Departures Travel * 1166 E. Warner Rd #114 Gilbert, AZ 85296 * 480-830-8822 It has been a few months since our last newsletter and as usual, we have a lot to talk about. We also have some great suggestions for traveling in the second half of 2016. If you would like to get out of this heat, there is a good selection of last minute deals to Alaska and Europe. We have also been seeing some great specials on river and ocean cruises from many of the cruise lines. This is also the time to book your holiday and fall break trips. Do you have a special passion or hobby? Maybe you are a collector? Are you aware there are numerous specialty cruises that center around certain types of activities, hobbies or interests? For example, there are faith based cruises, fitness cruises, wine tasting cruises, themed music cruises such as jazz, rock & roll, blues, country, gospel, Irish and many more. Maybe you want to be on a cruise when Andrea Bocelli is performing? How about a poker cruise, a photography cruise, an antiques cruise or an astronomy cruise? There are even nudist cruises if you dare? Call us to see what options you have pertaining to your interest or hobby. Remember, we can customize every detail of your trip to meet your needs.
Interested in the Grand Canyon Railway? LIMITED TIME OFFER FOR THE SUMMER OF 2016* TO P--*********LAN, E---ASY OO--- ASY TOAN, EASY TO BOOK, SO EASY TENJOY YOUR SUMMER VACATION RESERVE OUR 2-NIGHT PACKAGE NOW FOR TRAVEL THROUGH LABOR DAY: VINTAGE TRAIN TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS AND MEALS AND KIDS GO FREE WITH A PAYING ADULT*. FIRST NIGHT AT THE GRAND CANYON RAILWAY HOTEL IN WILLIAMS, AZ. BUFFET DINNER FEATURING LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE GRAND DEPOT CAFÉ Day 2 - BUFFET BREAKFAST AT THE GRAND DEPOT CAFÉ WILD WEST SHOOTOUT FEATURING THE CATARACT CREEK GANG ROUND-TRIP TRAIN TRAVEL FROM WILLIAMS TO GRAND CANYON AND BACK GREAT TIME TO ADD AN OPTIONAL CANYON TOUR DURING THE LAYOVER! BUFFET DINNER FEATURING LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE GRAND DEPOT CAFÉ SECOND NIGHT AT THE RAILWAY HOTEL Day 3 - BUFFET BREAKFAST AT THE GRAND DEPOT CAFÉ GREAT TIME TO VISIT A REGIONAL ATTRACTION OR EXPLORE DOWNTOWN WILLIAMS, AZ! *Valid for travel 5/27/16 9/5/16, may not be combined with any other offer or discount. Free kids offer is for children age 2 to 15, limited to two kids per room who must accompanied by a paying adult in each room. Additional kids sharing the room must be booked in a separate reservation and pay the applicable package rate. Free ride for kids applies to Pullman class. A discount of $29 roundtrip per child will be applied to train upgrades (Coach Class, First Class & Observation Dome). Applicable to new reservations only. Not applicable to group reservations. Offer may be rescinded at any time. Based on available train and hotel inventory. Tax and National Park entrance fees apply to all package rates. DON'T FORGET THE POLAR EXPRESS, A HOLIDAY TRADITION. CALL NOW FOR INFO. ONLY AVAILABLE SELECT DATES IN NOVEMBER & DECEMBER.
TSA Pre Hate the long lines when checking in for your flights? Maybe TSA Pre is for you? TSA Pre is an expedited security screening program connecting travelers departing from airports within the United States with smarter security and a better air travel experience. Passengers considered low-risk who qualify for the program can receive expedited screening either as a member of the program or another specific trusted traveler group. The following airlines offer TSA Pre : Aeromexico American Airlines Hawaiian Airlines Sun Country Air Canada Cape Air JetBlue Airways United Airlines Alaska Airlines Delta Air Lines Seaborne Airlines Virgin America Allegiant Airlines Etihad Airways Southwest Airlines WestJet If you re eligible and approved for the TSA Pre program you will be given a known traveler number KTN to use when making flight reservations. Participating airlines will print an indicator on your boarding pass. When you arrive at the airport, look for signs for the lanes. Why should you join TSA Pre? TSA Pre provides trusted travelers with expedited security screening for a better travel experience. Plan your travel with confidence and enjoy a more predictable experience. It s a convenient, more efficient security screening process. It s available at more than 160 airports with 16 participating airlines. No need to remove shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts or light jackets. To apply go to https://www.tsa.gov/precheck TSA incorporates unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no passenger is guaranteed expedited screening. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MORE DEPARTURES TRAVELS As we have said before, it is important for your travel agent to stay educated, informed and up to date on the ever changing travel industry. Whenever possible, we will try to take advantage of seminars, travel expos. and educational trips that are offered for that purpose. It is a tough job but, somebody has to do it... Recently, Cheryl has been able to take a couple of trips. One was with her church group to Africa and the other was a work trip to Europe, where she was forced to take an Avalon river cruise from Paris. See what she had to say about those trips below.
Senegal is not what most people think of first when planning a trip to Africa but what a special country it is! Located in West Africa and home to Goree Island (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the St Louis Jazz Festival, Senegal has lots to offer. I was traveling off the beaten path in rural areas as part of a delegation being hosted by the Lutheran Church of Senegal. We enjoyed great food, learned a lot about farming in a tough environment (it got to 105 in February) and as I have found in all of Africa it's the people I find the most memorable! Just back from a whirlwind tour of Western Europe! I started with a quick stop in Lisbon. Portugal is on a lot of new cruise itineraries, both ocean and river. It's a beautiful city with so much history and wonderful climate. Then on to Seville, Spain for the ASTA IDE Conference. Every year it is held in a different destination and it's a great way for us to experience and learn about cities and regions we might not get to otherwise! Seville is home to the Flamenco and also a very beautiful city. It's hosted 2 world's fairs and also has many UNESCO sites. Lots of tapas and paella! Even with the Seine overflowing it's banks I was then off to Paris for an Avalon Waterways river cruise! The itinerary had to be changed almost daily because of the water situation but in the end we saw and did everything on the itinerary just not in the original order. Normandy beaches and Giverny were highlights. Avalon did an amazing job with the logistics of moving not only the boat but all of the guests around and the food was great. It was also a special treat for me as I was sailing with my Aunt Suzie! We met at the airport and had an extra day in Paris before the cruise. She even celebrated a birthday on board!
CALLING ALL FOODIES! Do we have any ''FOODIES'' out there? If you are passionate about eating and travel then Hawaii is the place for you. Hawaii Food and Wine Festival October 14-30, 2016 We can customize an itinerary just for you! Call our Hawaii Specialist Cheryl or Pat 480-830-8822 GAP YEAR TRAVEL WHAT'S POPULAR? What is a gap year you ask? A gap year is an extended break that some people take at a life transition, such as between studies, between study and work, or between careers. Today, thousands of people are taking gap years all over the world, travelling to destinations such as Australia, New Zealand and Thailand for months on end, travelling with relative comfort and ease. Today, a gap year can be anywhere, for any length of time, doing anything you want. You can build an orphanage in Belize, teach English as a foreign language in Israel, trek through the Himalayas in Nepal or travel around the 'banana pancake trail' in South East Asia. A gap year really is whatever you want it to be. A gap year comes under many guises - backpacking, a career gap, a short gap year, travelling, time out, a sabbatical - but they all mean the same thing. A gap year is constructive time out to travel in-between life stages. It usually means travelling, volunteering or working abroad. Often it means all three! Contact Departures Travel to find out more about gap year travel or to discuss setting up a once in a lifetime trip for a child or grandchild.
CUBA We have talked about Cuba in past newsletters. Well, things are still changing for the better. How about an ocean cruise to Cuba? Commercial flights should be starting this fall from the U.S. to Havana. Americans can now bring back up to $400 in souvenirs home with them that includes $100 worth of alcohol and tobacco. We work with a travel partner that is very familiar with Cuba. If you are interested in being a part of history with the changes in Cuba, contact Departures Travel today. MULTI-GENERATIONAL TRAVEL Have you considered a family reunion at sea? While this has become a popular way to get everybody together, it can also be very time consuming and stressful to plan. Let the Departures professionals coordinate the travel of all family members, from any point in the world, including any special needs to provide a worry free trip for all. REMEMBER, DEPARTURES HAS 2 LOCATIONS. Gilbert Western Skies Business Center 1166 Warner Rd # 114 (M-F 9am - 5pm) Mesa Power Rd. & Thomas Rd. (Appt. only) Please call for Sat. and evening appointments. DON T FORGET THAT DEPARTURES TRAVEL IS ON FACEBOOK. Please visit and give us a like. https://www.facebook.com/departuresaztravel Visit our web page at www.departuresaz.com 480-830-8822