Crystal Clear Getaways

21/02/2025

Discover the world in a way that's uniquely yours with Exotik Journeys. From ancient wonders to hidden gems, each journey is designed to immerse you in unforgettable experiences. Explore exotic destinations like the Galapagos Islands, the Mekong River, and more. Whether it's cultural discovery, natural beauty, or pure relaxation, your next adventure begins here.

14/02/2025

Roses are red, passports in hand,
Booking escapes to soft white sand.

From cenotes to sunsets in every hue,
Here’s to love and travel—cheers to you!

Happy Valentine's Day from Crystal Clear Getaways 💝

28/01/2025

🏝️ It’s National Plan for Vacation Day! 🌴 There’s no better time to start dreaming about your next getaway. Whether it’s lounging on a stunning beach or exploring ancient Mayan ruins, let’s make those travel dreams a reality.

Where can I help you plan a vacation to? ✈️

19/01/2025

Cruising with Celiac! on the Carnival Jubilee

It can be nerve racking for sure. I want to share our recent experience on Carnival Jubilee. For those of you who don't know our story we are a family of 4. My husband and eldest son are both Celiac. My youngest (suuuuper picky) and I are both gluten intolerant (not CC sensitive), and I am also vegetarian to add to the fun.

All the meals I am sharing in this post were on the ship. We decided not to chance eating off the ship on port days this time. I will start by saying we spoke to a knowledgeable staff member every single time about cross contamination.

The menus are available in their app for every day of your cruise once you are on board. They have a regular, vegetarian and Gluten Free menu for most restaurants.

🍕 Pizzeria del Capitano: We will start with the pizza place since the boys ate there, every single day lol. Gluten free pizza here was really good. I had the vegetarian pizza, which I thought was great. They boys ate pepperoni almost every time. They did test out the ranch bbq pizza once and said it was good but then the next time we were told it was't gluten free so we stayed away after that. They do have a separate gluten free prep area, oven and cutting board and utensils. The only thing here is making sure you get a knowledgeable chef. They kids went and got their own pizza without me one night while we went to a show and my eldest ended up severely glutened, throwing up immediately and then unwell for the next 4 days. They ARE good as long as you get the allergy chef and are very firm about CC. My youngest said he's sure he saw them make their pizzas with the regular toppings that night but he didn't think to say anything🤦‍♀️.

🍔 Guys Burger Joint: The boys all ate at the burger joint multiple times. They have gluten free buns and will make your burger in the back. I found the language barrier a big issue here trying to explain cross contamination, but they didn't get sick here at all. The fries are all done in a dedicated fryer and just make sure you watch that they don't use the regular flipper to get your burger. I only tried the fries here, as I didn't realize they had a veggie burger which wasn't listed anywhere. Im not much of a burger girl anyways. The buns here were suuuuper dry and the boys all opted for no buns and just used a fork and knife to eat the burgers.

🍱 Chibang: This was all of our favourite restaurant (except the picky kid). You can dine here more then once but after your first time it is $8 per person and in our opinion, worth it! They asked right away if we had allergies and our food didn't seem to take much longer then anyone else's which was nice. Their gluten free menu had a lot of options but remained the same for the entire week. I do believe the desserts changed and were the same option not matter where you went.

🍟 Street Eats: The fry place was really good. I would say it had gluten free options 4/7 days and were very good about letting us know when we couldn't have something. The frier is separate and cleaned each night. The other 3 street eats places didn't have anything gluten free at all that week.

🥗 MDR aka The Main Dining Room: This was our go to place. They could take your order each night for the following breakfast and/or dinner. If you didn't preorder it wasn't a huge deal but we did find it easier. The breakfast staff mostly seemed very inconvenienced by us if we had not pre ordered. We did
"My Time Dining" instead of reserved time. It was totally fine. We did find a serving team that did take better care of us so we asked at the desk for it to be recorded and whenever we requested our dinner table time in the app it automatically put us in their section. They menu had about half that stayed the same and then the other half selection changed each night. There was even a lobster night on the second elegant night. The desserts changed nightly but you could still get the carnival chocolate cake if you wanted. We were never disappointed with dessert and sometimes ordered 2 😆.

🍲 Lido Marketplace: I was the only one who ate here as the CC risk was high as it is a buffet. I think you could have requested to get something from the back but I couldn't really find someone knowledgeable to ask. They did have a gelato place and everything was gluten free and they even served gf cake the one day. They hand it to you and no risk of CC.

🐖 Guys Pig & Anchor: had a lot of gluten free options but we just never got around to eating there.

🥖 Beach Bun:. I was the only one who ate here. I had them make me an allergy caprese sub. I watched them make it and was not confident on their practices so the boys stayed clear. If you are only intolerant then you must have one. It was so so good!

🍝 Cucina del Capitano: The Italian place. They have a gluten free menu but we met another celiac on board who ate here and was contaminated so we didn't risk it.

There are also specialty restaurants on the ship, Emeril's, Rudi's, Bonsai Teppanyaki, Steakhouse and Bonsai sushi. We decided not to pay extra for any of these.

All in all we had a GREAT trip. We never went hungry, even the pickiest eater. I found that I struggled more then the boys being gluten free and vegetarian, but I am not picky so it was fine. Even though Carnival has done a fantastic job at creating extensive gluten free menus I will say our biggest obstacle was eating at the quick serve places, as they did not have all their staff trained in allergies, usually just 1 member who wasn't always there, and the language barrier because there were so many languages spoken on the ship from all over the world you couldn't just bring an allergy card or use google translate.

Would we go again? Absolutely!! If you have any questions about anything please reach out!! Or if you want help planning your own cruise, celiac or not, I'm your Girl ♥️

17/01/2025

🌴 Adventure Awaits in Roatán, Honduras! 🌊

What an absolute dream come true on this beautiful island paradise! 🌺

✔️ Ziplining through the jungle: The adrenaline rush was unreal as we soared above lush green canopies—talk about a bird's-eye view! 🐦

✔️ Hanging out with sloths and monkeys: These adorable creatures totally stole our hearts. 🦥🐒❤️ Yes, sloths are just as cuddly as you’d imagine! This has been a long time bucket list for me and they let me hold all 3 because I was a little more than excited haha.

✔️ A behind-the-scenes island tour: We explored the authentic side of Roatán with our amazing and fascinating tour guide Jeremiah, discovering hidden gems and learning about local culture. It was inspiring to connect with the island’s rich history and vibrant community. 🌅

✔️ Snorkeling one of the world’s largest reefs: Crystal-clear waters, vibrant coral, and marine life galore! 🐠🐢 It’s an underwater world you HAVE to experience to believe. We saw so many different schools of fish and even a stingray!! To say it was incredible is an understatement.

Roatán is the perfect mix of adventure, wildlife, culture, and natural beauty. If you’ve ever dreamed of an unforgettable island experience, I highly recommend Roatan, especially if you have the option for a port day on your next cruise 🚢

17/11/2024

Struggles of having Celiac at the airport. No safe food on the way home and got this small snack for my hubby for $30cdn 😳 the chicken is the same size as the $2 chicken snack packs at Costco and that’s the small bag of cheetos and pop. Another $30 for my son too.

12/11/2024

Good morning Roatan Honduras 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

12/11/2024

Sale away party!

12/11/2024

Cruisin’ Day 1!

We left Galveston on Saturday and made our way around hurricane Rafael. It was a pretty bumpy one but nothing too crazy or so I’m told 😆

After we made our way on board with all our luggage, we hung out for a little bit and then dropped off our luggage in the room. Then made our way to muster station for our safety instructions.

Then… off to find lunch! We headed over to Costal Slice for some gluten free pepperoni and gluten free vegetarian pizzas. They do them on a separate pan and oven and they have a cutting board and slicers away from all the other stuff. It was delicious pizza. The boys have had it a couple times since we got on board and it was great until last night when the kids went alone. Not sure what happened but my oldest definitely got glutened and instantly started throwing up. He’s been quite the joy today (he gets what I call gluten rage and is just unpleasant to be around after being glutened).

For second lunch (those of you with teenagers will know this well lol) we headed to guys burger and fries. The boys all had a burger made fresh off the grill and fresh fries. They also made all the gluten-free free buns in the back and assembled it. All the stuff you see upfront at Guys is cross contaminated, and you have to make sure that they use a clean flipper to put the patty on the bun. it took a bit of advocating as there was a slight language barrier. The buns here are sooooooo dry. If you can go without we all recommend that for sure.

Dinner was in the main dining room. We had Caesar salad and pork rolls for appies. 2 boys had the steak and one had salmon. I had the vegetarian meal. All GF of course. Dessert was the carnival famous melting chocolate cake and hubbs had the cheesecake. It takes a very long time in the main dining room for GF so be prepared. But they’ve been great. You can order the night before which shaves off a little time.

09/11/2024

BUC-EES!!!! Who has been to Buc-ees in Texas? It’s quite the experience! It’s huge and overwhelming at first but so fun. We had a private driver with Galveston Saltwater Moms (highly recommend) and she not only stopped there but showed us all the good stuff! We even found a bunch of gluten free treats! When in Texas… Buc-ees!

09/11/2024

Landed in Houston (IAH) today, the day before our cruise! It’s hot, humid and pretty windy due to hurricane Rafael just off the Gulf, but we’re still SO excited for our cruise tomorrow!!

We picked a hotel right on the Galveston Seawall right next to The Rainforest Cafe and Krogers so we could get easy access to dinner and some cruising snacks.

The 3 boys all had burgers with gluten free buns and I had the gf pasta. The chef came out to chat with us and also personally delivered our meals. The burgers were pretty plain with no sauces and of course pretty dry buns but they took good care and also had a dedicated fryer. They all added bacon for a shockingly extra $12 usd for the 3 of them. Very fun experience though and they all knew we were going for the experience more than the food.

04/10/2024

✨ 35 days and counting. Looking forward to fun 😎 Sun ☀️ relaxing 🏝️ and all the gf food 🍱 what trip are you looking forward to?

30/09/2024

☔️ Typically, the rainy season in Mexico and the Caribbean is from June 1-Nov 30. This means there is the highest chance of rain and tropical storms/hurricanes. I find Aug/Sep/Oct to be the most risk, although they could have absolutely perfect weather too, and most days are! I have experienced 2 weeks of non-stop rain in January (dry season) and flawless weather in September, so it's truly a gamble. Here is a list of ideas you could try on those rainy days! 🌧️

18/09/2024

People often ask how I stay informed about travel.

I do two things consistently.

First, I travel to various countries and work with different suppliers. This allows me to experience both the destinations and the services they offer firsthand, just as you would on your own trip. I aim to experience exactly what I would recommend for your travel plans.

Second, I train with different suppliers to stay current on their offerings. This way, I can provide you with not only personal insights from my travels but also the latest industry knowledge.

This combination is what makes a travel advisor truly exceptional.

Last week, I spent two days attending a travel show with 68 different suppliers and expert guest speakers. It was an incredible opportunity to deepen my knowledge and strengthen relationships with key suppliers.

05/09/2024

Ready to embark on your next adventure? We’re here to make your travel dreams come true! From custom itineraries to insider tips, our expert team is dedicated to crafting unforgettable experiences tailored just for you.

To get started, simply choose a time that works best for you from our calendar below, and let’s start planning your perfect getaway. We can’t wait to help you explore the world!

During this call, we will go through your travel style, wants, needs, budget, and all the details. I will explain how our travel services can serve you for your trip and share my expertise. After this call, you'll know if we're a match, and will start out travel planning together!

31/08/2024

It’s National Beach Day! 🏖️ Check out some of the gorgeous beaches in the Mexican Caribbean! 🌞 Ready to dive in?

27/08/2024

🌍Get Your Passport Ready for Your Next Trip✈️

Planning your next adventure? Before you go, make sure your passport is in order! Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Double-Check the Expiration Date 📅: Many countries need your passport to be valid for at least 6 months after your trip. Avoid surprises by checking it ahead of time!

2. Match Your Names 🔍: Your passport name should match your flight booking exactly. This is especially important if you've had a name change recently. If your passport still has your previous name, update it before making any reservations.

3. Make Copies 📑: Always have both a physical and digital copy of your passport. In case it's lost or stolen, having a backup will make getting a replacement much easier.

4. Add Emergency Contacts 📲: Write down key contacts like family and embassy info inside your passport cover. This can be a lifesaver if something unexpected happens.

5. Keep It Secure 🎒: Store your passport in a safe but accessible spot during your travels. A travel wallet or neck pouch works great for this!

6. Plan Ahead ⏰: If you need a new passport or renewal, apply 2-3 months before your trip. Processing can take longer than you think!

Safe travels! ✈️ 🚢 🏖️