Our quick travel tip is to not “over-plan” Your Vacation.

If you’re anything like me (I’m definitely a "type A" person) who likes to plan everything down to the last detail- this may be hard to do. Planning all the details may seem like the logical way to go about your travel prep, but trust us, over-planning can ruin a trip, and make it seem more regimented than it needs to be.  Learn from me and- RELAX….

We recently experienced the downsides of this when trying to "be prepared" every single day of our 9 night small group tour to Germany with plenty of activities.  Then came the last day, and we thought we were boarding a flight home from Germany.  Well.....both our flights were cancelled and we were “stuck” in Germany for an extra day.  So, whatever would we do with zero “plans” in one of my most favorite countries? Well…. we were spontaneous!!  We quickly settled into our hotel rooms. My sister and I hopped on a bus, then took the local commuter's train to drop us off in the middle of downtown Frankfurt, so that we could explore on our own. Help from a friendly, local German man sent us on our way to get off at the best spot to experience downtown Frankfurt.  BONUS: we ended up at a small, wonderful wine festival that we weren’t aware of, and it was absolutely fabulous!! We ended up enjoying Gluh wein (hot spiced wine), yummy food, great music, neat little shops, amazing architecture and lots of fun German locals.

Planning is always good, but remember to leave some room for changes and especially times of spontaneity. We'll always cherish our extra day in Germany for years to come.

Interested in an amazing small group tour to Germany with us, then CONTACT US now to get a trip planned in the near future!

Why should you Contact Us for your All Inclusive Vacation?








1. We book amazing All Inclusive Vacation Packages every, single, day.

2. We've been there (to many of the best resorts) ourselves, or...our colleagues have clients who have been there and can offer us unbiased pros and cons of the resort, location, value, etc.

3. We work with ALL major suppliers who offer us special volume pricing.

4. We have a guaranteed price match on nearly all published resorts.

​5. We have numerous colleagues in our network (3,000+) and many available additional resources, to answer all your questions before/during and after you book your All Inclusive Vacation with us.

​6. We offer special group vacation pricing for your family, friends, reunion, groups and wedding guests.

7. Why risk your trip through a massive vacation search engine with no after-the sale support?

​8. Who can you call to assist you once you've bought from a massive search engine? Do you want to be "on-hold" at the airport, when your having issues? We offer one-on-one, personalized support during your entire vacation.

9. We offer our clients wonderful perks, specials, discounts, gifts, VIP service and superior customer service.

10. We have many happy clients, just check out our Reviews Page!

11. Save Time and Research.  We do ALL the leg-work for you, at no additional cost, when you book your All Inclusive Vacation package through us.


​Give us a call today, OR fill out our Dream Vacation- Planner tool, to book your All Inclusive Vacation of your Dreams! Call Escape Destinations Travel at: 910.379.4033

Did you know? You’re Leaving Good Money on the Table When You Book Hotels Direct Instead of With Us!

We can add amazing value to your hotel reservation with complimentary breakfast daily, possible upgrades, and a special amenity like a spa or food and beverage credit. We’re able to give you added amenities with our VIP treatment!

Save time, hassle and frustrations! Allow our specialists to do all the research and work out all the details for you, without any additional cost.  You don’t have time to do all the comparisons, but we do. Let us do what we do best- research!

Give us a try and enjoy being treated as our very special client!


Research less, relax more...and let an experienced, knowledgeable travel professional plan your hard-earned vacation! Contact Us today, to get your hotel booked.

If Time Is Money, Think of Us as Your Asset Manager!!

You can’t hit re-do on your vacation and your time is your absolute most precious asset. What happens when you've taken time off from work, and your vacation ends up being a total disaster....it's too late then.  When you type vacation ideas in google alone, a whopping 1.4 million results pop up.  Do you have time to narrow the search and decipher through all this information? Talk about stress- that's a lot of research! We love to research vacation plans, and have a team of consultants who can do so with ease.

Let us take the stress out of planning this important event—or if you like the planning yourself—let’s do it together!

Escape Destinations Travel 910.379.4033
#travel #planning #go
 

Vacation Types at a Quick Glance!

We thought it might be helpful to understand the different types of vacations and their quick meanings.

All-Inclusive: You truly can Have it All! Accommodations, meals, drinks, entertainment, and all activities are included in one price.

Family: Experience an amazing family vacation with kids, teens, and parents in mind.

Adults-Only: Spend time in amazingly beautiful resorts and destinations that cater specifically to the 18+ crowd, where no children are allowed.

Honeymoon: Before you call your wedding planner, call Escape Destinations Travel for a tailor-made unique and unforgettable honeymoon package.

Casino: Toss the dice or spin the wheel at one of our thrilling casino destinations and WIN-WIN-WIN!

Exotic: Your amazing once-in-a-lifetime vacation destinations!  Just imagine your own private island in the South Pacific, Caribbean rendezvous destination or perhaps even an exhilarating African safari.

Last-Minute: Need to get away tonight or tomorrow? Escape Destinations Travel can help you plan it and get there ASAP.  Our services are stress free!

Golf and Spa: Tee-off or enjoy a soothing massage at one of our unlimited golf or spa resorts.

Luxury: Opulent accommodations, exquisite cuisine, concierge personalized services await you.

Group: Group travel is so very easy with Escape Destinations Travel! Don’t Worry. Leave all the fine details up to our consultants.  All you do is show up with your crowd, and all the planning, organizing and stress is off your shoulders.  We even take the payments, coordinate meals, hotels, flights, shuttles, trains, etc.

Cruise: Sail to popular ports with our wonderful cruise vacations.
 
Whatever type of vacation you should choose, Escape Destinations Travel is here to help you!

Look, I totally get it! You want the best price and are willing to search and search and search to get that.  I truly understand, I am quite the frugal person too.  I'll drive 5-10 minutes further on the highway to find gas that's 20 cents cheaper. But...when it comes to travel, perhaps we should think about it a little bit further.

If one was to google "cheap travel" you'd find that there's roughly 5.7 million hits.  Yikes! This will give you tons of options...and if you research it long enough, you may discover that price difference that made it worth your while, but I doubt so.  How much is your own time worth?

We know that price almost always equals quality.  And most times those items that are the cheapest made...are usually the most poorly manufactured and don't tend to last very long.  Have you ever flown one of those "super cheap" airlines...Well, I did last year and ask me how that went (I'll give you a hint...NOT Well)!  The airlines didn't wow me one bit and we had the worst service I'd seen in a long time.  We won't be flying with them again, trust me!

Do you call your doctor, dentist, surgeon, or financial advisor for the cheapest rates?  I am guessing you did not, because you were probably thinking that you get what you pay for!  Travel is no different.
Your next vacation will not be inexpensive.  You'll likely spend more than you did last year.  Your doctor deals with the most difficult times of your life (and he/she's worth it).  Your travel professional (me) would be dealing with the most memorable and best moments of your life (and I'm worth it).  Don't you want these vacation memories to be special?

Did you know that those "rock bottom" cheaper travel sites we all see on TV are controlled by about 3 major companies?  This means the cheapest price is universal. We all have the same prices, the same cheap deals and the same products to sell.  The difference is a professional who is able to steer you clear of those "cheap hotels" that wouldn't be suitable for their own worst enemy.  One who isn't motivated by commissions to get the sale, at any cost necessary.  It's a numbers game for these internet sites.

If we were to focus strictly on hotel rooms alone for our example, perhaps this will make sense, so bear with me. Let's say you booked your best "deal" at a Hotel in Asheville, NC.  Did you know that most hotels actually overbook (like the airlines do)?  Whose reservation do you think they would fail to honor first, a travel professional (who has loyal, consistent clientele) or a website?  They know your loyalty would be with the next cheap hotel night stay on the internet, instead of coming back again. 

Did you know we let our hotels know when our clients are arriving and ask that our clients be treated extra special?  We had a client a couple weeks ago get a free upgrade to a Luxury Suite, just because we called the hotel management staff in advance, just to let them know our valued client was coming and we also asked for any special perks or VIP benefits for our clients.

In closing, lets consider these facts about 'cheap hotels':

• Did you know that most cheap or even moderately priced hotels, have bedspreads that are rarely changed.  The standard in these places seems to be every 6 months!
• Does that cheap hotel come with the best in night-time security? Or have any security for that matter? Is it in a decent neighborhood, or is that cheap price due to the fact it's atmosphere is seedy.
• Rude guests can ruin any hotel nights stay.  Who would your fellow guests be in that cheapest accommodation that you were able to afford, or wanted to spend?
• Did you know that is most cheap or even moderately priced hotels (like major brands) tell their maids to "eyeball" the sheets and are encouraged to not change them unless it appears absolutely necessary? It's true!

We wish you safe travels, when you're looking for quality and best pricing, consider a travel professional, like Escape Destinations Travel.

Princess Cays- Bahamas
By Jen Campbell of Escape Destinations Travel
 
Last week, we had the privilege of being able to visit beautiful Princess Cays, Bahamas!  We had a wonderful time there and I can’t wait to go back.

Once you tender over to the island, take our advice and proceed to the RIGHT off the tender (don’t follow the crowds).  The area off to the right that looks roped off is NOT for exclusive guests or for private functions…

SURPRISE- It’s not…so this meant not many people decided to venture over to this side.  It was super quiet and felt like a true island oasis. Plus, you have all the lounge chairs, cabanas, restrooms, drinks and food right there too, so there’s no fighting the huge crowds.
After spending the day on this side of the island and floating around on a chair float with a cold drink in our hand, I am already making plans to head back here soon.
But…shhh…keep this as our little secret, don’t let the word get out about this private island oasis!
 
Would you like to book your next Carnival Cruise and head to their private island, Princess Cays Bahamas? Well then give us a call at 910.379.4033 We’d be happy to assist you with your cruise plans, and we never charge a fee for our services, when you book with us!!

Carnival Ecstasy Review
 
Overall I have a very positive review of Carnival Ecstasy!  The ship was fairly easy to navigate, the staff was pleasant and the newer amenities were nice (Guy’s Burger Joint and the Blue Iguana Cantina).  Coming off of Carnival Vista in December, I was afraid this MUCH Smaller ship would disappoint.  Even though the ship showed signs of much wear and tear over the years, the staff more than made up for this fact in the level of service, friendliness and overall hospitality.  We had a great 5 day Bahamian Cruise on board Carnival Ecstasy.

The Positives- While older, the ship was organized, our room was pleasant (albeit not many power outlets), the food in the dining room was delicious each and every evening, and the entertainment was pretty good.  We enjoyed the Punchliner Comedy Club shows and tried to get to nearly every one we could.  One night, after the Punchliner Comedy Club, we went to the Night Club…but it honestly wasn’t our style at all, so we left after about 30 minutes. The Serenity area (ages 21 and older) was always super quiet and nice, it even had 2 hot tubs (but we didn’t partake). The cushions (we noticed) were more plush in this area.  The Serenity was our favorite area to hang-out, relax and get some sun! Overall, we preferred the dining room over the “buffet” whenever possible.  You simply MUST try the breakfast burrito at the Cantina! Guy’s Burger Joint was a great, new renovation to this ship’s offerings.

The Negatives-  Unfortunately our "Your Time Dining” was atrocious. Each night once we checked in with the staff, we were given a pager and had to wait, and wait and wait….it was not convenient.  We even tried eating at different times, to see if it was just “popular times” were busy.  I spoke to the staff and voiced our frustrations with having to wait each time, so the very next time they tried to speed up our wait. Having done the “Your Time Dining” once before (on board Carnival Vista), I know it works and is very efficient on other Carnival Ships. There was only one pool on the ship (and on sea days it was packed).  Many of the elevators were broken (one we nearly got stuck in) but using the stairs was our preferred method of traveling.  The buffet always seemed to be packed and the lines were seemingly constant…this got old quickly. Sometimes we just grabbed stuff and went, to avoid the terrible congestion.  I honestly preferred Guy’s Burger Joint and the Burrito’s at the Cantina as far as quick foods.
 
Sending many clients on this ship previously, I can now personally vouch for this ship and offer my own personal pluses.  I love that this ship leaves out of Charleston, which is super convenient for us being in the Southeast.  Would I venture onto Carnival Ecstasy again in the near future, absolutely!

I must say that I cannot wait until Carnival Sunshine makes her debut in Charleston, she is STILL my most favorite Carnival Ship of All.  She is slated to arrive late May of 2019!  I hope to be on board soon thereafter.

If you need assistance booking your Carnival Cruise, without any additional cost to you, give us a call at Escape Destinations Travel- 910.379.4033.
 

Is Atlantis Worth Seeing?

By Jen Campbell of Escape Destinations Travel
 

Just last week, we had the privilege of being able to walk through Atlantis, through their lobby and casino on our way to the amazing Aquaventure Waterpark.  While I must say the resort is huge (and to some could appear overwhelming) it was also beautiful, contemporary and definitely high class.
 
Since we were cruising to the Bahamas, we were only at Atlantis for about half a day.  While the Water park is deemed to be the World’s Largest Water park, and while it was pretty, it was also super expansive (and I thought a bit pricy).  We definitely walked all over the resort’s immense property.  We paid a whopping $166 per adult (which included our teenagers) for the water park which opened at 10 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m.  I'm glad we purchased the waterpark tickets ahead of time, through our affiliate program with Bahamas Day Pass Company!

I rest assured (and it made it easier on the wallet) knowing we had the tickets, pre-purchased.  It helped us with budgeting for this already tight travel/vacation funds pot of money.  I had the water park passes purchased and then the receipt was printed and the pre-paid voucher was easily submitted to Atlantis’ check-in desk.  Unfortunately, so many people had purchased these tickets ahead of time (and the Atlantis’ staff appeared to be in no hurry) that we did have to wait quite a long time to enter the park.  We were finally checked in, then given a map of the property (since it was soooo huge) and we snaked our way through the Atlantis Resort’s inside, following the signs in order to get to the water park entrance. 

Well- It was Gorgeous! The water park was lush and beautiful and tropical.  The rides were fun and exciting and exhilarating!  The boys loved the 60 foot drop slide into the swimming pool of sharks!!

While we didn’t get to stay there all day, we had such fun while we at Atlantis.  I think if we were to go back we’d need at least a full day, if not more time to see and experience all the water park rides (one note…many rides were closed the day we were there).

If you choose to visit the park, please do so, with the link HERE!