Satellite image of Cuba in November 2001. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cuba: Engage or Isolate
There’s a lot going on in the news concerning events in Cuba.
Is it better to engage or isolate Cuba? What’s my agenda here? To promote travel everywhere!
Several of Daydream Excursions’ clients visited Russia this year and embarked on a 2 day tour of St. Petersburg. It was all about taking in the amazing culture and interacting with the local people.
Did you know that US citizens can travel there now via the “People-To-People” program. This program is offered by select escorted tour companies and includes segments where people take in Cuban culture.
Individuals may travel to Cuba under the auspices of an organization granted a specific license to engage in educational exchanges in Cuba, without the individuals’ having to apply for a specific license on their own.
These educational exchanges need not involve academic study.
Organizations that sponsor and organize such programs to promote people-to-people contact may be granted a specific license.
Businesses as well as not-for-profits and academic institutions may qualify as an organization that sponsors and organizes programs to promote people-to-people contact.
To obtain a specific license, application must be made to OFAC.
For more information, see the official U.S. regulations regarding travel to Cuba (the Cuban Assets Control Regulations — 31 C.F.R. Part 515), available at U.S Department of the Treasury.
Imagine if you could just plan a trip there like anywhere else? Cuba does have tourism infrastructure including various all-inclusive resorts. CNBC had the CEO of Crystal Cruises on this morning discussing new port calls in Cuba for cruise passengers. Just imagine the possibilities.
Packed and ready to go on your dream trip? Wondering what You Must Do Before You Travel Internationally?
This guide reveals what you need to know before you leave for your trip
The information comes from years of answering of client questions. If you have travel tips you’d like to add or questions to ask, please let me know!
Cruise
Will I receive Luggage tags?
In most instances, no. In our modern techno-world, most cruise lines include a printable/foldable PDF to make into a luggage tag – even Cunard has paper luggage tags! Make sure to pre-register your booking with your address soon after the final payment. As an alternative, you can go to the pier and ask a porter for a “real” tag; just be sure to write your name and cabin number along with other requested information.
Will I receive Cruise “Tickets” in the mail?
In most instances, your electronic pre-registration will provide an electronic boarding pass to print out. Please pre-register soon after the final payment to ensure you have plenty of time to gather your documents and other required information. This process, which may appear cumbersome, will greatly speed your check-in at the pier and get you aboard much faster. Note: certain Luxury and Premium lines still prepare paper documents.
When do I show up at the pier for my cruise?
As a general guideline, plan on arriving between 12-1pm for Continental US departures. Keep in mind that ships are debarking passengers and need to receive clearance from the Coast Guard/local authorities prior to boarding. This is generally at 1pm or later but may occur earlier than listed. Arrive too early and you could be caught up in the departure traffic from the prior cruise, which is not advisable. Getting there after 2pm will result in the shortest lines, but why not wait in line and have the opportunity to start your vacation sooner? Please always refer to your boarding documents for more detailed information. Some cruise lines have started boarding times based upon deck or cabin category.
Can I take my own alcohol aboard on my cruise?
Wine and champagne are allowed on certain lines; please check with the cruise line for specifics. Consuming your own wine or champagne in the main dining room normally comes with a corkage fee. Please do not consider taking liquor aboard as the liquor will be confiscated and denial of boarding/disembarkation IS possible.
Also note that it is generally permissible to take your own cases of water aboard.
Air
English: A flight coupon issued by Thai Airways International (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Will I receive Airline Tickets in the mail?
It is exceedingly rare to receive paper tickets anymore. (When’s the last time you got a paper ticket on airline “stock?”) In most cases, you will take your confirmation number and pre-register on your carrier’s website.
What are my airline Seat assignments and can I make requests?
In some cases, the most economical fares do NOT allow advance seat assignments. Advance seats assignments are still available to a limited degree. Whenever you purchase your airfare with me, I will get seat assignments for you when possible. Additionally, I will look for options that are based upon your preferences. When advance seat assignments are not available, two options include paying for a higher fare class and paying for a seat assignment on the airline’s website (e.g., British Airways).
When do I check in for my flight? Boarding pass?
Generally, you may print your boarding pass starting within 24 hours of your departure flight. Check in online for flights as soon as possible (normally starting within 24 hours prior to your departing flight)…airlines have started bumping people who check in late! You may also wait until you get to the airport and check in at a self-service kiosk. At this time, you may have an opportunity for seat assignments or seat changes. Please be aware that arrival guidelines are two hours in advance for domestic flights and three hours in advance for international flights. These times are for arrival at the gate, NOT airport or security check-in.
Select automatic check in for return flights when offered while checking in for your outbound flight.
Many airlines now have an app which enables you to use your smart phone as your boarding pass as opposed to printing out a boarding pass. You can also print boarding passes in your cruise ship’s Internet center or your hotel’s business center for a fee.
How do I meet the driver/shuttle for my resort, tour, or cruise transfer?
Please refer to your transportation voucher/information in your Paper or eDocuments. Normally you will claim your baggage and proceed through customs first. Then, you will look for either a tour operator desk and check-in area or look for someone with your name on a sign to personally greet you. Again, please refer to your travel documents.
SPECIAL NOTE: If traveling to Cancun/Riviera Maya, walk through the terminal and speak only with your pre-designated transportation company – BEWARE of time share peddlers offering you a free ride to your resort!
All-Inclusive Resorts and Hotels
What do I need to check into the hotel/resort?
You will generally receive eDocs with a voucher for each hotel/resort. Please present the voucher upon check-in. Your travel docs will also include contact information for each property.
Do I need to wear wristbands at the all-inclusive resort?
Some require you to wear wristbands and some don’t; we’ll cover that when selecting the right properties for you.
Do I need to tip at the all-inclusive resort?
Generally no, but it’s up to your discretion in most cases. I hear many stories of tipping the bartender the first day of your stay. Note: some resorts actually prohibit tipping.
Do All-Inclusive Resort ever have extra charges?
Generally, there is a wide variety of food, drinks, and activities at better properties. Some activities like SCUBA, spa services, etc. will be extra. Some of the more entry-level resorts will have an upcharge at their a la carte restaurants. Nicer resorts may charge for a romantic dinner on the beach or full bottle of wine/wine not included on the All-Inclusive list.
Finally, upscale All-Inclusive resorts may include WiFi/Internet service at no charge along with traditional/VoIP calls back to the US.
Credit/Debit Cards and Foreign Currency
English: Sample ATM card which can be distinguished from a credit card or debit card by the absence of such features as network logotype on the front. Created by Sergio Ortega on April 16, 2008, based on existing standards. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Do I need to get Foreign Currency prior to leaving for my trip?
Your destination determines your currency requirements. For places like the Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda, US dollars are often welcome and credit cards are usually the way to go, so don’t even worry about foreign currency.
For European land tours or cruises, please consider purchasing a small amount of Euros prior to your departure at a local bank as it may be a good idea to have some Euros in pocket. Withdrawing Euros from an in-country ATM may give you the most advantageous exchange rate.
Please complete these steps prior to leaving the US:
1) Call your bank or credit card company and make sure that the debit/credit card(s) of choice are able to be used overseas and can access foreign ATMs.
2) Inquire about a credit card “PIN Code.” Some European Merchants will ask for a PIN code when you present your card for a transaction.
3) Ensure that your PIN code is numeric only (some banks may use alpha characters in the US but European ATMs use numbers only.)
FX/Currency exchange kiosks in airports and tourist sites are not going to give you the best exchange rates. Again, credit cards are great for souvenirs and meals out. TIP: do consult with your card issuer for advice on best practices to limit FX charges. AND, please inquire about ATM card usage overseas. For Northern Europe, Mexico, and Asia, please contact us for more detailed information.
Cell/Smartphones, Laptops, Tablets, and other data things
Can I use a cell phone in a different country? Aboard the ship?
Please contact your service provider to determine if your phone will work and inquire about a short term international or country specific plan. For traveling in Europe, please contact us for more thorough options. Be aware that cellphones and 3/4G tablets generally work on ships but once a ship starts moving, they will try to move your phone onto their satellite repeaters at a very high per minute price. You may want to keep your phone off when moving and be aware of data charges while at sea and out of the continental US. Contact your wireless carrier to use the data off/international data roaming off, or airplane mode features on your phone. Finally, consider using the ship/resort Internet plan for email, browsing, social, etc. Note: Skype or similar services do not work aboard ships at this time.
Can I use my Laptop during my trip, and is there /WiFi/High-speed Internet access?
Virtually all ships offer Ethernet/Wi-Fi access. The service is most often for a fee and unpredictable due to limited bandwidth, high demand, and varying signal strength at sea. (If you have read this far, I hail from the telecommunications industry.) With that in mind, please sign up for a pre-paid package on the day of embarkation for a “discount” plan rather than using pay-as-you-go minutes. TIP: Since the rates are always somewhat expensive, consider visiting Internet cafes or souvenir shops in port that normally offer Internet access for very reasonable prices (libraries also offer free access!). For hotels/resorts, please contact us and we will provide specific details for your property.
Can I use my charger? Do I need an adapter?
Small appliances (curling irons, travel irons, electric razors, etc.) are on different electrical voltage than the U.S. The cruise ships aren’t a problem because they usually have dual voltage, but hotels in Europe and other places usually don’t and you’ll need to bring an adapter. Please do NOT bring any type of iron aboard a cruise ship.
Make sure to check with your cell phone/smart phone/tablet manufacturer/carrier for the correct adapter and/or converter for the countries you are visiting.
Tips and Gratuities
Am I expected to tip the Guide/Driver?
Providing a gratuity to your guide or driver is strictly optional but greatly appreciated by the people taking care of you. A commonly accepted guideline is USD $3.00 per person for a half-day tour and USD $5.00 per person for a full-day tour. (I recently had super clients who tipped their driver and private guide 50 Euros after buying them Gelato for a private Vatican and Rome tour!)
Do you tip a transfer or taxi?
Again, strictly optional but at your discretion.
How does tipping work on a cruise?
The definition of a tip or gratuity on a cruise is getting increasingly complex as most are automatically added to your account every day. Some cruise lines now call gratuities “service charges” but force you to pay them. The days of distributing tips to your service workers on the last night are all but vanished. Sometime, mass-market and premium lines may offer free gratuities on a promotion. Luxury ocean lines and some river cruise lines may include these “service charge” in their fare which provides a better feel for your true travel budget.
Note that Royal Caribbean and Celebrity require pre-paid gratuities if you select their flexible dining plans.
If service fees are mandatory why not just include them into the cruise fare?
I have only a hypothetical explanation, but leaving these charges out makes the cruise look less costly. My mission is to help you evaluate the total cost of everything to come home from your vacation. IMHO, if these fees wind up being paid, I’d like to see them included!
Must see sites?/experiences? Do you care about lines? size of crowds?
Do you want to explore on your own? with a group? some of both?
VACATION TRAVEL DINING
Ah, for the love of dining!
Want to eat like a local?
Are buffets OK? Full-service a la carte dining?
Wine and food paring? degustation menus?
Special Dietary Needs/requests?
Need a gym to exercise or facility that offers certain classes?
Is this list a Lot of questions?
Hope you are getting some insights into why I ask so many questions! The more I know about you and your travels, the better the job we can do working together to plan the right trip that will have you coming home with happy memories to replay again and again.
Last question, where are the INTERNET travel specials and those the travel deals on ORB-TRAV-EDIA? I get the same “deals” you get. Let’s work together, to plan the right trip for you. Start right below!
If you have other techniques please share! We’ll look at the pros and cons of each and perhaps answer what this has to do with Travel Planning. This topic has been on my mind for quite a while! Note: this article is for educational purposes only; none of the suggestions, etc. may be construed as tax advice.
1) IRS Paper Forms – Fill out forms and schedules by hand, assemble all of your supporting documentation, and send in to the IRS and State taxing authority(s). For wage earners or renters with minimal deductions and income from minimal sources
No one to call for help should your return be audited or questioned by the IRS
2) Prepare on your own with Tax Software. Use popular software like H&R Block at Home, Turbo Tax, or Tax Slayer, etc. Follow interview driven question process and key in your data. Best for those with mortgages, deductions, self-employment income, real estate and capital gains income, and itemized deductions
Pros
Easy to follow interviews
Free to moderate cost
All calculations done for you
Schedule/Worksheet completion are all done via interviews
Cons
No dedicated support contact – although most products do offer good support (just not personalized with someone who knows your situation)
No support for IRS questions and audits although better products now include audit support.
No understanding for your own personalized tax aspirations
3) Tax professional. They will ask relevant questions, collect your data/documentation, and fully prepare your return for you. Best for more complex situations. However, many people prefer a tax professional for peace of mind.
Pros
Tax Preparer is up on the current tax laws and knows how to maximize your refund or minimize your tax bill.
Representation with the IRS if you are subject to questions or an audit
Singe point of contact for any tax related questions all year long
Knows your personal situation and background should you use him or her again and again
Can save you tons of time as they know how to efficiently navigate through the process and what questions to ask you to optimize your personal tax situation
Cons
Potentially more expensive than the other methods (subject to your determination of value)
You must select someone with whom you are comfortable
You may not get someone who will be there to rapidly respond to your questions
Tax Preparation (Photo credit: agrilifetoday)
Summary: Whether you choose to prepare your taxes on paper, with software, or via a Tax professional, you will get your returns completed; all three ways to prepare your taxes get you to a finished 1040. Which way is the best? That depends upon your preferences and your own situation.
Do you see any similarities with a travel planning professional? Hmm, let’s list a small list of similarities that come to mind:
Travel Planners are up on the current travel environment including products, trends, promotions, etc.
Representation with various travel product vendors to resolve potential issues
Singe point of contact for any travel related questions all year long (you know there will be questions).
Knows your personal situation and background should you use him or her again and again
Can save you tons of time as they know how to efficiently navigate through the process and what questions to ask you to optimize your personal travel situation
Thanks for reading this post. Please comment below.
English: New interior on Delta Air Lines’ Boeing 737-800 fleet. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Just last month, I was trying to seat a family of four together on a United flight. While the family had assigned seats, they were not all together which was not good for a family with children. It took 3 calls including one by my client, to get the airline seats together. Airlines are making it increasingly difficult to sit together and even choose your seats in advance. Why are they doing this?
Use Seatguru for all of their fabulous information like seat map details, seating configurations, and more.
seatguru (Photo credit: Beth77)
Here are the insiders tips to help you get your airline seats:
1) Buy your tickets early when there are more seats available; this sounds obvious but try to plan and book early whenever possible.
2) If you are able to select a seat, do it even if the choice is not optimal as you can try to change seats later.
3) If you do not get a seat assignment at time of booking, plug your confirmation number directly into the airline’s website and try to select/change your seat(s).
4) Can’t get ANY seat assignment? Call the airline directly or contact your travel planner if they booked your flight.
5) Look out for code share flights! If you booked a flight on United but the operator is actually Lufthansa, you may need to go directly to Lufthansa for a seat assignment. (This happened on flights I recently booked!)
6) Keep checking on your assignment as the type of aircraft may occasionally change which may result in the loss of your originally assigned seats. (While this situation is rare, aircraft can change.)
7) Check in 24 hours prior to boarding as airlines may have released other seats for your selection, and you may save time checking-in at the airport.
8) You may also pay an additional charge for a “premium economy seat or just a preassigned seat on some airline like British Airways.
9) Want a really useful tip: use a travel professional to research, plan, book, and service your air reservations.
10) Please consider buying air tickets as early as possible…Oh, I already said that but it’s just that important.
Would you like to add anything about your own tricks with seat assignments? Please share!
Last week, we featured 10 questions to ask about travel insurance. While, this week, you get ten answers about travel insurance, specifically medical coverage which may be included in various policies. Why do I write so much about this topic? The answer is simple, I don’t want you to lose money if you have to cancel your trip. If you need medical assistance, I want it to be as hassle free as possible and show you what you really receive with different travel insurance options.
Let’s get to the ten answers about the medical coverage component in travel insurance. (Note: please review your travel insurance quote/policy carefully to understand which coverages are included).
Medical coverage is actually a family of coverages:
1) Medical assistance to provide help, advice and referrals for medical emergencies.
2) Medical consultation and monitoring contacts your treating physician to monitor your condition to assure you are receiving appropriate care and assess the need for further assistance.
3) Medical evacuation when medically necessary, arrange and pay for appropriate transportation, including an escort, if required, to a suitable hospital, treatment facility or home.
4) Emergency medical payments assist the traveler in the advancement of funds or guarantee payments (up to the policy limit) to a hospital or other medical provider, if required, to secure their admission, treatment or discharge.
5) Prescription assistance to assist the traveler with replacing medications that are lost, stolen or spoiled during their Covered Trip, either locally or by special courier.
6) Dependent transportation & family visits for when a minor (age 18 or younger) is left unattended on a covered trip due
to hospitalization or death of the accompanying adult, arranges for their return home, including escort expenses.
7) Repatriation of remains in the event of death while on a Covered Trip, arrange for the preparation and transportation required to return the travelers remains to their home.
8 ) 24 hour nurse help line provide the traveler with clinical assessment, education and general health information. This
service shall be performed by a registered Nurse counselor
9) Medical coverage from the time you leave your house until your return. Please understand that not all policies include door to door medical coverage.
10) Coverage for continuing medical needs after you return home (for a medical issue sustained during the trip).
Please note these are merely examples of medical coverage which may or may not be included in your specific policy. Please consult with your travel planner or insurance company. Ask if your travel planner/agent is licensed to sell travel insurance.
Ready to book your next trip? Your travel planner, be they human or electronic, asks you about travel insurance or trip protection. Is travel insurance a wise purchase? This week, we are asking questions for you to consider. We’ll be back with more information in a future issue. But first , let’s share some stories.
My doctor, quite the photographer, left his camera in a cab while on a trip in the Baltics and could not recover it. Travel insurance reimbursed him for his loss. More recently, a husband and wife were packed and ready to leave for a ten day Birthday cruise leaving on the wife’s birthday; she woke up around 5am with a bloody nose that would not stop bleeding. She had to cancel the trip and called me at 9:15 on a Sunday morning. I immediately started the travel insurance claims process and the couple were reimbursed in record time for the full amount of the money they lost from the cruise line. These are just two of many stories of my travel guests’ using their travel insurance benefits.
Ten Questions to ask:
1) What does the travel insurance/trip protection cover?
2) Is your trip subject to cancellation fees? Will the fees reach 100% of the trip value? and when?
2) Is your trip your deposit is refundable? (If not, I have some suggestions for you.)
3) Do you have medical insurance if traveling outside of the country?
4) Does your credit card provide travel insurance for trip cancellation? Read that fine print very carefully…chance are incredibly high that the credit card does not cover trip cancellation.
5) How much will it cost to get back to the US on an emergency basis? And where will you go? The closest hospital to the US border? A hospital of your choosing near your home?
6) What does it take to be admitted to a hospital in another country? Do you need cash? credit card?
7) Is your local/primary physician contacted if need be?
8 ) Will your prescription medications be replaced if lost or stolen?
9) Will the travel insurance cover continuing medical needs after you return (for a medical issue sustained during the trip)?
10) Is cancel for work reasons coverage included in the travel insurance?
This is it for Daydream Excursions’ Williamsburg Week. After going to Colonial Williamsburg, we stopped at the Great Wolf Lodge and I had to go in and take a look. I’ve heard a lot about the location in the Poconos and had to see for myself. Watch the video and see my reaction to the massive indoor water park bolted on to the back of this large resort! There a numerous activities for the kids with games and activities all over the place. There’s also a nice bar for the parents! Please contact us with your comments or questions. Thanks for reading.
