Tag Archives: Preparation

A Friendly Face in a Faraway Place

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On the flight down to Cancun, I heard the woman behind me say at least 10 times that she was worried about getting to the hotel. She was booked through Apple Vacations and the person in the aisle next to her reassured her that if she looked for the flowered shirts she would be fine. To prove how easy it was I took out my FLIP video camera after we cleared immigration.

I wanted to show everyone, who may go on an Apple Vacation to Cancun or Riviera Maya what to (and what not to) look for.

I travel often enough and know what to expect. For those who do not I thought this may be helpful. Continue reading →

Say YES to Customer Service!

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Travel Agents, and even Apple Vacations, are often asked … why book with you, when I can go direct and book with an On-Line Travel Site and save a few dollars.

I say step back and look at the big picture. What are you really saving? OK, you might on occasion save a few dollars, if anything…  but what are you getting in return? What if there is a problem, or a delay or change in plans, who is there to help you?  Don’t you want a travel agent and a reliable Tour Operator like Apple Vacations to take care of you? Don’t you want a customer service team and representatives in your travel destination?

A friend of mine was planning a trip to New York for an event last fall. I told her to book through the hotel website as the cancellation policy was 4PM day of arrival. She found a rate of $20.00 less with an On-Line Travel Site. I said don’t do it! She did and when the event was moved by one day she was out 100% the cost of the room. She called and asked me for help, and there was nothing anyone could do. They would not allow her to move the date by 1 day. So she paid for a room she never used. Continue reading →

New TSA Requirements

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Have you booked a trip lately and noticed that you now need to provide more information at the time of booking? If not, get ready for it! The TSA will soon require that EVERY passenger provides their full name (including middle name), full birth date and gender at the time of booking. The information entered MUST match what is on the passport. This is for both domestic and international travel. When you book an Apple Vacation, entering this information is still optional. At the end of next month, this information will be mandatory. Incomplete or incorrect information could very well result in denied boarding. Travel agents know that now is the time to get in the habit of asking for the information. Consumers need to know that it is very important to provide the correct information to their travel agent or booking agent, so there are no delays or missed flights at the airport.

Travel Tips for Winter Vacations!

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Traveling to Mexico & The Caribbean is awesome in the winter! Nothing beats leaving the cold and snow behind and stepping off the plan into the warm sunshine. It is a great feeling to call home on a warm balmy night, when your toes are in the sand and a drink is in hand, and hearing chattering teeth on the other end! I wanted to provide a few important tips for traveling in the winter.

1 – When making the booking ALWAYS provide Apple Vacations and your travel agent a correct phone number. This is in case we need to reach you the day of, or day before your flight. A cell # is best. For example if you are leaving on a Sunday, don’t leave your work number, if you are not going to be there after Friday. Apple Vacations does not ask for your number for any type of solicitations, only official use.

2 – Always call the number on your tickets or E-Docs before you leave for the airport to ensure there are no weather delays.   Continue reading →

How to survive dining at an all inclusive resort!

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We are in our busiest season. Here are a few tips on navigating dining at an all inclusive. The biggest tip I want to stress is to know the resort rules before you go, preferably before you even book. This should be a part of the decision making process. Make the decisions that will make you happy on your vacation.

Find out the dining reservations policy ahead of time. Different resorts have many different dining and reservations policies. Resorts within the same chain can even be different. All of the policies can be obtained ahead of time. Ask your travel agent or research it on-line. For example: Do you need to make reservations for the specialty restaurants each morning in the lobby? Is there a concierge in the hotel at your specific building where you can make them? Or are reservations not required? If you don’t want to get up and make reservations each morning, then don’t book a hotel where that is the policy. If room service is important to you, then book a hotel that offers it. Now keep in mind, I am talking about the specialty / a la carte restaurants, the buffets are usually open for longer hours and they do not require reservations. Continue reading →