Carolyn Knows Travel

02/01/2024

Have you ever thought about taking a guided tour?
8 reasons Trafalgar Tours guests love going on guided tours -
1 Everything is taken care of
2 You see more, do more and skip the lines
3 It's stress free, fun and you don't have to drive
4 It's the people you meet
5 It's safe and secure
6 You learn while you travel
7 You can shape the trips to your tastes with free time and optional excursions
8 It's a great way to travel

12/26/2023

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

12/06/2023

What's New Wednesday
- As of Dec 05 pricing is changing for Elite Plus upgrade seats booked less than 48 hours before departure and for oversized checked bags. If you chose to upgrade your seats to Elite Plus 48 hours or less before your departure the fee will increase from 50.00 per seat per flight to 65.00 per seat per flight. If you are interested in the seat upgrade I recommend letting me know at time of booking so I can do your seat upgrade for you after I have processed your booking.

- Now open - Sunscape Coco Punta Cana - this newly remodeled family friendly resort is located on Bavaro Beach. As well as regular hotel rooms it also offers 2 and 3 bedroom units which can accomodate larger families travelling together. The resort has 12 restaurants as well as an Explorer's Club for kids ages 4 to 12.

11/14/2023

Tuesday Trivia -
4 facts about New York City
- France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the US in 1886. The pieces were shipped in 214 crates made up of 350 pieces which took 4 months to assemble on its current site on Ellis Island
- the New York Public Library has over 50 million books and is the 3rd largest library in the world
- Times Square was named after The New York Times when the Times moved there in 1904
- Central Park covers 843 acres, is 2 and a half miles long and half a mile wide

10/25/2023

Celebrate autumn with a change of scenery.
Book select Air Canada Vacations packages between now and November 12 for travel until the end of January 2024 and you may qualify for a discounted rate up to 30% off.

10/19/2023

10/13/2023

Friday focus -
Top all inclusive resorts with Sunwing Vacations that have accommodations for families of 5 include the Royalton Bavaro in Punta Cana Dominican Republic and the Holiday Inn Montego Bay.

10/11/2023

Tuesday trivia -
St Martin/St Maarten is the smallest island in the world to be shared by two nations - the Netherlands and France. The island has a European influenced vibe with a Caribbean flair. Known as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, the island has more than 365 restaurants. The island's 37 square miles has 37 breathtaking beaches, historical attractions, a variety of watersports including scuba diving and snorkelling, 14 casinos, numerous nightclubs and duty free shopping in the capital of Philipsburg, located on the Dutch side of the island.

10/06/2023

Friday Focus
Sandals Royal Bahamian resort - Nassau Bahamas
- Located on Cable beach 15 minutes from the airport and 20 minutes from downtown Nassau, this resort has 10 restaurants, 8 bars, 2 pools and an offshore island.
I recently had clients stay at this resort and they loved it. Joe said - "the location, staff, food and room were all awesome - we will definitely go back!"

10/03/2023

Tuesday Trivia -
There are more golfers in Canada per capita than anywhere else in the world and Ireland is home to one third of the world's link courses.

10/02/2023

This weeks airline update - Porter Airlines to start flying to Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Fort Myers later this fall. Starting with Tampa on Nov 01 and ending with Miami on Dec 12, Porter Airlines new Florida schedule will be up and running on select days each week.
Flights will include complimentary select alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks and WiFi, fresh meal options for a fee and no middle seats.

09/08/2023

I am very excited to announce that I have been nominated in the Travel Agent category for the BG's 2023 Readers Choice Awards.
If you would like to add your support by voting for me go to the BG's Readers Choice Awards voting page and find my name under People/Professionals - Travel Agent.
You will need to register with your email address and a password that you create.
You don't have to be a Brampton resident to vote so all my clients/friends and family who live out of town can vote as well.
Thank you for taking the time to vote for me. Voting is open until Oct 02.

09/08/2023

I am very excited to announce that I have been nominated in the Travel Agent category for the Brampton Guardian 2023 Readers Choice Awards.

If you would like to add your support by voting for me go to
https://readerschoice.bramptonguardian.com/readerschoice/
and find my name under People/Professionals - Travel Agent.

You will need to register with your email address and a password you create.

You don't have to be a Brampton resident to vote to all my clients/friends and family who live out of town can vote as well.

Thank you for taking the time to vote for me. Really appreciate the support! Voting is open until Oct 02.

09/08/2023

I am very excited to announce that I have been nominated in the Travel Agent category for the Brampton Guardian 2023 Readers Choice Awards.

If you would like to add your support by voting for me go to
https://readerschoice.bramptonguardian.com/readerschoice/
and find my name under People/Professionals - Travel Agent.

You will need to register with your email address and a password that you create.

You don't have to be a Brampton resident to vote so all my clients/friends and family who live out of town can vote as well.

Thank you for taking the time to vote for me. Voting is open until Oct 02.

08/31/2023

What is a Disney World Thrill?
It could feel like soaring high above Pandora—on a banshee. Like meeting your favorite Disney Character face to face. Like shrinking down to the size of Chef Remy for a culinary adventure. Like launching into the Grid to compete in the ultimate race on TRON Lightcycle / Run presented by Enterprise®. Thrills everyone can be a part of. A unique Disney Experience.

There’s only one way to really know what a Disney Thrill feels like… go! Experience them with your family and friends. And know that one-of-a-kind feeling you can only get at Walt Disney World Resort..

Promotional offers currently available -
Save 25% for select fall dates / special ticket offers for 4 day / 4 park Magic your way base passes

08/02/2023

Walt Disney World update - Quick Service and Disney Dining Plans are back for travel dates January 09 2024 onwards. If you are thinking of Disney for the winter or spring of 2024 rates for Resort and passes or Resort, passes and dining plan are now available.

06/09/2023

Thinking of a winter vacation?
Transat Holidays is offering their "Book Early, Get Plenty" promo for Canadians looking to travel on a Transat South fall/winter vacation between September 01 2023 and April 30 2024. Take advantage of the following perks when you book by June 29 -

Up to $400 off for two people - discount included in current pricing
Price Drop Guarantee up to $200/adult and $100/child
Reduced minimum deposit of $100/person
Future travel credit of $50/adult and $25/child
50% off Option Flex Standard
Promotion applies to new individual bookings. Exceptions apply.

05/18/2023

Are you really covered?
Recently three of my clients travelled together to Punta Cana for a 10 day, all inclusive vacation. At the time of booking, two of the people advised me that they had an annual travel insurance plan that would cover them for this trip. Unfortunately, halfway in to their trip, one of the travellers fell and broke their ankle and sprained the other one. All of a sudden, they were in hospital for surgery and were in a wheelchair as they couldn't weight bear on either foot. They contacted their insurance company for assistance and found that not all travel insurance coverage is created equal. Apart from the fact that they had to keep calling the insurance company for updates, they also found out that certain things were not covered and they ended up having to pay out of pocket for some things.
Travel insurance is so important. Hopefully you will never have to use it when you travel, but, if you do, you want the peace of mind knowing that things will be taken care of.
We offer Manulife Travel Insurance plans from Premium Protection with full coverage to Trip cancellation, to Medical, to baggage depending on your coverage needs.

04/18/2023

Have you checked your passport's expiry date lately? It has been 10 years since the Government of Canada implemented the choice of having a 10 year passport instead of just 5 and passport offices are expecting an increase in renewal applications going in to the summer and fall. More and more destinations are requiring passports be valid for at least 6 months after travel dates so don't get caught at the last minute having to get a rush passport and check your expiry date today!

Canadian passports

12/30/2022

Wishing all my clients a Happy New Year! Thank you for all the business in 2022 and I look forward to helping you with all your travel adventures in the coming year.

06/15/2022

Federal government lifts vaccine mandates for air and rail travel
Today, the Government of Canada announced that the vaccine requirement for domestic air and rail travel will be lifted effective 12:01AM ET on Monday, June 20.
This means all travellers can travel by commercial aircraft and train within Canada regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.
Unvaccinated travellers can travel on commercial aircraft departing Canada. Travellers remain subject to the rules of foreign destinations and may still be subject to vaccination requirements.
There is no modification to the vaccination requirement for cruise travel at this time and travellers must be fully vaccinated to board a cruise ship.
Unvaccinated federal transportation workers may also return to work which will contribute to easing wait times at Canada’s airports.
Unvaccinated Canadians travelling to Canada from abroad may still travel to Canada, however, they continue to be subject to mandatory testing and quarantine. Unvaccinated foreign nationals remain ineligible for entry to Canada.
For more information, please see the Government of Canada’s press release.

Travelling to the US
The US government has changed their restrictions for entering the country - Negative Covid 19 testing requirements have been suspended and are no longer required.

05/30/2022

For all Disney and Guardians of the Galaxy fans - the new Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind is now open at Epcot in Florida.
This new family thrill coaster is part of the Epcot transformation happening this summer as part of the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebrations. This new ride will be one of the largest, fully enclosed roller coasters in the world and features the first reverse launch on any Disney coaster.

05/06/2022

With travel restrictions lifted I am back to booking clients on their travel adventures and will again be posting regularly with updates, suggestions, resort reviews, sales, promotions and destination info.

03/17/2021

With the vaccine rollout started, the travel industry (and this travel agent) is hoping that the light at the end of the Covid19 tunnel will be getting brighter and brighter faster and faster.
At the end of last week, I actually had some feeling of normalcy as I researched and then booked a Viking River Cruise for 4 clients. They are not travelling until the fall of 2023, but, they decided to take advantage of Viking's current promotions and risk free guarantee to plan a special sister's trip for the future. Now they have started their countdown with 964 days until their departure!
If you have been dreaming of your first, or next, river cruise and would like more information let me know.
Current promotions and risk free guarantee is applicable for bookings made and deposited by Mar 31 2021.