In my mission to provide excellent client service to every one of you, I've always been careful not to grow too fast.

It's now time to add a few more clients to my 'roster' and I need your help to do that.  And, of course, there will be rewards!

For every referral you send to me that books a trip (corporate or leisure), you will receive a $10 Tim Hortons gift card.

In addition, you will receive one entry into a draw for a $250. Visa gift card.

So here are the 'rules'!

First, somebody must tell me prior to booking about the referral.  Either make sure your friend tells me that you referred them, or you contact me and let me know!

Next, it must be a new client for me.  Past clients who have been referred and book again during the contest don't count!

There are no limits on the number of entries into the draw.  The more referrals you send that book, the more chances you have to win.

Referrals must book prior to 31 Oct 2011.

The draw will be held 01 Nov 2011.  Notification will be made shortly after the draw and congratulations will be in the November Newsletter. 

Contact me anytime! 

Cruises let you sample different destinations, then decide where you'd like to return someday. You can efficiently visit several dynamically diverse destinations in a single week without wasting valuable hours packing, hauling your bags to the station and sitting on a train.

Short of sleeping on a park bench, there is no more affordable way to see Europe than cruising. On the cheapest cruises, you and your partner can travel for less than $100 per night, and you get a comfy place to sleep, transportation between multiple destinations and all the chocolate-dipped strawberries you can eat.

Here are a couple of tips:

• Though cruising is affordable, extra expenses, such as alcohol, Internet access, spa treatments, casino games and cheesy gangway photos, can add up quickly. Passengers can unwittingly rack up bills that exceed the original cost of the trip. To avoid surprises, check your balance at the front desk every few days.
• To keep your bill from bloating, buy as little as possible while on board, as things are usually more expensive on your ship than on land. To check email, visit an Internet café in port rather than on board. For souvenirs, do your shopping in port (ideally away from the main tourist areas) rather than on the ship.
• One of the biggest optional expenses on a cruise are shore excursions. Though these can make sightseeing easy and efficient, saving you the time and hassle of figuring out how to get into town on your own, in many destinations they simply aren't worth the expense.
• Not all food is included in your cruise fare. Many ships have specialty restaurants, such as a steakhouse or sushi restaurant, that cost extra. Skip these restaurants in favour of the main dining room, where the food is typically good and, even better, included in the price. If you're heading out for a long day in port, help yourself to a big breakfast and bag up the leftovers to keep you going until dinnertime. It may not be classy, but it's cheap.
• Because alcohol, name-brand soft drinks and specialty coffee drinks all cost extra, beverage tabs can rise quickly. Instead of Diet Coke, develop a taste for iced tea or juice, which are usually included. (To satisfy a craving for pop, get it cheap at local grocery stores.) Some cruise lines ban passengers from bringing alcohol on board, but others allow limited bottles of wine and beer. Before you set sail, find out your cruise line's policy on taking alcohol aboard; if it's more lenient, B.Y.O.B. to save some bucks.

• Take advantage of other onboard freebies. Rather than buy a book, check one out from the ship's library. Instead of watching a pay-per-view movie in your cabin, enjoy the free shows. Hang out by the pool, take an art class or join a trivia game. Read your daily program: There's something free going on virtually every minute of every day.

You don't have to avoid extras entirely. After all, you're on vacation. As long as you keep your spending under control, a cruise can still be one of the cheapest ways to experience Europe.

To read the full article, please click here.

To inquire about, or book, a cruise vacation, email me anytime.