Costa Cruise Tragedy: Is Cruising Still Safe

Is Cruising Still Safe?

Costa Concordia before the tragedy

Costa Concordia after the tragedy

We've all seen the disturbing images of the recent Costa Cruise Line tragedy that occurred on Friday, January 13, 2012. Even weeks later, many questions still remain. 

How could this happen? Whose fault was it? Could this happen again? Is cruising still safe?

First of all, my heart goes out to the victims and family of victims of this terrible tragedy. Not since the Titanic, over 100 years ago, has a cruising disaster of this magnitude occurred.   Although there can be some comparisons made the Titanic, the Costa incident was by all means an isolated event.

Cruising is one of the safest method of travel. When you consider the number of accidents that occur by automobile, planes, and trains, it further puts the safety record of the cruise industry in perspective.

Not only is cruising safe, but people love it! In fact, 16 million people embarked on a cruise last year. If you still have doubts about cruising, take a look at the video clip below featuring travel expert, Mark Murphy. 

For more information about cruising, contact us.

Dana Williams
Williams Travel and Cruises
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Phone: 1-877-529-9555 / Fax: 484-952-1495

Website:www.WilliamsTravelAndCruises.com

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Layaway Vacation Plans for 2012

How to Set Up Vacation Layaway Plans for 2012

I have had several people contact me within the past several days about setting up a layaway vacation for their 2012 vacation so I thought I should create a blog post to explain changes for this year.

YES, we still offer vacation layaway; however there are changes in the way the plan works.

Because our agency focuses on coordinating group travel (10 hotel rooms or more OR 8 cabins or more for cruises), if your group is smaller, you will need an upfront deposit for all passengers before we can book travel for you. 

Our deposit normally ranges from $175 per person to $225 per person for travel packages that include flights and hotel; however there are times when it can be more, depending on the package. If you contact us to request a quote, but do not have your deposit ready, we suggest you do a search at http://funjet.williamstravelandcruises.com to get an idea of what the price would be for your trip. Then once you have your deposits ready, we can set up your vacation payment plan. The reason for this is that prices are only good until the end of the day that you request the quote; because the price of air fare fluctuates frequently.

If you are looking to book a cruise, and want only 1 cabin, the deposit is $250 per person and you can book this on your own at http://online.williamstravelandcruises.com. If we book for you, there is a $25 per person agency fee. Contact us if you would like us to book for you. We can handle trip insurance and excursions as well.

If you have more than 1 cabin but less than 8, contact us for a quote and we can check availability for you. Cruises deposits are more flexible. As long as your preferred sailing date is farther than 90 days away, we can set up payment plan for you. Keep in mind, all cruises that are set to sail in 60 or less will require full payment at the time of booking.

We look forward to working with you. Let us know if you have any questions.

Dana Williams
Williams Travel and Cruises
Time for a Vacation? Sign up for our newsletter for upcoming events, insider travel tips, and more.
Phone: 1-877-529-9555 / Fax: 484-952-1495

Website:www.WilliamsTravelAndCruises.com

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New Look for Williams Travel and Cruises

If you have visited our website www.WilliamsTravelAndCruises.com recently, you've noticed some brand new features as well as a brand new look. For 2012, we're out with the old and in with the new. Here are some of the things we're excited to bring you.

New Look

Our website has a new cleaner look which highlights our specialty as Group Travel Specialists. As you already know, our travel agency specializes in group travel and special events. We want to be the one you call when you want to celebrate your special event on land or at sea.

New Features

This year we have decided to focus more on Y-O-U by doing fewer pre-packaged group trips and focusing more on customized packages based on our clients' needs.

You will see that we have our annual trip to the Essence Music Festival available, as well as 2 travel clubs: Travel Divas Club and Mommy Getaways Travel Club. Both of the clubs focus on girl getaways and family travel. They're free to join, so click on the appropriate links to learn more AND to sign up.

We continue to partner with City Escape Holidays to bring you pre-packages travel packages to events such as the Essence Music Festival, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Mardi Gras, and more; as well as sports event packages like Super Bowl, Rose Bowl, and All-Star games. However, as of late last year, we are no longer affiliated with Premier Travel One.

New Opportunities

Last but not least, we have introduced our Group Leader Program. Have you ever wanted to travel for free? Our group travel leader program allows you to do that and much more. Get details at http://PaidToTravel.biz.

We're excited about the new year and hope you are as well.

By the way, if money and time were no issue, where would YOU travel in 2012? Click here to let me know.

Dana Williams
Williams Travel and Cruises
Time for a Vacation? Sign up for our newsletter for upcoming events, insider travel tips, and more.
Phone: 1-877-529-9555 / Fax: 484-952-1495

Website:www.WilliamsTravelAndCruises.com

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Lineup for 2012 Essence Music Festival

Lineup for 2012 Essence Music Festival Announced

With just 176 days to go before the 2012 Essence Music Festival, Essence has announced several artists and speakers that will perform at this year's upcoming festival in July. Among the list of artists inlcude:

• Aretha Franklin
• Mary J. Blige
• Fantasia
• Keyshia Cole
• Charlie Wilson
• Ledesi
• Raheem Devaughn
• SWV
• Stephanie Mills
• Eric Roberson
• and more! For a complete list go to http://www.essencemusicfestival.com/artists.html.

These shows are going to be HOT! If you have not yet purchased your room and tickets for the 2012 Essence Music Festival yet, what in the world are you waiting for?

As of this morning, I have only 9 rooms left at our Introductory Rate. Believe me they will not last long. Hold your room with just $100 pp down. Visit http://essencemusicfestivalpackages.com/travel-packages.

Got questions? Call me at 469-737-0712.

Dana Williams
Williams Travel and Cruises
Time for a Vacation? Sign up for our newsletter for upcoming events, insider travel tips, and more.
Phone: 1-877-529-9555 / Fax: 484-952-1495

Website:www.WilliamsTravelAndCruises.com

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Spring Break at Kemah Boardwalk

Spring Break 2012

Join Mommy Getaways Travel Club as we take a fun and educational trip to Kemah Boardwalk and Nasa Space Center Houston!