Traveling CareGivers

Archive for the ‘Travel News’ Category

Travel Companion Makes Family Reunion Possible

It was a beautiful spring day in April when Evelyn and her paid Travel Companion CareGiver boarded the airport shuttle going from Burbank CA to John Day OR. This would be a trip to remember. Evelyn 95 was on her way to reunite with her brother Howard 93 in Oregon.

Evelyn and Howard are the only two remaining of five brothers and sisters who grew up on a small farm in Missouri and then migrated to California and Oregon in the 1940s. It had been several years since the two had spent any time together.

The flight to Boise ID went smoothly as the Travel Companion had booked an easy connection and had arranged for a wheel chair and priority boarding for each flight segment. Her Travel Companion Pam easily handled the checked baggage and arranged for transportation from Boise airport to John Day OR, about a 3 hour ride. Once checked into a hotel in John Day, Pam and Evelyn went to the ranch to reunite with Howard.

Gary, Brian, Ron, and Donna had also come to join in the reunion. Howard and Evelyn were so excited to see each other they lost no time in catching up. Ron and Donna prepared dinner “Missouri” style setting the stage for hours of conversation about the old days.

For the next three days, Evelyn and Howard talked for hours, never seeming to run out of stories. They talked, fished in the pond (Evelyn caught the most fish for dinner), looked through scrap books, enjoyed Howard’s birthday party and just relished the time together.

Pam, Evelyn’s Travel Companion not only assisted all along the way making the trip possible, but continually made the extra effort insuring that Evelyn was well attended and cared for. Aside from the travel, Pam helped with meals, baited hooks for fishing, helped organize scrapbooks and took pictures. Pam also stayed with Evelyn in the hotel to be sure she was well taken care of and safe.

When it was time for the flight home, Evelyn and her travel companion boarded Southwest flight 405 to Oakland CA to connect to Burbank CA. The usual wheel chair and priority boarding were arranged and the boarding went well.

After about 30 minutes in the air, the pilot announced that there was a warning light in the cockpit and we were going to return to Boise to have it fixed. When it was discovered that the delay would be lengthly, the airline had everyone get off and wait for another plane. Evelyn was assisted off the plane and the situation explained to her. The Travel Companion again handled everything; explaining the situation to Evelyn, rebooking the connecting flight for Oakland, assuring priority boarding again, and handling snacks and drinks. Thankfully the flights home were uneventful and went smoothly.

We are reminded constantly how precious friends and family are to our well being. Seniors frequently let life close in on them because maintaining contact with loved ones who live far away becomes too difficult. Unfortunately, travel is one of the first things that can drop out of the life of our seniors. Travel Companions are a way for seniors to keep the lifestyle they love and maintain contact with friends and family.

Evelyn and Howard had a few wonderful days together and now have more memories to last a life time. At the last dinner in Oregon, plans were already started to have the next family reunion.

One company specializing in Travel Companions is Care-To-Go. For information on scheduling your Travel Companion visit CareToGoTravel.com

Cruising has always been a favorite vacation especially among seniors. A lot of cruise ship companies start Caribbean trips in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, Pureto Rico. To date Miami has been the largest. Now it looks like Ft Lauderdale may take over the top rank.

Travel Companions from Care-To-Go have started trips at all three and have noted that Ft. Lauderdale is easier to access. Miami may be bigger with more flights and San Juan will start you a day further along on your trip, but Ft. Lauderdale remains our favorite. When Carnival launched their “largest ship in the world” it was staged from Ft. Lauderdale.

The following article appeared in Travel Weekly.

Also see Cruise Discounts Now at CareToGoTravel.com

Cruise Capital Miami Could Lose That Crown To Fort Lauderdale

By: Johanna Jainchill June 15, 2010

Could Miami, the indisputable "cruise capital of the world" since Ted Arison launched Carnival Cruise Lines from the port in 1972, soon find itself losing that title to a city better known for yachting and spring breakers?

Slowly but surely, Fort Lauderdale has been luring the cruise industry’s newest and largest ships to its Port Everglades, 23 miles up the coast from Miami.
Royal Caribbean International picked Port Everglades to homeport its 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, as well as its sister ship, the Allure of the Seas, which is scheduled to arrive in November.
Combined, the two ships will bring about 1.2 million cruise passengers to Fort Lauderdale annually.
Next year, Miami will lose its current largest cruise ship to Port Everglades when Royal Caribbean’s 3,600-passenger Liberty of the Seas heads north.
Royal Caribbean’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., also chose Fort Lauderdale’s port for Celebrity Cruises’ first two 2,850-passenger Solstice-class ships, the Solstice and the Equinox.
In the meantime, the brands of Carnival Corp. recently guaranteed Port Everglades that they would bring 25.5 million cruise passengers to and from Fort Lauderdale over the next 15 years if the port made significant improvements to its four existing cruise terminals.
Port Everglades was happy to oblige, just as it eagerly invested $75 million in building what is now the world’s largest cruise terminal, Terminal 18, to accommodate the Oasis, in exchange for guarantees that Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Club Cruises would be tenants for at least 10 years.
All this from a port that didn’t begin hosting major cruise ships until the 1990s.
According to the Florida Ports Council, by 2013 Port Everglades and the Port of Miami will be tied at 4.3 million cruise passengers each. (Click on the chart for a view of cruise passengers at each port.)
Port Everglades, however, believes that its long-term contracts with RCCL and Carnival Corp. will enable it to surpass Miami sometime in 2012, once the Allure has been sailing at capacity for a full year.
"It’s the case of the tortoise about to beat the hare," said Stewart Chiron, CEO of Miami-based CruiseGuy.com.
Allen, who took his position in 2005, noted that the trend is clearly in his port’s direction. Between 2006 and 2010, he noted, Port Everglades captured 70% of the growth in the Caribbean cruise market out of South Florida.
Last year, Port Everglades saw its number of multiday cruise passengers increase by 200,000, and that was before the Oasis launched service. "The new ships are coming here," Allen said.
To his point, besides the Oasis-class, the two Solstice-class ships, the new Seabourn Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships and the Ruby Princess all launched service from Port Everglades.
When it arrives this month to launch Caribbean service, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Epic will be the first new class of cruise ship since Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas to be introduced in Miami. It will be joined by the third Solstice-class ship, the Eclipse, next winter. But neither is staying year-round.
And when the Liberty of the Seas leaves Miami, Royal Caribbean might not be launching a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean from Miami for the first time in 40 years.
Miami’s port director, Bill Johnson, dismissed such concerns, saying, "Cruise capital of the world" is a "tired title," even though the slogan appears on his port’s website.
"The Port of Miami is doing quite well," he said. "We have the three major cruise lines and are doing 1 million passengers with each of them. Those are significant numbers that no other port can boast. We are the world leader and always have been."
Johnson acknowledged that Port Everglades’ getting the Oasis ships was a "game-changer" but said that Miami was still No. 1, pointing to the record-breaking 4.1 million passengers who passed through the port last year. In contrast, Port Everglades said that in 2009 it got 3.4 million cruise passengers, pre-Oasis.
"Competition is good," Johnson said. "If Port Everglades is successful, South Florida is successful. If they are able to grow, I’m able to grow."
Maybe so, but Port Everglades is clearly growing at a faster rate than Miami is.
Johnson said that cruise traffic at his port has been "steady." But it has remained steady as the industry has grown rapidly.
The cruise industry introduced 14 new ships in 2009, none of which debuted in the "cruise capital of the world."
Chiron, of CruiseGuy.com, said that Miami’s inability to capture that market share has hurt the local economy.
"Miami has continued to lose ground to Everglades over the years, with no response," he said.
It was the Oasis that seriously tipped momentum to Port Everglades. An economic impact study found that within five years, an estimated 8,012 jobs would be produced by the project, generating $356.5 million in personal income and $32.8 million in state and local taxes.
"When you have two ships with $3 billion of corporate investment, adding 6,000 passengers twice a week to the Caribbean market, you are significantly impacting the marketplace," Port Everglades’ Allen said. "When you have that kind of investment, you want to put it in a location capable of handling the vessels."
The Oasis was the first ship Royal Caribbean introduced at a port outside Miami, even though RCCL Chairman Richard Fain has famously said that he likes to look out his Miami window and see his ships docked at the port.
One reason Miami didn’t get the Oasis was space. Port Everglades offered to build a new terminal, while Miami was only able to refurbish existing terminals.
"A challenge for the Port of Miami is that it’s a landlocked port," said Mark Ittel, vice president of ports and maritime for Bermello Ajamil and Partners, a cruise terminal design firm based in Miami. The company works with both ports. "It has very little room for expansion. Port Everglades has the room now."
Royal Caribbean’s vice president of port operations, Juan Trescastro, concurred.
"At end of the day, the best financial deal for us was the Port Everglades deal," he said. "Miami would have done a fine job, but the thought of having a brand-new terminal with all the new bells and whistles was the icing on the cake."
Trescastro added that the new terminal enabled Port Everglades to introduce passenger-flow concepts that proved to be an essential part of the Oasis experience.
"Our mantra became, how could we be as innovative on the landside as we were on the shipside?" he said. "We are driving innovation and changes in the way we process our guests prior to getting on the ship."
For cruise lines, the overall balance of port capacity is a good thing.
"They need both of these ports to be successful in order for the cruise industry to thrive," Ittel said. "They want to see them both competing."
That competition means better port facilities. The financial benefit that cruise ships can bring to a port means improved facilities around the world.
"The ports have started to realize that if they have better infrastructure and do certain things, the ships will come," Trescastro said. "In the past … we were more of a nuisance than a benefit. Now, they realize the true economic benefit of the cruise industry to the destination."
Miami has learned that lesson. Only three years ago, former Carnival Cruise Lines CEO Bob Dickinson publicly called Miami a "third-world" port.
Johnson had only recently taken his post at the time, and since then the port has invested $100 million in its Carnival facilities and has spent $17 million to refurbish the terminal for the Norwegian Epic.
"All ports want bragging rights: the name of the newest ship or the size of a ship," Johnson said.
"But if you want to retain market share, you have to focus on the basics. At the Port of Miami we have a sound business model, and we are focused on service to the lines and the passengers."
This report appeared in the June 14 issue of Travel Weekly.

Cruising has always been a favorite vacation especially among seniors. A lot of cruise ship companies start Caribbean trips in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, Pureto Rico. To date Miami has been the largest. Now it looks like Ft Lauderdale may take over the top rank.

Travel Companions from Care-To-Go have started trips at all three and have noted that Ft. Lauderdale is easier to access. Miami may be bigger with more flights and San Juan will start you a day further along on your trip, but Ft. Lauderdale remains our favorite. When Carnival launched their “largest ship in the world” it was staged from Ft. Lauderdale.

The following article appeared in Travel Weekly.

Cruise Capital Miami Could Lose That Crown To Fort Lauderdale

By: Johanna Jainchill June 15, 2010

Could Miami, the indisputable "cruise capital of the world" since Ted Arison launched Carnival Cruise Lines from the port in 1972, soon find itself losing that title to a city better known for yachting and spring breakers?

Slowly but surely, Fort Lauderdale has been luring the cruise industry’s newest and largest ships to its Port Everglades, 23 miles up the coast from Miami.
Royal Caribbean International picked Port Everglades to homeport its 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, as well as its sister ship, the Allure of the Seas, which is scheduled to arrive in November.
Combined, the two ships will bring about 1.2 million cruise passengers to Fort Lauderdale annually.
Next year, Miami will lose its current largest cruise ship to Port Everglades when Royal Caribbean’s 3,600-passenger Liberty of the Seas heads north.
Royal Caribbean’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., also chose Fort Lauderdale’s port for Celebrity Cruises’ first two 2,850-passenger Solstice-class ships, the Solstice and the Equinox.
In the meantime, the brands of Carnival Corp. recently guaranteed Port Everglades that they would bring 25.5 million cruise passengers to and from Fort Lauderdale over the next 15 years if the port made significant improvements to its four existing cruise terminals.
Port Everglades was happy to oblige, just as it eagerly invested $75 million in building what is now the world’s largest cruise terminal, Terminal 18, to accommodate the Oasis, in exchange for guarantees that Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Club Cruises would be tenants for at least 10 years.
All this from a port that didn’t begin hosting major cruise ships until the 1990s.
According to the Florida Ports Council, by 2013 Port Everglades and the Port of Miami will be tied at 4.3 million cruise passengers each. (Click on the chart for a view of cruise passengers at each port.)
Port Everglades, however, believes that its long-term contracts with RCCL and Carnival Corp. will enable it to surpass Miami sometime in 2012, once the Allure has been sailing at capacity for a full year.
"It’s the case of the tortoise about to beat the hare," said Stewart Chiron, CEO of Miami-based CruiseGuy.com.
Allen, who took his position in 2005, noted that the trend is clearly in his port’s direction. Between 2006 and 2010, he noted, Port Everglades captured 70% of the growth in the Caribbean cruise market out of South Florida.
Last year, Port Everglades saw its number of multiday cruise passengers increase by 200,000, and that was before the Oasis launched service. "The new ships are coming here," Allen said.
To his point, besides the Oasis-class, the two Solstice-class ships, the new Seabourn Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships and the Ruby Princess all launched service from Port Everglades.
When it arrives this month to launch Caribbean service, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Epic will be the first new class of cruise ship since Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas to be introduced in Miami. It will be joined by the third Solstice-class ship, the Eclipse, next winter. But neither is staying year-round.
And when the Liberty of the Seas leaves Miami, Royal Caribbean might not be launching a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean from Miami for the first time in 40 years.
Miami’s port director, Bill Johnson, dismissed such concerns, saying, "Cruise capital of the world" is a "tired title," even though the slogan appears on his port’s website.
"The Port of Miami is doing quite well," he said. "We have the three major cruise lines and are doing 1 million passengers with each of them. Those are significant numbers that no other port can boast. We are the world leader and always have been."
Johnson acknowledged that Port Everglades’ getting the Oasis ships was a "game-changer" but said that Miami was still No. 1, pointing to the record-breaking 4.1 million passengers who passed through the port last year. In contrast, Port Everglades said that in 2009 it got 3.4 million cruise passengers, pre-Oasis.
"Competition is good," Johnson said. "If Port Everglades is successful, South Florida is successful. If they are able to grow, I’m able to grow."
Maybe so, but Port Everglades is clearly growing at a faster rate than Miami is.
Johnson said that cruise traffic at his port has been "steady." But it has remained steady as the industry has grown rapidly.
The cruise industry introduced 14 new ships in 2009, none of which debuted in the "cruise capital of the world."
Chiron, of CruiseGuy.com, said that Miami’s inability to capture that market share has hurt the local economy.
"Miami has continued to lose ground to Everglades over the years, with no response," he said.
It was the Oasis that seriously tipped momentum to Port Everglades. An economic impact study found that within five years, an estimated 8,012 jobs would be produced by the project, generating $356.5 million in personal income and $32.8 million in state and local taxes.
"When you have two ships with $3 billion of corporate investment, adding 6,000 passengers twice a week to the Caribbean market, you are significantly impacting the marketplace," Port Everglades’ Allen said. "When you have that kind of investment, you want to put it in a location capable of handling the vessels."
The Oasis was the first ship Royal Caribbean introduced at a port outside Miami, even though RCCL Chairman Richard Fain has famously said that he likes to look out his Miami window and see his ships docked at the port.
One reason Miami didn’t get the Oasis was space. Port Everglades offered to build a new terminal, while Miami was only able to refurbish existing terminals.
"A challenge for the Port of Miami is that it’s a landlocked port," said Mark Ittel, vice president of ports and maritime for Bermello Ajamil and Partners, a cruise terminal design firm based in Miami. The company works with both ports. "It has very little room for expansion. Port Everglades has the room now."
Royal Caribbean’s vice president of port operations, Juan Trescastro, concurred.
"At end of the day, the best financial deal for us was the Port Everglades deal," he said. "Miami would have done a fine job, but the thought of having a brand-new terminal with all the new bells and whistles was the icing on the cake."
Trescastro added that the new terminal enabled Port Everglades to introduce passenger-flow concepts that proved to be an essential part of the Oasis experience.
"Our mantra became, how could we be as innovative on the landside as we were on the shipside?" he said. "We are driving innovation and changes in the way we process our guests prior to getting on the ship."
For cruise lines, the overall balance of port capacity is a good thing.
"They need both of these ports to be successful in order for the cruise industry to thrive," Ittel said. "They want to see them both competing."
That competition means better port facilities. The financial benefit that cruise ships can bring to a port means improved facilities around the world.
"The ports have started to realize that if they have better infrastructure and do certain things, the ships will come," Trescastro said. "In the past … we were more of a nuisance than a benefit. Now, they realize the true economic benefit of the cruise industry to the destination."
Miami has learned that lesson. Only three years ago, former Carnival Cruise Lines CEO Bob Dickinson publicly called Miami a "third-world" port.
Johnson had only recently taken his post at the time, and since then the port has invested $100 million in its Carnival facilities and has spent $17 million to refurbish the terminal for the Norwegian Epic.
"All ports want bragging rights: the name of the newest ship or the size of a ship," Johnson said.
"But if you want to retain market share, you have to focus on the basics. At the Port of Miami we have a sound business model, and we are focused on service to the lines and the passengers."
This report appeared in the June 14 issue of Travel Weekly.

Book Cheap Cruises For Seniors Now Reports A Phoenix Travel Companion

Cruises have always been a favorite trip for Seniors. Balmy air, tropical swaying trees, soft steel drum music,; what’s not to like. Aside from the great ambiance in the Caribbean, Bahamas or Mexico, there are several reasons to choose a cruise over other types of vacation for Seniors. First, it is a place totally geared for all the seniors needs including food, activities, housekeeping, medical services and more. It is so nice to unpack once and then watch the world pass by. Other favorite destinations for Cruises are Alaska and the Mediterranean for Greece and Italy etc.

Here is your opportunity to take that great vacation you have always wanted and be totally cared for and safe all the way. Cruise ships provide everything you need including; your room, all your food, lots of activities, a hospital and pharmacy, a concierge, lots of new people to meet or enjoy your solitude.

When you need a little extra assistance along the way, a Personal Travel Companion can escort you to be sure you are well taken care of. Now you can take that dream trip you have always wanted.

We all know that vacation tour prices including Cruises vary greatly. If you book through a travel agent, the Cruise Company, Orbits or a bulk Cruise buyer, the price varies greatly. When using a Travel Companion these prices can be easily compared and you can pick the best deal for you.

Speaking of a Travel Companion, you can now take a personal travel assistant with you to be sure that the trip goes smoothly. Your personal travel companion can travel with you all the way from your door and back again. How nice would it be to have professional assistance through the airport and flight, on the cruise and back again. One company providing Personal Travel Companions can be found at http://Care-To-Go.com

Low bookings for the cruise lines means a shipload of savings for you
Don’t let the storm-tossed economy discourage you from sailing on a cruise. With fewer people booking passage and more (and bigger) cruise ships being launched, cruising has become a buyer’s market. Here’s how to find the lowest fare at the best time.

Look for bulk buyers
Check out cruise consolidators, which buy large blocks of cabins from the cruise lines at a deep discount. Most of the deals don’t include airfare, but the savings are significant, and companies such as CruiseOne.com, CruiseBrothers.com, and Cruise.com feature dozens of discounted cruises around the world every week.

Don’t shrug off "shoulder season"
Rates are lower between peak and off-peak seasons, when fewer people are escaping winter. Try sailing to Alaska in mid-May or early September; to the Caribbean in late April or September and October; to Hawaii in late August, late November, February, or May; or to the Mediterranean in March or November. If you are interested in a long haul, check when the Cruise companies are moving ships for the season between the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, or even the south Pacific. You may get a long trip for a very low price.

Check the school calendar
Avoid any time kids are on vacation, such as spring or summer break. That’s when the supply of empty cabins is usually the lowest—and prices for them are highest. Cruises are wildly affordable right after Labor Day and during the week after Thanksgiving, for example.

Wait…Wait… Okay, now book it!
If you don’t have a specific cruise date in mind, try waiting until the last minute to book online. Almost all cruise lines quietly unload any remaining inventory as the departure date draws closer. Note: "Last minute" doesn’t mean what it used to. Post-9/11 security regulations require cruise lines to close the list of passengers as much as 96 hours before sailing.

Keep That Sail a Sale
Cruise lines don’t make a profit on your cabin, so they try to separate you from your money the second they pull up the gangplank. Here’s how to keep your budget afloat.

Factor in tipping
Some cruise lines automatically add gratuities, while others still rely on passengers to make that decision. One helpful resource is cruisetip.tpkeller.com, which calculates the suggested tip per day for each major cruise line.

Stick with the main dining room
More and more cruise ships have specialty—restaurants to give passengers options beyond the cost—included main dining room and midnight buffet. But eating at one of the ships’ designer restaurants will run you extra: on Royal Caribbean International, for example, dinner at Chops Grille is $25 per guest.

Budget for booze
Don’t expect to bring your own. Most cruise lines frown on this, and some actually employ a "liquor retention team" to seize alcohol not purchased on board (the bottles are returned at the end of the cruise). Carnival now keeps your bags on a dock for several hours where they can search them, Be careful.

Have a fantastic trip!
For assistance in planning your Cruise or any other kind of travel contact Care-To-Go at 800-818-0407 or check the web at www.CareToGoTravel.com.

Book Cheap Cruises For Seniors Now Reports A Phoenix Travel Companion

Cruises have always been a favorite trip for Seniors. Balmy air, tropical swaying trees, soft steel drum music,; what’s not to like. Aside from the great ambiance in the Caribbean, Bahamas or Mexico, there are several reasons to choose a cruise over other types of vacation for Seniors. First, it is a place totally geared for all the seniors needs including food, activities, housekeeping, medical services and more. It is so nice to unpack once and then watch the world pass by. Other favorite destinations for Cruises are Alaska and the Mediterranean for Greece and Italy etc.

Here is your opportunity to take that great vacation you have always wanted and be totally cared for and safe all the way. Cruise ships provide everything you need including; your room, all your food, lots of activities, a hospital and pharmacy, a concierge, lots of new people to meet or enjoy your solitude.

When you need a little extra assistance along the way, a Personal Travel Companion can escort you to be sure you are well taken care of. Now you can take that dream trip you have always wanted.

We all know that vacation tour prices including Cruises vary greatly. If you book through a travel agent, the Cruise Company, Orbits or a bulk Cruise buyer, the price varies greatly. When using a Travel Companion these prices can be easily compared and you can pick the best deal for you.

Speaking of a Travel Companion, you can now take a personal travel assistant with you to be sure that the trip goes smoothly. Your personal travel companion can travel with you all the way from your door and back again. How nice would it be to have professional assistance through the airport and flight, on the cruise and back again. One company providing Personal Travel Companions can be found at http://Care-To-Go.com

Low bookings for the cruise lines means a shipload of savings for you
Don’t let the storm-tossed economy discourage you from sailing on a cruise. With fewer people booking passage and more (and bigger) cruise ships being launched, cruising has become a buyer’s market. Here’s how to find the lowest fare at the best time.

Look for bulk buyers
Check out cruise consolidators, which buy large blocks of cabins from the cruise lines at a deep discount. Most of the deals don’t include airfare, but the savings are significant, and companies such as CruiseOne.com, CruiseBrothers.com, and Cruise.com feature dozens of discounted cruises around the world every week.

Don’t shrug off "shoulder season"
Rates are lower between peak and off-peak seasons, when fewer people are escaping winter. Try sailing to Alaska in mid-May or early September; to the Caribbean in late April or September and October; to Hawaii in late August, late November, February, or May; or to the Mediterranean in March or November. If you are interested in a long haul, check when the Cruise companies are moving ships for the season between the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, or even the south Pacific. You may get a long trip for a very low price.

Check the school calendar
Avoid any time kids are on vacation, such as spring or summer break. That’s when the supply of empty cabins is usually the lowest—and prices for them are highest. Cruises are wildly affordable right after Labor Day and during the week after Thanksgiving, for example.

Wait…Wait… Okay, now book it!
If you don’t have a specific cruise date in mind, try waiting until the last minute to book online. Almost all cruise lines quietly unload any remaining inventory as the departure date draws closer. Note: "Last minute" doesn’t mean what it used to. Post-9/11 security regulations require cruise lines to close the list of passengers as much as 96 hours before sailing.

Keep That Sail a Sale
Cruise lines don’t make a profit on your cabin, so they try to separate you from your money the second they pull up the gangplank. Here’s how to keep your budget afloat.

Factor in tipping
Some cruise lines automatically add gratuities, while others still rely on passengers to make that decision. One helpful resource is cruisetip.tpkeller.com, which calculates the suggested tip per day for each major cruise line.

Stick with the main dining room
More and more cruise ships have specialty—restaurants to give passengers options beyond the cost—included main dining room and midnight buffet. But eating at one of the ships’ designer restaurants will run you extra: on Royal Caribbean International, for example, dinner at Chops Grille is $25 per guest.

Budget for booze
Don’t expect to bring your own. Most cruise lines frown on this, and some actually employ a "liquor retention team" to seize alcohol not purchased on board (the bottles are returned at the end of the cruise). Carnival now keeps your bags on a dock for several hours where they can search them, Be careful.

Have a fantastic trip!
For assistance in planning your Cruise or any other kind of travel contact Care-To-Go at 800-818-0407 or check the web at www.CareToGoTravel.com.

Traveling With Your Grand Children  Travel Ideas For Seniors

During the Latter Years, a lot of seniors spend their free time by vacationing. It can be

a way to see many of the places that couldn’t be seen because of work and family. But

not all elders are traveling alone. A significant number of elders are traveling with their

grandkids sans mom and dad with them in what has become known as "GrandTravel".

Nearly eighty per cent of elders surveyed said that they enjoyed taking their grandkids

along with them on their vacations while their parents stayed at home. The rise in

popularity of taking grand kids might be credited to many factors. The first is that the

grandparents are able to spend much more time with their grandkids instead of just

seeing them whenever their parents bring them to visit. The second is that the

children’s parents get a much-needed break in order to spend quality time together. The

last is that the grandparents can do what they do best – spoil the grandkids without the

parents there.

Kids Come First
One thing that studies about Grandtravel show is that seniors are often much more

democratic when it comes to decisions with their grand children. They include the kids

in decisions about where to go and what to do on the vacation, and will often do

whatever the grandkids want to do.

Deciding at what age a child should be allowed to go on a trip alone with grandma and

grandpa can be tough and really depends on the maturity of the child. Generally,

studies on Grandtravel have shown that 12 or 13 is the average age for a child to go.

And in cases where there are multiple grandchildren around the same age, many seniors

will opt to take one grandchild each summer so that each kid gets the right amount of

attention, and the grandparents aren’t driven completely crazy.

Where to Go
While there’s no shortage of places to take the grandchildren, some popular choices are

Disney World, Washington D.C., New York City and theme parks. Outdoor activities like

hiking, fishing, or the beach are great choices too.  Places with natural wonders also

rank high like Yellowstone, Yosemite or the Grand Canyon.

Let the Grandchildren Choose The Trip
I heard from a pilot I know that he would let the GrandKids plan their trip every year for

their birthday.  Here is an opportunity to spend months of quality time planning a one

on one trip with each Grand Child.  They can choose a trip to a place that really interests

them, making the trip very special for the GrandKids.

To maintain independence at home in the Phoenix area visit www.Care-To-Go.Com

For a Travel Companion anywhere contact WWW.CareToGoTravel.com

Cruises have always been a favorite trip for Seniors. Balmy air, tropical swaying trees, soft steel drum music,; what’s not to like. Aside from the great ambiance in the Caribbean, Bahamas or Mexico, there are several reasons to choose a cruise over other types of vacation for Seniors. First, It is a place totally geared for all the seniors needs including food, activities, house keeping and medical services. It is so ni9ce to unpack once and watch the world pass by.

We all know that vacation tour prices including Cruises vary greatly. If you book through a travel agent, the Cruise Company, Orbits or a bulk Cruise buyer, the price varies greatly. When using a Travel Companion these prices can be easily compared and you can pick the best deal for you.

Speaking of a Travel Companion, you can now take a personal travel assistant with you to be sure that the trip goes smoothly. Your personal travel companion can travel with you all the way from your door and back again. How nice would it be to have professional assistance through the airport and flight, on the cruise and back again. One company providing Personal Travel Companions can be found at http://Care-To-Go.com

Here is an article explaining more about booking discount Cruises as reported by AARP

Low bookings for the cruise lines means a shipload of savings for you

Don’t let the storm-tossed economy discourage you from sailing on a cruise. With fewer people booking passage and more (and bigger) cruise ships being launched, cruising has become a buyer’s market. Here’s how to find the lowest fare at the best time.

Look for bulk buyers
Check out cruise consolidators, which buy large blocks of cabins from the cruise lines at a deep discount. Most of the deals don’t include airfare, but the savings are significant, and companies such as CruiseOne.com, CruiseBrothers.com, and Cruise.com feature dozens of discounted cruises around the world every week.

Don’t shrug off "shoulder season"
Rates are lower between peak and off-peak seasons, when fewer people are escaping winter. Try sailing to Alaska in mid-May or early September; to the Caribbean in late April or September and October; to Hawaii in late August, late November, February, or May; or to the Mediterranean in March or November.

Check the school calendar
Avoid any time kids are on vacation, such as spring or summer break. That’s when the supply of empty cabins is usually the lowest—and prices for them are highest. Cruises are wildly affordable right after Labor Day and during the week after Thanksgiving, for example.

Wait…Wait… Okay, now book it!
If you don’t have a specific cruise date in mind, try waiting until the last minute to book online. Almost all cruise lines quietly unload any remaining inventory as the departure date draws closer. Note: "Last minute" doesn’t mean what it used to. Post-9/11 security regulations require cruise lines to close the list of passengers as much as 96 hours before sailing.

Keep That Sail a Sale

Cruise lines don’t make a profit on your cabin, so they try to separate you from your money the second they pull up the gangplank. Here’s how to keep your budget afloat.

Factor in tipping
Some cruise lines automatically add gratuities, while others still rely on passengers to make that decision. One helpful resource is cruisetip.tpkeller.com, which calculates the suggested tip per day for each major cruise line.

Stick with the main dining room
More and more cruise ships have specialty—restaurants to give passengers options beyond the cost—included main dining room and midnight buffet. But eating at one of the ships’ designer restaurants will run you extra: on Royal Caribbean International, for example, dinner at Chops Grille is $25 per guest.

Budget for booze
Don’t expect to bring your own. Most cruise lines frown on this, and some actually employ a "liquor retention team" to seize alcohol not purchased on board (the bottles are returned at the end of the cruise).

It was a beautiful spring day in April when Evelyn and her paid Travel Companion boarded the airport shuttle going from Burbank CA to John Day OR. This would be a trip to remember. Evelyn 95 was on her way to reunite with her brother Howard 93 in Oregon.

Evelyn and Howard are the only two remaining of five brothers and sisters who grew up on a small farm in Missouri and then migrated to California and Oregon in the 1940s. It had been several years since the two had spent any time together.

The flight to Boise ID went smoothly as the Travel Companion had booked an easy connection and had arranged for a wheel chair and priority boarding for each flight segment. Her Travel Companion Pam easily handled the checked baggage and arranged for transportation from Boise airport to John Day OR, about a 3 hour ride. Once checked into a hotel in John Day, Pam and Evelyn went to the ranch to reunite with Howard.

Gary, Brian, Ron, and Donna had also come to join in the reunion. Howard and Evelyn were so excited to see each other they lost no time in catching up. Ron and Donna prepared dinner “Missouri” style setting the stage for hours of conversation about the old days.

For the next three days, Evelyn and Howard talked for hours, never seeming to run out of stories. They talked, fished in the pond (Evelyn caught the most fish for dinner), looked through scrap books, enjoyed Howard’s birthday party and just relished the time together.

Pam, Evelyn’s Travel Companion not only assisted all along the way making the trip possible, but continually made the extra effort insuring that Evelyn was well attended and cared for. Aside from the travel, Pam helped with meals, baited hooks for fishing, helped organize scrapbooks and took pictures. Pam also stayed with Evelyn in the hotel to be sure she was well taken care of and safe.

When it was time for the flight home, Evelyn and her travel companion boarded Southwest flight 405 to Oakland CA to connect to Burbank CA. The usual wheel chair and priority boarding were arranged and the boarding went well.

After about 30 minutes in the air, the pilot announced that there was a warning light in the cockpit and we were going to return to Boise to have it fixed. When it was discovered that the delay would be lengthly, the airline had everyone get off and wait for another plane. Evelyn was assisted off the plane and the situation explained to her. The Travel Companion again handled everything; explaining the situation to Evelyn, rebooking the connecting flight for Oakland, assuring priority boarding again, and handling snacks and drinks. Thankfully the flights home were uneventful and went smoothly.

We are reminded constantly how precious friends and family are to our well being. Seniors frequently let life close in on them because maintaining contact with loved ones who live far away becomes too difficult. Unfortunately, travel is one of the first things that can drop out of the life of our seniors. Travel Companions are a way for seniors to keep the lifestyle they love and maintain contact with friends and family.

Evelyn and Howard had a few wonderful days together and now have more memories to last a life time. At the last dinner in Oregon, plans were already started to have the next family reunion.

One company specializing in Travel Companions is Care-To-Go. For information on scheduling your Travel Companion visit CareToGoTravel.com

Airlines have begun charging for checked bags on flights. Some start at $20 for the first bag and $30 for the next bag. Southwest is still free for checked and carry on bags. Most passengers don’t like the extra charges added at the airport and would rather just have the ticket price be the total price for the flight.

Now Spirit Airlines has started a new high in lows! They want to charge $45 for a carry on bag. Doesn’t everyone take bags on a trip? Of course they do. These added fees are just a rip off and an annoyance to the traveling public.

The following article appeared in Business week.

Click here to see how a Travel Companion from CareToGoTravel.com can help you navigate through these charges.

(Adds Spirit’s response in ninth paragraph, Hawaiian Airlines chief starting in 13th.)

By Jeff Plungis

April 13 (Bloomberg) — Two Democratic U.S. senators introduced legislation that would ban airlines from charging fees for bags carried aboard planes one week after Spirit Airlines Inc. became the first carrier to announce a charge.

The legislation by Senators Benjamin Cardin of Maryland and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana would assure that items essential to people’s health, work and safety can be carried on board without extra fees, according to a statement today. The bill also would require advance notice of special fees for checked items, according to the statement.

“Only one airline has announced plans to charge for carry- on item fees, but we cannot allow these flood gates to open,” Landrieu said in the statement.

Carrying a bag onto a Spirit flight will cost passengers $45 at the gate, or $30 if paid in advance, starting in August, the Miramar, Florida-based discount carrier said in an April 6 statement. Customers paying the fee will board first and all travelers can carry, without charge, small personal items such as a purse or briefcase that fit under the seat.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in an April 8 interview with travel writer Christopher Elliott, said he would hold Spirit’s “feet to the fire” over fees, especially in efforts to ensure consumers understand what they’re paying.

“I think it’s a bit outrageous that an airline is going to charge someone to carry on a bag and put it in the overhead,” LaHood said. “I’ve told our people to try and figure out a way to mitigate that. I think it’s ridiculous.”

Fares Stagnating

Carriers are seeking revenue beyond tickets sales as fares last year stagnated at 1998 levels amid the recession, according to U.S. statistics. The five largest U.S. airlines will collect $1.76 billion for checking first and second bags, a $117 million increase from last year, according to a Jan. 20 report by Ideaworks, a Shorewoods, Wisconsin, consulting firm.

UAL Corp.’s United Airlines was the first major U.S. carrier to impose a fee in 2008 when it began charging for a second checked bag. Most major airlines charge at least $20 to check one bag and $30 for a second, and permit carry-on bags and personal items for free.

Spirit Airlines adjusted fares and fees to help speed up security lines, make boarding quicker and end a “carry-on bag crisis,” spokeswoman Misty Pinson said in an e-mail.

“Spirit is even further lowering fares, lowering checked bag fees, giving customers the option to carry-on a bag for a fee that includes priority boarding, and personal items are still free,” Pinson said.

Discount Club

Spirit said passengers signing up for its discount fare club, at a cost of $39.95 a year, will pay $20 for carry-on bags when they prepay using the Internet. The carrier is lowering fees for prepaid checked bags for club members, to $15 for the first and second bags from $19 for one and $25 for the second.

Cardin and Landrieu failed in a bid to add their bill as an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that passed the Senate last month, the statement said.

Congress should avoid legislating fees as airline deregulation helped the industry lower fares and add flights, said Mark Dunkerley, chief executive officer of Hawaiian Holdings Inc., parent of Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines.     “You ought to allow all kinds of airlines to try new and innovative things to attract customers,” Dunkerley said in a telephone interview. “It’s important that legislation stay away from directing airlines what they can and cannot charge for.”

Watching Spirit

    Hawaiian has “no plans” to add a carry-on bag fee as it watches developments at Spirit “very closely,” he said.

Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, yesterday asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to use his power to declare carry-on luggage as a necessary part of air travel, which would subject the fees to a federal excise tax. The decision would discourage airlines from charging fees for bags, he said. If the Treasury Department doesn’t act, Schumer said he’d introduce legislation to have the same effect.

“Airline passengers have always had the right to bring a carry-on bag without having to worry about getting nickel and dimed by an airline company,” Schumer said. “The Treasury Department needs to close the loophole that encourages this abusive practice and rein in these fees.”

–With assistance from Mary Jane Credeur in Atlanta and John Hughes in Washington. Editors: Steve Geimann, Romaine Bostick.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeff Plungis in Washington at jplungis@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Larry Liebert at lliebert@bloomberg.net

Visit Care-To-Go Travel Comapanions

One of the most important things for the elderly to have organized while traveling is their medications.  As reported in previous articles, all medications needed for a trip should be kept in carry-on bags.  There should be plenty for the trip and bring the forms listed below in case a refill is necessary.  A Personal Travel Assistant can help organize medications for a trip. There are also several more reasons to take a Travel Companion along.

As we age doctors prescribe additional drugs. There are so many kinds, of side effects, limitations and cautions that it will become hard keep organized as well as be safe. Your caregiver professional will be able to lend a hand with forms to keep track. You ought to possess a master list, a list of drugs you take each day, in addition to a different sheet for prescriptions that could have severe side effects or particular directives. Included here are seven Prescription Recommendations to keep it straight.

The Medications List
This form ought to contain your critical information concerning your drugs plus times to be taken it’s color and size. Your information included should include your name, the doctors’ name, the doctors’ telephone and address, the pharmacy telephone and address. The date of birth plus social security number must be here because this is how the pharmacy computer systems detect the patient for refills.

The Medications Side Effects Sheet
This form is just what it says. The patients name, address and telephone ought to be there of course. There should also be a listing of medication names, prescribed amount, frequency, as well as classification. There should be plenty of space for side effects, special instructions and cautions. There may be one drug per page.

Caregivers as advocates
When you need help tracking and understanding your prescriptions, be sure to bring an advocate along with you to the doctors’ office and the pharmacy. Your CareGiver should be at every appointment along with you. As an advocate, your Caregiver professional will ensure all instructions, side effects, and cautions are understood and written down. The CareGiver can then help with the lists you will keep as will as organizing you pillbox for every week.

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