Help I Want to Get Away

Open for Business

You've been held captive in your home for months now, and you need to get away.   Cruises aren't sailing, so where can you go?

One suggestion I have for you is Cancun.

Health & Safety First

Brennan Quesnele, Vice President of Sales from GOGO Vacations, is shown arriving at Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun.    Not only is this property open for business, but they have implemented all the necessary protocols for a safe and healthy vacation.

The process starts when you arrive at the resort.  A bell captain will spray your hands with sanitizer, check your temperature, and take your luggage for sanitation.  Next you'll sanitize your shows before proceeding to the check-in desk.  At the desk there's a Mask Detecting Thermal Skin Temperature Access Control Camera Panel which will show Green if you are wearing your mask properly and you don't have a temperature.

Nothing Says Vacation Like Flip Flops

He's all checked in and ready to check out his guest suite.  But first,  he gets a pair of flip flops.

When they arrived at his guest suite, the first thing he noticed is that there is a sanitation seal affixed to the door.   This confirms that the room has been sanitized and is ready for occupancy.

Learn more about their Peace of Mind Commitment and the steps they are taking throughout your stay.

Let's Go Inside His Guest Suite

This could be you.  Contact me and I'll check availability and make all the necessary arrangements for you.   Before you know it, you could be relaxing on the beach sipping a Coconut Lime Margarita.

Until then, check out the recipe and make one (or more) at home.

Click this banner to follow our coverage of  2020 Vision National Conference

Follow Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat 

How to Make the Perfect Margarita

 

click images to enlarge

Would you like to make the perfect Coconut Lime Margarita?

If so, grab your glass, along with these 5 ingredients, and follow these ten steps to assemble your very own tasty margarita.

Our friends at GOGO Vacations recently went to Karisma's Margaritaville Island Reserve in Cancun, Mexico and shared this Coconut Lime Margarita recipe with us.   They captured the entire process on video, and we've captured the highlights to share with you.

First of all, they followed all the necessary safety protocols before getting behind the bar to make this margarita for us.   Notice the masks - the resort is open and accepting guests, following new protocols to keep everyone safe and healthy.  We'll talk about that in another post, but first, let's enjoy a drink.

Tip:  take the fresh lime in your hand and rub it on the counter in circles.  This will soften the lime up and when you slice it in half and squeeze into the glass, you'll get all the juice.

Next:  Garnish with Lime & Mint Leaf - Enjoy !

How did your Margarita Turn Out ?   Pictures Please !

When you visit Island Reserve, ask for the WTH Coconut Lime Margarita.  It has been named after us, World Travel Holdings.

Click this banner to follow our coverage of  2020 Vision National Conference

Follow Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat 

Exclusive Grand Turk Experience

Crystal Clear Blue Waters 

Are Calling You

If blue is your favorite color, then Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, is the place for you.  As your ship pulls into the harbor this picture unfolds in front of your eyes.   A short walk from your ship, and you can immerse yourself in these beautiful waters or relax on the beach and just enjoy the scenery.

But first, it was time for us to explore the island on an exclusive shore excursion offered by Shore Excursions Group.  Working with a Professional Travel Planner, you rely on their recommendations. In order for me to provide those recommendations, I need to experience the ships and tours myself. Since I hadn't done that before on Grand Turk, we decided to book the "Exclusive Grand Turk Experience" during one of our recent cruises in the Caribbean.

Guided Island Tour

Click images to enlarge - view Grand Turk Album

Grand Turk Island is the administrative, historic, cultural and financial center of the island nation of Turks and Caicos. Grand Turk is largest of all the islands that comprise the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. With crystal clear waters, gorgeous climate, and a unique culture, Grand Turk has become a popular cruise destination for travelers visiting from all around the world.

This guided island drive tour showed us the highlights of Grand Turk Island. We visited the island's top attractions, including the former United States Air Force Tracking Base and a replica of Astronaut John Glenn's Friendship 7 space capsule, which splashed down off the island's coast in 1962 following the United States' first successful manned orbit of the earth.

We also saw several 18th-century churches, beautiful Bermudan-style buildings, and salt ponds. In this peaceful town you may also see wild horses and donkeys freely roaming the streets. There was a brief photo stop to see a working lighthouse that has been in service for more than 150 years. Built in London in 1852 and shipped to Grand Turk, it was assembled in hopes of saving the salt trade. Standing sixty feet, it was designed by Alexander Gordon, who designed lighthouses throughout the British Empire.

Next we had an opportunity to visit "The Salt House", a recreated 17th-century saltpan that chronicles the history of the salt and slave industry.  View Grand Turk Album for more images from our excursion.

Margaritaville Grand Turk (photo album)

Margaritaville Grand Turk

Following our shore excursion tour, we had plenty of time to enjoy Margaritaville which is within walking distance of the ship.   Find your place in the sun or shade by the beach or around the pool for a relaxing day in the Caribbean.

Enjoy some food or your favorite beverage while lounging on your beach chair by the pool.  Salt water or fresh water - the choice is yours and there is no charge (other than for food and beverages) to enjoy this oasis in the sun.

Click for Mini-Series Articles / Images

Our Recommendations for Grand Turk

If this is your first visit to Grand Turk, or if you have never explored the island on past trips, we'd encourage you to explore via a private shore excursion, such as the one we took from Shore Excursion Group.  The reason we suggest a private tour is that you'll have less people in your group and it will cost less than ship organized tours.  We even had wi-fi on our mini-van!

Grand Turk is a great place to enjoy the beautiful crystal blue waters of the Caribbean.  Book a snorkeling or scuba tour if you are adventurous or simply relax on the beach by Margaritaville.   Your ship is your floating base, so you can go back and forth for meals if you don't want to purchase food at Margaritaville.   Should you decide to stay on board the ship, odds are you'll have the ship to yourself as most people will be hanging out at the beach.

Follow Us On

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat 

Margaritaville at Sea

Escape to
Jimmy Buffet's
Restaurant

When Norwegian Escape debuted out of Miami in November, 2015, we were there. One of the highlights we had been anticipating was the first ever Margaritaville at Sea Restaurant. We'll tell you about our experience during that inaugural sailing and also what to expect now when you sail on Norwegian Escape.

Margaritaville at Sea Menu

Cheeseburger in Paradise

If you've eaten at Margaritaville in the states or one of the tropical islands, you are most likely familiar with their menu.  The famous "Cheeseburger in Paradise" is still the headliner on the Norwegian Escape.   For finishing touches, you have to end with a piece of Key Lime Pie.

Our Experience

We were attending our National Conference on Norwegian Escape, which meant that our "free time" on sea days was lunch between morning general sessions and the afternoon breakout sessions.   Needless to say, we didn't have a lot of time for lunch.

Several of the agents in our group decided to try to sit together one lunch. When arriving at the restaurant, we discovered that there was a wait.   Not unexpected due to the popularity of this new dining venue, but unfortunately, we didn't have the luxury of time.   We decided to wait afterall which meant we'd be late to our next session.    We had to experience this dining venue.

When checking in at the restaurant, you are given a pager for your group.  You can roam pretty much anywhere on the ship, so you don't have to stay there waiting to be called.   We actually dined there twice during the cruise and both times we had to wait more than 45 minutes.

Margaritaville at Sea  album

 "Solving" the Problem

Since Margaritaville is only open a limited number of hours each day (for lunch) we had opted to wait.  Many people went away disappointed because they didn't have the time.

Norwegian Cruise Line has since "solved" this problem.   Perhaps you are thinking that they extended the hours or increased staff.  You would be wrong.   They decided that they would now charge for dining instead of making it a free option.   If you click on the menu above, you'll see the revised menu with a la carte pricing.  You'll have to decide for yourself whether it is worth having your Cheeseburger, Fries, and Key Lime Pie at Margaritaville or picking a cheaper alternative.

We are disappointed that Norwegian selected this method to "solve" the long wait time problem.   In fact, we aren't alone in the disappointment passengers are expressing having sailed on this otherwise beautiful new ship.   One passenger told us that they were cancelling the three cruises they had booked because they "were not happy with the direction NCL was going.  They are nickel-and-diming passengers" he concluded.  Only time will tell if freestyle dining on Norwegian Escape remains in its current form.

Click (here) or Image to the left for more stories and photos from our conference cruise on Norwegian Escape.   Check out this brand new ship from Norwegian Cruise Line.

If you have specific questions about the ship, the itinerary, or cruising in general, we'd love to hear from you.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc