My client traveled to Thailand

My client just returned home from a detox trip to Thailand.

She has some great pictures and stories on her blog

Check it out!!!

CLICK HERE to access her blog!

Disney Fantasy March 2012

I had the opportunity to be on the inaugural sailing of this ship, so it wasn't it's typical 7 day itinerary, it was a short 3 day to Castaway Cay and back.

Here are some of the highlights

SHOWS: I had previously been on the Wonder, and to my surprise, there were 3 new shows that I had not seen, so that was great. One was Wishes, One was Believe, and the other was Aladdin. They used screens in front of and behind the cast members on stage, and they also used pryotechnics too. I was seriously blown away by the shows. They were even better than I had remembered the Wonder to be.

STATEROOMS: I had the opportunity to tour quite a few staterooms, inside, outside, balcony, one bedroom even the Roy O. Disney Suite, which was amazing. I have posted the pictures to our facebook page. The virtual portholes were impressive, I watched the interaction of the characters in the portholes for about 15 minutes, and I can absolutely understand the draw of these types of rooms.

DINING: Rotational dining is what Disney is known for, and the restaurants to visit are once again impressive. Our first night was at **Enchanted Garden, and the ambiance of this restaurant was like you were walking into a garden outside. The lighting was perfect, and the look and feel was wonderful. Mind you, this restaurant is on the 2nd floor. So to feel like you're outside, and be that low on the ship, was awesome. **Royal Court was our next night for dinner, and this was elegant, and you felt like a princess walking into this room. The little princess touches were great. Even the bread bowl was shaped like a carriage that would hold the royals themselves. **Animators Palate reminded me a lot of the one on the Wonder, with a few more magical touches. You got to draw a character on your placemat, and see it come to life on the screen while you ate. That was really cool. The chairs were designed to look like Mickey's pants, it was cool.

When it comes to Disney, there is so much MAGIC that is put into every single trip, I don't want to spoil it all for you, but there was plenty of magic all around!!!!!!

This slideshow is of the stateroom tour that I was able to do.

There are some really impressive cabins onboard the Disney Fantasy.

Just wait until you see the Roy O. Disney suite!!! WOW!

This slideshow is of our dinners. 

The rotational dining is fun!

This slideshow is of the kids and teen areas. 

This is an exclusive look, especially in Vibe, as it's not open to adults during the sailing.  It's exclusive for teens.

The Oceaneer's Club and Lab are fun for me to see, as this is where my kids will want to hang out for the entire cruise.  They love it!!!

Disney Cruise Line Adult Exclusive restaurants are romantic onboard dinner destinations that cater exclusively to adults looking for the finest in onboard dining amid a refined and elegant atmosphere.
This next slideshow is all about Palo and Remy, these restaurats are hard to get into, are very exclusive, and are a luxury dining experience all the way around.  There is a surcharge for these 2 restaurants only.

Staying along the adult only lines...I had the chance to enjoy Europa!!!

This is the evening adult area to enjoy.  What fun!  The pictures don't really do this are justice, but you can get a glimpse of just how cool and fun Europa nightlife can be!!!

Here are the pictures from Disney's Castaway Cay.  We spent most of our time over in the adult only beach, but I have pictures of both beaches.

We had such a unique experience with the Fantasy and the Dream sailing around together.  They have these songs on their blow horns, and when we were sitting at the private island, we could hear them tooting them back and forth at each other.  It was SOOO cool, I literally stopped where I was and stood there and listened for about 15 minutes.  So cool!

Some of the songs they tooted:

When you Wish Upon a Star

Yo-Ho-Yo-Ho A Pirate's Life for Me

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

It's A Small World After All

Hi Diddly Dee An Actor's Life for Me

Be Our Guest, Be Our Guest Put our Service to the Test

This is my last slideshow, and it contains pictures out and about around the ship.

Enjoy!

Jamaica March 2012

We visited Negril, Jamaica in March 2012.  We went with a group of friends, so we were looking into accomodations that would fit every budget, yet still all inclusive, and nice.  We decided on the resort of:  RIU Negril.  This was a wonderful fit financially and location wise too.  We all had a fabulous time!!!  Our good friends even got engaged there :)  Congrats to you Brent and Ann!!!

Here is my trip report about the RIU Negril:

ROOMS:  The rooms were actually a little larger than I was expecting.  We had a standard room with ocean view.  I was expecting a typical standard hotel room, but I liked how roomy our room felt.  The entrance area by the door was wide, the liquor dispensor and the minifridge were plentiful.  Our bed however was a little disappointing.  You can see from the picture below in the slideshow that our KING sized bed was indeed 2 double beds pushed together.  Yep.  I wasn't expecting that, and was not super happy about it, but it is what it is, right?  Our balcony was small but sufficient.  Air conditioning worked just fine, can't complain.  The bathroom was small, you can see in the picture just how small that shower was.  It was fine, but not spacious by any means.

BEACH:  The beach outfront of our resort was nice.  I like in Negril how you can wade out into the water and go quite a ways before it gets over your head.  It's nice to just get a little wet, and no crashing waves, no undertow.  I do like that!  On the far end of our resort, the weeds and debris did wash up quite a bit, but the RIU did a nice job of keeping most of it clear most of the time.  There were plenty of little shells to collect in the area (not that you can take them home...but some do try)  Towards the South side of our beach, in between the two RIU resorts, there are some beach vendors.  This area is nice to do a little shopping, without having to be hassled all the time just relaxing on your beach chair.

WAKE UP TIME:  I do not like that you have to wake up at 6:00am just to get a chair on the beach.  People wake up very early just to reserve a chair.  It is a problem, I did not like it, but by the time we finally would get our butts down to the beach, people were getting out of their chairs, so it wasn't a huge issue.  But this could be a problem for some...  You also need to get up very early to make a dining reservation at the restaurants.  You can make a reservation 2 days in advance only.  This is never a problem, but you need to know the system.  Get up early, make a reservation and you're good to go.

DINING:  We dined in the buffet restaurant a few times, and the choices were plenty.  I did feel a little like a herd of cattle when it was dinner time though.  It's not super fancy, and very laid back.  Wonderful for those that like it to be very casual, and don't want to dress up.  It's a great fit for that.  I, on the other hand, do like to get dressed up for dinner, and make it nice.  We did that 2 times in our 4 night stay.  We did the steakhouse 'Shadows', and we also did the fancy 'Sir Andrews' one night.  Shadows was impressive, my expectations were low, but was pleasantly surprised, food was great, service was good.  Sir Andrews was also good, food was much better at Sir Andrews, but the service was a little slow.  It surprised me that there was only seating for approx 30 people max, at a resort that holds 420 guest rooms.  Seems like it would make more sense to make some of these restaurants a little bigger.  BUT there was always the buffet option as well, which always had many choices.

BARS/DRINKS:  I had a personal favorite of a 'Dirty Banana' the last time we were in Jamaica, and the RIU's version of this drink was not the same, and not as good.  So I found a drink I did like, it was called a 'Miami Vice'.  This was a red, white and blue drink, yummy!!!  The bartenders were good, I can't say that we had any one that was a stand out.  The swim up bar was always hopping and busy, the first time I went over to the swim up bar to get a drink, I stood there for 10 minutes before the bartender even looked at me, and it took another 10-15 minutes to actually get a drink.  That was about it for me.  I prefer the quiet pool anyways, so that was fine.  They were serving the rowdy ones, and that was good!!!!

OVERALL IMPRESSION:  OK, so I've traveled a lot, and I do take my trips with a grain of salt most days.  Things will go wrong, things will go right, and it's all good.  My overall impression of this resort was that it's a 3-4 star and that's exactly where it should be.  Everything was good, but not great.  I would absolutely stay here again, without a doubt.  It's all about expectations.  It's not a luxury resort, but sometimes that isn't what you're willing to pay for when you just want to have fun and be safe.

Here are a few of my pictures from the trip:

On this same trip, I had the opportunity to visit a couple other resorts as well.
Here are my trip reports for them...

Couples Negril was a beautiful resort.  This resort reminded me a lot of Sandals Negril.  They cater to adult only couples, and upscale service.  The overall feel of this resort was much smaller, there are 234 rooms.  Each of the beach and pool chairs have a floatie.  You can take your floatie in the pool or into the ocean, and it's fabulous.  There are more than enough chairs for the entire resort, so you never have to race to get a chair.  I love that.

We were given a walking tour of the resort, and the overall feel of the place is that it's very relaxed and quiet, no kids, so that in itself is a nice feature.  I really loved this resort, with all the inclusions, even though the price point is higher up front, your experience when you are there is so much better!!!!

Here are a few of my pictures from Couples Negril:

RIU Palace Tropical Bay was a lot like RIU Negril.  The layout, the look and feel is so similar, it's a little hard to know where you are at times.  But the rooms, the rooms were much nicer.  The beach out front was a little less crowded, and not quite as weedy.

Here are a few of my pictures from RIU Palace Tropical Bay:

Stress Free Traveling

Here are some Travel Tips to help make 2012 stress-free:

Hydrate while flying to help prevent jet lag- Drink water, water, water. Don't drink caffeine or alcohol during your travels. Caffeine and alcohol cause sleep disruption while traveling, deepening "jet lag". Caffeine and alcohol can make your flights more stressful.

Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes- This will make you more comfortable, as the low pressurization of airplanes causes our bodies to swell. On long flights, the immobility of passengers and low pressurization of the airplane will take their toll and increase passenger discomfort. Try to get up to stretch and walk as often as you can. If it's not possible to get up, do some shoulder and neck rolls in your seat, lift your heels and flex your legs.

Wash your hands with soap and water- Practicing good hygiene before and during your trip can save you from days of travel illness. If water isn't readily available use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol for optimum results. When using hand sanitizers, continue rubbing your hands together until they're until dry.

Learn about your destination- The best place to start your research is with your Travel Leaders/Suntime Travel expert. Many countries, while generally safe to visit, do have some risks. Let us help you learn about your destination in advance, sorting through the questions and answers to help protect your health and reduce anxiety while traveling.

Be cautious with water and food while traveling- You don't know how safe the water is, especially in developing countries. When in doubt, use bottled water. Don't eat from street stands.

Packing- Experienced travelers plan well and travel light. One of the quickest ways to ruin a trip is to be overburdened by unnecessary luggage. Don't overpack your carry-on. A wrenched back from pulling your carry-on from the overhead bin is a fast way to ruin your vacation. The most important item to remember is a comfortable pair of walking shoes. Do not bring expensive jewelery. Make a list of all the items you've packed before you leave home. Leave a copy of this list at home in case your luggage gets lost or stolen.

Cash and credit cards- "Take it from one who knows- bring twice the money ...and half the clothes!" We do not advocate carrying large sums of cash for security reasons... but at the same time it's a good idea to carry some American currency in cash, if only to tide you over until you get to an exchange facility. One of the safest ways to carry your passport, credit cards and cash is in a neck pouch. When worn inside your shirt or blouse, a neck pouch will be a most helpful protection against theft.

Carry a list of credit card contact phone numbers separately from your purse or wallet, and also leave a copy with someone at home in case you lose your cards while traveling. If you lose your card, you are usually liable only for the first $50 or so of fraudelant charges if you contact your credit card company immediately. Credit cards usually allow you to receive the best possible rate of exchange. You'll want to contact your credit card company before traveling to make sure your card will be accepted in the country of your travels. Most credit card companies are increasingly vigilant about protecting their customers from credit card fraud - they may freeze your account due to unusual or "suspicious" activity if you fail to notify them of your travel plans in advance.

Protect your Travel Investment- Travelers need to take the proper steps to cover vacation plans during uncertain economic challenges, the flu season, and our unpredictable weather in winter and spring. Emergencies can happen before or during your trip. Don't forget to pack your travel insurance! We can provide you a quote in just a matter of minutes.

River Valley Bridal Fair 2012

Please come visit our booth at the 2012 River Valley Bridal Fair!
February 19, 2012
Doors open at Noon
Fashion Show starts at 3:00pm

Great door prizes including $500 Travel Dollars & more to the Romantic Destination of your choice!!!! We are the travel agency sponsoring this GRAND PRIZE! So please come visit us!

( You do need to be present to win the grand prize! )

Can't wait to see you there!

Disney Review

I am following my client's Disney review, and laughing hysterically!!
Check it out:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2766084

Thanks Tracy!!!

Amusement Parks!!

Experts declare the world's best amusement parks in 2011 competition...

CLICK HERE for the full article

Have you been to any of these?
Tell me about it...

Best Amusement Park – Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
Best Waterpark – Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas
Best Children's Park – Idlewild and SoakZone, Ligonier, Pa.
Best Marine Life Park – SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
Best Seaside Park – Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Best Wooden Coaster – The Voyage at Holiday World, Santa Claus, Ind.
Best Steel Coaster – Millennium Force at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
Best Kids' Area – Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio
Best Halloween Event – Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
Best Christmas Event – Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Best Outdoor Night Show Production – IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Walt Disney World's Epcot, Orlando, Fla.
Best Water Ride – Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls at Universal's Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.
Best Waterpark Ride – Wildebeest at Splashin' Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.
Best Dark Ride – Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal's Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.
Best New Ride of 2011: Amusement Park – New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, Texas
Best New Ride of 2011: Waterpark – The Falls at Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas
Best Indoor Waterpark – Schlitterbahn Galveston Island, Galveston, Texas
Best Funhouse/Walk-Through Attraction – Noah's Ark at Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pa.

Cruising.....with fees...

The days of all-inclusive cruises including the cost of all of your meals seems to be vanishing.
For a few years now, cruise ships have been offering "premium" dining at a higher price. ("Want a steak dinner? Splash out for a night at a higher price.") But in 2011, a mania for up-charging for meals may be kicking into gear.
Case in point: Royal Caribbean International has bumped up its fees for a couple of its so-called "premium" restaurants: Rita's Cantina and the Seafood Shack on Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.
Passengers used to pay $8 for meals at Rita's Cantina, for instance. They'll now pay a fee of $3 to dine at the restaurant and then pay a price for each item ordered a la carte, too. The 15 percent gratuity isn't included either. (A tip of the hat to Cruise Critic for breaking this story.)
The first absurdity here, I think, is that cruise company RCI considers Rita's Cantina and Seafood Shack to be "premium restaurants."
Rita's Cantina and Seafood Shack serve the type of food that ought to be included in the "all-inclusive" price in the first place. The menu at Rita's Cantina includes such glamorous items as chicken tacos ($2) and taco salad ($3), while Seafood Shack goes all fancy with a basket of grilled jumbo shrimp ($7). Cruise Critic says that these changes amount to a price hike, noting that a meal with guacamole, a quesadilla and grilled chicken that cost $8 in the winter now costs $11.25.
But, of course, that's because there's now ultra-premium restaurants, like Chops Grille. I'll agree that Chops Grille, with its selection of prime rib and lobster dishes, counts as a premium restaurant. I also agree that it's nice to have the option of splashing out on a fancy meal during a cruise. I'm willing to pay an extra cost for the meal, which is now $30 per person (a fee hiked by $5 this year).
Yet the danger here is that all cruise lines will begin to serve sub-standard food in their main dining rooms. After all, by making the dining hall experience less attractive, a company can make more money by upselling customers on fee-based meals elsewhere on-board.
I don't mean to pick on RCL, which offers an outstanding cruise experience overall. That corporation just happens to have been the latest one to do this.
Another example from this summer:
Norwegian Cruise Lines has put into place a $4 fee for late night room service. Room service used to be free. Royal Caribbean instituted this fee about two years ago.
In another twist, if you order a pizza to your room on Norwegian, you'll pay $5 at any time of day.
Thank you to MSNBC for this article. Click here for full article.

Guide to Cruise Tipping

CLICK HERE for the full article

How You Should Tip

It is customary to tip cabin stewards and butlers, dining room waiters, assistant waiters and head waiters on the last night of the cruise. Alas, I have been present when tablemates have not shown up that night to avoid giving tips. I have answered waiters' anxious queries about the whereabouts of shipboard acquaintances and seen their chagrin..... (read full article)

When You Should Tip

The cabin steward and butler, the dining room waiters, and assistant and head waiter are tipped on the last night of the cruise. But there are exceptions to this rule. If you plan to do a lot of entertaining in your cabin, or if there is an infant or someone who is ill in your party, you will require extra service from your cabin steward. It is a good idea to give him/her a portion of his/her tip at the beginning of the cruise. You will be surprised how obliging that will make him/her... (read full article)

Whom to Tip and How Much

For the following guidelines, I am going to assume that there is a service charge added to the daily account, usually between $10 and $12 per person, per day—and that passengers will pay it and not opt out. These, then, are pourboires for exemplary service. Looking at it another way, I always try to tip roughly 10 percent of the cost of my cabin, which includes the service charge—and so I typically budget at least $15 to 20 per person, per day, on top of the service charge... (read full article)

Join us at the Australia Event on Monday!!

Join Us at this Exclusive Australia Event:

Australia allures with its sophisticated cities, stunning coastal and mountain regions, indigenous culture, and world-class food and wine. This exclusive event will guide you to insight and perspective on the vast country and culture of Australia.

While you are there, get a chance to win roundtrip airfare for two to Australia*!

WHAT: There's Nothing Like Australia Event

DATE & TIME: January 24, 2011 at 6:00 P.M.

WHERE: Sheraton Bloomington, 7800 Normandale Blvd, Minneapolis, MN

ITINERARY:
6:00 P.M. - 6:15 P.M. REGISTRATION

6:15 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. WELCOME RECEPTION
Enjoy drinks & hors d'oeuvres while mingling with Australian locals, travel experts, and industry executives

7:00 P.M. - 7:45 P.M. EXPERIENCE AUSTRALIA
Learn to speak Australian, try Australia's very own Vegemite, learn Aussie
Rules Football, enjoy Australian music and entertainment

7:45 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. GRAND PRIZE DRAWING
Roundtrip airfare for two on Qantas Airways to Australia*

Ever wondered what it would be like to sail in Sydney Harbour, experience the vibrant cultural scene in Melbourne or dive the Great Barrier Reef? Join Travel Leaders at this exclusive event to discover your ideal Aussie adventure and register for a chance to win roundtrip airfare for two to Australia*!

TO CONFIRM YOUR SEAT AT THIS EXCLUSIVE EVENT -
RSVP by January 24, 2011
email: travelleaders@suntimetravel.com or contact our office in River Falls, Red Wing, or Rochester. See below for phone numbers and office address.

Delta 'bidding' and outsmarting the airlines

OK, I've been reading and reading these articles for the last few days about the new airline 'bidding' on taking a bump. It's so frustrating, because does everyone even realize that there are rules in place so that the airlines have to pay up to $800 already? Please don't put a bid in for your flight for anything under $800.......or else you're allowing the airlines to get around their own rules!!!

Here is one article:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/01/17/how.to.outsmart.airlines/index.html
This is a great article.

Here is another:
http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/can-deltas-bidding-for-bumping-become-an-airline-cash-cow/
Coming from a travel agent, and I too have seen a lot of 'greedy' airlines, I agree with parts of this one!!!!
Hope this info is helpful in deciding whether or not to 'bid' on your vacation plans.......

Visit Australia

http://www.australia.com/campaigns/nothinglikeaustralia/us/great-aussie-sale

Contact us for details on your dream trip to Australia!!!!!

Social Networks for Travelers

I was reading this article, and it has a bunch of great links for networks for some great travel advice!! I love it!!!

http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2011/01/whats_the_best_social_network.html

IgoUgo is one of my personal fav's...

Boarding Pets

http://www.nowboardingpets.com/

What a fun company!

Wedding Show at Treasure Island, Red Wing, MN Nov 7, 2010

ISLAND DREAMS WEDDING SHOW
TREASURE ISLAND RESORT & CASINO

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2010

from 11:00am - 3:00pm

BRIDES STOP IN OUR OFFICE – FOR A FREE TICKET!

Stop by our Travel Leaders/Suntime Travel Booth
at the Island Dreams Wedding Show.
We look forward to seeing you!
Island Dreams offers you an elegant and fun opportunity to plan your wedding and to connect with the area's leading wedding professionals all in one day and one place! Discover the perfect menu, wedding accessories, flowers and more - everything you need to make your dream wedding as perfect as you've imagined. Make the most of your most precious resource, time and bring the fun back to wedding planning!

What? No more dirty cruise ships? Congrats!

Found this article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39800327/ns/travel-cruise_travel/

So happy to hear that the cruise lines are shaping up!!!!

Embarrasing Travel Gear

Too funny! These items could be very embarrasing!

http://www.independenttraveler.com/blog/?p=522

I think I'm going to have to snag a TUGO, for sure!!!

What NOT to pack (in your checked luggage)?

I find myself reading articles like this, and really want to share this with everyone!!!
Most of it seems like common sense, but sometimes we forget....
Here is the article:

http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/what-not-to-pack-in-checked-luggage-when-flying/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tripso+%28Consumertraveler.com%29


There’s a general consensus about what travelers should definitely not check:

Electronic equipment:

- computers
- phones
- cameras
- I-pads

Valuable items:
- jewelry
- silver

Essential documents:
- travel papers including confirmation slips
- prescriptions and medications
- insurance papers
- passports
- sensitive work-related materials
……….and the list goes on.

Travel Leaders Pursuit of Paradise Sept 7-25, 2010

Who doesn't want to win a FREE trip!

Click here for details on this pursuit, and to download your puzzle game piece!!!

I visited Jamaica for the first time!

We had a wonderful trip to Jamaica....

Traveled August 2010

. . .

Overall impression was great!

We could not have asked for a better trip for our anniversary!!

Sandals Negril was wonderful!

Jeffrey the manager made sure we had a great time.

We were upgraded at check in to a

One Bedroom Penthouse Suite with Butler.

Boy, were we spoiled!

. . .

Here are my notes on Sandals Negril:

. . .

THE ROOM: At Sandals Negril, we had the pleasure of staying in a One Bedroom Penthouse Suite with butler. We had 2 butlers. The four poster bed, with white duvet cover, and pillows you could sink your head into for the night, was awesome. There was a plasma flat screen tv facing the bed, and another plasma slat screen tv in the living room area. The living room area had a couch and chair, coffee table and a table with chairs in the corner. The bathroom had a double sink, jacuzzi tub, walk in shower, and small separate toilet area. Huge bathroom area, plenty of room to move about. Our balcony was also very large, another couch out there, and table and chairs, and a nice drying rack for our wet clothes. Another drying rack inside. The view from our balcony was picture perfect.

I also had the opportunity to see two other room types at Sandals, the Millionaire Honeymoon Penthouse One Bedroom Suite with Whirlpool, and the Honeymoon Concierge Beachfront Walk-out room.

The Millionaire suite was almost identical to our room. It overlooked the gardens area, and was not as quiet as our room. The main road was not that far away, so I'm guessing at times, this room could be a bit noisy from the traffic.

The Honeymoon walk out was exactly what I would expect from a Sandals. Furnishings very nice, direct access to the beach from the little patio, fridge in room, and flat screen tv.

FOOD: We tried most of the restaurants. They all had very good food. Our first night was the main buffet area, and we watched the entertainment, and ate dinner. On your first night in a new resort, it's always hard to know what to do, and what to eat first. But the buffet was good.

We ate at the Beach Grill the next day, ordered some of the more casual food, quesadillas, fish, fries, burgers, etc. All of this was good, hard to mess that up.

We dined at Barefoot by the Sea the next night. The service was S-L-O-W, the food was good, fancy, but really good. But it took a long time to dine.... And although the service was great, it was just slow....this took some getting used to, to vacation on Jamaican time...

The next night we ate at Sundowners. Again, very good food. Service was much quicker here, so we enjoyed that.

The next night we ate at Kimono's, this was our favorite. It's dining teppanyaki style, where they cook the food in front of you. It was nice, because everything they cooked, we all got to eat, we didn't have to choose which meat we wanted. Food was great, service was perfect.

The last night we dined at the regular buffet, we didn't want to race to a dinner reservation or anything, and even the buffet was great. Some of the food was cooked to order, and we had tons of choices.

We did not try the 4C's italian restaurant, heard good things, but it just didn't fit into our schedule.

BUTLER SERVICE: For those that have never had a butler before (myself included) this service was so much more than I had anticipated. Our butlers made it clear that if there was anything at all that we wanted or needed, to just call them, and they could make it happen. They gave us our own cell phone to ring them anytime. We had breakfast out on the beach, lots of room service, they helped us order up a cab, and take a little shopping trip. They even went as far as let us use their own personal cell phones to call home, that is amazing!!!

Every time they made a dinner reservation for us, we had our own reserved table, always decorated with flower petals, and our name on it. And always the best table in the room. Even when we went to the buffet and no reservations could be made, our butler told us to call him, and he made sure we got a sunset view table.

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF JAMAICA: OK, so we didn't leave the resort too much. Why would you, when you are staying at a Sandals and have butlers waiting on your every need? No big reasons, in my mind....ha ha ha. We went down to Beaches Negril, and walked down to the Grand Pineapple. This area of the Negril beach has a much wider beach, and much busier than our little area of Negril. More beach vendors, more people, more action.

This area of Negril reminded me a lot of Cancun actually. Busy, lots and lots of resorts, and not a ton of security. I was able to walk by and in any of these resorts I wanted. The all inclusive resorts had wristbands, but the little mom and pop type resorts didn't. I am sure that some of the resorts in this area of Negril attract people that want the smaller-feel resorts, but it was not what we liked.

We did go down to Rick's Cafe. It's pretty fun to watch the cliff divers jumping. We did not jump. I can see that this would be a lively place to party when the sun went down. There is even a pool you can swim here. Music is great, crowd is fun!

Beaches Negril

I also had the opportunity to see the two Beaches properties in Negril. Beaches Sandy Bay was right next door, and Beaches Negril was a short 5 minute cab ride away.

Beaches Negril was impressive, the beach was wide, and there were lots of activities going on around the resort. The water park and pool are very nice here.

Beaches Sandy Bay was very family friendly, I felt the beach was much smaller and more secure than that of Beaches Negril. The resort itself was quite small, no water park, and the pool was small too. The nice part though, you could take a free shuttle over to Beaches Negril if you wanted to use the water slides, and join more activities during the day. Full exchange privileges.

Beaches Sandy Bay

Travel Tips

TRAVEL TIPS

Here are a few tips to keep in mind for your next travel adventure:

Before you leave, use a printable checklist of items you need to pack, and where you'll be packing them (carry-on or checked luggage.) Include all your frequently-forgotten or last minute items: batteries, cell-phone charger, toiletries, etc, and leave blanks for the specifics about clothes, shoes, and other valuable items. Keep a copy of the list with you. If your checked baggage gets lost, you won't have to try to remember what it contained, and you can share the list with the airline.


Before traveling, always get an extra ATM card. A spare card can save the day if the ATM machine eats your card unexpectedly, or if you damage your card along the way.


Flight delays are more common these days with unpredictable weather and tighter security. It only takes a single episode of almost not making it to the port on time - or missing the ship altogether! - to make getting in town the day before... very much worth it! Plan to arrive a day early, and choose a hotel that offers transfers from the airport and to the pier.


It's easy to forget your cell phone, laptop, and other power cords when checking out of a hotel. Increase your chances of recovery by writing your name and contact information on a piece of masking tape and securing the tape to your power cord.


After checking into your hotel room, go back out and count the doors from your room to the nearest stairway. In case of fire, the stairway may be the only way out. If you had to crawl under a blanket of smoke, you could just feel the doors and count down until you know you have reached the safety of the stairway. Don't forget to pack your trusty flashlight, in case you need to exit during a blackout.


On cruise ships, most hallways and doors look alike. To help identify your room, bring along a picture of something familiar and tape it to your door. No personal pictures, for safety reasons.


Bring an insulated travel mug on your next cruise. Coffee and tea are abundantly available on board, but cruise cups are notoriously small, so you'll need refills for a proper morning jolt. If coffee's not your thing, the mug comes in handy for preventing spills in buffet lines. Poolside, the insulation keeps drinks frosty. Save luggage space by stuffing your mug with small items- scarves, ties, or even jewelry.

Do you have a favorite Travel Tip you'd like to share with others? Please send it to travelleaders@suntimetravel.com. We'll include it in a future Suntime Travel Newsletter.

For current Transportation Security Administration information for your upcoming travels,
contact your Travel Expert at Travel Leaders/Suntime Travel

Sandals Negril

Has anyone ever been to Sandals Negril?
Would love to hear your comments or feedback, I will be traveling there this fall, and would love YOUR tips and tricks!!!

Tips for Healthier Travel

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/travel/10-tips-for-healthier-travel-1411724/

Read this article, thought it was worth passing along. Great tips!

Also, if you haven't read the Travel Leaders tip site, this one is worth the reminder!!!

May is Disney Month

May is Disney month here at Travel Leaders Suntime Travel.
I've been posting some fun facts about Disney on our Facebook Page
Are you on Facebook? I've been on Facebook more lately than my blog, so please visit me there, and become a fan!!!

What is your favorite Disney memory?
I have lots! One of my first memories of Disney was (of course) from when I was a child, and visiting Disneyland in California for the first time. We were walking in the park, and Goofy, who was dressed up for Christmas with his white beard on and Santa hat, came skipping by, and patted my Dad on the head. Now, as a child mind you, my Dad was the tallest man alive!! And to see this big ole character skip by and pat him on the head was the funniest thing for me!!! I still remember it to this day!

Become our FAN on Facebook!!!!

CLICK HERE to become a FAN of Travel Leaders Suntime Travel River Falls, WI.

Please visit us on Facebook! We post many updates there as well as this blog, and we've got some great pictures there as well. Can't wait to see you there!