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Take a vacation from booking trips and find a travel agent

Posted on by alanwhitt

Being a travel agent is a tough business … but what they heck, I love it anyway.

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

However, it disturbs me to see the ignorance of some people – especially those do-it-yourself folks who prefer to spend their valuable time seeking out travel bargains when it won’t cost them an extra dime to let me do it for them.

Why people don’t know that our services are basically free is a mystery. For instance, if you book a cruise yourself it will cost no more than if I did it for you. But it will save you a lot of time and eliminate the headache of sifting through the real deals and con games that are all over the Internet.

There are a group of Tennessee college students who had their Spring break trip ruined by what appears to be a con man. They booked a Panama City vacation online, paid their money and now have nothing to show for it.

The hotel? Not booked

The bus to Florida? Nope … nothing.

The pretty face on the website? No one can find him … and in fact, who know’s if it’s a guy anyway. It could be someone’s grandmother behind this charade.

Now they’ll be stuck in Tennessee when they should be sunning in the Sunshine State.

I see these stories all the time. And I shake may head when I see them. We’ve become so dependent  on the Internet for just about everything … that we forget that it can be your enemy just as much as your friend.

Everything on the Internet isn’t the truth. In fact, it is relatively easy to create an authentic looking website with all the bells and whistles, but in truth it can be no more real than a hollywood set.

I remember during my days as a news editor at ESPN when we received an email saying that the Miami Herald was reporting that Shaquille O’Neal was going to have knee surgery. The problem was that the link was to a bogus Herald website, one that looked just like the real thing.

What an embarrassment when we had to retract the story.

The same can happen with a travel website … except you can’t retract your lost money.

Get it together people! Find yourself a trustworthy travel agent to do the heavy lifting for you.

A different ship, stellar lineup highlight third Soul Train Cruise

Posted on by alanwhitt

Here we go again. Soul Train Cruise 3, scheduled for February 23-March 2 in 2014, has announced another spectacular musical lineup and a new ship.

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

The cruise is shifting from Holland America’s Westerdam to the newer Eurodam, and departs from Ft. Lauderdale with stops at St. Barths, St. Maarten and the cruise line’s private island – Half Moon Cay.

Check out these performers:

The Isley Brothers (featuring Ronald & Ernest Isley); Charlie Wilson; Roberta Flack; The Commodores; Stephanie Mills; Peabo Bryson; Morris Day & The Time; Jody Watley The Manhattans (featuring Gerald Alston & Blue Lovett) Maxi Priest, The Chi-Lites; Honey Cone (featuring Edna Wright; Ray, Goodman & Brown; Blue Magic; Peaches & Herb; DW3 and comedian Alonzo Bodden.

You do not want to miss the third sailing of “The Hippest Trip at Sea,” but if you can’t wait that long cabins remain available for the Oct. 5-12 sailing out of San Diego with stops at Cabo San Lucas and overnight in Puerto Vallarta.

That lineup includes Earth Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight, Jeffrey Osbourne, The Ohio Players, The Dazz Band, The Whispers, Freddie Jackson, The Bar-Kays, Jennifer Holliday, Billy Paul, Con Funk Shun,  Jody Watley, Regina Belle, Mary Jane Girls, A Taste of Honey, Lakeside & DW3

Book these and any other Entertainment Cruise Productions cruise – including the inaugural Country Music Cruise, the Jazz Cruise and the Smooth Jazz Cruise – through Allure Quest Travel Experience. Call 615-818-8241 or email alan@allurequest.com.

Carnival Triumph incident is another black eye for cruise line

Posted on by alanwhitt

I’m not one to pile on but … whats up with Carnival Cruise Line?

It seems that all dire news about cruise ships these days focuses on lines owned by Carnival.

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

A few years back it was Carnival Splendor catching on fire and stranding guests at sea along the Pacific coasts. And my brother had his family’s Christmas sailing cancelled because of it. He still hasn’t forgiven me.

A year ago Costa Concordia sank costing 32 people their lives, and continues to be an eyesore along the coast of Italy.

And now we come to Carnival Triumph, which has been stranded for days in deplorable, unsanitary conditions due to another engine fire.

Although Carnival and it’s portfolio of cruise lines provide safe, fun vacations for countless happy customers, these three incidents are a public relations nightmare for any company.

While cruisers should be clamoring for information on the upcoming debut of Carnival Sunshine, all we get are images of a cruise ship floating to nowhere, and endless postings from those guests stranded onboard.

My first thought was … hey, they got a few days of a cruise, all of their money back and a future cruise credit.

I could live with that. But that was Monday.

Here it is Thursday, with reports of no air conditioning, folks sleeping on open decks, toilets overflowing and cold food the only nourishment. And word that Carnival has cancelled all Carnival Triumph sailing through mid-April.

It seems that you never hear of these traumatic stories about other cruise lines. But I guess when you’re the biggest cruise company in the world, the chance of something going wrong comes with the territory.

Visit Allure Quest Travel Experience and We 2 R 1 Honeymoons on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.

She went from luxury of a Disney cruise ship to a jailhouse cot

Posted on by alanwhitt

Cigarettes are hazardous to your health. But for one woman they were also detrimental to her freedom.

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

A Connecticut woman found out too late that you’ll pay for your crimes sooner or later … even if you stole something as insignificant as a pack of cigarettes 22 years ago.

And Robin Hall’s case also illustrates how when police throw out the big net to haul in terrorists, a few small fish get caught as well.

Hall, her husband and two kids didn’t have a care in the world when they set sail on a Disney Dream cruise.

So far, so good. They probably took in the usual Disney fun stuff such as interaction with famous characters, dining at a different restaurant every night, family-friendly production shows and just plain relaxing on the high seas.

But on their return last Thursday, a reception was awaiting and it wasn’t Mickey Mouse and friends. It was Port Canaveral police, who were called in when a routine terrorist search zeroed in on the poor woman for other reasons.

Seems Mrs. Hall had an outstanding warrant for her arrest dating back to 1991, when as a teenager she was arrested for shoplifting cigarettes at a Walmart and never paid $85 in court costs.

Oops!

Complicating matters, she wasn’t allowed to post bond, could only be released to Connecticut authorities and because of the holiday she was forced to remain jailed brought the weekend.

All over $85? Seems as if it will cost Connecticut way more than that to transport her back.

Visit Allure Quest Travel Experience and We 2 R 1 Honeymoons on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.

My cruising days won’t end with my death .. I’ve already seen to it

Posted on by alanwhitt

We all hate talking about death, yet we all know it’s coming … sooner or later.

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

While sitting in a funeral home conference room, helping a good friend get through the death of her mother, her 42-year-old sister made the statement that she’s ready to go. She clarified that she wasn’t suicidal, wasn’t going to do anything dangerous and that she was prepared to live on.

Her rationale was that she’s had a great life thus far, and since she’s right spiritually, she has no fear of the great unknown called death.

But I’ll be honest, I’m not ready to call it quits and I doubt if I will be any time soon.

So why does this involve travel?

Because former Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver died last weekend while cruising the Caribbean.

And since I absolutely love cruising, I can think of no better place to meet my maker than on a luxurious cruise … preferably right after scarfing down a tasty surf and turf of lobster and prime rib, washed down with a nice glass of White Zinfandel.

I’m sure Weaver didn’t plan on dying on his cruise. He began choking after dinner on Friday night and that was it. Purely by accident.

For years I’ve known where I want my final resting place to be. My loved ones are aware that I want to be cremated and my ashes scattered at sea.

But there’s more to it than that. Instead of mourning me, I want it to be a celebration. The plan is for them to go on a cruise during my birthday week … no matter when I died. If my time comes in January, I still want the ceremony to take place in September. That way they’ll have time to mourn, and then enjoy the rest of their cruise … on me.

Visit Allure Quest Travel Experience and We 2 R 1 Honeymoons on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.

Gawkers galore get ghoulish look at sunken Costa Concordia

Posted on by alanwhitt

And here I thought only Americans love a disaster.

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

Lo and behold, that isn’t true.

It didn’t take long after the sinking of Costa Condordia for the island of Giglio to become a tourist attraction … for all the wrong reasons.

Just like gawkers at a freeway accident, folks in Italy apparently are just a ghoulish. I guess that is a pretty impressive sight – a 122,000-ton, 1,000 foot long cruise ship turned on its side.

Who’s ever seen that before the Costa Concordia tragedy?

The locals see it as an eyesore … while tourists relish the photo op. In the last year, people have ferried to the island by the hundreds to to see what all the fuss is about. If there had been a way for folks to have seen the Titanic go down they would have … ignoring the death of thousands.

And since the salvaging and removal of the rusting ship is taking longer than anticipated, that formerly beautiful view looking out from shore remains just a memory.

To top it off, locals aren’t allowed to capitalize on the disaster because they’re forbidden to do so.

Visit Allure Quest Travel Experience and We 2 R 1 Honeymoons on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.

The new year beckons … right along with my travel plans

Posted on by alanwhitt

My New Year’s resolution is the same as always.

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

Get out of Dodge … in this case, Nashville.

No, I’m not moving. No, I’m not tired of my home of the last seven years. And yes, I’m coming back.

I’m just talking about mapping out my vacation plans for the coming year because I can’t imagine being stuck anywhere, all the time … no matter how much I love the place.

That’s why it amazes me to find people who never step out of their comfort zone or even their own city limits. Your address may be your own personal paradise, but please … it ain’t all that. For me, ignorance is definitely not bliss.

I spoke with a gentleman on Saturday who says he never takes a vacation. He says he’s a workaholic. If you can add the phrase “aholic” to anything that’s not good, and nothing to be proud of.

His wife sat there, bobbing her head to agree that he never takes a vacation. She wasn’t agreeing with his decision, just acknowledging the fact. And just because her husband – a good man in all other respects – isn’t going to accompany her doesn’t mean that she’s not going. In fact, she’s already booked in a Celebrity Solstice balcony cabin to Alaska.

My advice to him was to go with her and create memories that will last beyond one of them leaving this life. Besides, she’s gonna appreciate it and “reward” him during their vacation … maybe even frequently!

He listened, but who knows if he heard me. But I can’t worry about that, I’m too wrapped up in my own vacation plans.

Visit Allure Quest Travel Experience and We 2 R 1 Honeymoons on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.

There goes the neighborhood: Fontainebleau Las Vegas is ultimate eyesore

Posted on by alanwhitt

I remember my first trip to Las Vegas in 1969. That was before The Strip became The Strip. Back then the downtown area was the place to be.

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

Who would have dreamed of what Vegas would become nearly 44 years later.

It certainly seems that every time I go to Vegas something major has changed. New casinos and hotels, upscale restaurants and elegant shopping … the place continues to evolve. The City Center alone changed the skyline and how average visitors vacationed in this popular adult playground.

And all this despite a stagnant economy that has Las Vegas’s unemployment rate at one of the highest in the USA.

Things look great when you’re in the heart of The Strip … as Ceasar’s Palace always seems to be putting up another tower … and even the new Linq entertainment district rising directly across the street on Las Vegas Blvd.

But head north on Las Vegas Blvd. and you get a different picture. Probably the biggest eyesore imaginable is the $2.9 billion, 4,000-room, 68 story Fontainebleau Resort that failed during construction back in 2009. That’s a long time to have this gigantic, rusting, 70 percent complete hotel & casino just sitting there.

Just like any neighborhood, that massive eyesore can drive down the neighboring properties as well.

The Hilton Grand Vacation Club directly across the street was thrilled as the Fontainebleau rose into the sky. The timeshare used the potential of the resort to sell memberships … and at premium prices. After all, as Fontainebleau opened, others would follow.

Oops! Now plans to build additional towers at the HGVC property have been shelved in favor of purchasing existing properties … such as Elara, adjacent to the Planet Hollywood Resort.

And that’s a shame. The HGVC resort on The Strip is one of their most elegant. Just don’t look across the street.

Visit Allure Quest Travel Experience and We 2 R 1 Honeymoons on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.

Cruise lines have unlimited pot of potential customers to persuade

Posted on by alanwhitt

Cruise lines are taking advantage of the fact that only about 3.1 percent of North America’s population have taken a cruise.

How so?

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

Since so few have sailed, when they finally get around to cruising they won’t know what they’re missing.

Yes, this has been the golden age of cruising … with massive ships loaded with amenities and options only dreamed of 20 years ago. And with 15 new ships coming over the next three years you can expect that trend to continue.

But as those ships are built, they’re starting to follow the airline’s flawed model by cramming more passengers into tighter spaces.

For instance, even though Royal Caribbean’s new Sunshine-class ships debuting in 2014 are slightly smaller than the line’s Freedom-class ships, each will hold 500 more passengers. To do that you’ll have to eliminate some public spaces. Since we haven’t seen plans are for Sunshine-class ships, we have no idea what’s being taken away.

That detail won’t matter to the 96-plus percent who haven’t experienced the pleasures of a cruise. They’ll be awed by FlowRiders, ice bars, ice skating, 3-D theaters, water shows, outdoor gardens and everything else that makes a modern-day cruise such a unique vacation.

For the veteran cruisers who remember the days when voyages were truly all-inclusive, the addition of pay restaurants and other money-making amenities brought about much disappointment.

But for those who started cruising after those things were added, it’s just part of a cruise to them. You can’t miss what you never had.

Frequent cruisers like me also remember when a deal truly was a deal … when a cheap cruise could be found on a regular basis.

Right now we’re in what is known in the cruise industry as “wave season,” a period from January through March where the best deals can usually be had.

But cruise lines have to pay for those new ships. If you’re expecting deep discounts on cruises … forget about it. The best you can expect are onboard credits, upgrades and other perks that really don’t cost them much. And they’ll make up for those freebies with drinks, slot machines, specialty restaurants, cupcakes and massages – things that will cost you.

Ah, the good old days. We’ll never see those again.

Visit Allure Quest Travel Experience and We 2 R 1 Honeymoons on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.

Nashville is No. 3 on Condé Nast Traveler’s list of places to visit in 2013

Posted on by alanwhitt

I’m used to sending people from Nashville on vacation elsewhere. If you live here you never really think of our little city as a travel destination.

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

I guess I should have known. After all, this is Music City – the country music capital of the world.

But Condé Nast Traveler’s “Daily Traveler” lists Nashville as one of the “Best Places to Go in 2013” – coming in at No. 3 behind Amsterdam and Seoul.

Why Nashville? Here’s what the “Daily Traveler” has to say: “The new Nashville offers two things worth traveling for: a hot, trendy new food scene and its famous, funky music scene. The “haute southern” cuisine is flourishing in Nashville at restaurants like The Patterson House and The Catbird Seat. Not to mention some of the tastiest and most creative cocktails we’ve ever tried. At night, you can’t walk two blocks without coming across some incredible live music, from bluegrass to brass bands, zydeco to country.”

I don’t know much about “haute southern” cuisine. Just give me a bowl of grits and a couple biscuits from Loveless Cafe and I’m good.

Of course, there’s more to Nashville than the music scene with Gaylord Opryland, major professional sports (yes, the Titans), major college football (yes, Vandy) and a host of first rate college basketball programs … not to mention the cultural scene and other offerings.

And for those Nashvillians who wouldn’t think of vacationing here, next on the “Daily Traveler” list is very drivable New Orleans – complete with a multimillion dollar facelift in anticipation of next month’s Super Bowl.

Visit Allure Quest Travel Experience and We 2 R 1 Honeymoons on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.