Luxury has multiple levels on Virgin Voyages. When you book a Rockstar suite be prepared for all the great perks.
To celebrate my birthday I knew I wanted a great experience. Not only did the itinerary span my birthday and my friend’s birthday but when we started planning the trip, there was a promotion that we couldn’t pass up even if no one traveled with us. We booked the Rockstar Brillant Suite…the highest category of Rockstar before you enter Mega Rockstar.
Read MoreThe Happening Crew…is Virgin’s version of cruise director. Instead of you seeing one person scurrying from event to event, you will see a team of members instructing classes, getting you hype during evening events and just being the entertainment on the ship.
Ocean cruises are known for its Broadway-style productions and other nightly entertainment. Virgin does not fall short of that. The signature shows we saw were Duel Reality, and The Miss Behave Show. Each ship has a few different shows so I can’t wait to see those on my next cruise.
Read MoreAs 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?
Read MoreEveryone 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.
Read MoreEurope 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.
Read MoreWe’ve been welcomed to Accra, Ghana and now it is time for Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. to make an impact. Some may have thought, the 300+ members and guests went all the way across the Atlantic to party and see what #DettyDecember was all about, but we also went to make a meaningful impact to several organizations.
Read MoreGhana has gained tourist attraction over the last 5 years or so because of The Return. A push and invitation of the descendants of the African diaspora to return to the continent from which we were taken. This is coupled with a music festival, Afrofuture, formerly known as Afrocella, that is during the end of December and has affectionately been named #DettyDecember.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreYou have guessed it, I went around New Orleans trying to find the best local places to dine. While planning this trip, I knew I wanted to go off the beaten path a little so I gathered a list of names from articles and social media and narrowed it down to at least one local spot a day.
I love to start my day with breakfast. Every morning growing up, I had breakfast. I mean..toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, juice…breakfast. We had cereal in the house but never for the morning meal. It wasn’t until I started staying the night at friends’ houses that I found out that everyone doesn’t eat breakfast or have breakfast prepared for them in the morning.
Read MoreIf you had the option to stay in an Airbnb or a hotel, which would you choose and why? Would it depend on who you are traveling with? How long your stay is in that location? The cost of the trip?
I’ve stayed in an Airbnb two times. My first experience was in 2016 at Essence Festival in New Orleans. My friend and I searched for hotels but since this was a last-minute decision, hotels were booked and if you did find a vacancy, the prices were through the roof. So we both stepped out on faith (or stupidity) and searched the “new” craze, Airbnb. I found one Airbnb that seemed perfect, we would rent the whole house, it was close to all the areas we were trying to go and the price was palatable.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreEarly 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.
Read MoreI 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.
Read More“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!
Read MoreInstead 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!
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreIt 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.
Read MoreSo, 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.
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.
Read MoreEveryone 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.
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