Travel Planning

Category: Trip Reviews

  • RIU Guanacaste Costa Rica

  • Rosewood Little Dix Bay

    Views of the Rosewood Resort at Little Dix Bay

  • Grand Cascades Lodge

    Grand Cascades at Crystal Springs: It’s the perfect place to recharge for a weekend getaway!

    Looking at the Kittatiny Mountains in Northwestern NJ, near skiing, golf, tennis, and hiking on the AT!

    Here’s some onsite activities:

    • Touring the wine cellar
    • Enjoying the indoor/outdoor Biosphere Pool Complex..try the waterslide!  (I personally enjoyed this!)
    • Enjoying a glass of wine on the Fire and Ice Terrace
    • Having lunch in the Chef’s Garden and look at the varieties of herbs growing.
    • Enjoy a casual meal in the Crystal Tavern (we enjoyed a fabulous takeout turkey burger) or the critically acclaimed Restaurant Latour
    • Hit the Gym
    • Experience a spa treatment in their band new onsight facility.
    • How about mini golf right outside the front door..we saw several multi-generational families enjoying this lovely option.
    • Take in the views from your private terrace… I thoroughly enjoyed this one..many of the pictures I took right off the terrace.

  • Brendan Tour of Australia

    I loved Australia for many reasons-the gorgeous scenery, the culture, and the friendly people. I would definitely recommend Australia and Brendan tours to everyone. We met people on the tour who we are still in touch with. The Outback and Ayers Rock is full of history (not to be missed). Cairns and the Great Barrier reef had the best snorkeling of anywhere we have been. Melbourne was a modern, fun city and the Great Ocean Road had the most breathtaking scenery and coastlines we have ever seen. Sydney was a clean, beautiful city and Sydney harbor and the Opera house are incredible (have to take a boat tour of the harbor and take a tour of the Opera house). Bondi Beach was beautiful and looked like beaches in Europe. Of course holding a koala and feeding kangaroos is a once-in-a lifetime experience; like all of Australia!    -Karen, NJ

  • Contiki So. Ireland

    June 08 tour:

    Hello, My name is Lauren and I live in Southern New Jersey.  My friend Jessica and I decided to book a tour of Ireland with a company called Contiki, which Dave, our awesome travel coordinator, gave us as an option.  Contiki offers tours of various destinations for people ages 18 to 35 years old.  Booking the trip was pain-free and at our own pace.  We were able to book in advance and had to have the trip paid for around 6 weeks prior to departure.  Dave helped us book our air separate from the air included with the Contiki which saved us a substantial amount of money.  We departed from JFK in NYC around 9pm and arrived in Dublin at around 9:30am. From the airport we took a bus (around 4 Euros) to our first hotel where we were to meet the rest of our tour companions.  That night we met our tour manager and bus driver, as well as the other 48 people from the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia that we would be traveling with for the next week. From Dublin we traveled to Galway, my absolute FAVORITE of all Irish towns visited.  They have pedestrianized streets, which means the roads are simply for walking, no vehicles are allowed.  It is a quaint fishing district with subtle hints of modernization scattered here and there.  We roamed through the town, drank at a few pubs, did some shopping.  The Quays, pronounced “keys,” was our favorite spot, be careful for the stairs though, I managed to miss 13 out of the 15 steps and landed on the ground without my pint, with a sprained foot, and was offered fre(e) drinks for the rest of the night from the bartender.  We traveled to Killarney, traveled through the park on a horse and carriage ride, went to pubs, clubs, and even had a few run-ins with Dr. Cox from Scrubs, who was staying in our hotel.  Kilkenny was interesting as well.  We took a walking tour of the city and took in a bit of history about the city, including the Black Abbey Church which was 200 years old when Columbus visited before sailing to The New World in 1492.  We traveled to Blarney and kissed the famous Blarney Stone.  I must caution you, to make this attempt, WEAR SNEAKERS.  I wore flip-flops and one managed to break, causing me to climb the very narrow and steep stairs of the castle with one shoe.  The actual stone is on top of the castle and a little old man dangles you by your ankles 3 stories up in the air to kiss a small, silver portion of a boulder….  Kissing the stone supposively gives you the “gift of gab,” or, being able to talk yourself out of any situation.  We visited Cobh, the last port-of-call of the ill-fated Titanic.  It’s basically a museum documenting the famine and the emigration to America made by the Irish.  We stayed the night in Cork and didn’t really venture out by recommendation of the tour manager.  Cork is Ireland’s version of NYC, LA, Miami, etc, but it is really no bigger and industrialized than any small town in the US.  Our tour ended back in Dublin, where we said goodbye to our new friends and exchanged emails and numbers before we left for the airport.

    I would definitely recommend Contiki as a tour because they were very organized and made the trip really fun.  On long bus rides they played music, we played games, and the time really passed.  A few recommendations, if you don’t drink beer, don’t order mixed drinks,…bring sneakers.  I didn’t and I paid dearly.  Bring extra money for the tour manager and bus driver.  They ask for it as a tip, not required though.  It’s usually 10 Euros per person, so save a spare E20 for them, it’s their spending money, and I’m sure you’ll feel they deserve it.Don’t venture too far from the hotel in Cork, it’s not that exciting, trust me, stay at the hotel bar, much more fun. Make sure you have the proper appliance converter for plugging things in.  We managed to blow up the entire wall in every hotel we stayed in. Note: all plugs, tv’s, hair dryers are all on one wall in Ireland.  You blow one socket, the rest are done. Have enough space on your camera for pics.  Ireland is as beautiful as you’ve heard, take as many pics as you can, and lastly, have a blast!  Ireland is full of excitement, quietness, beauty, and chock-full of history.  Take it all in and cherish your experience.  I’m never going to forget it.

  • MSC Orchestra

    Visit the MSC Orchestra via our pictures.  This ship was in NYC overnight in early May.  This ship has so much gorgeous marble…true understated elegance.  Did you know –  kids always sail free aboard MSC (in the same stateroom with two adults).

  • Celebrity Millenium

    We had a wonderful week about the Millenium.  The service was the best we’ve ever experienced, but the ship itself was in need of repair.  Dinner at the Olympic Restaurant was unbelievably spectacular, and the style of service was unparalleled.  The spa grill was fantastic, too, for tasty light meals.

  • Oasis of the Seas

    Pre-Inaugural November 27-29, 2009

    It was so exciting to receive an invitation to a pre-inaugural two-day trip aboard the all-new-game-changing Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas! After our on time flight, we proceeded to baggage claim to locate the Royal Caribbean representatives for our transfer to ship. We were loaded on a bus after a very short wait and transferred to the brand new terminal 18 at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale (purpose built for Oasis and Allure.) We really did get from curb to gangway in 15 minutes as advertised and everyone is the terminal was very pleasant. While Oasis is making port calls, card scanning/security will ALWAYS occur shore-side prior to re-boarding to enhance the boarding process. (A great idea for a ship than holds so many people and another industry first.) After boarding on the Royal Promenade level on deck 5 (the Royal Promenade on Oasis is much larger than the Royal Promenade first introduced on Voyager class), we easily found our cabin, D2-11702, Superior Ocean View w/Large Balcony starboard aft. Our cabin had a very nice sized balcony and plenty of storage space inside. The standard cabin stall shower had plenty of pressure and was more spacious than it appeared from the outside. It also featured a footrest to make the leg shaving process easier. Interestingly enough, the vanity/basin was extremely low.

    After getting our gear settled in our cabin, we headed off to explore the Oasis of the Seas and find some lunch. We stopped in the Solarium to take it all in. Seems Royal Caribbean has taken some cues from sister brand Celebrity’s AquaSpa area with the whirlpools, healthy café, etc. The Oasis includes a greatly expanded Solarium Bistro (translation healthy buffet by day and healthier alternative restaurant by night). In addition, there are cozy beach loungers and even a soothing stream. Visit the Solarium for a great retreat from some of the other hustle and bustle filled neighborhoods. In addition, do not miss the Solarium’s fresh water pool and two cantilevered whirlpools carried over from the Freedom class; also visit the Solarium bar for a beverage. We had a wonderful lunch from the large selection in the Bistro. (The Solarium Bistro offers more choices than the Celebrity, Millennium class, AquaSpa Café, no disrespect to Celebrity’s wonderful onboard experience). It was challenging to remember this was the “healthier buffet” since there were so many appetizing selections.

    Next stop, we visited the new loft suite section on decks 17/18 with their own private area. This concept appears to be borrowed from NCL’s Courtyard area. The two level Crown Loft Suite was truly one of a kind. Is the Loft Suite area better than NCL’s Courtyard area? Answer: It is different. Next, we visited Central Park, a place like no other at sea. You can walk through this floating park on deck 8, over the roof of the Royal Promenade, and stop for a drink, coffee, or even pick up lunch from the Park Café to enjoy under a tree. Royal’s lineup of alternative Restaurants including the new 150 Central Park is located in Central Park. Finally, you can also visit the all-new Vintages wine bar. Take your time to explore one neighborhood at a time and perhaps plan a meal there as well.

    Note: the mandatory safety drill on the Oasis is also an industry first. You will not have to don lifejackets in your stateroom and walk to your muster station with the straps dragging on the stairs. Lifejackets are located near the lifeboats close by your assigned muster station. Additionally, a Royal Caribbean employee assures your attendance at this important safety event by scanning your room key card. (You will see more and more functions are loaded onto your card…ala a Disney type experience.)

    The next neighborhood is the Boardwalk. This seaside inspired family entertainment area, is located aft on deck 6. Here is where the cruise industry’s first floating carousel at sea is located complete with hand carved wooden animals. Keep in mind Royal has dispersed these three dining/shopping neighborhoods very well with the Royal Promenade midship on deck 5, Central Park, midship on deck 8, and the Boardwalk, once again, aft on deck 6. Bear in mind all of these neighborhoods lie along the route to the Opal Theatre forward and the Opus Dining Room aft. The boardwalk includes Johnny Rockets, and the new Seafood Shack along with other “high glycemic” outlets. The stern end of this area features one of my personal favorites, the all-new AquaTheater. The AquaTheater features Oasis of Dreams, Royal Caribbean’s “Cirque O” inspired synchronized swimming/diving extravaganza with dives as high as 72 feet.

    Been to your basic dining rooms and main show theatres? Look at the Opal and Opus, the Opus dining room is three decks high al a Voyager/Freedom Class but without the giant center opening. Further, each tier is also built out on concentric circles from the center. Therefore, even with such a large space, on each of three decks, you cannot view many tables at one time, which provides an almost intimate feel to such a gargantuan space. The Opal theatre is also three decks high and contains the latest in AV technology. The first night, we saw an unannounced Abba tribute show in the Opal Theatre. While not a huge Abba fan, the show was great and the theater was very comfortable. (Remember, Royal’s objective is to have many dining and entertainment venues to keep passengers dispersed as they can’t have the entire ship going from one dining room to one show lounge across two seatings, AND Royal Caribbean delivers.). Oasis is also introducing another first, on-line pre-booking for shows, alternative dining, and activities. Royal is well ware of the number of passengers trying to get to the shows and activities like the zip line, rock wall and not to mention the variety of alternative dining venues. Therefore, for cruisers who like to pre-plan all of the details, you can do it now for the Oasis. I did it for my own shows; just present your room card key for scanning at the door. Are you interested in prebooking your own activities and dining? Why not ask your travel planner to take care of the details for you?

    The Oasis has not forgotten about the little ones. Happy kids equal a happy vacation for the parents! Royal Caribbean once again changes the game with their Youth Zone neighborhood entered via Kids Avenue on deck 14. This amazing facility has the largest daycare at sea, Royal Babies & Royal Tots, large enough to rival a top shelf land based day care facility. In addition to the obligatory teen dance club and hangout area, the Oasis has the Adventure Ocean Theatre for shows put on by kids for kids! This amazing area is broken up into different rooms by age group. This is the largest youth complex I have ever toured on a ship!

    After another wonderful dining experience in the Opus dining Room, we went to see Hairspray. This was the best show I have seen at Sea, better than a lot of shows on land. The quality of the acting and singing was great along with the pit band that would occasionally rise from beneath the stage and even glide to the back while on the stage. The sets were just magnificent and the production values were amazing. Hairspray is a must see show. Shortly after this show, we were off to the Oasis of Dreams at the AquaTheater. While Royal was still working out last minute technical glitches, the show went on in a “rehearsal” format. I truly enjoyed hearing the commentary and stories about what went into this incredible production. Oasis of Dreams is also a must see on the Oasis of the Seas.

    Sunday, 29 November, disembarkation day – we left our stateroom for one final breakfast in the Windjammer. This buffet is not like other Windjammers, the décor is more like that of a premium cruise line and the food stations have a great flow. We went down to the Royal Promenade just before 9am, but were quickly herded into the Opus ding room and told to sit. Why? The second gangway was not operational and caused a delay getting off the ship. I hope Royal has this and a couple of other very small details worked out in their otherwise magnificent offering. After disembarking, we were quickly directed to our FLL airport bound coach and bid adieu to the Oasis of the Seas. Well, this colossus of a ship did not want us to forget her just yet! The ship was still clearly visible from our Continental gate inside the airport. The verdict is in. This is an incredible ship with more to offer than I can describe. However, this ship is the destination as there are only a handful of Caribbean ports that can accept this vessel. Therefore, the Oasis of the Seas is great for first time cruisers, multi-generational family trips, and past cruisers who have totally done the Caribbean and are looking for a new experience. Want to know more about the Oasis of the Seas? Please contact Dave Rosenthal, Master Cruise Counselor at dave@daydreamex.com or 732.5306682

  • Unique Alaskan Cruisetour

    Come see an Alaskan cruise-tour with a start in Fairbanks going down through Denali followed by a 7Night Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise on Island Princess.  This trip featured Princess’ unique service which includes air from Seattle up to Fairbanks and coach service from Vancouver, BC back to Seattle for total ease of flight arrangements.