Travel during the Holiday Season
Plan Now for the Perfect Family Gift – A Vacation
The Signal - Business Section, September, 2005
Hurry up to relax seems to be the mantra for the hectic season of holidays past. But it’s never too late to try something new. This year, consider making your holidays a real vacation.
Rather than decorate, prepare, cook and entertain your way through the festivities, imagine yourself sitting poolside on a cruise ship or on the beach sipping colorful drinks with umbrellas in them. Most travelers think of a vacation during the holidays as starting the day after Christmas, following the hoopla surrounding the pre-season obligations. Forget about it. The time to travel is during the holidays, sailing through these significant calendar dates stress-free.
Can you think of a better place to be in December than on a cruise ship or at a Club Med destination where everything is taken care of and all you need to do is decide is what time to have lunch. Really, the holidays can come and go without lifting a finger. Now that’s a gift the whole family can enjoy.
Give the gift of quality time to everyone on your list and take them away from the holiday madness coming soon to a mall near you. Gather the grandparents, kids, friends and cousins and go somewhere exotic and sunny by land or by sea. Now is the ideal time to initiate new holiday traditions for your family and friends for years to come.
They’ll thank you for it too, once they enjoy a relaxing time doing a whole lot of nothing rather than fussing over their turn to host the annual holiday get-together. All of the inclusive type vacations, such as cruises and Club Med, offer families and groups the perfect solution to traveling together. Meals are included, activities abound for all age groups, fitness levels and interests, spa services are available, and the kids are entertained.
If the little ones are worried about being away from home, simply remind them that the big man in red will find them no matter where they are, even if it’s in the middle of the ocean on a cruise ship. Special celebrations, meals and activities are always featured to mark the holidays so everyone feels acknowledged and festive.
Then for New Years, ring in 2006 with style. Traveling during the holidays certainly removes you from the obligatory New Years Eve parties and the drunken craziness on the streets. On a cruise ship, you get all the glamour of this traditionally festive celebration, but within a contained setting complete with music, entertainment and bubbly. No designated driver needed. Plus there are kids clubs to amuse the youngsters, so no hassle finding a sitter on this grown-up night out.
Looking at the advantages of holiday travel versus staying home, there really is no comparison. Wrapped up in a shiny box, the gift of travel is the ultimate present. One size fits the entire family, no malls required and the best part of all is that there are no dirty dishes to clean up. This is one stocking stuffer that is sure to please even the most difficult person on your list.
Since the holidays are getting so close you can almost smell the chestnuts roasting, the time to plan is right now. Before Jack Frost nips at your nose, get to your travel agent and book an over-the-holidays adventure like none other. Remember, there are less than 90 shopping days left until December 25.
Commentary provided by Eric Maryanov, president and founder of All-Travel.com, the Los Angeles-based travel management company with an office in Valencia. He can be reached at 661.775.7511..
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