| This one is from www.cruisecritic.com
Cruise “Bucket List”: Cruise Critic Readers Share Dream Voyages |
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 We all have a dream cruise in mind, that ultimate voyage we’d like to take before sailing off on the big cruise ship in the sky.
For some, it’s a cruise to the pagodas of the Far East or the translucent waters of the South Pacific. For others, penguins and giant tortoises are the draw, and their “bucket list” — a catalog of things to do before you die, which comes from the term “kicked the bucket” — includes a rugged expedition to Antarctica or the Galapagos. Some want it all, and nothing less than a world cruise will suffice. And there are those who say it’s about the company they keep and that the perfect last cruise would be a whatever-length sailing to someplace sunny — just as long as it’s with family and friends. Ignoring real world constraints like money or vacation time, what’s the top cruise on your bucket list? |
Monthly Archives: February 2010
What is your DREAM Cruise?
Travel Legislation
Legislation like this is vital to the economic recovery. Travel and tourism has on a tremendous impact on the economy of any nation. From the creation of jobs to the support of intrastructure, the importance is infinite. Travel and tourism is more than hotel and airfare, but it also includes restuarants, rental cars, museums, amusement parks, athletic stadiums, shopping centers and more. By encouraging people and businesses to travel, wheels of recovery will start to turn.
TRAVEL PROMOTION ACT FACES FINAL PASSAGE, VOTE EXPECTED SOON CONTACT YOUR SENATORS IMMEDIATELY AND URGE THEIR SUPPORT
Dear Travel Colleague: The travel community is on the cusp of final passage of the Travel Promotion Act, landmark legislation which will for the first time create a public-private partnership to promote travel to the United States. After months of focus on other issues, including health care reform and jobs stimulus legislation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indicated that final consideration of this important bill is imminent. President Obama also touted the value of the legislation during his comments in Las Vegas this past Friday (click here). We urge you to please start reaching out to your Senators today to ensure that when the bill is brought to the floor they are ready to support it. Speak to them about the immediate need to pass this bill in order to help our economy by attracting new spending, creating new jobs and reducing our national deficit, all at no cost to American taxpayers (see below for links to contact information and talking points). In order to help you make the case, we worked in conjunction with Oxford Economics to develop a new analysis of overseas travel to the United States titled The Lost Decade which shows the failure of the United States to simply keep pace with the growth in international long-haul travel worldwide and how much it has cost our economy: • 68.3 million lost visitors, each of whom on average spend well over $4,000 dollars. • $509 billion in lost spending, including $214 billion in direct spending and $295 billion in downstream spending at restaurants, retailers, and scores of other small businesses. • 441,000 lost jobs, direct, indirect and induced, in all regions of the country. • $32 billion in lost tax revenue at the federal, state and local levels. • $270 billion in lost trade surplus, export funding needed to rebuild our economy. As you know, the Senate passed the Travel Promotion Act in September (S.1023) with a strong bipartisan vote of 79-19. The Travel Promotion Act was then unanimously approved by the House of Representatives in November as part of H.R.1299. Because the legislation creates “revenue” for the federal government, the Constitution requires that the Travel Promotion Act originate in the House. Therefore, the Senate must now take a final vote on H.R.1299. It’s important that every Senator who supported the legislation in September hear again from members of the travel community thanking them for their original vote of support and urging their continued support in the coming weeks for final passage of the legislation. Your relentless grassroots advocacy for more than two years has moved the United States one giant step closer to its first multi-million dollar, nationally coordinated travel promotion program. Let’s get the job done in the Senate with final passage.
Panda’s Fly in the Sky with TripIt
Giant Pandas organize their travel plans on TripIt
TripIt isn’t just for humans – animals can use it, too. This week, two giant pandas, Mei Lan and Tai Shan, are embarking on a journey from Washington DC to Chengdu, China in a custom designed FedEx plane, so we thought they should have a custom designed TripIt itinerary for their trip, too. Of course, all TripIt itineraries are easy to customize, so planning the trip for the pandas wasn’t quite as much work for us as it was for FedEx!
Check out Mei Lan and Tai Shan’s TripIt itinerary for their big trip.
I am a Princess Commodore!!!
Melissa A. IntVeldt Dutton achieved prestigious Commodore status in Princess Cruises’ Academy training program, certifying her as an expert cruise professional. As a Commodore, Melissa A. IntVeldt Dutton of My Traveling Panda, joins an exclusive group of travel agents who are now recognized by Princess at the Academy’s highest level for their unique qualifications and knowledge as a cruise planning professional. Melissa A. IntVeldt Dutton earned this distinction after completing the minimum 25 courses necessary to graduate from the program.
“We at Princess are very proud of Melissa’s dedication, as she put in extra effort to offer clients exceptional knowledge regarding our cruise vacation product as well as our worldwide destinations,” said Jan Swartz, Senior Vice President of Customer Service and Sales at Princess. “Travel agents who reach this top level in our Academy program have completed hours of course work to become a cruising expert, which will prove invaluable to providing clients with a great vacation.”
Princess Academy is the cruise industry’s most comprehensive online training program available to travel agents in the U.S. and Canada. Agents who complete the extensive coursework become experts on a wide range of topics, offering travelers full knowledge of important details about a Princess vacation such as the different passenger amenities on the line’s 17 ships, the company’s worldwide destinations and the many special programs available onboard.
“I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” ~Caskie Stinnett
This is so true for me. I really love to travel, but I love not just the traveling, but the whole process of travel.
It drives my husband nuts, but as soon as we are on a return flight from one trip, I am already brainstorming the next destination. I enjoy researching various destinations, learning about attractions, restaurants, shopping, etc and searching for the best reviews and good values. I create itineraries, start a packing list and a savings fund well in advance of the trip. The excitement mounts as the departure dates arrives. And of course during the trip, the experiences, the cuisine, the people, the history create so many memories and open your eyes to the world around you. But once the actual trip is over, it still continues. Not just with the experience and learning that took place, but sharing the joy of those experiences and the images you capture on film.
I always need a trip to be planning or to be re-living as it creates a sense of excitement to the otherwise mundane routines of life.
