Category Archives: Azalea Travel

Azalea Travel, Cruises

First Time Cruiser Series: What happens when you board the ship?

If you have the first-time jitters about boarding a cruise ship, never fear. I’m going to walk you through it right now.

If you have the good help and advice of a travel agent who is CLIA accredited, and you are sailing soon, then you may have already heard some of this. I’m going to assume that before you leave home, you will have already checked the list of what you can and cannot take on board, and that you have printed your cruise documents and boarding passes.

So, let’s get started! You have arrived at the port, either by your own vehicle, an Uber or taxi, or a bus. What should you do first? If your driver does not direct you one way or another, look for the place to check your suitcases. If you are using transfers purchased from the cruise line, you may not even have to handle your suitcases at this point. Hopefully, you have already attached the luggage tags that were given to you by the cruise line or your travel agent. (A side note: When you pack your carry-on, remember that you don’t want it to be too heavy. Take only what you think you might need for the first couple of hours, a change of clothes, and any essential medications and toiletries.) The next time you see your suitcase, it will be in your stateroom on the ship later the same day. Please remember to tip the baggage handler who takes your suitcases.

The next thing that you will do is enter the cruise terminal and go through security. This is very similar to the security you go through at the airport. You will need to show your boarding passes and ID.

Now, it’s time to check in. There may or may not be a line, but there usually is. Proceed to one of the agents at the desk to check in. You will present your boarding pass, ID, and the health form that you filled out that morning. If there was not a health form in your boarding documents asking you questions about whether you have had a fever over the previous 72 hours, etc., then you will be handed one at that time to fill out. The agent will give you your room key card, band, medallion, or whatever other item that cruise line has for identification and a room key. Usually, it is a room key card that also serves as your boarding pass.

At this time, chances are that you will sit down in the terminal and wait again until your group is called. This is, again, much like boarding an airplane. The first people to be called will be the ones who have cruised many times with this cruise line and have special status, the ones who need special assistance or are handicapped, or the people who are sailing in the suites. If you book with Carnival, there is something called Faster to the Fun that you can purchase with your shore excursions that shortens your wait a bit. You may be able to catch exciting glimpses of your ship while you wait! Not much longer, and you will be sipping that umbrella drink on the Lido Deck.

When your group is called, you can make your way to the door. There may be an opportunity for you to have your photo taken as you board, which may come before you leave the terminal or right after you’ve boarded the ship. Once you are through the door, you will be directed up a gangplank and onto the ship! There are always friendly crew members standing by to direct you where you need to go. Depending on the cruise line, the time of day, or your status based on the kind of room you have, you may be able to go directly to your room and put your things down. However, it is common for the cruise line to start boarding before the rooms are ready. Many times, the crew is still cleaning and preparing your room for you since they will have just arrived in port that morning. Again, with Carnival’s Faster to the Fun, you can go directly to your room and get your suitcases faster.

If you are not able to go to your room, you will be able to go to one of the restaurants, probably the buffet by the pool, and enjoy some lunch. After lunch, you can wander the ship and familiarize yourself with the various public areas. A member of the crew, perhaps the cruise director, will make an announcement and let everyone know when they can go to their rooms.

Soon it will be time to set sail! Bon voyage!

To book your first cruise (or fiftieth) with the help of a CLIA Accredited Cruise Counselor, contact Azalea Travel.

Azalea Travel, Cruises, Stress Relief

Disconnecting feels good.

Vacation seems to be no exception to the new rule that we are all accessible 24 hours per day. Communication seems to have taken over our lives. E-mail, texting, and social media are always in our back pockets (or purses). It’s no longer just a convenience.

Cruise lines, resorts, and phone companies have all gladly built systems to accommodate those workaholics, social mediaholics, and parents with separation anxiety trying to have a romantic getaway who just can’t seem to disconnect. One of the most common questions I get from cruise shoppers is how they can access WiFi on the ship. A few cruise lines will even include the WiFi for free. But what’s the real benefit? Hasn’t this stuff overrun our lives? What happened to the days of “Gone Fishin’?”

I submit that we should backtrack in time to the days before technology took over. When you board the cruise ship, put your phone in airplane mode and leave it there until you return home. There are only a small handful of things that truly need your attention when you’re on vacation. Your family and friends with whom you are traveling are at the top of that list. There are undoubtedly reasons why some folks want to maintain the ability to connect with home, but why not keep it to a minimum? Why not do what you went on vacation to do in the first place? Have a different experience, and get a change of scenery.

I was recently forced (by spotty WiFi) to put the phone down and be present in the moment. This is what I saw:

Oh, look! I’m out on the ocean.

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Oh, HEY, Cuba! (Look closely, and you can see it. But only if you’re paying attention and not looking at your phone.)

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Oooh, another ship.  I wish I had brought binoculars. Note to self for next cruise . . .

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Now Cuba is so close, I can almost touch it. (We were just sailing past it, though.)

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And this view was a great backdrop for my reflections on the way home:

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I spent considerable time on my balcony, just staring at the sea. I had to time to think, pray, and write in my journal. I did some yoga out there, drank some coffee, and contemplated life with the gentle splash from the bow as background music. When I left my stateroom, I ate some meals in peace, without scrolling through my newsfeed or reading Huffpost. Other meals were taken in the company of new friends, who I never would have met with my nose pointed at my phone or tablet. We all toted our phones around, but only to be used as cameras. By the end of the week, I felt reacquainted with myself. There was no noise in my head from the latest political articles on Facebook, because I hadn’t read them. And they didn’t matter to me.

When we returned to the dock in Miami, I hesitantly switched my phone out of airplane mode. When I did, the thing buzzed for a good 60 seconds with notifications, texts, etc. Stuff happened while I was gone, like getting summoned for jury duty, a friend announcing she was moving away, bills coming in, an emergency allergy shot for my son. But guess what? Everyone and everything was okay until I got home. The world did not fall apart because I went away for a week. After my electronics were back on, I found that I had learned not to reach for the blasted things every 10 seconds.

I came home refreshed, rested, and happy. And always ready to go back and do it again! Never again will I have to be forced to unplug. I can’t wait until the next time I get to do it.

So, take my advice, and totally unplug on your next trip.

Be present in the moment.

You won’t regret it.

Azalea Travel, Proud member of ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents)

Azalea Travel, Christmas

Christmas Quiz: How many days of vacation do you deserve?

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(A picture of my favorite ornament…I got it on a trip to The King & Prince Golf and Beach Resort)

A Christmas Quiz:  How many days of vacation do you deserve when this holiday is over?

Let’s face it, not everyone considers this the most wonderful time of year.  Yes, there’s a lot of wonder, excitement, and festive activity going on.  And we get to celebrate the birth of Christ, which is the best part of it.  The carols are great, the decorations are fun to see, but the season does create a very large holiday to-do list on top of your regular to-dos.  So I have created this quiz to help you determine how many days of vacation you deserve after this season is over.  Get out your pen and paper, and let’s begin! Choose one answer for each question, and give yourself the corresponding number of points.

  1. How’s your Christmas spirit right now?
    1. Santa, stop here! Cookies and milk are waiting! (Give yourself 1 point.)
    2. Just tying up some last minute details today and listening to Christmas carols on the radio, and then I will be ready for egg nog tonight. (Give yourself 2 points.)
    3. My Fala lala la is all Jingle Belled out. Can I take down the tree yet? (Give yourself 3 points.)
  2. How many days off do you have for Christmas?
    1. None, really. I’m working or on call for Christmas Day and/or Christmas Eve. (Give yourself 3 points.)
    2. I have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day completely off. (Give yourself 2 points).
    3. I have more than just these two days off – I am one of the fortunate ones! (Give yourself 1 point.)
  3. How many houseguests do you have?
    1. My family is local or we are seeing them another time. (Give yourself 1 point.)
    2. I have up to 2 guests, or am visiting at someone else’s house for a few days. (Give yourself 2 points.)
    3. I have 3 guests or more descending upon my home for an overnight stay. (Give yourself 3 points.)
  4. Are you baking or cooking for others?
    1. Nope! They can find their own goodies. (Give yourself 1 point for this.)
    2. My spouse or significant other did that. (Give yourself 2 points.)
    3. Whew. 8 batches of fudge and now working on tomorrow’s side dishes. (Give yourself 3 points.)
  5. Last question…How’s the outside of your house looking?
    1. Scrooge lives here. I put up a wreath or nothing at all. (Give yourself 1 point.)
    2. Buddy the Elf came by and put a tasteful sprinkling of Christmas cheer on my house. (Give yourself 2 points.)
    3. Clark Griswold would be proud. (Give yourself 3 points.)

Now, tally up your points and see how you score:

5-7 points = Even if you love this time of year and make the best of it with store-bought baked goods and an easy schedule, you still deserve to decompress a little after it’s all over.  Get 2016 off to a great start with a quick 3-5 night getaway!  Take a cruise, spend a long weekend in NYC, or catch a flight to Cancun.

8-11 points = Perhaps you’ve suffered some aggravation at the hands of family, inlaws, outlaws, or otherlaws. Or maybe you just went out of your way here and there to make it a special Christmas. Either way, wouldn’t it be nice to escape and unwind? Take about 7 nights to recreate yourself and do something that you’ve always wanted to do. Is it Hawaii?  Maybe it’s Cuba? You decide!

12-15 points = There’s no doubt about it.  You’ve really put yourself out for others this season.  You’ve had to endure a holiday that maybe you don’t even enjoy that much for one reason or another. Nobody is more entitled to a break from the daily grind than you are.  10-14 nights, or more, are what this doctor of travel prescribes for you to recharge your batteries. This is a great length of time to do that European tour or river cruise you’ve always dreamed of. This is definitely a good time to do something more exotic or distant, like China, Galapagos Islands, the Amazon, or Australia.

Whatever your score, I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Azalea Travel

Attractions, Azalea Travel, Events

Greenwood, South Carolina – Part 2

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The reason for my last trip to Greenwood was to celebrate the grand opening of the Carolina Executive Car at the Railroad Historical Center.

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This car was of particular interest to me, because it was the car my great-grandfather, Frank Harrison Cothran, used as his mobile office during the years that he was President of the Piedmont & Northern Railroad. My parents made the trip with me.

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That’s my father down the narrow hallway, right outside the bedroom that was his grandfather’s.

But even without the family connection, this train was well worth the trip to see inside. It makes for a fascinating trip back in time. The wood paneling, the service quarters, and kitchen all give rise to imagination to see the car in its heyday, when it was more than just a mode of transportation.

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You can almost feel the motion of the car sliding forward and see gentlemen in their suits sitting at the table in the conference room, mulling over contracts and making things happen with inkpens, handshakes, and friendly jokes.

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It is part of The Museum & Railroad Historical Center in Greenwood, which has two locations with two different functions. From April through October, the train cars are open Thursday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm. There are other cars being renovated, and a depot will be built, as well.

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In the meantime, the museum portion of The Museum and Railroad Historical Center, which is just down the road a few  blocks, is open year-round.  And it is a treat.

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It’s the best museum I have seen in a town of Greenwood’s size.  The only better ones I have seen are in larger cities. Their collection is quite impressive on the first floor.

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Upper floors reveal additional exciting historical items, plus educational exhibits for children of all ages.

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Are The Museum and Railroad Historical Center worth a trip to Greenwood?  If you have a train enthusiast big or small, then I say yes, without a doubt. Absolutely. Even if no one in your family is a train buff, it’s still interesting and is something folks of all ages will enjoy. Note: Those with mobility issues may not be able to board the train cars.

You can make it to Greenwood from Summerville in less than 3 hours. You could potentially make a day trip of it. If you want to be leisurely and enjoy other things Greenwood has to offer, like shopping and dining in its revitalized Uptown Greenwood area or a production at the theater next door, then Azalea Travel can book you a room at the Inn on the Square, which was the subject of my last post.  Make a night of it, and have a fun family getaway!

Azalea Travel, River Cruises

See Europe, Unpack Once.

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Looking for a discount on a fabulous European vacation? What if I told you that you could see multiple countries and unpack only once?  It’s true.

Avalon Waterways offers several itineraries that allow you to board their vessel, unpack in your suite, then sit back and relax as the the sights, sounds, and tastes of Europe come to you.

Their staterooms are totally different from those of any other river cruise line, and here’s why:

The average river cruise cabin gives you the equivalent of a sliding glass door overlooking the riverbanks and a narrow balcony that is big enough for two chairs to face forward. That doesn’t sound too bad when you’re enjoying the Danube, does it?

Well, Avalon Waterways reclaimed that tiny balcony space, and instead, they give you a larger stateroom with a bed facing the sliding door. Oh, and their sliding door just happens to be an entire wall of glass, floor to ceiling. Take a look:

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Avalon Waterways is currently offering savings of up to $3000 per couple on select European river cruises. Contact me at Azalea Travel for details!

 

Azalea Travel

Travel is Continuing Human Education

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I believe everyone should travel as much as possible. You see new things, meet new people, have new experiences, and gain a broader perspective. Find out just how beautiful this world is. See how small you are in it. Be inspired.

You don’t have to go to Nepal or climb a mountain, unless you want to. And it’s cool, if you do. I believe that education is all around us, including in amusement parks or in an old diner in a mountain town. There is always something to learn from the people and places around you.

This blog is an account of some of the places I’ve been (and some places I’d like to go), beginning with the southeastern United States, and moving beyond.

Travel and writing are two of my greatest passions. So here, I have the pleasure of joining them into one project. I’m the author of two books, A Quiet Cup of Tea and The Ballad of the Shirley T. I’m also the owner of Azalea Travel, where you can find your way to some of your favorite destinations.