Gem Magazine Long Island Travel: 2013

Monday, January 14, 2013

The Wave Is Here!

People always ask me - when is the best time to book a cruise? Welcome to 2013 wave season- THE best time to book your next cruise vacation.

It happens every year. Between January through the end of March, all of the cruise lines offer their very best deals of the year on cruises to just about every corner of the globe. There are some outstanding early booking incentives and extras that can vary from cruise line to cruise line. Some of the most common of the incentives include:

· Special Pricing

· Extra Value Offers

· On-Board Credits

· Cabin Upgrades

· Reduced Deposits

· On-Board Coupon Booklets

This year, Celebrity is even offering a CHOICE of three bonus offers from a free beverage package? Yes, that does include alcohol, or free gratuities (these can add up on 7 nights or longer cruises) or an onboard credit. Luxury line Regent is offering a $100 gift card AND free onboard internet access. Disney has free kids sailings. Remember there are always restrictions and time deadlines. Read the fine print.

Family summer vacations to the Caribbean or Alaska, sure why not? River cruises through Paris or Germany, no problem. Cruising through the Mediterranean or around the Pacific, what are you waiting for?

Where would you like to go?

Tricia Gonzalez

About Me: I began my travel career back in the glamour days of flying in the early 80’s as a charter flight attendant for Transamerica Airlines. The advantages that we had over the scheduled airline flight attendants were our layovers! We traveled the world with a giant suitcase. We didn’t always know where we would end up but I had the opportunity to spend up to a week or longer in cities in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the South Pacific. It was always an adventure! When my daughter was born in 1987, I gave up my wings for a ground position with TWA and stayed there until American Airlines took over after 9/11. During that time, I had a variety of duties from Crew Scheduler to my least and most dreaded position of American Airlines ticket agent. In 2005, I was offered a buyout, which I happily accepted and ventured into the corporate world as a Financial Recruiter and then Sponsorship Coordinator for a not for profit. By 2009 and after two layoffs, I was ready to return to my travel roots and began looking into buying a travel franchise. Cruise Planners is an award winning American Express travel network agency. It was, and still is, rated as the top travel franchise, as well as one of the top 100 overall franchises to own. With their American Express association, I felt confident that this would be an excellent endeavor to take on. My success with my business has been due to my experiences with traveling the world and my days in the airline industry. I try to visit the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico a few times a year to experience various resorts in order to provide firsthand knowledge to my clients. Oh, and did I mention that I love to travel? My bucket list is a continuous work in progress!