese restaurant, stopped by an Apple store, picked up a birthday gift (ipad) and then went back to our Resort. By the way, the food was fantastic and the waiters all came out and sang happy birthday to me with a cake and candle, Sweet and touching!
The next morning May 1st, my birthday. After answering the flood of phone calls from well wishers, text messages and Facebook well wishers, we had breakfast at the Resort, checked out, a tour of Honolulu and then went to the Port to board our ship the beautiful NCL Pride of America, the only American Flagged ship to sail Hawaii year round. Lois was ecstatic, this was her first cruise and she always called ships; boats up until she saw this one and screamed, “Oh my God it is so big” I simply replied “I know” “Now can you please stop calling them boats?” Lois is from Trinidad & Tobago, so she pretty much has seen a lot of the Ocean and beach, but believe me she loved and appreciated Hawaii and especially being on a Cruise. We checked in, had lunch and went to see our Balcony Stateroom, NCL U did an excellent job for us. We explored the ship, took pictures and that evening we had the welcome reception for all NCL U PHD@SEA Graduates. It was pretty nice!
You see the best way to enjoy and see Hawaii is to go on a 7-Day Cruise, this allows you to explore and get a taste of the five Islands and when you decide on a favorite, you can always go back for a longer stay. There is also value in that you always have your food and your floating resort, which is the ship, no extra expenses. Hawaii Island span more than 1,500 miles creating the largest chain of Islands in the world and the active volcano encroaching into the Ocean creates more of the Island. There is about 130 separate islands in Hawaii but actually only six major ones that are unique with excellent features; Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii Big Island. Hawaii is generally a volcanic Island and has been for a very, very long time and some of the volcano’s are found all across the various islands I mentioned.
On this particular Itinerary, there is no Sea Day, but because the ship was suppose to go to dry dock and rescheduled, we had a Sea day which allowed NCL U to schedule our Classes on this day. We had CLIA classes and I was happy to see that our CLIA Instructor was Mr. Bernie Bloomquest, such a nice and helpful man. He inspired me when I started in this business and his class was the first CLIA class I attended. We did some behind the scenes inspection and I must say I was really impressed and have high respect for NCL and their ships after that inspection. The Kitchen, the food and food preparation was excellent, I am a clean freak and sees dirt even a speck on anything, but I was impressed, highly by the amount of effort they put to provide fresh and well prepared food. I have always loved NCL but I now have more respect for them and feel more comfortable booking my family and clients on their ships and I can now safely enjoy all the lobster I want with peace of mind! ummm love that lobster tail!!!
Our first port was Maui, Maui is the most visited Island in Hawaii. It is home to pineapple, Sugarcane, cattle ranch and rain forests. We rented a car and I drove us around town, checked out some Resorts and then headed to a beautiful private beach, with gorgeous rocks and enjoyed a few hours there. Lois and I will hold hands like little girls and jump up when the waves come in to avoid getting it in my ears, but the pacific being what it is in strength, not calm at all like the Caribbean, it got us a few times and we would laugh and jump higher then when the waves were calmer, we wouldl sink under, giggling, then jump right out again to avoid the waves. It was fun…time forgotten….we were five years old again. We later laid on the sand dug holes, posed for pictures while making silly faces, talked about both important and silly stuff! You see Lois and I always had fun when we get together, even if it is just to the movies! Now who mentioned something about needing a man in Hawaii? Hahahahah!!! Believe me you can have fun in Hawaii even alone, it is simply a breathtaking and majestic place!
Kona my favorite of all the Islands is known for great coffee and big fish! I can attest to that! We went to the coffee house and for a non-coffee drinker, I had 4 cups (small) of hazelnut coffee, bought a bag and influenced everyone in the group to buy one! I know you are laughing; go ahead, knock yourself out, so what if after all these years I suddenly found the right coffee for me? Anyway, we also went to the active Volcano and of course we climbed all the way to the top; I was king of the world for the day! Oh my God…..it was an amazing sight; seeing all the lava flowing and from the edge below the Ocean rising and washing it all out and the flow continued right back! It was like clash of the titans, FIRE & ICE… two forces of nature tugging it out! I loved it, the image is still in my mind. We also visited the Macadamia Nut factory, I am not a Macadamia person and hold it…. before you think I bought or ate ten bags… I only bought a can for the kids! There, I got you now…. We also went to some great mesmerizing waterfalls.
Hilo is the oldest port of entry and the second largest city in Hawaii. We rented a car went shopping and drove to Princeville, went to a huge cave, the beach, bought some dried fruit; papaya and mango. While in Kauai the ship docked and over night. Kauai is the most norherly of the Hawaii Islands, famous for Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It has high mountains, gorgeous valleys, breezy beaches with no buildings that are allowed to rise above the coconut trees. This excellent feature allows tourists to enjoy the exotic view from the mountains. I found my perfect sunset on this Cruise, we were actually this time sailing right into it, so it was growing bigger instead of smaller! Wooh Increadible!! I am going to save some details, so that when ever you take this Cruise, you can discover the rest of the wonderful things about Hawaii and NCL Pride of America.
This was an excellent Cruise, the ship, the Captain, the staff, the taste of scrumptious and delectable cuisine from the different restaurants; my favorite Lazy G and of course excellent friends that were on the cruise with me. I learnt a lot as usual and in the end I was happy when we we had our graduation and received our certificates. The trip back home was not happy ending for me though; the long flight hurt my ears, let’s just say I cried on the plane but by the time I got home, opened the door to my house, all the pain melted away. You see it was mother’s day and there were balloons, cards, cake and flowers on the kitchen table and my kids shouted happy birthday and mother’s day MOM!!!! It was the first birthday I celebrated away from them. It suddenly hit me, how blessed I am, I hugged them and started crying; for joy this time! My kids are the best in th world, I know every mother says that, but it is a fact!
Great appreciation to our Travel Partners Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line University, The wonderful Staff of NCL Pride of America and thank you for taking the time to read my blog and as always I appreciate comments and feed backs. To experience a Hawaii Cruise or any other Vacation, check out our website, call or email us. More pictures on Facebook! Remember Yero Travels, LLC offers payment option plans with zero interest on Cruises and Vacation Packages, when booked early.
Two Thumps Up to NCL Freestyle Cruising!
NCL U – rah! rah! rah!
Mahalo!
“See The World Through Our Eyes” Before We Take You There!
www.yerotravels.com 1(800) 880-9591 or info@yerotravels.com
BSY
My Royal Caribbean 7-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise/Rock Climbing Adventure!
29 Apr 2010 4 Comments
There is a lot to say about Travel, the various destinations, experience, people, culture, cuisine; but then there is also a lot to say about Cruising! The ships, the ocean breeze, sailing into a sunset or sunrise, multiple destinations on one trip, the food, the pampering ummmm.. I just love Cruising! But there is just one thing I can say about a Royal Caribbean Cruise that will pretty much sum it up for you, WOW!!
Yes WOW! Royal Caribbean delivers the WOW on their ships, their service to the guests and to us their Travel Partners. I was recently on a 7-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise out of San Juan, Puerto Rico onboard one of the Voyager Class Ships; Adventure of the Seas. Beautiful ship with marvelous interior decor, a Royal Promenade with shops and Cafes lined up and busy like the streets in Paris, Broadway shows and Parades in the theater and the Royal Promenade, Ice skating shows, Spa, Gym, an expansive children’s program, the Windjammer Cafe & Island Grill where Susan and I enjoyed most of our meals and my favorite the Rock Climbing Wall. Yes, I did say rock climbing wall on a cruise ship, on the ocean and I had an exhilarating experience. Woo I can still feel the adrenaline rush in me just thinking about it! Simply put, numerous amenities and activities for everyone on the ship to enjoy.
This particular ship felt like home away from home for me, except that my kids were back home! Ha! Ha! Ha! Anyway, as a graduate of the Royal Caribbean University of WOW, by the way “Expert Plus” this was a graduation gift from Royal Caribbean International. Nice isn’t it? I thought so myself. I always prefer balcony staterooms or Suites, but this time Susan and I had a Promenade Stateroom and it was just beautiful, I would sometimes sit on the huge bay window and look down the Royal Promenade, the activities going on, the live music and people passing by. It was a nice change from a balcony Stateroom and it could be good for those looking for a bigger view with out the ocean. It was also very large in size and I guess because Adventure of the Seas is a large ship.
On this 7-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise we departed from the Port of San Juan, Puerto Rico. San Juan a very popular and beautiful vacation destination has a very rich cultural heritage and history and we enjoyed the city and a tour of Old San Juan before going to the port . We visited the Ports of Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten and St. Croix. Our first and only day at Sea we had all the official stuff taken care of, so that we could enjoy port days on the various Islands. It was fantastic, I fell in love with our first port; Barbados and understood why Tiger Woods and many other Celebrities got married there or buy vacation homes. The sand on the beaches, so soft and white like powder and shimmers with crystal-like particles, the water was warm on this day and so very inviting that Susan and I had to make a stop at Carlyle Beach for a swim and stayed there for a couple of hours before her Uncle picked us up and took us to his place where her Aunt made some delicious Curried Chicken for lunch.
Our next Port was St. Lucia, beautiful St. Lucia with it’s tropical, breathtaking coastal views of Mountains and trees, birds chirping everywhere, it was hard not to fall in love again! You are now laughing right? She loves Barbados and now St. Lucia. What’s up with her! Hey, who says you can’t love twice? Simmer down now, my good friend Hortensia Joseph of the St. Lucia Tourist Board arranged for us to be picked up, did some property site inspection and tour of the Island. Great Resorts in St. Lucia, I highly recommend Ladera Resort, Soufriere where you get “View with a room”, rather than ”Room with a view” and Anse Chastanet & Jade Mountain Resort, Soufriere with it’s breathtaking views of the mountain, the Pitons and Ocean combined.
We had a quick stop at the Boa Constrictor Forest where I took a picture with one around my neck! I know you are thinking ”She must be crazy” a snake around her neck? A lot of my friends on Facebook thought so too, when they saw the pictures, but then my family and a few friends expected that of me; knowing that when I was growing up, my Dad had a couple of Snakes in our house. You see I have never learnt to run away from those reptiles!
Back on the ship that afternoon was my Rock Climbing appointment, I got ready and Susan and I headed for the wall. There were a couple of people there already, we waited for them to finish setting up and signed off our lives on a piece of paper before getting our helmets and climbing shoes. Susan was at the bottom, so she could get some great shots and also video tape. One thing you should know about me is that I am a very adventurous person and also very daring.
My visits to theme parks with my kids is for the thrill of the rides and my first son and I, like to go for the highest rides, we’ve gone on the tallest ride in the world “The King da Ka”. I have also done some mountain climbing with my Dad when I was younger, so I thought “Rock Climbing” piece of Cake right? Wrong!!! It looked easy, I started out fine and then half way my arms were tired and I looked up there was no place for me to place both hands, what was required of me was to to pull my whole weight up with both hands on one support before getting to the next level. I froze and looked up again and thought to myself with this extra 20 pounds I gained, this thing is going to conquer me today. Down below Susan was shouting ”Go Binta Go” “You can do it” Our Royal Caribbean Rep. was also shouting, “Don’t let me down girl” I have also promised the kids some pictures and a video for Youtube! Now what? There was just one thing for me to do, I reminded myself YOU NEVER QUIT! So I pushed up, grabbed the hold and pulled with all my might and the rest was easy, made it to the top, grabbed the bell and rang it loud and clear!! It felt good, I felt a high and an adrenaline rush like never before that got me thinking why in the world would people do drugs? Go climb something or drop down a roller coaster! By the way my arms did hurt that night!
The next few days we were in St. Maarten where I did some shopping and enjoyed the most delicious Coconut Smoothie at the Port. St. Maarten is an interesting island divided into two and occupied on one side by the French and the other by the Dutch. We visited both sides, it was fun, beautiful and the people, friendly. In Antigua we did some property site inspection there too and In St. Croix, US Virgin Islands we were given a historical tour of the Island by the Tourist Board, did some more property site inspection there and enjoyed lunch on the beach. Susan had a quick swim in the ocean but our colleague Gary, his wife and myself had a nice talk and enjoyed the view before we all were taken back to the ship.
Have you ever taken a trip, that went so well, you were so happy and enjoyed every aspect of it? Well, this was one of those trips for me. I was fine, no migraines, no problems, I was well rested and had so much fun, that I did not want it to end. But hey! Look at it this way, it had to end for me to look forward to the next trip right?
There are more pictures on our Facebook page, Rock Climbing video on our Youtube page or on our website and if you are interested in taking a Royal Caribbean Cruise, visiting any of the Islands mentioned above or have any questions, do not hesitate to call 1(800) 880-9591, email: info@yerotravels.com or check out our website at www.yerotravels.com
Thank you and great appreciation to Royal Caribbean International, Hortensia Joseph and the St. Lucia Tourist Board, Antigua Tourist Board and St. Croix US Virgin Islands Tourist Board.
“See The World Through Our Eyes” Before We Take You There!
Please feel free to always leave your comments.
BSY
Mid-Atlantic Workshop & Seminar 2010 Reykjavik, Iceland
13 Feb 2010 1 Comment
WOW was simply my expression to a lot of the things in Iceland but am sure if you were there, then you would have done the same. When we first got the invitations from the Iceland Tourist Board, I actually deleted mine, because I was thinking it is winter already, so why Iceland? All I could think of was cold, ice and more cold, so delete was the right button. A couple of days later Susan Patrice (Suepat Travel, LLC) my friend and mentor forwarded her email and said “I registered, register, we are going” Oh God! am thinking cold and I was brain freeze, when I replied “We are?”
Well to cut that part of the story short, I reprogrammed my mind and registered with the hope that my Agency will not be accepted (Sorry Susan), but it was! Believe it or not when they sent the program it looked interesting and I found my self beginning to get excited about the whole thing even though I was still skeptical and thinking of the freezing weather. So off we were February 1st, on Amtrak to New York where we met with the others and from New York on Icelandair to the beautiful city of Reykjavik!
You see each year the city of Reykjavik, Iceland comes alive with hundreds of folks from the Travel industry from all over the world for the Mid-Atlantic Workshop and Seminar. Some to introduce their products and others to be enlightened. This year was no different and in fact this year turned out to be the biggest since it was started 18 years ago and I am mighty proud that my Agency; Yero Travels, LLC did make it and some of our PTANA (Professional Travel Agents of North America) members too! At the workshop we had a chance at meeting suppliers from the Nordic Countries which includes Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Other suppliers were from Scandinavia, USA and Canada. Countries, like Iceland, Greenland, The Faroe Islands, Norway, Finland, Denmark & Sweden had excellent and live presentations to excite anyone about visiting their countries. We the American and Canadian Travel Agents are now more knowledgeable in the History, Geography, Culture, Culinary experience and best adventures of these exciting destinations in Europe; therefore more equipped to cater to the needs of our clients or anyone looking to vacation there. It was a Seminar aimed at strengthening the ties between Travel professionals in Europe, USA and Canada; and I believe on my part that aim has been achieved! It was one of the best workshop and seminars I have attended despite the fact that the main organizer of the event passed away not too long before the event. The Seminar was enriching, enlightening and in depth. The knowledge we acquired of the various countries, their programs, adventure tours, activities, culture, cuisine etc would like I mention earlier allow us to better sell their products and their destination. I say aim achieved!!! We were lodged in different hotels like the Grand, Hotel Loftleidir which is Icelandiar hotel, Radisson Hotel, Hilton Nordica Hotel whcih was where Susan and I stayed and a couple of other hotels around town.
The Seminar was excellent and the Tour Activity Programs were exceptional. We chose different Tour Activities and I chose the Adventure Activities like the Glacier River Tour (Vatnajokul Glacier in the South East of Iceland is Europe’s largest Glacier) with ATV Ride and Whale watching; our tour guides were great, but the City Tour was open to everyone. The City Tour was to the Prime Minister’s Office and Home, The Parliament, The house where Reagan and Gorbachev signed the treaty, Saga (Viking) Museum, The Cathedral etc. Reykjavik is certainly a beautiful Vacation destination for everyone. If you are still thinking cold, Ice and more Ice, not so, there are a lot of activities in Reykjavik for each traveller to enjoy and this time of year is low season which means the place is quiet, low travel rates, intimate and cozy hotels, Lobster Feast, Glacier River views, breathtaking Sunrise and Sunset, Northern Light Viewing, Great Waterfalls, Natural Geysers, ATV rides for the more active and much more! You can be James Bond 007 on the Glacier River; which was the site for the opening of the “Die Another Day” James Bond Movie and I was there! Don’t hate me… It was an unbelievable experience. The sight of this magnificent glaciers that change to a blue color when the sun shines on them was absolutely breathtaking! I mean I love warm weather and the Ocean but this is different, a sight worth viewing, the Seals lazying on the glacier, the black sand underneath and around…. It was simply majestic!
We had an excellent and most delicious Lobster lunch right before our Glacier River Tour and I should mention here, that this place has the freshest and best Sea food of all; not to mention their lamb chops umm… umm… umm… Reykjavik has my vote on Sea food and Lamb. The Vikings dinner we had at the Viking’s Village Restaurant was authentic and an experience not to be forgotten. We saw real Vikings there and a few at the Seminar, I must say they are certainly friendly now! I guess over the centuries they have mellowed down… But it was great seeing them because I learnt about them in School and my 8 year old is crazy about them too, so I picked up some Viking memorabilia for him and a kind Viking lady gave me a flash light and Viking horn for him. Like I said they have certainly mellowed down…….
OK, I know you are all thinking, she did not mention the Blue Lagoon!!! Hold your horses, I just like to save the best for last. Oh boy! The Blue Lagoon, not the movie guys! The real famous Blue Lagoon (Energy For Life Through The Forces of Nature) is a geothermal Spa and the most visited attraction in Iceland. The spa is located in a lava field in Grindavik on the Reykjanes Peninsula and you are required to shower before going into the Lagoon. Don’t worry the Spa is well equipped with all the necessary Spa essentials. The steamy water of the lagoon is part of the lava formation from many years ago and it contains rich minerals like Silica and Sulphur that clears certain skin diseases or irritations. There is a belief that after a bath in the Lagoon, one gets one year younger, I cannot testify to that but I can promise you a smooth, fresh looking and firm skin. The mud in the Lagoon is rich in minerals that work wonders on the face and body and the unique natural ingredients, silica, minerals and algae are the foundation of the Blue Lagoon skin care products. The line of products from the Lagoon can be purchased from the on site shop or online. I bought a couple of the bath products; so watch out the next time you see me, you might not recognize me! I will be looking SWEET SIXTEEN again!! It was our last adventure on the way to the airport and believe me we all slept on the plane like babies. I can see you scrolling through the pictures again and wondering, where is she in the Lagoon? For his eyes only guys! Those were some steamy shots!
Shopping was a handicap for me in Iceland because it was expensive. But in spite of that I bought chocolate, souvenirs and some beautiful winter hats, thermal wear and gloves from 66°North Store which is actually the best winter clothing store in Iceland. Coincidentally the hat I bought for my daughter was what the Iceland Winter Olympic Games Athletes wore to the opening of the Winter Olympic Games. She was screaming with excitement when she saw them on TV. I guess Mom is now cool!
I could go on about the beautiful city of Reykjavik, Iceland but I refuse, I would rather let you after reading this have the desire to visit. My job every time is to make you feel the exciting urge to want to explore new places, new cultures, try new adventures and be willing to try new cuisine like the rotten whale head at the Viking Restaurant urghhh… I see myself also as a travel ambassador for my clients and any one reading this because at my Agency Yero Travels, LLC, you can “See The World Through Our Eyes” before we take you there!
More & better pictures on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=74031352686
Questions & Info: info@yerotravels.com
Our Website: www.yerotravels.com
BSY
PTANA – Bahamas Cruise 1st Annual Conference December 6-13, 2009
19 Dec 2009 1 Comment
It was the first Annual conference for PTANA (Professional Travel Agents of North America) and it was aboard the beautiful Carnival Pride departing from the Port of Baltimore my home Port, so you should think it would be easy right? WRONG…. Anyways. A day before our cruise it had snowed or should I say three months before the cruise I was seriously ill and had seen one specialist doctor to another and almost cancelled the cruise before departure date. But eventually I felt a bit better and my physician of 10 years convinced me that a change of weather would actually be good for me. So I was game!
You see most of the people in PTANA are my friends and some like family to me so I felt I was in good hands and felt this was going to be a trip like Jamaica! Boy, we had fun in Jamaica, I learnt a lot, experienced a lot because I was new in the business at the time , but I sure did have fun, the music, the people, the food, umm, umm, umm am drifting ain’t i? OK back to PTANA. This was the 1st Annual Conference aboard the Carnival Pride on a 7-Day Cruise to Bahamas and there was so much to be done, like updating the constitution, elections, property site inspections at Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport Bahamas (Hilton, Wyndham, Sandals, Marley Resort, Atlantis, Renaissance etc), CLIA Classes conducted by Ms. Heidi Olsen, Carnival Product Class, St. Lucia Island Presentation by St. Lucia Sales Marketing Rep. Ms. Hortensia Joseph etc. and one look at that schedule made my head spin some more which am sure yours is doing the same while reading this, right? Ok lets move on.
There were at least four chapters of PTANA that attended this conference, Maryland, Atlanta, Houston and Pennsylvania with a total of almost sixty people if I am not mistaken. Excuse me if I am, but I suffered two migraine attacks while on this cruise! We attended classes on sea days and did site inspection tours at Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport, Bahamas. We were even treated to a delicious lunch by Sandals at their Royal Bahamian and Offshore Island Resort. It was Fantastic and I love my Lobster any time of the day! Although it was business, we did have alot of fun too, like the Red, White & Blue party, the Captain’s Dinner when we all dressed up, took beautiful pictures, others had fun at the Casino (I will not mention names), our Boom-Boom nights at Beauties Club, I better stop here……… You get the fun part anyway!
Everything was well organized and coordinated almost flawlessly and most of that credit goes to Ms. Mary Burley, outgoing Chairperson Maryland Chapter, Ms. Paula Dozier Sr., Ms. Brenda Cole the new Chairperson (My Big Mama) and the power support team they put together. I admire and respect this group of leaders and amongst them I made new friends and mentors like Ms. Victoria Smith and Ms. Paulette; you see I am a person that likes to silently acquire knowledge and most importantly from the best source; so despite my not being too well at this time, I made the trip and I had a lot of questions answered and picked up some new information and tricks of the trade along the way. I had some fun of course with my naughty partners, Paula Dozier Jr., her brother Terry Dozier with whom we danced so well and Hortensia Joseph our St. Lucia Sales Marketing Rep. my boom boom dance partner.
Anyway, this is one cruise that I can frankly say that I enjoyed the group more than I enjoyed the ship, our dining experience though was superb, with the waiters dancing, singing and entertaining us each night after they had served us dinner, I must say it was awesome! This was my third trip to Bahamas this year but that did not stop me from shopping at Nassau, infact I found this excellent store in Lucaya that just opened and sells designer bags, got something great which I am not going to mention here!! But you can not miss that shop when next you are there.
To me, the conference was a success and I am proud to be a member of PTANA and will recommend this organization of professionals to any travel agent reading this that is not already a member. This is what it is all about, networking, hands-on learning experience and building lasting relationships that will help and support the Travel Community in its quest for a better image.
1(800) 880-9591 info@yerotravels.com www.yerotravels.com
BSY
Sandals FAM – Beaches Resort, Turks and Caicos
13 Nov 2009 1 Comment
Soft, white sand beaches, pristine turquoise waters looking emerald from an aerial view is the Island of Turks and Caicos. With over thirty Islands but only seven of them inhabited, Turks and Caicos is a paradise and the biggest attraction is Beaches Resort by Sandals in Providenciales. When we arrived, I fell in love with this paradise island immediately and Beaches Resorts was an added bonus.
When you arrive, you will be diving into a one-of-a-kind, unbelievably exciting all inclusive family vacation at Beaches Turks & Caicos. This Resort is huge and beautiful, divided into three exciting villages, Caribbean, France and the newest and most magnificent addition; the Italian Village which was actually where I had the pleasure of staying on this Sandals FAM. Some of the Resort highlights include six pools, an amazing Pirates Island Water Park with a flow rider, Liquid Night Club to groove and shake your stress away at night, which by the way I highly recommend, sixteen specialty restaurants that serve the most delectable cuisine to satisfy any craving and of course the Family Suites in the Italian village that sleep twelve guests. I was in an Italian Village spacious and luxurious Suite, but since there was only two of us, the main living room area was closed, which is the section that sleeps extra four guests. This Suite comes with concierge and butler service, now that is the way it should be; when one is on vacation and may I recommend Ms. Sherry, one of the Butler’s who is very good, professional and goes the extra mile to make guests very comfortable.
A couple of my friends and I that night had an Italian dinner at Mario’s, I had Steak and Salmon; it was superb; after which we enjoyed a Sesame Street Parade by Elmo and Friends. By the way Beaches Resort is another home of Sesame Street or should I say Elmo and Friends. In fact the next day after our site inspection of the property, we had a special meet and greet with Elmo and Zoe since the director of our group Ms Lucy happens to be the coordinator of the Sesame Street activities. Now that was neat! My kids loved the pictures I took with Elmo and Zoe, yippee I was a kid again!
Since it was a short FAM and we were departing that night, a couple of my Friends and I headed for town to see some exciting things and may be do a little shopping, boy was I right when I said a little shopping, because Turks and Caicos turned out to be a very expensive Island. Our tour guide a very wonderful man called Lumpy, (please do not laugh at the name) mentioned that a gallon of milk costs $7.00. Ouch!! I can feel the hole in my pockets already! Any way we had a good time in town, visited a private beach and had some fun there, picked up a couple of souvenirs and headed for the Conch Shark where I bought a rare Conch Shell for my living room and my girlfriend ordered some Conch salad. It was an experience watching how the shell was removed and a jelly-like string thing that is believed to work like Viagra was devoured by all the men there before the Conch was taken into the restaurant to be prepared into different dishes. WOW, so much to learn in life!
Anyway, our day ended with us heading back to Beaches Resort where we proceeded to board the buses and head for the Airport. We were all tired and most of us fell asleep on the chattered plane; but before I went to sleep with my eyes closed, I had a nice smile on my face and a picture of my children playing at the huge water park at Beaches Resort, I knew right there that I had fallen in love and would certainly be back and bring the children with me.
Yero Travels, LLC is a Certified Sandals Specialist and highly recommend Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos for your next vacation. You can book any Sandals or Beaches Resort Vacation directly from our website at www.yerotravels.com, call: 1(800) 880-9591 to plan it or email us at info@yerotravels.com
BSY
2009 Summer Vacation: 4-Night Bahamas Cruise
11 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
It was a 4-Night Cruise on the Norwegian Sky to the Grand Bahamas, Nassau Bahamas and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s Private Island. The kids and I had a wonderful time, or should I say the kids had a FANTASTIC time! We were in the Owners’s Suite, so it was VIP all the way with concierge and butler service. Our Suite was great and the deck was huge which had a private hot tub that I enjoyed every night of the cruise; I would sit on the deck afterwards and just gaze at the sky, look at a few stars, say a prayer and make so many wishes. “Oh the things you can do on a Cruise…” It was soothing and relaxing and afterwards I would order room service; ICE CREAM and COOKIES! umm… I can still taste it! Just don’t ask me how I lost all the weight I gained, that would be a whole new chapter!
I enjoyed Nassau the best because we spent the day in Atlantis Paradise Island Resort. I love Atlantis unfortunately “Milo” was nowhere to be found! But Great Stirrup Cay Island was also nice, we enjoyed swimming in the ocean; by the way do you know that Ocean water is good for your skin? We had a great barbecue and danced to reggae music. Shopping for perfume in Grand Bahamas was excellent because the prices were better than those on the Ship or here in the US. The food on the Sky was delicious and we dined at some of the specialty restaurants like Le Bistro for delectable Steak. The service on the Norwegian Sky, just like any Norwegian Ship was, let’s just say two thumps up to FREESTYLE CRUISING!
We enjoyed all the entertainment onboard the ship but what my two younger kids loved the most was spending time in the pool which was conveniently located by the Garden Cafe, where they could enjoy unlimited food and snacks. My 14-year daughter rocked down the White Hot Party while my 17-year-old son got all wrapped up for the Toga Party! It was their first time cruising and they had a blast!!! We all did!!!
To book a Bahamas Cruise, Bahamas Vacation Package or any other Vacation, Contact us at 1(800) 880-9591, email: info@yerotravels.com or check out www.yerotravels.com
August 17-21, 2009
BSY
Cruise University Seminar@Sea – 7-Day Mexican Riviera Cruise
07 Oct 2009 3 Comments
Ola! A little bit of work and a little bit of fun was my 7-Day Cruise aboard NCL Norwegian Star to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles, September 26-3 October, 2009. Port days were at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
I must say the Norwegian Star is a beautiful ship built for Freestyle Cruising with numerous options on everything from accommodations to restaurants. There are 10 bars and lounges aboard the ship, 11 different restaurants and dining rooms, and the largest suites on the ocean; two water parks, one specially for kids, an invigorating Gym and Spa, Broadway Shows, Comedy, Casino, it was all there and I tried almost everything! Had a massage, enjoyed the Blackstreet Boys Comedy at the Star Dust Theatre, Dining at the Teppanyaki and one of my favorites, the White Hot Party….ICE…ICE….BABY! We danced the night away.
We were there for Cruise and Travel University, Seminar at Sea and I shared a balcony stateroom with a friend and fellow agent. We enjoyed the classes and the ship had the right facilities, because there were conference rooms on the ship with projectors, TV and DVD players. But on port days we were off. For me it was two vacations in one! We had the cruise and the land portion, which was the city tours, and an extra bonus thanks to the sale’s team at RIU Resorts and Hotels, (Thank you Richard and Fernando) we got to do two site inspections of RIU Emerald Bay Resort in Mazatlan and RIU Palace in Puerto Vallarta. I fell in love with Mazatlan because it reminded me of Athens and Greece; the Mediterranean look and feel, with Old World Style atmosphere was just captivating! Puerto Vallarta was more city like, but I had the best lunch there (YUMMY) at the La Palapa Restaurant by the Ocean and of course after lunch we dived right into the water! It was really relaxing, I enjoyed the rich culture of the cities and did a lot of shopping!
To the left, I was sitting on one of the land marks in Mazatlan backing the duelling brothers rocks
In the middle is one of the pools at RIU Emerald Bay Resort, Mazatlan
To the right is the elegant lobby of RIU Palace, Puerto Vallarta
To the left is the statue of the girl the duelling brothers killed each other for! How tragic!
In the middle is the majestic RIU Emerald Bay Resort
To the right, far back is the duelling brothers rocks, where their bodies were found, one on each rock, by the person that later married the girl!
To the left is Yemi Akinde, friend and fellow Agent, RIU Resort Sales Rep. Fernando and I at RIU Emerald Bay Resort, Mazatlan
In the middle is our Cruise University lecturers, Charlie Dubinsky, President of Cruise University and Shelton
To the right; only on a cruise do you sail into a sunset!
To the left; Senor Frogs and I, In the middle; The Famous Stone Island Beach Gateway, Cabo San Lucas and to the right, waiting for my lunch at La Palapa Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. By the way it was Delicious!
To round up, I say to our clients or to anyone reading this, the Mexican Riviera is one beautiful, romantic and captivating place to “See Through Our Eyes”! You deserve a vacation and I recommend you take someone with you! To book this same Cruise or any vacation of your choice, call us at 1(800) 880-9591, email: info@yerotravels.com or visit our website at www.yerotravels.com
“See The World Through Our Eyes” Before We Take You There!
BSY
