Thinking of a family reunion?  A cruise is a great way to go with all meals included and onboard activities for every age group.  And, for 2010, Holland America is offering double group amenity points.  That means you can earn a free cruise and shipboard credits with a group as small as 5 cabins.  Let’s see… Grandma & Grandpa need one cabin, sis needs another and your family a 3^rd… two more to go and someone is cruising free! 

Destinations include roundtrip Alaska cruises from Seattle and cruise tours with extra time at Denali Park and fishing at Copper River.  A great family vacation would be a Caribbean cruise and a great honeymoon  might be a European cruise.  Totem Travel can help you with any of these destinations and I am the cruise specialist for Totem Tavel.  I hope you’ll email or call sandi@totemtravel.com.

I just completed Princess Cruise Lines’ travel agent training program and I am now certified as a Commodore, the highest rank!  The training took several months and covered the entire fleet of Princess cruise ships, all their destinations, cruise tour itineraries and special features and services.

Although I’ve been a travel agent for 13 years and have cruised many times, I still learned a lot.  For example, did you know that you can cruise to Antarctica or up the Amazon River on a Princess Cruise? 

I have sailed with many other cruise lines but Princess is still a favorite.  Their entertainment is simply outstanding and the “Personal Choice” dining option is wonderful.  You can choose where, when and with whom you dine each evening and there are always great restaurant choices like a steak house, Asian cuisine and an Italian restaurant with 16 course dinner… amazing!

In my opinion, Princess Cruises is also the best choice for an Alaska cruise tour with wonderful lodges and a glass dome train to Denali National park where you’ll (hopefully) see the tallest mountain in the U.S., Mt McKinley.  There are also special extras on the cruise like naturalist lectures and guest appearances by well know Alaska adventurers, such as Libby Riddle, the first women to win the Iditarod. 

Another cool feature offered by Princess is the opportunity to be married at sea.  Most cruise lines will arrange a wedding ceremony prior to sailing, but on select Princess ships you can actually be married by the ship’s captain during your cruise! 

Onboard wedding coordinators help with everything from tuxedos to flowers to legal documents and family and friends can even observe your “Love Boat” ceremony live via Wedding Cam.  Pictures are beamed directly from the ship’s wedding chapel to a website where your guests can access them on a private link.  I told you this was cool!

Call or email if you need more information on weddings at sea, Alaska Cruise Tours or any other Princess Cruise destination.  In the interim I’m off to the Caribbean for a future report on Carnival Cruise LInes. 

TTFN!  Sandi  - Princess Cruises Commodore

The best travel agents travel and in 2007 Totem Travel was in Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, the good ol’ U.S.A. and on the high seas with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Jennefer started the year with an all inclusive vacation at Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort.  Her next stop was Las Vegas for a special family birthday, followed by an  NCL Alaska cruise and a week in France touring the Loire Valley to complete her France Specialist certification program.  She wrapped up the year with some fun in the sun on the lovely island of St Lucia and is sadly “grounded” until April when she’s off again to Scotland. 

Sandi spent a week in Jamaica, tested her slot machine skills in Reno & Lake Tahoe, hosted a group of friends on a Royal Caribbean fall foliage cruise to New England and visited the Big Island of Hawaii in December.  Some of her favorite vacation resorts were Sandals Dunns River for couples only, Kona Village for Hawaii “the way it used to be” and the Hapuna Prince Resort.

My travels included a family vacation sightseeing in Washington D.C., three weeks island hopping in the Caribbean and a Christmas trip to Playa del Carmen Mexico.  My favorites were Jade Mountain, Ladera and Jalousie Plantation for an intimate and very private villa style honeymoon, Beaches Negril or Iberostar Paraiso Maya for an activity packed all inclusive family vacation, and Sandals Whitehouse or Sandals Grande Antigua for the newest “luxury included” couples only resorts.

As a rule, the staff at Totem Travel is pretty much office bound January through March booking everyones’ sun breaks, school vacations and summer honeymoons.  But you can count on us to hit the road again by April because the best travel agents travel and we’ve got some of the finest travel junkies in the business!

Last blog I talked about our visit to New London, Connecticut and Portland, Maine.  Both are wonderful examples of typical New England towns, with an abundance of history, great seafood and shops selling New England treasures. 

After leaving Portland, we sailed toward Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Since it is quite a long trip we had one full day at sea.  This was a blessing, since most of us needed a “down” day.  It was so much fun exploring the ship, taking advantage of the Hair Salon and the Spa, the fitness center, shopping at the many stores, and of course, having a few snacks at the Promenade Café and Ice Cream Shop.  During the evening hours, we were able to take in a fantastic musical production in the theater.  Most ships have 2 shows each evening to accommodate the early dining guests and the late dining guests.  Explorer was no exception. 

Halifax is a beautiful city, full of beautiful architecture, and sea views.  We joined a shore excursion to the world famous Halifax Citadel, which sits 120 feet above sea level and is an impressive star-shaped fort. As you arrive at the fort, you will notice the sound of bagpipes greeting you. The Citadel was built in the mid 1700s by the British, and is still guarded by the 78^th Highlander Regiment. 

From the Citadel, we continued to Peggy’s Cove, which is a fishing village, about 30 minutes from Halifax.  One of the world’s most famous and most photographed lighthouses is Peggy’s Point Lighthouse.  Built in 1868, of wood, to protect the entrance of St. Margaret’s Bay, it first housed a red-light. During World War II was used by the Royal Canadian Navy as a radio station. 

In 1954 after an especailly bas storm, the lighthouse was replaced by a concrete and steel strcutre.  It was manned until 1958 when it became fully automated.  During the summer months, the lower level of the lighthouse is the Village Post Office. Here, visitors can send postcards and letters to friends and family members. Each piece of mail receives a special cancellation mark that is in the shape of the lighthouse.

Please contact me for your Royal Caribbean cruise. Sandi

During my recent cruise to New England and Eastern Canada we visited 5 different ports of call.  The ship departed from Bayonne, New Jersey late in the afternoon.  We had great photo ops of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and the New York Skyline. 

Early the next morning we arrived in our first port of call:  New London, Connecticut.  New London is the home of the US Coast Guard Academy, Groton Submarine Base, and is near Mystic Seaport.   Many passengers ventured to Mystic to check out the authentic whaling port, Mystic Aquarium and the Olde Mystic Village shops.   Departing New London we were escorted by a Coast Guard Helicopter and cutter.   Made us feel very important!!

From New London we headed to Portland, Maine.  Historical 19^th century brick buildings in Portland were originally built to support the vast export and fishing industries.  Now, this area, still very quaint, is home to specialty shops, restaurants and pubs.  My favorite part of our visit to Portland was the tour of 5 different light houses, with Portland Head being the most famous and most beautiful.  Light houses are everywhere in Maine! 

Besides light houses, pubs are quite abundant, as well.  If micro-breweries are your thing, there are 7 in Portland.  All of the microbreweries, with catchy names like Gritty McDuff’s and Allagash Brewing Company, offer tours. 

The Wadsworth-Longfellow House in downtown Portland was the home of the 19^th century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  Tours are available. 

An excursion to Kennebunkport, the quaint little village President George Bush, made famous, is a also a wonderful way to spend your day in Portland.  Here you will see the Victoria-style mansions built by sea captains, shop in little boutiques and galleries, and enjoy local seafood. 

Bar Harbor, Maine is a typical New England village with quaint shops, selling local crafts, blueberry jam, and cans of lobster bisque!  The village of Bar Harbor is surrounded by Acadia National Park.  The scenery here, including the rock-bound coast, soaring granite cliffs and majestic mountains have attracted the Rockefellers, Astors and Vanderbilts for over 2 centuries.

Exploring the beautiful Acadia National Park, is a must do while in Bar Harbor.  Cadillac Mountain, natural rock formations of Thunder Hole and the hand-cut stone bridges, breathtaking views of Penobscot Mountain and the fall foliage, will make for a memorable day.  

Of course, no true visit to Maine would be complete without a lobster bake with all the trimmings: corn, potatoes and blueberry pie!  Onto Halifax next blog!!  Please call or email me for information on cruising or doing an escorted tour of New England and Canada.  Trafalgar and Globus, as well as other tour companies offer several different itineraries for New England and Canada.