Cruise for YOU

You can have the vacation of a lifetime, see the world, completely unwind, take a walk on the wild side, dance the night away, feast on fabulous cuisine, learn something new, make friends, bond with your family, steal quiet moments with your spouse and children. Whatever your heart desires, is yours, when you choose to cruise.

Here are 10 Reasons* of Why you should take a Cruise:

1. Choose to cruise for VALUE. One price buys your cabin, dining, entertainment and more.
2. Choose to cruise for ROMANCE. Secluded beaches, en suite dining on a balcony overlooking the ocean and spa services for two are just some of the romantic pursuits available.

3. 

   Courtesy of NCL Rights Reserved

   Choose to cruise for CUISINE. Tantalize your taste buds with gourmet fare that showcases exotic ingredients, old standbys like pizza and ice cream or spa cuisine for a healthy alternative. Depending on your mood, dine in a traditional ballroom setting, a small bistro or a casual eatery.

4. 

   Courtesy of NCL Rights Reserved

   Choose to cruise for VARIETY. With over 200 distinctive ships, 3000 ports-of-call and an unbelievable array of places to see and things to do, there is a perfect cruise for you. For even more choice, consider a pre- or post-land tour.
5. Choose to cruise for ACTIVITIES. Fill your days with sightseeing, sports activities, cultural lectures, educational tours led by naturalists and historians or simply lounge by the pool and relax. At night, enjoy dance extravaganzas, musical revues, gaming or a quiet evening gazing at the stars.

6. 

   Courtesy of NCL Rights Reserved

   Choose to cruise for SIMPLICITY. Don't come back from your vacation needing a vacation. Planning a cruise is simple; your CLIA-affiliated travel agency can handle all of the details. Once you're on board, nearly all expenses are pre-paid... talk about hassle-free.
7. Choose to cruise for NEW HORIZONS. Fall asleep in one destination and awake to a new horizon... and you only have to pack and unpack once!
8. Choose to cruise for FAMILY. Families love cruising. Children's programs, kid-friendly menus and tours of the ship will keep your children happy, while affording you some time alone.

9. 

   Mandara Spa Sauna
   Courtesy of NCL Rights Reserved

   Choose to cruise for PAMPERING. Regardless of your budget, all cruise lines pamper their guests with first-class service around the clock.
10. Choose to cruise for SATISFACTION. It's a fact that cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience.

These are just a few reasons you should give yourself a chance to Cruise if you haven't before. You can even plan your cruise more than a year in advance and pay over time, budget is not a trouble anymore. Give me a call and let me explain the endless chances you have customized to your expectations and beyond.

*Courtesy of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association)
Photos courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line, all Rights Reserved.

Leila Reyes

Family Travel Specialist

817-554-3346

Satisfy your Sweet Tooth during your Family Cruise Vacation

Are you a sweet tooth, like me? Today I want to share a few pictures that speak for themselves. If you are wondering where I took them or better yet where I ate them, it's simple, on the Cruise Fare Price too! Yum, yum!

If you haven't had the opportunity to take a Family Cruise Vacation, I encourage you to give yourself and your Family the chance to enjoy Top Chefs Cuisine onboard a Cruise.

I can understand if you are thinking that with a big family and small children you can't enjoy a meal on a restaurant, but on a cruise is totally different. 

There are cruise lines that even offer a Family Dining Program, what means that your children after having their dinner will be escorted to the Kids program for the rest of the evening while you and your spouse enjoy dinner together. Isn't this great? 

If you have not worked with a Travel Agent planning your Family Vacations before, it is highly probable that you are missing vital information like this one and maybe much more.  

Actually now is a great time for you to start planning your next Family Vacation, there are itineraries available for 2011, 2012 and even 2013. Pick up the phone and give us a call right away, I'll be more than happy to help you plan your next Family Cruise Vacation and better yet enjoy a few desserts...

Leila Reyes

Family Cruise Specialist

lrtravel@live.com

817-554-3346 

Why to choose a Travel Agent?

People always come with the questions, Why to choose a Travel Agent? There are so many myths out there about Travel Agents that concerns me you may still wrongfully informed. I couldn’t agree more with my colleague’s blog: Educated Consumer Vs. Ignorant Cheapskate. One of the things Cricket mention and quote:

There have been any number of discussions on the “travel agent vs. direct booking” topic, and I can usually read them without completely blowing up. I think that people should know the differences in the two, especially because there are many who are new to cruising or think that booking direct with the cruise line is always the best course of action, and it’s good to see how others will choose to express their preferences in that particular debate.

It’s true some Travel Agents charge a Fee for their services, but many of us don’t. As a consumer you must be thankful of Travel Agents work and time, and paying a fee is only an act of kindness.

In other hand, as travel becomes more and more difficult, unpredictable, and arduous, travelers who moved away from travel agents in favor of self-service internet booking, or never have use one,  are rediscovering the true value of a good travel agent, and returning in droves.

Here are some benefits:

·        Save you time – A Travel Agent can avoid you headaches, they will be the ones calling around and doing all the time consuming search like looking for prices, activities, and flights for your complex itinerary. By now you may know what it is being online searching and comparing prices…can take you forever!

·        Travel Advocate – A Travel Agent can help when things go wrong, a good one is available 24/7 and has the expertise to resolve the problems quickly lifting the burden from the traveler. It’s your vacation isn’t it? You deserve relaxing even during the planning process.

·        Less stress – Even I mentioned in my previous benefit, I can’t stress enough the importance of “distress” you as you plan your vacation. Let the Travel Agent take that burden.

·        Knowledge and Experience – A Travel Agent must be informed on what’s new, good or bad in the market. That is why we are constantly taking seminars, classes, doing physical inspections (hotel, cruises, etc). The more complicated the travel plans, the more probability you’ll be experiencing difficulty to achieve it by yourself.

·        What to wear –Not only a Travel Agent can inform you of the dress code in the different dinning places you’re about to visit, but the weather, the customs in that country as well.

·        What to do and not do - Have you any idea of the social customs are on the place you want to visit?

·        Personal Customer Service – Travel agents offer that “personal touch” to your travel planning experience, offering help and advice that a website can’t provide. What can be better than call the same Travel Agent over and over and not having a different one every time you have a question about your trip; that could happen on big Agencies, but not with L R Travel.

Why then having a hard time, or spending many hours trying to find the best vacation for you and your family. I heard once a great quote: 



Give the chance to a Travel Agent to take care of everything while you rest. If you are ready to plan your next family vacation, give me a call, I will be more than happy to help you.

Leila Reyes

Family Travel Specialist

817-554-3346

lrtravel@live.com

Top 3 reasons Cruising is the Perfect Family Vacation

Cruising is the perfect Family Vacation. Reason #1 No matter the family size there will be an activity for each family member. Don't you agree? Cruise Lines have improve with the years the activities and amenities for every taste and I haven't mentioned any shore excursion yet. From the youngest to the oldest you'll find a complete list of activities that will give you the most of your Family Vacation.

Another Reason (#2) I really like this kind of Family Vacation is because of the fun I had with my kids...at the pool. I have to admit I don't always have the opportunity to "do things WITH them", I'm usually on the "watching over them" mode, especially with my 2 yr old son. Also, having dinner together as a family was awesome. Daily schedules can be very tight this days, and for me it don't allow us being "together", everyone get to eat when they can, specially the youngests.

Having an "adult only" indulgent is almost mission impossible, my husband and I usually have to take turns (who's going to watch the kids you or me, you get the picture). On a cruise, we can have this "adult only" time together, while the kids are enjoying their respective activities, well supervised by the cruise personnel, and most important they are with kids of same age.

One more reason #3 I like a Cruise Family Vacation is because we have the opportunity to visit several countries in a short period of time. What a great experience for children to have the chance to enjoy different cultures, and places they will never forget (even more exciting than History 101). I wish you have this same or even better experience. I can help you plan your next Family Cruise Vacation, you are just a call away.

Leila Reyes

Family Travel Specialist

lrtravel@live.com

817-554-3346

This could be your next Family Vacation!

Is not impossible for you to have this "kind" of vacation.

Eating Mofongo on my Family Vacation

Puerto Rico is an enchanting island in the Caribbean. Surprising to some, Puerto Rico is territory of the United States. This means that citizens of the United States do NOT need a passport to visit the island. Puerto Rico has become a very popular destination for tourists and cruise ships, perfect for a Family Vacation. Reasons leading to the popularity among tourists include the friendliness of the locals, beautiful beaches and delicious food.

Mofongo with Chicken

Mofongo with Shrimp

A trip to Puerto Rico is not complete if you do not sample some of the local cuisine. Try some fried plantains as an appetizer and the delicious mofongo with your entrée. Puerto Rican cuisine is very similar to Cuban, Spanish, and even Mexican cuisine, it is a unique tasty blend (Taino, Spanish, African and American influences) of ingredients like oregano, coriander, garlic, cacao, nispero, apio, plantains and yam.

 

Essentially, mofongo is a dish of mashed plantains stuffed with meat or vegetables. Generally, green plantains, yuca or breadfruit are used and then combined with a variety of other ingredients. Common ingredients include garlic, bits of bacon and olive oil. The mashed plantains are fried and shaped to almost create a bowl like appearance, which is then stuffed with cooked chicken, beef or seafood and vegetables. Do you know that locals call their cuisine "comida criolla".

In other parts of the Caribbean you will find similar dishes, like the Cuban fufu de platano. Several ingredients in the mofongo are consistent with these culinary influences. Yuca was a common part of the Taino cuisine and the use of bacon was introduced into Puerto Rican cooking after discovering its popularity in the United States.

Enjoy your Family Vacation in Puerto Rico!

Leila Reyes

Travel Agent

lrtravel@live.com

What I consider FUN?

When someone talked about Fun, What makes you smile? Fun for me is having a blast in my Family Vacation. If you are planning to go on a Cruise Family Vacation, I strongly recommend you to reserve a Shore Excursion, not only as Travel Professional, but as mother. This is a must do in our Family Vacation Plan and FUN for every family member.

A great family option that throws in some “fun education” and adventure for adults and kids alike, is a Kayak Excursion. If you ever visit St. Thomas, I encourage you to take the St. Thomas Eco Tour. Here you'll have the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of the Island, learn about the mangroves, wildlife and the marine environment while paddling effortlessly on your Kayak in this calm protected lagoon of Cas Cay. Even if you are an inexperienced "Kayak-er", definitively this adventure is for you. This was my first experience kayaking and I manage to complete the tour totally satisfied and sure I'll do it again.

Another enjoyable activity your Family can have is a Sightseeing Tour, this are also educational and varied, with well experienced Tour Guides and specially on Cruise Trips where you have the opportunity to visit several countries. For example,  in Curacao a very famous tour is The Blue Curacao and Seaquarium Adventure, here the Tour begins at Liqueur Factory and ends at the Curacao Aquarium. Besides these popular attractions, this tour will also give you an overall impression of the Willemstad City Area, cruising through residential areas and enjoying a magnificent harbor view while driving over the highest bridge in the Caribbean, The Queen Juliana Bridge. You'll be delighted from beginning to end.

One of the first recommendations I give to my clients is to pre-reserve their Shore Excursions. It would be sad to find out there's no available space due to  are fully booked at the time of their trip. I learned the lesson the hard way on my first Cruise Family Vacation.

Leila Reyes

Family Vacation Specialist

lrtravel@live.com