Elissa Colon

Heading out on Royal Caribbean’s newest ship Odyssey of the Seas

November 10, 2021 by crystal Leave a Comment

Tomorrow is a very exciting day as we will be boarding the brand new Odyssey of the Seas sailing out of Fort Lauderdale! Make sure you check our Facebook and Instagram pages for pictures and live posts.

In the meantime, here’s a little more about the food options on Odyssey.

Introducing the first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar. Royal Caribbean International’s transformed Italian dining experience debuts on the new, innovative Odyssey of the Seas. Learn about how the cruise line’s team of experts in food, beverage, product innovation and more cooked up this authentic, fresh taste of Italy at sea. Serving up a menu of Italian favorites – like an array of handcrafted pizzas, charcuterie boards and pastas – as many as 50 wines by the glass and classic cocktails with a twist, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar sets the table for an experience guests of all ages can enjoy.

Myth Busting: Travel Advisor Edition

May 20, 2019 by crystal Leave a Comment

Thank you to our friends at Travel Insured International for sharing!

Travel Advisor Myth Busting

by Travel Insured | Mar 27, 2019

There’s no denying that the travel industry is drastically different than it was a century, a decade, or just a few years ago. Travel advisors used to virtually be the only source of travel information besides the shuffle between outdated pamphlets and books.

Now travel advisors find themselves fighting through the noise to prove that the internet is not the be-all-end-all and that they’re still the travel experts.

With this extra burden to carry, travel advisors are also feeling the burden of stereotypes. Through Travel Insured’s close work with advisors every day, we’ve gotten to see just how mythological these stereotypes are:

Myth VS Fact

Myth: Travel advisors are obsolete.
Fact: There’s no denying that the internet is an awesome travel-research tool. Travel advisors help travelers sort through all of the “internet fluff” to get to the core of what they are looking for in a dream trip.

Myth: Travel advisors try to sell expensive options to get the highest commissions.
Fact: Travel advisors are invested in converting a one-time client to a lifetime client. To do so, travel advisors work with their clients not to create the most expensive trip, but to ensure their trips are exactly how they envision every time.

Myth: Travel advisors require a huge fee for their services.
Fact: Many travel advisors don’t charge a fee at all, and if they do, a service fee is typically minimal compared to the time and stress spent when travelers plan trips on their own.

Myth: Travel advisors book only cookie-cutter trips.
Fact: Travel advisors’ main goal is to create a trip catered to their client’s vacation vision. Whether that vision is Disney, a safari, or a secluded island getaway – travel advisors are skilled to ask pointed questions to plan the dream trip.

Myth: Travel advisors don’t offer more than the internet.
Fact: The travel industry has never been more convoluted since the rise of the Google search. Travel advisors receive special offers as a travel industry insider, have more leverage in travel bookings, and more experience scanning through the internet jargon.

Travel advisors aren’t a thing of the past – they’re a thing of the present and future. Along with travel protection, travel advisors help ensure travelers vacation relaxed, secure, and insured.

Welcome to the Seven Neighborhoods on Harmony of the Seas

October 15, 2016 by crystal

Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, part of the Oasis class of ships, is huge but with 7 neighborhoods on board Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Harmony of the Seas, everyone is certain to find their favorite area to relax and enjoy their time on this amazing ship! Each distinct area helps cruisers feel like they are in a smaller, more intimate area.

What is in each neighborhood?

Central Park

Who would have ever imagined a full, living park on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean? Royal

Caribbean Cruise Line did! Central Park is a lush, relaxing area with tropical area, trees and walkways that take you to restaurants, shopping and galleries. Dining options in Central Park include Royal Caribbean’s famous Chops Grille.

For guest that enjoy the view, there are inward facing rooms that overlook Central Park so you can take in the gardens anytime day or night.

Royal Promenade

The lively Royal Promenade is the perfect place for a drink from a robotic bartender, shopping, restaurants and more!

Boardwalk

It’s all fun and games at the Boardwalk! A nostalgic feel with a handcrafted carousel and arcade makes you feel like a kid again. Then you can relax at the AquaTheater where you will see a high dive show with the deepest pool at sea.

Pool & Sports Zone

Cruising is not all about relaxing. There’s also fun and thrills! Pool & Sports Zone. After you encounter the “Perfect Storm” of water slides, you can take a plunge down a 10-story slide that ends on the Promenade deck. You can also learn to surf on the exclusive “FlowRider”, climb a rock wall and zip line across the ship.

Spa & Fitness

After all that excitement, you may need to relax in the Vitality Spa and Fitness neighborhood. Aromatherapy and full body wellness help you to recharge your body, mind and spirit.

Entertainment Place

This is the place for music, laughs and Broadway hit moments. On board you will be able to enjoy the Broadway musical “Grease” as well as exclusive shows like “Columbus, The Musical”. You will also find Vegas-style casino action with poker, blackjack, slots and roulette.

Youth Zone

Harmony of the Seas wants everyone to have their “space”. Teens, kids and babies, too, can hang out in their own area that designed just for them. Grouped by age and supervised by trained, certified staff, there’s also fun going on that is sure to bring smiles to every age!

For more information about the neighborhoods on Harmony of the Seas or about any Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ship, contact your favorite DWB Vacations team member!

#DWBcanbookthat

Top 5 Reasons Why I Switched From Giving Gifts to Giving Experiences

September 29, 2016 by admin

We have all been there: birthdays, Christmas, Easter, watching as our children unwrap gift after gift after gift. If your children are anything like mine, they get so excited after opening each one but in a day or three the excitement fades and you are left with the task or adding these new gifts to the abundance of “stuff” your children already own. Even if you’re one of those on top of it moms who weeds out the junk before the overabundance of gifts arrive or you’re one of those moms who are great about rotating toys and clothes, the bottom line is our children just have too much stuff. To help combat this, I have implemented a change in my house. I no longer buy my children gifts; instead, I buy them experiences. Whether it’s a season pass to an amusement park, or a vacation to some awesome location, my children have been having a blast! Here are my top five reasons why I think you should join me and make the change:

Clean up the clutter

By giving my children experiences I have seriously cut down on the clutter in my house. My children now have toys that they actually play with and enjoy. Plus since there aren’t so many (there are still a ton) they are able to play more freely and without having to yell “mom I can’t find my (insert random toy here)”! I also have found that my children now play longer without coming to find me. It seems that since they have less they aren’t as overwhelmed and they are really able to enjoy their stuff!

Experiences are more meaningful

Let’s just be honest. That toy little Johnny just has to have or he will die, we all know if we are lucky he will play with it for a couple of weeks and then it will join the bin of forgotten toys. I remember for Christmas I bought my son a $50 Paw Patrol truck. By Easter he told me he was done with it and I could hand it down to his cousin! Seriously! But with an experience you are giving your child something that they will be able to enjoy and build awesome memories from. That’s something that a piece of plastic will never give you.

It’s the same cost

Again let’s be honest, as parents most of us spend way too much money on our children. We go into debt giving them piles of gifts so we can post on social media how beautiful our trees are and what a great celebration our children have. So why not spend that money on a vacation? I’ve had clients tell me that a Disney trip costs too much, but once I point out how much they spent on birthdays and Christmas they realize its usually the same (or cheaper). Still there are the hold outs that say “but my child enjoys opening gifts, I can’t just give them a piece of paper”. To this I say get creative. If you want to give them things to open then give them items they will use on their trip!

Family Memories

When your child is all grown up and they start to have little ones of their own ( I know, scary thought) are they really going to remember that beloved item that they just had to have? The chances are pretty slim. But chances are they will remember that awesome trip to Universal Studios, or that Disney cruise or that year long season pass to Bush Gardens. They will remember the time they spent with their parents, their siblings, and their extended family. They will remember the laughs, the inside jokes that come from experiences and even all the mishaps that eventually become treasured memories, for the rest of their lives. What’s better is they will relive these memories with their siblings for years to come and will often reenact them with their children.

Time is Ever Ticking Away

And with it your children’s childhoods. Before you know it they will be grown up and (hopefully) out of your house. The days of tripping over toys will be gone, but so will the days to take their pictures with a favorite character, or snuggle close with them during that firework show. My eight year old today told me the Disney princess were fiction, but she would still pretend they were real the next time we go to Disney. I swear it was a punch to my gut. I can only hope that on our next trip the magic returns for her. But that’s how quickly it can happen. One day our children are these bubbly wide eyed beings amazed by everything around them, and the next they are starting to look at life with a critical eye. So what are you going to do with the time you have left with them in the wonder and amazement phase? Are you going to waste that moment on pieces of plastic that will be forgotten, or are you going to spend it making memories that will last both of you the rest of your lives?

~Elissa Colón