Trip Review: Cancun/Riviera Maya

Mindy traveled to the Cancun/Riviera Maya region in October to attend meetings with our travel agent consortium, the Traveri Group, as well as attend one of our supplier’s trade show and summit.  Her stay began at the family-friendly Finest Resort on Playa Mujeres for two nights.  This property is just north of Cancun.  She thought the rooms were spacious and beautiful with a modern style.  She really enjoyed staying at this property and meeting our representative for the hotel chain (see photo).  The resort offers a wide variety of activities for children and teens including a well-equipped children’s compound.  She also toured several other family resorts including Hyatt Ziva in Cancun and Dreams Playa Mujeres.  The Hyatt was a pleasant surprise with a great range of activities and 3 calm beaches.  The food was excellent and there are large family rooms including a two-bedroom villa that can sleep up to 8.  Dreams is a new property that has a fun waterpark and lazy river, well-equipped teen area and nice dining options.  The resort is also showcasing the Broadway show Rock of Ages through January 15.  Family accommodations include a two-bedroom suite on the club level that can accommodate up to 8 people.  The adult-only properties she toured include the boutique-style Beloved located on Playa Mujeres for a quiet getaway and Excellence Playa Mujeres for adults who seek a wider variety of activities and recreation.  Both received high marks for rooms, dining and beach.

Mindy then called the newly renovated Grand at Moon Palace home for the next three nights.  The service and amenities of this elevated section of the Moon Palace property offers a bowling alley, movie theater, waterpark and more.  The section has over 1,300 rooms and suites with golf cart shuttles to get you around.  She also got to see the Cirque de Soleil show, Joya, which draws on Mexico’s history and heritage.  The show has its own theater in the Riviera Maya and is also a dinner show.  She thought the story line was a little confusing, but with great acrobatics.  She also attended The Mark Travel Corporation Summit that showcased 200 of the travel industry’s top suppliers, including hotel and resort companies and destination executives along with 650 travel agents.  The learning opportunities included academic level workshops, seminars and courses along with keynote speeches about the state of the travel industry, advancements in technology and more.  The Summit is one of the largest travel industry events of the year.

Travel Tip: New ID Requirements

Travel Tip: New ID Requirements

Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits federal agencies, like TSA, from
accepting licenses and identification cards for official purposes from states that do not meet these standards.

Enforcement Dates
Beginning January 22, 2018, driver’s licenses or state IDs issued by states that are not in compliance with the REAL ID Act and have not been granted an extension by DHS may not be used to fly within the U.S. Beginning October 1, 2020, every traveler will need a REAL ID-compliant license or state ID or another acceptable form of identification to fly within the U.S.

When Flying…
If your state is compliant:
• You may continue to use your state-issued driver’s license or ID to fly in the U.S. until October 1, 2020.
• Beginning October 1, 2020, you may only use a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or ID or another acceptable form of identification for domestic air travel.

If your state is not compliant:
• Beginning January 22, 2018, you may continue to use your state-issued driver’s license or ID for domestic air travel only if your state has been granted an extension to the compliance deadline by DHS. If your state has not been granted an extension by DHS you may not use your state-issued driver’s license or ID for domestic air travel.
• Beginning October 1, 2020, you may not use your state-issued driver’s license or ID for domestic air travel.

Recommendations
1.Check your state’s status: You can check if your state is REAL ID compliant at dhs.gov/real-id-enforcement-brief. Beginning January 22, 2018, travelers from non-compliant states will not be able to use their driver’s licenses or state IDs at TSA checkpoints, unless the state received an extension to comply.

2.Read the frequently asked questions: For clarification on what the REAL ID Act means for you, visit dhs.gov/real-id-public-faqs or tsa.gov and search “REAL ID”. If you have questions about what is considered acceptable identification, you may call the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673 or email TSA-ContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov.

Trip Review: The Family Travel Association Summit

Lauren just returned from The Family Travel Association’s annual Summit.  The gathering of family travel agents, family travel media/bloggers, family friendly suppliers, researchers as well as Royal Caribbean and association staff took place aboard Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas which sailed out of Port Canaveral.  The Family Traveler was also the selected agency to book the cabins for the meeting (as we were the first agency to join) which allowed us the chance to better get to know all of the attendees.  A pre-cruise night stay at the Marriott Courtyard in Cocoa Beach included an informative dinner with local suppliers including hotels, activities and the port.  Then the 4-night cruise sailed to Nassau, but was unable to send tender boats to the private island of Cocoa Cay due to weather.  This gave us more opportunities to network and learn through keynote speakers, small group discussions and one-on-one meetings.  There were many highlights of the Summit including a discussion with Sven-Olaf Lindblad of Lindblad Expeditions about how to provide diverse aspiration for all ages while traveling, a variety of research to show the growth and direction of family travel, learning about and understanding the diversity of travelers and hearing about the Red Trunk Project which is a cultural initiative to spark global dialogue for a more inclusive future for children.  We met with suppliers as diverse as Kids Sea Camp (see above) to Martinhal Hotels and Resorts which are specifically designed for families and located in Portugal.  In Nassau, the show took place at the historical British Colonial Hilton.  Afterward, Lauren ventured to the Junkanoo World Museum with other agents to learn about this colorful festival, amazing costumes and history.  It proved to be a worthwhile experience despite its location outside of the downtown area.  The family-friendly experience includes hands on drumming or an art project based on Junkanoo costume techniques. The Family Traveler Association’s mission is to inspire family to travel – and travel more – while advocating for travel as an essential part of every child’s education.  This is a practice we greatly value in our agency and through the trips we book for you each and every day.  Check out http://familytravel.org for more details and to see their diverse membership.

Travel Tip: Travel Apps

Travel Tip: Travel Apps

Thanks to Travel Weekly magazine for this extensive list of a variety of travel apps and their functions:

Duolingo: This app is designed to teach the basics of a wide variety of languages in the format of a computer game. You must answer questions correctly before proceeding to the next step. This is a perfect download for first-time visitors to virtually anywhere on our planet.

EatSmartGuides: This app for travelers helps you identify local foods and beverages so you can decipher menus like a local. Akin to having your own menu translator sharing your chopsticks.

Eventseeker: Shows you key art exhibits, foodie events and festivals happening in the cities you visit.

TheFork: Another valuable app for Europe-bound travelers. TheFork points out the best restaurants and offers maps, reviews, sample menu items and even discount coupons for many featured restaurants.

Foursquare: Download this one just to see what all the buzz is about. Just tell the app what your family’s favorite foods are and it will show you only places that meet your profile. You can choose to follow those with similar tastes worldwide.

GateGuru: While not quite as good as having your travel personally monitored by one of the better flight tracking services, Gateguru is a great guide to local airport food along your route, amenities in your terminal, weather and the latest gate and departure information. It also shows you nearest alternate airports, just in case.

Google Translate: This is a rather obvious inclusion. The app enables you to simply speak into your phone and have their words instantly translated to the local language. But what is really cool is that this app no longer requires phone service.

ICE (In Case of Emergency): ICE records details about your personal medical conditions along with your doctor’s contact and insurance information, which it stores for translation in 10 languages. Best of all, it can be accessed in an emergency even if your phone is locked.

LiveTrekker: Yes, there is a bit of a learning curve, but this app can create an entire digital journal of one’s travels using a red line to trace the exact route. It monitors speed and altitude, and users can add photos, videos and audio en route, returning home with a multimedia journal that can be shared with friends.

Seat Alerts: This valuable app monitors the available seats on a flight up until its departure from the gate. It is particularly valuable for last-minute cancellations or when no-shows open up better seat availability.

Spotted by Locals: This site offers guides to 55 European cities and 11 in North America curated by locals with the latest information on what is cool and trendy. The best spots for music, shopping, coffee and bars are included. The price of the app includes free updates for life.

TimeOut: Insanely popular with those under 40, TimeOut is a comprehensive repository of things to do and see in cities around the world. It features everything from restaurants and bars to major attractions and events, Travelers to any city will be able to monitor everything going on around them. The app can even book restaurants and concerts.

Wolframsunexposure: You enter your skin type, and the app tells you how long you can safely stay in the sun before getting burned. It is based on where you are and the time of day, even taking into account the type of skin cream you are using.

Travel Tip: Travel Cribs

In honor of Family Traveller magazine’s debut in the US (on-line for now with a print version in January), here is a travel tip from their first publication:

Making a trip, whether near or far, always calls for a little rest and recharge once you get there. It may be easy for you to hit the hay on any pillow you see, but baby is always better when they have their favorite things with them. These travel cribs will make for the comfiest sleeps whether at home or away. They all fold up, carry easily and weigh less than 20 pounds. Bringing one along isnow a no-brainer. Everyone’s sleep will be better!

Graco Pack ‘n Play Playard Jetsetter, $104

This travel crib makes it easy to be on the go. It folds up into its own backpack so you can carry it anywhere baby goes. With its easy setup, the Pack ‘n Play can be assembled almost anywhere in less than one minute. One minute? Yes, one minute is right! And that kind of time is precious when you have a baby on your hip. Once set up, this travel crib comes with a bassinet, perfect for little ones who need a nap. The bassinet has two vibration settings to soothe your baby when you are too busy to stand there and rock baby yourself. Other features include mesh paneling for air flow, a mesh dome with sunlight blocker, and a removable changing pad.

BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light, $240

The most annoying thing about buying products just for baby? Having to buy new items when baby gets bigger. That isn’t a problem with the BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light. Although one of the more expensive travel crib options out there, this product will last your baby well through their toddler years, making it worth the investment. It has a comfy mattress pad and high, mesh walls. You’ll be happy you’ll never have to buy another travel crib, since you won’t find one with the same features. The 13-pound crib can be carried in its over-the-shoulder bag until it is set up in one simple movement. After a few uses, the crib may get dirty, but have no fear. Both the mattress pad cover and fabric around the crib are removable and machine washable. This small crib can fit in the back of any car for your next trip. Your baby will be happy no matter when and where you decide to get away.

Lotus Everywhere Travel Crib, $190

Make your baby smile with this crib by Guava Family. The exclusive side zipper doors allow you to get down on your baby’s level and hang out in the crib with them. This feature provides a more hands-on approach to everyday events – you can even lay beside your baby until they fall asleep. The easy 15-second setup makes it a no-brainer for bringing on a vacation – it’s no mess and no fuss. When you’re ready to head on home, just fold the crib up and carry it using its built-in backpack feature.

If you want this crib to grow with your baby, you can purchase the bassinet package, featuring a rocking option for a deep sleep. The crib and bassinet combination retails for $300.

Trip Tip: California Dreamin’

The Cheris Family of 4 from North Potomac, MD (2 adults and two teen boys) spent their summer vacation in sunny Southern California.  The trip began in Los Angeles with a stay at the Andaz West Hollywood, close to all the Hollywood attractions.  They really enjoyed the hotel, especially the rooftop pool with expansive views of the Hollywood Hills that they could also see from their high floor room.  Mom found the rooms very clean and comfortable.  Their LA highlight was a Warner Brothers Studio tour and enjoying a beach day at popular Venice Beach.  They also ventured to the Griffith’s Observatory with a nice view of the city and the Hollywood sign, drove around Beverly Hills to check out the lovely homes and visited Rodeo Drive.  Dinner at Mel’s Diner was a fun outing.  On their way south to San Diego they just decided to stop in Newport Beach for lunch.  They ended up renting bikes and swam in the ocean and really enjoyed a lovely day there.  Their stay in La Jolla was also a hit with a stay at the Grande Colonial where the staff took good care of them.  Their upgraded suite was spacious and had a sweet charm to it despite a musty smell in the building.  The hotel pool and views were a plus. Other fun activities included a kayak and snorkel tour right out of La Jolla, the San Diego Zoo, time at the beach (the hotel loaned them beach equipment) and meandering the village streets.  Every day mom loved visiting her sea lion friends at the beach in the early morning with Starbucks in hand.  Dinner at El Pescador Fish Market was described as casual and amazing.  One evening mom and dad went out for a date night for Mexican food in the Gaslamp Quarter while the boys had room service at the hotel.  Overall the trip was a great success, with minimal whining and fighting! The family mentioned that their hotel choices were spot on…they were sad to leave behind the adorable sea lions…

Travel Tip: The Basics of Cell Phones for Travel

Here are some handy cell phone trips for travel from Wired Magazine:

Trip Review: A London/Amsterdam Celebration

Mindy and her family (parents and young adult children ages 20 and 18) ventured to London and Amsterdam in celebration of her son’s high school graduation in June.  The trip began in London with a five-night stay at a self-catering, two-bedroom apartment in the Knightsbridge neighborhood.  The apartment was on a quiet cul-de-sac off a major street, with easy access to pubs, grocery stores, retail shops and dining. Their time in London was chock full of experiences with a variety of prebooked tours, dining reservations and entertainment which helped maximize their time and avoid long ticket lines.  The family began their visit with a city orientation tour.  Their private guide/driver took them around the city and understood the best places for viewing events while avoiding the crowds such as the practice sessions for the Changing of the Guard.  After the tour, the young adults enjoyed an exciting speedboat tour along the Thames River while mom and dad relaxed with a picnic lunch in a nearby park.  Among other sites, they visited the Tower of London, Spitafields Market and the Churchill War Rooms.  A guided tour of London’s Graffiti and Street Art was more educational and fun than expected.  Evening entertainment was also a special part of their time in London.  They saw the limited engagement of the Billy Holiday show on the West End (Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill), Tape Face as well as Van Morrison.  The later was a real highlight as the intimate concert took place at the historical Hampton Court Palace in one of the courtyards.

The family then flew onto Amsterdam for three nights.  Their first lesson was how to avoid the city’s bike riders.  With 880,000 bikes on the city’s roads; they quickly figured out who has the right of way – not the pedestrians! They stayed at an apartment-hotel well located just a 10-minute stroll from the Central Rail Station. The new Erik Vokel Apartments offers spacious one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with lovely river views. Their visit to Amsterdam began with a private walking tour followed by visits to the Anne Frank House and a privately guided tour of the renovated Van Gogh Museum. While in the Museum Quarter, the family happily stumbled upon a special Banksy Laugh Now exhibition at the Modern Contemporary (Moco) Museum. It contains around 50 original works by London’s Street Art-legend whom the family learned about on their earlier street art tour.  For the first time in history there is a Banksy exhibition in a museum!  In addition, visits to the Amsterdam Cheese Museum and the Amsterdam Tulip Museum provided good entertainment along with yummy samples of Gouda cheese. The culinary highlight though was the local pancakes (pannenkoeken) served either savory or sweet and they indulged in these thin crepes multiple times. Another highlight was the city’s newest icon, the A’dam Lookout with 360 degrees views.  The young adults went Over the Edge on Europe’s highest rooftop swing atop the building. Dinner is served inside at M’adam where a spectacular sunset, nice ambiance and good food created a memorable occasion. On their last day, a small canal cruise allowed them to see Amsterdam from the water and to learn about the dam systems and bridges that are essential to the city. They also learned about of a rite of passage tradition that is unique to The Netherlands that was also significant to the Valencis.  Putting the country’s flag out and hanging your child’s school bag on the pole is a sign that they have passed their high school exams.  The family saw bag-on-a-flag all over Amsterdam in fitting celebration of their own special graduation celebration.

Travel Tip: Family Photo Advice

Have you ever returned from a vacation full of sun, fun, laughter and a feeling that you have created memories for a lifetime only to find that your photos are lackluster, at best?  The Nations Photo Lab offers the following tips and tricks that families can use to help capture the best moments of a vacation and keep the memories alive forever.

Advanced Notice

The first tip is to let your intentions be known: Tell family members that you will be taking a lot of pictures.

According to the Nations Photo Lab, you can help manage your little subjects’ (and your bigger ones’) expectations by letting them know that the camera will be out fairly often during the trip.

Balance 

If each shot looks the same, it won’t help you tell the story of your experience. The Nations Photo Lab advises photogs to “be sure to capture candid moments by telling the kids to pretend the camera isn’t there.”

Capture Wonder

Nothing beats capturing the look of awe on a child’s face when they see something amazing for the first time.

“Even if you sacrifice the scenery around them, a tight shot of your kids’ faces is a tangible memory of childhood that you’ll treasure forever,” the experts at the Nations Photo Lab recommend.

What’s more, let the kids help plan some of your activities. Happy kids equal better pictures so let your kids have a say in what you are doing on your vacation.

Lighting is Practically Everything

Plan for that perfect family photo—and make sure it’s during the golden time (1-2 hours before sunset). If you get it just right, it might just make the perfect holiday card.

High Shutter Speed

Kids are constantly on the move, and a high shutter speed will help you capture the moment before it moves on by.

Shutter speed can be adjusted in both a DSLR camera and on a smartphone. Photographing with a fast shutter is also a great way to capture summer sports games and dance recitals, say Nations Photo Lab experts.

Get in the Picture! 

Don’t forget to capture some moments with the whole family. Kids will want to look back on their vacation time and see pictures of you, too.

Use a self-timer app on your smartphone, or invest in a small tripod for your camera.

Trip Review: Our First Family Cruise

The Getsy Family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children ages 12 and 9) from Atlantic Beach, FL took their first family cruise for their summer getaway on the Celebrity Equinox.  They let us know that they had a fabulous time!!!  They stayed all together in a balcony cabin and thought it was  actually pretty awesome.  It was tight, of course, but had much more room than the family expected.  The room and bathroom had tons of storage; so they had plenty of places to put their things.  Even with the pullman beds dropped down at night for the children; they had room to move around and get to the veranda.  They loved having the balcony for star gazing, mother/daughter pedicures, reading and enjoying a cup of tea.

The family enjoyed the food on the ship, especially the specialty restaurants which included one night as an adult only meal.  They felt the supplement for these more intimate dining experiences was well worthwhile.  With no waits.  The gelato stand also received high marks from the children.  It too was a little extra cost, but not unreasonable.

The children tried the kids clubs, but decided not to spend a lot of time there.  But they still had fun.  The 8 year-old spent a lot of time on the lawn (yes, this ship has a lawn!) practicing his cart wheels and ninja moves and played ping pong outside the cafe anytime he could talk anyone into doing it with him.  Their daughter had fun looking around the shops and read some in the library.  Mom and daughter played Scrabble and the whole family had a game of Clue in the card table area.  They caught a couple of the family game shows at 8:00pm each night.  Everyone loved that.  Mom and dad went to an adult game show one evening and that was pretty funny too.  The son is just learning to play guitar; so they also appreciated the music acts.  Mom caught a movie one day and a yoga class one morning.

They also really enjoyed their excursions.  They explained that is is hard to say which excursion they liked the most because they were all so different.  The submarine in Cozumel was short, but super cool.  Just having that experience of being on a submarine and that close to the reefs was amazing.  The Mayan Experience Tour in Costa Maya was really neat, too.  The staff were very knowledgeable and fun.  Mom thought it was great for the children to see how people in other countries live and now her son wants a mango tree in their yard!  Mom and daughter loved having the stingrays swimming around them at Stingray City in Grand Cayman, but dad and son were a little disconcerted.  The family recommends to book this excursion early to avoid the crowds.  All of their hosts on the excursions were very courteous and fun.  Unfortunately their stop in Key West was canceled due to weather; so they got an extra day at sea.

 Overall the trip was a great success.  It was especially nice to disconnect.  In fact, the no dishes, no food prep, no laundry was mom’s favorite part.  Just not having anything to do, but relax was surreal, but amazing. They look forward to sailing again soon hopefully with other friends or family in tow.  We look forward to planning that trip for them!