WHERE IN THE WORLD IS HALF OUR STAFF?????

It is Virtuoso Week in Las Vegas and Karen, John, Sherry, Kathy and Paula are there. Hundreds of hoteliers, cruise lines, specialty tour companies, airlines, and top notch travel advisors have flown in from all over the world to share their products and services with Virtuoso Travel Advisors. It's an exciting week, to be sure. It is such an important event that half our staff is there. Here at Odyssey Travel we want your travel experience to exceed your expectations and we put forth a lot of effort to learn as much as we can about the BEST travel products and services availabe for our clients.

NORWEGIAN FJORDS WITH SILVERSEA CRUISES

My husband, Lewis, and and I had the opportunity to host a Silver Seas cruise to the Norwegian Fjords in June 2013. The ship was the beautiful Silver Whisper and the cruise, well, how can you beat Silver Seas? We left a few days early and spend two nights in Copenhagen. It was our first time there and we really enjoyed the city. We took the hop-on hop-off bus tour and had the oppotunity to see just about every part of the city. Tivoli Gardens was beautiful with so many varities of flowers blooming at one time. The gardens are also an amusement park and the kids were having a terrific time. There were outdoor ballet performances, concerts, beer gartens, and wonderful restaurants. We visited the Rosenborg Castle and viewed the Crown Jewels, which are truly stunning. Lunch canal side in Nyhaven was a real treat with street performers were keeping all of the patrons entertained. On June 28th we boarded the Silver Whisper. The ship, one of the luxury small ships, is immaculate. Check-in was personal and easy and we were walking onto the decks within 5 minutes of arrival. The service on this ship simply cannot be beat. Many of the waiters and servers knew our names by the second day. The cabin was quite roomy with a walk in closet, full bath tub and separate shower, dual sinks and exquisitely set in marble. Of cource, the butler added a extra touch to our stay by taking very good care of us and surprising us with thoughtful acts-a soaking tub with candles, shoes shined, luggage cleaned, breakfast servied in-suite, all with the gracious smile of a finely educated and trained butler. The food was delicious. Our favorite restaurant was The Rocks. At night they convert the pool deck to an outside restaurant. Your food is served on a large platter accompanied by a piping hot lava rock upon which to cook it. Filet mignon, prawns, fresh mahi or corvino and all of the extras. Of course, on SilverSea, all of your drinks, including cocktails, beer and wine are included, as are the gratuities. The was a variety of food available in the main dining room and it was quite good. The food in the specialty restaurants, La Champagne and La Terrazza was scrunptious. With under 400 passengers to be pampered, you will enjoy the personalized service that is experienced everywhere on the ship. Service in the dining room was exceptional, and again, very personalized! The ports of call, Geiranger, Flam, Bergen, Kristiansund and Hellesylt were colorful and historic. The fish market in Bergen displayed an array of fish seafood, some of which we had never seen before. Cruising through the Norwegian Fjords was spectacular, with waterfalls at every turn. Simply beautiful. SilverSeas has an extremely high repeat guest ratio, and I can understand why. The ships circle the globe, calling on ports that the larger cruise ships simply cannot reach. It is an experience not to be missed!

Freedom of the Seas

On June 2, 2013 we set sail on the Freedom of the Seas to enjoy a family reunion. The ship was booked to capacity with many families. I was a little apprehensive with so many people onboard but there was truly something for everyone. The Freedom Class Royal Caribbean ships are packed with activities (or not, if you choose). The children's program kept the little ones happy and entertained, especially with the DreamWorks character breakfast and surprise appearances. The teens had their own space and activities and the adults, well, there is just so much to do. With the FlowRider surf simulator, boxing ring, rock climbing wall, golf simulators, theme bars, ice-skating rink, whirlpools, spa, casino. . . the list goes on and on. With deck parties and theme nights, dancing in the Royal Promenade and enjoying some of the best entertainment afloat, our family of 17 really had a fabulous trip. No one cooked, cleaned or had to plan events. We all did our own thing and then met up for dinner. If you haven't planned your family reunion at sea, you are missing the boat!!