Spring Break 2018 Travel Tips & Ideas

This post is a follow up to my news segment this morning on WKRC Local 12 in Cincinnati.

Today I talked about why you should book your trip now, some great deals out there and provided tips on maximizing your trip. Below you will find some additional details and a link to the video.

It's a great time to think about traveling somewhere warm, especially for #springbreak. @LoveLandandSea shares tips to help plan and save money. https://t.co/MhgYSETfq5 pic.twitter.com/uuyLtEPI30

— Local 12/WKRC-TV (@Local12) January 16, 2018

Spring Break Travel Tips

1. Book Now!

January is a great time to book your Spring travel. Waiting too much longer means you will lose availability options for both flights and hotels and that means you could end up paying a lot more.

It's also currently "Wave Season." This means it's the time of year that all of the cruise lines offer their best deals and unique sales.

2. Consider Mexico & Punta Cana.

Cincinnati has some fantastic non-stop flight options that come with great discounts. This year are there even more non-stop discounted flights to Mexico so savings are amazing!

Not only can you save money with these flights, but you will get to your destination sooner, spend less time traveling and not have to worry about a layover or missing a connection.

3. Book a Mystery Deal 

There are a couple options available for this. The company I work with the most for these deals is Apple Vacations. They offer a deal where you don't know the resort until the day of travel. They guarantee that it's at least a certain "Apple Rating" (similar to star ratings) so you know what to expect in terms of level of luxury. If you are okay with being surprised you can save hundreds of dollars this way.

4. Consider Voluntourism

Many tourism destinations in the Caribbean were affected by the recent hurricanes. In addition to continuing traveling to those destinations (which helps in itself) there are several opportunities to volunteer your time in these destinations. Organizations such as Worldhope.org have options for multiple destinations and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company has created "Rebuild Days" where they will have volunteers focus on specific projects to rebuild the island.

5. Book Tours and Excursions in Advance

Spring Break is a very popular time to travel. While during the off-season it's usually fine to wait to book your excursions, during peak travel times the best ones can actually sell out. Ask your travel agent to arrange your tours in advance so you don't miss out!


For the latest deals visit www.lovelandandsea.com

New Year's Travel Destinations 2018

Yesterday I appeared on the Fox 19 Morning News to talk about New Year's Travel Destinations. Check out the video below and my list with links for the special events taking place.

  Click for Video: New Years News Segment 

 1. Unico Riviera Maya "Boozy Yoga, Anti-resolution pool parties and more!

 2. Stratosphere Las Vegas Amazing fireworks, open bar and unlimited food

 3. The Drake Hotel Chicago  5  Ballrooms of entertainment, black tie event

 4. Up Rooftop Bar Nashville SPEAKEASY party with prohibition style attire, live jazz and great views!

 5. Times Square, New York Celebrate the new year with about a million other people! Consider a Balldrop package with included drinks and food options.

Table For One

Solo Travel - Part 1 


I’ve never been the type of person who was comfortable going out solo. Sure, I liked my alone time and had no issues running errands alone, shopping or just spending a quiet evening at home.  But eating at a restaurant by myself, seeing a movie and certainly traveling alone was out of my comfort zone.
I often felt envious of the people who had the confidence to travel alone and I couldn’t have imagined becoming one of those people. In late June this year everything changed.

I received an email about a travel agent opportunity in Mexico. It involved touring three resorts and meeting several contacts at a popular resort chain that I have sent many clients to. It was the perfect opportunity to increase my knowledge, meet face-to-face with the hotel staff and see the new accommodations that one of the resorts recently built.

This was an agent-only trip, which meant no guests allowed. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity so I pushed past my comfort zone and confirmed my participation.

I had some concerns about traveling alone which I think anyone would have. I knew that I needed to be aware of my surroundings at all times. I made sure not to flash money and I didn’t wear expensive jewelry. I learned as much Spanish as I could in the month that I had to prepare and made sure that my transportation and accommodations were pre-arranged and confirmed. 

My stomach filled with butterflies as I wheeled my luggage through the automatic doors of the CVG Airport and down the hall to the Frontier counter. I waited a short time for my turn, then answered matter-of-factly when the agent asked, “Is it just you?”

After checking my luggage it was time for the security line. There’s nothing pleasant about airport security but the process was fast and I didn’t have to wait around for a traveling companion. 

I always arrive to the airport early. I would much rather spend extra time relaxing and reading than panicking and running to the gate. So, just as any other trip, I had a lot of time to spare. I went to Starbucks and ordered a latte, and leisurely walked down to my gate.

When I got there I plugged in my phone to charge and started reading one of the travel magazines I brought with me. There was a group of young travelers nearby and I couldn’t help but overhear their conversations. They were likely in their early twenties and they were all wearing matching T-shirts announcing their “Cancun Summer Vacation 2015.”


Right before boarding I witnessed this group attempting to use a selfie-stick to take a group photo. Even with the stick fully extended they still couldn’t quite fit the whole bunch into the frame so I offered to snap a few photos. As we all boarded the plane together I felt like a temporary member of the “Cancun Summer Vacation 2015 group.”

I love direct flights. Three hours later we were in Cancun. It was sunny and 80 degrees. The airport is was easy to navigate and since we arrived so early in the day it was not yet crowded. I waited a short time in the customs line after grabbing my checked luggage. I was one of the lucky ones and they pulled my bag aside to go through it by hand. Having it organized and having my smaller items all in clear plastic bags was extremely helpful.

Once I got my bag back I headed to the restroom. Typically I would ask my traveling partner to watch my bags while I went in, but this time I was on my own. I fumbled around a bit trying to navigate the small entry way and even smaller amount of space I had to fit my checked bag, carry-on bag and large purse… but I made it work and as strange as it may sound, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I also decided that I should learn to travel lighter. I heeded the sign in at the sink that read, “Water not suitable for drinking,” and opted to use some hand sanitizer after washing my hands just in case.

It was time to meet up with my transfer. I booked with AmStar, www.amstardmc.com  who I highly recommend. I quickly walked past the “Time Share” area of the airport (as I always tell my clients to do) and went straight outside where I found a nice gentleman holding a sign with my name. He called his co-worker over to assist me.

Rafael was a cute twenty-something charmer with a huge smile. He told me not to wait in the transfer line, that he would assist me personally. We talked back and forth and he helped me practice my Spanish for about ten minutes while we waited for my van to come. When the driver came out, Rafael introduced me and sent me on my way, ending our conversation with, “Enjoy Cancun, bonita pelirroja.”

The driver said we had a couple joining us before we headed out to the resort. They arrived a few minutes later and we left the airport. I struck up a friendly conversation with them, learning that they had been on my flight too, were from Cincinnati and their names were Steve and Mary. We had a nice talk and they took my business card to keep in touch after the trip. As we pulled up to my resort, Now Sapphire, it started to sink in. I was in Mexico… alone for the next seven days...

Now Sapphire - Riviera Maya Mexico

Resort Review - Sandos Cancun Luxury Experience

Sandos Cancun

From the moment I stepped into Sandos Cancun I knew there was something special about it. It had the perfect combination of luxury, style and service all in a boutique hotel. The small size allowed for the staff to fully engage with their guests and provide a level of service that went above and beyond. The hotel was charming and had a great spot on the beach.

Although the property is small the outdoor area had plenty going on. There are three pools, all kept at different temperatures with one serving as the activities pool. I saw several guests enjoying the water aerobics while several others were happy to relax in the pool side cabanas.

The beach is soft and sandy and the water is several shades of blue. The waves roll in gently and the beach is very swim-able. The seaweed has been a problem in the entire Cancun area this year and is somewhat unavoidable. Some resorts seem to do better at clearing it than others, and Sandos was great. Workers were out from very early in the morning all through the day cleaning up the beach and keeping it looking great for us.

Dining
The food was some of the best I've had in Cancun. The resort offers a Teppanyaki restaurant with talented cooks and amazing flavors. It's small, intimate and perfect for group of friends or romantic date. My favorite place, however, was Seasons. This Molecular Cuisine was incredible. I'm still dreaming of the Corn Cappuccino soup. Zango, the main dining room had a fantastic buffet for breakfast,  lunch and dinner. The desserts alone were worth multiple visits! St. Trop was a cute outdoor restaurant with a pizza oven and view of the pools and beach.  The margarita pizza was amazing!

Bars & Nightlife
The main bar, Bar One was a modern, upscale piano bar by day and more of a night club by night. I stopped in during Karaoke night which drew in a small crowd but had much left to be desired. I would have liked to have had a bigger selection of songs to choose from and some more enthusiasm from the host. They also offered live music here different nights of the week. It's not a "party hotel" for sure though, so be prepared for more of a mellow evening. The good news is that this is Cancun. Nightlife is all around this area so  party animals can take a quick cab ride into town and find dance clubs nearby.

Accommodations
The rooms here are upscale and spacious. I had a room facing the pools and beach which was nice. The other side of the hotel offers rooms with a Lagoon view. This is great if you want to see some beautiful sunsets. The rooms all offered room service, and I found that they were prompt and the food was fresh and tasty! The bed was comfortable, water pressure and temperature was fine and overall the hotel was quiet at night. My TV wasn't working the first night I tried to use it and a maintenance person came within 5 minutes of my call and fixed it right away.

Spa
I was able to sample some spa treatments when I was there and I was very impressed. The massage I got was great, as was the sauna, steam room and water therapy rooms. It's a little pricey but worth it if you want to truly relax and be pampered.

Weddings
I didn't see a wedding while I was there but I did see the beautiful space they offer for weddings and receptions. They really cater to brides and grooms and I will be recommending this location to my destination wedding clients.

This is a great resort if you want upscale accommodations, fantastic service and incredible food. I do think that if I had been here for a full seven  nights I would have gotten a bit bored and would find the need to venture off the property. The great thing is that you have exchange privileges with the sister properties Sandos Caracol and Sandos Playacar, so check those out if you have a longer stay!

If you want a luxury experience with top-notch service, gourmet food and a boutique style hotel then Sandos Cancun Luxury experience is for you!

For booking details visit www.LoveLandandSea.com