Do YOU want to go to the Superbowl?

Advance Travel can get you there!

Superbowl Package: $1569 per person based on double occupancy per room.

This package includes:

• Air from Indianapolis
• Hotel stay for three nights (February 5-8) at the Marriott Courtyard
• Transfers to hotel and to game
• Pre-game tailgate party

Tickets to the game are sold separately and prices vary.

Call Mike for more details: 260-486-0548

Sicily

Mount Etna in Sicily

I got a little behind on my Med Cruise blog posts, but let me continue!

I was excited to be back in Sicily and especially Taormina.  Art and I had spent a week in Sicily a few years ago and really liked it.  Of course on a cruise stop you have to choose just a fraction of the things available on the island. We chose to go to Mt. Etna, an active volcano, and then to Taormina.  We could have spent the entire day at either place.  First we drove up the volcano to the crater at Mt. Etna.  The drive itself is pretty, going past quaint villages and chestnut trees.  From the slopes of the craters are  beautiful panoramic views of the Gulf of Catania.  We walked up around a smaller crater while others in our group hiked up to some higher ones.  The last time we were at Mt. Etna, was right before the eruption in 2003 which destroyed the visitor center.  On that trip the ground was hot under foot.  Mt. Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe.

After Mt. Etna, we drove back to Taormina, one of the prettiest medieval towns I have been to.  It is perched high on a hill with beautiful views in all directions.  We had a guided walking tour through the narrow streets with 15th century buildings.  The last stop was at the Greek theater dating back to the 3rd century BC.  It was rebuilt by the Romans in the 2nd century AD and it still used for concerts.  The view form the highpoint of the theater is considered one of the most breathtaking in all of Italy.

New Special!

New Specials!

There are a few new specials available on advancetravelfwa.com:

Why should you use a travel agent?

This is from our FAQ page on our website:

Why should I use a travel agent, rather than planning my trip online?
Planning a trip can be confusing and time consuming. A travel agent has the knowledge and experience to ensure every aspect of your planning is smooth.  This means saving you money on transportation with early booking discounts or special fares, booking hotels and resorts that are well-suited to your needs, and notifying you of any travel advisories that you should know about.

Advance Travel agents work with the best technology in the industry and can often find better deals than many of the online-booking alternatives. Most importantly, we provide our customers with peace of mind – our service doesn’t end once you pay, we are happy to help you if any problems arise before or during your vacation. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, and you booked online, you’re stuck waiting in long rebooking lines. If you’ve booked with Advance Travel, just call your agent and you’ll be rebooked in no time.

Advance Travel agents are the best in their field. With their wealth of knowledge, you’ll get the best advice out there. This allows you to focus on enjoying your vacation, not waste time stressing over the details.

Norwegian Pearl Trip (Nov 14-21): Ports of Call

In my first blog about this trip I discussed the ship.  Now I would like to discuss the ports that we visited.

SAMANA

The first port of call was Samana which is in the Dominican Republic.  As a travel agent, I have always tried to be honest and not snow any of my clients.  There is not a positive that I can really come up with about this port.  When you get off the ship, you have to tender into the port.  Awaiting for you there is your typical Caribbean trinket outlets where you can barter.  The problem that I had was the amount of children that beg and sometimes hound you to buy shells and other trinkets.  I don’t care that you ask me to buy something, but no really does mean no and they have no problem following you.  The other thing that I had a problem with is how dirty it was.  I know that it is standard in the Caribbean to be dirty, but not to this extent.  Trash all over and sewage in the streets, made for a not so great time.  I will say this, those that took excursions off the ship had a wonderful time and missed the mess I got to see.  So my suggestion would be to do a excursion here, or stay on the ship.

ST. THOMAS

Talk about one extreme to the other.  St. Thomas was beautiful.  Pristine beaches, wonderful shopping and very nice excursions.  The shopping was very inexpensive; especially alcohol and tobacco products.  You can get very nice souvenirs here as well.  We also talked to several people who went to Megan’s Bay Beach and said that that was one of the best beaches they have been to.  We went on a snorkeling excursion.  This was my 1^st time and it did take me 15min to realize that I was not going to drown.  But after I got the hang of it we saw everything from stingrays to starfish.  I highly recommend this.

TORTOLA

I could really sum this up by saying it is the British Virgin Island equivalent to St. Thomas.  Same beauty and shopping, same excursions for the most part.  I highly recommend shopping in one area and doing an excursion in the other area if you do both ports.

GREAT STIRRUP CAY

This is NCL’s private island located in the Bahamas.  Very nice, but very crowded.  Water was beautiful but the beaches were very rocky.  You can rent rafts, snorkel, kayaks, and other water sport things to make your day here enjoyable.  They do cater the beach with hamburgers, pizza, hot dogs, etc.

So those were the ports that I visited.  Check back soon to get my review of the Norwegian Pearl.  If you have any questions don’t hesitate to cal me.

Norwegian Pearl Trip Nov 14-21

The Pearl is a medium sized ship holding around 2800 passengers.  I really liked the layout as everything was easy to find.  Staff was very friendly and eager to wait on your every need.  I would highly recommend this ship to anyone at any age.  Here are some of the highlights.

STATEROOM

I had an inside stateroom.  This is the 2^nd time I  have had one and this stateroom was a nice size. Perfect for two.  Four would be a little bit cramped.  Nice size shower but the toilet area was on the tiny side.  If you have ever cruised before, this is the norm so it is not unique to the Pearl.  I was only there to sleep so it did not matter really.  The beds were extremely comfortable.

Outside - Same as inside, just with window.

Balcony - This is where the ship shines.  Balcony cabins are bigger first of all, and the balcony is well secure (for little ones) and spacious.  If you are looking into the ship I would start my pricing here.

Mini Suite - A bit bigger then a balcony.  This suite has a separate living room area and bathrooms have a sit down tub.  Much larger bathroom then inside or outside.

Oceania Cruise: Sorrento/Amalfi Coast

I hate to use the term “my favorite” because on this trip, so many are my favorites, but the Amalfi coast is certainly one of my top favorites.

Having stayed in Sorrento twice, and also stopped on cruise stops before, I feel I know the area pretty well.  Our ship anchored off of Marina Piccolo and we tendered in.  Oceania supplied buses to take us to the top of the hill – saving a nice vertical climb.  I had arranged for a private car and driver here, because I knew the area.  Some of our group took the tour to Pompeii and we agreed to meet back in Sorrento for lunch afterwards.  Pompeii is a fascinating place and I think everyone who went enjoyed the tour.  I had been twice before and decided I would rather wander around Sorrento.  Pompeii is not far and the group had a private tour guide when they arrived and had a nice tour.  Luckily, it was a cooler day then when I have gone – Pompeii has no shade.  The city is amazingly well preserved from the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79AD.

I wanted to go back to a favorite restaurant, and I thought I knew where it was, so after a cuppucino in a cafe in the main square, I went off to find it.  It wasn’t open when I got there, but there was someone cleaning.  I asked for a card with the address and the chef came out – I explained that I had been there before and was bringing  a group for lunch – his reply “We wait for you.”  The first time we went to Il Pozo, it had been recommended by my daughter – it was a Wednesday and we had just arrived for a week in Sorrento.  We found the restaurant, but unfortunately it was closed on Wednesdays so we went somewhere else, but came back for lunch or dinner 3 or more times that week.  We always had the same waiter.  When Tuesday came and we told him we wouldn’t be back because we were leaving the next day, he threw his hands in the air and said “oh no! We close the restaurant”  Knowing is was closed on Wednesdays we thought he was pretty clever.  It is not very touristy, off the beaten track a block or two, but great pasta, pizza and risotto at reasonable prices.  Heading back to the main drag, a gentleman stopped and asked if I lived in Sorrento – I said no, but could I help?  He said no, he was looking for a good local restaurant.  Of course I told him of Il Pozo – when we got there about an hour later, his group was there and very happy. FUN!

Sorrento has been a favorite with British tourists for decades, so I have never been in a shop or restaurant where English wasn’t spoken.  Part of me is disapointed because it is a great experience to try to blend in to the Italian culture, but it certainly makes it a very easy place to to vacation without a language barrier.

Twice when in Sorrento, I stayed in a hotel called “La Tonnerella,” perched on the side of a hill with amazing views of Sorrento.  Sorrento is a great base for day trips.  You can go to Pompeii, Amalfi, Positano, Capri, Naples and many other little towns using public transportation.

 

Barbados

This post is from guest blogger Debi King.

I had a great time in Barbados.  I expected it to be a pretty island with nice beaches and that would be it.  It was so much more!  Yes, it is a pretty island.  Yes, there are nice beaches.  I didn’t expect to see green rolling hills like you’d imagine seeing in Ireland.  I didn’t expect to go on board the Concorde.  And, WOW, the food!  Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself.

The Ivy Hotel, San Diego

This post is from guest blogger Cari Miller, Alison’s daughter.

In a recent trip to San Diego, my husband and I were thrilled to stay in the lovely Ivy Hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter. A 4 1/2 star hotel isn’t the norm for us, but we splurged a bit, and also got a fantastic deal. A lovely little boutique hotel right in the heart of everything in San Diego, this hotel really lived up to it’s star rating.

The first thing we were pleased by with this overall cozy feel of he lobby. It’s not a big lobby by any means, but it was warm and inviting – not at all stuffy and snobby, like you sometimes find with ritzy hotels. There was a nice looking restaurant and bar attached, though we never made our way in.

The next good sign of a nice hotel is the service at the front desk. We were unlucky enough to have our main piece of luggage -which included all of our toiletries- get lost on our way in to San Diego. Not only were the front desk staff helpful in directing us to the nearest drug store, but they also supplied us with some necessities, including a nice toothbrush (not the tiny ones you sometimes get), toothpaste, and deodorant. Not too bad.

We made our way up to the room and were just as pleased with our room. It was a bit small, but very very comfortable and well appointed. Nice linens and a comfortable bed, a nice flatscreen TV, and a fancy minibar (though we didn’t dare taste the $8 cashews). One thing I especially liked with this minibar was the addition of a Keurig coffee maker – they brew one cup at a time from a pod. This was complementary, of course.