We just got back from a fact finding mission to Nicaragua.  We left LAX at 1:00am and landed in a rainy Panama City at 7:00am.  After running to the next plane (literally) we took off for Managua.   An hour and a half later the plane lowered through the clouds, circled Lake Managua, landed and taxied to our terminal.  I was surprised how small it looked!!  After all this was Managua, Nicaragua…the capital!!

We made our way through customs, paid our $5.00 entry fee and were finally ready to go.  After collecting our baggage we headed out the front doors.  Wow!  The heat was unbelievable.  We were dressed for the cold weather we just came from.  I had anticipated this, so I had layered my clothing and just had to take off my coat and sweater. 

A truck from Nicasa Cigar factory picked up our luggage and an SUV sped us away to Estelí, our new home for the next 6 days.  On the way, we stopped for lunch at La Fogata, an all you can eat buffet.   Maria (our hostess) needed some fruit and vegetables, so we popped across the street and shopped in the open air market.  This is a very poor country but beautiful.  Green everywhere with mountains, trees and valleys that produce some of the best tobacco and coffee in the world.  That was our mission while we were here…to plan a tobacco factory/plantation tour. 

After unpacking at Los Arcos Hotel, we headed over to Nicasa Tobacco Factory where we met the owner Frank Flores.  We took a quick tour, met some of the key people and headed off to dinner at Maria’s.  Hospitality is one of the key words in this country.  Everyone was friendly and ready to help.  It was a long day so off to bed we went.  The hotel was like an oasis…beautiful rooms, tile floors, friendly employees, FREE WIFI, roof top patio, central garden, and complimentary breakfast!

The next day we visited the tobacco fields… rotating crops, barns filled with drying tobacco leaves, the nursery where they start the plants, and even being driven out into the fields to pick tobacco.  Right in the middle of that the sky opened up, so we ran for the truck to get out of the rain.   We headed back home before everything became too muddy.

At the factory, we did the complete tour.  It’s a long process to get to the end result.  All the workers have their jobs, cutting, sorting, rolling, packing, labeling, banding, inspecting…..and I took photos/videos of all of it.  Including ME rolling a cigar! 

On the last day we drove to Masaya for some Flee Market shopping and then to Granada to inspect another hotel for the last day of the planned tour.  We took a boat tour of Lake Nicaragua and saw little islands people actually buy and build houses on!!  One of the islands had monkeys on it and the only way they got fed was if tourists brought cookies, etc and fed them. 

All in all it was a fascinating trip and I’m ready to take some adventurous cigar aficionados on a trip of a lifetime.  Are you going to be one of them?

The rest of the week on Sapphire Princess kept me busy.   On this particular cruise line they have what’s called a Champagne Waterfall.  The crew piles up 640 champagne classes in a pyramid.  The captain starts pouring champagne (it takes 170 bottles) in the top glass and it trickles down to fill the others.  You can also have your picture taken pouring the champagne.   There are lots of “photo ops” all around the ship and they are taking formal pictures every night.  I tell my clients it’s really a good bargain since you don’t have to buy any of the photos if you don’t like them, but if you do they are very reasonable with no sitting fees.

Another fun thing they have on this cruise is Afternoon Tea.  Every day between 3:30-4:30 in one of the dining rooms they serve tea accompanied by a huge amount of delicious sandwiches, cookies, pastries, and scones with Devonshire cream and jam.  All of this is served by white gloved waiters in tuxedos.  There is just no end of possibilities to eat on a cruise.

Wine tasting is another event that you can participate in.   They had a sommelier on board so he was able to teach us about the viscosity (consistency) of the wine by identifying the “legs” on the inside of the glass (the thicker the “legs” the higher the alcohol content, sugar content or both); swirling the wine to release its aromas (fruit and/or spice); and finally tasting the wine.  Your tongue has 4 tasting parts; the front tastes sweetness, the sides taste sour and salt and the back of the tongue tastes bitterness. 

We also watched a cooking demonstration with Executive Chef Marcello Berardi and Maitre D’ Hotel Giuseppe Gelmini.  They even had one of the assistants singing opera while they prepared the meal.   Then we all headed to the galley for a complete tour.  More stainless steel than I have ever seen in one spot!  Some facts about DAILY usage amounts:  500 lbs of butter, 400 lbs of sugar, 90 gallons of ice cream, 6,000 pastries, 62 gallons of coffee cream, 28 gallons of mayonnaise……I can’t imagine having to put that all away!!!

The back stage tour was another great opportunity to see behind the scenes.  Not all ships let you take these kinds of tours any more.  Security has become tighter since 9/11.  We walked onstage and saw how they move things around, all the backdrops, lighting, control panels, etc, then we went behind the stage to peek into the dressing room which rises three decks high with costumes on what looks like the clothes carousel at the cleaners.  In the “wings” every costume and accessory is strategically placed in order to make the very quick changes, which can be as fast as 20 seconds.

With music, entertainment, shopping, 24 hour meals, pools, spas, sports, and fabulous ports of call, it’s hard to imagine not finding something you like to do.  When my clients ask me if I had a good cruise, I always tell them – “How bad can it be if someone makes my bed, cleans the bathroom, fixes all the food and cleans up afterword”.  The entertainment and ports are just extras.

Let me know when you’re ready to experience REAL PAMPERING.

From the complaint department: “I was bitten by a mosquito – no-one said they could bite.”

Travel Trivia: In 1945, it cost $5 a night to stay at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York; the rate was $6 a night at the Plaza a few blocks away.

Loreene Orgoralini is a Travel Professional and owner of Can I Go, Too? Travel- located in the Inland Empire.  She specializes in cruises, tours, all-inclusive resorts and works with individuals and groups of all kinds.  Loreene can be reached at www.CanIGoToo.com or  Loreene@CanIGoToo.com

I certainly did during my inspection cruise on the Sapphire Princes.  As a travel professional, I’ve chosen to learn mostly about cruising.  I have to know all about ships, learn which ones have what amenities and what clients would be best suited for each kind or brand of ship. 

From ocean cruising, river cruising, barges, paddle wheelers, luxury, premium, contemporary, how many passengers each one holds, what ports do they visit, which ones are really “all inclusive”, what works better for children, honeymooners, seniors, young adults, weddings, adventurers, golfers, the handicapped, explorers…everyone has their own idea of a “dream” cruise and it’s my pleasure to make that dream come true.

So, one of the designations I have after passing all the tests and answering all the questions correctly, is achieving the rank of Commodore with Princess Cruises.  The “perk” for succeeding at that was a graduation cruise on one of their ships.

We set sail on the Sapphire Princess on November 7th from the Port of San Pedro.  It was a beautiful day and there were 3 ships in port.  If you have not sailed out of San Pedro, it’s just before you head over the Vincent Thomas Bridge.  The Coral Princess and the Norwegian Star were also in port and we were all scheduled to sail away starting around 4:00pm.  It’s really interesting to watch 3 ships sail out of the harbor.  The ships were docked in sort of an “L” shape; the Star and the Coral being the vertical part of the “L” and the Sapphire the horizontal part.

The Star left first and was able to sail straight out (they were facing the right direction).  The Coral was next as they were blocking our exit but they were “backwards”.  They sailed “away” from the harbor exit until they had enough room to do a complete turn around, right in the same spot!  We were watching from the deck and it was fascinating.  While they were turning around we started backing out of our berth, turning in the direction of the Coral.  Everyone was watching as our captain knew EXACTLY when to stop (so close to the other docks and the Coral which was now completely turned around and going in the right direction) and change direction so both ships could head out to sea. 

We were on our way to Puerto Vallarta!  There would be two “sea days” until we reached port, but that would give me plenty of time to do some exploring around the ship.  But the first thing we needed to do was to go and get something to eat!!!  It was exhausting just getting all those ships out to sea!  And, we hadn’t eaten since we boarded the ship at lunch time!   The food on a ship is really one of the most important things.  It can make or break a wonderful time.  That’s one of the first things I hear when clients come back.  All about the food!

The Sail Away party is always fun to participate in or just to watch.  There’s a band playing around the pool, maybe some prizes are given away, you’re waving to all those who have to stay on land and you’re really getting into actually “leaving it all behind”.

The cabins are the next thing to think about.  I’ve tried them all from inside, ocean view, balcony or suite.  And, once you’ve tried the balcony or suite it’s hard to go back to an ocean view or an inside cabin.  I hear all the time “I’m not going to be in my room that much”, but believe me when you wake up in an inside cabin there is no way to know if it’s 2:00am or 2:00pm!!  It’s great for taking naps, though!  No light.  So, your cabin is really important. 

The first night is always just taking care of all the unpacking and arranging things in your cabin, finding your way around the ship, locating all the important things…lounges, bars, dinning room, casino… how to get back to your cabin, figuring out which way the ship is going when you’re “inside” the ship and how far out to sea you have to be before they open the stores and casino!

After eating, seeing the stage show, getting lost several times because we were going in the wrong direction, we headed off to bed where the room steward had turned down the sheets and left chocolates on our pillows.  Good Night!

(Continued next week)

From the complaint department:  “I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends’ three-bedroom apartment and ours was significantly smaller!”

Travel Trivia: The first Super 8 motel opened in Aberdeen, SD in 1974; it charged $8.88 per night.

Loreene Orgoralini is a Travel Professional and owner of Can I Go, Too? Travel- located in the Inland Empire.  She specializes in cruises, tours, all-inclusive resorts and works with individuals and groups of all kinds.  Loreene can be reached at Loreene@CanIGoToo.com or www.CanIGoToo.com

Quite & Peaceful

I was presented with that question the other day at a chamber mixer.  I guess with the internet available to most of the world it would seem that a Travel Professional had gone the way of the dinosaur.  Not so!!  We are alive and well.  In fact more than ever people are turning to a Travel Professional to help them sort through their “information overload”.  How do you know you have the BEST deal, the RIGHT supplier, the PERFECT location and whether or not you are missing any “specials” not available to the general public?  Is your stateroom on that cruise line above/below the dance floor or casino?  What’s the difference between the many cruise lines out there?  Is “all inclusive” the same on every ship/resort?  Which ones really include everything – wines, premium spirits, soft drinks, bottled water, shore excursions, specialty restaurants, and gratuities?
A qualified Travel Professional can answer those questions and more.  The better your Travel Professional understands about you and your priorities the better they can work with you to help you realize that vision you have in your mind.
If you are thinking about traveling, now is the time.  If you have always wanted to experience those “extra touches” you didn’t think you could afford, go for it.  Suppliers are responding to the “crunch” with outstanding pricing and value-added specials.  This turns out to really be the PERFECT time to travel!

Loreene Orgoralini is a Travel Professional and owner of Can I Go, Too? Travel- located in the Inland Empire.  She specializes in cruises, tours, all-inclusive resorts and works with individuals and groups of all kinds.  Loreene can be reached at www.CanIGoToo.com or Loreene@CanIGoToo.com.