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Evolution Travel Scam

Before you read any further, Yes I am associated with Evolution Travel. Evolution Travel is a legit MLM company that you do pay for monthly. But before you go let me make a few points.

How much time and education does it take to become a licensed Travel Agent? The truth is that becoming a licensed travel agent in most states takes time and money. You could very well head to a community college and receive an associate’s degree in travel. Then pay the most money to obtain a state license to establish your own travel agency. Sound good so far.

Now that you have spent the past 2 years getting that degree and spent countless hours studying and sitting in class. You can either open your own business which will take more time and money. Or you could start working for another agency to build your client base. Once you’re established, can you take that client base with you when you decide to go on your own? Most likely not.

Now you will need to start all over to build your business. What experience do you have in marketing your business? Was that included in your education?

What options do you have besides a college education? By doing some research on the internet you may find a wide variety of online programs. Although you do not get the college experience or degree. You complete a program to prepare you for your state licensing exam.

All that is excellent news for someone looking to save a little money. Compared to college education, these programs can run anywhere from $400 to over $8000 depending on the program and the material. Some may cover the process of building your own business from the ground up. This again will cost you time and money.

Both of the options give you the opportunity to work for another agency, which will pay you based on commissions while also getting their cut for all your hard work. Then there is the chance you can venture out on your own hoping to bring some clients with you to start. There is also the building of a website because let’s face it, if you don’t have a website you will be sitting on your hands.

Is there another choice to get started in the travel industry? Both the options you just read about are great if you have the time and money. You can build a great client base that continues to seek you out when it comes to their travel needs.

Let me explain Evolution Travel to you. First, it is an MLM if you want to use that as one of your income streams. It’s just another opportunity you can build your own team to make additional revenue. But it is NOT the only revenue stream if you do the research along with the training offered and available to you.

What do I mean? You can get certified by a large number of suppliers in which you get ALL the commissions. Not sharing with an agency you work for. Some of the suppliers pay anywhere from 10% to as much as 16% commission on sales and your mentor only gets 10% of that. Of course, you don’t receive a commission until the reservation has been completed.

For example, You book a $3500 cruise. You receive between $350 to $560. Your mentor will receive between $35 to $56 on that booking. That means if you eventually want to become a mentor. You can also earn income for work others have done.

The total truth is that you establish yourself within Evolution as one of its agents. You decide which suppliers your want to work with. The suppliers provide you with the training designed and focused on their product.

To make this easy. You decide you want to work with supplier “X” which is a major cruise line. Once your request is approved, you can begin training with X cruise lines. You learn everything there is to know able X. They even include some of the best marketing strategies for their cruise line. All you need to do is complete their training and let people know you are a trained expert in that cruise line. That’s it.

Looking at the BIG PICTURE: There are many ways to get involved in the fastest-growing industry. All give you training and education to build a business. They all give you the opportunity to help people create a dream vacation. The best thing is that all allow you to benefit from travel deals for yourself.

Which one allows you to build a business where you have total control?

Which one allows you to use their credentials to create great travel options?

Which one gives you the opportunity to learn when, what, and where you want?

How will you become a travel agent?

Here’s another big question. Which option pays you to book your own vacation?

MUST WATCH VIDEO to learn more:

Now that you have taken the time to watch the video.

Do you think you could become one of the newest home-based travel consultants?

TO LEARN MORE

Mental Health Awareness

I read these 2 posts from a close friend this week. I made a few changes to make it personal, however, the message is clear. Many who struggle with mental illnesses will understand. Those who do not will understand after reading this.

Number 1

For a long time, I didn’t talk about my struggles. I thought I was the only one who was struggling, and I was afraid of being judged. But I’m not alone. Many first responders suffer from mental health issues, but we often feel like we can’t talk about it. We’re taught to be strong and to suck it up, but that’s not always possible.

I’m sharing my story because I want to break the silence. I want other first responders to know that they’re not alone and that there is help available. I also want to reach out to anyone who is struggling with their mental health, regardless of their profession.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, please reach out for help. There are many resources available to you, including:

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

The Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

The Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, press 1

You are not alone. There is help available. Please reach out for help.

Here are some additional details about my experience as a first responder:

I’ve seen people die. I’ve seen children die, I’ve seen parents die, and I’ve seen friends die. It’s never easy to see someone die, but it’s especially hard when you’re the one who is there to try to save them.

I’ve seen people suffer. I’ve seen people who have been injured, I’ve seen people who have been burned, and I’ve seen people who have been traumatized. It’s hard to see people suffer, and it’s even harder to know that there’s not always anything you can do to help them.

I’ve seen people do terrible things to each other. I’ve seen people commit suicide, I’ve seen people murder each other, and I’ve seen people hurt each other in other ways. It’s hard to see people do terrible things to each other, and it’s even harder to know that you can’t always stop them.

All of these things have taken a toll on my mental health. I’ve struggled with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. I’ve had trouble sleeping, I’ve had trouble concentrating, and I’ve had trouble controlling my emotions.

I’m not alone. Many first responders struggle with mental health issues. We’re often taught to be strong and to suck it up, but that’s not always possible. We need to talk about our struggles, and we need to get help.

If you’re a first responder and you’re struggling with your mental health, please reach out for help. There are many resources available to you, and you don’t have to go through this alone.

If you’re not a first responder, but you’re struggling with your mental health, please know that you’re not alone either. There are many resources available to you, and you don’t have to go through this alone.

We all need to take care of our mental health. It’s just as important as our physical health. Let’s all work together to break the stigma around mental health and get the help we need.

Call to action:

Let’s all work together to break the stigma around mental health and get the help we need.

I appreciate all of the love and support.

Number 2

I experienced mental and emotional roller coaster rides collecting and organizing my thoughts over the last 3 years. This is the second part of my share. I APPRECIATE ALL of the responses. Mental Health Awareness is Really a thing.

Coping Strategies

Sleep-wake cycle routine: Stick to a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.

Home workout routine: Exercise regularly. Even a short workout can help improve your mood and reduce stress.

Gym routine: If you prefer to work out at the gym, find a time that works for you and stick to it.

Identify triggers: Pay attention to what makes you feel stressed or anxious. Once you know your triggers, you can start to avoid them or develop coping mechanisms for dealing with them.

Make sensible meals: Eat healthy foods that will give you energy.

Enable apps that track how much time you spend plugged in and how you are plugged into the internet. There are a number of apps that can help you track your screen time, such as Moment, Screen Time, and Digital Wellbeing. These apps can help you see how much time you’re spending on your phone and on different apps, and they can also help you set limits on your screen time.

Identify the apps that you spend the most time on. Once you know which apps you’re spending the most time on, you can start to make changes. If you find that you’re spending a lot of time on social media, for example, you could try deleting the apps from your phone or setting limits on how much time you spend on them.

Enable healthy apps designed for self-care mentally, physically, and emotionally. There are a number of apps that can help you with your self-care, such as Headspace, Calm, and 7 Cups of Tea. These apps can help you relax, meditate, and manage stress.

Don’t try to fit in. It’s important to find what works for you and not try to do what everyone else is doing. If you find that you’re spending too much time on your phone or on the internet, it’s okay to take a break. Go for a walk, read a book, or spend time with friends and family.

Here is my own story about how I’ve used these coping strategies to improve my mental health:

I used to spend a lot of time on my phone. I would check social media constantly, and I would often get sucked into hours-long rabbit holes of reading articles or watching videos. I started to notice that I was feeling more anxious and stressed, and I was having trouble sleeping. I realized that I needed to make a change.

I started by downloading an app that tracks my screen time. This helped me see how much time I was actually spending on my phone, and it was eye-opening. I realized that I was spending way more time than I thought I was.

I decided to make some changes. I deleted the social media apps from my phone, and I set limits on how much time I could spend on other apps. I also started using some of the healthy apps that I mentioned earlier. These apps have helped me relax, meditate, and manage stress.

It’s been a few months since I made these changes, and I’m feeling much better. I’m sleeping better, I’m less anxious, and I’m more productive. I’m still not perfect, but I’m making progress.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, I encourage you to try some of these coping strategies. They may not work for everyone, but they’ve helped me a lot.

I am opening up to help others understand that mental health is a lifelong struggle to find balance.

Mental Health Awareness Month was adopted in 1946. I didn’t know it was a thing until 2020. I wrote a collection of these thoughts over the course of the last 26 days and put them into these two posts. I appreciate everyone’s support.

If this helps one person, than it was worth the agonizing decision to share. If everyone who reads these posts is able to support one other person by raising awareness, then the compound effect was worth the difficult emotions it took to share!!!

Thank ❤you all. The love was felt and appreciated.

Original text from a friend, a colleague, a brother, and the person that helped me realize the time when I need help. Thank You, Brother.

Travel Agent or Consultant?

Travel Agent or Travel Consultant? Which would be your best option when planning your next vacation? Before you start your planning let me give you an insight into the differences you may find. Some of the information you will find is directly from the definition of each.

TRAVEL AGENT

What will you expect from your Travel Agent?

Agents are usually someone you hire to act on your behalf. They have most of the power when it comes to your travel planning. They usually work for or own a company that gets you a great deal on your travel plans.

Travel Agents are authorized on your behalf to put your travel plans altogether. They usually hold some type of certification and education that makes them experts in a particular style of travel.

Sounds good until you receive the final invoice. This will include things like finders fees, or agent fees. That’s fine if you are one who likes to have your travel itinerary all planned out for you.

A Travel agent sells travel from transportation to accommodations to entertainment. The Travel Agent will usually be the best option if you are looking to plan a very expensive or complex vacation. They may also have access to deals that the “DYI” traveler can not find or can not access.

Travel Consultant

Travel Consultants are exactly what the name says, they consult.

Consultants usually work independently either with an affiliate program or by being authorized by a supplier. Most that work with an affiliate program are small businesses or individuals that just enjoy traveling themselves and want to share in the experience.

As Consultants, they receive training from the affiliate program to help them get started in the industry. They decide which type of travel they want to focus on, whether it be cruises, families, groups, or any combination. Then they seek additional training from suppliers on that supplier’s particular brand.

For example, if a consultant likes to cruise and wants to focus on the cruise industry. They can get individual training from a cruise brand that focuses on just that brand. This helps the consultant become an expert in that particular brand. They can also become members of associations like the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). This association is for agents and consultants to stay up to date on anything related to the cruise industry.

Travel Consultants work with their clients to design and create travel plans. They will ask you a bunch of questions about your travel needs and wants. Then they will do the work to present the best options to meet the client’s needs. They give professional advice to help the client make an informed decision on their travel expectations.

The Consultants do not usually charge clients any fees for their services because they receive a commission from the suppliers. This helps keep the cost of a consultant much less than the agent since you are not paying the added fees.

One big thing you may find is that some consultants receive additional compensation from the suppliers. These compensations they can use to give back to their clients for additional saves on some of their travels.

FINAL COMPARISON

Both are great options when you are looking to create that dream trip. It all comes down to you as the client or consumer. You need to ask yourself a few important questions to help make your decision and make your travels enjoyable.

  • How much time are you willing to spend doing the research yourself?
  • Do you know how to find the best deals without assistance?
  • What is your budget and where do you really want to spend your hard-earned cash?
  • What type of vacation are you looking for?
  • Is this your vacation or is it someone else?

In the end, when planning your next vacation. Remember, the choice is yours!

THANK YOU for Visting

Travel Consultant
Ken & Kelli
Travel Consultants

PS: Follow for regular updates and deals on vacations. You can also contact us for a FREE estimate on planning your next vacation.

What’s on Your Bucket List?

What’s on your bucket list for a dream vacation?

Where is that #1 place you always wanted to go?

When will you start planning your dream vacation?

The time has come when people are getting over the pandemic and getting ready to travel again. Have you made any plans for the near future for your vacation?

Making the Plans

Let’s think of the time we were in school. We have just returned after a summer break and we are given a task. The task was to stand in front of the class to describe your summer break. What did you do?

Then there was that one kid who always took that dream vacation every year. Let us call her Sarah. Sarah and her family had gone to places like France, Spain, and even Hawaii. She always came back to class with cool souvenirs or some talent she learned while on vacation. At the end of her story, she would tell everyone about her family’s plan for the upcoming year.

Here was a family that took small trips during the year, usually a few short hours from home. Then later in the year, Sarah would be telling everyone about her family’s next big summer vacation. Sarah’s family was not rich, only her father actually worked. I don’t really remember his job, but I do remember he was not some corporate CEO.

There was a family some people would admire. Not really worrying about the cost of the vacation or any extra activities the kids had. Just making sure that they spent time as a family every year to create memories that would last a lifetime.

What are your plans for creating those memories?

Creating an Itinerary

Creating an itinerary is not for everyone. Sarah and her family usually had some type of small itinerary when they took these big trips. When going on those dream vacations, does your itinerary help you to experience everything you wanted to see?

Sometimes creating an itinerary can be more time-consuming than the itinerary itself. People create itineraries when traveling to places that they may never go to again. Traveling to cities like Paris, Washington D.C., or Venice has some once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Experiences you may have on your bucket list.

You may even what to travel across the United State to visit some of the 400 national parks. Some of these locations can only be visited at specific times of the year. Like seeing the Aurora Borealis in Denali National Park. The best time to view would mean getting an early morning wake-up call.

Though itineraries may not be for everyone. Taking a cruise does have some benefits being on an itinerary. These itineraries help cruisers decide which ports of call they want to explore more from an excursion or just relaxing on a beach. You also start planning your dream vacation before you even leave your home.

What’s in your next itinerary?

Bring It All Together

Now that you have created that dream trip, added a few things to your bucket list. Let’s put this all together. One of the biggest obstacles that prevent people from fulfilling their dreams is finances. Creating those dream trips is not as difficult as one would think.

To bring it all together you may need a little help. Do your research on the places you want to go. Talk to friends, read a few blogs, or talk to a travel agent. These sources can help you create or change your itinerary along the way.

One thing I like to ask people who are going to places like Washington D.C. Which are the locations you want to go to. Create a list of those places, then come up with a plan to bring it all together. Design a route to travel based on times and distances. For places like this, it may even be helpful to talk to some locals that could help with the best times to visit locations you want to visit.

This even works when on a cruise itinerary. Let’s use an Eastern Caribbean cruise for example. When visiting some of the islands you may want to find out which ones have the best values for jewelry. Sit in on one of the presentations on a sea day. The host is usually a cruise director or a representative that will help you find a way to save. You may even win a few prizes along the way.

How do you “Bring it All Together?

PS: Share your thought in the comments about how you plan to fill your bucket list. What is on your bucket list? I would love to hear from you. Maybe I can add to my list.

No Visible Injury

NO visible injury has placed thousands of military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and EMTs out of work. In some cases, no visible injury has even cost them their lives.

ptsd awareness

I’m not talking about exposure to hazardous materials, cardiac conditions, or even respiratory injuries. I want to talk about mental illness specifically, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD). This is the one condition no one would have even considered before taking the oath to serve the public or their country.

Over the past few years, the words or letters associated with PTSD have become more of an awareness to the general public. People are starting to understand what PTSD is and how it can affect someone’s life. But the fact still remains that the people who have suffered from PTSD have not been recognized as they should. Sure we are learning more about PTSD every day. It is still placed on the list by some as a condition that should have been recognized by the individual who has been diagnosed.

It is not like a back injury or a broken leg, something you feel sudden pain. Injuries you sustain from moving in the wrong direction or falling from a building. When you are involved in a motor vehicle collision you can sustain injuries that could take time to heal.

PSTD is not like any other injury. It can not be fixed in six to eight weeks, a surgery or two, followed by weeks of physical therapy. PTSD takes time, in most cases years to reduce the effects that may never go away. This is why we say PTSD is an injury that people never see.

Living With PTSD

Living with PTSD can be a challenge every day. Some days that seem simple to most people, become a challenge for people suffering from PTSD. For first responders, it could be the sound of a siren from a fire truck or ambulance. Military veterans could become anxious from just walking done the street passed an alley.

Learning to live with PTSD is like a child learning to walk. There are times when you fall back into depression or anxiety. Then there is the time when the skills you needed to learn, help you get back on your feet. These skills take time along with practice to help you over some difficult situations.

You continue to have days that remind you of the trauma that caused the PTSD. Doing simple things that you have done for years becomes difficult. The memories are always in your mind. Some days just getting out of bed to start a new day really is not a simple task.

What would you do if you ran into an old colleague you worked with for a number of years. In the past, you had so much to talk about. It is the nature of the business of public safety professionals to have a somewhat strange sense of humor. Days that you have shared a number of incidents that turned into “did you see that” type of conversation. Then the conversations when you would compare the different incidents you responded to. Just to see who had the best story.

COPING with PTSD

Coping with PTSD can be done in a few different ways. One of the first things you need to do is to recognize you may be suffering from symptoms of PTSD, this is the hardest part. One who is suffering from PTSD usually first response is to deny it and to self-medicate. There could also be some incidents of repeat trauma or disassociative event.

Once you or someone around you helps you recognize you need help. Do not hesitate to get treatment from a professional who has experience with PTSD. There are a lot of great mental health professionals in the field. However, many of the try to treat PTSD as just another mental illness. Trust me, it is not.

Everyone or almost everyone who suffers from PTSD finds different ways to cope with their symptoms. I have learned from my experience, that self-care is one of my favorite ways.

This includes taking time for yourself. Whether it be meditation while listening to music or focusing on the sounds around you. Grounding tactics I also found work best when the symptoms are acute. Focusing on a detailed description of something as simple as a pencil or your cell phone.

CONCLUSION

The injuries associated with PSTD are not as apparent as it seems. Years have gone by, as far back as the civil war, before people recognized the symptoms of PTSD. Over the past few years, PTSD is starting to become more recognized. As time goes by even mental health professionals are learning that PTSD has become a long-lasting diagnosis. There are ways to cope with PTSD that help you reduce anxiety and depression.

I hope you have learned a little about PTSD today. There is so much more that we can learn. One of the biggest things I have learned is the OLD public safety statement “burnout” is more the continued exposure to trauma without learning to cope.

Remember, PTSD has NO VISIBLE INJURY.

Thank you for reading, Please “Like” “Share” and “Follow” for more of my posts on Travel and Living with PTSD.

Ken Kelli
Ken & Kelli Travel Advisor

PS: I would love to hear from you. Add a comment below, even if it’s just to say “HI.”

Life Changes

Life Changes

It really is amazing how fast life changes. What is even more amazing is how fast life passes us by and before we know it our next chapter in life has begun. Our lives can be like a novel with continuous changes. Our lives are really not as predictable as one may think.

You have plans when you finish school in hopes that the subject in which you study becomes your career. In reality, most people not only change jobs but change careers a number of times before finally retiring. Then there are those people that never retire because of one reason or another.

Statistically, a large percentage of people will change careers 3 to 7 times in their lifetime. While 54% of people consider changing careers, only 44% of those who have considered changing have truly changed.

If we look at this in a few ways from the time you would graduate with say a 4-year bachelor’s degree. You would be approximately 22 years of age. By the time you reach the average retirement age of 65 years old or 43 years of employment. You would have changed careers almost every 6 to 10 years.

claustrophobia

Why do People Change Careers?

There are a great number of reasons why people would change careers. According to some research by talent solutions which helps employees and employers connect. Most people change careers due to an increase in salary, usually between 3% and 5%, while others prefer to change for goal or philosophy changes. This goes back to the finding that the career they went to school for just is not what they expected.

A few other reasons are as simple as not being satisfied with the leadership. Something I have brought up in a past post regarding true leadership and why people lead the way they do.

People may also choose to change due to Life Changes including the birth of a child or just lifestyle-alone changes. When thinking of some things in life that change those things that are unpredictable. Our lives change so fast at times that the last thing we realize is life has passed us by.

Conclusion

Don’t get caught in the trap of “this is what I went to school for, so this is what I will do the rest of my life.” This statement is really an old thought that is now no longer true. I tell my boys that the money and the education are nice. However, your happiness to enjoy your career is more important.

If you enjoy your job, you never work a day in your life.

Ken Kelli
Ken & Kelli Travel Advisor

PS: Thank you for stopping by. Please feel free to “Like,” “Share,” and “Follow.” If you would like to add a comment, I would love to hear from you.

Which Cruise Line is Best for You?

Before I get into this post today. I want to be perfectly clear. These are only my opinions and not those of anyone else. If you have any input or experiences I would love to hear your comments below.

Which Cruise Line is Best?

When deciding on which cruise line is best for you, we need to look at a bunch of factors. One of the first things is with all the cruise lines in the world it could get very overwhelming. There are river cruises, ocean cruises, long cruises, and short cruises. Then there are the different brands from Azamara to Virgin, from Carnival to Royal Caribbean. There are also some smaller cruise lines like Silversea or Viking.

Keeping in mind that before you start looking it may be a good option to contact a travel advisor who specializes in cruises. They can give you a general idea of the price point and onboard amenities you may be looking for. Remember, the small the cruise lines the higher your price point may be. You will also be looking at more luxury and fewer amenities.

The purpose of this post is to look at which cruise line is best for you if you are considering larger cruise lines. In the future, we will do a comparison of the smaller cruise lines.

Let’s Get Started

You have decided to take a cruise this year for your vacation/holiday. You and your family are trying to decide which cruise line is the best for you. There are a number of cruise lines to choose from, so let’s round it down to a few of the larger cruise brands. Here we will be looking at the cruise line we feel are the current most popular brand, Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean. Not to leave out Disney, they are great for children and you have to love the Disney theme.

These 4 cruise lines have their own special flair. Each comes with pros and cons as well as a host of signatures to the brand. The first thing we want to point out is the itineraries that each of them has. This will not help you decide on the cruise line, but it is a good place to start when you think of your travels. After all, isn’t that how you plan your travel anyway? Where do you want to go?

All 4 will take you to locations in the Caribbean, Alaska, and many locations in Europe. The time of year will become very important at this point. During school breaks, holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, and even hurricane season should be considered. Sailing in these times could vary on the cost and experience.

For example, you will obviously be paying more for the cruise during school breaks and holidays. While during hurricane season the cruise may be less costly, the cost of your travel insurance may be a little more.

Rounding Down

Now that we have come up with a time of year and a location. What are you looking to get out of your experience? We are always looking to have a good time and create lasting memories. Sometimes those memories can become a little clouded depending on how many “adult beverages” are consumed on your cruise. Don’t get me wrong, I even enjoy a few drinks on my travels. However, when it comes to creating memories, you do want to make sure the ones you remember are enjoyable.

Each of these cruise lines has its own great list of onboard experiences. Onboard experiences and activities can help with those longer days at sea. Sea days are those days that if you don’t have enough to do, they could make or break the trip.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean have the most to offer during these sea days. Including activities like waterslides, roller coasters, and bumper cars. If you are more adventurous. Royal Caribbean also has rock climbing walls, zip lines, and the signature FlowRider.

All 4 do offer activities for kids as well. These are best for families with kids of all age groups and when parents want to have some time to reconnect as a couple. These activities fill up fast, so the sooner you can get your kids signed up, the better chance they have to enjoy these activities.

What is Your Budget?

We would like to say that money is no object when it comes to your travels. The fact is that in my experience most people don’t plan their finances around their vacations. If you are like a majority of people in this world we never think of the financial part of planning our travel. You just “wing it” or hope to have enough when it’s all over.

Looking at each of our 4 cruise lines, they all have pretty similar price points. The question comes in now, “What do I get for the money I have spent?”

Let us say you wanted to go on a 7-night Caribbean cruise leaving from Florida. Each one will have a set of itineraries and dates to choose from. Trying to avoid hurricane season and school breaks you decide on the second week in November. You can choose from 2 of the newest ships in the world Carnival “Celebration” and Royal Caribbean’s “Wonder of the Seas,” which happens to be the current largest ship in the world. (Icon of the Seas will be sailing from Port Canaveral in 2024).

These price ranges start at around $529pp for an interior cabin on “Celebration” to around $1608pp for a large balcony on “Wonder of the Seas.” You could always go all out on the “Wonder of the Seas” for a royal loft suite for the cost of around $20,608pp. This will all depend on what you are looking to get from your travels. I have always preferred an ocean balcony, only because I like the feel of the sea air while sleeping or taking that afternoon siesta.

A few other things to consider, if you are going to fly? Are you going to include that in your booking? This could become important if you are traveling on the date of your embarkation. The cruise lines have ways to package your airline the date of embarkation. This will be important when it comes to flight delays or cancellations. The cruise lines, in most cases, will fly you to the next port-of-call and provide a hotel for the night to meet your cruise ship at no cost to you. There are a few fine lines however at times. Some require you to have purchased travel insurance at a reasonable fee. Which I feel is always worth the extra expense.

Cruise Crowds

If this is important to you. Cruise crowds are going to be in different places at different times, especially on sea days. Thinking about this from a perspective. These cruise ships are basically floating cities in some cases, with upwards of 5000 people plus 2500 crew members. They are putting over 8000 people on these floating cities that have a turnaround time at the port of fewer than eight hours in some cases.

If you are thinking of wanting a younger more party type with a short cruise Carnival has been called the “FUN” ship for a reason. If you are looking for a longer cruise with luxury in mind, Celebrity or Norwegian has what you are looking for. When it comes to more activities for those sea days, Royal Caribbean has got you covered.

Age groups will vary on each of these cruise lines since they do have some people who are very loyal to one brand or another. Each has something for every age group. However, if the brand is not as important to you. Carnival is more of the younger crowds, and Royal Caribbean is the middle age and early families. While Celebrity and Norwegian can be considered an older crowd looking for more luxury with fewer activities.

One other thing to keep in mind is that Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are owned by the same cruise groups that also own Azamara and Silverseas. So if you are looking to stay loyal to a brand, Royal Caribbean may be your choice.

Summary

With all the different cruise lines in the world, it may be best to seek a travel advisor who specializes in cruises. They will be up to date on all the ins and outs of the cruise industry to give you what you want from your cruise. Every cruise line has there unique signature restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. When it comes to the experience from the activities to the entertainment onboard, you have many to choose from.

Ken Kelli
Ken & Kelli Travel Advisor

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True Leadership

True leadership can be defined in many ways. In my career, I have worked under some good leaders, some great leaders, and some who just have to respect their titles. Today I’m going to share with you what you will find in a True Leader.

Leadership traits can be learned throughout a career. These are traits that are taught through experience or education. Sitting in a classroom for hours and days on end does not make a true leader.

Good Leaders

Although there are many leaders in this world that believe education is the only way to be a good leader. A good leader is one that has that education, however, really has no way of how to use it. A good leader has difficulty applying what they have learned. A good leader has difficulty admitting they are wrong.

Good leaders find ways to prove how much they know. They find ways to make a situation easy for them to manage using their education. A good leader does not work very well with others.

Great Leaders

Great Leaders are the ones that have the education and are willing to share what they know. They are willing to listen to their subordinates to devise a plan that will not only work but make the team look good in the end. A great leader will give the team the recognition they deserve.

Great leaders are never afraid to admit they made a mistake. The reality is that not everyone is perfect and accepts this for what it is. Great leaders are always willing to stand up for their subordinates when the time comes.

TRUE LEADERS

True leaders lead by example. True Leader is not afraid to get their hands dirty. They are willing to go the extra mile to work with the team for success. Then be humbled in the end by giving all the credit to the team. They will stand behind the team members above and beyond. Even when the team member may be in need of so assistance. NOT LEAVING THEM OUT TO DRY!

True Leaders will get down and do the work or show you how they expect it to be done. They may even be willing to hang out with you for dinner or a few adult beverages while leaving work where it belongs. This is the leader who is not only knowledgeable from education and experience but has the ability to know where they came from.

Then there are Those

I saved this one for last because that’s where they belong, at the end. These are those leaders no one wants to work with. They will do everything to leave you hanging or anything to make themself look good. They take credit for success and point fingers for the short fallings.

These leaders are not willing to work well with others. They do everything they can to let you know they are in charge. Never willing to help or work well as a team. One of the things I see most in these leaders is if something goes wrong, it’s never their fault. One thing they do is talk behind your back as they are plunging a knife into it as well.

Conclusion

I am sure you have had a few of these or will have them at some point and time. You can pretty much place a finger on which one you would follow and support in any situation. Then the others that you would never invite to lunch.

I have my picks for each of these. Without adding names, what kind of experiences have you had with a leader? I would like to hear from you.

Ken Kelli
Ken & Kelli Travel Advisor

PS: Please add a “Like” and “share.” If you have any comments, feel free to share your thoughts. I would like to hear from you.

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