Author Archives: Shannon McCain (Resource Development Manager)

Best. Flight. Ever.

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My bags are finally, completely, 100% unpacked. Yes, we returned home about a month ago. Don’t judge. I finally committed to dramatically shaking out my beach bag and watching the last teeny tiny remnants of beautiful Maroma sand slowly, and sadly, fall to the floor. So not only is vacation over, I also have to vacuum. Awesome!

Ok, here we go. Naturally the beach was fab, the drinks quite tropical and the food amazing (seriously, if anyone can FedEx my fiancé and I Himitsu’s Tempura Ice Cream, we’d be forever grateful), but, but, but, one part of my vacation I often gloss over, is the flight.

Let me just say: Best. Flight. Ever.

Seriously!

I’m usually just a bit “meh” about the whole getting there part, and I’m certainly very “urgh” about the entire coming home part. To make the time in-flight pass as quickly as possible I’ll read (rarely), work (sometimes), sleep (more like it), and play Mario Kart (there it is). This time? Not so much.

I flew Frontier for the first time ever from Philly to Cancun. I got Preferred Perks as per usual, and during check-in I was given an envelope with 4 drink tickets and 2 snack-box tickets (presents!). Let’s do the math: Drinks on a plane are about $7 each, snacks and meals can be the same… so I basically paid $39 to receive $42 worth of goodies PLUS get more legroom, priority boarding and super-speedy baggage handling.

Win!

So we board, take -off, hit our cruising altitude and, much like good old paper money, my coupons start burning a hole in my pocket. So I got a drink. A snack-box. And another drink because well, why make two trips?

By the way, it’s ok to drink Chardonnay before 10am if you are on vacation, the flight attendant said so.

So here I am,  happy girl with a tray table chock full of practically free goodies, and I look over to see I’ve lost my fiancé and his refreshments to watching baseball, football, jai alai or some other sport of sorts on TV. (Yep, there’s even TV!)
So even airborne somewhere over the Carolinas, I still can’t escape sports.  But wait!  I start to flip through MY channels on MY own personal television and, bye-bye SportsCenter, hell-o Bravo and Food Network. Not only do I have snacks and drinks, I now have almost three hours of solid Real Housewives and Barefoot Contessa. Sold!

Needless to say, the video games didn’t come out once. My vacation started literally the moment I stepped on that plane. I know it seems small, but I really, thoroughly enjoyed getting to my destination. And ya know what? Frontier made the ride home a bit more bearable, too. Overall, two very enthusiastic thumbs up! Thanks for sending me off, and brining me home in style, F9! Let’s do it again soon.

PS: Yes, I brought my parents and they had an absolute blast, too.  Truly good times had by all.

Happy travels!

Family Vacation

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After working here for 12 years (eep!), I am thrilled to take my parents away for the first time EVER this weekend.  It’s been quite some time since our last family vacation.  As a kid, every year, we packed up the car and headed north to the lake house for a few weeks.  We’d load the car the night before, remembering to leave room for groceries we’d have to get along the way, and then it was up at 4:30AM to get into the car and out on the road by 5:30AM so we could avoid any dreaded construction traffic.  All told the ride was about four hours, unless I drove with my grandmother and then it was easily six.  Ok, more like five, but she always let me control the radio.  Once we got into ‘town’ we’d spend another hour in the grocery store, and then finally, we’d drive that last thirty-minutes to the lake.  While I will forever cherish the memories made there, I have to say lounging under a palapa at an ultra-exclusive resort in Mexico is a bit more to my liking these days.  Why? Options and convenience.

The lake house was fantastic; a truly great way to get away but unfortunately, there wasn’t much going on.  Of course there was swimming, biking, hiking, etc… but somewhere between ages 12 and 20, I traded muddy trails for mud baths.  As far as nighttime activities, we always fell back on rather spirited, and occasionally brutal games of Monopoly.  Again, I wouldn’t trade these summers for the world, but the vacation options offered in resort areas of Riviera Maya are incredible, affordable and quite frankly, I can get there quicker, and for less than renting our lake house for a week.  Plus, I don’t get stuck doing dishes for the entire week if I land on Boardwalk and can’t pay-up during one of our knock-down-drag-out aforementioned game nights. 

Told ya.

Brutal.

What’s got me so stoked about this vacation is hearing everyone plan their own itinerary.  My parents are rather seasoned travelers and like to get out and about.  Me?  I’m a beach girl, so I’ll be there.  My folks will get their culture on at Chichen Itza and also head out snorkeling.  My fiancé and father will golf (and play Ping-Pong).  Mom will shop.  And… I’ll still inevitably be at the beach.

Note:  If someone could kindly remind me to turn over occasionally, that would be appreciated.

And then there’s my favorite vacation moment of all.  That moment where my parents will stare at me in amazement and I get to explain, again, that “yes, everything is included”.  There’s no greater feeling for me than seeing someone experience their first luxury All-Inclusive.  Champagne? Done.  Kayak?  It’s yours.  Giant marshmallows for breakfast?  You got it (and you know who you are).

So while I’ll always love the lake and our family vacations, I’m thrilled to finally return the favor.  I’m glad to see that family vacations don’t have to stop once the kids are grown.

Hawaii changed me! Part two…

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Hawaii North Shore

I could go on for an hour about how much I loved Waikiki, Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona memorial, the Mai Tais at Dukes, a vast array of rainbows, how much fun we had on the trolleys around town, and the amazing, I cannot stress this enough, the amazing shopping available (not one but two Chanel boutiques less than 2 miles from each other!), but we didn’t spend all of our time there.  We headed west to the resort area of Ko` Olina where we stayed at the JW Marriot Ilhilani.  We saw the shell going up next door for the Disney Aulani which even then, looked phenomenal.  Once there, we headed to our first ever Luau at Paradise Cove.  What an experience.  I thought it would be kitschy, but it wasn’t at all.  It was an absolute blast, and it was there that I got to see the most amazing sunset. 

The next day we headed into the surf towns of the North Shore, passing through the pineapple plantations and mountains along the way.  They say Ireland is green, but I say Hawaii gives it a run for its money.  We stopped for shave ice at Matsumoto in Haleiwa town, we toured Turtle Bay resort and saw where they filmed numerous movies and television shows: Lost, Pirates of the Caribbean and Forgetting Sarah Marshall just to name a few. 

Excuse me, can you pick-up those names I dropped?

Oh and I forgot to mention.  I drove this entire time.  Yep, let it sink in.  I was responsible and drove an entire group of us around Hawaii with nothing other than my iPhone to guide us, and we didn’t get lost once.  Ok, well once I got lost trying to get gas, but that was entirely the fault of my co-pilot (sorry, Sarah) and I, and in no way the fault of the state of Hawaii, or the lovely island of Oahu.  

I digress.

I spent five of the most amazing days of my life in Hawaii.  I will never forget the smell of an orchid lei.  I regret not hiking Diamond Head.  I developed such a sense of gratitude and reverence to those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.  I’d love to have another Mai Tai on the beach.  I wish I would have stopped the car to see the sea turtles crawling out of the ocean on our way to Haleiwa. And I can only imagine what the other islands have in store for me.

I spend my days in an office, at a desk in the ‘burbs outside of Philadelphia, staring longingly at a picture taken at our luau and all I can say is, I must go back.  Like London or the whale sharks, there’s just some incredible force that calls me back.

Hawaii changed me in ways I never anticipated, and if you have the chance to get there, I promise, it’ll do the same to you, whether you expect it or not, you won’t be the same.  You’ll need to go back.

Hawaii changed me! Part one…

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View from my room

Travel sort of sneaks up on you.  When you least expect it, a new place, experience or even an image can sort of, I don’t know, change you.  Ok, before I lose you, I have to say that excluding the occasional Disney movie, I’m not a sappy person.  That said, there have been a few moments during my years of travel that I will forever hold so exceptionally close to my heart.  It was a quiet, misty morning – about 4:00AM in London while I stood out front of my hotel waiting for a cab to take me back to Heathrow.  The city had an incredible peaceful silence about it.  I felt so small, so young and incredibly blessed to be there.  I was sad to see my time there ending, but knew I would have to go back.  It was riding in a small boat past the famous Cabo arch heading out to see humpback whales, and of course, finally spotting them traveling in a pod, or a family of sorts.  It was that first gigantic whale shark rising from the deep off of the coast of Cancun, and watching it swim past me so gracefully, knowing that Jacques Cousteau, a man I admired as a child had spent his days searching for these creatures, and here they were.  And finally, it was Hawaii.  I can’t say there was one particular moment in Hawaii that changed me.  It was the place as a whole. 

I was heading to Oahu on another travel research trip and aside from what the Brady’s and the Tanner’s taught me on TV, I was pretty clueless.  I was told to expect Chicago with a beach.  I was told it was ‘nice’, but I really should have gone to Maui or Kauai to get the ‘true Hawaiian experience’.  So I went, and I have to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much.  I was expecting a nice beach, a new location added to my repertoire and a really long flight.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

From the moment we arrived and were greeted, at the gate, with a lei, I could tell this trip was going to be different.  We transferred into Waikiki, to our hotel the Hilton Hawaiian Village.  We checked in and headed to our rooms.  Up the elevator I went, I swiped my key, threw my purse on the bed and, as has now become habit, I immediately threw back my curtains to my balcony.  I was presented with, hands down, the most amazing view I had ever seen.  I looked straight down Waikiki to Diamond Head.  I saw an ocean with amazing personality – not just the beautiful turquoise water I was used to, but one with reefs, sandbars and *gasp* surfers!  The first day was a tiring one heading from hotel to hotel and I thought I would easily sleep away any time change issues but, thanks to the old internal clock, I was up at 3:00 AM.  Instead of cursing the lack of sleep, I got to witness one of the most amazing sunrises I have ever seen.

Winter Blues

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It happened. I officially have the post-holiday, it’s-too-cold-to-get-out-of-bed, wake me when it’s April, doldrums. It started on a Monday this year (naturally). It’s that sad, sad moment when I woke up and realize the holidays are now just a memory. I can no longer eat cookies for breakfast, the only pine smell filling my home will come from my vacuum cleaner, and aside from shimmer of hope offered by Valentine’s Day, I have absolutely nothing to look forward to until the first flowers pop in April.

Wait, it gets worse.

It also flurried.

The first official flurry of the season sets me into a panic stricken, snow-driven shame spiral. Stage one, First Flurry Freakout, lasts approximately 15 seconds, and goes a little something like this:

“Is that snow? It’s snowing. That’s not really snow. It is. No it isn’t. Wait, it is. It definitely is. I can’t leave the house. I despise driving in the snow. Do I have canned goods? Do I have good tires? Do I have bread, milk and eggs? No? But I must. I knew I should have gone to the market. We probably should have bought a snow blower. I refuse to shovel. Maybe this is the only snow we will see this year. Think of those poor folks stuck on Lake Shore Drive last year in the Chicago blizzard. I miss Chicago. I miss the shopping on Michigan Avenue. It could be worse; I could be in Michigan – in February. Why didn’t we just buy that snow blower? Remember when snow was fun? The DMV should warn you that the true cost of possessing a driver’s license is losing that magical snow day feeling. We should have moved to Mexico. Next year, we’re definitely moving to Mexico. Does everyone make French Toast when it snows? That’s it. I can’t leave my house. It’s unsafe. I have to quit my job. Say goodbye to my friends. And crawl back into bed for three months. Black ice will never find me there.“

Don’t worry. The above is completely internal.

Once my initial snowspasm grinds to a blinding halt, I commence stage two, the dreaded, three-month long, First Flurry Funk. And alas fine Juice readers, that’s where I am. I wish I could be beach blanket blogging from a beautiful seaside resort, but my next vacation isn’t scheduled until April 1. A crippling 86 days away. (Side note, we’re going to the Riviera Maya, of course, and taking my parents along for the ride. It’ll be their first time ever in Mexico at an All-Inclusive resort, and my father hates sand. It’ll be interesting.)

So why 86 days away? Why not tomorrow? Why, it’s busy season, folks. This is the time we in Reservations and our travel agent partners dig our heels in and book the bulk of your sunny vacations. See, I’m not the only one who gets the Winter Blues. Apparently, it’s a relatively normal process and sends folks on a mad dash to get to a warm and sunny destination.

As I write this, I just grabbed my smart phone and used our On The Go app to check the weather in Cancun. 82° and sunny. Philly? Feels like 46°. And it’s a “good day” here. Sigh.

So here’s my point. If you have the ability to throw on some sunblock and get somewhere warm, why are you still reading this? Now’s the time. We have amazing deals, some of the most affordable peak-season vacation packages we have ever offered. So pack those bags and get beach bound, babies. There’s no better way to burn off the calories consumed over the holiday than breaking a sweat poolside. And please feel free to post your pictures and stories to our Facebook site. It’s the only way this chilly girl can live vicariously through your travels.

Stay Connected

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I made a poor decision once.

Correction.

I made a poor, costly decision once.

Ok, let’s be real. I’ve made many poor, costly decisions. I’ve bought stupid-expensive shoes online without having the ability to try them on. I’ve signed up for what I can only imagine is now a dozen recurring magazine subscriptions. I decided to take four months worth of cake decorating classes and buy every. single. gadget. possible. along the way.

But none of these, I repeat, none of these were as costly (and therefore idiotic), as the decision I made to traipse across Europe with my iPhone in tow. Now, I’m not a complete nimrod. I called my provider to set-up some ludicrous, prorated international plan that knocked off a nano-cent for each minute I talked, and I knew that I needed to keep my roaming feature disabled unless, and I can’t stress this enough, it was ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to turn my phone on. I was granting myself permission to turn the phone on only if I somehow managed to separate from my group, and wind up in a seedy part of town in which my mere survival relied on my phone’s GPS. So only in that instance, and that absolute exception alone,would I turn my phone on. I’m golden, right? Color me a Techno World Traveler.

So… I had just starting dating this guy. No, not ANY guy, he was THE guy. Not to mention I was gone for a whole ten days! A text or two, here or there, would be fine right? And, well, I left out the part that I was meeting up with a few friends for drinks in Munich. So naturally, we have to confirm our times with a quick phone call. And then there was work, I do have responsibilities after all. An email or two really couldn’t be that bad, right?

I made a poor, costly, travel-related decision once.

$700 later I would never make that mistake again, right?

Then I had to lead a travel research trip to Cabo.

So Europe is REALLY far; much further than say, Mexico. I mean, Mexico is just our neighbor to the south and I go there all of the time – it’s my favorite! That should mean something, right? Plus, I’m only going to be there for a total of 4 days. How expensive could it really be? I’ll REALLY limit myself this time. I’ll only respond to the most necessary of messages. One call – max, texts are preferred. And I won’t update my Facebook status… constantly. I’ll be really, really good. Then, someone we met at Squid Roe had JUST run into Dustin Hoffman in the restroom at the Westin.

Dustin. Hoffman. I HAD to Tweet that!

I made a poor, costly, travel-related decision. Twice.

Another $400 later, I vowed that my phone stayed off while outside of the country. Period. And I miserably stuck to it. Until now.

In both of these instances, my problem wasn’t that I didn’t know I would be charged. My problem is that no matter the amazing time I am having, no matter how much I may want to disappear while on vacation, my iPhone’s there with me, no matter the charges I face. I travel constantly (poor me), and I like to keep my friends and family updated through Facebook and messaging. I need to be able to get in touch with the office. I need to be able to make a phone call and not be charged a small fortune. I simply need to stay connected. Well, we now have a solution for our passengers in Cancun and the Riviera Maya (with more destinations on the way).

Apple Vacations free On The Go app and corresponding Traveler Connect calling plan helps to keep our passengers connected. Not only can you tweet and update your Facebook status, you can also app-to-app message and make phone calls all using participating hotel’s WiFi connections\. Now we know, there are other apps out there that can offer something similar, but do they also provide you with vital travel information, one-touch calling to your Apple Rep, and allow you to check your flight status, book excursions and get discounted local offers at vendors like Starbucks? All within one app?

Didn’t think so.

Best yet, you get all of this for $4.99 during our current promotional period. That’s the same price as the free drink you could get at Starbucks on Kukulcan Blvd.

There. The calling plan just paid for itself.

 In fact, many hotels are offering the app, the calling plan and their required WiFi connection completely free of charge. You have to hurry though, it’s not going to last long. Right now the app is available for download in the iTunes App Store and the Android Marketplace, just search for Apple Vacations On The Go. Once you’ve downloaded the app, check it out, and when you are ready you can contact us to add the Traveler Connect calling plan. This will allow you to make unlimited calls to US numbers using the hotel’s WiFi. Blackberry users, don’t worry, we’re working through the Blackberry app now. It should be out very shortly, so hang tight.

So, I guess the good news is, the only costly travel decisions I make now are in the boutiques of Fifth Avenue in Playacar. Happy travels, and technology.

Get Reconnected and Recharged

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I just returned from an unbelievable one-week vacation in the Riviera Maya. My fiancé and I were really looking forward to a chance to spend some quality time together. Our hectic (and completely opposite) work schedules make it almost impossible for us to see each other throughout the week. We figured the only way to catch-up was to hop on a plane and head somewhere warm. Not a bad plan, if you ask me.

We knew we wanted Mexico. We knew we wanted an amazing beach with everything included, and though we look forward to having a family in the future, we knew we wanted an Adults Only resort.

Lucky for us, all signs pointed to Secrets Maroma Beach.

We wanted to make this a special trip so we couldn’t skip out on the necessary extras. We started the vacation off right with Preferred Perks. We had incredibly convenient and comfortable seats in the second row with more seating room – is a must for my 6’4” amigo. Being among the first off of the plane, we zipped through customs and by the time we reached the baggage carousel our luggage was already waiting for us. We grabbed it and headed outside to our private transfers. If you have never used private transfers before, you must do it. If you don’t believe me – try it, just once, and you will see the incredible difference it makes in your trip. We made it to beautiful Maroma Beach is about 30-minutes. To be fair, I purposely left my watch at home, so give or take a few minutes.

Ok, I have to be completely honest here. We have been to a few adults only resorts in the past, usually for short stays and we have always had a great time; but I was wondering “can we really just gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes for an entire week?” Rest assured there’s no other face in this world I would love to stare at more, but for an entire week? Speaking in hushed voices, tied at the hip and using pet names for eight days straight is just not our style. We want the romance but we like to have fun too, and I was nervous that there wouldn’t be enough options for us. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The resort was incredibly elegant, romantic, and the service was unbelievable. It managed to be all these things and yet still comfortable. From the moment we arrived we were able to really relax, have fun and most importantly, spend time together. Our week was spent so many different ways. We laid on the beach and soaked up the sun, met new friends at the beach bar, dined at amazing and intimate restaurants, even watched the Eagles game at the outdoor Sports Bar (which in retrospect, we probably could have skipped that week). We even participated in activities hosted by the Entertainment Staff – a bit out of character for us. One night we hopped in a cab and headed into Playa del Carmen for a fabulous dinner and some shopping, and the next day we took a fantastic snorkeling excursion in Puerto Morelos. We were able to make our romantic getaway 100% suit us.

It was by far the best vacation we’ve ever had. It was so hard to leave after only one week, but we came home reconnected, relaxed and ready to tackle reality again. And naturally we’re already planning our next trip back!