Dear Course Participant, Congratulations and a warm welcome to your Landmark Vacation Course, "Structural Connections," at the Westin Resort in Cancun. Enclosed in your travel document folder are your spa information, course sticker, luggage tags and some general information about your stay in Cancun. Please read this information before you begin your trip. Packing Instructions and Attire The dress code in Cancun is very casual, with shorts being acceptable nearly everywhere. Some of the more upscale restaurants require men to wear a shirt and trousers, but a tie is never necessary. For business travelers, shorts are still acceptable with a collared shirt and leather shoes. Women can wear similar attire, but of course, also have the option of wearing dresses. The average daytime temperature in February ranges from 75-85 degrees with moderate humidity. Available activities in Cancun range from horseback riding to tours of Mayan ruins, so pack for outdoor-type activities as well as your swimwear, sun block, hat, and sunglasses for the pool and the beach. For the course room sessions, please bring loose, casual clothing in which you would be comfortable lying on a carpet or doing very mild exercise. Proof of Citizenship U.S. citizens will need proof of citizenship, either a valid passport or original birth certificate (or certified copy), with a driver s license or other state or local government photo ID. Without proper proof of citizenship, you may be denied permission to board your flights. Non-U.S. citizens will need a valid passport and may need to obtain a visa to enter Mexico. (Please check with the local Mexican consulate office nearest you.) Airline Check-in and Baggage Take a moment to review your itinerary and make note of the airline, departure date and flight times. If you notice a discrepancy, please contact A Cruise World or the travel agent who made your reservation. Because airlines make changes frequently, please reconfirm your flight information 24 hours before your departure. Remember to check with the airline regarding your seat assignments, special meal requests, or frequent flyer information. Phone numbers for the airlines can be found on our web site, www.acruiseworld.com/travelworld.cfm. Just click on the link for Airline Toll Free Numbers. Plan to arrive at your departing airport at least 2 hours prior to the departure of your flights. If you should encounter a long delay getting to Cancun, please call A Cruise World at (800) 442-9278 and we will be able to advise you on the best arrangements. You are allowed two pieces of checked luggage and one carry-on (total of three pieces of luggage per person). To make identifying your luggage easier for our staff, please attach the enclosed Structural Connections luggage tag to each piece of luggage. Also, place the enclosed Structural Connections course sticker on your shirt when you arrive at the Cancun Airport. Please note that neither Landmark Education nor A Cruise World carries any baggage insurance. Contact the airline or Travelex if you wish to purchase luggage insurance before you begin your trip.
Ground Transportation Upon your arrival in Cancun, you will be met at the arrival area and provided transportation from the airport to Westin Resort & Spa Cancun. Please watch for a member of our travel staff with a Landmark Education sign. Have your "Structural Connections" sticker clearly visible on your clothing and check in with our travel staff. If you need transportation to a hotel other than the Westin Resort & Spa Cancun, please make this arrangement on your own. When you arrive at the Westin Resort & Spa Cancun, check in with the front desk and give your luggage to the bellman. A Cruise World s Hospitality Desk is located in the hotel lobby. Please stop by to pick up your welcome information packet and the reconfirmation of your spa appointments at the hotel. Spa Reservations Two spa treatments at the hotel are included as part of your course tuition. If you have already sent in your spa times and choices, these times will be confirmed on your Spa Confirmation sheet enclosed in this packet. If you did not let us know your spa choices in advance, two treatments have been selected for you and listed on the Spa Confirmation sheet. Due to limited time availability, appointment times may not be easily rescheduled. If these choices or times do not work for you, please contact us as soon as possible to see if we can accommodate your preferences. Tour Excursions If you had booked your excursions in advance, confirmation of these tours have been enclosed. If you have not booked your excursions, you may still be able to reserve tours (subject to availability). We ve extended the deadline for this until February 15, 2005. All bookings after this date must be done at the resort. Due to fluctuations in currency as well as exchange rate fees, actual charges may vary slightly from the approximate tour cost posted on our tour sheet. Hospitality Desk The Hospitality Desk will be staffed daily during the program. Our desk personnel can assist you with information on course events, spa reservations, tours and other matters related to the course. Detailed information about the Hospitality Desk will be included in your welcome package. Our first course session on February 26 th will be held in the Orozco Room from 4:00PM - 7:30PM. The course schedule for the entire week has been provided on the following page. An evening cruise and dinner show for our group has been included in your tuition and scheduled for Sunday evening, February 27 th, but is optional if you do not wish to participate. Information on other activities available to you in Cancun will be available at the Hospitality Desk. You will receive a departure notice prior to the last day of the course. This notice will provide you with information on scheduled group departure transportation from the Westin Resort & Spa Cancun to the Cancun International Airport. If you have any questions regarding your travel arrangements, please call our office at (626) 449-2811. If you have questions regarding your course tuition or payments, please call Anita Schulz, the Registration Fulfillment Team Leader, at (651) 426-0182 or Laura Wickham at Wisdom Central, (888) 797-7449. I look forward to seeing you in Cancun! John Severson John Severson A Cruise World
February 26-March 4, 2005 Course Schedule Day Date Event Location Times Sat 02/26/2005 Welcome Reception Orozco 4:00 PM 4:30 PM Sat 02/26/2005 Course Session Orozco 4:30 PM 7:30 PM Sun 02/27/2005 Course Session Orozco 9:00 AM 12:30 PM Sun 02/27/2005 Cruise & Dinner Show Meet in Lobby 5:30 PM 11:30 PM Mon 02/28/2005 Course Session Orozco 4:00 PM 7:30 PM Tue 03/01/2005 Course Session Orozco 4:00 PM 7:30 PM Wed 03/02/2005 Course Session Orozco 4:00 PM 7:30 PM Thu 03/03/2005 Course Session Orozco 4:00 PM 7:30 PM Fri 03/04/2005 Course Session Orozco 8:00 AM 10:00 AM Course times and locations are subject to change.
CANCUN INFORMATION Welcome to your Structural Connections course in Cancun! Please read over the information below to assist you in making your stay most enjoyable! GREETINGS IN MEXICO Greeting strangers with 'Buenos Dias' - 'Good Morning', 'Buenas Tardes' - 'Good Afternoon' 'Buenas Noches' - 'Good Evening is always appropriate and welcome! Shaking hands with people is expected, even if you've already met before and have seen them three times in the same day. If you have met the female before, it is customary to kiss the cheek. If you haven't seen them for a week, or more, be prepared for 'un abraso' - an embrace, male or female. TELEPHONE AND EMAIL Long distance telephone calls from Mexico to the United States can be very expensive. Don t be surprised if direct calls cost up to $6 per minute. Even calling card calls can cost $5 per call to just access a long distance operator not to mention the long distance charges. The most economical option is to purchase prepaid calling cards for the pay phone in $20-$100 Pesos. These calls will cost about $1 per minute to the United States. To save from having a huge phone bill, we recommend having your friends and family call you at designated times for non-emergency calls. The Westin Spa & Resort Cancun phone number is 011 52 (322) 998-848-7400. INTERNET ACCESS There are Workstation computers with Internet access at the Business/Computer Center for about 50 Pesos (about $5) for every 20 minutes. You should be able to access any web-based email service such as Hotmail and Yahoo. Another way to get online is to connect your laptop to a WiFi (wireless) connection from your room for about 200 pesos/day. You can also make copies and print pages from your laptop or disk at the Business Center. CURRENCY CONVERSION The current exchange rate for Mexican Pesos to US Dollars is approximately 10 to 1. That means for every dollar you can buy 10 pesos. Most businesses (except for some public transportation services) will accept US Dollars making it unnecessary to exchange your dollars to pesos. You can often get the best exchange rate by using your credit card for your purchases. EVENING CRUISE On Sunday night, you are invited to attend the evening cruise and cultural folklore show to the Island of Isla Mujeres (about 35 minutes off shore). This cruise and show is included in your course tuition. However, it is optional and if you wish to participate in other activities or have dinner at the hotel at that time you may certainly do so. All meals are available at the hotel as part of the meal program. HOSPITALITY DESK HOURS The Structural Connections Hospitality Desk will be open each day for several hours. Please check your course agenda for hours and location. Here, you can sign up for excursions, additional spa treatments at the hotel, or ask questions that might make your vacation more enjoyable. Important updates will be posted on a flip chart next to the desk. LOCAL TRANSPORTATION The Westin Spa & Resort Cancun is a few minutes from the main airport and about 30 minutes away from downtown by bus. Cancun offers autobuses that circulate along the main avenue of the hotel zone. There is no time schedule, as the buses are circulating frequently. A bus trip from any point to another will cost 6.50 Pesos/person (about.70 cents).
Taking a taxi is a practical and speedy way to get around Cancun. The cost for a taxi (that can fit three people) from the hotel to the main downtown area is about 200 Pesos (or approximately 20 dollars). Costs are higher if you are going further south or to more distant locations such as Tulum or Xel Ha. Recommendations from taxi drivers on where to eat etc. are not reliable since many may be getting a kickback. There have been some recent complaints of taxi drivers taking people to different places than requested. If the driver does that, tells you the place is closed or he doesn't know where it is - take another taxi. LOCAL WATER AND SAFE DRINKING WATER The tap water from your hotel room at the Westin Spa & Resort Cancun is safe to drink. The water is purified and sanitized via the hotel s purification system. The food (including fresh fruits and salads) is washed and processed before it is prepared in most major restaurants and eateries. If you wish to stock up on bottled water or anything else you miss from the United States, you can visit both Wal-mart and Costco in town. Though the prices will be in pesos, they are comparable to what you would pay in the United States. WELL BEING If you are not feeling well or have a concern about your well being, please talk to the course supervisor, Anita Schulz (at the back of the room) regardless of how minor you may think the situation might be. NIGHT LIFE Cancun is a party town. Whether you want Disco, Jazz, Rock & Roll or Latin/Salsa, this city has got it. Keep in mind, the locals do not eat dinner before 9:00 PM so most nightspots do not even open until 11:00 PM. On the Malecon (sea front) there are many Dance Bars, offering 2 for 1 drinks all day and night. For the hottest spots for any given night, ask our local experts at the Hospitality Desk. GRATUITIES AND TIPPING Bellman and Maid gratuities at the Westin Spa & Resort Cancun have already been prepaid as part of your course tuition. The exception would be maid gratuities for nights that you have reserved either before or after the program. Also, gratuities for your breakfasts, dinners and transportation to the various group events are also included and prepaid. At the hotel spa, a standard gratuity has been prepaid but you may wish to bring extra cash for additional tips to reward exceptional service. Gratuities for your additional excursions should be given at the conclusion of each tour. MAP OF THE AREA Maps of the Cancun area, tour and excursion brochures will be available at the Hospitality Desk as well as at the Concierge Desk at the hotel. We are sure you will enjoy your stay here in Cancun!