President’s Circle – Exclusive Offers
The President’s Circle is a special ring of honor for those members that perform in the top percentile. President’s Circle agencies will receive additional, desirable rewards.
Elite Rewards:
Exclusive Offers for President Circle Members
Onboard Spa Offer
Offer Details: Book a Balcony or above stateroom for any 6 night or longer Caribbean or Bahamas departures sailing May 1, 2018 through July 31, 2018 and receive a complimentary spa treatment for one guest per stateroom.
Booking Window: February 12 – 23, 2018
Holland America Line Offers 15% Commission in 2018
Great news, Holland America Line is offering Travel Leaders Network President’s Circle Club agencies 15% commission on 2018 sailings.
This applies ONLY to those agencies who have not yet met this commission level as a result of sales. (If you are earning above 15%, your commission level will not change.)
Applies to 2018 President’s Circle Club members only.
Save $150 per Couple on Select 2018 Globus Britain & Ireland Vacations.*
BOOKING WINDOW: 1/2/18 – 2/28/18
Ask and receive code TLN75G18 – Must mention this code to avail of this offer
To book, Call 800.221.0090 or visit GlobusFamilyPartner.com.
*Book a select 2018 Globus Britain & Ireland vacation (excluding Escapes by Globus) and receive $75 per person off the land price. Booking must be made, under deposit and discount applied between January 2 and February 28, 2018 for travel commencing by December 31, 2018. Combinable with other current promotions. Applies to new 2018 bookings only. Must mention promotion code TLN75G18. Offer reliant on space availability. Not applicable to custom tours. Discount will apply to individual members of groups adding a name and non-refundable per person deposit WITHIN the promo window. Not applicable on TBA space. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply; see Travel Terms & Conditions for details. May be withdrawn at any time.
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Make a new booking in the month of February to be automatically entered to win $500.
BOOKING WINDOW: 2/1 – 2/28/18
TOP PRODUCING TRAVEL AGENTS WILL WIN:
- $500 gift card
February Wave Offer
Booking Window: February 1, 2018 – February 28, 2018
Sailing Window: All sailings departing on or after March 1, 2018.
Offer Details: All guests 30% off
Caribbean Bonus: Up to $100 instant savings for those guests who book a 6 night or longer Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada or North East sailing
Booking Window: February 1, 2018 – February 28, 2018
Sailing Window: May 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018
Offer Details: Up to $100 instant savings
- 6N+ I/O: $50 B: $75 D: $100
Early Booking Bonus (NRP):
Booking Window: February 1, 2018 – February 28, 2018
Sailing Window: All sailings departing on or after March 1, 2018. Offer excludes China departures.
Offer Details: Up to $100 OBC
- 5N- I/O: $25 B: $50 D: $50
- 6N+ I/O: $50 B: $100 D: $100
Free Gratuities + Instant Savings:
Booking Window: February 1, 2018 – February 28, 2018
Sailing Window: All sailings departing on or after March 1, 2018
Offer details: Free Gratuities for Royal Suite class on OA Class + Anthem of the Seas sailings to Bahamas, Bermuda or the Caribbean. First two passengers only. Additionally, guests’ who book a Star Class suite will receive $1,000 instant savings.
FAM REPORT
CLUB MED FAM TO VAL THORENS SENSATIONS
VAL THORENS, FRANCE
DECEMBER 10-15, 2017
This FAM allowed me to take a guest so I traveled with a skier friend, Terry.
We left Boston on Saturday, December 9 on an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin that was scheduled to depart at 9:30 pm but was delayed 3 hours because of a snowstorm. The delay caused us to miss our connecting flight from Dublin to Geneva the next day. Europe flights were delayed everywhere because of snow. We changed our flight to a connection through London to Geneva which ended up being cancelled. At that point we asked for our luggage to be removed from the plane and returned to us. While I changed our tickets for a flight the next day, Terry waited for our bags but mine never showed up!
Aer Lingus transferred us to a hotel outside of Dublin for the night and we returned to the airport the next day, flew to Geneva and transferred to Club Med Val Thorens.
My bag did not get delivered to Val Thorens that day. I checked out the skis and equipment provided by Club Med and spent the afternoon trying to track my luggage. Finally I decided I should buy some clothes and equipment for skiing so that I could ski the rest of the week. I purchased the necessary equipment: helmet, goggles, pants, ski socks, thermals, shirt, gloves as well as some toiletries.
I joined the resort tour for our group at 4 pm. The tour included several rooms, the dining facilities, bars, disco, ski room, spa. Club Med is a vast resort with access to a ski trail that takes skiers directly to a lift that services the entire area as well as connecting lifts to other resorts such as Courcheval and Meribel. Guests can ski directly to the resort from a variety of lifts and the resort is close to the famous “La Folie Douce”, a dance party and outdoor concert for skiers featuring musicians, DJ, and entertainers. It is also found in Val D’Isere and is known throughout Europe and popular with the “Jet Set”.
Club Med Val Thorens features:
*A truly all-inclusive concept with options for more upscale food and beverage choices for an up charge
*A welcome desk in the first level with drive up access to the front doors and easy access to the elevators
*A main dining facility “Yurts” featuring various creative chef stations and a large comfortable dining room with great views
*A relaxed dining area and bar “Epicurious” featuring chef stations and a casual rustic “modern” atmosphere
*A bright and ultra chic bar and entertainment venue “Oxygen Bar” featuring comfortable lounge chairs, an outdoor terrace and Jacuzzi, with great music and entertainment nightly
*A skiwear and casual wear shop on the 4th level
*Modern, nicely appointed rooms, each with a terrace and class doors to enjoy the views of the mountains and ski runs
*A spa facility for massages and spa treatments
*A fitness room with assorted machines, weights, mats and workout area
*A large steam room and dressing rooms and showers
*A large “Rock climbing wall”, staffed by trainers, in the main 3-story lobby
*Comfortable seating areas throughout the hotel for individuals or small groups to relax
*A large ski room for gearing up and an equipment center for rentals and repairs
*Hot chocolate and non-alcoholic drink stations in the main lobby areas.
*Hot wine and hors d’oeuvres daily in the ski meeting area for access to the lifts
The resort was modern, clean and bright with colored lights and accents. The staff was helpful and engaging and I enjoyed many conversations with staff members throughout my stay. The waiters, bartenders, and facilitators were also the entertainers in the party venues at night. They held lively stage shows and musical entertainment every evening. The evening started with pre-dinner cocktails, followed by dinner and ended in the Oxygen Bar. The resort was geared towards an adult clientele and any children that I observed at the resort were teens or young adults and I never observed them in any bars or clubs.
On Wednesday evening, Dec 13 we were treated to a special dinner and wine tasting at Epicurious Lounge. The chefs prepared special dishes and wine selections in conjunction with the sommelier. The food was exceptional this particular evening. It should be noted that the food at every meal was delicious and wonderfully served.
The town of Val Thorens is a mixture of modern and rustic alpine architecture. There were numerous restaurants, shops, and markets spread over a large area, accessible by one mountain access road and numerous smaller streets and walkways. Most of the shops featured ski apparel and ski equipment and gear associated with all-season mountain sports. Most items in the stores I visited were extremely expensive. For example, I needed some tape for a small injury and a roll of adhesive tape cost the equivalent of $12 USD. The resort is at a high altitude so many visitors experience altitude sickness and difficulty in walking and climbing stairs accompanied by shortness of breath. After a few days, visitors acclimate somewhat to the altitude and it becomes more comfortable.
During the days our agenda included breakfast between 8-9 am followed by ski departures when the lifts opened about 9 am. I was able to ski for 3 days, Dec. 11-13 and enjoyed one sun-filled day and 2 days of continuous snow. Val Thorens area constitutes an extensive ski area connecting multiple villages and resorts such as Courcheval, Meribel and Les Menuires as well as others and making it one of the largest ski resort areas in the world. We were able to ski from Val Thorens to Meribel on the sunny day since trails were clearly visible but on the remaining days we stayed in the Val Thorens area due to poor visibility and the danger of avalanches. Snow levels were high and Val Thorens had trucks throughout the day hauling away the piles of snow blocking the streets and sidewalks. The snow was continuing when we left the resort.
It is worth noting that my missing duffle bag was delivered to the Club Med front desk at 11:30 pm on Thursday, Dec 14 and I left on Friday morning at 5:30 am for my return flight to Boston. I never opened my bag!
Cancun/Playa Mujeres Fam –
I spent 3 nights at Secrets The Vine, 4nts at Secrets Playa Mujeres and toured several other resorts in each area.
Cancun –Secrets The Vine – is a very attractive resort on a beautiful stretch of beach; we had a great view of the sea from our balcony. Unfortunately the Sea is not swimmable most of the time. The resort’s 3 pools are situated beachside, so you have a great view of the water from all of them.
Our only disappointment at the Vine, besides the beach, was the food; it really left a lot to be desired. We might have just caught if at an off time as I’ve had clients stay there who thought the food was fine.
Service at the resort was most efficient; they work hard to please.
Hyatt Ziva – Great resort; excellent location on a peninsula; beautiful sea views surround the resort.. There are two swimmable beaches; one has some surf, the other as calm as a bath tub. They offer all kinds of water sports, water aerobics,
floating climbable rafts, water park for children, etc. This resort has something for everyone.
This is a family resort, but does have a new adult only beachfront tower (Turquoise) w/sea view rooms, it’s own VIP check-in, private airport transfers, private lounge, private roof top infinity pool, etc.
The resort has 8 restaurants, 7 bars/lounges, coffee shop, pastry/candy shop, etc .
The aromas and fresh scents everywhere in the resort are amazing!
You would never guess this resort is right in Cancun’s Hotel Zone; it’s a beautiful oasis surrounded by water, where everyone is having a fun. I can’t say enough good things about the Ziva!
We also saw the adult-only Hyatt Zilara , formerly The Royal Cancun. It’s a nice resort; with some renovating (upcoming) I think it will be very nice. You definitely know you’re in the city though!
Playa Mujeres – New upcoming resort area north of Cancun. There aren’t a lot of hotels there just yet, no shopping areas, restaurants, etc. Quite a few resorts are scheduled to open in the next year or so. The swimmable white sand beaches are very nice, the sea color not as spectacular as Cancun and the Riviera Maya though. It’s a quiet, attractive area, almost seems like it was carved out of the jungle. All of the resorts are set way back from the road.
Secrets Playa Mujeres – We really liked this adult-only resort; food was very good; service excellent, grounds were very nice and immaculately clean. They had daily entertainment by the pool which was fun and everyone seemed to enjoy.
You can use the facilities at their sister family resort, Dreams, located next door; I say next door, but it is a bit of a hike. Continuous transportation between the two resorts is offered via golf carts. Adults staying at Dreams can use the facilities at Secrets.
Dreams is a really nice resort; the grounds are lovely! Rooms are very spacious here also. There are a lot of activities offered for adults and children. Explorer’s Club for kids 3 to 12 is open 10am to 10pm; the Core Zone Teen’s Club is open 9am to 1am.
The Delphinus Dolphin Habitat at Dreams features an interactive program allowing guests to observe dolphins up close in their natural habitat; there is a fee for this.
We were able to see the play Rock of Ages at the resort, which we really enjoyed. It is playing there until at least the end of January; that is an add’l charge also.
Guests at Secrets and Dreams have special privileges at the Playa Mujeres Golf Course, an 18 hole Greg Norman course.
Transportation is included, golf rates are reduced, concierge service is available to make reservations for you, etc. Quite often the resorts will offer a few rounds of complimentary golf.
I also took a quick tour of Beloved, Excellence, and Finest Resorts in Playa Mujeres. Beloved is a 5star boutique resort, very low key. I really liked it; only negative to me is their narrow beach. Excellence is also quite nice, only negative to me was the toilet area with see thru glass in some of the Junior Suites. Beloved and Excellence are adults-only resorts.
Finest, their family resort, was too contemporary for me; thought it was stark. On the upside, they had a great clubs and play areas for kids of all ages.
All in all I really liked the Playa Mujeres area; just hope it doesn’t get too big or busy. There’s a lot of construction going on, but somehow the noise is kept to a minimum.
Nashville TN
This was my first time to Nashville and can’t wait to go back! 4 nights was not enough with all there is to see and do.
I flew out of Boston to get non stop flights. $120 round trip – Jet Blue going and Southwest home.
I stayed at the Gaylord Opry Land Resort with Marriott Famtastic certificates. The hotel was $111 a night, plus a resort fee of $20 and then self parking of $29 per day. They do offer valet parking, which is $36 a day.
This resort has just under 3000 rooms separated into 3 different wings. Each wing has a center area that opens up to water and lots of plants, trees, and decorations. We go there in the morning so as we walked into the atriums it was beautiful. Then at night all is lit up with lights handing from the glass ceilings or spot lights in the water. I thought it was impressive during the day but the night was spectacular! The resort is a destination in itself!
They were getting ready for their Christmas spectacular which starts on November 11 through January 3rd so they had started to decorate. Next time I want to go back to see this!!!
They offer rooms that face the atrium and then standard rooms that face the parking lots or Opry Mills. We had a standard king bedded room that was definitely over sized! The bathroom has a huge walk in shower, and a second sink outside the bathroom.
The resort has live music in the lobby every night from 4pm – 6pm.
The concierge can get tickets to shows that are sold out. We got tickets to a show at the Ryman Auditorium 5 rows from the stage less than 24 hours before the show!!!
Check in can be delayed so I would advise people of this. This is a big conference hotel as well and even though check in time is 4pm we did not get into our room until after 5pm. We checked in at 11am. Not a big deal for us because we did rent a car so we just went downtown.
The resort is about 10 minutes from the airport and about 15 – 20 from downtown Nashville.
The hotel does offer a 3 day shuttle pass to down town for $40 per person. The shuttle runs every 90 minutes from the hotel and then from 2 designated spots downtown. We did not use the shuttle because we had a car. They offer a free shuttle to Opry Mills and the Grand Ole Opry. The transfer from the airport to the hotel is $19 per person. I’m sure you can take Uber or Lyft for less.
In the fall of 2018 the resort will be opening a new wing with a BIG water park. It will be called Soundwaves. It will have a slide tower, a double flowrider, a wave pool, a rapid and lazy river, they will have private cabanas to rent, an adults only section and lounge, and new restaurants. They have started construction and we could see parts of it in the works.
When staying at the Opry if you show your room key you can get into Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in the Opry Mills Mall for free. This was a nice perk – cost is $20 per person to get in.
There were a few little museums near the hotel. The first one was a Dukes of Hazard museum which is free to tour. It was really well done. There have the General Lee, the tow truck, the jeep, and the police car from the show there also. They do charge you to take pictures in each of the vehicles. $5 each but you can take as many as you like with your own camera. Next to that is the Willie Nelson museum which is $7.50 per person to get into. The line was too long so we didn’t wait to go in.
Parking can be expensive in downtown if you want to park right near Broadway – which is the main strip for the attractions. If you park 2 – 3 blocks off of Broadway you can get a day pass for $20 – $30. We discover this on our 2nd to last day!
We purchased a Total Access pass which was $75 per person. We were able to pick from 4 attractions from a list of 32. This also gave us free admission to the Parthenon which is well worth the trip! The 4 we picked were, The Country Music Hall of Fame – you can go in and out all day until they close at 5pm, Ryman Auditorium tour, the Hop on and Hop off bus which was good for 2 days and made 15 stops, and the last thing we picked was the boat ride through our resort. Some of the options I would suggest making reservations for. We wanted to tour the Grand Ole Opry but buy the time we got there all the tours were sold out.
One of the stops on the hop on and off is at the Marathon Motor Works. This is the furthest point on the tour and outside the city. You can spend a few hours here. There is a vineyard, a brewery, a whiskey distillery, an antique shop owned by American pickers, some history of older cars, shops, and a candy store. Well worth getting off! There were a few other stops on the route that are free to visit but we just didn’t have time to get off at but will definitely will next time.
Broadway is the main strip in downtown; this is where 95% of the restaurants, bars and shops are. There is live entertainment morning, noon, and night. I have to tell you some of these bands and singers are so good I have no idea why they aren’t making records. 50% of these restaurants/bars are 2 – 3 indoor floors with a different singer or band on each floor and the there is a roof top bar with another set of entertainers. AMAZING view at night from the top floor of these bars!!!
We wanted to tour the Jack Daniels Distillery which is about an hour and 15 minutes from the downtown area. You can take this tour with a whiskey tasting or just the tour itself so it’s good for all ages. We drove all the way there to have the tours sold out also. The tour is an hour and ½ so call ahead before you make the drive or go first thing in the morning before all the crowds get there. Also be sure there isn’t an event going on. There was an international BBQ event going on which of course made getting in and out of there even worse.
Nashville was a wonderful trip but like I mentioned we didn’t have enough time. This destination can be for couples, families, or groups. I would suggest at least 5 – 6 nights or a shorter stay if your clients plan to go back.
Keep in mind when booking clients there is a LOT of walking on a trip like this. We love to walk so it wasn’t a big deal for us.
If you have any questions or need any tips let me know. I also have TON of pictures of the resort, downtown, and the attractions we visited.
FAM REPORT..Aug 22-30 2017. Viking River Cruises..Trip Avignon to Lyon
Some notes. Had a standard category E window cabin. Very small would not recommend that for clients. Food was excellent. Ship was beautiful. Very sleek and clean. Staff very friendly mainly from Eastern Europe/Ukraine/Russia. Touring and logistics of everything is very well organized. No issues at all. Weather was a bit warm..average of 92 degrees everyday.
Aug 22- Departed out of Boston on Delta via Amsterdam to Marseilles. Arrived on the 23rd approximately at 11am. Was met by Viking representatives in baggage claim and escorted to beautiful Mercedes coaches for the 1 hour ride to Avignon. Boarded the Viking Longshop Delling.
Aug 24- Participated in the Viking included tour which was a walking tour of Arles. Guide was excellent.
Aug 25-Participated in a full day optional walking tour in Avignon that included tasting various culinary specialties. Cheese, Olives, Biscuits. Then participated in a cooking class in a private residence. There were only 10 people it was fantastic
Aug 26- Vivers. Participated in a full day optional tour going to a Lavender Farm, the Ardeche Gorge (which is known as the grand canyon of france) and a castle. Guide was excellent.
Aug 27- Tounon. Particpated in the the included walking tour of the town and then the included steam train ride in the mountains. Very enjoyable.
Aug 28- Lyon. Included wine country tour to the Beaujolais region. Had a tasting at a local small vineyard. The vineyard was a family owned business passed down from generations. 4 hour excursion
Aug 29- Lyon. Walking tour of Lyon included excursion. This included the Basilica and walking around the old town. 3 hour excursion
Aug 30- Departed Lyon for home. Air France Lyon to Paris and then Paris to Boston. Would highly recommend at least a 2 hour layover in Paris. The connection would have been difficult with less than that amount of time.
Celebrity Silhouette
12 day Baltic Cruise
May 5-19, 2017
This was my first Celebrity Cruise and I am confident in saying that it was one of the best. The ship itself was absolutely beautiful, with a lot of attention to detail and a feeling of openness. All of the crew was outstanding, and always had a smile on their faces. We stayed in a balcony cabin and I have to say that it was very roomy and the balcony was larger than other ships that I have been on.
There are several specialty dining restaurants on board that are definitely worth the extra fee. We went to the Tuscan Grill, Lawn club, Qsine, and Murano’s where you can experience lobster that is prepared table side by your server.
There are a lot of things to do on board, you can play bocce ball on the Lawn at the Lawn Club, Celebrity ilounge, the Aqua Spa, or go to the Martini Bar like we did every night. Excellent shows, karaoke, bingo, silent disco, casino, a hideaway where you can just chill from the world and totally unplug. You can really be as busy as you want to be or hide out in the library.
The ports of call that we visited on this cruise were Warnemunde, Tallin, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Copenhagen and it was round trip from Amsterdam.
Amsterdam– We decided to go in a day early so that we could visit the Keukenhof Gardens because they are only open for 6 weeks and we happen to catch it in the middle. The gardens are so beautiful and they are a must see.
Warnemunde (Berlin)- Is actually a small port village where you can take a bus to Berlin which takes 3 hours each way. We decided not to go with the ships shore excursion and went with SPB Tour instead because the groups were a lot smaller and less expensive. We also used them for St. Petersburg for the same reason.
We had about 17 in our group and we had a wonderful tour guide Jim who was from Minnesota.
The sites that we visited were Olympic Stadium, victory column, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial, Site of Hitlor’s Bunker, Berlin Wall, Potsdamer Platz (lunch German Sausages), Gendarmenmarkt, and Check Point Charlie.
All in all it was a long day but well worth it.
Tallin– This is a charming little city, with cobble stoned streets and unusual buildings. The ship docks about 20 minute walk from the city center or you can by a shuttle ticket from the ship. They had extensive array of souvenir stalls and hand made items that you could at a very good price. It’s good to make your way up toward the fort and the Russian Church for a wonderful view of the town.
St. Petersburg– Again we used SPB Tours and we had a wonderful and brilliant tour guide named Maria. We had 2 wonderful sunny days but windy, which is unusual because they only have 50 sunny days out of the year.
The sites that we visited were Peterhof’s Palace, Winter Palace, Hermitage, Isaac’s Cathedral, Church of Spilled Blood, Catherine’s Summer Palace, Winter Palace, and we also visited the subway, had 2 Russian lunches and 2 canal boat rides. It was a long 2 days but absolutely worth it!
Helsinki– We decided to use the ships shuttle into town and we were surprised how much we liked Helsinki. We just walked around near the main harbor area and park. We worked our way to the outdoor market and stopped for an ice cream at one of the outdoor food stalls… neat little city.
Stockholm– The approach to Stockholm, as the ship sails through hundreds of small islands for 4 hours, is spectacular, so make sure you’re up on the observations deck, or balcony at least an hour before the ship is due to dock. Again we decided to take the shuttle and walk around Old Town which was a great place to sightsee and people watch, we also went to the Royal Palace.
Copenhagen- We had a complimentary excursion with Distinctive Voyages by Travel Leaders for 3 hours. The tour consisted of the Little Mermaid and a Canal boat ride through the city. I wished that we had enough time to visit Tivoli Gardens but maybe next time.
All in all we had a wonderful time and I can’t wait to go on another Celebrity cruise again.
Kris Levy
East Greenwich
I was invited to do a Danube River Cruise on the Monarch Empress, a brand new Gate 1 vessel.
Truthfully, my expectations were not high because it was Gate I , but I was pleasantly surprised.
The Empress went into service in March of this year. The maximum capacity is 144 passengers, the vessel has 72
spacious outside cabins, 58 with a French Balcony. The bathrooms were a good size w/a large walk-in shower.
The food was very good; breakfast was a buffet, lunch and dinner were a la carte w/an optional buffet. Dinner
consisted of 4 or 5 courses, not huge courses, just enough to fill you comfortably. The servers were always willing
to accommodate you w/an add’l entrée should you want to sample something else.
It was smooth sailing all the way. The journey took us thru 16 locks, which was very interesting to experience.
We cruised from Regensburg, Germany to Budapest, Hungary, stopping at the ports of Passau, Melk and Vienna in Austria, and Bratislava in Slovakia.
Daily shore excursions were we conducted by conducted by very knowledgeable, English speaking guides. After the tours we were given ample time to explore the cities on our own.
The only city we could not access by foot from the vessel was Vienna. It was a good 20 minute ride from the river to the downtown area. I did find that disappointing.
We did experience high water levels at points, prompting the vessel to depart earlier than scheduled from one port. Fortunately it was not high enough to force us to do a cruise/bus tour as others have been had to do!
One thing I was not aware of before this cruise was the rafting of vessels. The rivers are so saturated w/vessels that they line them up very closely and passengers pass thru the other vessels lobbies to get to shore. The negative is the loss of light and privacy. You could reach out from your balcony and touch the vessel next to you.
All in all, it was a great trip! From feasting on bratwurst and beer in Germany’s oldest restaurant, to enjoying a concert featuring the world’s largest church organ (17,774 pipes!) to a classical Viennese concert, to strolling along the cobblestone streets of beautiful Bratislava, ending in the fascinating city of Budapest; it was a wonderful experience!