The team at urbanmoms.ca is pleased to introduce Sandy, our newest addition to the Ask urbanmoms.ca team of experts. Sandy is responsible for Package Vacations and Cruises at AIR MILES Travel. Check out Sandy’s advice in our Women’s Intuition Video: Travel Expert. Join her here regularly for tips, tricks and exclusive vacation deals!
Welcome to the World of Travel!
Happy New Year and welcome to my first ever Ask urbanmoms.ca post. I am very excited to be part of the urbanmoms.ca community, and I really hope that I can provide some good tips (and DEALS) so that you and your family can get out and explore the world.
Just to give you some history on me – I first got the travel bug when I was 17, and was hired as a secretary at WARDAIR (most of you will not even know this airline) which unfortunately really dates me. BUT what a fun time being young and single with no responsibility and able to pick up and go. I traveled almost every weekend, and being young and impetuous, I mostly went somewhere that was hot with a beach.
I have been in the travel industry ever since, but a lot has changed since my Wardair days. I am now married with an 8 year old daughter. I have been working at the AIR MILES® Reward Program for almost 13 years and have the luxury of managing the Package Vacation & Cruise portfolio.
How has traveled changed for me? Well I certainly don’t go away every weekend on a whim and that’s not a bad thing. I think as we mature, we want to get more out of our travel experiences than a tan. When I travel now I research where I am going and as a Mom I feel responsible for making sure that everyone has a good time. The pleasure that I get from my daughter’s experiences are at times more important than mine. And I mean “at times,” because my husband and I also need down time to reconnect and rejuvenate for our busy lives.
Because of our daughter’s age, most of our recent travels have been beach holidays. We plan to explore more as she gets older. The two most recent trips have been to Club Med in Punta Cana and a Carnival Cruise this past November. We had the same experience as Jen did recently in Mexico, where our daughter wanted to be in the kids club more than hanging out with us! A perfect situation for all.
In the upcoming months I hope that I can help you decide where to go and why, suggestions for girls’ weekend getaways or romantic vacations. The options are endless, and I would love to hear what you are interested in so that we can make most of each feature.
It wouldn’t be January if I didn’t share some good deals on packages, because it seems everyone is dying to get away somewhere warm for a break from the cold. So here are a few picks and keep in mind that there are lots more – you can call the AIR MILES call centre and the travel experts there can help you select a vacation. (In addition to being Canada’s premier loyalty program, AIR MILES is also the country’s largest single site travel agency.) If you book a Package Vacation or Cruise through AIR MILES (1-888-247-6453 or in Toronto 416-226-5171) you will save an additional $50 per person if you book by January 31, 2008. You need to mention urbanmoms.ca when you call because it is an exclusive offer for you.
Varadero, Cuba
TRYP Peninsula Varadero
4 * staying in a junior suite
Activities: snorkelling, pedal boat, windsurfing, banana boat, catamaran, kayaking, water polo, tennis, volleyball, dancing lessons
For the kids: Baby Club (ages 0 – 4), Kid’s Club (ages 5 – 12) located in a specia area with wading pool, playground, games room, babysitting ($)
Departing Toronto on January 21, 2008 for $748 + $209 tax.
Departing Calgary on January 13, 2008 for $1398 + 211 tax.
I could only find availability for Vancouver on February 4, 2008 at $2089 + $206 tax (it might be worth getting to Calgary for a cheaper fare)
Manzanillo, Mexico
Tesoro Manzanillo Resort & Spa
4* staying in a Deluxe room
Activities: kayaking, water basketball, water polo, tennis,volleyball, games room, ping-pong
For the kids: 2 children under 6 stay & eat free, kid’s club (ages 4 – 12), children’s pool, water park, with slides, swings, snack bar and movie area, babysitting ($)
Departing Toronto on January 18 or 25th, 2008, for $758 + $277 tax.
Departing Calgary or Vancouver on January 15 or 22nd, 2008 for $798 + $279 tax.
All of these deals are offered by Transat Holidays, all-inclusive, per person for 7 days and subject to change and availability at time of booking.
For single parents travelling with kids I think the best deal is to try crusing. If you book a cruise you can at least take advantage of child rates for your flights and if you book a Carnival cruise the prices are good even with you having to pay the adult price for two of you (ranges anywhere from $299 to $1299) and then the 3rd person would be even cheaper. Also as a Single parent you can feel safe with the kids clubs (included in your price) which will give you a break to relax and do something for yourself.
In response to finding accommodations for large families, this is a growing market and a lot of All-Inclusive resorts can accommodate you.
One of my favourite products is Club Med (which is not cheap)but they do cater to families and have recently upgraded their Cancun, Ixtapa and Punta Cana villages where you can book family suites or adjoining rooms. All of the “Beaches” properties cater to larger families and there is a large selection of properties in Cuba, Mexico and the Dominican Republic that we can book for you through Sunquest Vacations and Transat Holidays. Cruises are also able to accommodate familes of 5 and the kids pay a small fraction of the price. Please give one of our Travel Experts a call and they can provide more info and hopefully book you on a vacation for all to remember. 1-888-247-6453 or in Toronto 416-226-5171.
Thanks
My question is similar but slightly different. I am a single mom and I can never find anything that is geared toward one adult traveling with a family. I have 2 kids. Any suggestions?
Hello. Piera touched exactly on our problem. We are looking for a nice all-inclusive for spring break and are having a terrible time finding somewhere that will accomodate a family of 5 (ours are 4, 6, and 9). Any help with this would be really appreciated.
I’m glad to see this as a featured article with urban mom. My husband and I have 3 boys 12,9,6. I always have a hard time finding accommodations/deals for a family of 5. They’re still too little to be in seperate rooms. Can you suggest places,resorts that understand some of us have more than 2 kids?????