My First Check As A Travel Agent

Well, I keep telling myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day and that my new venture in the travel industry will slowly build as well. Last weekend was my first weekend where trips booked from my website were taken. Since I don’t get paid until after the trips are taken this weekend I received my first check.

It certainly isn’t anywhere near enough for me to consider quitting my “real job” but it is enough to give my bank account a little boost and contribute to the debt retirement plan. The best part is that I have many more trips that have already been booked so more moola is coming!

Want to know how you can get in the travel industry? Email me!

Constant Complaining Leads To Lifetime Cruise Ban

Very rarely does a vacation go off without any complications at all. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for vacationers to come home and, in the middle of their vacation stories, tell family and friends that they wish that at least one thing went differently. Be it weather, accommodations, food, travel or something else.

Then there’s Brenda and Gerald Moran who took complaining to a whole new level. Using internet forums the Moran’s complained repeatedly about their experiences and the service they received from Royal Caribbean. Some of their complaints seemed valid and yet others very petty and pointless. Regardless they continued to cruise with the company (they cruised a total of six times) and continued to voice complaints. So much so that they received discounts and personal phone calls from the cruise line.

When they mentioned on the forums that they were receiving discounts from the cruise line for their complaining many of the forum members suggested that they were “working the system” to exploit all they could and discounts beyond what normal passengers were able to receive. Some forum members contacted Royal Caribbean to make them aware of the complaints which would ultimately lead to the Moran’s being told that they could never again sail with the company.

Sure there is the right to free speech but there is a difference between speaking freely and working the system. If they were in fact working the system then the cruise line did the right thing in my mind but if not then we have to wonder to what extents the cruise lines are going through to silence what is being said about them on the internet.

I’m leaning more towards feeling like they were working the system for two reasons. 1) Why sail with a company that you are not satisfied with six times? With all the cruise options out there why not just pick another one? Vacation consumers are picky and when not satisfied they will tell friends and family and then will not return to the resort, hotel, cruise etc.

2) What does the cruise line gain by banning the Morans? I mean other than a migraine headache! This family will most likely continue to criticize Royal Caribbean so that won’t be silenced. They really don’t save face because they have opened themselves up to a whole new world of criticism. The only logical explanation was that they were being taken advantage of and found a way to put a stop to it.

Traveling Project

Moving away from my stocks (by the way they’ve been down since that post) and back to my recommended travel sites I’d like to recommend you to the Traveling Project. It’s a unique blog by an avid traveler who wants to do nothing more than travel and blog. Now that’s living the dream!

A new blog that just started in April Traveling Blog gives us a great look at the Island of Guam and the Philippians. With photos and detailed descriptions of places traveled the author takes you on location with him.

I'm looking forward to reading more about his advantures in world travel.

I Made The Right Stock Selection!

I’ll humbly admit that I am still very much a novice when it comes to playing the stock market but it appears that I’ve done something right. A little over a month ago I purchased some stock in GEORESOURCES INC (GEOI) at $15.90 a share. It went up almost immediately before taking a bit of a dive. Now it is very much back on the rise and closed today at $22.62 a share.

Do Something Amazing!

The reason why we travel is because we like to see and experience new things. Sure you can explore the world from the comfort of your couch by watching Discovery Channel but stepping out into the great unknown and seeing things with our own eyes is what makes us feel alive. So where should we go and what should we do? Well, there are sites like mine that help you get there and then there is Rezgo’s Amazing Tours telling you why you need to be there.

Continuing on in bringing you to some of the best travel sites in the blogosphere I’d like to introduce you to Rezgo’s Amazing Tours.

Amazing Tours is about cool and unusual tours from around the World. Its about the road less traveled and the really neat stuff that is off the beaten path. We scour the web looking for this off the wall and sometimes extreme content and feature them here. Why? Because the World isn’t just about the theme parks or sightseeing, its about living and doing. That’s what makes a tour an Amazing Tour.

From Peru to Namibia, Africa to America’s west coast to Europe and on to the South Pole. Amazing Tours keeps you up to date and informed on the tours that can literally take you to the edge of the world.

Why Visit Hawaii Island?

With so many options for visiting the Hawaiian Islands many people just don’t know where to start. My recommendation is that you start on the Big Island. Why? Well, I don’t think I could explain it any better than the Island’s official site.

Big, Bold, Beautiful

Why do more visitors who are returning for a Hawaii vacation to the Hawaiian Islands come back to the Island of Hawaii (“the Big Island”) than any other island?

The reasons read like a fantasy checklist of adventure, fun and romance : a user-friendly erupting volcano, another volcano sometimes capped with snow in winter, beaches covered with (take your pick) white, black or green sand, an ocean offering superb snorkeling, scuba diving and deep sea fishing, powerful native Hawaiian cultural sites from antiquity and today, delicious international dining where “Hawaii Regional Cuisine” was born, visitor-friendly farms and orchards growing world-famous coffee, macadamia nuts, exotic fruits and flowers, world-class resorts and quaint bed & breakfasts, wonderful Hawaii wedding and honeymoon opportunities, golf courses that are both challenging and gorgeous—we could go on and on.

Have you been to the Big Island? Tell us about it in the comments section below!

PowerSearch turned up over 100 results for Air+Hotel options on the Big Island starting as low as $1,300.00*.

* Price is round trip from Houston to Hawaii July 9-14.

Flying? Check Out the Critic!

Continuing with our look at recommended travel blogs let me point you to The Flying Critic. Quite honestly, it is one of the most entertaining and informative travel blogs I’ve looked at.

Providing airline and travel news, tips and tricks, reviews and more the Flying Critic is a useful source to anyone who is traveling. With features ranging from daily travel photo to the latest information from the airline industry the Critic not only keeps you up to date but also allows you to see the world.

Book Your Flights Here

Have a question about planning a trip? Email me

Tell us about your flying Experiences in the comments section below.