Let's Get Off

As beautiful as the Valiant Lady is, we did get off the ship to explore the ports. Instead of opting for an independent exploration day, we participated in the Chocolate, Rum, and Rancho Don Fernando Tour. You already know if rum is involved, I’m going to see what it’s about.

We ported in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic a little before 10AM. Unlike other ocean cruise lines, Virgin is more lax on arriving at the ports. Virgin Voyages prefers to focus on experiences curated around local businesses, cultural immersion, and some thrills sprinkled in there too. Did you know Puerto Plata has 26 beaches?

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceSeptember 26, 2024travel advisor, travel, cruise, bahamas, dominican republic, puerto plata, bimini, beach

A Restaurant Hates to See Me Coming

Everyone knows I can get a little hangry. Have you ever had a hangry moment?

When I landed in Miami, the first thing on the agenda was to find something to eat. I stalked a restaurant based on a social media post and honed in on that location to be my first meal. Bistro Cafe Miami has a Latin flare as well as some Greek cuisine. My partner in crime/ fellow birthday Virgo and I have “preferences” for what we eat….we don’t like to be labeled “picky”. So we ask many questions and sometimes substitute items to make the meal how we like it. Which is why I titled this blog….A Restaurant Hates to See Me Coming.

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceSeptember 12, 2024travel, cruise, virgin voyages, food, travel advisor

My first and not last

Europe was out of my comfort zone….let alone river cruising. For pre-cruise travel, should I stay closer to the ports or near central area of town? Oh I haven’t mentioned where the cruise was porting from….Amsterdam, Netherlands!! Only thing that came to mind were the beautiful tulip gardens that you see in the pictures. Then it hit me…it will still be winter in Amsterdam when I get there, will I even see tulips?!?! Regardless, I was determined to find something to do prior to embarkment for the symposium. With a professional background in transportation engineering, a guilty pleasure of mine is taking public transportation when I go to a new city.

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceMarch 28, 2024travel, river cruise, Europe, Netherlands, Belgium

Voluntourism

The other year we visited a luxury resort in Zimbabwe as part of a group. Prior to going, we discovered that we could donate to their tree planting activities on the property. What a nice idea! Since the animals roam freely on the grounds, you can imagine the amount the elephants eat…heck they came to join us for dinner our first night.

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceSeptember 14, 2023travel, volunteer, local, resort, handmade

Stumble on History

I hated history in school. Nothing about it excited me to learn about dead people, wars, and oppression. I was a math girl. Ask a student to go to the board to solve an equation, I was probably the first to raise their hand. So I don’t know when the shift came that history became interesting.

On my last day in Savannah, just like the other days, there were no real plans. I, of course, was going to find somewhere for breakfast, so before the crowds and church-goers, I had a lovely breakfast a B. Matthew’s. It was still so early and I pondered when the trolleys started their tours. To my surprise and luck, the tours would start in 20 minutes. I found a trolley stop map online and noticed I was only parked two blocks from it so I caught the trolley shuttle, purchased the tour ticket online, and rode to the “headquarters” to start my tour. I didn’t elect for the hop off- hop on option because I wanted to hit I-95 before 1 PM, so I did the 90min tour.

Good Food, Drinks, and Sights

Early bird catches the worm, right? Call it a blessing or a curse, I have a hard time sleeping in, but in a tourist city it comes in handy. During my Google search, I stumbled upon a restaurant names Huey’s. It was along the city’s waterfront and NOLA-themed. I naturally peruse menus before going. I don’t like to use the word “picky”; however, I am particular about what I eat. When I saw they had a seafood omelette, I was sold on going there.

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceApril 7, 2022travel professional, travel, self-care, dcbtravelexperience

The Start of Something Great!!!!

I completed a goal that I have for the year, which is to visit a new city. For two nights, three days, I packed my bag and drove 5 hours on I-95 South to Savannah, GA. Savannah has been on my bucket list for a couple of years and I thought I wanted the trip to be a girls’ trip, but the stress was becoming unbearable and I needed an escape before I boiled over.

One would think since I’m a travel advisor I would have an itinerary set of restaurants, activities, and “must-sees”, but I actually got on the road with nothing scheduled but where I would lay my head. And even that was last minute since it was spring break, everything was priced higher than normal.

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceMarch 31, 2022travel professional, travel, dcbtravelexperience, Savannah, Relax, self-care

Exposure is a Lesson

“One day...we’re going to take the kids to Hawaii!”, “We really want to travel over to Europe, but we’re waiting until the kids are older”; “We really want to go out West and see the Grand Canyon and yellowstone, but our summers are just too busy”. Do any of those statements sound familiar to you? The average American family doesn’t think they spend enough time together. Between school, work, sports, and extracurricular activities it’s no surprise that we are all feeling disconnected and burned out. The best way to reconnect with your loved ones is to get away. No distractions and no excuses: just you and your kids (or Grandkids) spending “quality time”, enjoying each other’s company and maybe even experiencing an unfamiliar culture together. “Next Year, maybe” turns into the year after that...and so forth...until you “blink” and are sitting at their high school graduation wondering what the hell happened!

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceFebruary 24, 2022travel, family, children, vacation, lessons, exposure, experience

Chocolate, Flowers or Experiences?

Instead of buying jewelry and chocolate this Valentine's Day, why not consider planning a trip for you and your sweetheart? New research commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association reports couples who travel together are significantly more satisfied with their relationships; enjoying better sex and improved romance long after the trip ends. I don’t think that is very surprising...we’ve all known that couples who travel together have healthier, happier relationships compared to those who don’t. So maybe, this Valentine’s Day, couples should re-think the traditional calorie- laden gifts and strengthen their relationships by planning a romantic getaway!

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceFebruary 3, 2022travel, romance, valentine, couples, getaway

Let Me Upgrade You

I certainly understand that sticking to a budget can be extremely important when booking a vacation, but did you know that there are several not-so-expensive upgrades you can purchase that can really make a huge impact on the quality of your trip?

1. Private airport transfers

Somehow there is nothing more relieving than passing through customs after a long overnight flight to Europe and seeing a driver standing there with a sign bearing your last name...and a smile! Your driver can help you to a nice, clean sedan and be on the road to your accommodations with a cold bottle of water in the time it takes to wait in the taxi line and try to communicate where you need to go.

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceJanuary 27, 2022travel professional, tr, in, dc, travel, upgrades, exclusive

Solo Travel

It can be hard to find the right fit as your travel companion, it’s no wonder that people have memorable trips when they go solo.

Imagine, you have 5 vacation days you want to use before you “lose” them at work. You start a group chat/text with your sibling, best friend from childhood, bestie from college, and your favorite coworker. You’ve all celebrated milestones together but never traveled domestically or internationally. Everyone is excited about going somewhere so ideas are thrown around for a day.

Is Your House Ready?

So, holiday vacation season is finally here! You have, hopefully, contacted your super-amazing Travel Professional to help you plan the perfect experience and shopped-for and packed all your new cute travel clothes...you're ready? Maybe not! Have you made sure to leave your home in good shape so it stays clean, protected and even energy-efficient while you are gone?

CLEAN:

Change the sheets - When you arrive home from your vacation, nothing beats collapsing into crisp, clean sheets..in your own bed. It's worth the few extra minutes it takes before your leave.

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceDecember 23, 2021travel professional, travel, dcbtravelexperience, holiday

What It Looks Like Now

Are you tired of the COVID discussions and new variants? I know I am but part of my job is to make sure my clients know their destination’s protocol to enter and exit the country. As you know I returned from Southern Africa and each country had its own rules that we had to abide by.

Prior to even leaving the USA, South Africa required a PCR test 72 hours prior to an international flight. Please be mindful of guidelines, some airlines take the 72 hours seriously. If your flight leaves at 7 PM on Friday, you cannot show paperwork testing from Tuesday at 5 PM. Yes, that’s within 3 days but not 72 hours. And we all know, labs are not testing after 4 PM so make sure you are the first person in the morning.

Returning "Home"

Everyone kept asking if I was excited to go on my trip to Southern Africa. My response was always yes but my facial expression and tone of inflection would not match each other. Some would say that’s my normal; however, the day I left, I felt very overwhelmed with emotions. Tears welled in my eyes but nothing fell. But when my feet hit the soil of the land of my forefathers, the tear fell. Coming “home” has been a dream and now I can soak in the beauty of the Mother City, Cape Town.

Come on this journey, as I tell you about my time in Southern Africa.

Bag Lady, You Gone Hurt Your Back

Packing Light - especially on an itinerary where you will be moving and changing locations a good bit - cannot be underestimated. In fact, it can be the difference between an enjoyable vacation and a miserable one! You will never meet anyone who says "I wish I had packed heavier" when they return from a journey. Rick Steves, the Public TV European travel guru, only allows the members of his escorted tours to bring 1 carry-on size piece of luggage per person….

That's a Deal Breaker

Have you thought about your deal breakers? As a social media influencer I follow, would say, “In life, in business, and in love”.

I have been a fan of the show Married at First Sight (MAFS) since season 1 with Monet and Vaughn, Jamie and Doug, and Courtney and Jason when it was FYI network. Yes, I actually subscribed to a “cable” package just to continue to watch this show, and now it's on Lifetime.

Each season I start off strong, watching the interviews, the “matching” episode, the weddings, and honeymoons. But some seasons, I die off faster than others as I see the train wrecks within one week of living with each other.

TravelDCB Travel ExperienceOctober 14, 2021experience, benefits, travel professional, travel, advisor, save, deal breaker

Global Entry, Why You Need It?

I love to travel, of course, that’s why I’m in this profession. Do you love to travel, but the thought of the TSA security lines and the long waits at US immigration and Customs are holding you back? I have a great tip to simplify your life - and it’s called Global Entry!!!!

Do You Have Your Invitation?

“Where Can I Go?”

I get that question a lot and my response is where do you want to go? As my mentor expressed to me as I was sitting for my professional engineering exam, “once you pass, you have an invitation to the party. You might not want to go to the party, but you have the invitation”. That’s how I feel about a passport. You may never use it (it’s valid for 10 years) but if an opportunity comes along, you have the invitation to go if you so choose.

Don't Get Stuck

Summer is in full effect, school is officially on break, and now what? Is it safe to travel? Should you stay local? Should you try a bucket list destination? If I’m vaccinated, will I still have to take COVID tests and possibly quarantine?

Let's Work Together

Do you want a personalized experience or a call center experience? That is just one difference of hiring a travel professional and using a booking engine on the internet.

THE BLOG

Check out the DCB Travel blog posts to uncover our insights about some of the hottest (and most interesting) travel destinations around the world.

DCB TRAVEL EXPERIENCE