December Sailings from Florida

December Sailings from Florida:

Royal Caribbean

7 Night Caribbean Cruise departing from Port Canaveral on December 1^st or 8^th.

 Rates starting at $599 per person.

8 Night Caribbean Cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale on December 1^st.

 Rates starting at $499 per person.  

Carnival

Trips with Angie Cruise Search

I am very excited to announce my Caribbean Cruise Search Page. 

Many of you enjoying doing some of the research yourself - but you still want that personalized service from a travel professional. 

Today I am pleased to launch my Caribbean Cruise Search page for Celebrity Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Holland America and Silversea. 

http://tripswithangie.caribbean.yourtrip.co/

Please bookmark the above link. This will allow you to search for cruises and then send me a message with questions or to initiate the booking process. You can't book directly from the site because I want to do that double check many of you have come to count on to make sure you are getting the best value. 

Additional search pages for Alaska and Europe will be launching over the next several weeks. 

Let me know what you think. 

4.25.13 International Tour Deals

          

Valid Through April 29, 2013

$1799*  12 Day Tour of Vietnam Including Flights

Ho Chi Minh, Hoi An, Hue, Halong Bay & Hanoi

$1299    New England Fall Foliage - 8 Night Escorted Tour

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine

$2299    15 Night Danube River Cruise Package (2 Warsaw, 2 Krakow,1 Budapest & 3 Prague)

Early booking for 2014 departures. Save $650 per person

$1599*  7 Day Escorted Tour of Dubai & Abu Dhabi w/ Air

Discover the gem of the Arabian Peninsula

$2699*  17 Day Tour of Peru & Ecuador Including Flights

Excursions to Machu Picchu, Uros Islands, the Amazon, Middle of the World & more

$1599*  8 Day Athens with 4 Day Greek Island Cruise & Airfare

2 nights Athens plus stops in Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete & Santorini

$2699*  9 Day Iceland Adventure Including Airfare

Escorted tour of the island nation offering breathtaking landscapes & unique culture

$2199*  9 Day Tastes of Tuscany, Escorted Tour Including Flights

Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti, Florence, Pisa, Lucca & Montecatini

$1499    12 Night Escorted Tour of Spain w/ 7 Night NCL Western Med Cruise

Visit Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Naples, Rome, Livorno, Marseille & Palma de Mallorca

$3899*  Small Group Tour: Indonesia - Java, Bali & Singapore with Air

Includes transfers, sightseeing, boutique hotels, many meals, local guides, tour managers & more

All prices are subject to availability. For tours that include flights, the prices are quoted from a gateway city. Email me at tripswithangie@gmail.com for a personalized quote. 

Released April 22, 2013 -- © Gate1Travel

Cruise Promotions 4.24.13

Carnival

You can save big on this year's fall cruises with Carnival. From Tuesday, April 23rd through Thursday, April 25th, make your  fall vacation plans with Carnival at Early Saver or Easy Saver rates, up to 50% reduced deposits plus up to $50 on board credit! Offer is available on select sailings from September through December 2013. 

3 Night Cruise from Port Canaveral on the Sensation departing on September  19^th 
starting at $199 per person for an interior cabin

4 night Cruise from Port Canaveral on the Ecstasy departing on Halloween 
starting at $229 per person for an interior cabin

7 Night Cruise from Port Canaveral on the Dream departing September 21^st 
starting at $459 per person for an interior cabin or $719 per person for a balcony

7 Night Cruise from Galveston on the Magic departing November 10^th 
starting $479 per person for an interior cabin or $759 per person for a balcony cabin

Plus Carnival’s Friends and Family Event is still going on through April 30^th for sailing between now and August! 

Norwegian Cruise Lines  - Book by Friday

UP TO $250 ONBOARD CREDIT

Book a cruise 3 days or longer and automatically receive up to $250 to spend on board.

50% REDUCED DEPOSIT

Book a cruise vacation 3 days or longer and automatically receive 50% reduced deposit.

KIDS SAIL 50% OFF

Book a select cruise to Europe or Norwegian Sun to Alaska and kids 17 and younger sailing as a 3rd or 4th guest in a stateroom are 50% off.

Spotlight: Wine Country

Trips with Angie Guide to Napa/Sonoma

First, here’s some of my tips for Wine Country:

1. If you choose to visit 10 wineries in 4 and ½ hours and not eat lunch, you will be very drunk. It is imperative to have a driver who is much smarter and takes smaller sips or hire a car.

2. Split the tastings. They cost between $5 - $25 in many of the Napa wineries so it’s economical. Plus – if you are visiting a volume of wineries, you are only going to want a sip or two per wine per place.

3. Water and pretzels in the car. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

4. It’s okay to pour out the wine after just a sip. It seems wasteful, but again you only tasting the wine. Once you make it clear you just tasting, the host will usually pour smaller portions.

5. Most wineries are only open 9 am – 5 pm. Pace yourself accordingly.

6. We enjoy Reds so this list is a little skewed towards Reds.

7. The number of wineries in Sonoma/Napa area is staggering. Some of our best finds have been by driving down the road and pulling when we saw a “Tasting” sign. I strongly encourage you to do the same.

Here are some of my favorite spots based on visiting approximately 31 different wineries. I would love to hear some of your favorites.

What do cruises include?

For first time cruisers, one of the most common questions I get is What do cruises include?

For mainstream cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival, NCL, Holland America, and Princess - when you see a cruise fare advertised, it is a per person rate that includes your lodging, meals, entertainment, juices, and coffee/tea. The per person is based on two people per cabin. 

4.11.13 7th Night free at Jamaica Couples Resorts

Couples Resorts are all-inclusive luxury resorts in Jamaica and Barbabos. Not only do they include food and drink, but excursions and scuba diving for certified divers is included as well. 

If you are certified, daily dives are included in your all-inclusive rate. 

Couples Negril Beach 

4.10.13 Disney Promotions

SAVE UP TO 30% ON ROOMS AT SELECT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT HOTELS THIS SUMMER

You can save up to 30%* on rooms at select Walt Disney World® Resort hotels this summer.

Add minimum 4-Day Magic Your Way Tickets to make it a package and get a discount on the tickets too!

Offer Details:

Disney Value and Moderate Resorts

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort 

 For stays most nights June 13 – Aug. 14, 2013:

Save up to 20% at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside and Disney's Fort Wilderness Cabins

4.9.13 Cruise Promotions

Norwegian Cruise Lines ONE WEEK ONLY: APRIL 7–13

Book Norwegian Cruise Line during Cruise Event Week and receive onboard perks to use on any ship. The higher the stateroom category you choose, the bigger the perks – with up to $270 in onboard savings including:

FREE Dining for two at a specialty restaurant

FREE Chocolate covered strawberries

FREE Bottle of sparkling wine

FREE $75 onboard credit

FREE $50 spa credit

Along with up to $270 in onboard perks, you'll enjoy:

Up to $1000 in air credits

50% off kids' fares on select Europe and Alaska sailings

50% reduced deposit

AARP and military discounts

Princess  Cruise Line Sky High Sale

For a limited time only, you can save up to $1,000 on airfare and up to $2,000 on cruises to Alaska and Europe!*  Plus, you will also get up to $100 FREE onboard spending money!*  Hurry, before this offer flies away!

Spotlight: Beijing

Exploring Beijing is easy since the Olympics. The subways have English buttons and the maps are relatively easy to read. My husband and I liked it so much in 2010, we journey back in 2012. Here's some of the places we visited: 

Beijing Zoo -  The zoo was pretty depressing. The Panda Houses were dreary and the barrenness of winter only amplified the feeling.  One panda was miserable – flailing around trying to find a comfortable position, tearing off wood splinters and rubbing them on his head. The other animals did not fair much better. The lions and tigers were in small, empty cages. We decided not to see any more animals because it was just too sad. 

Beijing Aquarium - The aquarium is located behind the zoo and is very nice. The first section is a recreation of a rainforest with ramps going up and down through vegetation and open fish tanks. The rainforest section opens into a huge space with gift shops and two beautiful Beluga whales at the far end and smaller shallow ponds with fish and sea turtles along the side. The Beluga whale had this concave opening where it put its head in and blow bubbles. 

2014 Valpo Gamma Trip

Hello Gammas! 

I am so excited to announce our 2014 Valpo Gamma Reunion trip!  

When:  Thursday June 19, 2014 – Sunday June 22, 2014 
Where: Ocean Coral & Turquesa by H10 Hotels - All Inclusive Resort in Cancun Mexico 
Who: YOU!* 

* Based on the survey results, most people preferred it be just Gammas, but didn’t mind if you brought someone else. Just let that person know it is going to be a weekend of stories, laughing, inside jokes and possibly singing.  

Details on booking – You can always call me at 773-454-1083 or email me at tripswithangie@gmail.com to book or with any questions. 


The video below details how to book on the website created just for this trip. Click HERE to access the website. 

If you can’t access the video, here are the highlights: 

1. Find a roommate.  If you are flying from different cities, you need to contact me to book. If you are flying from the same city, you can contact me or book on the website. 

2. Decide which dates you are coming: Most people will likely come Thursday – Sunday, but feel free to book a full week or extra days. I am coming in Wednesday night. 

3. Pick your flights. 

4. Pick you hotel room category. 

5. Decide on trip insurance. I always purchase trip insurance – especially for trips so far in the future. It is $80 per person and you can cancel for any reason. 

6. Place your deposit. It is a $100 deposit for the room plus any trip insurance you choose.  The remaining balance is due May 4th. 

7. Do a little dance of excitement! 

8. Email me at tripswithangie@gmail.com or post on this page to let me know you are IN! 

See you in Mexico! 

Spotlight: Shanghai

Downtown Shanghai 

My husband and I visited Shanghai in 2010 and 2012. We loved how easy it was to navigate around Shanghai on the subways. The city is an interesting mix of new buildings and Chinese people living traditional lives. Below are some of the places we visited: 

Yu Garden - Yu Garden is in a section of town called Old Town. It’s winding, narrow streets filled with tiny shops, then you come across this walled off garden. The garden is filled with beautiful rock structures, waterfalls, and small canals. It was really lovely. It was built by a high ranking official during the Ming dynasty.

People’s Square and the Shanghai Museum: Both were very nice. We toured the jade, bronze, furniture, and currency exhibitions at the Museum. The People’s Square had a central park type of feel. 

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel: This Tunnel was hilarious! It’s a cheap Disney ride that transports tourists from one side of the river to the other. You board single train cars that go on a track through the tunnel passing through paradise, hell, the sky and the underwater world – all designated by different colors of lights. So funny! On the other side of the river, we had a lovely walk down the Riverside Promenade.