Destination Information
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Are there all inclusive resorts in Hawaii?
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No
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Where are there all inclusive resorts?
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Mexico, Caribbean, South Pacific
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Where are there adults only properties?
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Gulf side of Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas, St. Lucia, Antigua, Aruba, Curacao
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What is the difference between an all inclusive plan and an European plan?
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All inclusive covers food, drinks, taxes, tips, and non-motorized water sports.
European plan covers your accommodations only. Food, drink, etc is on you own.
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What do you mean when you say adults only?
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Some resorts are 16 years and above, most are 18 years old and above
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Are there military discounts?
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Yes- Cruise and certain resorts
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What are the dress codes for evening meals?
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Most require men to wear pants, closed toe shoes, and a polo styled shirt. Women- sundresses, sandals, skirts, etc are usually ok.
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Do we need reservations at the restaurants?
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Some resorts do require reservations.
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When is hurricane season and what destinations are usually affected?
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July 1st to mid November. Mexico, Caribbean, Southern United States, and possibly Hawaii
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Pre-Booking Information
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When should I start planning?
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If possible, 6-9 months in advance
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How much is the deposit?
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Land only- approximately $150.00 per person plus the addition of travel protection if you choose to purchase. If airfare is included, the land deposit per person, plus the cost of the flights, plus the travel protection if you choose.
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When is final payment due?
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Usually approximately 45 days prior to departure.
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How do I make payments?
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Credit card or cash
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Do I need a passport?
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Yes if you are traveling internationally. This does not include Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands.
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Do I need a visa?
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Some countries require a visa.
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Do I need travel protection?
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We recommend travel protection. If you want to be able to cancel for any reason or make any changes, have medical coverage, loss baggage coverage, etc. while out of the country and to avoid penalties and fees, it is highly recommended.
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Does my medical insurance cover me when I am traveling out of the United States?
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No
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When do I receive my travel documents?
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Generally, you will receive your travel documents approximately 2 weeks before your departure date. We will either mail them, e-mail them, or hand deliver them to you.
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Can I make any changes once I make my booking?
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Yes. However, there may be penalties and/or fees assessed by the wholesaler to make changes.
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Can I book my own air?
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Yes. However, please give us your flight information so we can enter it for your transfers.
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Should I book tours/excursions before my trip?
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Yes to avoid activities being sold out
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Can you book a place I want that you don’t recommend?
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Yes
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Where does Vivaaerobus depart from and fly to?
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Departs from Austin with roundtrip service to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Monterey
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What is a charter flight?
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A regular aircraft where all the seats have been purchased by a particular wholesaler. Example: Sun Country, Aeromexico, etc.
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Can a price quote change?
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Yes- all the quotes we give you can change until you put your deposit down since air prices can fluctuate at any time.
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How long can you put a courtesy hold on a reservation?
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Usually 24 to 48 hours
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Can my air price increase once I pay my deposit?
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Yes- unless you pay for the entire airfare in full at the time of deposit.
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Can I trust everything that I read on tripadvisor.com?
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No- some resorts pay individuals to write poor reviews of their competition.
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Can I use my nickname for booking my travel? For example: Jim for James
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No
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Do I have to include that I am a Jr. or II on my last name?
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Yes
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Can I get my maiden name changed to my married name before the honeymoon?
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No
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Why is your price the same or less expensive as Orbitz?
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Our travel wholesalers buy their tickets and rooms in bulk.
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Can you book multiple destination stops?
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Yes
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I thought that it would be less expensive to book a trip myself, is that true?
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No
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We are worried about the crime rate of the location we want to go to?
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http://travel.state.gov for travel warning and alerts is one suggestion
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Why is it less expensive for a double occupancy per person rate instead of a single occupancy rate?
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The ability to put more people in the room makes it more cost effective and allows the resorts to have more clients which in turns means more revenue for them. Similar: buying goods at Sam’s or Costco
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I heard that airfare will be less expensive the closer I get to my travel date. Is that true?
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Not true- airline prices generally increase the closer you get to your departure date
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Pre-Travel Information
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What are the current baggage regulations for the airlines?
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Please check your airlines website for the most current information.
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When should I arrive at the airport?
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Domestic- at least 1 hour prior to departure
International- at least 2 hours prior to departure
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Can I print out my boarding pass 24 hours before departure?
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Travel within US only- yes
Travel outside of US- no, you must check-in at the counter at the airport
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How much money should we take and what type?
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At least 1 credit card; no less than $100 in small bills for bartering
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Should I make a copy of my passport and travel documents?
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Absolutely! 1 copy in your luggage and 1 copy left with friends/family
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What can and can’t I take in my carry on bag?
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http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm
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How long is a passport good for?
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10 years
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I have a passport from when I was a child, is it still good?
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No
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If a passport is expiring within 6 months or less of my travel dates, do I need to renew before I travel?
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Yes
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Where do I get a passport?
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http://travel.state.gov/passport or your particular local post offices
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Do I need special shots/vaccinations before going to certain destinations?
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http://www.passporthealthusa.com is one suggestion
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Do cell phones work in other countries?
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Check with your service provider.
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What is the time change for my destination?
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http://www.timezoneconverter.com
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During Travel
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What should I do if I loose my passport and/or documents?
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Passport- contact the US Embassy
Documents- contact us
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What should I do if I am unhappy with something at my destination?
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Ask to talk with the manager on duty and express what your concern/complaint is. Don’t forget you are the customer.
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What should I do if I miss a flight?
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Contact the airlines 1-800 number that we will provide you prior to your travel to get you rebooked as soon as possible. Then contact us so we can contact the resort and transfer company.
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What should I do if a flight is cancelled?
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Contact the airlines 1-800 number that we will provide you prior to your travel to get you rebooked as soon as possible. Then contact us so we can contact the resort and transfer company.
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About Skip and Amy
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How much are your fees?
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Nothing- we currently don’t have any fees. Our services are complimentary due to the fact that the resorts compensate us.
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Why aren’t there prices on your website?
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We want to customize what you want, not what a newspaper or brochure says. Posting suggested prices is generally not accurate and can be misleading to the client. Therefore, we choose not to partake in that type of activity.
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What qualifications do you have?
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Travel Institute; Honeymoons and Destination Wedding Travel Specialist, Hawaii Specialist, Mexico Specialist- Sandals, Beaches, and Royal Plantation Specialists
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Can you help us if we have problems or questions while we are traveling?
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Yes
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Why should we use you?
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If you like one-on-one attention, 7 days a week customer service, being a name not a number, someone that works with what you want and not what we want, having the phone answered by Skip or Amy, not being transferred by an operator, then we are probably a good fit for you. We specialize in honeymoon and destination wedding travel. We do not work with corporate travel. Therefore, we have the time that it takes to plan your honeymoon and/or the travel for your destination wedding. However, if you like spending the hours that it takes for thorough research and customer service is not of importance, we are probably not the best fit.
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Can you customize what we want, not what is on the TV, newspaper, etc?
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Absolutely!
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We have no idea where to go, can you help us?
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Absolutely!
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If I want to do my own research and pick everything, can you book it so I can get the proper customer service?
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Yes
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What destinations do you specialize in?
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Mexico, Europe, Caribbean, South Pacific, and Hawaii
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Can you recommend other vendors?
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Absolutely!
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Why don’t you have a store?
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We decided not to have a store so that we are able to provide more one-one-one attention to our clients.
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We found a quote on-line. Can you match or beat the price?
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Yes. Just send us the exact quote- we have to match apples to apples.
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Can we use you guys again after our honeymoon?
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Absolutely!
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Destination Weddings/Group Bookings
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Is a group rate better than individual rates for a destination wedding?
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Sometimes
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How do group bookings work?
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We receive a contract from the wholesaler stating that we are guaranteeing the payment of “X” amount of rooms. The contract must be signed along with the deposits for each person and returned within 7 days of the signed contract. If after we turn in the contract other people decide they want to go, we have to request those rooms. Those rooms may or may not be approved.
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Could my room rate change from a group booking?
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Yes- for example: if we booked 3 people in a room and 1 cancelled, the new room rate would be for 2 people and the rate would probably increase per person.
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What is the minimum number of rooms that you need for a group booking?
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10 rooms
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Why do you recommend a local wedding coordinator when I am having a destination wedding?
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It can be frustrating communicating with the destination wedding coordinator at the resort since they have multiple weddings a day. If you have a local wedding coordinator, they can be that go-between person for you. We also have local wedding coordinators that we can refer that speak Spanish.
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