Safir Voyages

The person who first coined the phrase “flying the friendly skies” was obviously not traveling with young children. If at some point in the future you will be finding yourself on a cramped airplane with a rambunctious toddler (or two), first of all let me offer my condolences. As the mother of two boys and a veteran of the so-called friendly skies, I have been in your shoes more than once.

Yes, I know – you don’t need my sympathy, or my empathy, or my condolences. You need help! So, for what it is worth, here are my words of experience (errr, I mean wisdom) on how to survive your next trip:

Toddler Air Travel Tips #1: Do not use the white paper bag in the seat pocket in front of you as a paper airplane!

It does not matter that you spent a small fortune loading your carry-on luggage with goodies aimed at keeping your two-year old entertained for hours. There is an unwritten rule that dictates that your toddler will get bored within the first fifteen minutes of departure.

That white paper bag in the seat pocket in front of you will begin to beckon to you, with the promise that if you transform it into a paper airplane or an origami sculpture, that the tiny passenger sitting beside you will be well-behaved for the next two hours of your trip.

Stop – don’t do it! Trust me, as soon as you dismantle the bag, your toddler will upchuck everything he ate for breakfast. And guess where that spew of regurgitated food bits will be directed. Yes, that’s right – you will be the unwilling recipient! Your pants, your shoes, yes, even your brand new luggage, will be covered in the once-digested remains of his breakfast.

My advice – as soon as you board the plane, locate the paper bag and place it where you can grab it within a moment’s notice. And do not touch it again, unless you need it for its intended use.

Toodler Air Travel Tips #2: Do not let your toddler out of his seat when the fasten seat belt lights turns off.

I don’t have to tell you that toddlers have a difficult time sitting still for two minutes, let alone two hours. Their little legs were built for running, kicking and jumping.

With that in mind, prepare yourself for the fact that your toddler is going to whine, and squirm, and complain, and squirm some more. However, no matter how much he squirms and complains, do not unfasten his seat belt. If you do, be prepared to regret your decision. Why? Well, freed from the constraints of the seat belt, he will wrestle past you into the aisle, and then his inner instinct to run will take over. You can only imagine the rest of the fiasco that will take place.

My advice – do not unbuckle your child’s seat belt for any reason. Better yet, bring his car seat with you on the plane, and strap him in good!

Toddler Air Travel Tips #3: Never make eye contact with the other adult passengers.

Unfortunately, the majority of your co-passengers will not be sympathetic to your situation. There is something about flying, perhaps it’s the cramped conditions, the high altitude, or the recycled air, that makes them forget that they were once children, or had children, or that the world would end if it were not for children. To them, you are the enemy.

My advice – you should avoid making eye contact with the other adult passengers on the plane. Spare yourself the stares and glares, because what you do not know will not hurt you. You have enough on your plate, without adding a big side helping of guilt.

Finally, keep your expectations realistic. You will survive this journey. Perhaps, you will even have your own travel tips and words of wisdom to impart when it’s over!

We know that a vacation on the beach is different from other types of vacations. But what makes them so special?

White sand, dolphins swimming in blue water and a cabana boy serving you frozen Margaritas. Those are just a few of the things that make a beach vacation stand out from other vacations. The tropical sun seems to melt away all your worries except one… should you turn over to even out your tan or wait five more minutes?

If, however, a laid back, nothing to do vacation isn’t for you, there is plenty to do on the beach as well. Vacations on the beach can be leisurely or busy. Maybe you want to go for a swim or learn how to snorkel and check out the reefs. Maybe you want to stay on the beach or are you the more adventurous type and are looking to learn to water ski or surf. The nice thing about vacations is it is all up to you. What ever you want to do, do it!

What should you expect from a vacation package?

That depends on what you want to do and where you want to go. Are you going to the Caribbean? Europe? Are you going to vacation in the Untied States? Mexico? Once you have decided on where you will be vacationing, you have to decide what you want to do when you get there. Because you can get different packages for the same beach, make a list of amenities. One end of the beach may have those cabana boys serving drinks while the other end is open for camping and the middle may be a family atmosphere. So while it would appear that all beaches are the same, they are not. You will want to do your homework before you settle on one.

If a vacation you don’t have to ‘think’ about once you get there sounds like your idea of relaxation, you are in luck. There are so may vacation packages that you will literally have your pick of doing nothing, everything or something in between. The most popular packages for beach vacations will include round trip airfare or cruise to and from the beach. They will have a certain number of days – do you want to stay for three days or the whole week… or longer? Other packages will include tours, meals, attraction tickets and other things as well.

Some ultimate beach vacations

By doing research, you can find some excellent beach vacation packages. For example, with packages that can be customized to include family amusement parks and miniature golf, Myrtle Beach vacation packages are among the best packages available.

Delta, and some other airlines also offer beach vacations. While you may not think about going through an airline for your beach vacation package, they really allow you to customize your vacation right down to the last detail. And since they will most likely have airports with flights into and out of your designation, you might as well make a package deal with them and save on your airfare.

Summary:

Because beach vacation packages can be customized to suit your needs, from relaxing in the sun to guided tours, you will have no problem putting together a package that will fit your wants and likes.

The first day of your Caribbean cruise vacation is here. Most of the day will be spent getting to know your cruise ship, making spa appointments, booking tours on the Caribbean Islands and trying to get cruise tips from your fellow passengers.

The first night of your Caribbean cruise vacation is always a casual night since most people have traveled a good portion of the day. It’s also the night you meet your table mates. Here is another cruise tip, be a few minutes late on the first night (only on the first night-be prompt from then on). There is usually a crush of people when the dinner bell rings and everyone is trying to find their table.

If you are eating in the traditional cruise style, always ask for a large table for several reasons. You have a better chance of meeting a mix of people, and the more people you meet during your cruise travel, the merrier. One thing to do is change seats every night at the table so everyone gets to talk to everyone else during the course of your cruise vacation. It’s much more fun. And a round table is ideal since rectangular ones make it difficult to talk to the guy at the other end. However, if you find that you are unhappy with your table, absolutely go to the maitre d’ and asked to be moved. He or she will accommodate you as best they can. There are people who chose to dine alone and the ships have tables for two but they fill up fast.

Freestyle Dining and Choice Dining are available on some Cruise Lines for those who want to eat on their own or don’t want to be delegated to a specific dining time. Your travel agent will be able to set this up when booking your Caribbean cruise vacation.

Now you are on day two, and usually that means it’s a day at sea. You are just itching to put into your bathing suit and get out in the sun. Listen to this, it is the most valuable of all the cruises tips here, do not try to get a tan on your first day of your Caribbean cruise vacation. You will spend days of your precious cruise trying to recover from very bad sunburn. The Caribbean sun is very intense and is even more so in the summer months.

Get waterproof sun block and use it liberally if you are swimming or snorkeling. Don’t forget the tops of your feet, your ears and lips, this can be extremely painful. Wear a hat so you don’t burn your scalp.

To avoid injury follow these tips. Be careful if the decks are wet, they become very slippery. Watch for the raised lips in some doorways especially between your cabins sleeping area and the bathroom. Never sit on the railings as you may fall. Wearing high heels could be hazardous in bumpy weather. When tendering to shore keep your arms and legs within the tender. These are all very good cruise tips

All of the newer cruise ships have an internet café; some even have an internet connection in your room. So if you want to bring your lap top with you, by all means do. There are some small luxury cruise ships that have lap tops available for your use. Check with your cruise travel agent, he or she will know. Most people won’t want to be bothered with their computers, but it is nice to check your email if you are going to be away for awhile, and ship to shore phone calls are very expensive on the cruise lines.

The last evening will also be a casual night since you have packed your bags and put them outside your cruise cabin. Tomorrow will be an early morning and the end of your enchanting Caribbean cruise vacation.

There always seem to be many questions about tipping while taking a Caribbean cruise vacation. These questions come up on European cruise vacations too, but we’ll stick to the Caribbean. Some cruise lines will absolutely not let you tip. These are the very high end cruise lines. Some automatically add it to your bill. If you do not like this arrangement tell the purser that you will tip on your own. Tipping on a cruise ship is very important since the room steward, waiter and busboy all make their living on tips. They work very hard to keep you happy during your Caribbean cruise vacation so please tip them. You may want to figure out the amount of tips you will be paying at the beginning of the cruise vacation and separate that from your spending money. You won’t get caught short.

If a Maitre d’ does something special, like crepe suzettes at your table, you should tip him. When you order wine or drinks there is already a 15% tip on the charge, so it is not necessary to tip here. If you find a special bar and frequent it, give the bartender a bit extra on the last night. As I said tipping policies are different on all ships so find out ahead of time. Holland American has changed their tipping policy. It used to be “no tipping necessary”. That policy is no longer in place. On NCL Hawaii a $10.00 per day per person is added to your bill and it is not optional.

A nice gesture on a two week cruise is to give half the tip after the first week, the cruise staff will appreciate this. On almost all of the cruise ships, the general rule for tipping is $3.00 per day, per person for the waiter and the room steward and $1.50 per person per day for the bus boy. If you’re not sure the Cruise Line will usually give you guidelines. If your room steward or waiter showed you excellent services tip them more.

Alcoholic beverages on board are expensive. All cruise ships have there own policy if you bring your own, some confiscate it and return at the end of the cruise, others allow you to buy bottles on board, and others will allow you to purchase it but won’t deliver it until the end of the cruise. Each cruise line has different policies so check with your cruise travel agent. In many cases you can bring wine and champagne on board.

Here’s just a small note about seasickness. On the really huge ships it should not be a problem. If you are prone to it and are taking a smaller ship, there are over the counter remedies. Dramamine and Bonine are in tablet forms and can make some people drowsy. Because of the size and the stability of the current fleet of cruise ships only 3% of cruise passengers are affected by this.

There are wrist bands that you can purchase that act on the theory of acupuncture. Then there is also the Patch that you wear behind your ear. If you do not purchase one of these before the cruise and find yourself getting a little green, the purser’s office will provide you with them. Go out on the open decks, eat saltines, green apples and drink ginger ale. Do not do anything that requires you to look down, like reading or writing.

In health food stores you can buy powdered ginger caplets which are the natural remedy. That should take care of it. Stay away from greasy foods. This is no longer a huge problem since most ships today have stabilizers that keep the ship from pitching to and fro. If you do have a problem with “mal de mar”, it is not wise to take a sailing cruise or a small ship in notoriously rough seas like the South China Sea. It is so shallow it is always a little rough. The waves bounce off the seabed and come back up making it a bit choppy. Here again the size of the ship matters and having a little information will be helpful. This is where a really knowledgeable cruise travel agent comes in.

All cruise ships have a policy on smoking. On one ship they had an absolutely no smoking policy anywhere, they have since changed that rule. There is never any smoking allowed in the showrooms or the dining rooms. In many cases they designate one side of the ship in the bars as the smoking section while the other side is smoke free.

You can smoke in the bars and in the casino. Never, ever, toss a lit cigarette overboard, it can blow back on deck and start a fire. Please be considerate of the other passengers and follow the rules. And be aware that you will encounter many more smokers on a European cruise vacation and on European cruise ships that winter in the USA.

These are just some sensible cruise tips for you to follow on you Caribbean cruise vacation.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Dozens of reasons exist to make Daytona Beach the site of your next vacation. These persuasive points of interest happen to come in the form of condos and beach houses of all shape and size, and their exciting array of amenities will surely tempt you to take a trip down to the central Atlantic coast as soon as it’s possible to extricate yourself from the goings on of your hectic daily life.

If you’ve never taken advantage of a vacation rental before, Florida and its boisterous little corner known as Daytona Beach will certainly give you a proper welcome. Sandy beaches, activities galore, and a general atmosphere of fun and frivolity make up the perfect environment for kicking back in class, style and comfort. Vacationers of all backgrounds will find a homey space to settle into, and no matter what goals you have in mind, remember that the space that you choose has the power to enhance your experience.

Specifically, this happens in a number of ways. Perhaps you prefer as much privacy as possible, in which case you’d be wise to secure yourself a free-standing house near the beach. With no close neighbors or hotel maids keeping things in order, you can relax in your own space with no interruptions and no intrusions. Nothing against other people, but sometimes it’s nice to escape from observation and just be.

In said beach front home, you’ll of course be just a few feet from the shore. Sunrise jogs along the surf, mid-morning sunning sessions and long, luxurious afternoon swims in the sea will all be easy to engage in from your fabulously convenient setting. Down the road a bit you’ll find rental shops for any boats or equipment you might need, as well as several stores and restaurants. Basically, you’ll have the best of the beach at your fingertips, but if need be you’re free to return to your humble abode for some peace and quiet.

A two car garage and a shady back yard will further make you feel at home, and will encourage you to ditch the car keys for a few days. Forget about the price of gas as you walk to and from the beach, and after a trip to the grocery store you’ll have your kitchen (yes, there’s a fully equipped kitchen at your disposal as well) stocked for several snacks and meals. The feeling of saving a few dollars while enjoying yourself is rare, so be sure to appreciate it.

Another scenario fits the taste of all luxury-seekers out there. Convenience and above-average amenities are still major players, of course, but the sky’s the limit as far as extras are concerned. High-class condos located within eye-popping resorts are as roomy and plush as you want them to be, are often located on the beach, and provide access to fitness centers, spas, pools and other hotel-like bonuses. Daytona Beach has many new developments, so investigate these towering pillars of royal comfort if you like the sound of being perched high above the crowd.

Many vacation rentals have minimum stays of several days to two weeks, so if you’re taking an extended break from the working world then this is the way to go. It often ends up being a better deal over time to stay in a condo that might seem out of your price range, so don’t keep yourself out of the game based on first impressions. Vacation properties are popular choices all over Florida, and while there are indeed a few millionaires who call the Sunshine State home, there are lots of people just like you as well.

If you believe your upcoming vacation would benefit from a jump start, Daytona style, then start to research your options today. The sooner you take a look at all the Daytona Beach Vacation Rentals the sooner you can be on your way, so don’t delay another minute.

As with any area of specialization, there are business travelers who always seem to know what they are doing and those who constantly seem to be in a state of crisis. The business traveler who has been at it a while figures out some insider information that not many travelers know. These little travel secrets make the world of difference when traveling. And you can bet they are not going to share this information with just anyone because this is the kind of information that can change the nature of your business travel forever.

Your laptop is a crucial piece of equipment as you travel. In an airport emergency situation, your wireless laptop can be used to change reservations so you can avoid those long lines to get on the next flight out. You can reserve a rental car or snag one of the few remaining hotel rooms in town right from the comfort of a seat at the airport. Then the savvy business traveler can casually stroll to his or her designation as others around them panic because they knew how to leverage technology and the internet to bail themselves out of a crisis situation.

But one aspect of using your laptop to rescue yourself when the airport is in shut down is the limited power of laptops. To see your battery go dead just when you needed it the most is like watching your ship sink as the sharks circle the lifeboat. What not many people know is that there are open electrical outlets in airports that are there for cleaning crews if you know where they are. Usually these outlets are just under the windows that overlook the landing strips so if you can secure a seat near these outlets, you can charge up your laptop and keep your lifeline to the world alive.

Business travelers also know how to take full advantage of resources that are made available to business travelers exclusively. Find hotels that cater to the traveling businessperson. These hotels will not have amenities for families nor are they trying to bring in busses of teenagers on the way to camp. So you can find a hotel with much fewer young people making noise and being a nuisance when you are trying to focus on business.

The more authentic information about business travel tips you know, the more likely people are to consider you a business travel tips expert. Read on for even more business travel tips facts that you can share.

In addition to using businesses that cater to the business traveler, take advantage of frequent flyer and priority clubs that many airlines and hotels offer. If you are going to travel a lot, you can rack up some credits on those clubs, which can result in upgrades to first class, better accommodations or free services when you stay at your selected hotels. They win because they capture your travel dollar. You win because you get pampered for a while.

You can gain a lot of convenience and reduce your hassles by using a less popular airport to come into town. By utilizing an airport in a smaller town near by and renting a car, you get out of the congestion of traffic and can drive to your destination without that exposure to the masses all pushing and shoving to get through the major hubs.

Extra copies of travel documents can speed things up a lot especially if you are leaving the country. Often when you are going through customs, you must surrender your passport so the customs agent can make a copy. So you make a copy before you get there and give it to them. With a quick scan, they can confirm that it is a legitimate copy and have you on your way much quicker.

Don’t overlook how public transportation can bail you out of dealing with a lot of traffic in large city situations. In Washington or New York, the subways work exceptionally well. If you can get out of the airport area via mass transit, you can find a rental car location in town and conduct your business with less wait and without the traffic jams you would face at the airport. Plus airport rental car sites are more expensive than those in town.

These little tips can go a long way toward making your trip less of a hassle, less expensive and more successful. By knowing how to get around the big crowds and use the resources made available to business travelers, your trip will be more efficient, more relaxed and more successful.

You can’t predict when knowing something extra about business travel tips will come in handy. If you learned anything new in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.