See the world (and a penguin or two)

WORLD CRUISE 50% OFF SECOND GUEST
BOOK the 67-day Arctic to Antarctica voyage and receive 50% off for your companion. Offer is also available when booking selected segments from Reykjavik, New York and Port Canaveral. Offers are valid for bookings made by April 30, 2008. Offers are not valid for cabin categories: I or MG. Offers cannot be combined with any other discount or promotions and are valid for selected departures. Restrictions apply. Call us for select sailing dates and details.

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL OFFERS ANTARCTICA SEASON 2008-2009
Check our special promotional rates available on all Antarctica programs, saving you up to $2,700 per person. Please note - promotional rates do not include international air from/to the U.S. Not combinable with other special offers.

No passports for Caribbean Cruises until June 1, 2009

I guess it is as official as it has ever been over the past few years. The Homeland and State Departments issued a press release that the official Passport or Pass Card would not be required until June 2009. Many people had been waiting until the last minutes before their cruises not knowing if the federal government would move the requirement date. Now those worries are delayed until next year. You can read the press release here http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1206634226418.shtm

Since a passport/pass card will be required for next year, how about one last cruise without those documents? Would you join us on a cruise next year? We will be looking at our school's spring break calendar which means the cruise would be around April 5-12th, 2009. Respond to this blog if you would be interested and let us know your favorite dream cruise destination.

Specials for Disney Adventures - See the World

See More of the World for Less with this Special Spring Offer
Splendid sites for a great price! This spring, Disney help you plan a family vacation to some of the world's greatest destinations — and helps you save money too.

For a limited time, Adventures by Disney is offering savings on these select itineraries: Backstage Magic, Spirit of America, Path to Pura Vida, Imperial Cities, Grande España and Taste of Tuscany. Just be sure to book by May 31, 2008, and the world will be at their fingertips!

*Savings off non-discounted Regular Rate for the following 2008 departure dates only ("Spring Offer Dates"): Grande Espana (Save $650/Adult, $600/Child on 7/9, 7/12, 7/26, 8/6, 8/16, 9/27); Backstage Magic (Save $600/Adult, $525/Child on 5/20, 6/3, 6/17, 6/22, 7/13, 8/12); Imperial Cities (Save $600/Adult, $550/Child on 6/4, 7/1, 7/10, 7/31, 8/7, 8/10, 8/21, 9/3); Path to Pura Vida (Save $600/Adult, $525/Child on 7/1, 7/15, 7/22, 7/27, 8/17, 8/31, 9/14); Spirit of America (Save $475/Adult, $425/Child on 6/5, 6/12, 6/20, 7/1, 7/11, 7/31, 9/4); Taste of Tuscany (Save $525/Adult, $475/Child on 6/18, 6/28, 7/5, 7/15, 7/26, 8/5, 9/17, 9/24); Excludes Early Booking Rate. The number of land packages available for this offer is limited. Cannot be combined with any other offer or sold or transferred for commercial use. Subject to conditions, restrictions and change without notice. All amounts in US dollars.

Single Parent Promotion 2008

SuperClubs Breezes Curacao & Breezes Puerto Plata, and Starfish TrelawnyBreezes Curacao, Breezes Puerto Plata & Starfish Trelawny are pleased to announce their Single Parent Promotion.

In addition to our Kids Stay, Play & Eat Free! promotion, if one adult and one child are traveling together the child will stay FREE and the parent pays the standard per night rate based on double occupancy with no single supplement charge (each normally charged the standard double rate) at Starfish Trelawny, Breezes Curacao & Breezes Puerto Plata

The Single Parent Promotion is available for travel May 1 - December 22, 2008

*Extra children with one adult will be charged at the child rate. Qualifying children aged 2 - 13. Children 14 years and older are considered an adult for rate purposes and do not qualify for this promotion. Promotion is not applicable to two parent families staying in the same room. Other restrictions and blackout dates may apply

Alaska specials for 2008 are going fast

Have you started planning for Christmas? Beaches is having a holiday sale just for you.

Enjoy this special holiday offer from Beaches Luxury Included™ Family Vacation Resorts. Have all the fun, adventure and luxury that families want most on the Caribbean's best beaches. Enjoy the first night free when you stay 7 nights or longer. Book now for travel between December 1 - 20, 2008 for the following destinations: Jamaica and Turks & Caicos

Beaches Luxury Included™ Family Vacation:

• A choice of up to 10 gourmet restaurants


• Unlimited premium brand drinks plus anytime snacks


• A wide selection of land and water sports including tennis& SCUBA diving


• Supervised Kids Camp


• XBOX® Game Oasis Centers


• Pirates Island themed-water park


• European spa services available at Red Lane®* Spa


• Round-trip airport/hotel transfers


• All government and hotel taxes, tips & service charges


• The Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street.


• Year-round fun, all day long! Kids get to interact with some of their favorite Sesame Street characters like Elmo, Zoe, Cookie Monster, Grover and Bert & Ernie

7-Night Ultra All-Inclusive Resort-Only Vacations from $1208 per person*

The Orchestra is Coming to Town!

Come aboard and celebrate MSC Orchestra's inaugural Caribbean season with our FREE UPGRADE to a Balcony Stateroom for the price of an Oceanview! The world's fastest growing cruise line is proud to announce the newest addition to our Caribbean fleet as MSC Orchestra joins MSC Lirica for the 2008-09 Caribbean winter season. Beginning in January, the well-appointed MSC Orchestra offers spectacular 7-night itineraries as well as a special sailing featuring our line's maiden call at Bermuda! Reserve now and you can also take advantage of our special $100 deposit offer.

Save up to 50% at selected Sandals - the ultimate in All Inclusive

A remarkable Caribbean vacation in Jamaica or the Bahamas is Luxury IncludedTM and only at a Sandals resort. With everything included, two people in love are able to relax and be worry-free while experiencing lavish accommodations, gourmet candlelit dining, gorgeous tropical settings and some of the world's most exquisite beaches.
Ask us how we can send you on your way to romance with up to 45% savings on a stay at any Sandals Resort. Book before March 31, 2008. PLUS - "Suiteheart" of a Deal Sale - in the following destinations: Jamaica, St. Lucia and Nassau, Bahamas and traveling until December 13, 2008. Must be booked by Mar 31, 2008.

Just extended - book by March 31, 2008!Save up to 45% at select resorts and get 2 free nights when you stay 7 nights (or longer) in a qualifying suite category.

Save up to 50% and get a free night when you stay 7 nights (or longer) in a qualifying suite category in even more resorts.

The "Sky" may be the limit....

Over the past three years, the trend of rising airfare has been very evident. It seems like it always in the news for airlines. Last Friday, United and Continental announced a $50 per ticket increase. This was the fourth straight week that airlines increased their fares. What is a person to do?

The best advice is to plan and purchase early. There are still some good values in the airline business, but they tend to be booked very quickly. Next, it is important to be flexible with your plans. Some days are usally cheaper to fly than others: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays. Travel during non peak times. Peak flight times will naturally be higher because of deman and include holidays, long weekends and particular destinations (spring break locales during spring breaks). One easy way to save money is to package your airfare with your lodging which may offer discounts that could not be seen if purchased seperately.

Contact us to discuss your flight strategy.

We are now a Hawaii Destination Specialist

Your local home town travel agency is now a certified Hawaii Destination Specialist. Having completed the training and passed the exam for the Ke Kula O Hawaii, (School of Hawaii), we are eligible to offer you exclusive program benefits and qualified to help you plan the best vacation to The Islands of Aloha.

Let us help you plan a trip to the "Romance Festival" in Hawaii. A series of unforgettable live concerts, dinners, and festivities, this year’s Hawaii Romance Festival will celebrate romance and highlight Hawaii as one of the most romantic destinations in the world. Launched in March 2007, the festival features 10 days of events starting with Opening Ceremonies at the Iolani Palace and featuring the full Matt Catingub Orchestra of Hawaii. The event will be held from May 2 – 11, 2008 and will celebrate some of the most romantic music ever written performed by guest star entertainers from the Mainland and the Islands. Broadway stars, chart-topping recording artists, and talented Hawaii musicians will join the Matt Catingub Orchestra of Hawaii for live performances, romantic dinners, a movie screening, and other incredible events.

Disney's Magic Kingdom

As I start to write this entry, it is 11:00pm and I'm at the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. Due to flight scheduling, I get to spend a little time in the "Happiest Place on Earth." While this is my first visit this year, I have been here over 30 times. My eyes still twinkle like they do for most kids.

Why do I love Disney so much? There are few places that hold themselves to such a high standard. Every "Castmember" treats you with respect and dignity; it doesn't matter if you are staying in the Presidential Suite at the Grand Floridian or in this case an affordable room at Disney's Pop Century Resort, your family will be treated special here.

It's nice to forget about life's cares and to remember what the innocence was like when we were kids. For many parents, our fondest memories are of our kids here. Dylan and I rode Big Thunder Mountain 10 times one day; it's his favorite ride and that was our first father-son only trip. I remember Katlin at 8 months and not sleeping well at the Wilderness Lodge. As l rocked in a secluded chair at 3:00am, a nice cast member brought me hot chocolate.

There is so many activities here. Families can spend quality time together. My wife and I have visited without the kids in order to experience the "older" side of Disney. It is a great place to forget about the job, bills, practice schedules, and focus on us.

It's 2:00am and the Castmembers are telling us "good night." If you haven't been to Disney lately, let us help you plan the most magical trip you will ever take.

The Largest Cruise Ship - Surf with Me

I spent today on Royal Caribbean's cruise ship, The Freedom of the Seas. This ship is huge: rock wall, wave rider, ice skating ring, pools, spas, and spacious cabins. Find 14 of your closest friends and book the Presidential Suite; it can be more affordable than you think. If you don't like huge, there are lots of intimate places to rekindle your relationship.

Key West

Nothing like an evening in Key West. Sand, Duvall St., Sloppy Joes Café. Nothing but relaxation.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tyrone Gentry, Green County 4-H

Why do you travel? Romance ?

Check out Carnival's new romantic trailer. There is a million ways to continue the romance on a Carnival Fun Ship.

Happy three out of four times?

What do we expect when we purchase an item or an experience? We have the expectation that we made the best decision, that we will receive quality service and in the end, that we will be happy.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, purchasers are generally happy (81.6%) of the time with their online purchases, the exception is with travel. The larger online services of Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia rank lower at 75% or less in customer satisfaction. That's three out of four times. What if it was you honeymoon; are you willing to take those odds? What if it is your precious vacation time with that special person or with your family; are you willing to risk not having everything just right?

I have a copy of what would go wrong if they only were right for 99.9% of the time. Some of my favorites include for .1% of the time,

• 114,500 mismatched pairs of shoes will be shipped each year
• 18,322 pieces of mail will be mishandled every hour
• 2,000,000 documents will be lost by the IRS this year
• 5.5 million cases of soft drinks will be flat

We at Travels Unlimited are not perfect, but we promise to serve you with the highest respect, attention to detail and personal service that you cannot find in the "3 out of 4" monsters online.

We are now Vegas Certified

We are happy to announce that our agency is now "Vegas Certified!". We have passed extensive testing over many Vegas components including lodging, entertainment, dinning, shopping, golf, weddings and don't forget gambling. If you haven't been to Vegas, your perceptions of this "very active" city may be incomplete. Vegas has so much more to offer than just gambling, but if that is your thing, then you will be happy in Vegas. Personally, I'm not a big gambler. It hurts me to lose $1.
I enjoy Vegas for the shows, the nationally acclaimed entertainers and even the resorts which are destinations within themselves. Contact us today and let us help you find the Vegas that is right for you.

I found this great price at...can you beat it?

I hear this question quite frequently. In my opinion, price is not the most important thing. Sure, price matters. In today’s economy we are all watching our pennies. But remember that when you purchase travel, you are purchasing an experience — not a product.

You are looking to lie on the beach with the soft Aruban breezes flowing over you while a waiter refills your piña colada and adjusts your umbrella. You are not looking to just sit on a pile of sand. See the difference?

So, when comparing prices (and I recommend that you do compare prices), make sure it is apples to apples. All too often a friend will insist that someone else offered the same experience at a much cheaper price. Usually that is not so. A $299 weekend in the Bahamas including airfare from Louisville is a bargain, alright — until the bedbugs take over and you find yourself saddled with a $1,200 Bahamian hospital bill. When you see a price that seems too good to be true, be skeptical. I’ll bet there’s a reason it is so low.