Totem Travel Blog

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Should I sail from Seattle or Vancouver, Miami or Ft. Lauderdale? Which cruise line has the best ships? There’s Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Holland America, Norwegian and more!

How do you pick an itinerary? What’s the weather like and when should you book for the best value?  Which cruise lines are best for families, gourmets or guys that hate to dress up? 

Do you like traditional assigned dining or prefer flexible, freestyle dining? What activities are important to have onboard your ship? A spa, rock climbing wall, ice skating, miniature golf, dance lessons or cooking classes? The list goes on and on…

With all the information online these days you’d think it would be easy to hop on and book your own cruise, but it’s really not. There are so many choices and SO much information it can be confusing and that’s why a travel agent is such a good resource!

We know the cruise lines and have sailed dozens of times. We’ll help you choose an itinerary, narrow it down to which cruise line is right for you and then choose a ship. We’ll help you select the right cabin whether it’s an inside, oceanview, balcony or suite and we’ll make sure your oceanview cabin really has a view of the ocean and not a life boat hanging in front of the window!

I’ll be cruising to Alaska this week on the Norwegian Star to inspect the ship, experience the entertainment and the service and come back with a report just for you. Write to me at Jennefer@totemtravel.com and ask me about my trips.

And remember, you get personalized help from a travel expert at no extra cost at Totem Travel!

Throughout most of the year Totem Travel hosts monthly vacation and honeymoon planning nights at our Kirkland office, but we take a break for the long, lazy days of summer and hope you do too!  In September our calendar is once again full. 

We begin with the Seattle and Lynnwood wedding shows with a focus on  Sandals all inclusive resorts.  We’ll have lots of great information about honeymoons in the Caribbean, free beach weddings and destination weddings with all the trimmings.   Stop by and see us Sept 15-16 at the Seattle wedding show or Sept 22-23 in Lynnwood.

September 26 we have a Tahiti Night scheduled and will cover the romantic South Pacific islands of Bora Bora, Moorea, Tikehau, Tahaa and more.  I’ll talk about how to stretch your budget with free nights & free meals or spend every last dollar if money is no obejct!  I’ll have a slide show and pictures from my last trip and special discounts for attendees.

October 3 is Europe Night and Jennefer will demonstrate her expertise with options for independent travelers as well as those  seeking an escorted group tour.  She’ll have just returned from France and in recent years visited Italy and Eastern Europe so she has lots of stories to share.

October 10 is our next Sandals Caribbean Night with $150 off the lowest price or a $250 resort credit for qualifying reservations.  (For those of you planning right now, don’t forget that the 50% off special expires July 3!)

All our vacation and honeymoon planning nights begin at 6p with registration and snacks.  Please RSVP to me at 425 821-4100 or linda@totemtravel.com if you’d like to attend and I’ll send details and directions. 

If you need assistance planning a trip before then, please call and one of our fantastic travel agents will help you one on one.  You’ll get personalized help from a travel expert at no extra cost!

Have a fabulous summer! 
Linda

To begin with, the official season is June through November and that’s like saying the rainy season in Seattle is September through June.  Possibly true, but a bit misleading!  The season covers six months of the year to include the earliest recorded storms and the latest recorded storms in weather watching history.  Typically the most troublesome months are September & October but weather can be fickle so the season is long…

A typical summer day in the Caribbean starts with clear blue skies, sunshine and 80 degree temperatures.  As the day progresses the temperature heads toward 90 and an afternoon breeze comes up keeping things comfortable.  By early evening a few clouds appear to provide a beautiful sunset and set the stage for a late night thunderstorm.  

Although rainfall can be daily  throughout the summer, many vacationers never see a drop.  On a recent August trip to the Caribbean it rained every day for 10 days and I never got wet.  The biggest inconvenience was drying off my patio chair before enjoying my morning coffee outdoors.  As a friend would say, this was a high class problem and I managed…

Because I’ve been to the Caribbean dozens of times and work with hundreds of honeymoon couples every year I understand the weather worries and can share some advice. 

1. If this is your one and only Caribbean vacation and a day of rain would ruin the experience, don’t go in September or October. 

2. There are Caribbean islands that are outside the typical hurricane belt and these include one of my all time favorites, St Lucia, as well as Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. 

3. Caribbean cruises are a great choice for iffy weather months because ships move and storms only affect a small area at any given time.  If a storm is in the area you might miss a scheduled port of call but your multimillion dollar ship and all 2-3000 guests onboard won’t sail within 200 nautical miles of serious weather!

4. When it’s hurricane season in the Caribbean the weather is outstanding in Tahiti and Fiji as well as northern Europe and much of Australia and New Zealand. 

5. Sandals resorts offer a free hurricane guarantee.

So call us to help plan the perfect vacation or honeymoon.  As travel agents we’re on your side!  

 Linda - Totem Travel