At Sea Day on the Norwegian Getaway

So for our Sea day we woke up and went to the buffet for breakfast. Lots of choice for everyone and no complaints. I love when I vacation in the states or American cruise lines as I get biscuits and gravy. I became quite fond of them on my Disney Adventures but oddly enough I never recreate them at home. Probably as I know they are really not the best for me.
After breakfast my mother decided to take that time to head to the Casino. While she did that the kids and I headed to the pool.

 The green and blue slides are drop slides (the only two they did not try)

 Katherine drying off

 Daniel had the drink package (pepsi was his thing all week)

Soaking up some Rays

When the kids had enough of the pool we headed back to the room and they got changed so they could go and give the rope course a try. Being a Sea Day we waited in line for a good 40 minutes. Poor Daniel got outfitted headed up to the course and head to go the bathroom so came right down. Katherine also came right back down as she did not like the height. Elizabeth lasted about 10 minutes and did 3 or four courses not even a quarter of the course and came back down.

 The trio ready to hit the course

Elizabeth on the course

On my facebook page I have posted a slide show of pictures that gives you a better look at the rope course. Beside the rope course their is The Rock Climbing Wall,  Mini Golf, Basketball/Dodge Ball Court, a bungee jump and spider slide. Not too mention the arcade.

Rock Climbing Wall

When we finally finished up with this it was getting late and we decided to head for lunch at O'Sheenans. There was a wait so we were given a lovely pager and had to wait for it to go off for our callback time. We headed to the atrium to hang out waiting for our turn.

 I was hoping to get a better close up of this picture as our last nae is prominent on it but no such luck

 Waiting patiently for fun

getting some mom love 

We had a great lunch despite the wait. Wings, Milkshakes, Fajitas, Fish tacos, Artichoke dip and much more. After lunch we went back to our cabins to chill for a bit. Watch some tv, nap hang out on our balconies. The down time was great for a change.

For supper we headed to the Buffet it was Seafood Night. Every night has a theme. We obviously missed night one which was prime rib night. Elizabeth was in her glory with the seafood. No matter what there was always something for everyone to eat including my pickiest eater Victoria and off course the soft ice cream and desserts were always a hot with the kids.

 Food art at the Buffet

More food art

After dinner my mother, Katherine and I headed to the Atrium to chill until 7:30 pm when we were going to see Burn the Floor in the Theater. Daniel, Victoria and Elizabeth decided to hang out in the cabin and then meet us. 

Theater

We sat at the back of the theater. The view was great. It made it easier my mom only had to go down and up two sets up stairs. No pictures of the show itself as it is not allowed. The dancing was amazing and the dancers male and female were hot. Yes I checked them out and I am sure many of the adults were. I was not the only naughty one.

Now when we got back to our cabin it was turned down and ready for the evening and we got our first towel animal. I love the towel animals and look forward to them. I was very excited that my kids also share my passion for towel animals. Yes they tried hiding it so out steward could not find it. They did not succeed.

Towel Animal # 1

Our next day was to be our first port Harvest Caye, Belize. We did not have an excursion planned and we were not set to arrive until 10:00 am so we did not have to get up super early. Stay tuned for tomorrow's adventure.

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

Day 2 Headed to Norwegian Getaway

Finally Day two has arrived on our family vacation. We wake up have a great breakfast at the Embassy Suites and get ready to return our rental car and head to the ship. But you know us there has to be a few snags along the way right?
When we got to the hotel and unpacked to go to bed for the evening it came to our attention that my second oldest and had packed almost nothing for this trip. Apparently she has no clothes. Yes she left half her clothes at home but she did have her swim suit that was important right. So before returning the rental car and heading to the cruise we had to make a trip for some clothes. Thank goodness for Walmart Supercentres. So we managed to get her some pants, tops a hoodie. flip flops for everyone and some snacks for the cruise or the plane ride home. Now as you can imagine I was worried about how long all of this would take especially with all the complications getting to Miami the day before.
We manage to get in and out of Walmart in under 45 minutes. Not bad if I do say so myself. We definitely can never manage that feat at home. Now when I rented the car I was supposed to be able to return the car to the port and get a shuttle to the port. Well lets just say that is not true at all. The van had to be returned to the Miami Airport. So we had to head back to where we started in the morning.

Yes my youngest took a selfie at Walmart

Let me just say the phone gps once again had problems trying to get us to turn where we could not do to one way streets. So after going around the "block" twice I finally was able to figure out my own how to get into the rental car return centre at the airport. Returning the car to Alamo was swift and efficient you pull up. Leave the key in the car leave the door open and take everything out you brought with you. Yes I had to take the kids I could not leave them there. I am always trying to sell them and give them away but no one will take them. I just do not understand.

She also managed to snag a picture of a commuter train

With our luggage we head out of the parking garage and head to the shuttle area. You have to go from the first floor up to the fourth floor. We get up there and a nice man tells me that this area is only for pre-arranged shuttles which we obviously did not have or taxi's. Now I know you are thinking what I am thinking how much is a taxi going to sink us now and I had installed the Uber app on my phone to have but I am thinking how long will that take and will we make. So I say we will take a taxi. The man calls over a van we all pile in with our luggage and we had to the Port of Miami Terminal C for Norwegian cruise lines. We are there is less than 20 minutes the cost of the taxi for the 6 of us is $30 USD plus $1.90 USD for the toll. What a deal is all I can say a shuttle would have cost us $20 USD a person at least. We tip the taxi driver, the porters take our luggage and of course they too insist on a tip. They are actually quite competitive, loud and bossy to keep the traffic moving so they can get more tips. My mother was trying to pay the taxi driver and one of them was yelling at him to get moving.
As you can guess the kids were starting to get excited and were hungry. I really do not know why these kids expect to be fed all the time. It is such an interesting concept. LOL. So for those of you who have not cruised before you must go through security same as the airport. They x ray your stuff and you. Same liquid rules. Once you get through that you go stand in line for check in. Being as my mother and I are latitudes members we got to go through the priority line but at that time of morning the lines were very short. We chose an early check in time so we could get lunch on the ship. It is a long walk from the terminal to get on the ship. My mom is currently walking with a cane and was offered wheel chair assistance she refused. You will see this is a recurring thing in the week to come. She is very fierce about maintaining her mobility and walking when she can. We could walk our own place because the line was pretty much non existent which was great. We got the mandatory picture from the cruise photographers getting on board and the washy washy song so everyone knows to clean their hands. Rooms were not expected to be ready until 1:30 pm so we headed straight to the buffet on Deck 15.

Yes they found the self serve soft ice cream the first day and if I am not mistaken they had it every day after sometimes several a day. I will leave the blog post here and continue with the first day in the next installment I will discuss the cabins, sail away and first afternoon on board the ship

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

Still day one but Finally at the Hotel!!

After twelve plus hours of travelling we finally made it to our hotel The Embassy Suites by Hilton Miami International. I am so used to taking shuttles to hotels that it never occurred to me to look at parking as I was driving the rental van. Needless to say it was not cheap at $20 USD overnight. Something to keep mind if I or clients ever drive somewhere.
The lobby area of this hotel is massive. They have many tables set up for people to eat at and mingle with built in chargers. There breakfast buffet in the morning was awesome and in the evening they had free cocktails, pop and hors d'oeuvres. They definitely take care of their guests.

 Eating/Meeting area

 3 glass elevators at the end of the lobby area

lovely water fountain feature

 Breakfast area (they had made to order eggs) plus a buffet with scrambled

plenty of room to eat both inside the room and out

We booked a 2 room suite. Which had 2 double beds and a pull out couch. The sitting room had table and chairs. The layout was quite nice. But of course kids being kids they did not want to co-operate for sleeping arrangements. My mother slept on the lounger chair in the sitting room, my oldest daughter on the couch not as a bed. My youngest slept with me and the second daughter slept on the floor and the third ended up with the second bed to herself. 

 Sitting room couch

 table and chairs and tv

Mini fridge, microwave, sink in sitting area

 2 double beds in bedroom

 another sink and mirror, tv, armoire in bedroom

very tiny balcony looks out towards the airport

Being so close to the airport and watching the planes flying right overhead I was worried sleep would be hard to come by especially as we were on the top floor. But honestly I did not hear the planes at all. Now that also could be because I was very tired once it was time for bed and slept like the dead but no one else complained either and the kids did nap while I was driving and on the plane as well. The bathroom was spacious. It had a tub, toilet and counter with sink and mirror. With 3 sinks and mirrors in the suite it does make it easier for six people to get ready in the morning.

 Bathroom counter top

 Toilet space

bathtub

The hotel also has an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub. Yes of course the kids wanted to check it. Luckily it had been raining and it just was not a good time. So we did not have to worry about wet bathing suits until we got on the cruise. Although  I did snap a picture from my balcony.

Being tired we took advantage of Uber Eats and ordered in Takeout from the Miami Grill. I enjoyed and loved the Uber Eats app. Living in a small town I have never had the opportunity to use it before. I will definitely use it again if the opportunity presents itself. 

 Food delivered to our door 

 Donair with cheesy fries

Kids enjoying their food

So one thing I did not mention when we checked in our room was not yet ready. They provide you with a pager so you can sit and relax in the enormous lobby until they page you. I don't think we even waited ten minutes. Also the hotel does provide shuttles to the port, airport and even local shopping. I did not check out the prices as I did not need the, I would like to assume they were reasonable. At the end of the day the rooms were a bit tired and could use a sprucing up, the lobby was amazing and I definitely would stay at the Embassy Suites again and recommend it to clients. Stay tuned for Day 2 and all the trouble we can get in...

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

Why Travel Insurance?

Travel Insurance is it really necessary. As a travel agent you can imagine I get asked this question all the time. By working in the province of Ontario it is actually law that I offer it to you when I sell you a travel package. Saying this you would think that alone would tell you that yes indeed Travel Insurance is a necessary evil. I know there are many out there that are Insurance haters we pay and pay and very few of us use it. Yes a good travel insurance policy can be expensive, but the reality is, that peace of mind that protection offers is worth everything.

Many Canadians and Americans sadly think that whatever national plan they have will protect them when they are abroad. Sadly this is not the case. If I go to the United States and break my arm Ontario Health will not cover it. In the states I will have to pay for the hospital visit, the x ray's, the cast everything and vice versus if an American comes to Ontario and breaks their arm they have to pay out of pocket for all the expenses incurred as well.
So your very first order of business when planning a vacation is making sure you have the funds budgeted for the insurance required also. You can google travel horror stories and the lists are long. As a travel agent we hear many stories as well, those that make the news and those that don't. Just like anything else not all products are created equal.
People often mention having coverage with work or on their credit cards. Suppliers also usually have insurance options available as well. Last options are independent travel insurance companies. I will do a quick comparison on them. Keep in mind that Insurance products change all the time so this is just a guideline comparison and their can always be exclusions.
Many employers have travel insurance policies. You need to obtain a copy to see what it actually covers and doesn't again some are better than others. Don't assume what the coverage is check it out.
So I do sell Manulife Insurance. There are different types of coverage you can get, All inclusive, just medical insurance, just cancellation etc.. You need to get what is best for you and your family. Sometimes you just need to supplement what you already have.

Here are the things that are often covered in an All Inclusive Insurance:
Out of province health care, car rental, Trip cancellation, Trip interruption, Flight and/or travel accident, Flight delay, Baggage delay/loss or damaged.
Manulife covers 57 different reasons for cancellation.  The closest credit card that I could find out of so many offered is 44 and it was a travel credit card the CIBC Areogold Visa Infinite. Many cards had simple coverage, some have not at all. The biggest problem I could find with the cards is that is seems you have to pay up front for services and they will reimburse after if you have the coverage. Sometimes the cost of an ambulance is $5000 let alone any treatment. My family certainly does not have those types of credit limits to cover us should something happen.
This is why we have coverage with a great company one that will pay for the care we require and not reimburse us at a later date. So please make sure your love ones are protected and you do not become one of those scary stories we hear about.
More and more countries are starting to insist you have proof of insurance before you can enter. This is also a good reason to have a travel agent. Cuba is one and they will actually make you buy a plan there before entering the country. The countries do not want to be saddled with unwanted debt. Egypt and Thailand are also looking at putting this into play for this year.


Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

Family Vacation Day One Continued!!

So I left off my last post with us headed to pick up our rental vehicle. So I had a prepaid car rental. Thankfully Alamo was not busy because you still have to stand in line with everything else. This is the same with all rental car companies. I wish they would develop lines for those who have pre paid and just want to pick up. Now I decided I did not need the GPS option. Why do you ask would I do that driving from one city to another. Well I am not so silly, I have my phone and use google maps all the time. It provides awesome navigation. On a trip to Toronto it took me off the 401 due to an accident and saved me long delays so why would I not rely on it for this. We were given a lovely Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid to drive. We were six people, six suitcases and 6 carry on bags. Yes I got everything and everybody in and we were comfortable.

 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrd

 Front Seat

Middle Row

So we picked up this lovely car headed out of the Fort Lauderdale airport starving and needing to get to Miami to the Embassy Suites Hotel and it was pouring cats and dogs. So my car just as a reference is a 2004 Hyundai Sonata (no real technology) our family car is a 2012 Chevy Orlando (has hands free calling and that is it). So you can imagine that I may have been a bit wowed and maybe a little confused by this lovely rental vehicle. So I have seen the new display screen back up camera's etc I have friends who have newer vehicles than I do. Heck I have even see the no push start that I had to use and just carry the key fob with me. My parents drive a hybrid so I was even familiar that when you are stopped at a light your car sounds like it is not running while it is charging. No my problem was with the gear shifter. I could not find one. Looked on the steering wheel, looked on the dash, looked between the seats etc.. Took me a few to find it because here is a picture of what it looked like.

(picture courtesy of consumer reports.com)

You got it it was a dial on the dash that you move around to park, drive reverse etc.. Not easy to reverse and then drive I will admit I found this very awkward and wonder who came up with this concept. Who knows maybe after driving the car more than once or twice I would become used to using it but I did not like it and while I enjoyed the van itself I would probably not get it for my family with this shifter (and we have been looking for a van).

So back to my trip first thing I do is set up my planned route on my cellphone and try and connect it to the Bluetooth in the vehicle so I can see the GPS on the screen and be safer. Well the rental people fixed that they lock you out of connecting to the Bluetooth. I assume this is so you will bite the bullet and rent the GPS. Yes next time I will. Of course I also did not realize that my phone was set up to avoid tolls so instead of nice relaxing drive on the I 95 my GPS took me through every back alley, industrial area and side street from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. My mother is not technologically inclined and was no help and the two oldest did the best they could to help me out.  Let me tell you something else about the way the streets run.  They are mostly numbered streets. Normally you would see first east and west, second east and est etc... But here it may be First runs east and west, second is east only and third is west only. So I am counting streets on my west for turns etc and then the gps is telling me I am missing turns not realizing this system as  we are four lanes across for traffic in both directions. Once I catch on less re routing and our ride was less complicated but still long. With a stop at Popeye's for lunch it took us almost two hours and we were really tired by the time we got to the hotel.

Popeye's has been in Ottawa for about a year or so now. I have tired it once but no one else in my family had. It was much better in the States than it was hear that is for sure. We enjoyed it for a quick fast food lunch and we would definitely do it again. We went for Chicken tenders, breaded shrimp and Cajun fries.
Stay tuned for my next post as I will review the hotel we chose to stay out for or evening in Miami...

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

First day of Family Vacation!!

So our first family cruise was scheduled for Sunday December 16th but we of course decided to fly in a day early. One can never be sure what weather delays can head your way or any delays for that matter. So when taking a cruise I 100% endorse flying in a day early even if you sail away is 4:00 pm or later.
So this meant we were flying out of Montreal to Fort Lauderdale on Saturday December 15th. With a 7:00 am flight departure and living about an hour and half from the airport meant we got up at the ungodly hour of 2:00 am to leave the house at 3:00 am. We had priority booking which means we could use the Club line which is far shorter than regular check in. As a matter of fact we walked in and were seen right away. The regular check in line was at least three turns deep. I highly recommend Club class or Option Plus with Transat it is the best way to fly!!

 Waiting patiently in the airport

The rest of us

So we went through security and waited patiently on the other side for 6:00 am to come and the plane to begin boarding. After some consideration I have decided that while we are given priority and allowed to board first I think in the future I will wait and board last, The plane was full we had rows four and five on one side completely booked with the six of us. I am heavy and cramped on the plane. I put two little people with me so it gave me much needed breathing room. But my sciatica that developed this past summer decided to flare up and a 3 hour plane ride plus an hour of just sitting did not help it. Had I boarded towards the end of loading I would have had just 3 hours to deal with and I had no pain until I got on the plane. Unfortunately this flight did not have club seats or we would have been in those. Our carry on was small and fit under our seats so we also did not have to worry about stowing above. It was amazing to see how many people had carry on suitcases and then for them trying to find places to store them. My priority seats came with 2 free suitcases for check in so was not worrying about large carry on's at all.

my row on the plane (did not get the other row)

So we flew into Fort Lauderdale arrived on time and headed over to the car rental terminal (they are a big airport with four terminals). We had decided to rent a car stay in Miami as that is where our cruise was leaving from the next day. I am going to leave you here and pick up with the rental car experience and drive from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. Believe me they deserve a post all of their own

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

Mental Illness

So I know you are probably looking at the title of this blog and scratching your head a bit. I am a travel agent and 95% of my blogging has to do with travel about 5% discusses my family. In early Fall I discussed with you guys that I had stopped blogging because of some hurtful comments on some of my previous blogs and pictures. As I mentioned when I started up again I am very aware that I am obese and while I am aware the comments are still nasty.
At the time I did not mention that I have suffered from depression for many years. I have been on medication steady since my youngest was born and he is almost ten years. We have adjusted dosage over the years and for the most part it allows me to go on with life and get things done.
This however has been a really rough Fall the lack of sun has really taken it's toll. I am leaving this weekend with my children and mother for a Western Caribbean cruise on the NCL Getaway. I am so looking forward to this and spending a day in Miami to hopefully soak up some rays. I want to find a way to add more travel this winter so I can get more sun. My depression has hit an all time low and it has made work and everyday life very hard.
Being a self employed business woman and mother to four makes it even harder when this hits as it makes it harder to deal and find the time to continue on with everyone else's needs and try and address what I need. Which means I take care of everyone else and just suffer the best I can.
So a number of things have come to ahead in my life and of course they happened to be this past week the week before trying to get everyone packed and ready to go away and I currently have clients travelling at the same. Thankfully we are headed to Florida (different directions but same State).
So while doing all this I decided to some evaluating and will probably continue to do a lot more while I am away get some much needed rest and relaxation. I am looking at the volunteering I am doing, taxi driver role and so much more. I think many people who are close to me will see a big change come the new year.
I will be re committing to a much higher focus on me and my business and making myself happy and secure.
I am hoping to post regularly while I am away with information about the ship, the destinations and travel period. I hope you will follow along. I am also pledging to taking more pictures with me in them and enjoying life to its fullest.

Here's a start

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

Multi- Generational Travel - Karisma Resorts

Karisma is one of my favourite brands of resorts in the Caribbean. They are known for their gourmet inclusive cuisine. They are great for dealing with food allergies and have many amenities available for babies so you do not have to pack everything and the kitchen sink for them it is already there. One of my favourite resorts is Generations Spa Resort & Hotel. Another great vacation for the multi-generational family travelling together.

Photo courtesy of romaticsetinations.com 

They have regular suites and butler suites so again grandma and grandpa can get the level of service and comfort they have worked so hard for.
They have the Eko kids club with supervised activities which means the parents can run off and play all by themselves with beach water sports to nightly live entertainment. Guests ages 18 and over also enjoy full privileges at El Dorado Casitas Royale and El Dorado Royale, adult only sister properties next door. Which means if grandma and grandpa want a break from the grand kids and their kids they can get away.

Map of the resorts (Photo courtesy of Karismahotels.com)

They are lucky to have a spa. The spa is great for your soul. They offer hydrotherapy, facials, body treatments etc... They also have a fitness center, sauna, steam room and a full service beauty salon. They even have spa services for children ages 4-12. I mentioned earlier baby amenities but here is the complete list of what they have: cribs. strollers, pack n' play, baby bottle warmers, baby bottle sterilizers, baby food, baby monitors, baby changing tables and baby bath robes. They really do make it easy to travel with the youngest to the oldest members of your family.
The Eko Kids club offers a library, a movie area, gaming consoles as well as a full schedule of creative endeavors. They even have Littel Eko Chefs which immerses themselves in the culture of food, gain true culinary skills while learning easy and delicious recipes.
So while the kids are away the adults can play. They also have the opportunity to take cooking lessons, tour the 76,000 square foot greenhouse, do yoga or go snorkeling. You can even learn how to do your own towel decoration.
Once again want help making these great memories let me take away the stress by handling all the little details.



Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area