We love the Carnival Victory Ship!  It was a wonderful trip on a wonderful ship. We enjoyed our 4 day cruise to Key West and Cozumel on her. The food was so wonderful, the staff was really fabulous.

​My favorite area on the Carnival Victory was the Serenity Section, which was for adults only. It had wonderful showers to cool you down, a private area where kids couldn't run through, a nice bar area, quiet soothing music and a wonderfully, relaxing atmosphere.

Interested in booking a cruise on this ship?

This was our favorite ship!  We loved it so much we booked a cruise on it twice!

Check out this page on booking with a travel agent is the best way to go.

Neat Ideas in this super short video!

We love this quick & simple approach to packing for 3 weeks! 

I want to try this on my next trip!!

Are you anything like me, are you obsessed with the show AMAZING RACE and wish you could be on the show?  I am in LOVE with the show since the start...and actually tried out for it when it first came out, with my sister. Unfortunately we weren't picked.  I was more interested in the amazing travels, exciting encounters and races than winning the money! The money would have simply been a huge bonus.  I have always longed to "shake the dust off this crummy little town and see the world" even when I was very young.

My life has been an Amazing Race thus far. I have lived in Europe for a year as an exchange student, spent 4 years there while growing up, lived all over the US, seen the Berlin Wall come down, was able to write on it and keep several chunks as souvenirs, swam with the stingrays, ridden an elephant in Germany, attended wild Oktoberfest last fall, wave runners with my crazy 16 year old daughter driving me all over the water in Cozumel, white water rafting in Jamaica, snorkeled in gorgeous St. Thomas and zip lined in St. Martin...this is just a few I could think of off the top of my head. 

Life has been wonderful so far, even if I didn't make it on The Amazing Race!  I long to keep getting out there to see the world, blog and journal about it, along with taking tons of pictures. Perhaps one day my passion for travel and seeing the world will have me doing more of what I love. I would love to travel and blog full time!! One day my travel dreams will come true-I have faith. I want to live my life to the fullest and not let life pass me by, how about you? What an amazing journey it has been thus far!! It's been an Amazing Race for me and I feel super blessed.

Where do you long to go? What are some of your Amazing Race experiences? Please COMMENT below!

Why You Need to Vacation Now!

"A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in." - Robert Orben

We all need a break from the monotony of life, and taking a vacation affords us the opportunity to do so!  We have compiled 7 quick reasons you must go!

1) You're too busy to take a vacation!
40% of Americans feel like they have too much work and can't take a vacation. If you're too busy...this is a warning you need a break!

2) Planning your vacation will make you happier!
It's a fact, the anticipation of the trip is very pleasurable! Plan those details, and if this idea stresses you out, consider having a travel agent handle all those details for you.

3) Vacations make you more productive.
Before going on vacation many of us are more productive, we're motivated to finish those tasks before we go.

"Isn't it amazing how much stuff we get done the day before vacation." Zig Ziglar

4) Taking a vacation will make you happier and less stressed.
Studies show that vacations make you feel happier and less stressed. Try not to overdo the activities on vacation, make sure you have time built into the days to relax.

5) Vacations improve your health.
Studies show that your health is at stake when you DON'T take a vacation. Men are 30% more likely to have a heart attack and women who rarely vacation are 50% more likely to have a heart attack.

6) Vacations make you more creative.
Vacations give you time to relax, think and contemplate without the everyday stressors weighing on your mind.

7) Remembering positive memories makes us happier.
You know you'll make some terrific memories while on vacation. Add them to a journal, take lots of pictures and use these to draw on when times may be tough.

Don't you feel you need a vacation?  Even if your life is pretty good, consider planning and taking one today!

group
Cruise for FREE!

Did you know you can Cruise for FREE? Yes, that's right, it's not a misprint and not a gimmick.  What if I told you that you could go on your next cruise with your friends and family and not have to pay for your cruise cabin. Would you want to do that? It's not a timeshare presentation, or pushy sale. 

So....How is it done?

Thanks to something called Tour Conductor Credits (TC) there's thousands of people who do just that.  All you have to do is simply get friends, family, co-workers, class reunions, groups you belong to, to cruise with you! Simple, right?

Depending upon the number of people who join you on your fabulous group cruise, you can get your FREE berth (or bed).

Becoming the leader of the group cruise, you don't have to pay for your cruise. You would be responsible for your taxes and port charges (which typically run less than $100).  The type of cabin you earn (for FREE) will depend on the type of rooms booked by all.

You will have to pay for the entire stateroom up front and the cost of the berth (your fare) would be refunded to you.

How much work is involved in being the leader of the group?

You (and your group) pick the date and the cruise. Your travel agent can provide flyers and brochures to help you promote the cruise.  Also social media is a powerful way to get people on board!

You don't have to collect any money (your travel agent does this for you), you would determine the amenities for the group's cabins (with your travel agent).

Some Amenities of your Group Cruise Could Include:
credits on board, group photos, cocktail parties, bottles of wine, spa credits, cabin upgrades, lower cabin rates.  Once the last person has made their final payment, all your work is done and you can sit back and enjoy your FREE Cruise with your friends and family.


Some Examples of Types of Groups:
Girls Only Cruise
Wedding Parties
Business Groups
Social Clubs
Class Reunions
Friends
Family
Birthday Celebrations
Clubs and Associations
Anniversaries
Sports Groups
Professional Groups


Best time to take one of these group cruises (which would be most cost effective) is to cruise when children are in school, avoid holiday seasons, summer peak times, spring break, etc. You really can Cruise for FREE by starting a group cruise!

Interested further? Then give us a call at 910.379.4033, or send us a message via email!

Quick Fact About Barbados

Did you know that the name "Barbados" actually comes from the "Bearded Fig Tree" which was once found all over the island?

When the Portuguese first spotted the island of Barbados back in 1536 while en route to Brazil, they referred to it as "Lost Barbados" which means the "Bearded Ones" in Portuguese.

There are still some Bearded Fig Trees in Barbados, but they’re found in small gullies in certain areas of the country. They’re not as abundant as they were when the Portuguese first found the island. Have you been able to see them in your travels?