Leave the Snow Behind!

 

"Snow" Thank You

One of the best feelings in the world is to be somewhere that is warm in the winter when you know it is snowing multiple inches at home. It feels like you escaped a disaster. We have no way of knowing months ahead of time when to plan a trip to avoid lousy weather, but the fact is when you do avoid it, it feels really good.

 

Wouldn’t winter be so much easier to tolerate if you knew that you were going to spend some time out of the "danger zone?" Not only that, but most families with children travel when school is out, which is usually summer, spring break, and Christmas. If you prefer to avoid children and families on your vacation, winter is a great time to get away.

 

Christmas Travel
If you do decide that Christmas time is when you want to travel, you'll want to book your transportation and accommodations at least a full year in advance. Until I got into the travel business, I did not realize how quickly resorts and cruises sell out for the holidays—faster than you'd think.

Start the New Year Warm!
January, February, and the first couple of weeks in March are a great time to escape the elements. One year it snowed over 30” where I live (an unusual event) and the day it snowed, my husband was snapping my photo in front of a a sign that said I love Aruba.

I posted it on my Facebook page, and I had a couple of comments like “Don’t rub it in” and “I guess you know what you are missing.” Absolutely, I was happy to be wearing shorts and a sleeveless top in the sunshine while everyone back home was shoveling and figuring how to get out of the house to get milk and toilet paper.

Another great thing about planning a winter get-away is that when you plan in advance, there is time to anticipate. Anticipation of a trip is as enjoyable as the actual trip itself. After all, when you have a bad day at the office and clients and co-workers are being difficult, isn't it nice to take a break and think about your upcoming get-away? It has a very calming effect on me. I can never understand last minute travel because when you plan last minute, you cheat yourself out of the anticipation.

Last Minute Savings ... Not So Much?
Many folks think that if they book at the last minute, they will save money. Here’s the truth about that...it isn’t true any more. That may have been the case many moons ago, but it simply isn't the case anymore. A while back, resorts and cruise lines realized that if they offered their best rates at the last minute, they were cheating their loyal customers who book regularly. That's no way to reward a loyal customer.

These day, if there are “good” rooms or cabins left, travel companies will offer their loyal customers upgrades rather than give some looky-loo a low price. It just makes good business sense to reward your loyal customers, whom the cruise lines can count on to continue to re-book.

"But, wait"you say, "if I lock in my travel early, what if a sale comes up or the price drops?" And that is one of my many benefits of working with a professional travel advisor. Should a sale come up or the price is reduced, we'll know and we can re-book your travel at the sale price. Just one more "peace of mind" benefits that come with working with a travel advisor.

Let's Book a Winter Get-Away
Have we convinced you that a winter vacation is an excellent idea? If you've decided to escape the cold and snow, be forwarned: the latest you should book your winter get away is Labor Day. You will find that many of the better locations on the ships and resorts have already been sold by then, so you don’t wait much longer into the month of September. That’s not to say that you will never get a good room later in the year, but your chances become less and less as the cold weather nears.

Christmas Holiday
Most folks, if they travel during the holidays want to take the family. Taking your family on a vacation cruise or resort vacation requires planning. You don’t need to plan activities for every minute, but you do need to know what the resort or cruise line offers in the way of entertainment for the kids. Are you traveling with teens? Will you need daycare service for small children?

Photo courtesy of Disney Cruise Lines

Be advised, you probably are not going to get a great deal traveling at this time of year. It's a popular time of year that simply doesn't require an incentives on the part of the cruise lines or resorts. That being said, when you book a year in advance with a travel professional, they are continuously keeping an eye on pricing (it's their job, after all) and can notify you if prices go down. The resort or cruise line is not going to call you with a reduction. Neither is Costco or Sam’s Club, not to mention booking sites like Expedia or Travelocity. When you book your travel through a travel advisor, you can count on them to let you know what promotions may come up that will be better than what you originally booked.

Ready to skip the cold and snow?
Decide where you want to go before Labor Day, call a travel advisor that will watch the price for you, and have fun anticipating as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder.

Where do you want to travel this winter?

Call Us! (443) 852-1330 or (443) 306-7646
And let's discuss your ideal winter vacation!