focus June 2011 Newsletter newsletter Consultant’s Corner Well Spring has sprung and already heading into summer. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims of the recent string of tornados, through the Midwest, especially for the folks in Joplin, Missouri. Thank you to Jeff Borgerding (VP of Client Relations) for taking over the column last month and his kind words. Previously, I had mentioned that I would share some more bios with you but I want to save that for an upcoming column. Instead, I would like to share a recent experience that I was fortunate to participate in through one of our consortium partners – TravelSavers; a river cruise down the Danube thru Central Europe on the MS Tapestry. David Gorecki Chief Operating Officer Yes – I said river cruising. Now it is not what you think – you are not on a barge but on a vessel especially built for the experience so you can enjoy a five star luxury vacation. Our cruise began in Budapest or as they say Buda and Peche since the Danube splits the city in two. We overnighted in Budapest at the newly opened Continental Hotel Zara, a beautiful modern but quaint European style hotel that preserved the original façade of the building when it was renovated. We had a fun filled day sightseeing, with a fabulous lunch at the world famous Gundel’s hosted by the Hungarian Tourist Board. The highlight for my wife was the Vaci Street Pedestrian Mall – two floors of shops containing food stalls with local goods such as paprika and handmade lace and other items. She Contents: had a great time bargaining with all the vendors. We finished the day on our - Consultant’s Corner... own with a quick stop in the stunning - United Continental adds three new Houston routes... - Wheelchair taxis begin operating in nation’s capital... lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel and - Flight Delays: 5 Things You Must Know About the Weather... the holocaust memorial of the iron - The Setai Fifth Avenue... shoes along the riverbank. - Did you know?... - 11 Best Travel Apps... We boarded our ship the MS Tapestry - DFW International Airport starts first major construction.... by Avalon Waterways that evening - Business travel spending to grow 7 percent... and departed sail for Bratislava, - Travelers turn back to travel agents Slovakia. The MS Tapestry contains three levels with a full dining room and lounge and an upper sky deck. The entire crew was English speaking but from all over the world. State rooms were spacious and modern with sliding glass doors since the ship had been built in 2006. The food was amazing with a six course dinner (open seating) that evening and wine to match the courses. We arrived at Bratislava in the afternoon and had a beautiful tour of the city highlighted by the Schlosshof Palace as well as a walking tour of the city which was hosting the World Hockey Championships. Folks were out in the café’s sporting the colors of their countries teams. We boarded the ship that evening to Melk and Durnstein in the Wachau Valley in Austria. Continued Consultant’s Corner Besides Budapest, this was our favorite part of the cruise. The Wachau Valley is a World Heritage Site, with 30 kilometers, of breath taking scenery with small towns, and with beautiful churches and vineyards that dot the country side. All along the river you can see people bicycling and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Durnstein is considered the “Pearl of the Wachau” and it lived up to its name. It is a 900 year old walled city with a distinctive blue and white tower of the Abbey Church. It is also the site where King Richard the Lionheart, King of England was imprisoned. This region is also famous for its white wines and apricots. We had a wine tasting at the five star Schlosshotel whose terrace overlooks the Danube. eW then spent the next hour visiting the shops as we walked along the cobble stone streets. We boarded the ship at noon time and were off to Melk to visit the Melk Abbey. As you cruise along, all of the sudden you see this magnificent structure up the hillside in the valley. It is the Melk Abbey, a retreat designed for Benedictine monks. We docked, and 10 minutes later, via bus, arrived at the Abbey for a walking tour. The abbey is beautiful inside as many of the rooms were restored with original artwork and furniture. The abbey is currently a school with over 900 children in attendance. The library was breath taking with over 85,000 books in it. We ended our tour in the beautiful chapel with a special concert by one of the monks on the pipe organ. Many of us returned to the ship by walking back down the hill thru the picturesque town of Melk stopping along the way at the café’s for refreshments. Back on the ship that evening, our cruise director hosted a talent contest and we had some pretty interesting talent on display followed by dancing. The ship then made its way back to Vienna for it’s final stop of the abbreviated tour (please note – this was a special charter for a week as the normal itinerary lasts longer depending on where you are going). We arrived in Vienna the next morning for the final full day of our trip. We were transported into the city for a walking tour visiting a number of sites including the Stephansdom, Austria’s finest gothic building. After our walking tour, we decided to be on our own in lieu of an optional tour to the Schonbrunn Imperial Palace which has some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. June 2011 Newsletter INfocus Continued Consultant’s Corner We took our time visiting a number of different sites including the Kunsthisotrisches Museum with beautiful art works from around the world. It is was such a beautiful day that we spent time walking thru the pedestrian Karntner Strasse sampling an apple strudel with vanilla sauce and a Sacher Torte from the famous Sacher Hotel. The Kartner Strasse contained all types of shops and café’s (yes we did stop at a Starbucks but no green tea). We ended our day with a run along the Danube thru the city parks. It was just a gorgeous day! Returning to the ship, we were treated to a classical Viennese concert by the band Rondo. Avalon Waterways hosted a gala dinner that evening with a wine pairing for each course and then the band Rondo returned to play classic rock songs on their classic instruments. Everyone had a good time. The next morning bright and early we departed the ship to head back home. The river cruise was a great experience and a truly five star adventure. eW already know that we want to go back to Central Europe to spend more time in Budapest and instead of a cruise do a bicycle trip along the Danube all the way to Germany. The target market is 50+ and excursions are included but you have to remember that you have many amenities but no midnight buffet like the larger cruise ships but you get to see some of the most beautiful cities in the world. If you are interested in taking a river cruise, reach out to one of our vacation specialists or drop me a note and I would be happy to share more of my experience with you. Till next month, safe travels!!! Thanks! Dtg David Gorecki, COO United Continental adds three new Houston routes United Continental launched service to three new cities from Houston Bush Intercontinental, the Houston Chronicle reports. The new routes are to Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Grand Junction, Colo.; and Montreal. All of service on the new routes will be operated by the company’s regional affiliates. Continental Express affiliate ExpressJet is flying two daily round-trip flights to both Cedar Rapids and Grand Junction using 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets. United Express affiliate Shuttle America operates the service on the 1,584-mile flight Montreal, using 70-seat Embraer E170 jets to fly one daily round-trip flight, according to the airline’s website. June 2011 Newsletter INfocus Continued United Continental adds three new Houston routes In Iowa, officials at Cedar Rapids’ Eastern Iowa Airport expressed optimism that the Houston flights could pave the way for additional service on United (Continental). “If Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and regional travelers use the new flights, it would makeThe Eastern Iowa Airport much more attractive to United for additional service, such as non-stop flights to ashington,W D.C., and Newark,” airport director Tim Bradshaw says to The Gazette of Cedar Rapids. Wheelchair taxis begin operating in nation’s capital The 20 wheelchair taxis were put into commission Thursday with a $1 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration and $200,000 from the D.C. Taxicab Commission. They are operating under Yellow Cab and Royal Cab. The taxis are regular minivans that have been modified so that the passenger can roll into the vehicle on a ramp. Passengers pay normal taxi rates, but drivers receive an additional $2 per trip from the grant funding. The drivers have received special training and a special license from the taxicab commission. More than 12,000 people in Washington travel in wheelchairs. Flight Delays: 5 Things You Must Know About the Weather When you think “bad weather” and delayed flights stacking up at the airport, you think blizzards, right? Sure, and no doubt about it, this has been a hellacious winter.