Once in a Lifetime

May 7, 2013 By 3 Comments

Sometimes opportunities that come along we might pass by while some others need to be considered.  This was a once in a lifetime offer that I needed to take full advantage of…a Royal Caribbean Seminar at Sea…to the Mediterranean!!  Yes, please…where do I sign?!

I took Latin as my choice of possible languages in high school.  Latin is unspoken. If I had known I’d end up falling in love with working in the travel industry, I might have considered something more practical like Spanish or even French.  I loved Latin, but it was probably because I had the best teacher ever.  Latin is centered around Rome and the ancient history.  We studied Caesar – “Et tu Brute?”.   Some of it was really interesting like the Roman Gods and Goddesses – I chose Minerva to study in depth.  So “Carpe Diem” it is – I am seizing this day!  I can’t wait to say “Veni, Vidi, Vici!” – I came, I saw, I conquered!!  I’ve always wanted to travel to Rome.  Here is my chance!

The 7 night Western Mediterranean Cruise  Itinerary:

Port Arrive Depart Activity
Barcelona, Spain 5:00 PM
Provence (Toulon), France 8:00 AM 6:00 PM Docked
Villefranche (Nice), France 7:00 AM 7:00 PM Tendered
La Spezia (Florence/Pisa), Italy 7:00 AM 7:00 PM Docked
Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy 7:00 AM 7:00 PM Docked
Naples (Capri), Italy 7:00 AM 6:30 PM Docked
Cruising Cruising
Barcelona, Spain 6:00 AM

Seminar at Seas are jam packed with information, ship/site inspections and educational opportunities.  While they do not include a lot of down/personal time, but I am eager to learn and cannot wait to come back and share everything with my clients. Even better, I get to cross more destinations off my bucket list.

What destinations are on your bucket list?

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Special Requests Are Not Guaranteed

May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

My days are often filled with special requests – I want to be on a higher floor, I want my room to be near this particular person, I want to check-in early.   There is nothing more I enjoy than to receive client feedback that a hotel honored your special request that I submitted.  But you need to be aware that the request is just a request and cannot be guaranteed in most circumstances (unless you are willing to pay for the feature, of course).  When you book with Ascential Lifestyle, we will note your reservation with your special request in special information field.  Then we take an extra step to contact the hotel to make sure this note has translated through the reservation systems.  Most requests are honored at the front desk during check-in based on availability.  Even though I may contact the hotel at least two times in the booking process to implement your special request, you will still want to speak up at check-in to make sure this request is re-iterated to the staff on duty.

As long as a hotel is not in a sold out situation, the front desk will do their best to honor simple requests like:

  • Bedding Type (King or 2 Double Beds)
  • Smoking Preference  (unless hotel is all non-smoking)
  • Near or Away from the Elevator, Ice Machine, etc.
  • Higher or Lower Floor
  • Extra pillows, blankets, towels, etc.
  • Handicapped Accessible

These requests are more difficult for the hotel to honor and depends on their occupancy:

  • Connecting or adjoining rooms
  • Early check-in or Late check-out

The following requests often require a fee to secure and are based on availability:

  • Rollaway or Cot
  • Refrigerator
  • Crib or Pack-n-play
  • View – ocean, pool, garden, city, etc.
  • Upgrades
  • Celebrations (honeymoon, birthday, anniversary, etc.)

At Ascential Lifestyle, we will try our best to get you what you need to make your stay enjoyable!  Of course, we always have a few tricks up our sleeves to make things magically happen…so don’t be shy, speak up and tell us exactly what you want or need.  For my own personal reservations, depending on the hotel and destination, I typically ask for extra blankets and a low floor.  What are some of your favorite requests to make?

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Would you like to know a travel industry secret?

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Walt Disney World® Resort

Shh – don’t tell anyone, but the internet has no feelings and does not care about you.  It has only been programmed to collect your money.  As I shout this from the rooftop – PLEASE – do NOT ever book your vacation over the internet!!  You are shocked, I can tell, but let me explain why…

As a travel agent, the worst phone call you can receive is from a valued client who did not utilize your services and is now experiencing some sort of problem with their travel plans.  The best scenario is that I can come to the rescue and solve their problems.  But more often than not, when vacations are booked over the internet, there is not much I can do to save the day.  This week I received one of those calls for help.

A client and several of her family members booked their Disney flights and multiple hotel rooms directly with the airline through the airline’s website.  As they firmed up their itinerary, they decided to add their park tickets and dining plan to their previously secured hotel and air.  When the client contacted the airline, the airline said they were unable to do so because they were within a 14 day window.  This is where my phone rings with my client in an utter panic!   Could I sell them Disney dining and park tickets?  I totally wish!

Unfortunately, the airline had control over the record and the airline’s policy indicated they do not allow changes 14 days or less.  If the client had booked with Disney Travel Company directly instead of through the airline, the client could have transferred ownership of their booking to me and I could have easily added the dining and park tickets.  As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, we are able to add dining to your Magic Your Way package 3 days prior to your arrival with a $15 change fee  per Disney policy (this fee from Disney is implemented because the change was less than 14 days prior to their arrival).  However, the airline wouldn’t help my client for whatever reason they justified or established in their own policies.   I advised the client to try calling Disney directly, but as I suspected, because their package was booked through a third party supplier – the airline – the third party was responsible for adding the dining and park tickets.  The airline was not willing to budge or take the extra step to make this happen for the client.

Walt Disney World® Resort Dining

The outcome – the client was able to purchase their park tickets separately, but were unable to add dining to their package. I was also able to provide the client valuable information about character dining, which parks to visit based on crowd capacity, and so much more.  At least I feel better the client has some Disney knowledge before they arrive.  I am certain that was more knowledge and service than the airline ever offered them.

The bottom line – Book your valuable vacation with someone that cares about you, values your business and can provide you service, not a computer who is only there to collect your money.  We value our clients and want them to be informed and prepared.  We do not want them to visit Disney or any destination for that matter and be overwhelmed and end up exhausted.  Vacations are meant to be enjoyed and a time for renewal.  In this instance this close-knit family needed time to bond away from home and create memories to last a lifetime.  Even though they do not have a dining package, they will still have a great time.  But hopefully next time they will call Ascential Lifestyle first!

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Who uses those things besides Grandma anyway?

August 8, 2011 By 1 Comment

Snag free shower caps from your hotel bathroom and put them to good use:

  • cover dirty shoes before packing them in a suitcase

    Courtesy of Best Western Plus Hotel Universel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada)

  • create a barrier with toiletries by placing under bottle tops that might pop open during travel
  • prevent germ spread by placing over TV remote control in hotel room
  • use as a snack bowl for toddlers learning to self feed
  • fill with water and small hotel bar of soap and tie tightly, a new temporary toy for bored children
  • cover kitchen bowls before placing in refrigerator
  • catch water drips from indoor watering plants
  • cover a bicycle seat on rainy days
  • when taking your dog for a walk use it as a poopie baggie
  • wrap around feet or hands after paraffin wax

You can always use it traditionally by protecting your hair during a shower.  How would you put your free shower cap into use?

 

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Authorized Disney Vacation Planner

July 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

From Shannon’s Desk:

Its official – I am a Graduate of the Disney College of Knowledge! What an amazing (and extremely tiring!) week long experience!   I not only met some great colleagues (and was blessed with an awesome roommate), but I was personally challenged and insightfully educated about a topic I have been familiar with for most of my life. As far back as my childhood memories will allow me, I have been fortunate to frequent Walt Disney World almost yearly with my parents, my schoolmates, travel agent familiarization trips and events that I had planned during my professional experience as a Meeting Planner.  In the past, I have held a love/hate relationship with Disney.  Maybe it was because my parents took my brother and me there twice a year every year and I grew tired of the same destination.  But it wasn’t until recently when I saw the amazement and wonder in my own children’s eyes that I developed a fond appreciation for true magic that Disney inspires.

In all my travels to Walt Disney World, I had never visited Disney’s Moderate, Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts.   Now that I experienced them firsthand and know what they have to offer, our next family visit will not be to our typical “for head crashing only” accommodations at the Value Resorts like Disney’s Pop Century.   I have so many exciting ideas about our next stay – the themed pools, like my favorite at Port Orleans French Quarter, have plenty to explore and keep the kids busy.  I’d be apt to just plan a day lounging by the pool after a couple of rigorous days at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.  Or we could just plan a water only vacation – even though the ocean is about an hour away – Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon present two more days that my kids can be fish and enjoy splashing fun.  The dining options are also more abundant and offer some great entertainment options within from character dining to cast member participation, such as my new favorite Whispering Canyon Café!  Not to mention the exceptional menus and delicious food for connoisseurs alike.   Can you say Petite Pineapple Dole Whip by the Polynesian Pool three times fast?  I know its not hard, because that is about how many I had in just one afternoon.  Our fantastic Disney “Professors”, Rita and Tommy, could have spent one whole day just educating us on the Disney Dining Plan!

Rita and Tommy were expert tour guides and were also able to provide us with a grand tour of the brand new Disney Dream cruise ship.  I’ve been on other cruise ships, but Disney has truly thought of everything!  From the smallest details such as knowing which side of the ship you are facing (aft or port) by the direction the nautical sea life face on the room plates to the amazing hand washing stations in the kids clubs that make the tedious fun for little ones.  I walked away from the ship and cannot wait to share the Disney cruising experience not only with my family, but especially my clients.  Sometimes it is all about quality of the experience!

Another amazing, quality experience that is featured at Downtown Disney and is totally worth every penny is Cirque du Soleil La Nouba.  How could I have never experienced this amazing show in all my previous travels?!  There is no way you can’t walk away from the show and not be mesmerized by the extreme talent the entire company exhibits along with their gorgeous muscular bodies.  Prepare to fall in love!

These are just a few highlights of my participation in the week long travel agent education program.  I have so many hints, tidbits, freebies and magical secrets fresh in my mind.  So who wants to go with me to visit Walt Disney World and take a Disney Cruise?  Disney is now accepting reservations for 2012 – why wait, let’s go!

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Why use a Travel Agent?

July 9, 2011 By

We are often asked if using a travel agent is necessary.  Of course you can do it all by yourself, but why would you want to?!  Rather than spend hours on the internet and phone researching the best prices and then wonder if you actually found the best deal, Ascential Lifestyle Travel Managers have instant access right at their fingertips.  Your personal Travel Manager is just one phone call away.  We do all of it for you and even better, it’s at no additional cost to you – we are paid by the travel suppliers!

Our Travel Managers are graduates of regular training classes which keep us up-to-date and knowledgeable on the frequent changes of the travel industry.  Ascential Lifestyle Travel Mangers are also experienced travelers themselves often participating in industry sponsored familiarization trips to your favorite destinations.  (It’s a tough life, but someone has to do it!)  We also have great relationships with our suppliers and work hard to fulfill your special requests.  We are in constant contact with our suppliers and they often keep us abreast of the most current travel promotions.  However, we will make suggestions that are in the best interest of our clients and not the suppliers.

Our awesome clients are also loyal, repeat clients.  We strive for continual customer feedback because your positive experience from start to finish is our first priority.  When you share your personal experiences (hopefully more good than bad), we are able to pass this information onto our other clients.  Ascential Lifestyle also shares the knowledge we accumulate such great restaurants and fun activities to things as simple as what to pack to make your trip more enjoyable.   Whenever possible, we like to enhance your trip with value-added benefits and amenities.

We are familiar with the fine print of policies, cancellation penalties and restrictions – many times we are aware of possible loopholes.  You can trust that we are your travel advocates and will work hard to solve any problems that may arise.

So why wait?  Quit dreaming of that much needed vacation and contact Ascential Lifestyle today for your free no obligation quote today!  You can be assured of finding a friendly, helpful, knowledgeable Travel Manager who will put together the best vacation possible at the best possible price and will be by your side with you from dream to reality to memory.

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