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How to Plan a Multi-Generational Family Vacation

Jun 13, 2021

Tips on How to Plan a Multi-Generational Family Vacation.

Do you struggle to get the entire family together? Would you love to finally organize a trip for all members of your family? Think of all fun you can have fun while spending time with each other?

A family vacation can be a fantastic experience; however, it needs to be very carefully planned before it ends up being a stressful nightmare. Keep reading to read our top 6 tips on how to plan a multi-generational family holiday!

Start Planning Way in Advance

The first step in planning a multi-generational family vacation is making sure that you are all on the same page. That is the reason why you need to start planning way in advance. First, the more people will be traveling together the more difficult it would be to coordinate the best time to go. Secondly, though, planning ahead of time also means that you would have enough time to discuss what each person’s expectations are. If you live in the same city, plan dinners where the main topic to discuss will be the upcoming trip, if you live far away from each other, plan family calls and have an agenda and topics to cover, such as the destination, how long are you going for, when are you taking the holiday, etc.

Build the Excitement

We would really stress the benefits of getting the children involved in the planning. Anyone who is invested in the trip will be more willing to go along with others and what they want to do. Purchase magazine articles, other sources periodically to get everyone excited and engaged with the planning process. You could even rent movies or DVDs about where they are thinking of going. Zoom meetings are also a good way to get everyone involved. If you are going on a cruise, you could have a zoom meeting with a representative of the cruise line, if going to a resort, there are quite a few YouTube videos you can access. Give the children that are old enough an “assignment” to find out interesting facts about where they are going. Then they can look for them when they get there and also so that they can report their findings in one of the planning meetings. Also, if you are going somewhere where there is a foreign language, everyone can try to learn some basic phrases and words. Also, learning about the different cultures and customs they children might encounter and why they are different from theirs so that they will have respect for the differences and understand that everyone has different beliefs, customs, etc. Maybe they can also find some recipes for local cuisine and try them out.

Have a Budget

When there are multiple people involved in a holiday, one of the most important topics is the budget. It is best to set a budget at the first stages of planning the holiday. If you are going on a multi-generational holiday, this means you will be traveling as a group. Group travels, though, can be expensive. Do not stress out too much, though, just have an honest discussion and determine what each person’s budget for this trip is. It is also a good idea to divide the expenses into different categories and maybe each person can pay for a different category.

Inclusives the cost is pretty well-known upfront and there will be very little outlay once you have paid for the trip. You might have to pay for drinks or excursions, but these would be at your own discretion and not something everyone would have to do. On AMA Waterways, for example, all shore excursions are included in the price. On most cruises, you can pay for your gratuities with the cost of your cruise too. Drinks are extra outside of meals, but then those who don’t drink won’t have that bar tab to worry about.

Find Balance Between Activities and Rest Time

One of the most difficult aspects of planning a multi-generational family holiday is deciding on the itinerary and the activities and places you would like to do and see. While there can be members of the younger generation, who would love to spend the entire day scuba diving or hiking, there might be elderly, who would prefer more time to relax and rest. It is important to remember that you need to make compromises and you are taking this trip so you can spend more time together. It is a good idea for each person to come up with a shortlist of what they would like to do during the trip once the families have decided on your destination. You can then have a common discussion and choose 1 or 2 items from each person’s list.

Do not be Afraid to Ask for Help

Planning a multi-generational family holiday can be extremely time-consuming, tiring, and stressful. It is important to remember that one person cannot make the arrangements for a few families. So do not be afraid to ask for help. You can either go to some of the other family members who can assist or if you are all too busy and occupied and find it too difficult to coordinate, you can even discuss the option of getting a travel agent, who would organize everything for you. A travel agent could actually save you money on this trip of memories.

Protection

We recommend purchasing insurance, as this pandemic has shown us that insurance is very important. We encourage everyone to take out insurance. We feel this is still very important going forward.

Just Enjoy, Have Fun and Create Memories Together

It is highly possible for some pressure to arise during the trip if some people are feeling left out. If this happens remind everyone why you have planned this multi-generational family holiday. It is to relax, enjoy, have fun, and most importantly to create memories together. Especially, if you only rarely see some of these people, it is vital to make the most of your time together and remember that you will only have this time now. Take photos, laugh, entertain each other, and create memories, which you will cherish long after you have gone back home.

If you choose to cruise this article may be of interest.

If you are perusing river cruises here is a must-read article on avoiding river cruise booking mistakes. For the best river cruise experience, you will want to contact Nancy at Unique Journeys. She will assist you in finding the perfect cruise experience where you will create memories for a lifetime. You are welcome to find additional information at AMA Waterways regarding the luxury river cruise experience.

Why You Should Go on a Solo Trip

May 8, 2021

Many people nowadays talk about solo traveling and how rewarding it is. Wondering Why You Should Go on a Solo Trip? If you are one of the people who have never traveled alone keep reading as today, we are sharing why you should go on a solo trip at least once in your lifetime. From experiencing the absolute freedom to gaining confidence in your own abilities, planning a solo trip should be on your agenda!

Discover the Real You

Embarking on a Solo Trip Adventure is not particularly easy. You will definitely need to step out of your comfort zone – not once, not twice, but daily. You will face fears and situations you have never had to cope with before, and this is the beauty of traveling solo. In these challenging situations, you will see yourself and discover more about your personality than ever before. You will need to make decisions when under pressure and you will then have to take the time and reflect on these. This is an inward journey to discovering the real you, as you are taking the journey to travel the world.

Solo -All the Time is Just for You

If you are an introvert, you will definitely love having all the time just for yourself. There will be no need to adjust to another person’s schedule or plan. You will literally be able to spend hours and hours just sitting down and people watching in a random small cafe sipping on your favorite cup of coffee just because you want to. If you wake up in a particular mood in one of the mornings, you can just follow your gut feeling and do whatever you feel like that day, without having to worry about group plans.

Find New Friends

When traveling as part of a group, you can build walls, add barriers, or position yourself in a bubble from the outside world. When traveling solo, this is impossible. Even if you are not the most sociable person and you find it difficult to find new friends, you will have no other choice but to step outside of your comfort zone and be the conversation starter. We are all people who need interactions with others, and this is applicable for anyone regardless of their age or nationality. And trust us one of the main reasons why it is worth going on a solo trip is to find new friends all from different backgrounds, as this will even further broaden your mindset and horizons.

You will Gain Confidence and Independence

One of the most rewarding reasons why you should travel solo is all the confidence and independence that you will gain. Being on your own means that you will have no one else to count on besides yourself. For example, having to find your way once you got lost while dealing with maps or trying to communicate with the locals in their own language will be challenging, but you will find a way out of this and you will then feel a lot more self-confident in your own abilities.

You Will Experience Absolute Freedom

And finally, last but not least– why you should go on a solo trip? Because you will experience absolute freedom! The freedom of going wherever and whenever you want, on your own terms, as well as the freedom of being who you want to be with the people you want to be with. Traveling solo leaves all restrictions, all dos, and don’ts behind. Traveling solo means following your own wishes and desires – and if this is not experiencing absolute freedom, then we do not know what is!

Are you ready to embark on a solo trip adventure now that you know why it is so worth it!

Many tour companies set aside space for solo travelers as well as most cruise lines have a single supplement for cabins only occupied by one person.

Now that you are considering solo trip you may want to peruse river cruises. To make a perfect choice, here is a must-read article on avoiding river cruise booking mistakes. For the best river cruise experience, you will want to contact expert Nancy at Unique Journeys. She will assist you in finding the perfect cruise experience where you will create memories for a lifetime. You are welcome to find additional information at AMA Waterways regarding the luxury river cruise experience.

How to Be a Savvy Traveler

Mar 30, 2021

We have all made various mistakes during our travels. How to Be a Savvy Traveler from overpaying for a hotel to losing our important personal documents – these are things that can happen to any of us. Today we are sharing our top 10 tips on how to be a savvy traveler, which will hopefully help you not to make the same mistakes,or at least if they happen you will be better prepared and easily find a way to resolve them.

Back-up Your Important Documents

Hopefully, you will never have to use the backed-up version of your important documents, but in case you lose your passport, having a copy straight to your email can be extremely helpful.

Keep a copy of your passport with you in a separate place just in case you have to contact the American Embassy to replace it. Recommend leaving a copy with friends or family back home.

Take an extra Bank Card

Unfortunately, we have to be honest and admit that losing or having your bank card stolen has happened to all of us. In case you are visiting a country, which does not have a branch of your own bank, having an extra bank card with you can be a total lifesaver. (If you are wondering, which are the best travel credit cards check our article)

Recommend taking pictures of all credit cards/bank cards front and back just in case they are lost or stolen. This speeds up the process of getting replacements and canceling any bogus charges. Also, you will need to provide a hotel or other address for the replacements to be sent to you.

“Once a year, go someplace you have never been before.” Dalai Lama

Travel with just a Backpack

If you have been an over-packer for most of your life, traveling with just a backpack might be difficult for you. You can start small by getting a smaller size suitcase first. You need to be savage when thinking about how many pieces of clothing and shoes you will need. Once you get used to traveling with just a small suitcase, you can go forward and try packing all your luggage in just a backpack. You will quickly realize how much easier traveling is when you are packing light!

There are lots of Youtube videos on packing light like this one for the savvy traveler. I would look at several to see what others are doing. Most countries in the world and cruise ships have laundries, so you don’t need several items, just the basics. Remember, you will probably never see any of these people again. Pack in a color palette so you can mix and match. Beiges and greys are great because they tend to be background colors.

Bring a first-aid K

We hope that accidents never happen to you, but on the rare occasion that they do, you better be prepared than sorry. Have a small first-aid kit with just the basics such as band-aids, antiseptic wipes, and some medications for pain relief, sore throat, and flu.

Do not Forget Travel Insurance

As we are talking about how important it is to have a first-aid kit, we definitely have to mention another way to become a more savvy traveler is to get travel insurance. There are so many different types of travel insurance, but it would be best to look out for the following things when choosing – coverage on canceled flights, coverage on lost items, coverage when being injured or being robbed, etc.

As a traveler in the time of covid, it is important to look and see if it is covered in cancellations. Also, in case you have to cancel for any reason find out how close to departure you can cancel. Also, important what form your reimbursement takes. It might be in the form of vouchers with a time frame. If you want your cash back, you might have to pay a little more for insurance, but in the long run, it might be better if you don’t think you will take this service, tour company, or cruise line again.

Book your Travel in Advance

Booking your travel in advance is common sense, but even still we get surprised when we realize how many people are waiting for the last moment to book their flights or hotels. Do not make the same mistake if you want to be a more savvy traveler. It is best to start researching and booking your flights 2 – 3 months beforehand to get the best prices. Once you have the dates confirmed, go ahead and proceed with choosing your hotel and getting your tickets for various attractions.

Hotels have some really attractive low rates, but they are usually non-refundable for any reason. You might think you are absolutely going on this trip, but things happen. This is also where cancel for any reason insurance is important. Airlines have also started using this pricing strategy, even with frequent flyer mile tickets. Make sure you don’t get these fares as you will never recoup your loss.

Take a Solo Trip

Taking a solo trip can be stressful at first, but it is one of the most rewarding experiences ever. Not only will you become a lot more independent, but you will also learn a lot about yourself, you will become more flexible and adaptable to unfamiliar situations and you will definitely look at traveling from a much different perspective than before.

Get Off-The-Beaten-Path

If you want to be a savvy traveler, you need to get off-the-beaten-path. Each country and city has so much more to offer than the most popular tourist attractions. It is the hidden gems and off-the-beaten-paths, that will help you experience and explore the destination better. Sometimes you need to allow yourself to get lost to find something extraordinary! Always be aware and stay safe.

Be Respectful

One of the most important things to remember when heading on your next trip is to be respectful. Keep in mind that you are visiting a new place with new culture and different traditions than yours. Most locals are extremely friendly, and they will be more than happy to help you. One of the ways to show your respect is to learn just a few basic phrases in the relevant language. Even if you are not good at languages, it is not so difficult to learn how to say “Hello”, “Goodbye”, “Please”, etc.

Be Prepared

You have to go on your trip realizing that something along the way will go wrong. You can’t anticipate it, but you have to have the attitude that it isn’t going to ruin your trip. Things happen-strikes, bad weather, sites you wanted to see are closed, etc. Make up your mind that you will find alternatives and that in itself is an adventure.

Enjoy and Relax

Last but not least in our list of ways how to be a savvy traveler we will talk about the importance of relaxing and enjoying yourself. Often times we are stressing so much over our travels and we are being so anxious about what might happen that we do not allow ourselves to fully immerse ourselves in travel mode. Do not make this mistake. Just relax and enjoy and create fantastic memories, which you will cherish long after you have gone back home!

Now that you know how to be a savvy traveler, are you ready to head on your next trip and try some of our tips listed above?

NOW IS NOT TOO SOON to begin taking steps to find your next exciting river cruise. Unique Journeys is a valuable asset to make certain you get the right cruise at the right time and for the right price. Don’t go it alone and risk not having the best experience possible. Contact me and together we will give you the vacation you deserve.

Now that you are perusing river cruises to make a perfect choice, here is a must-read article on avoiding river cruise booking mistakes. For the best river cruise experience, you will want to contact expert Nancy at Unique Journeys. She will assist you in finding the perfect cruise experience where you will create memories for a lifetime. You are welcome to find additional information at AMA Waterways regarding the luxury river cruise experience.

5 Tips How to Save Money For Your Next Vacation

Mar 5, 2021

5 Tips How to Save Money For Your Next Vacation

Are you dreaming of heading on your next vacation, but struggling as you do not have the funds for it? We have all been there because let’s be fair traveling can be an investment, although it is worth every penny for the experience and memories.

There are a few amazingly simple and realistic ways how you can get the money that you need and that is why today we are sharing the 5 tips on how to save money for your next vacation. Keep reading and you will be surprised how easy it is!

Start early and tell your travel agent what you are looking for so they can monitor sales and specials.

The more information you give them, the better they are able to help you. They may be able to show you alternatives that will be just as good and may save you money. They can also let you know the best time of year to go to certain destinations in order to get the best price, such as spring and fall shoulder seasons. Experience counts.

Set a Budget and Stick to It

Step one of saving money for your next vacation is not just setting a budget, but also making sure that you stick to it. One of the best ways to get started is creating a spreadsheet with different categories, which you are spending money on each month. Make sure that you add every single dollar that you spend to the relevant category and you will quickly notice how much of your salary goes into unnecessary purchases. It would be great if you can first track your spending for two or three months. Once you have a good idea of this, you can proceed to the next step, which is calculating the budget for each category by eliminating the small purchases you are making every month like buying a coffee on your way to work.

These are relatively small, but when combined they add quite a lot to your overall spending for the month. When you finally have your budget set, make sure that you keep tracking every purchase you are making. The best idea is to subtract them from the final budget for a particular category and once you reach the 0, make sure to mark it in red. Having the large red cell should be a good reminder that you are aiming to save money for your next vacation!

Create a Savings Account dedicated for Travel

After you have your budget set, you can proceed to stage 2 of how to save money for your next vacation. Go to your bank and create a savings account, which is completely dedicated for your travels. Be strict with yourself and make sure that even if you need additional money during the month, this will be a bank account you will not dip into. You should also make sure that at the beginning of each month, once you get your salary you transfer some funds from your main account to your savings account.

Start small and plan well with only transferring the amount you can afford. The idea is not to have the full amount you need for your next vacation immediately. This is a long-term tip how to save money and once you have a good understanding of how much money you can put aside each month, you can make these transfers automatic.

Cancel any Non-Essential Subscriptions

We bet that you have at least a few subscriptions that are either non-essential or you can certainly live without. A lot of times, people would get a subscription or even just a trial that would then result into a monthly subscription without even having the need for. It would be great if you can get your latest bank statements and go through every single transaction that has been made, as this is the best way to find out how much money you are paying throughout the month for different subscriptions. Be savage and cancel everything, which is non-essential. If you are having doubts and thinking how convenient it is to get meals delivered straight to your home, think about how much better you will feel when you are sunbathing on the beach and sipping on a delicious cocktail, instead!

Eat at Home

Once you have started tracking your monthly purchases, you will notice how much money you are spending on eating out. It is inevitable because most people think that cooking at home is very time-consuming and it is much easier to grab some food on your way home. The results from eating at home and even creating lunch boxes for work, however, can be noticed very soon after you have made this a habit. One of the best ways to get motivated to eat at home more often is to track how much money you have been able to save in the first month after you have started this habit using your budget spreadsheet. Then transfer this additionally saved amount straight into your saving accounts dedicated to your travels. You will be surprised how fast it will start growing.

Sell any Unused Items

Last but definitely not least, on our list of the 5 tips on how to save money for your next vacation, we will talk about selling any unused items. We all have them and if you start decluttering your house, you will quickly find out how many items you have that you are either not using or you have completely forgotten about. We bet that you will find kitchen gadgets still in their boxes somewhere in your attic or clothes hanging in your closet still having the tag on. These are great items that you can go ahead and sell. Nowadays, there are many different platforms and apps you can use to organize and plan your sales. This is a great tip not only to earn some money but also to clean your house!

Which of the above-mentioned 5 tips on how to save money for your next vacation will you try first?

If you are perusing river cruises to make a perfect choice, here is a must-read article on avoiding river cruise booking mistakes. For the best river cruise experience, you will want to contact expert Nancy at Unique Journeys. She will assist you in finding the perfect cruise experience where you will create memories for a lifetime. You are welcome to find additional information at AMA Waterways regarding the luxury river cruise experience.

THE FLORIADE-A HORTICULTURE EXPO A DECADE IN THE MAKING

Feb 22, 2021

The Floriade , a once in a decade horticulture expo stands as one of the premier venues for those interested in horticulture. Here you can learn about what we can do to protect and preserve our environment. As it occurs only every ten years 2022 is that year.

The best way to accomplish this is on a luxury river cruise with AMA Waterways. They have made arrangements for their clients to experience the Floriade as one of their included shore excursions. This is in addition to cruising in the spring and visiting Keukenhof Gardens as another included excursion. The best of both are yours when you book an AMA Waterways cruise. What a bonus you have in 2022. Enjoying the regular Tulip Time Cruise where you are in awe of the displays of plants and flowers on display. Then you experience the once in a decade Floriade Horticulture Expo.

For everyone who loves not only gardening, but the relationship between gardening and the environment, this show is a must see. It is becoming increasingly important that we recognize the relationship we all have with the environment. Some of the best minds on earth are working on this, but it’s a responsibility of all of us to help. We must ensure that what we do today has a good and lasting impact on generations to come.

NOW IS NOT TOO SOON to begin taking steps to find your next exciting river cruise. Unique Journeys is a valuable asset to make certain you get the right cruise at the right time and for the right price. Don’t go it alone and risk not having the best experience possible. Together we will give you the vacation you deserve.

Now that you are perusing river cruises to make the perfect choice, here is a must read article on avoiding river cruise booking mistakes. For the best river cruise experience you will want to contact Nancy at Unique Journeys. She will assist you in finding the perfect cruise experience where you will create memories for a lifetime. You are welcome to find additional information at AMA Waterways regarding the luxury river cruise experience.