So many places I have been...so many more to go

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Hi there friends...I haven't written to you in such a long time. I will start with the most recent trip. I just came back from a trip to Paradisus Esmeralda/La Perla in Riviera Maya section of Cancun. Close to Playa del Carmen..these resorts are connected by a walkway..one side anyone the other side adults only. Very interested way of staying at one and using restaurants of both. The walkway is where all of the restaurants lie. FABULOUS food...Amazing pools..Love the beach...and Paella at lunch. This was an eat-a-thon.
Now let me tell you about their mexican restaurant Mole....Holy Moly....amazing wonderful and all that..
This is a great place to have a destination wedding even with kids. Close to town and shopping..and the eco parks are a must to see.
We went to XELHA....about 20 minutes south of playa del Carmen. The newest one is XPLOR...north of playa del carmen with about 20 zip lines and an underground grotto to snorkel in.
$79 per person is cheap for a fun day away from the resort.
OK...Now...for the real deal.....
CANCUN IS SAFE. Don't let anything anyone says. It is safe.. You can take the bus..You can walk..you can shop. you can do anything. IT IS SAFE.
We went from Riviera Maya to Cancun a few times... safety was not an issue.
One night dinner at the adult south beach style ME resort, dining in the brazilian restaurant...Meat , meat and more meat..
The next night on the golf course at Gran Melia.
Just a fabulous trip and I encourage you to travel to Melia resorts all  over the world.
And don't  forget to use a travel agent. We are knowledgeable. We don't take your money. We get you the best prices. We know what's the best vacation for you.









We are not just order takers.

The RETURN of the travel agent

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"THESE ARE NOT MY WORDS...BUT HOW TRUE THIS IS:

Last year, a good friend took an international trip with a two-stop flight itinerary. Afterwards, he reflected on how beat up he felt when it was over: "Adding that third airport into the mix seemed to add a ton of extra travel this year; it was rough."


I asked how he booked the flights. He said that he'd used one of the big travel booking sites, and that the itinerary he purchased was the best combination of duration, flight times and price he could find. My response: "Next time, call my travel agent first. You'll feel a lot better when it's all over."

The following year, he did just that, and the agent came up with options that he could never have found himself using a single booking site -- specifically, a short and affordable Southwest flight that put him in an airport with countless options for direct flights to his final destination. What would have been another expensive, six-flight endurance test was replaced by a far less demanding trip.

I use my travel agent on about 50 percent of all my trips, so when CNN marvels that travel agents may be making a comeback, I have to agree.

the Return of the Travel Agent

Why now? Personally, I've found that the likelihood of using a travel agent increases in direct proportion to the abundance and complexity of travel options you can find on the Internet. Many travelers are discovering the following:

In offering more options and amenities, online travel sites have actually made it more confusing to figure out what they are selling, not less so.

the explosion of restrictions and fees -- many of which are not obvious to the casual travel buyer -- further muddies understanding of the bottom line on any itinerary.

The absence of a number of popular airlines from major booking engines -- the juggernaut Southwest being the most glaring -- eliminates what could well turn out to be a specific traveler's absolute best itinerary.
The big online travel sites got too smart for their own good; by tidying up and repackaging all the data each according to their own assumptions about travel purchasing, they show us what they think we want to see, but not always what we really want to see. That is, by becoming "online travel agents," rather than mere booking sites, they end up in competition with real travel agents, who can usually do the work better than computers can.

Despite being "smarter" and more comprehensive than ever, the typical travel booking experience has way too many dead ends. Whether it be the inability to get seats together, or disappearing fare sales, or the inability to lock in a fare for a short time, booking online is like being trapped inside a bad video game with countless trapdoors and false exits.

Poll: Do You Use a Travel Agent?

And my number one reason to use a travel agent: the reduction in flight capacity by the airlines has resulted in significantly more full flights on the routes I fly. At the same time, the booking sites have gotten only marginally better at offering seat choices and at seating companions together. Just try to book your family on a multi-flight trip and you'll see what I mean. Travel agents can hack their way through all this stuff.
It has gotten to the point that many travelers truly dread the moment they have to sit down at the computer to research travel. Seems like a good time to call in a pro, no?

If this describes you, or even just your next trip, here are some tips and guidelines for choosing, communicating with and evaluating a travel agent. For more info, including how to find an agent, when to use a professional and when to do it yourself, and some potential conflicts of interest to consider, see How to Find the Right Travel Agent.

9 Tips for Insanely Busy Travelers

Is the travel agent open to suggestions from you, the customer? For example, if you go out and find a decent fare and flight combination, but for whatever reason want some of the services a travel agent can provide, does he check into the flight you suggested or simply ignore your input?
Is there a 24-hour solution line you can call if you get in a jam? For example, say you're flying on a Sunday night red-eye from west to east, and your flight is delayed or canceled. Is there someone you can call at 10:30 p.m. to try to get you on the best next flight, or at the very least into a convenient and affordable hotel?
We are available to you.


We will come up with something better and more affordable than you ever could have, fulfilling our guidelines in every respect.

WE DO NOT CHARGE EXTRA

Airline prices

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Has anyone stopped and actually taken a look at airline prices.
First..airlines are declaring bankrupcy and merging left and right.
They they are eliminating entire travel routes.
They are not accommodating the passengers left behind scrambling for new flights.
So..Mexico wants everyone to come to see the new Mexico..but how do we get there?
There should be a general strike by passengers...tell the airlines that they will not stand for $700 prices to the Caribbean and mexico.
This makes a problem for everyone..
Join me..Customers call us and say...why is it so expensive...its the airlines..I didn't do it.. I don't want to do it..

Contact me at A Time to Travel
trvllsue@aol.com
atimetotravel.net

Sandals..weddings your way

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Well...another month goes by and I bet you forgot about me. Well here I am back stronger and better and here to blog as much as I can.
I traveled last week to NYC's Grand Central Station for Sandals Wedding Unpackaged. Gordon "Butch" Stewart, chairman of Sandals Resorts unveiled how Sandals is revolutionizing the destination wedding experience.
I had the priviledge of meeting Randy Fenoli, of Say Yes to the Dress as he hosted this event.

Your Wedding, Your Way. No Problem, Man!

You can now book any type of wedding using any color scheme. You are not limited as you were before. Brides ...take advantage of this innovation in the wedding industry.

Travel professionals are coming back

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Customers who left their travel agents in favor of budget websites such as Travelocity or Kayak are coming back."Travelers want to have the people they can call and say, 'I'm at the hotel, my room is not good, what do I do?' They want to have a person who help them out."



And it's no wonder. Flying has become more complicated, hotels more competitive, and the best deals and perks increasingly harder to find.
Ask a travel agent..they will get the best deals for you!!!
NO FEES attached.
Have a trip in mind? No matter your tastes, there's a travel agent who caters to them.


According to the American Society of Travel Agents, travel agents still book 85% of all cruises, 70% of all tours and packages, 50% of all airline tickets, 30% of all hotels and 25% of all car rentals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are 63,500 travel agents in the U.S., many of whom specialize in niche areas of travel.
Many believed that travel portals would wipe out travel agents. Yet that hasn't happened: Agents booked $95 billion in travel sales in 2011 -- approximately one-third of the overall $284 billion U.S. travel industry.
Most of those bookings were for corporate clients; agencies specializing in business travel recovered more quickly from the recession than those focusing on leisure travel.



But leisure travel is also making a comeback, and individuals and families are seeking the same level of service as their corporate counterparts.

We are MEMBERS of ASTA

Florida Sellers of Travel


A Time to Travel



Chairman's Royal Club Charter Member


Best of the Best, Preferred Sandals Specialist


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atimetotravel.net
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call Sue  800 551 5118

Mammoth Sound & Vision Welcomes New York Visitors to SHI's Cloud

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Burbank, CA, USA (September 27, 2012) -- SHI International Corp. is going back to the future with its imaginative New York City Briefing Center, recently unveiled in the heart of Manhattan at 1 Penn Plaza. The Briefing Center’s focal point is a 3D animated tour of SHI’s innovative cloud architecture woven through the history of computing beginning with the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Produced by George Johnsen, founder of Mammoth Sound & Vision, this 22-minute video presentation provides an immersive and engaging “edu-tainment” experience, offering clients and partners a rare look inside SHI’s next-generation data center and cloud solutions. This sci-fi journey is led by SHI’s cloud computing mascot, HA-NA, also created by Johnsen. She provides the voice of the customer and she ultimately points them to the best fit for their organization’s cloud computing needs.

“One of the main things that we wanted to do here is to create a memorable experience,” stated Henry Fastert, Chief Techologist, SHI International Corp. “We also wanted to create a very positive view of the future. The cloud has created so much change in such a short period of time that people are very concerned about how it all impacts their companies and their careers. So we went back to a period of time – between 1955 and 1965 – where the future was viewed as a completely positive thing – we believed it would solve all our problems and it was really something that we all looked forward to.”

“Our plan was to meet Henry’s vision,” said Johnsen. “It’s our first briefing center, and it’s been a pleasure and a challenge to put a theme park in an office building. This kind of experience is usually reserved for places like Disneyworld or Universal Studios, where we often work. It’s a total immersion 3D film that puts the viewer in the middle of the cloud technology that SHI has developed. We looked backwards to look forward to a time where the future was really, really cool and took it from there.”
The Briefing Center is a futuristic office that delivers an interactive experience to give visitors a comprehensive view of SHI’s innovative cloud services, technologies, and capabilities. Designed in conjunction with Spin Design, the 5000 square foot center features bright white walls reminiscent of “2001: A Space Odyssey” and automatic glass doors that can transition from clear to opaque and even display images.

About Mammoth Sound & Vision
Mammoth Sound & Vision is a multi-continent production company based in Burbank, California, specializing in animation, visual effects, audio and video post-production, interactive programming and 3D stereoscopic production. Founded by digital pioneer George Johnsen, Mammoth SAV is on the leading edge of creating award-winning productions for themed entertainment and live venues as well as film and television. More information is available at http://www.mammothsav.com.

About SHI
Founded in 1989, SHI International Corp. is a $4 billion+ global provider of technology products and services. Driven by the industry's most experienced and stable sales force and backed by software volume licensing experts, hardware procurement specialists, and certified IT services professionals, SHI delivers custom IT solutions to Corporate, Enterprise, Public Sector, and Academic customers. With over 1,900 employees worldwide, SHI is the largest Minority and Woman Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) in the U.S. and is ranked 18th among Everything Channel's VAR 500 list of North American IT solution providers. For more information, visit http://www.shi.com.

Molly Deese Named VP and General Manager of Wild Adventures

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Valdosta, GA, USA -- Wild Adventures Theme Park (WA) has  named Molly Deese the park’s new vice president and general manager. Deese was previously WA’s operations director, joining the South Georgia park in 2008. In her new role, Deese oversees all guest and business functions for the area’s largest theme, water and animal park including supervising more than 600 full-time and seasonal employees. She takes over immediately, just as WA is readying for its Halloween events, including the September 28 opening of the new nighttime eventTerror In The Wild. The park also plans to announce new plans for the 2013 season later this week.

“Molly was a natural choice for this position as she has such a well-rounded theme park background. Wild Adventures is the area’s number one attraction and one of the biggest employers, and Molly has always shown a commitment to creating a fun and safe family experience and equally as important, making Wild Adventures a great place to work,” said Jane Cooper, president of attractions for Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE), parent company of WA.

Deese takes over from Greg Charbeneau, who will continue to work with the HFE corporate team in Norcross, GA on other business ventures.

A nearly 20-year theme park veteran, Deese has worked with some of the industry’s most well-regarded and popular attractions including Carowinds in Charlotte, NC, and Kings Dominion in Richmond, VA. Over the course of her career, she has worked in increasingly senior roles in the food and beverage area and later in retail. Most recently, Deese worked as WA’s operations director, overseeing all of the park’s attractions, including the water park, and business operations. In her new post, she now adds oversight of marketing, entertainment, safety and finance to her responsibilities.

“I love that Wild Adventures is part of the fabric of this community. Since moving to Valdosta four years ago, I’ve met many families who ‘grew up’ with Wild Adventures and have wonderful stories to share. I’m committed to having their kids grow up with this park too, making new family memories. All of us at the park look forward to having everyone out for our Halloween fun and scares this September and October,” said Deese.

“Stay tuned for some announcements regarding new rides and new season pass benefits coming later this week,” she added.

Wild Adventures is a 170-acre theme park, water park, and animal park all in one place for less located in Valdosta, Georgia. The park features one of the largest ride collections in the South, more than 500 wild animals, Splash Island Water Park, the region’s largest water park, shows, festivals and all-star concerts. The park is owned and operated by Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE), a company specializing in family entertainment.