What better gift to give your family then time and memories spent together?  As the holiday season and the impending bitterness of winter approaches, the time has come to start planning for your next family adventure.  Why now, you ask?  As a consumer, you want the most options for your vacation budget.   Believe it or not, holiday and spring break travel begins selling out before you can say “Boo” on Halloween.  Now is the time to start planning so that you can give your family what they want and create memories and once in a lifetime experiences that will be passed on from generation to generation.  We have put together a list of 8 Family Vacations that are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face!

1. Adventures By Disney – So, you have been to Disney World or on a Disney Cruise and the kids are begging for more Disney magic.  Disney now offers guided tours on 6 of the world’s 7 continents.  In your group of families, Disney trained Adventure Guides immerse everyone in the culture and history of your chosen destination.  The magic of Disney is still alive but with an experience that can’t be matched in a theme park.
2. Worldwide Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean – Cruising is another option that has something for everyone.  We have chosen Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines for their service, affordability, accommodations, activities, and the list could go on and on.  Once again, you have 6 continents to choose from with over 230 destinations and 72 countries.  We can even customize your excursions at each port you stop in for a truly unique opportunity to discover new things.
3. Beaches Resorts All Inclusive – If the Caribbean is where you have your mind set, Beaches will delight mom, dad, and all the kids.  With activities for the kids including Pirate Island Water Park, Xbox 360 Game Garage, and Sesame Street, mom and dad can soak up the sun by the pool or beach with unlimited premium brand drinks, relax at the Red Lane Spa, or let your inner kid out indulging in an array of water sports.
4. Tauck Bridges – A leader in distinctive worldwide tours, Tauck also caters to families looking for the same level of personalized service and luxury with Tauck Bridges.  Popular with multi-generational family vacations, Tauck allows grandma and grandpa to take the kids and grandkids on an adventure that everyone will enjoy.
5. The Resort at Paws Up, Montana – Have you always wanted to take the family camping but does the idea of pitching tents, squatting behind trees, and surviving off of baked beans and burnt marshmallows make you shudder?  Glamping is the new camping.  Welcome to The Resort at Paws Up, a semi all-inclusive luxury resort nestled in the wilderness of Montana.  Horseback riding, ATV’ing, cattle drives, hot air-ballooning, and many more outdoor activities will bring your family together and back to nature without the threat of bears disturbing your ultimate bonding vacation.
6. Phillies Spring Training – Yes, baseball season is slowly coming to an end.  What better way to welcome the Phillies to a new season than to take the family to Florida for spring training.  Catch a game or two, and then enjoy the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico or go pay Mickey a visit to cure your winter blues.
7. African Safari – This is not the Philadelphia Zoo or the drive thru Safari at Great Adventure.  Take the family to these amazing animals natural habitat.  The options are endless when it comes to this vast continent.  A once in a lifetime journey, Africa is not to be missed.
8. Around the World – Maybe you have the family that just can’t agree on the perfect vacation.  Why not take the crew around the world?  Imagine taking pit stops in London to see a show, Italy for a gelato, Peru to hike Machu Pichu, Jordan for a glimpse of ancient Petra, South Africa to frolic with elephants, China to scale the Great Wall, Australia to swim with sharks in the Great Barrier Reef, and finally, Tahiti to relax in an over the water bungalow, all in 3 weeks.  Both you and your kids will definitely get a life changing education.

WhirlAway Travel specializes in these and many other family vacations.  No request is to big – let your imaginations wander, savor the time you have together, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Last month all of our consultants completed their annual Sandals Resorts workshop.  Anna, Jennifer, and Patty learned about all of the new happenings at Sandals, Beaches, and Grand Pineapple Resorts.  They brought back to the company a knowledge and expertise in the Sandals Brand that is passed on to our clients to ensure that they are matched to the right vacation depending on their interests and needs.  All of our consultants have had personal experience of the Sandals Brand and our resident Sandals expert, Jennifer, has achieved Silver status with Sandals and has had firsthand experience at 8 of the 13 resorts.  She truly loves the experience at Sandals and Beaches Resorts and enjoys sharing her excitement with her clients when they decide to spend their vacation or honeymoon at one of them.

Congratulations Ladies!

This post is for Generation Xers and Y’s out there – those of us that have embraced technology, shudder at having to teach our parents how to use their cell phones, and relish in doing everything ourselves – including travel arrangements.

I am one of you.

I grew up in the travel industry back when a travel “agent” sat behind a desk with a DOS computer, typing away code to get airline tickets and offered clients colorful brochures from one of the many racks hanging up to peruse for a vacation.  Travel was only booked through one of these “agents” because it was nearly impossible to do it yourself and that was just how you did things.  As technology evolved along with the travel companies (I am talking about vendors here, not agencies) our generation turned to doing everything ourselves.  We do price comparisons to make sure we are getting the best deal.  I know this because I am guilty of it myself.  A few weeks ago, I was sent on a mission by my husband to purchase a toddler rail for our daughter’s crib.  I found myself looking for the cheapest I could find online, only to order the rail, and then be informed in a cold email a week later that the rail has been discontinued.  I have yet to be reimbursed.  I found another company, paid more money, but received the customer service that I expect as a consumer, and am anticipating my toddler rail any day now.

So I am sure you are wondering what any of this has to do with travel.  Well, I am about to tell you.  I, like you may be now, was a skeptic of travel “agents”.  I heard on the radio right before I joined WhirlAway that travel agents will be one of the things that our kids will not know anything about 25 years from now.  I questioned what the value in using one of these DOS computer users was, because yes, even I had done travel arrangements online ALL BY MYSELF even though my mom, the travel agent, would have been happy to do it for me.  Well, I have been enlightened and I would like to share my list of reasons a Travel CONSULTANT can be your new best friend:

1. Travel Consultants don’t sell products; they work for you to help you make the best purchase for your travel needs and desires.
2. Travel Consultants are equipped with a wide array of options from different companies and can offer you unbiased choice.
3. Travel Consultants eat, breath, and live travel.  They have travel experience and knowledge because travel is their passion and their profession.
4. Travel Consultants strive to ensure that their clients get the best VALUE for their money.  How cheap does a bad vacation have to be for it to be OK?
5. Travel Consultants are human – they are here for you in the flesh, by phone, or email when you have a simple question or a complex emergency such as a natural disaster that could have had you stranded if you booked via gnome.
6. Travel Consultants only work with companies that have proven track records.
7. Travel Consultants take the responsibility of checks and balances with your travel arrangements so that your flight actually takes you to the correct destination.  A typo can cost you $150 plus the difference in fares if you do it yourself.
8. Travel Consultants can get you perks.
9. Travel Consultants want to build a relationship with you just like you have with your doctor – one of mutual trust and understanding that we will keep your best interests in mind.
10. Travel Consultants offer a service that is incomparable to online buying engines because they only work for you, not the companies that are vying for your hard earned cash.

Today’s Travel Consultants know how to use the internet and they know that you do too.  Those that did not jump on the technology band wagon closed up shop and now, Only the Strong Survive.  If you are a risk taker, don’t have a problem throwing money away on poor decisions, and place a lot of trust in inanimate objects, by all means, arrange travel on your own.  If, however, you work hard for your money, are willing to work with a Consultant to find the best vacation value specifically for you and can admit that you may know a lot but don’t know it all, then give us a call!

The continent of Africa is roughly equivalent to the United States, Alaska, Europe, and China.  That is pretty vast land mass!  Even though Safari is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Africa, there are so many other things to do as well.  Instead of taking the kids through the drive through animal park of Six Flags, why not take them on an excursion amidst thousands of wild animals in Tanzania for the annual Great Migration?  Visit Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda or float past Hippos and Elephants canoeing Mana Pools.  Our travel consultants know where the animals are and when to go so that you will have the best experience and chance to catch a glimpse of one of Earth’s amazing gifts.

 Maybe wild animals are not really your forte or a few days of relaxation is necessary after that strenuous hike up Mount Kilimanjaro.  Venture off the mainland to the exotic isles of Seychelles with iridescent waters and secluded beaches.  Another secret gem, Zanzibar, just 25 miles off the coast of Tanzania, promises unspoiled beauty and coral reefs to explore as well as Stone Town, the only functioning ancient town in East Africa.  Venture north and take a step back in time to witness the historical marks of numerous civilizations in ancient Jordan or learn about the wonders of Egypt with a private Egyptologist by your side.  Africa doesn’t just offer animals, it presents romance, relaxation, and adventure to travelers from honeymooners, multi-generational families, and individuals looking for a once in a lifetime experience.

With all of the possibilities, Africa may seem overwhelming.  From golfing, spa, wine and food to cultural, zoological, and historical interests, this continent is not to be missed.  We are here to help you plan a memorable and life changing experience – to help you figure out where you should go and what you should see so that you can share incredible stories with everyone when you return home!

We are proud to announce that as of today we are a member of the Signature Travel Network. As the industry has changed over the years, we felt that WhirlAway needed to make some changes as well. Signature is “a network of over 6,000 travel professionals who share one objective; to serve the unique needs of discerning travelers.” Signature was established over 50 years ago and has over 4 billion in buying power, which means that we are able to offer our clients the best value.

We are excited to have been accepted into this exclusive network and cannot wait to pass the benefits onto our valued customers!

A few years ago our family was celebrating my father’s birthday on a chilly January afternoon.  We were gathered around our parent’s dining room table, full from dinner and birthday cake.  Everyone was carrying on and joking around with each other, when my father, with a tear in his eye, asked for everyone’s attention.  Immediately, we all turned, shocked that our normally hard as a nail father, was showing such tender emotion.  He cleared his throat and made the announcement that we would be receiving our Christmas presents 11 months early this year.  We were all stunned and collectively wondered if he was on his deathbed.  Yes, that seems morbid, but our father is a man’s man if there ever was one; for him to show sentiment and emotion was something that none of us were even remotely familiar with.  Dad went on to say that we would be taking a family trip, spouses and grandkids included, to Grand Cayman the following January and that everyone needed to figure out how to get off from work and get the kids out of school for a week of Caribbean bliss.

A year later, all travel arrangements in place, we were booked on separate planes (just in case something tragic happened someone would be able to return home to take care of the animals) for a week of family fun.  Our parents rented two condos on Seven Mile Beach.  I arrived with mom and dad a day before everyone else to stock the cupboards and prepare for the herd to arrive.  They rented a van to shuttle everyone around for the week and the next day dad was off to the airport to start picking everyone up.  We had a total of 14 people to juggle around, and my mom, the travel consultant, was able to do it seamlessly.  She managed to coordinate flights from Philadelphia and Newark and was even able to coordinate the Newark flight to pick up my nephew in Miami, who got there via Jacksonville.  Everyone arrived in Grand Cayman spaced out enough so dad was able to continuously make the trip back and forth to the airport and no one had to wait for the next “shuttle” to come.

Each night, one of the kids cooked a meal for everyone.  We took our parents out as a thank you one night, and much to the surprise of all of us, we enjoyed spending time together as family, with no interruptions from the outside world, for an entire week.  The adult kids went out at night together while Gramms and PopPop entertained the grandchildren; some went to the turtle farm, while others explored the island and the locals.  Everyday, at some point around happy hour, we all gathered together to enjoy what it means to be a family.  Of course, there was the usual sibling bickering, whining child, and spousal disagreement, but none of us remember the details of those events.  It had been years since we were able to be together for an extended period of time.  After the week ended, all of the kids were shuttled to the airport and my parents enjoyed another week of Caribbean bliss (and I am sure peace and quite) before they returned to the cold Northeast.

As the family has grown, mom and dad have gotten older, and our individual lives have changed in so many ways, every year when we talk about Christmas, someone brings up the hope that we can experience a family vacation again, before the grandkids graduate, and while Gramms and PopPop have the patience and energy to maintain all of us in one place for an extended period of time.  Our gift of a family vacation was a bonding moment and a memory that can’t be sold at next summer’s yard sale.