Luggage Clubs November 7, 2008
Posted by yp2m in Biking, Business, Celebrities, Geography, Lifestyle, Sports, Travel, camping, coupons, money.Tags: air, bicycle, delivery, duffle, equipment, golf, kayak, luggage, skis, Sports, stroller
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Most of the time I blog about deals, specials and the BBD. That’s why alot of you keep visiting me because of the BBD. But today, I am going to blog about something that is definitely not the BBD because I think uPay2much for this service if you use it.
Have you heard of the Luggage Club? It is for travellers who don’t want to fuss with lugging their sports equipment all over the world. You pay a fee to transport your golf clubs, surfboard, kayak, skis, boots, racquets, duffle bag, etc. to a destination of your choice. It’s a door to door delivery, I think.
I was curious to check out the prices to transport two golf bags to Orlando, Florida from Seattle, Washington and back. The fee is $1,040 for next morning delivery. Next afternoon delivery will save me $33 and if I’m willing to wait 6 days for it, I can get it for $686. The prices to send my clubs to Orlando is almost the price of an air ticket.
I can see if you’re a sports professional and don’t want the hassle of carrying your gear onboard but if you get paid to play sports then you can afford this service. Or if you planning a kayak trip or a cycling trip then paying to have your equipment delivered may make sense. But sending a duffle bag, stroller or even golf bags is a little ridiculous.
I’ll gladly pay $25 surcharge to US Airways to bring a second bag than to pay a luggage club to deliver my goods. If you’re interested, check out Luggage Club and here’s a coupon for you to save some money: THRIFTY.
Free Cruise and Air November 6, 2008
Posted by yp2m in Activities, Fall 2008/2009, Free stuff, Hotels, Lifestyle, Shopping, Sightseeing, Travel, beach, cruise, freebies, golf, money, museums, saving money.Tags: air, america, carnival, cruise, free, holland, miles, oceanview, rewards, shell, Travel
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What would you prefer, a trip that you would have to pay for or a free trip? I think most of us would prefer the latter. I am redeeming my Air Miles for a possible cruise and airfare. Affliated with Air Miles are two cruise lines, Holland America and Carnival. Unfortunately I am too late for the Holland America cruise that departed on October 18, 2008 and returned with memories. Carnival on the other hand has a whole list of cruises that are eligible for point redemption. The one I’m interested in is the one that sails February 7th from Port Canaveral. If the port city sounds familiar, it should because that’s where the space shuttle launches into space from. Visiting the Cape (Canaveral) is really something else. If you love rockets, space voyages and the shuttle, be sure to stop by and spend a day there. And if you’re lucky, you might arrive on the same day as a night launch. The cruise sails to Belize City, Costa Maya and Nassau, Bahamas. Belize is known for world-class snorkelling and scuba. Costa Maya is beach, beach and more beach. And Nassau has golf, shopping and the Atlantis Resort.
The folks at Air Miles are really helpful, as they instructed me to take the cruise and the air for all the points I have. It’s not totally free because you are still responsible for port charges, taxes, air and security fees. And if you have sailed on Carnival before, they will look up if there are any promotions or specials for past passengers. In this case, my wife has sailed with Carnival before and we were entitled to a free 2-cabin upgrade. They also offered an Oceanview cabin for lower air miles than an Inside cabin so the total air miles required was only 6832 for two plus $700.08 fees. The airfare required 6480 air miles and $259 fees.
With this free trip in mind, it gives me added incentive to shop at Safeway’s, buy gas at Shell and bank at the Bank of Montreal.
Life After 20 days September 25, 2008
Posted by yp2m in Fall 2008/2009, Geography, Lifestyle, Sightseeing, Travel, cruise.Tags: amsterdam, antartica, chile, cruise, deal, encana, explorer, holland, sailing, ship, south america
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For those of you who work for Encana, please accept my sincere regret that you cannot leave town for Christmas nor New Years. If you could, imagine getting on Holland America’s 20-day South American Holiday Explorer and Antartica Experience on December 15, 2008. Your ship departs from Santiago, Chile at 5pm and sails to the tip of South America before reaching Antartica. Long before seeing icebergs and whiteness across the horizon, you will visit Darwin Channel and the Chilean Fjords. You will marvel the glaciers, each one of them ranging from Francia, Italia and Romanche, Alemania and Amalia before sailing to Cape Horn and Drake Passage.
After sailing for 7 days, you begin to relax. After 14 days, habits begin to form. What would life be like after sailing 20 days? I think it would be heaven if you were sailing the Mediterranean or the Orient but I heard it can be hell and back, especially when the Pacific Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. This happens to be around the tip where there is no landmass to level the swells and the wind whips the sea into the worst water passage on earth.
It may sound like a deal at only $1,789 for an inside cabin but if you get seasick fast, I would skip this one. On the other hand if you always wanted to see Patagonia, this may be your chance, even if you work for Encana.
Itchy Feet August 29, 2008
Posted by yp2m in Activities, Geography, Hotels, Lifestyle, Shopping, Sightseeing, Summer 2008/2009, Travel, beach, money, saving money.Tags: Travel, orlando, deals, calgary, shoes, keen, merrell, toronto, puerto vallarta
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A long weekend is coming up fast and everyone I know is heading out for their last getaway before school starts. The weather doesn’t sound good neither, with a cool down coming our way by Friday night. Believe it or not, by Sunday, it’s going to be a cool 12 degrees celsius. And Monday isn’t much better.
I’m getting itchy feet and have scoured the travel websites for a last minute deal. Here’s what I found:
1. R/T to London from Calgary or Vancouver for $755. Slightly cheaper for Toronto and Montreal at $585. With British Airways, you get a 2-day London Pass for free, allowing you to visit Kensington Palace and London Tower and more.
2. Calgary to Puerto Vallarta for only $99. With taxes, it comes out to $427.
3. Calgary to Puerto Vallarta, all-inclusive for 1 week at $548.
4. Toronto to Orlando, return for only $28. With taxes, it comes out to $210 but you have to pack your bags and leave on Saturday.
And talking about itchy feet, we have a new affiliate Shoes.com and they have all the shoes that I like – Keen, Merrell, Skechers and more. You can expect to see my favorites reviewed on our site in the next few days.
Bighorn Meadows for 50% off July 22, 2008
Posted by yp2m in Hotels, Lifestyle, Sightseeing, Summer 2008/2009, Travel, golf, kids, money, saving money.Tags: bighorn, dinner, eatery, italian, ownership, prestige, radium, rental, resort, sheep, springs
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Alot of you seem to like saving 50% off in Parksville. But if you’re like me, it’s hard to fork out $800 to fly out to Vancouver for the summer. What will it be? Airfare or car trip? If you decide it is going to be a car trip then let me save you 50% off rental rates at the Bighorn Meadows in Radium Hot Springs, BC. It is the same place I stayed at, back in May when I went out with two other guys on an all guy golfing weekend.
The Bighorn Meadows Resort sits on the 9th fairway of the Radium Springs Golf Course. It actually backs onto a man made lake that separates the fairway and a back patio where the barbeque is set up. When twilight sets in, bighorn sheep can be seen grazing by the watering hole.
It’s a pretty nice resort to stay at but it lacks any restaurant facility. The closest eatery is at the clubhouse which is situated at the Radium Springs Golf Course. The prices are reasonable and the service is prompt. When it’s nice out, have dinner on the patio and watch the sun set. If you want something different, head out to the highway. There you will find a nice Italian restaurant in the Prestige Inn. I recommend having the Greek Salad and Spaghetti with Meatballs.
To get 50% off the rental rates, call 1-877-344-2323 and book a tour and stay for 2 to 3 nights. Again, if you don’t plan to buy ownership, stand firm when presented with an offer.
Get 50% in Parksville July 20, 2008
Posted by yp2m in Home, Hotels, Lifestyle, Sightseeing, Summer 2008/2009, Travel, beach, saving money.Tags: beach, beachcomber, condo, estate, ownership, parksville, rates, real, rental, waterfront
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Our friends go out to Parksville every year for some beaching, golfing and relaxing. They find it cooler than our Calgary heat which sometime gets unbearable. This year is different. We have been getting so many thunderstorms lately that I am ready to move out to Vancouver. The reason we haven’t moved there is because my wife hates rain and she holds that against me for being from Vancouver.
Parksville has really grown up in the last few years. It looks like because real estate is booming in Vancouver that people are trying to find cheap retreats. If you are a beachcomber and/or looking for a summer vacation, here’s a sweet deal for you.
Call 1-866-812-3224 and book a tour at the Sunrise Ridge Waterfront resort in Parksville and get 50% off rental rates for a 2 or 3 night stay. In the tour, they will try to sell you a fractional ownership or a whole unit. Stand firm if you don’t want to buy anything but I’m guessing that you’ll enjoy yourself immensely, enough to come back to this every year.
Dog with Rich Parents July 17, 2008
Posted by yp2m in Accessories, Car, Dogs, Home, Lifestyle, money.Tags: bentley, cayman, collar, condo, diamonds, dog, passat, porshe, roof, upscale, vw, wallet
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Something is wrong with the world when you pick up an Upscale magazine and see a dog on the front cover with a $25,000 diamond studded collar. People are making too much money in this city to command products like this. A friend of ours had bought a new condo downtown, facing the river for over $750k. I couldn’t believe the square footage of the place. My ensuite and walk-in closet is almost bigger than their 2-bedroom condo because it is a mere 712 square feet.
Have you noticed driving around Calgary or Vancouver that there are a lot more high-end vehicles on the road? I was following three cars yesterday, a Cayman, a Bentley and a Ferrari. I drive an economical VW Passat and is not happy with the fuel consumption but compared to these vehicles, I’m sure I can save enough for a $25,000 diamond studded collar for Doc, my golden retriever.
Next week, I am going to be $10,000 lighter in the wallet because I’m getting my roof done. Is it highway robbery or what? My builder told me that cedar shakes were going to last me a long, long time when he built my house. It’s only been 13 years and the roof is disintegrating right before my eyes. I’m going with the Timberline 30 year asphalt shingles. With the slope of my roof, my roofer tells me I can get 35 years out of it. I hope he’s right.
Abit of Europe in Canada June 2, 2008
Posted by yp2m in Food, Geography, Hotels, Life, Lifestyle, Shopping, Sightseeing, Summer 2008/2009, Travel, cruise.Tags: artists, chateau, church, cruise, english, europe, fairmont, french, funicular, hotel, montreal, pubs, quebec, restaurants, schwartz, smoked meat, train
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Some people have chosen never to set foot in Europe because they don’t think they will like it. If you are one of these people, let me see if I can change your mind. I have to admit that history wasn’t one of my favorite subjects in school. Perhaps, I found it irrelevant when it came to memorizing dates and being quizzed on the people that made history. Or the fact that these places were so far away and as a kid, you don’t appreciate art, culture nor history until a lot later in life.
To get a taste of Europe without going too far, I urge you to go to Montreal and stay a few days then take a train to Quebec City for some French immersion.
First, read my earlier blog on Visiting Montreal. Plan to stay a few days in Montreal to take in some of the sights such as the Biodome, McGill University campus, the underground city, Old Port and the site of the 1976 Summer Olympics. Take a cab to Schwartz’s located at 3895 Saint Laurent Boulevard. If you plan to drive there, take note that parking may be a challenge. Schwartz’s is a Montreal tradition since 1928 and when we arrived for a late lunch, there was already a line in front of the small deli. After 10 minutes in line, we sat down at a cramped table and ordered a large plate of smoked Montreal meat along with some olives and a pickle. It was delicious to say the least.
Ask the concierge at the hotel on where to catch the train to Quebec City. The ride is only 2.5 hours away but let me warn you in advance, we were told by a tour guide that the train is always late. Believe it or not, Quebec City is the second oldest existing European settlement in Canada. The old quarter is a walled city and is the only walled city in North America. How cool is that? In Europe, there are so many walled cities that after visiting one, you can almost say you have been to them all. But I have a thing for walled cities which always brings me back to the Holy Grail, Knights in shining armor, castles, moats, watchtowers and medieval villages.
Quebec City is split into two, a lower part and an upper part. When we sailed into Quebec City on our Canada/ New England cruise, the port was in the lower part. From the port, Place-Royal was a nice 10 minute walk away from the ship. There you will find narrow cobblestone streets filled with quaint shops, pubs and restaurants. There are patio cafes and pubs where patrons can sit, drink a glass of wine or a pint of beer and people watch. To reach the upper part, you can either climb a long flight of stairs up to the Chateau or you can take a funicular. If you have been to Hong Kong or Varese, Italy then you are familiar with a funicular. Even the Montreal Observatory has a funicular that takes people up an inclined hill.
Most of the newer hotels are in the upper part. If you want a blast into the past feeling, stay at the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac that resembles a castle. Actually, I was told that when they built it originally, it disappointed alot of the residents there so they added the extra tower to it so it looked more like a castle. Another good hotel to consider is the Luxe which is walking distance to Place-Royal, the first permanent site in New France. There you will find quaint shops, pubs and restaurants. Be sure to try to local beer brewed in Quebec.
Just a stone throw from the Chateau is a fountain and a square. Across the street from the fountain, you will find a lane that is highly populated with local artists. There you will find watercolor prints and photographic images at reasonable prices. Down from the lane, you will find a Roman Catholic church, the Notre-Dame de Quebec Basilica which is the oldest parish in North America. Walking through the cobblestone streets, you get a sense of European culture. It is very French here so give your high school French a try when speaking to the locals. Most establishments speak English, but they appreciate it when you try to speak French. At least, learn the greeting ‘Bonjour’ that means good day and ‘Vas-Bien?’ to ask if someone is well.
Give yourself a chance to appreciate a foreign place and perhaps, you will find something you like to visit in Europe.
Lobster Everyday May 31, 2008
Posted by yp2m in Food, Geography, Lifestyle, Sightseeing, Spring 2008/2009, Travel, cruise, money, saving money.Tags: blueberry, boston, canada, celtics, charlottetown, chowder, cruise, halifax, heritage, holland america, jost, lobster, maritimes, montreal, port, quebec, shore excursions, Sightseeing, sydney, tours
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As most of you knew, I sailed on the Holland America Maasdam cruise ship on the May 17th voyage from Montreal to Boston. They call it the Canada / New England itinerary. When asked by my brother-in-law, why I chose that cruise, I answered that we were always curious about Eastern Canada and the Eastern seaboard. Now I can say that I have been to the Maritimes and visited Bar Harbor in Maine and Boston.
I did not want to spend a lot of money on shore excursions so I kept to a budget. I also did not fall for the marketing ploy that most shore excursion desks seem to do, hurry me to preorder before the cruise sails in case a particular tour sells out. I normally wait until I get onboard, attend the port talks then decide the best tour for the value.
Here are the shore excursions that I took:
1. City Tour of Old & New Quebec – If I knew what I know today, I would have skipped this tour and walk into Old Quebec myself. The main sight is the Chateau Frontenac which you see on top of the hill when you sail in. It’s a nice walk from the ship and if climbing stairs is not your thing, you can take a funicular up the hill for a small price.
2. Panoramic Island Drive – Charlottetown is pretty bland for our taste so if we had skipped a tour, we would have been bored. The drive was ok with the highlight being the Confederation Bridge and the souvenir shops they take you to. My advice: skip buying the Paderno cookware and save yourself lugging it home. You can buy Paderno at Winner’s when you get home.
3. Titanic Tour: The Halifax Connection – After reading comments on the internet about this tour, I was prepared to be sombre when we began this tour. They drive you through residential streets to various houses owned by passengers who sailed the Titanic then they visit the Fairview cemetery where most of the victims are buried. The tour also includes admission to the Maritime Museum where they have a collection of recovered artifacts from Titanic. We spent the morning touring the Halifax port and the Citadel on our own and left the afternoon for the bus tour.
4. Sydney, Nova Scotia – We decided to skip the tours and walk into town ourselves. One of the best sights that we saw was the Jost Heritage house located at 54 Charlotte Street. The admission fee was $2 and it was well spent because volunteers greet you and tell you some history about the house, its inhabitants and how life was back in the 1800’s. Another house up the block called the Cossit House, was not worth the $2 admission that they charge. We also visited a local craft show at a church and talked to some of the locals. (Next time around, weather permitting – visit the Bird Islands of Cape Breton to see puffins, eagles and seals)
5. Acadia National Park – For $39, you don’t get a lobster out of it but you save yourself $60 and you still see the main sights of what Bar Harbor has to offer. The bus winds its way up from the port to the top of Cadillac Mountain where you have a 360 degree view of the area. It is spectacular up there but it will be more dramatic if you go in the fall.
6. Boston City Highlights & Airport Transfer – Considering a taxi would have cost just $20 from port to airport, this tour was not worth it. They charged $71 each and for $50, we had a drive-by of MIT, Boston Tea Party wharf, downtown Boston and where the Celtics play.
Aside from the shore excursions, I would highly recommend that you skip the tours that includes lobster on the menu and order it on the ship (at the Pinnacle Grill where you get 2 tails for a $10 fee). In Bar Harbor, go to the Westside Cafe on West street and tell them you want the special that the ship advertises on their newsletter. For $24.95 (a saving of $4), you get a whole lobster, a cup of New England chowder and a slice of their delicious blueberry pie.
And you ask…how did I gain my 2 extra pounds?
Cruising with Holland America May 29, 2008
Posted by yp2m in Activities, Food, Games, Lifestyle, Sightseeing, Sports, Travel, cruise, golf.Tags: Activities, canada, cruise, Food, holland america, new england, sailing, service, Sightseeing, Sports
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Before we chose Holland America to sail on, we were warned by several travel agents to expect lots of old people. And yes, I have to admit that we did see a lot of old people on our Canada/ New England cruise last week but we also saw some young people onboard as well. The one thing I had noticed about Holland America is that there were fewer activities provided by the cruise director. No line dances, language classes, flower arranging, horse races, wine tasting nor napkin folding lessons. This was evident on the day at sea where we spent most of our day in the library playing Scrabble.
Unlike most of the Royal Caribbean ships, the Maasdam lacked a golf simulator, a par 3 putting green, basketball court and a rock climbing wall. I didn’t know whether the ship had a disco or not, but everyone seem to be in bed by 10pm.
I had no regrets sailing with Holland America. The food was excellent and the service was top notched. Unlike our Mediterranean Cruise last September, we were served lobster on several occasions. The shore excursions were quite affordable and provided informational tour guides and sufficient bathroom breaks. If you’ve cruised with Princess or Royal Caribbean, I think you owe yourself a Holland America cruise. They seem to take service to a whole new level, rather than to allow you to pick up your own food at the buffet.
