Many of you are probably aware that airlines have frequent flyer programs and hotels have frequent guest programs. These programs typically offer points/miles and other amenities to customers, with the amount of benefits increasing as your level of business with that company increases.
What some may not know is that many cruise lines offer mostly similar (and in one area, better) programs to their past passengers.
Past passenger programs are similar to other frequent traveler programs in that the benefits increase the more you sail with a particular cruise line. Benefits can include special parties, bon voyage gifts, discounts on future sailings and cabin upgrades.
These programs are better than other frequent traveler programs in that the status usually stays with you, rather than expiring at the end of the year. In other words, a cruise from a few years back will usually count toward your overall total.
One thing to remember when you cruise is that, while some cruise lines automatically tally your past cruises toward their benefit program, others require that you sign-up. We recommend you always sign-up (or ensure you're already signed-up) for any program which can lead to future cruise benefits. A great travel-related services company (that would be us, Makarma Travel) would ask if you're a past passenger of a particular cruise line, apply that status to your booking, and even sign you up for the program, if necessary.
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
The latest on the changing U.S. passport requirements
As you may recall, U.S. passport requirements for travel to/from certain Caribbean countries were scheduled to change nearly a year ago. Although these changes were postponed, they're now set to be instituted in 2007. We don't know whether or not any additional delays will take place but, as before, we encourage our customers to get a U.S. passport at the earliest opportunity.
Here's the latest information we have regarding the upcoming changes in requirements related to U.S. Passports (MOST RECENT UPDATE: December 24, 2006):
As of January 23, 2007, United States Passports will be required for all U.S. citizens traveling via air from/to the United States.
As of January 1, 2008, United States Passports will be required for all U.S. citizens traveling from/to the United States via land or sea, as well as air, regardless of destination. (United States Passports are required currently for travel to many countries - please ask us for details.)
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
Here's the latest information we have regarding the upcoming changes in requirements related to U.S. Passports (MOST RECENT UPDATE: December 24, 2006):
As of January 23, 2007, United States Passports will be required for all U.S. citizens traveling via air from/to the United States.
As of January 1, 2008, United States Passports will be required for all U.S. citizens traveling from/to the United States via land or sea, as well as air, regardless of destination. (United States Passports are required currently for travel to many countries - please ask us for details.)
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
Sunday, August 27, 2006
You know you're a travel agent specializing in cruises when...
...Your meeting with the vendor is on the 3rd floor, but instead you go looking for "Deck 3."
...Instead of taking your car in for "routine maintenance", you take it in for "scheduled drydock."
...You go into a restaurant, pick up the menu, and proceed to order one appetizer, a salad, a soup, ask for the pasta entree as a side, order two additional entrees and three desserts. You think absolutely nothing of it - until the bill arrives.
...You start dancing the macarena and singing "Hot, Hot, Hot!" (at the same time, no less), while your fellow office team members stare in pained disbelief.
...Whenever you're asked to explain why you did something, your standard reply is that it's because "I'm the king of the world."
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
...Instead of taking your car in for "routine maintenance", you take it in for "scheduled drydock."
...You go into a restaurant, pick up the menu, and proceed to order one appetizer, a salad, a soup, ask for the pasta entree as a side, order two additional entrees and three desserts. You think absolutely nothing of it - until the bill arrives.
...You start dancing the macarena and singing "Hot, Hot, Hot!" (at the same time, no less), while your fellow office team members stare in pained disbelief.
...Whenever you're asked to explain why you did something, your standard reply is that it's because "I'm the king of the world."
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
Sunday, July 09, 2006
We highly recommend......
......Fodor's "The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises"
We've previously mentioned a good source to purchase travel books, and we've been a firm believer that anyone planning a trip should learn as much as they can about the itinerary. (That would be in addition, of course, to choosing a terrific travel-related services company!)
We (Makarma Travel) buy a lot of travel books. Oftentimes, we'll buy the same book each time a new edition is released. The guides serve as one source of many we use to ensure you have a terrific travel experience. A situation we find with many of the travel books, however, is that the information changes little with each "revision." Many times, it's no big deal because there's no big change. When out-of-date information keeps getting repeated, however, it could be a problem.
As you may already know, although we work with all major cruise lines, we tend to favor Carnival Cruise Lines. (Is this a surprise, or are you reading this and saying "DUH!"?) Anyway......Most of the guides that have been around a long time will acknowledge that Carnival's food has improved over time, but they just won't go the extra step and say what Fodor's "The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises" states (and we agree):
"Carnival has the best food of the mainstream cruise lines."
We really like this book. It's a fresh read - and based on our experience - highly accurate. It covers the cruise lines and ships that ply the Caribbean, provides good information about the points of embarkation, and gives a good review of the various ports of call. It's even a good book if you're planning to cruise somewhere other than the Caribbean, as many of the ships described in the guide have sister ships sailing other waters.
You should be able to find Fodor's "The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises" at any good bookstore, although you'll probably get a better deal online. (Our website has a link to Amazon.com, which is currently selling the guide at a 32% savings.) If you buy a five-night or longer cruise from Makarma Travel, ask us, and the guide will be our treat.
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
We've previously mentioned a good source to purchase travel books, and we've been a firm believer that anyone planning a trip should learn as much as they can about the itinerary. (That would be in addition, of course, to choosing a terrific travel-related services company!)
We (Makarma Travel) buy a lot of travel books. Oftentimes, we'll buy the same book each time a new edition is released. The guides serve as one source of many we use to ensure you have a terrific travel experience. A situation we find with many of the travel books, however, is that the information changes little with each "revision." Many times, it's no big deal because there's no big change. When out-of-date information keeps getting repeated, however, it could be a problem.
As you may already know, although we work with all major cruise lines, we tend to favor Carnival Cruise Lines. (Is this a surprise, or are you reading this and saying "DUH!"?) Anyway......Most of the guides that have been around a long time will acknowledge that Carnival's food has improved over time, but they just won't go the extra step and say what Fodor's "The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises" states (and we agree):
"Carnival has the best food of the mainstream cruise lines."
We really like this book. It's a fresh read - and based on our experience - highly accurate. It covers the cruise lines and ships that ply the Caribbean, provides good information about the points of embarkation, and gives a good review of the various ports of call. It's even a good book if you're planning to cruise somewhere other than the Caribbean, as many of the ships described in the guide have sister ships sailing other waters.
You should be able to find Fodor's "The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises" at any good bookstore, although you'll probably get a better deal online. (Our website has a link to Amazon.com, which is currently selling the guide at a 32% savings.) If you buy a five-night or longer cruise from Makarma Travel, ask us, and the guide will be our treat.
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
Sunday, June 11, 2006
ALL ABOARD......the cruise ship
Mr. Makarma recently had the pleasure of sailing with a group we arranged for a three-night cruise. The one thing which constantly thrills us is how cruising is truly becoming a vacation for all ages and all backgrounds. The folks on this group were both young, and not as young. Some were married with children, others were still in school. Some had cruised before, while others were first-timers. Yet, everyone immediately made themselves at home, and quickly decided on which of the many activities onboard they'd participate in. Whether enjoying the shows, hanging out at the piano bar, catching some sun, getting a workout - there was something for all.
Everyone's reaction at the end of the cruise? Mr. Makarma, start planning the next one.
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
Everyone's reaction at the end of the cruise? Mr. Makarma, start planning the next one.
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
Sunday, April 23, 2006
The one, the only, the word for Travel
The Makarma Travel team is extremely proud that it can assist you with all your travel needs. As a result, we're also very pleased to introduce our new promotional campaign. Simply stated:
" There's only one word for Travel.........MAKARMA !!! "
Sure that's a marketing tagline, but like everything else we do, there's some meaning there. We're not going to make you run all around town (or all around the Internet) in your efforts to plan your next vacation. Do you need an airline ticket to get to your vacation destination? We'll take car of that. Do you need a rental car once you get to that destination? We'll take care of that too. Would you like to purchase travel insurance? Easy. Wait, how do you get to the airport in the first place? Arranged.
So while much of the travel industry changes to the point where you need to go one place for something, and yet another place for something else, Makarma Travel will change too. For the better. Much better.
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
" There's only one word for Travel.........MAKARMA !!! "
Sure that's a marketing tagline, but like everything else we do, there's some meaning there. We're not going to make you run all around town (or all around the Internet) in your efforts to plan your next vacation. Do you need an airline ticket to get to your vacation destination? We'll take car of that. Do you need a rental car once you get to that destination? We'll take care of that too. Would you like to purchase travel insurance? Easy. Wait, how do you get to the airport in the first place? Arranged.
So while much of the travel industry changes to the point where you need to go one place for something, and yet another place for something else, Makarma Travel will change too. For the better. Much better.
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Didn't I see that place in......??????
People travel for all sorts of reasons. Some travel for cultural enrichment. Others travel to visit relatives. Some travel to "get away from it all." Others travel to finally see the places they've read about, or see in the movies or on television.
It's this latter reason to travel that can be both awe inspiring and a lot of fun. The famous cities of Europe are truly amazing. It's a lot of fun, though, to point out some of the locations from the movie "Sideways."
There'll always be those challenges, of course. While Mr. Makarma can show you exactly where the Montecito Hotel in Las Vegas would be located (if there was a Montecito Hotel in Las Vegas), he still can't explain why Big Ed's office has the view that it does.
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
It's this latter reason to travel that can be both awe inspiring and a lot of fun. The famous cities of Europe are truly amazing. It's a lot of fun, though, to point out some of the locations from the movie "Sideways."
There'll always be those challenges, of course. While Mr. Makarma can show you exactly where the Montecito Hotel in Las Vegas would be located (if there was a Montecito Hotel in Las Vegas), he still can't explain why Big Ed's office has the view that it does.
Return to Makarma Travel Home Page: www.makarmatravel.com
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