LGB or LAX...which is better?

My pick, LGB ....book early and save dollars!

Lucky for Roger (and me too)…there is a great bunch coming from Northern California to help celebrate on this special cruise. I wanted to let you know that I made a quick peek at a couple of my favorite SO & NOR Cal Airlines. They are Jet Blue and Southwest Airlines. As of 09/16/2006, one-way prices for Jet Blue (SMF to LGB) were $49 to $79 and Southwest (OAK to LAX) $49-$153.

My recommendation is that you fly into Long Beach Airport (LGB) over Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) if you can. What can I say, besides LAX being farther than LGB, it’s like flying out of Oakland or Sacramento verses SFO? Are you getting the picture?????

IMPORTANT… you should plan on boarding the ship around 12noon to 1pm, but no later than 2pm would be my recommendation. Be advised that shuttle services can take up to 2 hours with pick-up and potential traffic. We definitely have traffic in So Cal. So plan accordingly on your flight schedule. My two cent, return flight schedule should be booked for an afternoon flight anything after 1pm or later. Roger and I generally are out of our cabin by 8 or 9am but we take our time having breakfast and getting off the ship. Although those needing to catch an early morning flight can be selected to leave as early as 8am, but remember you still need to take a shuttle to the airport which can be timely. So plan ahead!

Here are some links that I explored to get a feel of the shuttle transportation for the cruise.

Long Beach Airport

Los Angeles International Airport

Flyer Talk

Taximeter

Cruise Critic

Travel Advisor

Carnival Long Beach Cruise Terminal

Wanted to give a heads up as rates have dropped from summer vacations and soon the holiday rates will hit (if not already), so plan ahead everyone “it’s time to chart your course”. We don’t want you to miss the ship.

Photo provided by FlickrDrewski2112J

Why Pre-Paid Gratuity, you ask?

A message will be sent to your Email In Box requesting your assistance.

Please contact Alex at Innovative Travel either through phone or by email for approval to charge $30.00 per person for pre-paid gratuity on your credit card. The breakdown for the gratuity is as follows: $10.00 per day per guest equals....$3.50 Stateroom Service, $5.50 Dining Room Staff, $1.00 Alternative Services Kitchen & Hotel staff.

Additionally for your information, Beverage services adds a 15% tip with your Sail & Sign Charge, Room Service Staff may be tipped as services rendered and your Maitre d' is at your discretion as you deem the services you receive.

After much contemplation and thought, we decided to request the, pre-gratuity option for this cruise so as to allow the opportunity for those in our group to be able to change their seats at dinner. Unfortunately this pre-paid gratuity will be an all or nothing group participation, a cruise policy.

So lucky you, we made the decision - pay tipping ahead, sit with others if you like and here you go one less expense impact later when you get back home.

Additionally, for those who might partake in making reservation at the Specialty Restaurant or perhaps not want to dress-up and head to the buffet instead. Or good gosh worse yet, too hung over from the partying the night before to show up for dinner and settled for room service? Well, having you gone won’t impact the one or two lonely individuals at your table who managed to dress-up, showed-up and stayed sober! They can now join another table for company --- get the idea now?

So, need your help. We will assign a first night seating assignment and then feel free to trade around or simply let others know you and your group are just dandy and the seats are taken. Please, give Alex a call or email her to charge your credit card and we will be on our way! Truly, we need your help.

Thanks for your immediate response,
Diana & Roger

Photo provided by CarnivalCruise.com

Pre-Cruise option for Long Beach - Via Alex Kuncio

Alex has informed me of an opportunity for a Pre-Cruise option for an overnight stay at the Long Beach Hilton which includes free parking (while you are on your cruise) complimentary shuttle service to/from the cruise terminal, 2 drinks per room at the hotel Lobby Bar and complimentary High Speed Internet access for $89 per night.

There is much to see and do in Long Beach and this opportunity will be a good chance for those wanting to explore and extend a vacation getaway while on this cruise. Some of the highlights in Long Beach are Long Beach Aquarium, Queen Mary, Pike at Rainbow Harbor and so many others. Still can’t decide checkout the link for Visiting Long Beach to explore fun things to do. Then contact Alex if this sounds like a perfect Pre-Cruise option for you.

Photo provided by Flickr.Mine Beyaz. Long Bch

Meet Alex from Innovative Travel Planner

If you haven’t already met Alex, I hope you get a chance to introduce yourself either by email or phone. She is incredible and we could not do our group cruises without her. For one very special reason, she is definitely sweeter then Roger or me, which makes it a major plus for all of you signing up with our group! She is friendly, outgoing, honest, patient, confident, and knowledgeable. She willingly offers professional assistance to both you and us with open arms and will not hesitate to go the extra mile whenever she can. Okay, so that’s all her customer service, you say? But, get talking to her and you will find she is adventurous, luxurious (one of my favorite), compassionate, competitive and finally, Roger’s favorite, fun-loving and budget conscientious (when she can provide the service she can stand by). Alex Kuncio and her husband Ted Rodriguez have become dear friends through our association of over 5 years. When Roger and I were planning our 15th Anniversary Cruise to the Caribbean, Alex was one of many travel agents we interviewed. Why did we pick her? She was willing to go the extra mile and loved to eat and drink like we do! Yes, she understood us and our passion! So within these 5 years or so, Alex has assisted us in our first solo air/rail/drive trip to France/Belgium/Holland, cruises for 40 to the Caribbean Islands, 9 to China, 89 to the Mediterranean and 40 to the Mexican Riviera. YOU now are a part of our next journey as we celebrate to date with near 50 to Baja for Roger’s 70th! Let’s get to know her here in her own words, Alexandra “Alex” Kuncio... “A passion for travel is how I became a travel consultant. Ever since I was a child...I dreamed of going to exotic faraway places. To date, I have visited 102 countries and the list seems to keep getting longer. I have been in the travel industry for over 30 years as a travel consultant. I worked my way up to Assistant Manager at the first agency I worked for and then left to take a managerial position with Innovative Travel back in 1989. In 1993, I purchased Innovative Travel and have been owner/manager since then. I achieved becoming a CTC, Certified Travel Consultant, after 5 years in the industry. This is a 2 year, graduate level course, which give you the designation of CTC. Whenever you see this designation after a travel consultant’s name, it automatically guarantees that they have been in the travel business for 5 years, which is one of the requirements. I also taught for 10 years in the Travel & Tourism department at Coastline Community College as well as 2 years at Pacific Travel School. To teach....you really have to know your stuff or they eat you alive! My other passions are cooking (husband Ted, is a chef!), eating, drinking good wine, swimming, cycling, SCUBA, and Yoga. If I could, I think I would grow gills and roam the world underwater! As it is....I have over 400 dives logged including Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea in Australia, Turk, Yap and Palau in Micronesia, Belize, Cayman, Fiji, Maldives (Indian Ocean), Solomon Islands (Guadalcanal), Papua New Guinea, French Polynesia (Tahiti), Marquesas, Bali, Borneo (Celebes Sea), Mexico/Cozumel, Red Sea, and many Caribbean Islands. Travel allows one to live and experience life in a "fast forward" mode. Think of all the adventures you have in just one short week of traveling.....more memories than 6 months worth of just everyday life. I think that's why I can never wait until I'm back on a plane headed to yet another adventure. Ted always says....this isn't a dress rehearsal....this is the real thing, make it worthwhile!”

Welcome Aboard!

Welcome Aboard, I'm Diana, you know the birthday boy's social director...
Thank You so much for joining us on this cruise to help celebrate Roger's 70th!
We are gathering quite a group and will be communicating through this blog as many have begun to inquire some FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) for this event.

To make your life easier in this very busy world of ours, I highly recommend that you take a few minutes to follow-up on the steps below. Trust me it will be worth the effort!

No. 1
Bookmark or save as a favorite this blog address on your computer for easy reference.
The cruise blog address is http://roger70thbdaycruise2009.blogspot.com

No. 2
Take a minute or two and read all of the articles on this blog as I will be using this tool as our central communication for this event till we meet on deck.

No. 3
This one is an important & helpful tip, place your email in the "Subscribe Via Email" which is located on the right side bar of this blog, under Roger's Welcome Remark. Do you see the white box? Type your email address and then click "subscribe" you will be given psychedelic looking letters that you will need to verify. Type in the noted box. Submit and once it's accepted, you will be receiving all future posting from this blog through your email in-box.

Once you subscribe you should be receiving articles as I post them. But please do me a favor and periodically reference the blog to be sure you are receiving ALL the information.

Again, we are so delighted that you are joining us for Roger's Birthday Cruise... we will be in touch and see you soon on deck.
Welcome Aboard,

Diana
"From the floors of the ocean, the waves of the tide, a vacation awaits you far & wide" Unknown

Photo from Carnival Cruise Spirit, March 2009

Look Who Knows What "Fun" is....

As of August 31, 2009 the following individuals below have placed a deposit to join us on the "Fun Ship". We currently have 25 staterooms and 49 guests in our group. Plus, all those making the August deadline sign-ups have also saved $30 on their cruise price if they signed up for an ocean view stateroom. We have Alex and Renelle to thank for their efforts on this saving...Yahoo!


Roger Davis
Diana Davis
Fumiko Miyasaki
Reagan Miyasaki
Tauni Tharp
Buzz Vaughn
Karen Vaughn
Judy Neal
Ardith Richey
Linda Kadis
Duane Davis
Russell Cobb
Randy Hardin
Pat Moudakis
Maureen Moudakis
Ross Moodie
Stephen Baldwin
Perry Soderberg
Michael Tiffany
Judy Webb
Wanda Doty
Rebecca Duggins
Gary Heard
Jan Olufson
Kenneth Carr
Joan Carr
Karen Allison
Robert Tennent
Rod Nish
Jenny Nish
James Berkson
Jan Noce
Jean Jones
Gary Jones
Renelle Davis
Cole Koegle
Frank Favaro
Mary Anne Favaro
Marty Bryant
Martie Norrbom
Sean Hagerty
Andrea Babby
Kris Boyce
Joe Paine
Dell Tredinnick
Laura Tredinnick
Trout Davis
Chris Davis

Photo provided by Flickr.SassyPanda

Do I Need to Get a U.S. Passport?

When the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) Passport Requirements became effective June 1, 2009, for land and sea borders our U.S. Passports became our primary travel ID. So it's my personal recommendation to have you apply for a passport if you don't have one. And if you DO have a passport, DOUBLE CHECK your expiration date, so your passport is valid for at least six months from our cruise date. For information about obtaining a passport for the first time, or about renewing a passport, visit the U.S. Department of State's Web site.

Do I have another alternative? Our cruise is a "closed looped"cruise and so I believe there are other alternatives. Please read the details on the Carnival Cruise Line Passport Requirement website for more information as well as on the U.S. Department of State's website on Mexico .

Finally in closing for those who tend to procrastinate, one of my life adventure was when I had to assist my girlfriend Martie's college daughter in getting a new passport. It seems that her passport did not have the valid 6 month window for her travel period. The waiting period was unrealistic for our turnaround needs (long wait) and the last minute ordeal & stress was truly not a way to start off any trip. There are agencies that can expedite your passport process. But, it will COST YOU. So my suggestion is GET IT NOW and save your dollars for that fabulous souvenir or spa treatment you wanna do on your cruise. When our friends Buzz & Karen applied for their renewal the turnaround time was surprisingly quick. But, one never knows how this truly works. So my recommendation is ...Please Don't Delay!

Photo provided by Flickr.nathanborror