Tag Archives: packing

Top 10 Packing Tips for A Cruise Vacation

Top 10 Packing Tips: Cruise Vacation

As you know, I love to travel. You also know, I am a detailed-oriented, planning and list making kinda girl ? I want to share some of my tried and true travel tips with you (a little bit of a tongue twister there).

Cruising is one of my favorite ways to travel. I love being on a huge ship, it almost feels like you are in a city … a city at sea. I love that you are always moving, traveling from one place to the next. I love that you wake up in a different port each morning. I also love that you have the same room and only have to unpack once yet get to experience so many different locations. Continue reading →

Vacation Suitcases

Planning A Vacation ~ Spring Break or Anytime

As you may or may not know, I used to be a travel agent. Planning a vacation was one of my main job duties. I was actually employed in the travel industry for 25 plus years. As well as being a travel agent, I also worked in the reservations department for Apple Vacations for a couple of years, and worked for United Express Airlines for 14 years. All that to say, I’ve planned a vacation or two in my day 🙂
Lots of things have changed since I graduated from travel school in the 80’s … the internet being the most profound one. Planning a vacation online is easy for anyone with even a modest familiarity with computers.
Many people book their own travel these days. Most travel websites are very user friendly, guiding the user along each step of the way. After just a few clicks of your mouse and entering in your credit card info, you can pretty much start packing your bags 🙂
Perhaps these check lists (that I’ve found online) will be helpful to you as you plan your next vacation …

Always remember, if you don’t have the time or just plain don’t feel like it, I would be happy to “help” you by doing all the vacation planning research for you … I’m just a phone call away 🙂

Cold Weather Cruise on Carnival Imagination

Good Bye Cold, Chicago Winter … Hello Warm, Sunny Mexico

I have the privilege of going on a Baja Mexico Cruise (and escaping the brutal cold) in the middle of January. It was a very generous birthday gift from my husband and kids. I’ll be cruising with my aunt, I can’t wait ! Soon, I’ll be lounging poolside with a Pina Colada (sp?) in my hand 🙂

However, before I go, there is lots of work to be done:
Shopping – travel sized items and new sandals 🙂 plus grocery shopping for the fam while I’m gone … after all, we don’t want them starving to death in my absence.
Laundry – to bring my favorite outfit on my trip, plus I’m sure the hubby will appreciate clean clothes to wear.
Packing – I need to bring clothes for hot, mexico type weather but also some things for cooler weather in the 60’s predicted for Catalina Island (our first port of call). I had to go with the big suitcase … I always think I can fit everything in the carry-on, but I never can. I usually bring too much, but I like to have choices 🙂
Mani/Pedi –  I have to … scary winter feet and horrible cuticles, plus I feel pretty when I get pampered 🙂

I was starting to feel overwhelmed when I had a past client call asking for a last minute pet sitting (due to a death in her family). I was pretty booked already, but didn’t want to let her down. Lucky for me, my daughter volunteered to take down all our Christmas decorations for me. That took a load of stress off me.

It’s the first time I’m traveling alone in a long time, but I think I’m going to really enjoy getting away for a while. I hope I don’t miss my hubby and kids too much 🙂 

BON VOYAGE !!