Bermuda….pink sand beaches, smooth british culture, colorful buildings and lovely streets with wonderful little shops…all on an island chain of only 22 square miles. Who wouldn’t want to go?

Join Mike and me for this 6 night cruise over Labor Day 2013, leaving Fri Aug 30 and returning Thurs Sept 5th. With pricing starting at $783 per person including taxes and port fees, and Round Trip Transportation from Boscov’s Camp Hill and a $75 On Board Credit to spend as you please, Why Not?

We will dock in Bermuda for two nights to truly enjoy this beautiful island from King’s Wharf with it’s myriad of shops and restaurants to Hamilton’s colorful streets and on to historic St George’s.

We sail aboard Royal Caribbean’s revitalized Grandeur of the Seas when she brightens the Port of Baltimore with a refreshing set of itineraries. In addition to Bermuda, she’ll be doing 8 night Florida & the Bahamas, 8 night New England and Canada, 10 nights each Eastern and Western Caribbean. Cruising from the mid-atlantic has never been sweeter!

Inside Cabins Cat K $783 pp

Ocean View Cat I $808 pp

Ocean View Cat G1 $834 pp

Balcony Cat D1 $1,233 pp

This special group pricing includes taxes, fees, and round trip transportation from Boscov’s Camp Hill based on a minimum of 25 passengers.  A deposit of $250 per person is neccessary to hold your cabin, along with full legal names  & date of birth.  A valid passport is required.

Download the flyer Dawn & Mike RCCL Grandeur BDA Aug 2013 for full details Call  to book at 717-763-1100 x travel drettinger@boscovs.com

The Finger Lakes Wine Festival has over 90 wineries, and 100 non-winery vendors at this popular yearly event. You’ll enjoy a full day of wine tasting, culinary demos, music and food…perhaps even take a ride in a pace car! Feel comfortable in knowing you can taste until your heart’s content and our driver will bring you safely back to the Camp Hill and Colonial Park Boscov’s

FLWinefest holds a special place in my heart. It was there that I learned to love wine. It took but one weekend to begin my appreciation of the vast variety of flavors and textures that wine offers. It was there where I learned that there is indeed a wine for everyone! In fact, it was also there where I met my boyfriend in the Yancey’s Fancey’s Cheese line during the Friday night pre-festival Launch of the Lakes whilst wearing a toga !  Ahhh, the joy of Finger Lakes Winefest.

For years we have built our little tent village that one weekend in July. Adding friends and (adult) family to grow over several sites, meeting up with friends from all over the east cost that have the same sites year after year. We have shared vino soaked stories and many, many, MANY bottles of NY Finger Lake Wines.

Go ahead and download the printable flyer for details:Dawn & Friends – Finger Lakes Wine Fest – 071413  call 717-763-1100 x travel or drettinger@boscovs.com

DREAM IT

• Where, When, How, and How Long? So many places, so little time! Pick a few and then balance out the practicality with your travel agent’s input. Do you really want to go to Hawaii from the east coast for just a few days, when it will take a day’s worth of flights on either end?  Maybe a trip to Puerto Rico would make more sense for such a short time. 
• Experience~What do you imagine your trip will be? Do all your travel mates have the same expectations and capabilities? 
• Budget~Get real. You’ll thank yourself!  Flights these days are expensive and can really take a bite out of your travel budget without adding fun to the overall experience. Consider cruising from a “home port” if you live close to the coast. Taking the train could be a pleasant alternative as well as driving to your destination.
• Season~Each has it’s pros and cons, when you picture yourself at your destination, what are you doing?  Your travel professional can help pinpoint the best time for you to go. Off season is less expensive and less crowded, however there is a reason it it “the off season”  Sometimes those reasons are deal breakers.
• Apply for a Passport. EVERY Adult should have one and it makes a great long lasting, invaluable gift for anyone over 16! Wouldn’t it be nice to take advantage of those last minute deals. For more info on Passports and Visas, check out Travel.state.gov

PLAN IT

• Book your Travel and make your deposit~For most travel, the earlier the better for the best rates and availability.

Cruises and tours: 6 mos to 2 years, but last minute deals are fabulous if you’re flexible, if pricing for some reason drops before you make final payment, your travel professional may be able to get the lower rate. Ask them to check the week before it’s due.

Airfare:1-6 months  booking too far out, you’re subject to many flight changes. Airlines are notorious for dropping and switching flights, sometimes several times over a few months. 

All-Inclusives and Hotels: extremely seasonal book early if you are going during peak seasons or holidays to guarantee space, especially for charters, however last minute deals can be oh so sweet!

• Purchase Travel Insurance~this is an absolute MUST especially when traveling out of the country. It is extremely affordable and there are several levels of coverage, including trip cancellation, medical coverage, emergency evacuation, trip interruption and death benefits.
• Check Passports and/Or Apply for Visa
• Technology~check your cell phone, data plans and Wi-Fi situation. Find out what is the best option for you depending on usage and how you will be using it out of the country 
• Arrange Transportation~Referred to as “transfers” this is how you’l get to and from the airport, to and from port, to and from hotel, as well as sight seeing, sometimes this can be included in your package pricing. You need to take this into consideration especially when flying. Make sure you have picked an airport convenient to your destination. Check with your hotel to see if they have free shuttle. If not, They can generally give you a good idea how much a cab or shuttle service will cost.

Don’t Forget to:

• Arrange House/Pet/Child Sitting~Make arrangements early during peak travel season
• Contact Your bank and Credit Card Companies You don’t want a “flag” put on your account for suspicious activity. If you’re traveling out of the country, check on possible fees.
• Stop Mail/Newspaper Delivery~Do you really want all that piling up at the door?
• Away Messages This is probably a good idea for work, but not necessarily for home. We love our social media to share our experience, but letting several thousand people know your house is unatttended for the next week or so…probably not the best thing to do.

BRING IT

• Passport/Visa/ID and copies
• Cash/Cards and list of numbers and contact info should your wallet or purse be stolen
• Emergency Contact Info~Don’t rely on having it on your locked phone. Keep it in your luggage and make certain your travel agent has it. Make sure your Emergency Contact ALSO has a passport in order to travel unexpectedly if needed.
• Tickets/Itinerary and copies
• Prescription Medicines it doesn’t hurt to have your doctor write a spare script…just in case
• Spare glasses and/or contacts 
• Motion sickness relief~I personally swear by Sea Bands. Bonine, Ginger, Dramamine and “the patch” all have various degrees of success for most people. Know how your body reacts to the medications. It is no fun being airsick, seasick or carsick. Do not discount the possibility.
• Appropriate Clothing~Pick two basic colors and mix and match. Avoid clothes that need ironed. Layers work in any environment.
• Comfortable Shoes~No matter what it is you will be doing, it always pays to have one pair of good walking shoes/sandals/sneakers. Airports alone can be treacherous!
• Toiletries~If you are not going someplace where soaps and shampoos are provided, airlines allow liquids and gels in 3.4 oz containers that must be placed in a zip top see-through quart bag. Make some do double duty: Shampoo/conditioner also works well as shaving lotion. For Transportation and Security questions visit TSA.Gov

   

DON’T OVERDO IT

• Alcohol~Yes, you’re on vacation, but do you want to waste ANY of that time nursing a hangover?
• Food~There are a lot of wonderful new tastes and flavors, and buffet dining in vacationland. Beware of intestinal difficulties! Make sure your resort, hotel, etc is using purified water for drinks as well as ICE! 
• Activities~You haven’t been skiing in a year? Don’t spend the whole first day on the slopes! Chances are good you will hardly be able to walk the next day! Ease into it!
• Sun~Mexico and the Caribbean are NOT the places you want to forgo the sunscreen to “kickstart” your tan! Buy a big bottle of sunscreen when you land, and reapply often. A bad sunburn can ruin a vacation AND be bad for you years down the road. UV Natural makes an ocean life, marine friendly sunscreen. Skiing? PLEASE slather your face w/ a high SPF!
• Spending~Beware of high bank fees, especially when exchanging currency. Know the exchange rate so you don’t overpay, especially in places that also allow for use of the US Dollar. Don’t forget roaming charges on your cell phone for calls AND DATA USAGE!

ENJOY IT!

• Take lots of pictures
• Write yourself and your friends postcards
• Journal
• Appreciate the culture
• Try new things
• Learn new words
• Observe the customs
• Search for native wildlife
• Share the memories

Handy Dandy Websites

• IndependentTraveler.com I absolutely love this site for all things travel!  There a fabulous posts and scads of great info and opinions.
• TSA.Gov Have a question about air, land and sea travel, especially with regard to safety and security?  THIS is site is a must!
• Travel.State.Gov This site is invaluable for passport, visa, travel alerts and safety as well.

Fundraising can be a a lot of work!  Just ask anyone who’s taken on this monumental task for a baseball team, civic organization, cause or cure.  Long, sometimes thankless hours, planning events, coordinating volunteers, collecting money.  Hitting the streets, knocking on doors, writing letters, making phone calls, and hoping that others are doing the same for your cause.

I know first hand. In 2011 I was in the running for LLS Woman of the Year in Central PA. My friends and I put together about a dozen events during those 8 grueling weeks that spring. Some were fabulous successes (The Bacon and Brew Ha-Ha and Ink-a-thon) while others…errrrrmmmm  not so much (I won’t mention them as not to hurt anyone’s feelings). We worked tirelessly while running our businesses, working full time jobs and raising a family.  Although we raised a nice chunk of change, we were way under our goal.

Being in charge of raising funds also raises a lot of questions. Ask yourselves these:  How many subs do we need to sell to raise $1000? How many man hours will it take to make, pack and deliver? What do we earn off 100 boxes of cookies? How do we AGAIN ask the same family, friends and area businesses for donations to our cause(s)? How many sponsors will we need to find to pull off a successful event?…and how many times have you  put your heart, time and tears into this, yet not raised nearly the funds you worked so hard for?

WHAT IF…the potential to raise THOUSANDS of dollars for your cause was as simple as going on vacation with friends and family, and letting others, who also want to support the cause, join you?

Know this: A group cruise is perfect for fundraising.  In one package you have food, accommodations and entertainment,  AND travel to multiple destinations for such a reasonable price! The Fundraiser gets to spend more time enjoying the event and less time coordinating and overseeing every detail. The best thing? You’ve now established a successful fundraiser that WILL grow year after year. Your efforts are rewarded and you’ve already laid the foundation for next year’s goal.

Yes, my tired fundraiser, it CAN be just that simple.  You set your goals and pick your itinerary, and together we will establish the plan to meet your fundraising goal.

For the bare bones basics, check out my Fundraising page.

Ready to talk?  Get in touch today!

]]> http://dawnrettinger.com/2012/06/fundraising-cruise/feed/ 0