Travel Truths....What's True and What's Not

One of the things I love about being a Travel Specialist is educating the misinformed consumer!  I dedicate this blog post to the T-Mobile sales clerk I met last week....hey girl.  Let's just say she should definitely stick to selling cell phones and stop offering up her bad advice on travel to her co-workers.

So this is how the conversation went I was talking to another salesperson who coincidentally happens to be my neighbor.  He was talking to me about planning a trip to Disney (we've been having this same conversation for two years) anyway the conversation shifted to a cruise vacation.  As I'm answering the questions my neighbor asked me about cruises his co-worker shouts out "if you don't have a passport you can't get of the ship".  Of course, I gave her the side-eye, one for shouting out incorrect information, secondly my neighbor was speaking to me the TRAVEL SPECIALIST, hello the one who sells cruise vacations.

I had to debunk this myth and educate this poor misinformed salesperson who had the NERVE to ask me was I sure!  Here's the truth about Cruise Vacations and Passports from the Travel Specialist.

• Passports are required but not mandatory when sailing from US ports to the Caribbean.  You can sail with a valid State Identification card and Birth Certificate. When the ship embarks in the Caribbean you can get off of the ship along with everyone else and enjoy the island or stay on board and take advantage of the discounts at the Spa or have the pool all to yourself. 
• However it is mandatory and required to have a valid passport when cruising from Europe or any non US ports.

Needless, to say the salesperson who injected herself into our conversation gave me the "ohhhh I didn't know that" well of course she didn't know she has never been on a cruise before and obviously the person who told her this information has never been on cruise or worked with a Travel Specialist. 

After I enlightened the sales clerks about cruises I saw that others were interested and I ended up giving out 4 business cards and leaving T-Mobile feeling like the girl on the Credit Karma commercial you know the one where the girl is pointing at everyone as she leaves the bank and breaks down into a pump it dance because she had a 750 credit score. Yeah that's what I felt like doing but instead I told those who asked for my card to call me if they have anymore questions about travel or log onto my website and subscribe to my newsletter.

This brings me to the Passport Book.  I don't know about you but I loooove receiving new stamps in my passport book. I'm a Gen X'er and my husband is a Baby Boomer so without telling you my age I still get very surprised when I meet others in our age group who don't posses a Passport.

However, I do know for various reason why some may not have a Passport but for those who don't fall into those reasons I ask WHY DO YOU NOT HAVE A PASSPORT???? Okay now that I've got that out let's discuss this wonderful little blue book with pages awaiting new international stamps.

A few years ago, a former client of mine never made it on her Jamaica vacation that she booked because she thought she could travel internationally by air with a Passport card. Not!!!!!

• A Passport card is not valid for International Air travel but is valid for International land and sea travel between the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
• A valid Passport is required for International and Caribbean travel by air,
• A Passport is not required for travels to the US Virgin Islands - St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. However, a Passport is required for travels to the British Virgin Islands - Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke.
• A Passport is not required for travels to Hawaii and Puerto Rico. But yes, you do need a Passport for the other Caribbean Islands so don't call me asking if you need a Passport for Jamaica, Cancun or Punta Cana I've already answered that question.
• When booking travel make sure that your Passport is valid 6 months after travel. To renew your Passport, please log onto www.travel.state.gov.

You can book your vacation with Rich Events by logging onto www.rich-events.net or contacting Tracy at tracy@rich-events.net or 888-714-0209.