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Friday November 09, 2018

Editor’s Note — TRO wants to remind its Travelgram readers the articles presented here are meant to assist you in remaining informed and prepared to discuss travel news of the day with clients.


Destinations

Some of the Best Winter Travel Excursions
Winter travel means something different to everyone. Some people enjoy the snow. Others want warmth and sunshine. Below is a collection of some of the best cold and warm winter travel excursions you can pursue. If possible, try to travel in the months of January and February. With the holiday season over, prices are lower and…

Five Destinations for the Active Traveller
For some people, travelling includes the activities of touring, relaxing by the beach or hotel pool and eating to their heart’s content, but for others, travelling includes getting their heart racing and adrenaline pumping through their veins. For those that prefer to be active while travelling, a simple walk through the city or the town is not…

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Tours and Activities

Drinks With a View: Bangkok’s Stunning Rooftop Bars
Bangkok is one of the most exciting cities in the world. It can also be one of the most exhausting. A day at street level can result in a sensory overload of humid heat, horrendous traffic and assaultive smells. If a traveler is on a beer budget, they can dip into one of the ubiquitous 7-Elevens and buy a pre-moistened cloth towel in the cooler…

SeaWorld Orlando Tour Spotlights ‘Fun,’ ‘Playful,’ ‘Strong’ Dolphins
A SeaWorld Orlando tour brings visitors practically nose-to-nose with the park’s playful dolphins during a 45-minute encounter. Daniel Richardville, supervisor of Zoological at SeaWorld Orlando, said the experience is a great opportunity for guests to see “some of our rescue equipment as well as do an amazingly fun tour with some of our…

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Cruise

Eight Architectural Wonders Worth Seeing on a Danube River Cruise
The magnificent man-made delights of the Danube prove there's more to river-cruise excursions shore-side than scenic terrain and natural wonders. Here’s our pick of the river's eight most impressive architectural…

Carnival Cruise Line Announces Ship Deployments for Cruises to Alaska and Hawaii in 2020
Carnival Cruise Line has announced their cruise ship deployments for cruises to Alaska and Hawaii in 2020. Carnival is moving Carnival Legend out of Alaska and the ship will be replaced by Carnival Spirit. Cruises on Carnival Spirit to Alaska in 2020 are also now open for…

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Transportation

How Much Are You Willing to Pay for a Few Extra Inches of Legroom?
Economy seats, even for long-haul flights, are getting tighter than ever. As more airlines try to squeeze more passengers onto their planes — and then squeeze more money out of those passengers by charging for things that used to be free (like checked baggage and onboard snacks) — passengers are increasingly looking for, and willing to…

American Airlines to Allow Passengers With Nut Allergies to Board Early
American Airlines will soon allow passengers with nut allergies to board their flights early, according to Today and Fox News. The airline told the news sites in a statement that the new policy will start Dec. 12. "Customers with nut allergies who would like to board flights early to wipe down surfaces may ask to do so at the gate,” the statement…

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Lodging

Exploring the Puget Sound Region’s Unusual Airbnbs, from an Island Tree House to a Finnish-style Spa
A Hilton in Seattle feels more or less like a Hilton in Texas or a Hilton in New York, but our Airbnbs are a different story. Think: myriad tiny houses, historical exposed-brick apartments, twee Victorians and even a hobbit-hole replica. We explored three of the region's bespoke vacation…

How Do You Improve Hotel Service? Listen To Your Guests
How do you improve a hotel's service? One answer comes from a boutique property in Honolulu, appropriately called the Hotel Renew. The Hotel Renew needs a renewal, according to its management company, OLS Hotels & Resorts. During the next few months, it's transforming this 72-room property, located just a block away from Hawaii's famous…

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Other and Odd

Photos: Diwali Celebrations Around the World
For five days each autumn in the northern hemisphere (spring in the southern hemisphere) pockets of the world shine brilliantly for Diwali. The Hindu festival of light celebrates good over evil and commemorates the return of Hindu deity Rama to his birthplace after victory against the demon king Ravana. Participants light oil lamps and…

This Onesie is Designed Specifically for Travel
Deciding what to wear on a flight can be a bit of a conundrum. Jeans are too stiff, leggings are too tight and pyjamas are unacceptable in most cases. Thankfully someone has taken the hassle out of airport style with a travel onesie that features up to 15 clever design quirks, including an inflatable hood and neck pillow, a sleep mask and a zipper at the…

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Today in History

The Berlin Wall
Revolution was in the air, but this time, the sentiment was for the West. On November 9, 1989, after weeks of civil unrest, the East German government announced that its citizens could visit the West without fear of reprisal. Mass crowds of East Germans began climbing onto the…

Deck Plans

New Podcast: Avid Travel With Britton Frost

Dear Readers,

I have been working on something very special for the last few weeks. For about a year now, I have wanted to start a podcast about cruising and I am so pleased to say that has finally happened.

 

This week, my dad and I talked about our trip across Sweden aboard Juno.

  — Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »

Mike's Morning Missives

Email Marketing is Not Dead

Research has discovered that the reason some subject email lines are more effective than others is directly related to ‘utility and/or curiosity.’

Emails still play a very important role in many people’s lives, although the term “spam” is bandied about freely and directed towards a great percentage of incoming messages. It has become a daily routine to delete as many unwanted emails as possible in the least amount of time. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome may soon be over-shadowed by Delete-itis.

The fact is that many emails are important and need to be read and internalized. The accepted way to manage incoming emails is to determine as quickly as possible whether they are worth reading or deleting. This often boils down to two main criteria when interpreting the subject…

  — Travel Research Online
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Soundings

It’s Time to Sell Alaska
by Susan Schaefer
Friday November 09, 2018

It’s November, and if you live anywhere outside of Florida, you can feel Winter nipping at your nose. So, it’s time to focus sales on Alaska. I’m sure that sounds counterintuitive. The calls will start coming in soon enough asking for cruises to “somewhere warm.” In the meantime, several travel advisors are seeing an uptick in Alaska requests. For now the focus is on 2019, but the 2020 itineraries are starting to open for booking. Royal Caribbean just opened 2020 sailings and the rest of the cruise lines will be following suit over the new few weeks.

Why focus on Alaska in the Fall? First, competitive pricing for the cruises. The 2019 prices are already increasing, so getting clients to book now will lock them into…

  — Travel Research Online
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Upcoming Training Opportunities


Explore the wildlife of Patagonia with Australis on a journey to

Explore the wildlife of Patagonia with Australis on a journey to

Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 1 pm EST/10 am PST

Set sail with Australis Cruises on a journey of discovery and learn about the wildlife that inhabits this region. Find out why your nature-loving clients should consider a journey with us. Patagonia is perfect for anyone interested in seeing landscapes and habitats largely untouched by man for thousands of years. With a huge variety of birds, sea life and more this region is sure to please wildlife lovers and bird watchers alike. Australis delivers our guests to even more via the pristine and remote waterways of the Patagonian Fjords. Otherwise inaccessible by most other methods, our custom built ships are designed to navigate these areas in safety and comfort. Our all-inclusive rates include meals, open bar and excursions allowing you to get up close and personal with our landscapes with tremendous value.

Register Now ➠


Women’s and Family Journeys with Perillo's Learning Journeys

Women’s and Family Journeys with Perillo's Learning Journeys

Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 12 pm EST/9 am PST

Join Prof. Carol Dimopoulos to learn how to target the lucrative Women's and Family travel markets. Learn new ways of selling and creating your personal brand. Our Journeys of Transformation series for women features wellness, and culinary travel. Clients experience all aspects of the destinations and cultures, while enjoying options for daily learning experiences, wellness art, journaling, photography, cultural immersions, classes and “giving back” to local communities. In the same theme, Learning Journeys is proud to partner with Smithsonian Journeys for a series of family adventures. Learn about the 2019 line up as well as custom family groups.

Register Now ➠



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