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Article
by Karen Nowalsky
of Take
Wing Travel
"My fiancé and I are keeping it simple." "We just
go online." We’re on a budget." "We’re on
Twitter." Believe me, I’ve heard it all. Maybe you’ve heard
the "Where you book matters" brand campaign. And I couldn’t
agree more. Regardless of destination, you more than want a
professional on your side. You NEED one. Yes your honeymoon should be
a special trip you will always remember. But hopefully it memorable
for the right reasons!
Consider these top 10:
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Neither of you have ever traveled to the Big Apple
but you think a romantic city trip to see the touristy sites
would be perfect, so you check with your friends on Facebook for
their suggestions. Your maid-of-honor’s sister went to the top
New York film school and recommends three different
"affordable" places to stay. It wasn’t until after
you arrive that you realize you’re honeymooning at a hostel
nowhere near midtown Manhattan.
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You’ve heard a
cruise makes a great honeymoon. What could be more romantic than
the two of you sailing away to start your new life together? You
poured over the Internet and book with a discounted cruise site,
the price and pictures were fantastic. Except when you got on
board you realize your inside cabin means no window and was
located directly below the noisy kids pool area. Not the
experience you were expecting
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You think you have the
perfect cabin on the perfect post-wedding cruise. You have
studied the deck plans, mapped out the "quiet areas,"
you have thoroughly researched it all online. Not a pitfall in
sight, after all, you have cruised with your parents before and
know what you’re getting into. Only you weren’t the one
paying when you went with your family. And turns out cruising
isn’t the "all-inclusive" honeymoon you thought it
would be. You’re more than a little embarrassed when you spend
the first days of your new marriage racking up your credit card
charges to pay for fruity drinks and shore excursions you didn’t
realize weren’t included.
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You know you can’t go wrong with a Caribbean
all-inclusive for your honeymoon. You find one online that
really includes it all and the photos look great. The price is
right, it comes in under your budget so you stretch the trip to
8 days. Such a deal! Turns out a week of mediocre buffets, hard
beds, and below-average "entertainment" was not the
atmosphere you envisioned.
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You book the Caribbean all-inclusive you’ve had
your eye on and the package sure looks like a winner. Finally a
romantic trip you have been wanting, just the two of you. Turns
out you booked during Spring Break and the resort is solid with
families, so the downtime is spent avoiding the pools, kids club
at the beach and pirate theme nights at dinner.
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OK you’ve figured out that adults-only is the
way to go. You spot an "ideal" all-inclusive in
Jamaica with romantic rooms for two online. Sure it’s the
lowest room category but you’re happy just to go. When you get
there, you discover all the upgraded perks of the other rooms
while you are hoofing it across the highway to the (gasp –
public?) beach. Half a mile away! The Internet never mentioned
anything about this
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You decide on a honeymoon in Vegas. You check out
all the options online and go with a top-end luxury property
mid-strip. Prepay the rate with the cheaper, nonrefundable fee,
nothing more to worry about, right? Imagine your surprise when
not only do they want a credit card at check-in, but there are
various "hotel resort fees" you knew nothing about nor
needed (Why am I being charged for bottled water daily?)
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This is the first time you and your future spouse
are traveling and you think the big cruise ships you see on TV
are an appealing way to get away from it all. But not too far,
neither of you have passports so you think this is a perfect
option. You are just going to fly to Florida, right? Well the
unexpected happens horseback-riding in Mexico on day two and you
need to fly home. Uh-oh. No passport! You’re stuck at sea:
after hobbling to the ship’s infirmary, you’re forced to
remain in your cabin on bedrest for the rest of the cruise.
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Exotic Central America – a combination trip of
both the beach and the country’s interior with awesome sites
and ancient history. The "rustic" cabins look ideal
for a romantic honeymoon. But little did you know, there was no
air-conditioning in your secluded jungle lodge, and no preparing
yourself for dry season in the tropics.
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Last but not least, you try to head off most of
the above with an ounce of prevention: travel insurance! Surely
now you’re protected, right? Well, depends on what you bought.
The unthinkable happens and the trip is off. Can you cancel your
trip? You may not be covered afterall, and your hard-earned
deposit (or worse – more!) could be gone. Wish you had a
travel agent to make sense of your coverage and advise?
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Don’t
let it happen to you. There are many more reasons than I have
space for. Not to mention the best value for your money – with
special access to finding all sorts of deals (many unpublished)
ranging from flights to hotels to dinner recommendations. We aim
to save you money as well as time.
I do this with honeymoons and all the packages I book for
travelers like you everyday. Travel
agents offer that "personal touch" to your travel
planning experience, and they do it every day. Travel agents are
experts in helping travelers get where they need to go and in
helping to create possibilities most people never would have
dreamed were possible. They offer help and advice that the
Internet simply cannot provide. And they often do it for free.
Bottom line, the question is not: Should you use a travel agent
for your honeymoon – you ought to ask for a special
once-in-a-life time trip: Can you afford not to?
Also NOTE our Price Beat Promise: Anytime prior to full
payment, if the price is available and we can book it, we will
beat it!
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For more information contact Karen
Nowalsky, who has recently completed Tripology’s Travel Channel Agent
program, and resident honeymoonologist of Take Wing Travel, here in
South Jersey at 609-618-9599; www.takewingtravel.com
for the honeymoon, destination wedding or vow renewal of your dreams.
Take Wing Travel is your personalized romantic travel and
honeymoon specialist offering unique custom vacation packages since
2002. From experienced destination planning to the best value and
professional service, Take Wing Travel provides convenient one-stop
shopping. E-mail travel@takewingtravel.com.
All quotes and consultations are complimentary, no-obligation and can be
made according to your schedule, including evenings and weekends.
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Check out some of our many honeymoon articles on
everything from cruises to all-inclusive resorts in our
Honeymoon Article Archives
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