2011 Solstice

Another year has been nearly marked off the calender. Amazing how much travel you can do in 365 days! Started out in playing a bit of golf in Palm Springs and ended escorting a Comedy cruise in the Caribbean.

We have really changed the nature of our business over the past few years and now offer Theme Cruises. Whether you like wine, comedy, jazz, country music or traveling with your hometown buddies, we have got it covered. Why are we doing these groups? Because we have always felt that people like traveling with other people who like doing what they are doing. Take our Dave Koz Jazz cruise. Imagine over 2000 people sailing to Alaska listening to their favorite jazz artists - Dave Koz, Keiku Matsui, Peter White, Chris Botti and more - while viewing the magnificent Inside Passage!! The cruise was simply a 10! My business partner calls Dave "PT Barnum with a saxophone" - wherever Dave is going, his fans are going with him. And for a good reason! The production was over the top. The entertainers were engaging and fantastic. Alaska was at her best! You get the picture.

Wine cruises speak for themselves. I have learned that wine club members belong to at least 4 wine clubs. So when we approached our winery partners, we knew we were offering them something that not all wine clubs could or would. We asked them, how would you like to travel to Europe and every night serve your wine with dinner? And offer an exclusive shore excursion? And a wine

tasting event and a wine pairing dinner? And of course, either the owner or the winemaker will be escorting the trip! These have been a great way to vacation for the 'wineys"! And of course, don't forget the food!!

We have the Lewis Black Comedy cruise, Dave Koz and Friends Jazz cruise 2012 and 2013, Blake Shelton country cruise and we are working on a few others. Our wineries are Ferrari-Carano, J Lohr, Papapietro-Perry, Dutcher Crossing and Glen Lyon just to name a few.

As 2012 is just around the corner, I want to encourage you to travel. Get off the couch. Get out of your own zip code. These days we need to learn how much we are alike in our own unique ways and not let the tv or the internet or the guy down the street be all of the continuing education that we get! Go out and experience a lion mating in the Serengetti or the lights of Paris standing on the Champes de Elysee and so much more. You owe it to yourself! Happy holidays to all of you reading this and may 2012 finally bring about the change we are all hoping for!

April 2010

WOW! This year has moved at the speed of light! I can't believe that we are in the 2nd week of April already. OK, so what have you planned for your holiday? January through May is the busiest time for booking travel and if you are sitting around wondering where you are going on your vacation this year, you need to get up off the couch and give us a call. There are still many deals available, but as always, it is the airfare that you need to be aware of. With airlines going out of business or moving out of airports, there is not as much lift as there once was.

One of my favorite cities is San Francisco. And with hotel bookings down by nearly 20%, there are many deals to be had. How about staying at the HOTEL VITALE and then catching "WICKED" at the Orpheum Theater! Then there is New York City. We have been finding fantastic pricing on the hotels there. My favorite, Milennium Broadway, has great pricing right now for summer. Dine across the street at Virgil's and then take a walk down Broadway. We have packages for New Orleans, San Diego, Seattle and so many other great US cities. And don't forget DISNEY!

Where have I been so far this year -- Palm Springs! How I love the weather there in the Spring. We golfed at Tahquitz Canyon Golf Club. You can make your tee times online and never have to pay full price if you can wait to make your reservation closer to the day you want to play. If you want great golf and inexpensive prices with 100's of golf courses, Orlando, Florida is the place for you!

We also escorted a group to Mexico aboard the ROYAL CARIBBEANS 'Mariner of the Seas' and discovered we really like RCCL! If you have never cruised, then the Mexico cruise is a great way to get your feet wet :>) My still favorite restaurant -- Johnny Rockets! You can have burgers cooked to order, real milkshakes, french fries and onion rings and dessert all for just $4.95 pp -- what a deal! OK, so it is artery-clogging, heart-stoPping food, but it is worth it!

If cruising is your thing, check out my other website http://www.vinesatsea.com/. We also escort a number of groups tht anyone can join. You can find information about our music, comedy, radio and food and wine cruises HERE. Check out our JAZZ cruise or our Villa in Tuscany Food and Wine Experience. If you love comedy, the Lewis Black Comedy Cruise is perfect for you!

We want to talk with you, so call 800-248-7471. Remember, no one likes a know-it-all. Until it comes time to book a vacation!

2010 and Hope

OK, so if you are reading this, you made it into 2010. 2009 was, as experienced by many, one of the most dificult years since the Great Depression. How do we move on in this climate? How can we still travel, go to a movie and experience small pleasures without fear of going to the poor house. Here's a concept - Save for It! When I was younger, if I wanted to go to Hawaii, I made a plan to go, and then saved for it. There was no extra cash just laying around. Every cent was accounted for. So, I went without or I found a way to make extra cash in order to be able to travel.

I have a few suggestions on how to make your travel dreams a reality. First, you can SIGN UP ON MY WEBSITE and receive emails for deals on your destination. You can Opt Out anytime and we do not share or sell your information! Or, you can call me and I will tell you about Friends and Family Travel and how you can travel for almost free.

Cruises are still one of the best and least expensive ways to travel. 2009 saw prices drop to unbelievable amounts. 2010 still has GREAT DEALS! And hotels are hurting almost everywhere and deals abound there too. I actually stayed in a hotel in Las Vegas for $17.50 per night plus tax with a $15 per day parking use. That was like almost free. And this was a hotel, not a motel! So if you want to go somewhere, January is the time to start planning. Call, email, or stop by if you are in the area. We are here 6 days a week. Call us at 800-514-5194 or email me at information@flyingdutchmentravel.com. Happy New Year!

Back Home in Santa Rosa

It is true, there IS no place like home! Fall has arrived with her vived colors and brisk mornings. Saturday we turn back the clocks and I begin to count down the days, one minute at a time, until Spring.

Our next trist is a visit on the world's largest passenger ship, Royal Caribbeans the new Oasis of the Seas. We will board in November for a 2 day cruise to nowhere to explore her many unique features. I will be bringing the video camera this time! Look for a post of a video from the ship.

Happy Halloween!

Flying Dutchmen Travel: The rest of the story

Flying Dutchmen Travel: The rest of the story

The rest of the story

Oct 18 - 21, 2009

We are all back onboard and will be enjoying a day at sea tomorrow. Most of the passengers went to see the Pyramids of Giza and stayed overnight in Cairo. Our group was delighted to find themselves staying in the brand new Fairmont Hotel that only opened 2 weeks ago. Reports were that the staff could not do enough for them! And that the rooms were stunning! Proof is that everyone took photos of the bathrooms!!

The Pyramids of Giza - During Egypt's Old Kingdom the pharaohs established a stable central government in the fertile Nile Valley. Perhaps the greatest testaments to their power were the pyramids and other tombs built to shelter them in the afterlife. Many of our group went into one of the chambers of one of the Pyramids – not for those who are claustrophobic. You cannot stand upright, you have to bend at the waste or even crouch down. Everyone was thrilled at visiting these marvels...and THRILLED at riding on a camel! The group also visited the Cairo Museum where the remains of King Tut are housed. And many thousands of other artifacts dating back thousands of years – everyone agreed a full day or more is what is really needed to do it justice. In Alexandria, the second largest city in Egypt, there is an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern. My favorite view was across the Eastern Harbor to the Mediterranean. Lots of great looking beaches for people to visit – unfortunately there was not enough time for sunbathing on this excursion. What really blew my mind is the new Alexandria Library. There are over 8 million books housed there and they have stored over 70 BILLION web pages! The layout of the building is 11 stories, however, they do not reside one floor upon another, instead, they are terraced. You can stand in the viewing point and see the entire library – quite fantastic!! There is so much more to Egypt, but not enough space here. Anyone wanting to visit should email us and let us give you our take on the best possible holiday that includes Cairo, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings.

Kataklon, Crete - We took a tour from the port to the Ancient Olympia - where the original Olympics were held. Along with the original Olympic field, we saw the Temples of Zeus and Hera. After our tour of ancient Olympia, we went to the town for lunch, and a leisurely shopping stroll through town before returning to our ship. Then it was on to Naufplion, the original capitol of Greece. This is a very cosmopolitan small city with lots of winding streets filled with shops and restaurants. After the assault on our senses in Egypt (18 million people in Cairo alone! THIS is the city that never sleeps!), all agreed that this quaint seaside town was one of the favorite stops.

Athens. The city with the most glorious history in the world, a city worshipped by gods and people, a magical city. It is the city where democracy was born and most of the wise men of ancient times. The most important civilization of ancient world flourished in Athens and relives through some of the world's most formidable edifices. Many of our group elected to stay a day or two in this fantastic city to visit the antiquities, mainly the imposing Parthenon, and eat and shop around the famous historic triangle called the Plaka.

I must mention the people in all of these destinations – they were all quite wonderful to us. The Turkish with their carpets; the Egyptians selling us camel rides and the Greeks just being Greek! Someone said ‘people get along, it is our governments that fight’. Other than a bit of extra jostling from the illegal vendors at the Pyramids, everyone agreed that in each country they felt welcomed. All in all, another great cruise!!

Life's A Trip!

Today we are sailing in the Mediterranean headed towards Alexandria, Egypt onboard NCL Jade. We are escorting a group of nearly 200 people that we met on Friday at the airport in Istanbul,Turkey-(Constantinople). Starting in Istanbul-- WOW, what an amazing city. Depending on whom you talk to, there are somewhere between 14 to 17 million people living within this sprawling city. There are thousands of mosques! The most famous mosque is the Blue Mosque – Sultanahmet mosque. The majority of our group took the time to visit this mosque that was built between 1609-1616. We also visited Topkapi Palace built in the 1400’s. And then there is Hagia Sophia: the most renowned Byzantine cathedral and the best–known Christian church in Istanbul. The first church of the Hagia Sophia was built between 325-361 AD and the church that stands in its place today was declared a national monument in 1934. We also visited the covered bazaar built originally in 1461 and rebuilt to its present plan of 65 streets within the market in1701. Carpets, dishes, clothing, jewelry, knick-knacks, small restaurants – it is all in there! Speaking of carpets – there are stores everywhere as this is where the carpets we still use today originated from. Istanbul’s second covered market is the Spice Market - originally built in 1660 and restored to its present structure in 1943 – the smell of the spices is delicious. However, there are more souvenir shops than spice shops located here. Still, we managed to buy a number of spices and look forward to some scrumptious meals when we get back home!

Then it was on to Izmir, Turkey. Izmir is most famous for the ruins of Ephesus. When the buses first pulled up, most wondered what was so special about these ruins. There were some pillars and large stones but nothing unusual. Our guide continued on for about 5 minutes down a dirt and stone path and then –VOILA! – there in front of us was a city! Mosaics painstakenly restored; the stone bathrooms, a library, houses, streets. All in all, amazing! There is also a 24,000 seat coliseum type stadium that both Madonna and Elton John have performed in! Back to carpets – we were taken to a school/factory where they make the famous Persian/Turkish carpets. First you are taken into a small room and then you are offered apple tea. Offering tea or something to drink is considered to be a sign of friendship. You return the sign of friendship with your Visa card…

We then sailed for Mykonos, Greece. Everyone loved the winding streets and friendly atmosphere. Some even rented motor scooters and scooted around the island to the beautiful beaches on the other side from where we docked. Most had time to walk and eat and drink and shop! And then it was on to Santorini. Oh yes, there were those that took life and limb in hand and rode the donkeys up the 400 plus stairs to Fira, the capitol of Santorini. The views from Fira and Oia are world-famous – the white washed houses against the dazzling blue of the Mediterranean. We then sailed to Iraklion, Crete. It is the largest city in Crete and 4th largest city in Greece. This is no quaint Greek city – Iraklion is a big, busy city. There is one of the most interesting archeological museums of the world located here. And did I mention ---- Starbucks! Oh yes, in Istanbul and Iraklion you can find the ever-expanding coffee company.

Now we are having a day at sea –whew! – and everyone onboard is looking forward to the next port of Alexandria, Egypt. Many passengers will be taking shore excursions to Cairo to visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Cairo Museum that houses thousands of artifacts not the least being all of the artifacts from the tomb of King Tut.