November 8, 2024 • 53 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean and Harry Reif discuss this week's travel news!
In this enchanting episode, we explore the most romantic Caribbean honeymoon destinations that promise unforgettable memories.
Join us as we dive into the luxurious Sugar Beach in St. Lucia, the serene St. James Club Morgan Bay, and the pristine Green Bay Beach on Providenciales in Turks & Caicos. We also take you to the stunning Palafitos Overwater Bungalows in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and the opulent Ritz Carlton Luxury Yachts.
Whether you’re planning your dream honeymoon or just love hearing about exotic getaways, this episode is packed with inspiration and tips for the perfect romantic escape.
Link form this episode: TSA PreCheck®
In this enchanting episode, we explore the most romantic Caribbean honeymoon destinations that promise unforgettable memories.
Join us as we dive into the luxurious Sugar Beach in St. Lucia, the serene St. James Club Morgan Bay, and the pristine Green Bay Beach on Providenciales in Turks & Caicos. We also take you to the stunning Palafitos Overwater Bungalows in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and the opulent Ritz Carlton Luxury Yachts.
Whether you’re planning your dream honeymoon or just love hearing about exotic getaways, this episode is packed with inspiration and tips for the perfect romantic escape.
Link form this episode: TSA PreCheck®
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel show and
podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well two forty
three f Avenue in Harsemberg and online at the wishing
Well dot This. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and A Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:20):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Hello, it's Saturday, Cruz.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Oh my gosh, it's gonna be a doozy today, and
we'd better say hi to Harry before we forget.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm just gonna say hi, it is. It's going to
be a great you know, I'm pretty excited. I was
this show. Preparing for this show made me very happy,
so I'm in a very good mood.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
I'm interested to find out why this show in particular
is yeah, such a joyful show.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
It's a good one. It's because it's a good one.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
I do know the title of our show, and I
played the guessing game tread figure out and I could
figure out why you've titled. So when we get to
that point, we'll take a couple of more guesses and
see if I can't figure out that sounds good, all right,
But before we get to all that, we need to
get caught up on what's going on travel news.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah we do. And actually hello to everybody. You know,
it's time for us to sort of turn the page.
I guess, you know. But US travel industry has reacted
to the results from the twenty twenty four elections. So
I understand you were up pretty late, Chris.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yeah, I was doing.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Tuesday night early Wednesday morning.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
I was doing all the local election results.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, yep. And so whether it went your way or not,
you know, And we don't know, but the travel industry
certainly doesn't really care either. We have a job to do.
We have a job to continue to do. And there
are groups that have responded to the twenty twenty four
US election results, one being American Society of Travel Advisors.
(01:54):
They say that they're looking forward to reintroducing themselves to
the Trump administration and the new cabinet members who will
affect travel policy. ASTA also congratulated the newest members of
Congress and they noted that Senator Ted Cruz, Republican from Texas,
his reelection means that he's likely to be the chair
(02:15):
of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which oversees
most travel policies. The biggest priority for ASTA, which by
the way, again is the American Society of Travel Advisors,
continue to be educating policy makers on what advisors do
and the impact that we all have, pushing against the
(02:36):
new DOL overtime rule and also pressing legislators to change
how advisors are categorized in the new refund rule now. Also,
US Travel Association President and CEO Jeff Freeman issued a
statement on Wednesday congratulating again the new president elect and
(02:56):
saying that the Association also looks forward to working with
him and your statement. Freeman also noted how significant the
next four years are going to be for inbound travel
to the US, with some major events being held on
American soil that are likely to draw hundreds, if not thousands,
if not millions, of visitors, not the least of which
(03:20):
is the World Cup and Summer and Winter Olympics that
are in our very near future. So I think you know,
good news overall, everybody you know, is working toward a
cooperative spirit in the industry, and I think that's good.
That's going to bode well for everybody and travelers concerned.
So the other thing I wanted to talk about briefly
(03:43):
is that unine it has come out with a announcement
that they are expanding their touchless ID program, adding that
the service this week was added to Reagan National Airport
in Washington, d C. And this marks the second edition
in two weeks for United, which also introduced this option
at Salt Lake City last week. The latest expansion, United
(04:08):
now offers touchless ID at seven total airports, including Chicago, Atlanta,
Los Angeles, LaGuardia, and Newark. This touchless ID actually allows
travelers to pass through a separate line of security without
presenting a physical ID. Instead, TSA officers verify a traveler's
(04:31):
identity by matching their image with a passport photo on file. Now,
travelers need a known traveler number or what is an
acronym is KTN number available through TSA pre Check or
other known traveler programs can opt in via the United app. Also,
(04:51):
once you're enrolled, a logo on your boarding pass grant
you access to these touchless lanes kind of similar to
the systems used already right now by Delta and American.
So we're always looking to expand our technology in the
aviation industry. I think that's great. People love that. The
next thing that made some big, big news this week
(05:13):
is the hurricane Raphael that is rolling around and actually
went into Cuba. This is unprecedented for us to have
hurricanes this late in the season. Usually they're all said
and done by the end of October most often. But
the hurricane made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday as a
(05:35):
Category three storm kind of pummeled the island there with
strong winds, knocking out its electrical grid. Western Cuba saw
continued periods of heavy rain even on Thursday, and so
that sort of precipitated some cruise lines to make some
decisions about reaccommodations. Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas they're
(05:58):
going to actually skip a stop in Ozamel, Mexico and
instead spend a day at sea, is what they decided
to do, and along with Carnival Cruise Line sailed its
itinerary in reverse and then the Carnival Miracle also made
a decision to leave Sunday from Galveston, and then MSc Seascape,
(06:22):
for its part, replaced a stop in Falmouth, Jamaica with
Coasta Maya, Mexico and visited Roatan in Honduras instead. So again,
you know, we're watching this hurricane. I'm not sure that
we will see much of an impact of that on
the East coast of the United States, but if we
(06:43):
do it, it'll just be you know, some rain.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
One of the things people that are cruising need to
always be aware of. The cruise ships have that option,
Chris to change in itinerary based on the weather, and
that happens more, you know, more often than some people realize.
I was on a cruise this summer. My health in
the itinerary had to change because the waves were just
too rough to get in, you know, to dock at
the port. So they made a detour and change. So
(07:08):
they make some real time decisions, and that's part of
the adventure of cruising. Sometimes you'll get to a better place.
Sometimes you'll get to a different place. Most times you
get to the place you're supposed to be getting to.
Either way, at the end, you've got a good story
to tell somebody.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Exactly exactly now. As good as technology is, and we
you know I just mentioned a while ago, we we
sort of love, we embrace the whole idea of technology
in the travel industry. It's what allows us, I think,
to do our job much better, perform much more efficient
efficiently for our customers. But we've got TSA warning now
(07:43):
about pre check enrollments and renewal scams ahead of the
holiday travel season, and these are being seen online. Okay,
with the busiest travel time of the year just a
few weeks away and so many travelers expected to pass
through US airport security, more and more Americans really are
opting in to these known traveler programs like the TSA PreCheck,
(08:06):
and pre Check recently hit twenty million active members. That's
a new record for the program, which is just over
ten years old, having launched in December of twenty thirteen.
I can't believe it's been that long, honestly, it just
it feels like a new program. But two thousand and
three that's a long time ago. You know. The twenty
million number is a thirty three percent growth in just
(08:29):
the last year two and it's expected to grow even
more as Americans prep up for some of the busiest
days of this year. Now the program continues to expand,
TSA is warning travelers to be cautious of these fake
pre check scams that are becoming more and more common.
Here are some red flags that I want people to
(08:49):
be aware of and watch out for. If you're a
first time applicant. If you're applying for pre check for
the first time, remember that payment can only be made
in person at an enrollment center. Scammers are trying to
get you to pay online, but TSA doesn't allow first
time applicants to pay the enrollment fee online, only in person,
(09:14):
so that should be one of your first red flags.
If you are applying for this program and they're asking
you to enter some sort of payment online, do not
do it. It is more than likely a fake website
that's really just trying to extract money. Renewals. If you're renewing,
you can pay online, but you want to avoid using
(09:34):
links that arrive by email, even if they appear to
come from TSA. Instead, you want to visit the official
TSA pre check website and Chris, I'll ask you to
add that link to today's show to the comment sections
so that people can kind of see that but scammers
can create fake websites that mimic the official TSA pages
(09:57):
and lure you in through their spam emails, so don't
be sucked into that. Also, there's pressure tactics. If you
feel rushed or pressured, it's likely a scam. TSA is
never going to pressure you to complete an enrollment or
renewal quickly. Any communication with phrases in it like right
(10:17):
away or your last chance is probably more than likely
from a scammer, it is not from TSA. The TSA's
biggest tip is to always begin at that TSA pre
check website, which uses the dot gov domain. Not a
dot com, not a dot biz, not a dot anything else.
(10:38):
It's a dot gov domain. It's an official government site,
so be very much aware of that. There are scams
out there and it's unfortunate, but there are a lot
of people who want that TSA pre check. It does
provide some efficiencies at the airport for you and takes
a lot of the uncomfortableness out, So if you are
(11:00):
doing it, make sure you're doing it correctly and safely.
The last piece of news that I had today was
actually is kind of a fun piece of news, sort
of hearkens back for me at least to the very
first flight I ever flew in my life, and that
was on a little carrier called pan Am. Remember pan
(11:21):
Am before my time, It was before your time. But
I'm sure everybody kind of even those listening today, probably
can remember a time when we had a carrier called PanAm.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
The only way I know of that is from the
movie Catch Me if you can. Yeah, exactly, that's where
I know PanAm.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yeah. Well, they've revived two luxury transatlantic tours for twenty
twenty five. I was so excited about this. A lot
of people consider those the glory days of aviation. I'm
one of them, and they're returning kind of. PanAm is
arriving two tours next year that are going to celebrate
(11:56):
the legacy of the airline in luxury. And I got
to tell you when I went on PanAm for my
very first flight, Chris, it was pure luxury. I had
the great opportunity, first time in my life a to fly,
but b I flew first class and that flight was
to Panama City, Panama, and I went with another group
(12:18):
of travel agents that were in my office. We had
a great time. But I can remember how what an
affair it was. I mean, getting on this flight, we
didn't wear jeans, we didn't wear sweatpants, we didn't wear pajamas,
we didn't wear anything like that. We actually dressed. And
we were told in the travel industry, if you went
as a travel industry employee, you wore to dress. And
(12:42):
for women that meant skirts and hose and heels, and
for guys it meant full suits and ties. It was
a great experience.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
And you ain't on real China too, didn't you.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
You absolutely did, and you had real little table cloths,
and I mean it was special. It was very special.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
When did that all end?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Gosh, that's a great question, Chris. But deregulation took a
lot of things out that the airlines were, you know,
enforcing before. I honestly don't know the exact date, but
for me, that was sad to see all of that
go away. But in any event, this revolution that PanAm
is going to bring in to twenty twenty five, they're
(13:23):
going to operate two twelve day voyages and they're calling
these tracing the Translantic. It's gonna be a round trip
from New York City. They're gonna depart on June the
sixteenth and again on June twenty seventh of twenty twenty five,
and each tour is going to offer no more than
fifty guests the chance to relive Panam's glory days in
(13:43):
a Boeing seven to fifty seven aircraft configured with all
business class life flat seating. Now the voyages are officially
licensed by pan Am and they're supported by the PanAm
Museum Foundation. They're operated by specialty tour companies that are
operating to do these in particular just these two departures.
(14:07):
The tours are going to begin an end with gala
evenings at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. They're going to
bring guests to Bermuda, Lisbon, Marseille, London and Fournes. Guests
are going to also stay at iconic properties like the
Fairmont Hamilton Princess in Bermuda, the Four Seasons Ritz in Lisbon,
the Savoy in London and the Adare Manor in Ireland. Now,
(14:32):
programming along the way is going to focus on the
legacy of PanAm and its people that's appropriate, including a
dinner at the Flying Boat Museum in Fournes and a
performance of Fouto folk music in Lisbon, which is fantastic.
If you've ever had an opportunity to listen to that,
it is quite iconic. Bookings are open for the itineries.
(14:53):
But here's where I want you to buckle up. Get ready.
The price of this experience. Need a drum roll?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Here? Can I guess?
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Really? Do? Go ahead to throw something out there?
Speaker 1 (15:05):
How many days?
Speaker 2 (15:05):
It's twelve day, twelve.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Day, twenty nine thousand.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
This includes hotels, yeah, thirty five thousand. Yeah. So the
starting price is fifty nine thousand, nine hundred and fifty
dollars a person based on double occupancy, or sixty five thousand,
five hundred dollars for single occupancy. Wait, I hear the
phone's ringing. People want to go. Bookings are actually are
(15:35):
being sold through travel agencies, so you can't actually book
that through the wishing Well. We'd be delighted to help
you out with that, it would be our great pleasure.
But in any event, I shared that story today really
not thinking that anybody might be interested in it, although
that would just delight me. So, but I got to
tell you this is something that is really great for me.
(15:59):
You know, I've been in this industry a very long time,
and I appreciate this story.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
This is really, you know, very nostalgic. There are some
people who remember traveling in the style that PanAm used
to travel people in terry, and I think that for
some folks this is going to be a tremendous experience.
And after all the holidays are coming up, it's time
to add things to your wish list.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Why not put this on there, Chris, because it would
take me ten years to pay for it. Yeah, if
I put my entire salary towards it.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
But let me tell you something, This is how nostalgic
I am still after forty five years in this industry.
About my first experience with PanAm. Several weeks ago, I
went online and I started to search out things that
were memorabilia from the PanAm flights, like the flight bags.
(16:49):
But what was so iconic about the pan Am flights,
especially if you were fortunate enough to be able to
sit in first class, was the china. It was all
branded with the PanAm logos and everything else. And I
got to tell you, I came this close to actually
buying some of that china on eBay, but I would
(17:11):
have also had to have had a second job to
do it. So it's still something that's in my radar
that I'm looking at that i'd love to actually have.
But even the glassware, if you can still find it,
some of the actual glasses that have the PanAm logos
on them, they're quite collectible. Wow yep. So in any event,
(17:32):
if you're interested in Panam's nostalgic twelve day tour, hey,
not a problem at all. I'm here to help.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
My phone number is five four oh nine oh eight
twenty three thirty three orthowishing well dot biz.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Yes, absolutely, we're here to serve.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
So our show today, Yes, you gave me the title
and it's called X's and O's and the o's is
oh yes, Oh, I guess that it was trips to
Texas and Ohio and you assured me that was not correct.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
It is not.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
I am completely lost on what this means. Tell us
about our show today, Terry.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
So I'll tease it this way. Okay, So what do
you mean when you sign a card with x's. That's
a hint, okay of where we're going with today's show.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Yes, that's a hint. And I'm still lost, hopefully somewhere
with my wife. All right, stay tuned. We'll find out
next here on a Lifeless Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and helps you avoid pitfalls
that can spoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan your
trip and have your back as you travel. All of
this without support or so called convenience fees. We're on
the web at tho Wishingwell dot viz, or call us
at five four zero nine zero eight two three eight
(18:56):
three three. That's five four zero nine zero eight two.
The washing Well really does make dreams come true?
Speaker 1 (19:03):
And welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary. This is the
travel show and podcast from your friends at the wishing Well.
You can find them on nef Avenue in Harrisonburg, online
at the wishing Well dot biz, or you can call
them five four oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three.
All right, so we've teased it. Our show is called
X's and O's. We sign our cards with x's and o's.
(19:24):
It means hugs and kisses. Yes, are we taking romantic travel?
Are we going somewhere with somewhere special, with someone special?
I kind of feel it took way too long for
me to get there.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Today's show is going to be a lot of fun, Chris,
because it's it's all about romance, and who doesn't feel
happy when you talk about that? Because when we close
our eyes and even think about the word romance, it
conjures up things that make us feel good, you know.
And here's what I know. A lot of couples in
the next months to come are likely going to be
(20:00):
getting newly engaged right over the holidays, and with engagements
come weddings, of course, but also planning for the perfect
honeymoon celebration. And that's where a life less ordinary and
the wishing well come in. We're good for that, you know.
And you know why because hopefully, you said, because we
have a lot of experience and professional expertise to kind
(20:23):
of lead you and that special someone to one of
the most memorable travel experiences of your life together. At
least that's our hope. Now we're going to be kind
of focused today because if you're planning a honeymoon in
a Caribbean, I want you to get ready to discover
islands that feel tailor made for romance. The Caribbean has
(20:44):
endless options for couples looking to start their lives together
in paradise. We've got secluded beaches and luxurious resorts, charming
local spots, perfect for a sunset toast. And the even
better news is that these perfect destinations can accommodate almost
any budget. But we be warned, the Caribbean can also
(21:06):
be a mind field for not so good surprises if
you are not taking advice from a seasoned travel professional.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Yeah, and there's so many, oh bad things out there,
you know, there's so many skunks in the grass. If
you're not careful, Chris, you can find a deal is
too good to be true. And if you find a
deal is too good to be true, it is too
good to be true. It's not true. And it's terrible
to think about going on a honeymoon, that first experience
together as a couple and having it not work out
(21:38):
well at all.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yeah. So, today, on a lifeless ordinary, I want to
guide you through some of the best places to honeymoon
across the Caribbean. We're going to break it down with
what every destination has to offer. If you want an
adults only resort where there's privacy and pampering, or maybe
you're more inclined to have a very Lively Island known
for great fear food. You want some vibrant nightlife, unmistakable
(22:03):
island spirit. Well, whatever your picture is of lazy beach days,
maybe you want to snorkel together in crystal clear waters
or dance barefoot even under the stars. I've got a
few great options for every kind of couple today. So
let's get to the details, because your Caribbean honeymoon deserves
(22:23):
to be as unforgettable as the journey that brought you
right to this moment together. Right now? Am I right? Chris?
You are right, absolutely, And so the first island that
I want to spend some time talking about is Saint Lucia.
And one of the first things I need to do
is set this up a little bit kind of like
I would if you were my client sitting down with
(22:45):
me for your first honeymoon travel consultation, I would ask you,
what's your idea of a great Saint Lucia honeymoon. Somebody
came in and said, Terry, we want to go to
Saint Lucia. That's probably one of the first questions I
would ask them. What does that look like to you?
Describe the experience? What do you want to do? Are
you interested in spending a lot of time on beautiful
(23:06):
beaches beside the pool, tropical drink in hand? Are you
interested in activities like hiking or scuba because not everybody
wants to sit by the pool. That's boring to some people.
They're no, we're active. So do you want to visit
historical sites, botanical gardens? Do you want the ease of
an all inclusive resort or would you rather have more
(23:28):
of a local and cultural atmosphere experience, And of course
very important question, what's your budget now? A lot of
the hotels and resorts on Saint Lucia they cater to
package tourist interest in spending a week on a beach.
Some are big chains like Sandals and wind Jammer, but
(23:48):
some are locally owned and one of a kind. Most
are along the west coast of the island, and some
are along the southwestern coast near the Petons. Those are,
if you don't know, those distinctive volcanic spires called Petit
Petons and Gross Petans. Many more are further north, near
(24:11):
to Castres that's the capital of Saint Lucia. And some
of these resorts and hotels are all inclusive, while some
of them have meals like breakfast or what we call
half board as optional extras. In any event, any of
these resorts would be perfect for honeymooners or destination weddings,
and we do offer a lot of that in both cases. Now,
(24:34):
I want to talk just a little bit more about
some of the great places that you can stay on
Saint Lucia, because that's important one of the probably the
more exclusive and luxurious places. If you are sitting next
to a computer this morning and you're sipping a cup
of coffee with me, Sugar Beach is a Viceroy Hotel property,
(24:55):
So look that up. First of all, forget everything you
know about beachside ghetto. This is a whole another volume.
This is an entirely new perspective. You've got those beautiful,
rugged Peton mountains in the background and the Caribbean Sea
at your feet, so really every day is going to
invite you to take a step back and breathe, then
(25:17):
completely connect with your surroundings.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
There.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
It just sort of invites that. It is beautiful, it
is tranquil, it is luxury, it is very very fine,
and the service is off the chain. And then they've
got a full service spa several different restaurants that will
guide you through a bit of their culinary journey. You've
got hiking, water sports, and the colony city of Saint
(25:41):
Lucia is also very close by. But you might just
find that the best place to be is in your
private guest rooms or villa or suite there because they
are spectacular. They've got these spacious, breathtaking views out of
each one of their rooms and attended by your own
personal butler. They had me at views, but really a butler.
(26:05):
I'm there. These private retreats are undefined, redefining. I'm sorry
what it means to live in luxury. Now. The next
property that just happens to be one of my personal
favorites probably anywhere in the world, let alone Saint Lucia,
is the incomparable Ladeira. I remember when I first started
(26:26):
selling this property, Chris, I was in absolute awe. I
thought it was the most beautifully yet the most unique
property I'd ever seen in my young career. To this day,
I still feel the same. Ladeira is unbelievable. It's a
fifteen acre property which was once part of one of
(26:46):
the oldest coca plantations in a place called Souffree, which
is on Saint Lucia. They have thirty seven suites. Each
one of them has a private pool. But here's the
most delightful part. Everyone of the these suites comes with
an open fourth wall, so you can actually see the
(27:07):
amazing petons and the beautiful lush rainforests and the gorgeous
shades of blue in the Caribbean Sea. That's your view
out from your room at the outside world. I mean,
there's only three walls to each one of these suites.
The fourth wall is open and it's spectacular. Now you're
(27:30):
also going to have access to a very wide range
of activities that take place at this property. Those include
cooking classes at the hotel's Dachen restaurant. They've got rainforest
walks with a local guide, or you can even do
some day trips into Saint Lucia's capital, which again is
called Castries. Now, a cool thing to know about Ladeira
(27:55):
is that every piece of furniture that's found on the
property has been handmade by master craftsman and the property
manager guy by the name of Ustye Augustine. This handy
guy and native Saint Lucian is responsible for the wood
tabletops seen in the restaurant, the front and back bedboards
(28:20):
in the suitees, the coffee tables, and almost every other
piece of furniture that's in this place. He made them
all by hand. And let me just add this is
a five star luxury property. As a matter of fact,
Ladira happens to be one of our Virtuoso properties. It
is a work of art to behold. He uses in
(28:44):
his woods the mahogany, the red cedar, pitch pine, blue mahoe,
and green and purple heartwood, all from the forests in
Saint Lucia, So this is a very sustainable property as well.
If you were just a wee bit more budget minded, though,
you might want to check out the Saint James Club
(29:06):
Morgan Bay. This is also a very beautiful and culturally
significant resort property. There are cashew trees growing right on
the property. Until I went to this property, I truly
had never seen cashews grow anywhere. I didn't really know
how they grew or how they were harvested.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Do they grow out at the bottom of the fruit.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
They hang? They actually do hang from these trees, and
it's amazing to see them. But I had never seen
that before. In my life until I went to the
Saint James Club and they have just this row after
row after row of cashew trees. So it was really
amazing to see that. The other thing you're going to
see in abundance growing at the Saint James Club are
(29:51):
lots of fruit trees, everything from bananas to papaya's, and
they are massive. They're not like the fruit that we
buy at our local grocery stores, not even cost Co. No, no, no.
These are like giant sized papayas and giant sized bananas.
I've never seen anything like it. Saint James Club is
(30:11):
also an adult's only property, that makes it ever so
much more appealing for honeymooners. A great other feature is
that it happens to be an all inclusive resort, and
it is also pretty pretty spectacular.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
So I want to take a little jump across the
water and move from Saint Lucia, which is a fantastic island,
but I want to talk to talk about another island,
and that's the Lovely Turks and Caicos Chris. It's one
of the most fabulous destinations in the Caribbean because they
have these pristine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters.
(30:48):
I mean you can look down in the water, wiggle
your toes and see every one of them down near
just that clear uh, something you don't see a lot
of places.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
That's a really great place.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
For tranquill just an escape for honeymooners if they want
seclusion and serenity. Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales is ranked
among the world's best beaches, and it's a perfect place
if you want to unwind and just really enjoy each
other's company, basking in the sun and the beauty all
(31:20):
around you. It's quite special for more than just the beaches,
though they are pretty hard to top. They're great. But
if you're wondering if this destination would be right for
you as a honeymoon couple, let me add this. A
lot of our clientele to choose Turks and Caicos for
a honeymoon, they often tend to be second weddings couples
or anniversary couples. It's a fun island, but it's not
(31:44):
just for the twenty twenty five year olds. It gravitates
towards that mature type of fun, if you know what
I mean. You can rent catamarands, you can go snorkeling.
For a snorkeling expedition, Grace Bay Beach has got lugsh resorts,
lots of shopping, lots of restaurants, scuba diving. There's a
(32:05):
fourteen mile barrier reef if you're a scuba diver, fourteen
mile long barrier reef on the island's north shore. And
there's a two thousand meter underwater wall off of Grand
Turk Island itself. So these properties, they're really wide in variety.
You can start with luxury one to five bedroom villas.
(32:26):
You can go all the way up to the Ritz Carlton.
When I say Ritz Carlton, you know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
Luxury.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
The name speaks for itself exactly.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
It just says luxury to the.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
Beautiful ambaragus K one of the few all inclusive luxury
properties associated with Turks and CaCO. So if that's what
you're looking for all inclusive, you want to go take
a look at ambaragus K and it's just a really beautiful, wonderful,
wonderful island if you want that romantic honeymoon stay. But
(32:58):
just keep in mind this choices to be a little
less lively if you want the party scene. Turks and
cacos may not be the first one on your list,
but if you're looking for that tranquility, it's exactly the
right place for you.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Thank you, Harry. Now, the next place I want to
direct your attention to might not altogether be considered the Caribbean. However,
it can still be connected to a wonderful, romantic and
tropical honeymoon destination. Because the next place I want to
travel you to with me today is Plia del Carmen
in Mexico. And as I said, it's still very tropical,
(33:35):
very desirable location. But Plia del Carmen is a coastal
resort town in Mexico along the Yucatan Peninsula Rivie Maya,
that's a strip of Caribbean shoreline in Mexico in the
state of Quantaneru. It's also known for its palm lined
beaches and lots of beautiful coral reefs. But Plia del
(33:57):
Carmen is also known for something else as well, shopping, nightlife,
and luxury. This place comes a lot. It's very very
lively in Mexico, and it's a highly sought after area,
especially for honeymooners, because it offers such a variety of
things to do. It was actually once a little sleepy
(34:18):
fishing village. It's now a revere maya destination for nature lovers,
history buffs, party people.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
Here.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
You've got those lively bars, cool boutiques that kind of
set into local tank arrays and chic luxury hotels a
bit more grounded in Mexican style than some of its
neighbors up the coast. And guess what, Just like New
York City, Fifth Avenue in Plyadel Carmen is one of
the most famous attractions. It's lined with shops, bars, restaurants, cafes,
(34:52):
gelato shops, convenience stores, pharmacies, and just a ton more.
This main strip is actually a pedestrian way and it
runs for about three miles through Plyadeal Carmen, and it's
continually expanding and even getting longer and larger. It's located
one block west of the beach, and shops there range
(35:12):
from name brand shops that you would definitely recognize Zara
American Apparel, Harley Davidson, There's Prada, Gucci. The newest one
was the talk of the town when it opened in
twenty fourteen, and it included a forever twenty One, we're
kind of all familiar with that. Girls I know are
Victoria's Secrets, body shop a lot more. Now, I could
(35:36):
talk you through literally over ten thousand hotels there though,
and restaurants in the Revere Maya, but I don't have time.
And two, I really want to focus on just one
particular romantic honeymoon spot in the area of the revere
A Maaya in Plyadel, Carmen, and it is known as
the Palifitos over Water Bungalows. This is really a surprise
(36:01):
because a lot of folks come in to the wishing
Well when they are looking to plan a honeymoon, and
I'll ask them what they have in mind for that,
and invariably there's one in ten that will come in
and go, well, you know what I really have been
enjoying looking at are some of these over the water bungalows.
But I really don't feel like we want to go
(36:22):
to Fijier Balley, such an extravagant place to go. But
I am actually delighted to share with you that these
Palifitos overwater bungalows are only a short three and a
half hour plane ride away from here. The overwater bungalows
really special place, very very unique experience. Imagine if you
(36:46):
can waking up every morning floating over the infinite blue
of the Caribbean, and these incredible over the water bungalows
a place where you can watch sea life actually from
the glass floor of your bedroom or you can actually
set room. Yeah, the floor in your bedroom is actually
just a glass floor where you can look down and
(37:08):
actually watch the sea life under the glass floor. It's amazing.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
It's like looking at an aquarium, but you're looking down
at your feet, and you're looking into an aquarium, but
you're looking into the ocean, not the aquarium.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Yeah, and you can actually sunbathe on your own private terrace,
take a dip straight into the sea from your personal
stairs off of these little bungalows. You've got your own
open air shower and whirlpool tub four to two, while
your private infinity pool actually seems to merge with the
ocean's horizon. This is surprisingly an all inclusive experience as well,
(37:45):
and in a lot of cases your meals are actually
delivered by canoe directly to your bungalow.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
It is an amazing experience. And this is, as I said,
only three and a half hours away in the beautiful
area of Rivere Maya in Plia del Carmen. They're beautiful,
they're spectacular. As a matter of fact, I've got two
couples right now. They're going to be celebrating milestone birthdays
and anniversaries in these next month. And they are quite
(38:17):
affordable compared to going to Fiji and Bali. The price
affordability of these particular luxury properties for a honeymoon experience
something once in a lifetime. These are great. These are
absolutely what people are looking for. It's that experience that
sort of sets everything else apart, and it's going to
be the vacation that you'll want to you'll compare it
(38:39):
to in years to come. When we come back, Harry's
going to take the mic and he's going to be
talking to us about another honeymoon option that is not
a land based but still luxury and still in the Caribbean.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
Oh, I can't wait to find out. We'll find out
together next year.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
On a life less ordinary, Who would think of driving
off to a new destination without guidance Google or Serie
not the wishing Well Guide your next travel experience travel
the world as you enjoy the very best destinations and
all they offer at the best prices. Our mobile travel
app keeps your vacation on track and keeps you connected
with our team of experts.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
For help, if you.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
Need it, call us at five four zero nine zero
eight two three three three stop buy two forty three
nef Avenue, or visit us at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
And welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show
and podcast from your friends at the wishing Well. You
can stop by and see them at neph Avenue in Harrisonburg,
or online at the Wishingwell dot biz, or better yet,
you can pick up the phone and call them at
five four oh nineh eight twenty three thirty three. Our
show today is entitled X's and O's with lots of
(39:47):
h's o's.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
We've been talking about some romantic getaways, and right before
we went to break, Terry mentioned that our next destination
is still in the Caribbean. It's still warm, still Harry romantic,
but it's not on land.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
Harry exactly right, Chris, and this is exactly the best
destination for somebody who can't decide which one of the
many islands to go to.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
We're gonna hop from island island.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
We are gonna do it exactly that, but we're gonna
do it in luxury, all right, because this is a
lifeless ordinary And what we're gonna do is we're gonna
get a little help from our travel friends at the
Ritz Carlton. I don't know if you know this or not,
but Ritz Carlton also has a fleet of luxury yachts. Okay, okay,
so we're gonna hop on board of one of the
(40:35):
Ritz Carlton's luxury yachts. I've done a lot of the
looking at these things, almost took a sailing on one
this summer. But the one that I'm gonna highlight today
is one of the most popular honeymoon requested itineraries. This
one begins in San Juan and it returns to San Juan,
but along the way it hits some of the most
(40:55):
unique and beautiful islands in the Caribbean, some of which
we've been talking about. So hold on for just a minute,
but I want to highlight this special new yacht. These
were custom built, custom designed for the folks at Ritz Carlton.
The rooms are magnificent. You can do things that just
(41:16):
personalize this vacation because the rooms have different views, they
have movable walls. If you have a family, it's a
second honeymoon or something for the second wedding, you have
kids along, you can add a room for the kids.
But you can wall it off or you can open
it up. It's all up to you. Very versatile, very
intimate kind of spaces. How do I get that at
(41:38):
my house? Yeah, you got to ask the folks that
have designed these yachts. They're really incredible, impeccably designed. But
they're also small enough that you have these personal spaces.
Even as you're moving around the yacht, you can there's
little pools in there, there's all kinds of dining options
in there. Very very special vessel and you can, man
(42:00):
how wonderful is But when you say Riz Carlton, you
know you're going to get luxury right all right? So
there are three of the luxury yachts out there. They
only hold four hundred and fifty passengers maximum, so imagine
the passenger to crew ratio. You're going to receive a
very very high quality of service. What you expect from
(42:20):
the ritz and sailing. You're going to get that all
inclusive experience. Something that every honeymoon couple craves they all
experience all inclusive experience includes all of your adult beverages.
It includes gratuities on board Wi Fi, although I advise
that you not use a lot of Wi Fi on
your honeymoon. You're on your honeymoon, right Chris five restaurants,
(42:42):
Water sports. They have a marina platform on the back
of this ship that you go right out into the ocean.
You're on this platform. It's like a platform at the
back of the boat and you can go right out
into the water from the back of the ship. Floating deck.
It is like a floating deck. Yeah, that you might
find and you know, at a lake somewhere, you find
a raft out there. This is your ship. I've seen
(43:05):
these on smaller yachts. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
You can sort of have the ladder and you're going
into the world's largest swimming pool.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4 (43:12):
And if you don't want to do that, then you
can use the pool on board, or you might want
to use the World Pool on board, or you might
want to visit the spa also on board. Am I
talking luxury?
Speaker 1 (43:21):
It sounds luxurious.
Speaker 4 (43:23):
Yeah, So let's talk about the itinerary, the risk Carton
Yacht offers a nice mix of voyages and they go
between four and twelve nights typically, so it's really easy
for working professionals to book them depending on what amount
of time you have. The yacht collection also accommodation with
back to back sailing, so you can go on one
sailing and then move right to the next sailing. You
(43:44):
can book them back to back, makes it a snap
to customize a longer sailing if you want to do that.
All right, let's go to this itinerary that I chose
for today. This sailing is going to start with San Juan.
It's going to take you to Saint John Gustavia, the
capital of Saint Bartholomey, to Phillipsburg, which is on Saint
Martin the Virgin Gorda, and then back to San Juan.
(44:06):
So you fly from wherever you're beginning, maybe Washington, to
San Juan, and that's where your trip begins, that's where
your trip ends. So it's easy to pair a little
time in San Juan on top of your honeymoon yacht
experience aboard the Risk Carleton as well. Sound like a
perfect opportunity. You get this habit all experience you have
(44:27):
some of the best service, the best food, the best fun,
and you get to visit multiple islands on your honeymoon.
Just I think of just over the top kind of trip.
Great thing to think about for a honeymoon. What do
you think I like.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
This idea for honeymoons. I think it's very luxurious. I
think when it comes to couples who have planned very large,
very stressful weddings these days, what they want in a
honeymoon is total relaxation. You want somebody to take care
of them. They want a little ampering, and they want
these experiences that we've talked about today, and we talked
(45:05):
earlier about several different islands. We talked about several different experiences.
One that got left off that I do want to
mention because the Palafito over the water bungalows in Pliadeale
Carmen in Rivere Maya is not the only over the
water experience. Now there's a brand new one, and that
(45:25):
one comes to our partners from Sandals Resorts in Jamaica,
and they are actually built. The over the water bungalows
are actually built. Sandals built them in the shape of
a heart, and they are actually built in that shape
of a heart to sort of evoke romance for honeymooners
and that kind of thing. Sandals is really known for that.
(45:48):
They are known for catering to honeymooners and lovers, anniversary couples.
You know, it's just a nice place to spend some
time alone together and be together. Adults only properties. They're
also all inclusive, so they fit the bill. They check
all those boxes Chris of things that people are actually
looking for for a honeymoon. Some of the other places
(46:11):
that we didn't get to that are really very popular,
some of the other islands now, Anguilla, Antiga, Barbados, all
of these properties and Grenada even are offering properties that
have all inclusive type of options and they're luxurious, which
means that your culinary aspects, the activities, the amenities that
(46:35):
they provide, those are all the best things geared to
honeymooners and what you're looking for if you're planning a
great honeymoon. I know you had a great honeymoon. I
know it wasn't in the Caribbean, but one of these
days I think probably that would be a great place
for you and your wife. Just maybe think about going.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
We've talked about it. And the problem that we have
is that I don't like water, and so I have
a fear of water. I mean, I should be clear,
you know, so even hanging my feet off of a
deck into a pole makes my skin crawl. And so
we want to go somewhere. I want the views, I
(47:16):
want to experience the warmth. I just want to do
it a little bit of away from the shore.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
Yeah, and you know, some of those experiences are quite possible.
You know. For example, Chris, we talked about Saint Lucia,
and not all of the great luxurious properties in Saint
Lucia are built right on the water, but it is
a fabulous historical place to go as well.
Speaker 1 (47:39):
I think. No, I mean, when you're talking about these
over the water bungalows, I'm thinking I could get down
with that.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
That.
Speaker 1 (47:45):
I mean, as long as I don't have to get
in the water. I think that sounds like that would
be one of the most romantic things that I could
even imagine.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
Yeah, you actually don't have to get in the water.
And one of the other most sought out after things
that people gravitate to for honeymoon choices are cruises. With
a cruise you don't have to get in the water either,
and yet you're able to experience multiple ports with one
pack and unpack, and that's really what we call luxury.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
Earlier, you were saying, if you know, i'd bring you
into the office, sit down, ask you some questions, and
every one of the questions that you posed, I'm thinking, oh,
that's not me, that's not me. I'll tell you if
if my wife she's gonna correct me, if she's listening
right now, I think she'd be happy if we went
anywhere as long as there was a king sized bed.
(48:39):
She wants to be able to just you know, slip
all out what I call starfishing in the packish. Yeah,
and I'd be happy as long as she was there.
I mean, for us, that's pretty much the you know
the excitement of our travel. But she and I both
love gorgeous views. We both like photography. We like to
(49:01):
take pictures of you know, landscapes and sunsets and you
know the botanical gardens you mentioned earlier that all sounds
really nice. What we did for our honeymoons, we went
to Las Vegas, but we were able then to you know,
journey out and we went to the Grand Canyon, which
was on her bucket list. You know, I joke it
was not for me. It wasn't my cup of tea.
(49:23):
I said, it's a big hole in the ground. But
she was ecstatic that she got to see it in person.
Speaker 2 (49:28):
You know, our show was really primarily focused toward the
Caribbean Chris, But in the last couple of days, I've
had some very interesting phone calls from clients who were
looking for some romantic getaways. A lot of these folks
are looking to celebrate some anniversaries. A lot of people
got robbed during COVID and weren't able to celebrate those
milestone anniversaries that what they would have liked to and
(49:50):
they're kind of just now getting around to being able
to do that. I have found some spectacular properties. I'm
talking majors sick properties that are treehouse type luxury properties
in places of all places like Severville, Tennessee, and Gatlinburg
(50:13):
and Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee. And I'm talking like these
bubble type globe type out in the open sort of
luxury experiences where you can be in tune with nature,
but you also have this great luxurious type of setup
for a honeymoon. Plus you have lots of great activities
(50:35):
that are surrounding you. So no matter what your interests
might be. And Chris, you're right when you said, you know, Terry,
when you set people down, not all of those things
really were things that I might be interested in. That's
what we get to the heart of when we set
down with our couples. Those that are going on a honeymoon.
(50:56):
I consider that one of the most important travel experiences
that they will begin together, and you don't have a
theory about that. If I get that right, I'm likely
to see them again and again and again and again.
So it's very important that I do ask the right
questions and that we get to the heart of what
interests all of these couples in order to help them
(51:18):
make the best decision.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
A couple of things that we wish we would have
done differently. We left the day after our wedding. We
wish we would have waited a week or a month,
or you know, a couple of months, so we could
have gotten settled in and relaxed and then plan that
trip a little bit better. It was really hard getting
up at three am the next day to fly out
of Charlottesville to get to Vegas. And I've heard that
(51:44):
where some experts recommend maybe take a small, you know,
maybe three or four day get away after your wedding
and plan your honeymoon for you know, a couple of
months or even the next year on your anniversary. Do
it upright when you can really plan it and you
don't have the stress of the web leading into that
kind of travel.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Yeah, it's true, Chris, And that's really more than norm now.
What I'm usually seeing, the average couple is waiting three
days after their wedding to actually go away for their honeymoon,
and that gives them exactly what you said, the time
that they need to spend time with family members who've
(52:23):
come from out of town, maybe a little bit of
time to get up, have breakfast with those folks before
they have to bid them farewell, thank their guests for
having spent the time and the money to come and
be with them, and then also to take their time
leisurely and pack, because, as I said, everything associated with
weddings can be somewhat stressful. For those of you who
(52:46):
are going to have the celebratory occasion over the holidays,
you're going to get engaged. You're going to spend time
with your families. You're going to have those happy moments.
Make sure that this part of your wedding, that your
planning is done well and with a professional. If I
could encourage you to do anything, do that right and
do it with a professional.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
Speaking of professionals, how do we in touch with you?
Speaker 2 (53:09):
The wishing Well is easy to find, Chris. We're located
at two forty three NEF Avenue in the Valley Center.
You can look us up on the web. We are
at the Wishingwell dot biz or call us we'd love
that at five four oh none zero eight, two three
three three.
Speaker 1 (53:25):
This has been a life Less Ordinary the travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three nep Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions
on topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the Wishingwell dot biz or five four
oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past episodes
are available on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll see you
again next Saturday morning at ten for a life Less
(53:47):
Ordinary from the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel show and
podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well two forty
three f Avenue in Harsemberg and online at the wishing
Well dot This. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and A Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:20):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Hello, it's Saturday, Cruz.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Oh my gosh, it's gonna be a doozy today, and
we'd better say hi to Harry before we forget.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm just gonna say hi, it is. It's going to
be a great you know, I'm pretty excited. I was
this show. Preparing for this show made me very happy,
so I'm in a very good mood.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
I'm interested to find out why this show in particular
is yeah, such a joyful show.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
It's a good one. It's because it's a good one.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
I do know the title of our show, and I
played the guessing game tread figure out and I could
figure out why you've titled. So when we get to
that point, we'll take a couple of more guesses and
see if I can't figure out that sounds good, all right,
But before we get to all that, we need to
get caught up on what's going on travel news.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah we do. And actually hello to everybody. You know,
it's time for us to sort of turn the page.
I guess, you know. But US travel industry has reacted
to the results from the twenty twenty four elections. So
I understand you were up pretty late, Chris.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yeah, I was doing.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Tuesday night early Wednesday morning.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
I was doing all the local election results.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, yep. And so whether it went your way or not,
you know, And we don't know, but the travel industry
certainly doesn't really care either. We have a job to do.
We have a job to continue to do. And there
are groups that have responded to the twenty twenty four
US election results, one being American Society of Travel Advisors.
(01:54):
They say that they're looking forward to reintroducing themselves to
the Trump administration and the new cabinet members who will
affect travel policy. ASTA also congratulated the newest members of
Congress and they noted that Senator Ted Cruz, Republican from Texas,
his reelection means that he's likely to be the chair
(02:15):
of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which oversees
most travel policies. The biggest priority for ASTA, which by
the way, again is the American Society of Travel Advisors,
continue to be educating policy makers on what advisors do
and the impact that we all have, pushing against the
(02:36):
new DOL overtime rule and also pressing legislators to change
how advisors are categorized in the new refund rule now. Also,
US Travel Association President and CEO Jeff Freeman issued a
statement on Wednesday congratulating again the new president elect and
(02:56):
saying that the Association also looks forward to working with
him and your statement. Freeman also noted how significant the
next four years are going to be for inbound travel
to the US, with some major events being held on
American soil that are likely to draw hundreds, if not thousands,
if not millions, of visitors, not the least of which
(03:20):
is the World Cup and Summer and Winter Olympics that
are in our very near future. So I think you know,
good news overall, everybody you know, is working toward a
cooperative spirit in the industry, and I think that's good.
That's going to bode well for everybody and travelers concerned.
So the other thing I wanted to talk about briefly
(03:43):
is that unine it has come out with a announcement
that they are expanding their touchless ID program, adding that
the service this week was added to Reagan National Airport
in Washington, d C. And this marks the second edition
in two weeks for United, which also introduced this option
at Salt Lake City last week. The latest expansion, United
(04:08):
now offers touchless ID at seven total airports, including Chicago, Atlanta,
Los Angeles, LaGuardia, and Newark. This touchless ID actually allows
travelers to pass through a separate line of security without
presenting a physical ID. Instead, TSA officers verify a traveler's
(04:31):
identity by matching their image with a passport photo on file. Now,
travelers need a known traveler number or what is an
acronym is KTN number available through TSA pre Check or
other known traveler programs can opt in via the United app. Also,
(04:51):
once you're enrolled, a logo on your boarding pass grant
you access to these touchless lanes kind of similar to
the systems used already right now by Delta and American.
So we're always looking to expand our technology in the
aviation industry. I think that's great. People love that. The
next thing that made some big, big news this week
(05:13):
is the hurricane Raphael that is rolling around and actually
went into Cuba. This is unprecedented for us to have
hurricanes this late in the season. Usually they're all said
and done by the end of October most often. But
the hurricane made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday as a
(05:35):
Category three storm kind of pummeled the island there with
strong winds, knocking out its electrical grid. Western Cuba saw
continued periods of heavy rain even on Thursday, and so
that sort of precipitated some cruise lines to make some
decisions about reaccommodations. Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas they're
(05:58):
going to actually skip a stop in Ozamel, Mexico and
instead spend a day at sea, is what they decided
to do, and along with Carnival Cruise Line sailed its
itinerary in reverse and then the Carnival Miracle also made
a decision to leave Sunday from Galveston, and then MSc Seascape,
(06:22):
for its part, replaced a stop in Falmouth, Jamaica with
Coasta Maya, Mexico and visited Roatan in Honduras instead. So again,
you know, we're watching this hurricane. I'm not sure that
we will see much of an impact of that on
the East coast of the United States, but if we
(06:43):
do it, it'll just be you know, some rain.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
One of the things people that are cruising need to
always be aware of. The cruise ships have that option,
Chris to change in itinerary based on the weather, and
that happens more, you know, more often than some people realize.
I was on a cruise this summer. My health in
the itinerary had to change because the waves were just
too rough to get in, you know, to dock at
the port. So they made a detour and change. So
(07:08):
they make some real time decisions, and that's part of
the adventure of cruising. Sometimes you'll get to a better place.
Sometimes you'll get to a different place. Most times you
get to the place you're supposed to be getting to.
Either way, at the end, you've got a good story
to tell somebody.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Exactly exactly now. As good as technology is, and we
you know I just mentioned a while ago, we we
sort of love, we embrace the whole idea of technology
in the travel industry. It's what allows us, I think,
to do our job much better, perform much more efficient
efficiently for our customers. But we've got TSA warning now
(07:43):
about pre check enrollments and renewal scams ahead of the
holiday travel season, and these are being seen online. Okay,
with the busiest travel time of the year just a
few weeks away and so many travelers expected to pass
through US airport security, more and more Americans really are
opting in to these known traveler programs like the TSA PreCheck,
(08:06):
and pre Check recently hit twenty million active members. That's
a new record for the program, which is just over
ten years old, having launched in December of twenty thirteen.
I can't believe it's been that long, honestly, it just
it feels like a new program. But two thousand and
three that's a long time ago. You know. The twenty
million number is a thirty three percent growth in just
(08:29):
the last year two and it's expected to grow even
more as Americans prep up for some of the busiest
days of this year. Now the program continues to expand,
TSA is warning travelers to be cautious of these fake
pre check scams that are becoming more and more common.
Here are some red flags that I want people to
(08:49):
be aware of and watch out for. If you're a
first time applicant. If you're applying for pre check for
the first time, remember that payment can only be made
in person at an enrollment center. Scammers are trying to
get you to pay online, but TSA doesn't allow first
time applicants to pay the enrollment fee online, only in person,
(09:14):
so that should be one of your first red flags.
If you are applying for this program and they're asking
you to enter some sort of payment online, do not
do it. It is more than likely a fake website
that's really just trying to extract money. Renewals. If you're renewing,
you can pay online, but you want to avoid using
(09:34):
links that arrive by email, even if they appear to
come from TSA. Instead, you want to visit the official
TSA pre check website and Chris, I'll ask you to
add that link to today's show to the comment sections
so that people can kind of see that but scammers
can create fake websites that mimic the official TSA pages
(09:57):
and lure you in through their spam emails, so don't
be sucked into that. Also, there's pressure tactics. If you
feel rushed or pressured, it's likely a scam. TSA is
never going to pressure you to complete an enrollment or
renewal quickly. Any communication with phrases in it like right
(10:17):
away or your last chance is probably more than likely
from a scammer, it is not from TSA. The TSA's
biggest tip is to always begin at that TSA pre
check website, which uses the dot gov domain. Not a
dot com, not a dot biz, not a dot anything else.
(10:38):
It's a dot gov domain. It's an official government site,
so be very much aware of that. There are scams
out there and it's unfortunate, but there are a lot
of people who want that TSA pre check. It does
provide some efficiencies at the airport for you and takes
a lot of the uncomfortableness out, So if you are
(11:00):
doing it, make sure you're doing it correctly and safely.
The last piece of news that I had today was
actually is kind of a fun piece of news, sort
of hearkens back for me at least to the very
first flight I ever flew in my life, and that
was on a little carrier called pan Am. Remember pan
(11:21):
Am before my time, It was before your time. But
I'm sure everybody kind of even those listening today, probably
can remember a time when we had a carrier called PanAm.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
The only way I know of that is from the
movie Catch Me if you can. Yeah, exactly, that's where
I know PanAm.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yeah. Well, they've revived two luxury transatlantic tours for twenty
twenty five. I was so excited about this. A lot
of people consider those the glory days of aviation. I'm
one of them, and they're returning kind of. PanAm is
arriving two tours next year that are going to celebrate
(11:56):
the legacy of the airline in luxury. And I got
to tell you when I went on PanAm for my
very first flight, Chris, it was pure luxury. I had
the great opportunity, first time in my life a to fly,
but b I flew first class and that flight was
to Panama City, Panama, and I went with another group
(12:18):
of travel agents that were in my office. We had
a great time. But I can remember how what an
affair it was. I mean, getting on this flight, we
didn't wear jeans, we didn't wear sweatpants, we didn't wear pajamas,
we didn't wear anything like that. We actually dressed. And
we were told in the travel industry, if you went
as a travel industry employee, you wore to dress. And
(12:42):
for women that meant skirts and hose and heels, and
for guys it meant full suits and ties. It was
a great experience.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
And you ain't on real China too, didn't you.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
You absolutely did, and you had real little table cloths,
and I mean it was special. It was very special.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
When did that all end?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Gosh, that's a great question, Chris. But deregulation took a
lot of things out that the airlines were, you know,
enforcing before. I honestly don't know the exact date, but
for me, that was sad to see all of that
go away. But in any event, this revolution that PanAm
is going to bring in to twenty twenty five, they're
(13:23):
going to operate two twelve day voyages and they're calling
these tracing the Translantic. It's gonna be a round trip
from New York City. They're gonna depart on June the
sixteenth and again on June twenty seventh of twenty twenty five,
and each tour is going to offer no more than
fifty guests the chance to relive Panam's glory days in
(13:43):
a Boeing seven to fifty seven aircraft configured with all
business class life flat seating. Now the voyages are officially
licensed by pan Am and they're supported by the PanAm
Museum Foundation. They're operated by specialty tour companies that are
operating to do these in particular just these two departures.
(14:07):
The tours are going to begin an end with gala
evenings at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. They're going to
bring guests to Bermuda, Lisbon, Marseille, London and Fournes. Guests
are going to also stay at iconic properties like the
Fairmont Hamilton Princess in Bermuda, the Four Seasons Ritz in Lisbon,
the Savoy in London and the Adare Manor in Ireland. Now,
(14:32):
programming along the way is going to focus on the
legacy of PanAm and its people that's appropriate, including a
dinner at the Flying Boat Museum in Fournes and a
performance of Fouto folk music in Lisbon, which is fantastic.
If you've ever had an opportunity to listen to that,
it is quite iconic. Bookings are open for the itineries.
(14:53):
But here's where I want you to buckle up. Get ready.
The price of this experience. Need a drum roll?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Here? Can I guess?
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Really? Do? Go ahead to throw something out there?
Speaker 1 (15:05):
How many days?
Speaker 2 (15:05):
It's twelve day, twelve.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Day, twenty nine thousand.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
This includes hotels, yeah, thirty five thousand. Yeah. So the
starting price is fifty nine thousand, nine hundred and fifty
dollars a person based on double occupancy, or sixty five thousand,
five hundred dollars for single occupancy. Wait, I hear the
phone's ringing. People want to go. Bookings are actually are
(15:35):
being sold through travel agencies, so you can't actually book
that through the wishing Well. We'd be delighted to help
you out with that, it would be our great pleasure.
But in any event, I shared that story today really
not thinking that anybody might be interested in it, although
that would just delight me. So, but I got to
tell you this is something that is really great for me.
(15:59):
You know, I've been in this industry a very long time,
and I appreciate this story.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
This is really, you know, very nostalgic. There are some
people who remember traveling in the style that PanAm used
to travel people in terry, and I think that for
some folks this is going to be a tremendous experience.
And after all the holidays are coming up, it's time
to add things to your wish list.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Why not put this on there, Chris, because it would
take me ten years to pay for it. Yeah, if
I put my entire salary towards it.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
But let me tell you something, This is how nostalgic
I am still after forty five years in this industry.
About my first experience with PanAm. Several weeks ago, I
went online and I started to search out things that
were memorabilia from the PanAm flights, like the flight bags.
(16:49):
But what was so iconic about the pan Am flights,
especially if you were fortunate enough to be able to
sit in first class, was the china. It was all
branded with the PanAm logos and everything else. And I
got to tell you, I came this close to actually
buying some of that china on eBay, but I would
(17:11):
have also had to have had a second job to
do it. So it's still something that's in my radar
that I'm looking at that i'd love to actually have.
But even the glassware, if you can still find it,
some of the actual glasses that have the PanAm logos
on them, they're quite collectible. Wow yep. So in any event,
(17:32):
if you're interested in Panam's nostalgic twelve day tour, hey,
not a problem at all. I'm here to help.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
My phone number is five four oh nine oh eight
twenty three thirty three orthowishing well dot biz.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Yes, absolutely, we're here to serve.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
So our show today, Yes, you gave me the title
and it's called X's and O's and the o's is
oh yes, Oh, I guess that it was trips to
Texas and Ohio and you assured me that was not correct.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
It is not.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
I am completely lost on what this means. Tell us
about our show today, Terry.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
So I'll tease it this way. Okay, So what do
you mean when you sign a card with x's. That's
a hint, okay of where we're going with today's show.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Yes, that's a hint. And I'm still lost, hopefully somewhere
with my wife. All right, stay tuned. We'll find out
next here on a Lifeless Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing Well knows travel and helps you avoid pitfalls
that can spoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan your
trip and have your back as you travel. All of
this without support or so called convenience fees. We're on
the web at tho Wishingwell dot viz, or call us
at five four zero nine zero eight two three eight
(18:56):
three three. That's five four zero nine zero eight two.
The washing Well really does make dreams come true?
Speaker 1 (19:03):
And welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary. This is the
travel show and podcast from your friends at the wishing Well.
You can find them on nef Avenue in Harrisonburg, online
at the wishing Well dot biz, or you can call
them five four oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three.
All right, so we've teased it. Our show is called
X's and O's. We sign our cards with x's and o's.
(19:24):
It means hugs and kisses. Yes, are we taking romantic travel?
Are we going somewhere with somewhere special, with someone special?
I kind of feel it took way too long for
me to get there.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Today's show is going to be a lot of fun, Chris,
because it's it's all about romance, and who doesn't feel
happy when you talk about that? Because when we close
our eyes and even think about the word romance, it
conjures up things that make us feel good, you know.
And here's what I know. A lot of couples in
the next months to come are likely going to be
(20:00):
getting newly engaged right over the holidays, and with engagements
come weddings, of course, but also planning for the perfect
honeymoon celebration. And that's where a life less ordinary and
the wishing well come in. We're good for that, you know.
And you know why because hopefully, you said, because we
have a lot of experience and professional expertise to kind
(20:23):
of lead you and that special someone to one of
the most memorable travel experiences of your life together. At
least that's our hope. Now we're going to be kind
of focused today because if you're planning a honeymoon in
a Caribbean, I want you to get ready to discover
islands that feel tailor made for romance. The Caribbean has
(20:44):
endless options for couples looking to start their lives together
in paradise. We've got secluded beaches and luxurious resorts, charming
local spots, perfect for a sunset toast. And the even
better news is that these perfect destinations can accommodate almost
any budget. But we be warned, the Caribbean can also
(21:06):
be a mind field for not so good surprises if
you are not taking advice from a seasoned travel professional.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Yeah, and there's so many, oh bad things out there,
you know, there's so many skunks in the grass. If
you're not careful, Chris, you can find a deal is
too good to be true. And if you find a
deal is too good to be true, it is too
good to be true. It's not true. And it's terrible
to think about going on a honeymoon, that first experience
together as a couple and having it not work out
(21:38):
well at all.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yeah. So, today, on a lifeless ordinary, I want to
guide you through some of the best places to honeymoon
across the Caribbean. We're going to break it down with
what every destination has to offer. If you want an
adults only resort where there's privacy and pampering, or maybe
you're more inclined to have a very Lively Island known
for great fear food. You want some vibrant nightlife, unmistakable
(22:03):
island spirit. Well, whatever your picture is of lazy beach days,
maybe you want to snorkel together in crystal clear waters
or dance barefoot even under the stars. I've got a
few great options for every kind of couple today. So
let's get to the details, because your Caribbean honeymoon deserves
(22:23):
to be as unforgettable as the journey that brought you
right to this moment together. Right now? Am I right? Chris?
You are right, absolutely, And so the first island that
I want to spend some time talking about is Saint Lucia.
And one of the first things I need to do
is set this up a little bit kind of like
I would if you were my client sitting down with
(22:45):
me for your first honeymoon travel consultation, I would ask you,
what's your idea of a great Saint Lucia honeymoon. Somebody
came in and said, Terry, we want to go to
Saint Lucia. That's probably one of the first questions I
would ask them. What does that look like to you?
Describe the experience? What do you want to do? Are
you interested in spending a lot of time on beautiful
(23:06):
beaches beside the pool, tropical drink in hand? Are you
interested in activities like hiking or scuba because not everybody
wants to sit by the pool. That's boring to some people.
They're no, we're active. So do you want to visit
historical sites, botanical gardens? Do you want the ease of
an all inclusive resort or would you rather have more
(23:28):
of a local and cultural atmosphere experience, And of course
very important question, what's your budget now? A lot of
the hotels and resorts on Saint Lucia they cater to
package tourist interest in spending a week on a beach.
Some are big chains like Sandals and wind Jammer, but
(23:48):
some are locally owned and one of a kind. Most
are along the west coast of the island, and some
are along the southwestern coast near the Petons. Those are,
if you don't know, those distinctive volcanic spires called Petit
Petons and Gross Petans. Many more are further north, near
(24:11):
to Castres that's the capital of Saint Lucia. And some
of these resorts and hotels are all inclusive, while some
of them have meals like breakfast or what we call
half board as optional extras. In any event, any of
these resorts would be perfect for honeymooners or destination weddings,
and we do offer a lot of that in both cases. Now,
(24:34):
I want to talk just a little bit more about
some of the great places that you can stay on
Saint Lucia, because that's important one of the probably the
more exclusive and luxurious places. If you are sitting next
to a computer this morning and you're sipping a cup
of coffee with me, Sugar Beach is a Viceroy Hotel property,
(24:55):
So look that up. First of all, forget everything you
know about beachside ghetto. This is a whole another volume.
This is an entirely new perspective. You've got those beautiful,
rugged Peton mountains in the background and the Caribbean Sea
at your feet, so really every day is going to
invite you to take a step back and breathe, then
(25:17):
completely connect with your surroundings.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
There.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
It just sort of invites that. It is beautiful, it
is tranquil, it is luxury, it is very very fine,
and the service is off the chain. And then they've
got a full service spa several different restaurants that will
guide you through a bit of their culinary journey. You've
got hiking, water sports, and the colony city of Saint
(25:41):
Lucia is also very close by. But you might just
find that the best place to be is in your
private guest rooms or villa or suite there because they
are spectacular. They've got these spacious, breathtaking views out of
each one of their rooms and attended by your own
personal butler. They had me at views, but really a butler.
(26:05):
I'm there. These private retreats are undefined, redefining. I'm sorry
what it means to live in luxury. Now. The next
property that just happens to be one of my personal
favorites probably anywhere in the world, let alone Saint Lucia,
is the incomparable Ladeira. I remember when I first started
(26:26):
selling this property, Chris, I was in absolute awe. I
thought it was the most beautifully yet the most unique
property I'd ever seen in my young career. To this day,
I still feel the same. Ladeira is unbelievable. It's a
fifteen acre property which was once part of one of
(26:46):
the oldest coca plantations in a place called Souffree, which
is on Saint Lucia. They have thirty seven suites. Each
one of them has a private pool. But here's the
most delightful part. Everyone of the these suites comes with
an open fourth wall, so you can actually see the
(27:07):
amazing petons and the beautiful lush rainforests and the gorgeous
shades of blue in the Caribbean Sea. That's your view
out from your room at the outside world. I mean,
there's only three walls to each one of these suites.
The fourth wall is open and it's spectacular. Now you're
(27:30):
also going to have access to a very wide range
of activities that take place at this property. Those include
cooking classes at the hotel's Dachen restaurant. They've got rainforest
walks with a local guide, or you can even do
some day trips into Saint Lucia's capital, which again is
called Castries. Now, a cool thing to know about Ladeira
(27:55):
is that every piece of furniture that's found on the
property has been handmade by master craftsman and the property
manager guy by the name of Ustye Augustine. This handy
guy and native Saint Lucian is responsible for the wood
tabletops seen in the restaurant, the front and back bedboards
(28:20):
in the suitees, the coffee tables, and almost every other
piece of furniture that's in this place. He made them
all by hand. And let me just add this is
a five star luxury property. As a matter of fact,
Ladira happens to be one of our Virtuoso properties. It
is a work of art to behold. He uses in
(28:44):
his woods the mahogany, the red cedar, pitch pine, blue mahoe,
and green and purple heartwood, all from the forests in
Saint Lucia, So this is a very sustainable property as well.
If you were just a wee bit more budget minded, though,
you might want to check out the Saint James Club
(29:06):
Morgan Bay. This is also a very beautiful and culturally
significant resort property. There are cashew trees growing right on
the property. Until I went to this property, I truly
had never seen cashews grow anywhere. I didn't really know
how they grew or how they were harvested.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Do they grow out at the bottom of the fruit.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
They hang? They actually do hang from these trees, and
it's amazing to see them. But I had never seen
that before. In my life until I went to the
Saint James Club and they have just this row after
row after row of cashew trees. So it was really
amazing to see that. The other thing you're going to
see in abundance growing at the Saint James Club are
(29:51):
lots of fruit trees, everything from bananas to papaya's, and
they are massive. They're not like the fruit that we
buy at our local grocery stores, not even cost Co. No, no, no.
These are like giant sized papayas and giant sized bananas.
I've never seen anything like it. Saint James Club is
(30:11):
also an adult's only property, that makes it ever so
much more appealing for honeymooners. A great other feature is
that it happens to be an all inclusive resort, and
it is also pretty pretty spectacular.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
So I want to take a little jump across the
water and move from Saint Lucia, which is a fantastic island,
but I want to talk to talk about another island,
and that's the Lovely Turks and Caicos Chris. It's one
of the most fabulous destinations in the Caribbean because they
have these pristine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters.
(30:48):
I mean you can look down in the water, wiggle
your toes and see every one of them down near
just that clear uh, something you don't see a lot
of places.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
That's a really great place.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
For tranquill just an escape for honeymooners if they want
seclusion and serenity. Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales is ranked
among the world's best beaches, and it's a perfect place
if you want to unwind and just really enjoy each
other's company, basking in the sun and the beauty all
(31:20):
around you. It's quite special for more than just the beaches,
though they are pretty hard to top. They're great. But
if you're wondering if this destination would be right for
you as a honeymoon couple, let me add this. A
lot of our clientele to choose Turks and Caicos for
a honeymoon, they often tend to be second weddings couples
or anniversary couples. It's a fun island, but it's not
(31:44):
just for the twenty twenty five year olds. It gravitates
towards that mature type of fun, if you know what
I mean. You can rent catamarands, you can go snorkeling.
For a snorkeling expedition, Grace Bay Beach has got lugsh resorts,
lots of shopping, lots of restaurants, scuba diving. There's a
(32:05):
fourteen mile barrier reef if you're a scuba diver, fourteen
mile long barrier reef on the island's north shore. And
there's a two thousand meter underwater wall off of Grand
Turk Island itself. So these properties, they're really wide in variety.
You can start with luxury one to five bedroom villas.
(32:26):
You can go all the way up to the Ritz Carlton.
When I say Ritz Carlton, you know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
Luxury.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
The name speaks for itself exactly.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
It just says luxury to the.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
Beautiful ambaragus K one of the few all inclusive luxury
properties associated with Turks and CaCO. So if that's what
you're looking for all inclusive, you want to go take
a look at ambaragus K and it's just a really beautiful, wonderful,
wonderful island if you want that romantic honeymoon stay. But
(32:58):
just keep in mind this choices to be a little
less lively if you want the party scene. Turks and
cacos may not be the first one on your list,
but if you're looking for that tranquility, it's exactly the
right place for you.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Thank you, Harry. Now, the next place I want to
direct your attention to might not altogether be considered the Caribbean. However,
it can still be connected to a wonderful, romantic and
tropical honeymoon destination. Because the next place I want to
travel you to with me today is Plia del Carmen
in Mexico. And as I said, it's still very tropical,
(33:35):
very desirable location. But Plia del Carmen is a coastal
resort town in Mexico along the Yucatan Peninsula Rivie Maya,
that's a strip of Caribbean shoreline in Mexico in the
state of Quantaneru. It's also known for its palm lined
beaches and lots of beautiful coral reefs. But Plia del
(33:57):
Carmen is also known for something else as well, shopping, nightlife,
and luxury. This place comes a lot. It's very very
lively in Mexico, and it's a highly sought after area,
especially for honeymooners, because it offers such a variety of
things to do. It was actually once a little sleepy
(34:18):
fishing village. It's now a revere maya destination for nature lovers,
history buffs, party people.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
Here.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
You've got those lively bars, cool boutiques that kind of
set into local tank arrays and chic luxury hotels a
bit more grounded in Mexican style than some of its
neighbors up the coast. And guess what, Just like New
York City, Fifth Avenue in Plyadel Carmen is one of
the most famous attractions. It's lined with shops, bars, restaurants, cafes,
(34:52):
gelato shops, convenience stores, pharmacies, and just a ton more.
This main strip is actually a pedestrian way and it
runs for about three miles through Plyadeal Carmen, and it's
continually expanding and even getting longer and larger. It's located
one block west of the beach, and shops there range
(35:12):
from name brand shops that you would definitely recognize Zara
American Apparel, Harley Davidson, There's Prada, Gucci. The newest one
was the talk of the town when it opened in
twenty fourteen, and it included a forever twenty One, we're
kind of all familiar with that. Girls I know are
Victoria's Secrets, body shop a lot more. Now, I could
(35:36):
talk you through literally over ten thousand hotels there though,
and restaurants in the Revere Maya, but I don't have time.
And two, I really want to focus on just one
particular romantic honeymoon spot in the area of the revere
A Maaya in Plyadel, Carmen, and it is known as
the Palifitos over Water Bungalows. This is really a surprise
(36:01):
because a lot of folks come in to the wishing
Well when they are looking to plan a honeymoon, and
I'll ask them what they have in mind for that,
and invariably there's one in ten that will come in
and go, well, you know what I really have been
enjoying looking at are some of these over the water bungalows.
But I really don't feel like we want to go
(36:22):
to Fijier Balley, such an extravagant place to go. But
I am actually delighted to share with you that these
Palifitos overwater bungalows are only a short three and a
half hour plane ride away from here. The overwater bungalows
really special place, very very unique experience. Imagine if you
(36:46):
can waking up every morning floating over the infinite blue
of the Caribbean, and these incredible over the water bungalows
a place where you can watch sea life actually from
the glass floor of your bedroom or you can actually
set room. Yeah, the floor in your bedroom is actually
just a glass floor where you can look down and
(37:08):
actually watch the sea life under the glass floor. It's amazing.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
It's like looking at an aquarium, but you're looking down
at your feet, and you're looking into an aquarium, but
you're looking into the ocean, not the aquarium.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Yeah, and you can actually sunbathe on your own private terrace,
take a dip straight into the sea from your personal
stairs off of these little bungalows. You've got your own
open air shower and whirlpool tub four to two, while
your private infinity pool actually seems to merge with the
ocean's horizon. This is surprisingly an all inclusive experience as well,
(37:45):
and in a lot of cases your meals are actually
delivered by canoe directly to your bungalow.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
It is an amazing experience. And this is, as I said,
only three and a half hours away in the beautiful
area of Rivere Maya in Plia del Carmen. They're beautiful,
they're spectacular. As a matter of fact, I've got two
couples right now. They're going to be celebrating milestone birthdays
and anniversaries in these next month. And they are quite
(38:17):
affordable compared to going to Fiji and Bali. The price
affordability of these particular luxury properties for a honeymoon experience
something once in a lifetime. These are great. These are
absolutely what people are looking for. It's that experience that
sort of sets everything else apart, and it's going to
be the vacation that you'll want to you'll compare it
(38:39):
to in years to come. When we come back, Harry's
going to take the mic and he's going to be
talking to us about another honeymoon option that is not
a land based but still luxury and still in the Caribbean.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
Oh, I can't wait to find out. We'll find out
together next year.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
On a life less ordinary, Who would think of driving
off to a new destination without guidance Google or Serie
not the wishing Well Guide your next travel experience travel
the world as you enjoy the very best destinations and
all they offer at the best prices. Our mobile travel
app keeps your vacation on track and keeps you connected
with our team of experts.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
For help, if you.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
Need it, call us at five four zero nine zero
eight two three three three stop buy two forty three
nef Avenue, or visit us at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
And welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show
and podcast from your friends at the wishing Well. You
can stop by and see them at neph Avenue in Harrisonburg,
or online at the Wishingwell dot biz, or better yet,
you can pick up the phone and call them at
five four oh nineh eight twenty three thirty three. Our
show today is entitled X's and O's with lots of
(39:47):
h's o's.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
We've been talking about some romantic getaways, and right before
we went to break, Terry mentioned that our next destination
is still in the Caribbean. It's still warm, still Harry romantic,
but it's not on land.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
Harry exactly right, Chris, and this is exactly the best
destination for somebody who can't decide which one of the
many islands to go to.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
We're gonna hop from island island.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
We are gonna do it exactly that, but we're gonna
do it in luxury, all right, because this is a
lifeless ordinary And what we're gonna do is we're gonna
get a little help from our travel friends at the
Ritz Carlton. I don't know if you know this or not,
but Ritz Carlton also has a fleet of luxury yachts. Okay, okay,
so we're gonna hop on board of one of the
(40:35):
Ritz Carlton's luxury yachts. I've done a lot of the
looking at these things, almost took a sailing on one
this summer. But the one that I'm gonna highlight today
is one of the most popular honeymoon requested itineraries. This
one begins in San Juan and it returns to San Juan,
but along the way it hits some of the most
(40:55):
unique and beautiful islands in the Caribbean, some of which
we've been talking about. So hold on for just a minute,
but I want to highlight this special new yacht. These
were custom built, custom designed for the folks at Ritz Carlton.
The rooms are magnificent. You can do things that just
(41:16):
personalize this vacation because the rooms have different views, they
have movable walls. If you have a family, it's a
second honeymoon or something for the second wedding, you have
kids along, you can add a room for the kids.
But you can wall it off or you can open
it up. It's all up to you. Very versatile, very
intimate kind of spaces. How do I get that at
(41:38):
my house? Yeah, you got to ask the folks that
have designed these yachts. They're really incredible, impeccably designed. But
they're also small enough that you have these personal spaces.
Even as you're moving around the yacht, you can there's
little pools in there, there's all kinds of dining options
in there. Very very special vessel and you can, man
(42:00):
how wonderful is But when you say Riz Carlton, you
know you're going to get luxury right all right? So
there are three of the luxury yachts out there. They
only hold four hundred and fifty passengers maximum, so imagine
the passenger to crew ratio. You're going to receive a
very very high quality of service. What you expect from
(42:20):
the ritz and sailing. You're going to get that all
inclusive experience. Something that every honeymoon couple craves they all
experience all inclusive experience includes all of your adult beverages.
It includes gratuities on board Wi Fi, although I advise
that you not use a lot of Wi Fi on
your honeymoon. You're on your honeymoon, right Chris five restaurants,
(42:42):
Water sports. They have a marina platform on the back
of this ship that you go right out into the ocean.
You're on this platform. It's like a platform at the
back of the boat and you can go right out
into the water from the back of the ship. Floating deck.
It is like a floating deck. Yeah, that you might
find and you know, at a lake somewhere, you find
a raft out there. This is your ship. I've seen
(43:05):
these on smaller yachts. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
You can sort of have the ladder and you're going
into the world's largest swimming pool.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4 (43:12):
And if you don't want to do that, then you
can use the pool on board, or you might want
to use the World Pool on board, or you might
want to visit the spa also on board. Am I
talking luxury?
Speaker 1 (43:21):
It sounds luxurious.
Speaker 4 (43:23):
Yeah, So let's talk about the itinerary, the risk Carton
Yacht offers a nice mix of voyages and they go
between four and twelve nights typically, so it's really easy
for working professionals to book them depending on what amount
of time you have. The yacht collection also accommodation with
back to back sailing, so you can go on one
sailing and then move right to the next sailing. You
(43:44):
can book them back to back, makes it a snap
to customize a longer sailing if you want to do that.
All right, let's go to this itinerary that I chose
for today. This sailing is going to start with San Juan.
It's going to take you to Saint John Gustavia, the
capital of Saint Bartholomey, to Phillipsburg, which is on Saint
Martin the Virgin Gorda, and then back to San Juan.
(44:06):
So you fly from wherever you're beginning, maybe Washington, to
San Juan, and that's where your trip begins, that's where
your trip ends. So it's easy to pair a little
time in San Juan on top of your honeymoon yacht
experience aboard the Risk Carleton as well. Sound like a
perfect opportunity. You get this habit all experience you have
(44:27):
some of the best service, the best food, the best fun,
and you get to visit multiple islands on your honeymoon.
Just I think of just over the top kind of trip.
Great thing to think about for a honeymoon. What do
you think I like.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
This idea for honeymoons. I think it's very luxurious. I
think when it comes to couples who have planned very large,
very stressful weddings these days, what they want in a
honeymoon is total relaxation. You want somebody to take care
of them. They want a little ampering, and they want
these experiences that we've talked about today, and we talked
(45:05):
earlier about several different islands. We talked about several different experiences.
One that got left off that I do want to
mention because the Palafito over the water bungalows in Pliadeale
Carmen in Rivere Maya is not the only over the
water experience. Now there's a brand new one, and that
(45:25):
one comes to our partners from Sandals Resorts in Jamaica,
and they are actually built. The over the water bungalows
are actually built. Sandals built them in the shape of
a heart, and they are actually built in that shape
of a heart to sort of evoke romance for honeymooners
and that kind of thing. Sandals is really known for that.
(45:48):
They are known for catering to honeymooners and lovers, anniversary couples.
You know, it's just a nice place to spend some
time alone together and be together. Adults only properties. They're
also all inclusive, so they fit the bill. They check
all those boxes Chris of things that people are actually
looking for for a honeymoon. Some of the other places
(46:11):
that we didn't get to that are really very popular,
some of the other islands now, Anguilla, Antiga, Barbados, all
of these properties and Grenada even are offering properties that
have all inclusive type of options and they're luxurious, which
means that your culinary aspects, the activities, the amenities that
(46:35):
they provide, those are all the best things geared to
honeymooners and what you're looking for if you're planning a
great honeymoon. I know you had a great honeymoon. I
know it wasn't in the Caribbean, but one of these
days I think probably that would be a great place
for you and your wife. Just maybe think about going.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
We've talked about it. And the problem that we have
is that I don't like water, and so I have
a fear of water. I mean, I should be clear,
you know, so even hanging my feet off of a
deck into a pole makes my skin crawl. And so
we want to go somewhere. I want the views, I
(47:16):
want to experience the warmth. I just want to do
it a little bit of away from the shore.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
Yeah, and you know, some of those experiences are quite possible.
You know. For example, Chris, we talked about Saint Lucia,
and not all of the great luxurious properties in Saint
Lucia are built right on the water, but it is
a fabulous historical place to go as well.
Speaker 1 (47:39):
I think. No, I mean, when you're talking about these
over the water bungalows, I'm thinking I could get down
with that.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
That.
Speaker 1 (47:45):
I mean, as long as I don't have to get
in the water. I think that sounds like that would
be one of the most romantic things that I could
even imagine.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
Yeah, you actually don't have to get in the water.
And one of the other most sought out after things
that people gravitate to for honeymoon choices are cruises. With
a cruise you don't have to get in the water either,
and yet you're able to experience multiple ports with one
pack and unpack, and that's really what we call luxury.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
Earlier, you were saying, if you know, i'd bring you
into the office, sit down, ask you some questions, and
every one of the questions that you posed, I'm thinking, oh,
that's not me, that's not me. I'll tell you if
if my wife she's gonna correct me, if she's listening
right now, I think she'd be happy if we went
anywhere as long as there was a king sized bed.
(48:39):
She wants to be able to just you know, slip
all out what I call starfishing in the packish. Yeah,
and I'd be happy as long as she was there.
I mean, for us, that's pretty much the you know
the excitement of our travel. But she and I both
love gorgeous views. We both like photography. We like to
(49:01):
take pictures of you know, landscapes and sunsets and you
know the botanical gardens you mentioned earlier that all sounds
really nice. What we did for our honeymoons, we went
to Las Vegas, but we were able then to you know,
journey out and we went to the Grand Canyon, which
was on her bucket list. You know, I joke it
was not for me. It wasn't my cup of tea.
(49:23):
I said, it's a big hole in the ground. But
she was ecstatic that she got to see it in person.
Speaker 2 (49:28):
You know, our show was really primarily focused toward the
Caribbean Chris, But in the last couple of days, I've
had some very interesting phone calls from clients who were
looking for some romantic getaways. A lot of these folks
are looking to celebrate some anniversaries. A lot of people
got robbed during COVID and weren't able to celebrate those
milestone anniversaries that what they would have liked to and
(49:50):
they're kind of just now getting around to being able
to do that. I have found some spectacular properties. I'm
talking majors sick properties that are treehouse type luxury properties
in places of all places like Severville, Tennessee, and Gatlinburg
(50:13):
and Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee. And I'm talking like these
bubble type globe type out in the open sort of
luxury experiences where you can be in tune with nature,
but you also have this great luxurious type of setup
for a honeymoon. Plus you have lots of great activities
(50:35):
that are surrounding you. So no matter what your interests
might be. And Chris, you're right when you said, you know, Terry,
when you set people down, not all of those things
really were things that I might be interested in. That's
what we get to the heart of when we set
down with our couples. Those that are going on a honeymoon.
(50:56):
I consider that one of the most important travel experiences
that they will begin together, and you don't have a
theory about that. If I get that right, I'm likely
to see them again and again and again and again.
So it's very important that I do ask the right
questions and that we get to the heart of what
interests all of these couples in order to help them
(51:18):
make the best decision.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
A couple of things that we wish we would have
done differently. We left the day after our wedding. We
wish we would have waited a week or a month,
or you know, a couple of months, so we could
have gotten settled in and relaxed and then plan that
trip a little bit better. It was really hard getting
up at three am the next day to fly out
of Charlottesville to get to Vegas. And I've heard that
(51:44):
where some experts recommend maybe take a small, you know,
maybe three or four day get away after your wedding
and plan your honeymoon for you know, a couple of
months or even the next year on your anniversary. Do
it upright when you can really plan it and you
don't have the stress of the web leading into that
kind of travel.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Yeah, it's true, Chris, And that's really more than norm now.
What I'm usually seeing, the average couple is waiting three
days after their wedding to actually go away for their honeymoon,
and that gives them exactly what you said, the time
that they need to spend time with family members who've
(52:23):
come from out of town, maybe a little bit of
time to get up, have breakfast with those folks before
they have to bid them farewell, thank their guests for
having spent the time and the money to come and
be with them, and then also to take their time
leisurely and pack, because, as I said, everything associated with
weddings can be somewhat stressful. For those of you who
(52:46):
are going to have the celebratory occasion over the holidays,
you're going to get engaged. You're going to spend time
with your families. You're going to have those happy moments.
Make sure that this part of your wedding, that your
planning is done well and with a professional. If I
could encourage you to do anything, do that right and
do it with a professional.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
Speaking of professionals, how do we in touch with you?
Speaker 2 (53:09):
The wishing Well is easy to find, Chris. We're located
at two forty three NEF Avenue in the Valley Center.
You can look us up on the web. We are
at the Wishingwell dot biz or call us we'd love
that at five four oh none zero eight, two three
three three.
Speaker 1 (53:25):
This has been a life Less Ordinary the travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three nep Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions
on topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the Wishingwell dot biz or five four
oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past episodes
are available on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll see you
again next Saturday morning at ten for a life Less
(53:47):
Ordinary from the wishing Well
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