How will the Sequester affect your vacation?

It used to be that we could ignore politics in the travel industry. By and large, the goings on in Washington, D.C. had very little affect on a vacation – but that’s changing this month, as the Sequester budget cuts begin to take affect. Some of the effects may be minor, but these effects could rapidly snowball to turn a great holiday into the vacation from hell. Here are three tips that you can use to limit any effect these budget cuts could have on your travel. Read More

The Best Places To Miss Your Flight

Winter weather is really starting to make a comeback this week and is stranding people across Europe, Asia and the midwest United States. It made us wonder in the office – where are the best places to get stuck? Fortunately, for me – someone’s already made this list so there was no in-person research necessary. MissTravel.com surveyed over 5000 travelers to get their answers, and some of the answers may surprise you.

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The Cash Only Church

One of the must-see destinations in Italy is the Vatican. The world’s smallest sovereign state, it is home to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and countless priceless treasures worth a day in the Vatican Museums. But as of December 31, access is cash-only.

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3 Reasons Today is the Day to Book that Vacation

With the new year set to begin in just a couple days, vacation planning season is about to begin. Given the strength (or lack of it) of the economy these days, a lot of travelers are looking to get the best value possible on their upcoming vacation. As always, we’re here to help, and our advice? Book today! Some of the best deals are available when booking early, and there are plenty of good reasons to book far ahead of time, we’ve just got three of the best reasons why the best deal is today’s deal.

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Can I Travel With My ID?

A few years back the US government introduced the REAL ID act. This was an effort to get states to place enhancements in state identification that would make forgeries more difficult to make, and provide more information to law enforcement agencies more easily. The government refers to these as “Secure Drivers Licenses.” Coming next month, it is supposed to get a bit more difficult for travelers without these secure identification cards to fly or travel by ship. This could be a problem because 37 states do not currently meet the requirements set in the REAL ID act.

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New Carnival Fare Structure: What Does It Mean For You?

A lot of people are talking about Carnival’s new pricing promotions. Starting today (December 3), Carnival is making changes to the way that they structure fares. What’s changing? Not a lot, but the change in how things price might be a little confusing – so we thought we’d help! Here’s a handy guide to the new types of fares that Carnival is offering beginning today. Read More

All You Can Drink? Cruise Line Drinking Packages

Earlier this month, another cruise line announced that they are beginning to explore an “all you can drink” package aboard a number of their ships as a possible enhancement to all cruises. Norwegian Cruise Line announced that they are jumping on the beverage package bandwagon, testing an all-inclusive drinks package on three of their ships across the fleet.

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Budget Watch: Royal Caribbean Loosens Alcohol Policies

There’s finally a new answer to one of the most common cruising questions. We get a lot of guests asking us if they can bring their own alcohol aboard ship to enjoy in the room without having to pay the mark-up of bar prices. The answer has almost always been, no. There have been some exceptions, of course, but they often involved corking fees that cost as much as buying the bottle of wine on the ship to begin with.

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Three Ways to Navigate Hurricane Season on a Cruise

Cruising in the late summer and fall can be a fantastic deal. Part of that reason is because the weather doesn’t always cooperate – it is hurricane season after all. But the truth is that when a storm isn’t in your area, the weather is fabulous and the ports of call are as vibrant as they are at any other time of the year. However, there are some things that you can do to minimize the impact of a storm on your travel plans – even without changing your schedule. We’ve put together a list of three things that anyone can do to ensure the best possible experience for a cruise.

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When Good Trips Go Bad: 3 Reasons to Get Travel Insurance

Everyone knows plans for the future can change, and often its for unplanned circumstances. Travel and vacations are no exceptions, and the unforeseen can end up being extremely costly. Fortunately, there is a tool can make you whole financially when the worst happens to prevent, or cut short a vacation. It’s called travel insurance, and its something that not enough people take.

Most just don’t think anything will happen to them so they don’t feel a need. But the truth is, things do happen – and its better to be prepared than left in the lurch. But here are three great reasons to insure the investment you’re making on that next vacation.

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