It's been a while since we have updated our blog posts. 2020 was such a crazy year, what with postponing and canceling clients' trips, dealing with travel insurance claims, holding online for hours on end and so much more Covid dealt us. We had to bob and weave and flex our patience muscles to get through it, but we survived and we are still here. Some positives of 2020 besides our personal lives included: Updating all our policies and [...]
Is there really such a thing as an "Ultimate" packing list ?? Everyone's different right? and everyone's an expert too :) It's difficult to come up with a one size fits all list but we think this one is a pretty comprehensive list with choices for different types of travelers and certainly some best practices. We do a weekly Tuesday Travel Tip video spot over on our Facebook Page Celtic Hearts Travel and highlight something useful [...]
"Everything is fine until it isn't" We've all been there, one minute you're having a great time and next minute something completely unforeseen happens and you're in a very different situation and scrambling to course correct. Oh and let's not forget our friend Murphy who always seems to show up !!! As your trusted travel advisors we "ALWAYS" encourage and recommend travel insurance for our clients. We have had a couple of scenarios where Travel Insurance proved INVALUABLE and [...]
Above: View from Culloden, Belfast City Skyline & Belfast City Hall This week I've been traveling in the beautiful Northern Ireland. Some of the stops along the way have been Culloden Estate just outside Belfast, also visiting Belfast City, Armagh, Banbridge, Carlingford Lough just to name a few. Some of the top takeaways for me have been: Hospitality, Gourmet Food, bespoke and VIP experiences. The interactions I have had with the local people have been second [...]
Last Wednesday was National Travel Agents Day !!! We feel privileged and blessed to be Travel Entrepreneurs. In today's busy World, we get to design custom travel experiences for our clients. We can take the frustration and fear out of planning a trip of a lifetime. We were drawn to this industry for a reason. We really enjoy the process of uncovering peoples wishes and we go out of our way to make it happen for them. Lets face it, [...]
"Travel Agents have been replaced by Travel "Experts". So many times we get asked "Do Travel Agents still exist??" What !!!! Yes they do and they are better than ever. The era of cookie cutter vacations is well past. Online booking engines are not as popular now as people have become frustrated and disappointed. These days, the new breed of Travel professionals are "Specialists" in their niche. If you are planning a trip of a lifetime, you want to [...]
We have clients traveling this week in these various parts of Europe Below are some of their photos from different cities: London, Rome, Paris, Scotland, England & Ireland. (Photo credits: The Tiptons, Dan&Stefanie Sullivan, Gary&Sarah Drake, Erika&Steven McFaden, Dawn Breslin, John Trostel, ) Eiffel Tower Palace of Verseilles [...]
(Emer) Last week Neal and I got to spend 5 days in the beautiful Playa del Carmen in the Riviera Maya Mexico. We stayed at the Iberostar Grand Paraiso resort. This is our second time staying at this particular property and we certainly were not disappointed. Iberostar Group is a Spanish based group with corporate offices in Mallorca, Spain. They operate over 100 resorts throughout Europe, Africa, and The Americas (Brazil, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica) and they specialize in Beachfront [...]
The trick is, like so many things, you have to read the policies, both to determine which one to purchase and to know how to receive the coverage you pay for. You can use comparison sites, such as InsureMyTrip.com, TravelInsurance.com, or SquareMouth, for the initial culling process. Do I really need travel insurance? (courtesy of Travel & Leisure) It comes down to one question: “How much can you stand to lose if something prevents you from taking the trip?” asks Dan Skilken, president [...]
Packing tips and checklist for the smart traveler - (courtesy of Travel + Leisure) Throwing a suitcase together may sound like a no-brainer, but we can always offer a few pointers to make the whole process better. We keep tabs on the latest in packing innovations (like machines that pack your suitcase for you), tips (like how to get your Thanksgiving dinner past airport security), and news (remember the time that man wore all his clothes at once to avoid [...]