Land of the Free Because of the Brave

4th of July

This July 4th, we enjoy a holiday here in the United States.  It is a time when families get together, have picnics, it should also be a time when we remember...  and enjoy some fireworks.  This year due to the pandemic, it may be a bit different, but all the more reason to remember the true meaning of the day.

Why Are We Free?

Hopefully the answer to that question is obvious.  The brave men and women of the armed forces have kept us free for centuries.   In this article, we focus on just one event in our history that made a big difference.

 














The U-505 Submarine is a National Landmark and a permanent memorial to the Americans who perished at sea during both World Wars.  It can be seen at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago, IL.

This anchor, removed from the boat during bow repairs, is placed in the museum as an additional symbol of the bravery, commitment, and sacrifice of those Americans.

Besides the boat itself, the capture of the U-505 produced 900 pounds of code books and documents, as well as two Enigma machines - making it the largest intelligence seizure in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Tale of Two Men & Two Flags

U.S.N. Captain Daniel V. Gallery was in command of the USS Jenks the day that the U-505 was captured.  The 48-star U.S. flag shown in this picture was flying over the Jenks that day.

The ship assisted in the rescue of the German U-505 sailors that had abandoned ship per the order of their Captain, Harald Lange, who had instructed them to scuttle the boat.

The Nazi flag shown here was a spare flag that was found on the U-505 after capture.  There were two different sized flags flown on the U-505.  This variety would have flown on the bridge when the vessel surfaced.

Dangerous Mission

Until the time of the U-505 boat's capture, no German U-boat had been recovered by the U.S. Navy.   Even this one could have been lost except for the action of several brave sailors.

The Germans had started the process of scuttling the boat which means it was taking on water rapidly. In addition, there were several charges placed around the boat timed to explode to finish the deed.   They had found all but one of the known explosives when they came to this front hatch.   They were unable to steer the boat, so they needed to get inside the hatch to manually steer it via the black wheel you can see at the opposite end of the hatch.  Two volunteers stayed on the U-505 and slowly opened the hatch.  Fortunately, the explosive wasn't armed correctly, and it did not explode.   The U-505 was a prize catch during the Battle of the Atlantic and these sailors were just a part of that story.

 

In Memory of All that Lost their Lives at Sea

As we've traveled across the globe, there have been many reminders from the World Wars and other battles that have shaped our history for us to explore.   Museums such as @Msichicago can open the  cover to the pages of the past.   We highly recommend taking advantage of opportunities to explore history during your travels.

For larger images, click on the pictures. 

U-505 National Landmark (67 photos)

Thank you to all the Brave Men & Women who have kept us FREE.   Happy 4th of July.

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Stress Free Cruise Tips

Greetings From Miami

2019 Dare

Cruises Inc, CruiseOne, Dream Vacations

National Conference

When going on a cruise vacation there are a few ways that you can take some of the stress of traveling away. One of the easiest ways is to arrive at the embarkation port a day early.

Unless you live close to the port city, odds are that you plan to fly to your cruise destination. Flights can be delayed for many reasons: weather and mechanical problems probably being the most common. The last thing you want is to start your vacation worrying if the ship will be there when you arrive.

While checking in for our flight at O'Hare International Airport today, we had a conversation with

Sara who works for American Airlines. She and her family are avid cruisers and she struck up a conversation because of our cruise shirts. 

She asked when our cruise departed and we said Saturday.  She replied that it was good we were traveling a day early because she's seen many frantic passengers flying on the day of their cruise and facing delays due to weather or other factors.  Just recently a large family group missed their cruise due to bad weather at their destination.  You not only have to consider the forecast at your departure city, but also at the destination, and everywhere in between.

So, there you have it from another expert in their field.  Travel early to avoid stress and ruined vacations.  Of course we told her that we were travel agents on our way to our national conference and the conversation turned to how much she loves cruising.

As you might expect, I follow my own advice about arriving a day early.   I'm writing this post from our hotel room in Miami, Florida.   Our National Conference will be held on board Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas.   Tonight MSC Cruises hosted a cocktail party  at our conference hotel:  Hyatt Regency Miami.   We can't wait to get on board Symphony of the Seas.   We love that new ship smell.

When things go wrong, such as missed connection, unexpected illness, and flight delays, a little pre-planning can help with the stress and protect your vacation investment.  Our second tip for eliminating stress is purchase travel insurance.

TRAVEL PROTECTION 

Choose A Plan Now; Rest Easy Later. 

Common travel problems like flight delays, injuries and illness, unpredictable weather and lost or stolen luggage are why we recommend you travel with the LeisureCare Travel Protection plan. The LeisureCare Travel Protection Plan provides protection designed just for travelers. It can provide coverage for many of the things that can go wrong before and during your trip.

We will be posting highlights from Symphony of the Seas, so be sure to come back to visit again and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

National Plan A Cruise Month Promotions 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series)

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Meet Us at Streamwood Summer Celebration

Meet us at the show

Once a year we participate in our local Chamber of Commerce hosted Summer Celebration.
This will be our 13th appearance at the show.  A couple years ago I turned over my role as Chairman of the Chamber's Summer Celebration Committee so I shouldn't have to split my time between the Chamber Booth and my personal one, and look forward to meeting many of our fans during the three day event.

For those in the area, it is your chance to meet us in person to discuss your vacation plans, pick up some brochures, and take advantage of our exclusive offers.   Here is one of those specials that we will be featuring during the event July 26th - 28th.  We also extend the offers to our readers - ask us for complete details.  (click the link above for times and location)

Select from Cruises, Resorts, & Tours

Where do YOU Want to Go - So Many Choices

Explore Tours  ---  Explore Cruises

Perhaps the hottest new destination for 2019 and beyond is Australia & New Zealand.

We've just cruised around New Zealand from Sydney, Australia, earlier this year, so we can give you first-hand tips for your vacation.

Journey with us from Tauranga and experience the real Middle-earth™ at the Hobbiton™ Movie Set (pictured here), where, in the heart of the Waikato region, you can step into the lush pastures of the Shire™, as seen in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

If that sounds interesting, browse our Diary of New Zealand Cruise for highlights from that excursion as well as other sites of Australia and New Zealand.

Exclusive Offers

Even if you aren't able to visit us at our booth, you can still take advantage of our special offers like this one from Royal Caribbean and other Cruise Lines.

You may be familiar with BOGOHO promotion where you get 50% second guest. Now the offer is even better with 25% off third & fourth guests.   Additional amenities are also combinable to make this an even more attractive offer (Valid on select ships & sailings).  View all Royal Caribbean offers.

Hurry - These are Limited Time Offers!

We rarely write about our cruise and land offers in our column, but these were too good to pass up.  Don't miss out on these great deals! 

We hope to meet many of our local fans at the Summer Celebration.  This is one of the best parts of the business - being able to have 1-1 conversations in person to help plan your dream vacation.  So where do You want to go?

Click for Schedule of Events

Brochures

We get several calls for cruise ship and land vacation brochures.   In this day and age, the majority of the suppliers have cut down on printed materials and replaced them with online versions.

We stock brochures that are available from our suppliers on a regular basis and increase our stock in time for this annual event.   If you are in the area, this is a great opportunity for you to browse our "wish books".

Did you know that was how I convinced my husband to take an Alaska cruise?  He had said, "It's cold there.   We live where it's cold.  Why would I go on a vacation to somewhere that is cold?"   Well we've been back to Alaska several times since that initial look at an Alaska brochure.

What's on your wish list?   If we don't have a brochure, we'll be happy to do some research and provide you with all the details.

Come see us if you are in the area last weekend of  July  - or call us afterwards to discuss your wish list.

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