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Surviving a Hurricane at an All-Inclusive Resort

By | Article, Blogs, Destinations, Places, Tips & Tricks, Vacations

The only Predictable thing about Mother Earth, is that she’s Unpredictable.

COVID COVID COVID. Have you heard enough about Covid yet? Yes, me too.

Because of Covid, Karisma Hotels & Resorts was unable to host their annual GIVC Awards. Those of you unfamiliar with what the GIVC Awards are, allow me to explain. It’s basically a big party and awards ceremony down in Mexico for top accounts with Karisma.

Though they did not have the full blown event, Karisma did invite a select few of their top accounts to come down on what they called the “Seaside Palms Retreat.”

This was a nice gesture to show how much they appreciate their accounts and agents. They had an awesome Mexican themed welcome dinner for us, and they had other events planned for us. However, Mother Earth didn’t receive an invitation, so she decided to just show up and force her way in.

She did this in the form of Hurricane Zeta.

After having a lovely evening filled with tequila, tacos, and churros, a new day was upon us. This day, which was supposed to be meeting/open discussion day with site inspections and free time, was cut short, for now, they had confirmed that we were in the path of hurricane Zeta – she was to stop at nothing to rain on our parade (no pun intended…well, yes, actually pun fully intended)

I seem to remember it being about 12:30pm, I had just left the meeting hall, the sky was already squeezing out any evidence of a warm Mexican sunshine, and the winds were just barely making their presence known.

We were told that dinner reservation for the evening would be moved up because the restaurants would be closing at 7:00pm. “I hadn’t made any reservations yet.” I remember thinking to myself. Continuing my journey from the meeting hall to my room I stopped at the concierge to make reservations. To my surprise, in the ten minutes it took me to walk to my destination, they had yet again altered dinner plans and I was now being told that “all dinners were a first come first serve.” – no reservations. (essentially every man for himself.)

By 5:00pm the sky was gray and the winds were at sustainable gusts. At this moment I received a message on Facebook. It was my Lomas buddy Jorge. “Hola amigo, restaurants will close at 5:00pm…the hotel will provide box lunches in the rooms and room service available til 7:00pm.” Wonderful, it was past five.

“Let’s make the situation more difficult.”

Now is as good a time as any to add a key factor to this story. I’m doing 75 Hard. It’s not a diet or a challenge fad. It’s a test of mental toughness. Google it. All you need to know is when you’re doing it there are 5 rules you must follow each day for 75 days.

1. Two 45 minute workouts.

2. One gallon of water.

3. Read ten pages of non-fiction.

4. Follow a meal plan.

5. No alcohol or cheat meals.

At 7:00pm we were to be in our rooms for the night until further instructed that we could leave them. The rain had already been falling and most places were shutting down. I was in my room well before 7:00pm. Not being able to eat or drink anything out of the mini-bar, I opted to order what ever I was “allowed” to have from room service. “One chicken caesar salad, one spinach salad, one crispy beef burrito, and one grilled chicken and veggies.” I proudly declared over the phone knowing this was a lot for one person to order. “Mr. Kramer, at this moment we are only allowing two plates per room.” the voice on the other end muttered, absolutely crushing my dreams.

Only two plates. A salad, a small chicken breast and veggies to hold me over until sometime tomorrow. I was in for a long night.

The “box lunch” arrived. A ham sandwich (one single slice of ham) with an apple and a juice box. Served in a brown paper bag, this truly felt like something a lazy mother would pack for their 8th grader. “Ahh, lovely, a sandwich, can’t have that. An apple, might snack on that. A juice box…reads side of box which is in Spanish – azúcar: 48g, can’t drink that.” For someone not doing 75 Hard, I’m sure this would have been a good lunch, which was being served at dinner time.

Some time around 7:00pm my room service arrived. If this was just a little snack to enjoy in my room I wouldn’t have been so underwhelmed. But this was suppose to be my dinner, the substance that was to last me “until further notice.” The salad was tasty, but only comparable to a side salad. The ones most people throw away. The grilled chicken was cooked to perfection. However, it was too small and the veggie portions were so tiny it would’ve made a child jump for joy that this was all the vegetables he had to eat before being dismissed from the table. For a moment, after finishing every bite, I sat and pondered if this would be enough…”Would I survive this storm? Would my hunger drive me to leave my room before allowed, on a dangerous quest to find more food?” Only time will tell.

“Through the night and into the day.”

For most of the evening I found myself on my laptop, with Two and a Half Men (in Spanish) on the TV as background noise. The wind was now at a continuous howl. The palm trees were all bending in unison to the right. The thatched roofs were being tested for their strength. White-caps had started to form in my pool as if it were a small model of the ragging seas. Much of the night went on like this. Hangout on the bed. Hear a loud gust of wind. Get up, poke my head out my back door to see if I would witness a roof or tree or something being hurled through the air. I never got to witness this, and at some point, turned the lights off and let the sounds of the hurricane send me off to sleep.

The next morning I immediately went to my back patio to asses the damage. What I saw was not all that bad. Lots of palm fronds in the pool and all over the ground. A majority of the chairs in the area had made their way into the pool over night. Things were blown around, but no major structural damage.

Around 11:00am they released us from our luxury hurricane bunkers. I chose to walk around the property because I wanted to see how things held up and because I knew the chaos that was bound to be going on at the one open restaurant must be avoided at all costs. I eventually had lunch and was graced by a Mexican rock band playing Santana and the Eagles in hopes to lighten everyones spirits. It seemed to be working, or perhaps it was the long socially distanced line that lead up to the bar. Either way the sun was starting to peak through the clouds and things were getting better.

Only one pool was open, maybe one bar was open and the all-inclusive vibe was not there. The scene felt like the guests were trying to pretend as if nothing happened – drink their drinks and hang in the pool. Mostly it just felt like everyone was in the way of the staff, trying desperately to clean up the resort.

I was due to leave the next morning, and the highlight of my evening (post hurricane) was a non-alcoholic beverage I had at our farewell cocktail party which was taking place of our farewell dinner that was supposed to be at Margaritaville Island Reserve. The second highlight was being able to have dinner at my beloved Mexican restaurant, “La Carretta.”

“The only worthy adventure is adventure itself. “

All-in-all this was an interesting trip. I’m glad to have experienced a hurricane. Now I can tell clients how they will be handled in the event this happens to them. However, if you’re not doing 75 Hard and anything goes; here are some recommendations I would make in order to maximize your vacation fun during a hurricane.

If there is any talk that a hurricane will be making land fall, you need to stop what you’re doing and switch into preparation mode.

Something to note, in Mexico if there is a hurricane coming, it is law that alcohol stop being served at 3:00pm. What you want to do is get a twenty dollar bill and some empty bottles or mugs and head to the bar. Your mini-fridge should be stocked with decent mixers, so all you need to do is stock up on your spirit(s) of choice so you can continue the party after you’re in your room “until further notice.”

Food. At some point everything will be closed, even room service. If you’re okay with the super basic ham & cheese, you can skip this step. As soon as you know about the hurricane you need to order room service. Be sure to order things that you’re okay with eating cold. Make sure to order as many pizzas as they allow you to order. You can always heat a slice of pizza up on your iron that is found in your room. (just be kind and wash it off after it cools.)

Besides all of that alcohol you have stored in used bottles of sunscreen, you’ll need to make sure you have enough water. For one, it’s a necessity, but you’ll also want enough to make coffee the next morning. Odds are you won’t be able to leave your room for quite some time.

The power may go out. Most properties have back-up generators (the El Dorado brand has them) but it’s smart to keep your phone on the charger throughout the day just incase the power goes out.

Lastly, try to make the best of it. Hurricanes suck, and can put a dampener on any vacation. Following these steps above will ensure your survival. In most cases the hurricane will last one day or night. By the next morning things should be getting back to normal. Be proud about hunkering down at an all inclusive resort and riding the storm out. Though it takes away from some of your vacation, at least you’ll have a good story to tell.

 

Agents Experience Traveling During Covid-19

By | Article, Blogs, Destinations, Tips & Tricks

My family of 13 and I recently traveled to Myrtle Beach for our annual family vacation. We arrived on the Fourth of July and stayed for the following week. A few days prior to arriving, the Myrtle Beach council members announced that face masks would now be mandatory in Horry County. We were all prepared for this new mandate. Recently, Myrtle Beach has consistently been in the news, stating COVID-19 cases were on the rise. Because of this I wasn’t sure what to expect when we got there and I was fearful that they would cancel our vacation. 

But to my pleasant surprise, considering it was the Fourth of July weekend, the hotels and beaches were not packed full of people. The resorts are operating at 50% capacity so contrary to what is being portrayed by the media it was a very pleasant and relaxing vacation due to it not being overcrowded. All other guests at the resort, we stayed at Paradise Resort, were all polite and courteous due to the circumstances. I especially noticed this when riding in the elevators. If you were in the elevator and it came to a floor for someone else to try to get on it, they would not enter and instead would wait for the next free elevator and vice versa for us as well. In the past when traveling to these destinations people would crowd themselves on these elevators so it was nice to see that wasn’t an issue during our most recent trip. 

When we would venture down to the pool and beach it was the same scenario as the elevators. We did not have to worry one time about others being in our space. And to answer the question that most people are wondering as to whether you have to wear face masks while at the pool and beach, you do not. They did however ask for them to be worn in the lobby, their dining area, and the elevators. They also have hand sanitizer stations everywhere you looked. Each floor of the hotel has two on each side right between the elevators and they also have multiple at the pool area, their restaurant, and their tiki bar. Needless to say, that was a very nice touch considering every time we would touch a surface the hand sanitizer stations were right there for your use. 

While in Myrtle Beach we decided to eat breakfast and lunch in our condo, but every evening we would go out for dinner. Every restaurant did require face masks to be worn while walking through the restaurant but once you sat down with your group you were able to remove the face masks to enjoy your dinner. We only experienced one night where the wait times were pretty unbearable, especially considering we had 7 children ranging in age from 5-13 years old, but the other 6 nights we had absolutely no issues. 

We also did our fair share of shopping and playing miniature golf, which Myrtle Beach is known for their miniature golf courses. We shopped at Broadway at the Beach two afternoons during our trip and once again I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect as in previous years this place was always packed full of people. But both times we went there were many times we were the only ones in these shops. This made for yet another very pleasant experience. Each golf course we played at was very thorough about cleaning their putters and golf balls and as you know it’s quite easy to maintain your distance while playing miniature golf. All the restaurants and miniature golf courses all had hand sanitizer stations everywhere you turned as well. I have to admit that all of these places have gone above and beyond to make sure we stay safe but not only that they make sure we FEEL safe! 

I have to admit that although COVID-19 has definitely thrown many negative curveballs our way it has helped people to be more courteous to others and truly made this vacation more enjoyable than past vacations! If you have been hesitant to travel, or if you have clients who are hesitant to travel, I hope this article can help put you mind at ease and realize that these popular tourist destinations are truly doing everything in their power to help keep us safe! 

Social Media Day and why it’s important

By | Article, Blogs, Business, Tips & Tricks

World Social Media Day

Did you know Social Media Day was launched by Mashable on June 30, 2010?

Social media has given us an easy way to connect with our friends, families, communities and even customers. It’s no wonder why so many business’s celebrate it.

For the small business owner, it has done wonders! Being able to connect your product with the right audience has helped so many entrepreneurs become successful. I can’t imagine a world without it, nor do I want to!

Whether your favorite platform is youtube for sharing your vacation videos or Instagram because well, let’s face it – Food-stagrams and Vacay-stagrams are beautiful… Let’s continue to share our views and stories to help inspire happiness & gratitude through the power of travel!

Now more than ever we are seeing the importance social media plays in allowing connection! Share your love for travel on social media day by posting on your favorite site with the hashtag #SMDay #WeAreLuxevo


							
						

Travel Specialist Makes Custom Face Masks During COVID-19 Pandemic

By | Article, Blogs, Business, Fashion, Industry, Tips & Tricks, Vacations

You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want. – Zig Ziglar

That is exactly what one of our travel specialist did. She helped enough people get what they want. Actually, it was more of what they needed and less of what they wanted.

Covid-19 – It blindsided us and flipped our world upside down. Those of us in the travel industry have seen a halt on everything. For the last month and a half travel agents have mostly been putting out fires, canceling trips, and rescheduling trips for later dates.

Staying proactive in this time is key for getting through to the other side. You can’t put your travel business on hold and wait for this to pass. You have to continue training yourself and thinking of clever ways to provide your service.

One of our Travel Specialist found a way to supply a need in her community and promote her travel business.

Roberta Jarrett holds no title. She is a “Jack of all Trades” or Jill. She sells travel like crazy, she has completely renovated houses by herself, and now she’s sewing custom face masks.

Since March 14th she has made and mailed over 700 masks. (as I’m writing this, I’m sure that number has greatly increased) Roberta is located in Michigan, but has shipped masks as far as Arizona and California. She has donated well over 150 masks to her local medical facilities, nurses, and group homes.

“I’ve literally been making masks 12 to 16 hours a day at my dining table.”

She has now expanded her product line and she’s getting requests for scrub caps.

I know what you’re thinking. She has abandoned her travel business to become a seamstress. That’s not the case and that is definitely not the Roberta way. Every order and every donation that she fulfills gets her business card. (her travel business card)

Think about it. Who is she sending these masks to?

She’s sending masks to the people on the front lines. The people who have dedicated hours of their days to help the sick. To the people who are putting their own health at risk. And these fine folks are going to need a vacation when this is all over.

Thanks to Covid-19, we know that online booking sites can’t be trusted. Naturally, this is going to have people looking for a real person (travel agent) to handle their vacation needs. Who do you think these people are going to turn to when they’re ready to plan a vacation?

You guessed it, Roberta!

Roberta didn’t let a negative situation stop her travel business. She adapted and turned it into a positive. Who knows, maybe she gained more potential clients from making masks than she would have if Covid-19 never even happened.

Contact Roberta for masks or just to give her kudos: Via Facebook or Text/Call: 313-926-3840

The Coffee Routine of a Superstar Travel Agent

By | Article, Blogs, Food, Tips & Tricks

The Coffee Routine of a Superstar Travel Agent

If tea is your thing, this might not be for you. If you’re into trying new things, this will be for you.

Coffee, it can be enjoyed in many different ways. There’s drip coffee, stove top, pour over, aeropress, french press, cold brew, campfire percolated, moka pot, and the list goes on.

In order to appreciate this article you have to understand the three types of coffee drinkers.

Type 1. This person has a hectic life. Their preferred method of caffeine injection is stopping by a coffee shop to have someone else make it for them.

Type 2. This person has a little bit more control of their life. They press a button on the trusty coffee maker and voilà. Hot, ready coffee.

Type 3. This person doesn’t drink coffee for the caffeine. They drink coffee for the experience – for the process. Type 3’s usually grind fresh, organic, fair-trade beans right before adding it to either a french press, aeropress, or pour over. They’re okay with waiting for the water to boil and waiting for the coffee to steep or drip through. It’s all done for the love of the process.

I am type 3. The method I’ll be explaining will yield the best result if you follow each step. However, know that this can be done for type 1 or type 2 folk. This tried and tested caffeine elixir that I’ll be sharing has been my go-to morning drink for well over 6 years. It has provided mental clarity, energy, and over all great feelings. If you’re going to be in COVID Quarantine, you might as well be drinking an amazing cup of coffee. (after all, you now have the time on your hands to do so).

The Coffee Routine of a Superstar Travel Agent

This recipe is for a 16oz cup. The brew method will be French press. (purchase one here: https://amzn.to/39S51Tn)

Step 1. Boil the water. Either on stove top, or an electric kettle. Loss of volume to steam may occur. Make sure to boil a little more than 16 oz.

Step 2. In a manual or automatic burr grinder, grind 5-6 tbsp of fresh coffee beans. Add the grinds to the press. A medium roast is preferred, medium-dark is fine, and a dark roast will work if you enjoy things bitter. (Make sure the grind is coarse.)

Step 3. Bloom the grinds. With the press lid off, pour just enough water to cover the ground beans. Gently swirl the water around for 15 seconds. After swirling, let it sit for another 15 seconds.

Step 4. Slowly add the remaining water to the press. Let it steep for 3 minutes 30 seconds.

Step 5. While the coffee is steeping – in a blender add 1 tbsp of unsalted grass-fed butter and 1 tbsp of mct oil. (these two brands are preferred: Brain Octane or MCT OIL)

Step 6. After steeping, put the lid on and slowly press down on the plunger – pushing the grounds to the bottom of the press. Add coffee to the blender.

Step 7. Blend the coffee, butter, and mct oil mixture for about 30 seconds.

Step 8. Pour a delicious, frothy, creamy beverage into your favorite mug and enjoy.

 

Are you guys still with me? Are you totally freaked out by the fact that I told you to put butter and oil into your coffee? Ready for some Science?

Why Butter & Oil?

The caffeine crash. We all know it. Some contributing factors are us adding way too much sugar to our coffee, either in its natural state or hidden in creamers and milks.

The reason we add butter and oil to our coffee is most simply explained like this. The caffeine binds to the fats of the butter and oil and helps elongate the rise and fall of our caffeine high. If you pictured it on a graph, you’d see a smooth curve rather than a sharp spike, followed by a sharp downward fall. (a.k.a the crash)

Remember we’re talking about a high quality grass-fed butter like Kerrygold, not a tub of Country Crock soybean oil. And MCT oil or medium-chain triglycerides which are derived from coconuts. Medium-chain triglycerides are easy to digest and absorb into your bloodstream quickly which then turns into energy.

Like I mentioned above, this drink can be created in many ways. Brew the coffee however you like. The key is adding the quality butter and mct oil to your coffee and blending it.

I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try this coffee drink. What’s the worst that can happen, you might enjoy it? And you will definitely get a new surge of energy which will help power your travel business!

Now Accepting Costco Travel Clients

By | Article, Blogs, Business, Industry, Vacations

Now Accepting Costco Travel Clients

“You can do 99 things for someone and all they’ll remember is the one thing you didn’t do.”

We can all agree that Costco does more than 99 things for their customers. Are there many other stores where you can buy reading glasses, an 85 inch tv, flowers, a years worth of gum, steak, garage storage, a pillow, kitchen appliances, 12 pounds of Cheez-its, books, running shorts, olive oil, bean bag chair, outdoor grill, 1000 paper plates, a gallon of vodka, new tires, and a vacation?

Costco does a lot. More than fathomable in this short read. However, due to COVID-19, Costco didn’t do that one thing and we all forgot about the 99 other things they do great.

That one thing has to do with their vacations division, Costco Travel. Because a true Costco customer just can’t get enough of Costco, it seems reasonable to believe that they would trust Costco with their vacation.

When COVID-19 hit us like a ton of bricks, the travel industry (along with others) came to – basically – a halt. With the new suggestions of not traveling internationally or even domestically, people started to cancel their much needed vacations.

All of the major brands like Costco Travel, BookIt, Expedia, Orbitz (you know who I’m talking about) started getting flooded with calls to cancel vacations. And who was placing these calls? Not travel agents. Customers. Everyday people were now acting as their own travel agent. They didn’t have anyone in their corner to sit on hold for hours and get the situation straightened out.

Now, I don’t have every single detail from every major brand, but I know that most were unreachable and some were not issuing any type of refund. Naturally, this has made many everyday travelers upset. I would be willing to bet that a lot of these people will now be Googling Travel Agent when it comes time to book their next vacation.

There are two things that will spike when COVID-19 has subsided.

1. People will definitely be purchasing travel insurance (commissionable).

2. People will be more likely to use a trusted Travel Agent for all their travel needs.

This is very good news that should be inspiring you to learn all you can now, so you can be ready when the flood gates open back up.

Attention! “We are now accepting Costco Travel clients!”

10 Things You Could Be Doing Instead of Watching the News

By | Article, Blogs, Food for thought, Tips & Tricks

10 Things You Could Be Doing Instead of Watching the News

You may not know this, but I’m a huge Dave Ramsey fan, follower, addict. Whatever you want to call it. If you don’t know who Dave Ramsey is, just Google him.

In these “CRAZY TIMES” I have two sources (mainly) that I turn to for my “news” or “updates.” That’s Dave Ramsey and John Mayer. (I’ll be sharing a blog about John in later days to come.) Being a Millennial, I don’t have cable, just Netflix and all of the streaming services. So, naturally, I don’t watch the news.

In this post we’re going to talk about 10 things you could be doing instead of watching the news.

When you peel back the layers of the onion you find out that the news is simply a television program. And lately, they’ve been capitalizing on FEAR & PANIC. I was listening to the Dave Ramsey show and he had a friend of his on the show, Max Lucado (author). Something that Max said stuck with me. “If you feed your fear, your faith will starve. If you feed your faith, your fear will starve.” I believe consuming too much news is feeding your fear whether you want to admit it or not. Before I go completely off the rails and come across as a conspiracy theorist, let’s get into the  10 things to do:

“If you feed your fear, your faith will starve. If you feed your faith, your fear will starve.” – Max Lucado

1. Read a Book

For most of us, we’re hunkered down in our homes. Perfect time to find a quiet place and read that stack of books you say you’ll eventually get to.

2. Watch “Tiger King” on Netflix

This documentary following  Joe Exotic and his big cat zoo blew up faster than the Coronavirus. If you haven’t seen it, give it a watch. Soooo good!

3. Make Cookies

Right now is not the time to worry about your figure. Once we can get out of our houses, we’re going to lose that quarantine 15 real fast. There is something soothing about making your own fresh, warm cookies. Plus it makes the house smell wonderful…a nice break from the smell of Clorox. Here is a great recipe to use: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-chocolate-chip-cookies

4. Organize Your Closet

How do our closets get so messy? A closet is a lot like the Tupperware drawer  in the kitchen. Right now is the perfect time to take every item out of your closet and put it back in the proper place. Good news, wait 2 weeks and you can repeat this task.

5. Research Travel Destinations

You’re cooped up, we aren’t going to let you get away from your travel business that easy. When you’re re-watching “Tiger King” because it’s just that good, you can put your laptop on your lap and research all kinds of travel destinations you want to visit and send your clients to after this COVID stuff. (If you’re reading this and you’re not a travel agent, click here for more info: https://luxevovacations.com/join)

6. Listen to Music

Did you know that listening to your favorite music releases endorphins? The release of endorphins can give you a heightened feeling of excitement. It can also quell anxiety, ease pain and stabilize the immune system. I would recommend blasting it throughout the house and dancing around. If you have kiddos trying to do school work, perhaps sitting on the bed with headphones on, jamming out, will be a better option.

7. Play Monopoly

This one is the king of passing time and taking your mind off of everything. Gather the family or friends around and get a game going. Just remember, don’t take it too seriously, you still have to be quarantined with these people after the game ends in 19 hours.

8. Create Something

This is kind of like the cookies but you don’t necessarily have to eat this creation. It’s nice to get your hands on something. Paint something. Sew something. Mold something. Work with wood. Whatever it is, just create something, and watch the time pass gently by.

9. Go Outside

Even if you’re in an area with a strict lockdown, you’re allowed to go outside. I would recommend going outside WITHOUT your phone. You need to walk, jog, run, or sit in nature without your phone. No need for music here. Listen to the sounds of the outdoors. No need for scrolling through Facebook or posting to your Instagram story. Simply enjoy being outside and taking in the nature. Don’t forget to take some deep cleansing breaths.

10. Sleep

I’m not giving you the green light to be a lazy bones. However, take this opportunity to catch up on sleep. Again, I’m not saying sleep all day. I’m saying instead of watching the news at night for 3 hours, skip that, and hop in bed. Getting 3 extra hours of sleep will do your body and mind wonders. Plus, sleep helps with a healthy metabolism, and you’re going to need that when it comes to managing this quarantine 15.

There are plenty of other activities to keep you off the news during these times. Drop some of your preferred activities in the comment section below.

Everything Has A Beginning & End

By | Article, Blogs, Business, Vacations

Everything Has A Beginning & End

We get it, you’re stuck right in the middle of this nonsense. We’ve watched too much news and too many Zombie movies on Netflix. The world as we know it is over. I’ll let you have that thought or opinion, and if it helps you cope with the situation at hand, then so be it.

What we need to keep in mind though, is everything has a beginning and an end. Kinda like those Zombie movies. At some point, the end credits are going to roll. When they do finally roll and this is over and we’re allowed to move about the cabin freely, where are you going to be?

Are you going to be stuck with 286 rolls of toilet paper? Or are you going to be armed and ready to take on all of the people who need a VACATION?

See, there are two types of people in situations like this. (well there’s probably more than two, but for this we’ll just pick two.) 

Type 1: Information Overload – PANIC – Freakout – Worry Warrior – Sky is Falling – Toilet Paper Enthusiast

Type 2: Intakes just enough information to stay in the know – Remains Calm – Gives Encouragement – Stays Positive – Plans Ahead

Now the type 1’s are going to need a vacation, and they’ll take one, but first they have to get their life back on track.

The type 2’s will be ready the second the starting gate gun goes off. (And by gun I mean all of this is over, and it’s back to normal.)

All this to say, travel ain’t goin’ nowhere and the travel industry is going to SNAP BACK, and it’s gonna SNAP BACK hard. Question is, will you be ready when it does? I sure hope so!

For now, do your part. Stay positive, wash your hands, stay home, give encouragement to those who need it, and hang in there. This is a bummer, but we’re going to get through it. And the end credits will roll sooner than later.

Should You Take Advantage of Cheap Flight Because of Coronavirus?

By | Article, Blogs, Places

Corona Virus has made flying cheaper. Is it worth it?

Young people are taking advantage of astronomically low flight prices because of the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus. Flights from Florida to Newyork are around $150, and flights from Chicago to Miami are around only $100. Is it safe to take advantage of these low prices and take that trip? Well, that all depends! If you are planning on traveling to a city deemed a level 3 by the US Department of State, you are advised to cancel all non-essential travel.

In my last blog post, I  talked about the myths of Corona. You aren’t going to die immediately on contact, even if you happened to be exposed. Those that are at the greatest risk are those that are elderly, very young, or otherwise in some way compromised. If you wash your hands, keep your hands from your face, and take all of the recommended precautions, you are very unlikely to become ill.

On the other hand, many people have taken to Twitter to air their grievances of how selfish this can be. If you are to catch Corona, or are exposed, you may spread it to others that are compromised. Some sources have recommended quarantining yourself after returning from travel in these level 3 areas. But is that enough? Current reportings state that people can carry the virus for nearly 15 days while still being unsymptomatic.

It is safe to say that all non-necessary travel seems futile right now. But this will hopefully not last for long.

We here at Luxevo Vacations put your safety as a top concern. We will be keeping careful watch during this situation, and hope to be able to book your first vacation straight from quarantine.

pitch black fox GIF by The Last Man On Earth

Again, please take all the necessary measures to be safe! And maybe start brainstorming your next vacation while in Social Isolation!

 

How to Not Get Sick While Traveling (Avoiding the Corona Virus)

By | Article, Blogs, Destinations, Food for thought

Luxevo Vacations just so happens to be located in the city where 2 confirmed Coronavirus patients are located. It seems the frenzy has begun: water and canned foods flying off the shelves, preparing for a possible armageddon scenario where rations become scarce.

facebook thirsty mark zuckerberg water bottle testimony GIF

Mark Zuckerberg rationing his water!

One of the things that are being talked about most is travel! In some parts of the world travel is being restricted, but not most. With such widespread fear, I  think it’s a good thing to talk about how to travel safely. Paranoia isn’t necessary, but it’s always great to be prepared! Keeping in mind that these are simple tips you may have heard, but are important to put into practice at times like these.

1. Wash Your Hands

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It seems obvious but washes your hands often. Be sure to not put your hands in your mouth or eyes to avoid spreading any kind of infection. Bring hand sanitizer along as well!

2. Sit in the Window

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A recent study shows that people that sit in the window seat are the least likely to be affected by a possible infection on their plane. This is because you are in less contact with the flight attendant, who is in contact with most people. This isn’t to say you should be antisocial or rude to avoid Coronavirus, but it is just a thought for those who are very paranoid.

3. Maybe Wear a Mask?

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In media coverage of the CoronaVirus, you may see a lot of people wearing hospital masks. They are useful in the protection against the standard influenza virus, but not so much in terms of Corona. It is better to wash your hands and staying in when you are sick- but they may make you feel safer.

4. Boost Your Immunity

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Before every plane ride, I  make sure I  take airborne- it’s a vitamin tablet that apparently keeps you from getting sick. It’s important to remember that those most affected by viruses are older people or those who are compromised. It’s not plausible that you’d be able to build your immune system overnight, but it isn’t a bad idea to try and make healthy choices the month before traveling. Exercise, eat right, and hell- through in some vitamins.

5. Avoid Traveling

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If you are very paranoid about traveling during this virus frenzy or are a self-proclaimed hypochondriac, stay home! We wouldn’t suggest this of course! Travel, just be safe. Be sure to visit our website to get connected to a Travel Specialist who will take care of all the details of your trip. A Luxevo Vacations Travel Specialist can even let you know where coronavirus is located 😉