04 April 2022

A few weeks ago, I was super lucky to be chosen to go on a 3 day test cruise on board "Regent Seven Seas Voyager". This was the last of the regent ships to get back into the water after the pandemic. Would you believe this particular ship hadn't had passengers on for 760 days and in total the entire fleet had not cruised for a total of 9 years during the pandemic. Let that sink in a little as I was gobsmacked. Anyway, let’s talk about my trip. Myself and 2 colleagues decided to fly out the day before and spend the day in Rome, a city I have never visited. I loved it so much I cannot wait to go back with my husband one day. The next day we got a taxi over to the port and got on board one of the most beautiful ships I have ever been on. It’s a medium size ship with a small ship style. So, this means although it could easily hold around 1500 passengers, they only have 680 on board which means so much more space per passenger and more crew to passenger ratio too. Check in was seamless and our cases were taken to our suites for us (They don’t call them cabins on board this ship they are all suites). Well, my face was a picture when I found out I had been upgraded to a “Penthouse suite” this suite and those above it come with your very own butler to attend to any needs you may have. I honestly felt guilty asking for my pillows to be changed as although they were lovely and soft, they had feathers in and I am allergic. The next part really blew my mind as I was handed the pillow menu from the side of the bed and all sorts of fancy pillows to choose from. I just chose normal foam ones, but I could have had gel, or water filled or memory ones. Suresh my butler explained about the canapes I could have each evening in my cabin if I wanted and showed me how to work the coffee machine and told me all about valet laundry. I felt like a rockstar. All the suites on board have balconies too complete with 2 lovely chairs and a table. Next myself and my colleague decided to go up on the pool deck for a drink…oh did I mention everything is included? That means all your drinks and not cheap brands either. You could have cocktails, premium branded spirits, wine or even drink champagne the entire time you are on board. Not only that all restaurants are included there are no supplements, WiFi is included, gratuities are included. All your flights and if you are in Penthouse and above you can fly business class and here is the best part, shore excursions are also included. Yes, you heard me right. So, the price you pay when you book, you don’t have to put your hand in your pocket again to enjoy your time on or off the ship. The first night on board and we ate in the Sette Mari restaurant, which during the day is the La veranda restaurant. Sette Mari is their Italian. The food was amazing I had the nicest mushroom risotto I think I have ever had; they will pair your meal with beautiful wines too. Our second night we dined in the Compass Rose restaurant; it was a lovely atmosphere in here along with the stunning Versace plates. They have an “always available” menu where you can create your own courses and each day a chef’s created menu if you want something different again paired with beautiful wines. Another fantastic option with Compass Rose is you can have in suite dining where they will lay your table in and serve you too all in the privacy of your own suite. On our final night we dined in the Chartreuse restaurant which is the French option. The food was again spectacular, I had rack of lamb which was cooked perfectly. The only restaurant we didn’t get to experience was Prime 7 the steak restaurant, but I hear from my other colleagues it was fabulous too. During the day the pool grill was our hangout with an always available menu plus fresh salad bar and a theme side, we experienced a Greek day and an Italian day from the grill which was lovely. On our cruise we cruised to Ajaccio in Corsica where we got to choose one of the included shore excursions. We chose the imperial town as it took us to the birthplace of Napoleon. Our tour guide was great full of knowledge and had a great sense of humour too which made the tour all the more interesting. Ajaccio is a lovely town, and we were so lucky as the weather was beautiful, so I even caught the sun. After our tour we were back on board, and we decided to go and look around the other suite grades starting with the lowest category which is the Deluxe Veranda which for an entry level suite was beautiful and as I have mentioned before comes complete with a balcony. We toured all the suites right up to the Master Suite which was stunning. The space included in the higher categories is something I have not experienced myself on board a ship before. Each suite comes with high end amenities from L’Occitane and stocked mini bar. I enjoyed this ship as it had just enough to keep us entertained with several evening venues including a 2-tier theatre where we got to see the team perform their show for the first time, amazing singing, and dancing to lots of rock and soul classics. In one of the other bars there was a resident duo who managed to get some of us on the dance floor and we also enjoyed listening to the pianist in the Observation lounge. And lastly for those that like a bit of pampering you have an on-board spa where you can enjoy lots of beauty treatments and massages. Overall, this was an amazing ship for those that like to know everything is paid for in advance, that every detail is taken care of and that like to experience a more luxurious time on board a ship. The Regent fleet sails to all corners of the globe and have some amazing experiences that combine the cruise with some truly spectacular land holidays. Please get in touch with me if you have any questions about the Regent Seven Seas Voyages.

07 June 2019

This Easter holiday we took a family trip to Disneyland Paris. This wasn't our first trip but the first my son Jaxon who is 7 will remember. We flew from Liverpool as we are in between Liverpool and Manchester airports. I quite like Liverpool as the parking is so close to the airport. On arrival in Paris we got a private transfer to our hotel which is the Sequoia which is a 3 star Disney hotel and within 15 mins walk to the parks. Perfect as we really didn't spend anytime in the hotel. Its good too as the Disney Characters visit for a meet and greet in the morning but by that time we were in the park making the most of our magic hour, this is an hour before the parks open to the general public and just for guests of Disney Hotels. Food can be expensive so if you have the option of a meal plan go for it as its cheaper in advance than paying in the parks. We didn't have a meal plan so we ate breakfast in the Earl of Sandwich which is in the Disney village and a sort of Subway type place. Not expensive either. We took a lot of snacks for during the day in the parks, like breakfast bars and small bags of popcorn and mini biscuits which were a god send for the kids as they were hungry but not wanting to sit still and eat. The parks are always busy so make the most of the fast pass system which is free. The parade is always busy so we did get to our "spot" around an hour before it started but to be fair we were ready for a sit down. I would advise booking restaurants before you go as they do get busy and we hadn't done on one night and we struggled to get anywhere early enough for us and our kids. You can book restaurants around 60 days before arrival and it is definitely worth doing. After dinner we went on a few more rides until the fireworks show which is around the time the park closes and it is a "do not miss" Now some tips, there is a show called Mickey and the Magician on in the parks, now it is free to go and watch but if you are a Mastercard holder, go to City Hall as soon as the park open in the morning and you can get preferred seats which mean you don't have to queue so long before the show and the seats are amazing. Staying in a Disney hotel gives you a free hot drink per person in your hotel, you just scan your keycard on the vending machine, not many people know about this, but it was nice coming in and having a hot drink. Our room didn't have any tea making facilities. We didn't use the pool as we were so busy every day in the park. Any questions about Disney please ask. Paula

05 June 2019

As you may know I got married last year and in October we took our honeymoon in the USA state of Tennessee. It was fabulous from start to finish so I thought I'd write a blog in case this sort of trip appeals to you. We started with business class flights with British Airways to Nashville which was an amazing way to travel and a first for my husband, although I have been lucky enough to travel business class before. On landing into Nashville, we collected our Mustang convertible car which was a dream of my husbands to drive and off we went to find out first hotel. We arrived at Aloft in Nashville and checked in and then decided to venture out to grab some food. To be honest it was quite late at night and we were both quite tired, so we decided to grab a pizza and take it back to our room. After a night’s sleep, our busy day ahead began with visits to downtown Nashville and onto "Broadway" which is bar after bar after bar all with live music belting out, it is a music lover dream. We also had visits to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium which is where the Grand Ole Opry started and then we took a hop on and off trolley tour to see some more of Nashville. That evening we decided to eat down on Broadway. Now my tip is to decide during the day where you want to eat and make a reservation, we didn't and ended up eating quite late. After our second night we were then off on our travels to Memphis, which took about 3 hours. We checked into the Guest House at Graceland which was an absolutely amazing hotel and a definite must for Elvis fans. There is Elvis music playing throughout the hotel with the bonus of having an outside pool and it’s across the road from Graceland itself. The next day we had a tour of Graceland which was just amazing seeing his house, cars, planes and thousands of pieces of memorabilia. We also visited Sun Studios which was amazing to hear the stories of bands that have recorded in there. We took a trip down Beale Street which is a little like Broadway in Nashville with live music. BB Kings is a must. The next day we were off again in the car and onto Chattanooga which took about 5 hours. We had a two night stay here and had an amazing steamboat sail down the Tennessee river and also visited the aquarium. After our second night we were off to Pigeon Forge which a lot of people have not heard of but this is where the amazing Dollywood theme park is located. Aside from that it was an amazing place, with so much to do and see. We could have done with longer than 2 nights here, but we managed to cram an awful lot in, including a visit to a moonshine distillery and a visit to the Smokey Mountain Oprey and also a fun dinner show. Then we were off back to Nashville for our flights home. I would thoroughly recommend this trip to anyone who has a love of music. For any more info please get in touch.

04 June 2019

As a seasoned traveller I like to think I have the packing perfected but even I can make a mistake. Like this April on our family break to Disneyland Paris I actually forgot to pack our travel plug adapters. Very annoying as I have about 20 of these in a bag at home, even more annoying as it cost us 20 euros to buy 1 of them in Paris. So I thought I would create this handy packing guide for you all. Essentials: Passport Travel Tickets/Documents (if you use our MYTC app you do not need to print these) Insurance Documents Foreign Money or Currency Card Bank Cards Driving License if you plan on driving abroad TIP: Put your emergency medical number for your insurance in your phone with AAA at the start as this will mean it’s the first number in your contacts list. TIP: Photograph your driving license and passport and email it to a family member or friend in case they get lost or stolen. Clothing: Now this is very subjective for me and my family as I only allow 1 outfit per day and 1 outfit per evening. I am ruthless and will not allow extras. I do know some who take less and double up. But I find if you’re in a hot place you may not want to wear the same set of clothes twice. I do always allow extra swimwear as one set drying and one set wearing. Always take a cardigan or sweater for the evenings as it can sometimes get chilly. Don't forget nightwear (even if you normally don't wear it as you may be sharing a room with people or in case of an evening evacuation) Toiletries/Medication: Now you can buy mini products, but I personally find these quite expensive and rarely are the brands that I use. Buy empty mini bottles and decant your own products. I have a small make up bag that I use for medication. It contains an emergency kit of plasters, painkillers, Calpol sachets as I have children, upset tummy treatment, meds in case you go the other way and can’t go, antihistamine, Insect repellent; it’s a godsend as some local pharmacies can be expensive. Things to Check: Check if your hotel provides towels as this will save a lot of space in your case, some will also provide hairdryers but if your anything like me, you like your own. Other things: Phone chargers, adapters hmmm yet I won’t forget that again, sunglasses, beach bag/day bag or carry it as hand luggage, camera although most people use their phones nowadays, pen and paper...this does come in handy. Travelling with Kids: Toys Sunhat Pool Shoes Snacks....this is a big one as small kids are always snacking and it helps keep them occupied on a flight. On The flight with Kids: Now this is my big tip, go to a local shop like B+M or Poundstretcher and buy lots of little toys, they don't need to cost a lot, but get as many as you can and then gift wrap them, now this may seem a lot of work, but believe me you will thank me. On the flight when your little one starts getting restless, grab a little gift and let them open it and play with it, it should pass some time, then repeat as many times as needed through the journey. I hope this helps and if you have any questions please let me know Happy Travelling Paula

14 June 2018

This is a topic I get asked about quite often, from parents on the first flight with their children. Usually it comes with a sense of panic and what if. What if they cry all the time? What if they won’t sit still? What if they start shouting? What if they annoy the other passengers? All these things have gone through a parent’s head at some point before taking their precious offspring on a flight. Here is what I advise and tell them. 1. Its ok for a child to cry and pretty much everyone on that plane who is a parent will have experienced that sound at some point. 2. Don't panic and stress about this as your child will invariably pick up on this and it can make the situation much worse. 3. Do reassure them its ok and that nothing can happen to them, as usually they are feeling fear. 4. If you suspect ear pain, try and get your child to suck a dummy, bottle, lolly or something like that to alleviate the pain, failing that I always carry paracetamol sachets in case none of the previous ideas work 5. Plan for the flight by taking a small backpack for the child, ahead of time buy lots of little items, such as cars, small dolls, crayons, mini books etc and wrap these in wrapping paper, every half hour or whatever you deem necessary, pull out an item and let your child unwrap it and play with it. This doesn't have to be a costly exercise, B+M bargains or Home Bargains or supermarkets do little inexpensive items that work well for this. Make sure you child hasn't seen any of them before as it will entertain them more than something they are already familiar with. 6. Snack are important and flight snacks can be expensive so pack some of your own or buy in the airport shop before you board the plane. 7. If your child is of an older age, ask questions. What do you think the hotel will look like? What are you most looking forward to? Any dialogue that will pass some time and keep your child engaged. 8. Games can be lots of fun, remember back to when you were a child, I Spy, with younger child I Spy with colours was always a fun one with my son. 9. Lastly do not be embarrassed if your child plays up and cries or screams, just deal with it calmly and remember it’s not going to be long and you will be off and enjoying your much-needed holidays. Parenting is not easy and on a flight, it can be harder, but just remember you got this!

20 June 2017

Ever wanted to get married in the sun? Well I have arranged so many weddings abroad this year already and it's only June. A lot more Brides are choosing this option as a way of combining their honeymoon with the wedding itself. I have been hearing more and more from Brides and Grooms that they just want to "run away" and get married to save all the hassle and sometimes upset that comes with planning a wedding in the UK. There is no seating plan arguments, or whether to invite Auntie Joan's cousin's sister's boyfriend ;) So the obvious choice is an amazing wedding in the sun and let someone else take the stress of the organisation away from you. I was lucky enough to exhibit at a wedding fair a few weeks back and got to speak to lots of lovely couples, the overwhelming destination for wedding abroad choice was in fact Cyprus. It's a beautiful country and with it being only 5 hours away it's a lot more accessible and affordable to those who may want to take family and friends with them. I had a lovely bride get married on a yacht in Paphos in April this year, see the photo on the blog. So it's not just your standard hotel or beach wedding I can arrange, lots of countries offer unusual places such as yachts, monasteries, small quaint chapels, wineries, museums - the list is endless to be honest. If you do wish to get married abroad of course you have to adhere to the legal requirements and a lot of countries insist you are in the country for a minimum of so many days before a wedding can legally take place, of course I take care of all the stress of this for you advising what documents you may need beforehand. We really can make this an amazing day to remember, pretty much anything is possible, so if fireworks is your wish for the evening we can make this happen, if you want cupcakes instead of a tiered wedding cake then we have access to the best suppliers in most countries and of course the Bride wants to look her best on her big day, so make up artists and hairdressers can be arranged too. So all it remains for you to do is choose where this most special day is going to take place, if you need some inspiration I'm happy to have a chat. The photos are of my beautiful Cyprus yacht couple and a few of me at my latest wedding fair. Below is a testimonial from the yacht wedding couple. "We loved our wedding in Cyprus on a yacht it was a perfect backdrop for our photos and all our family enjoyed it immensely thanks to Paula and Carol who made it so easy and everything went smoothly they couldn't do enough for you it was our perfect fairytale only wish I could do it all again memories I will treasure forever." Mr and Mrs Chapman, April 2017

28 March 2017

As a mother of two children, I am always looking at way to entertain my little darlings, Madison who is 13 and Jaxon who is 5. Now they really don't like playing hide and seek anymore with me because I usually leave them hiding for longer than I possibly should while I grab a much needed cup of tea in peace! Ok so that's a teeny tiny bit mean on my part, so I started looking at some possible days out that I could do to keep them entertained during the Easter Break and there are really a lot of places in the UK, so it doesn't need to be an overseas trip that I can help you with. Take a look at my suggestions... Cadbury World - This has to be the most genius idea ever, I mean who doesn't like chocolate?! It looks like a fantastic day out and it's actually on the site of the original 1879 Cadbury Factory. There are lots of interactive parts and rides and of course CHOCOLATE! It's based in the Midlands so nicely accessible for most of the country, or you can team this with an overnight stay so you don't have to battle with the M6 traffic. The Making of Harry Potter - Now I have actually done this tour myself and as a massive Harry Potter fan I pretty much squealed my way round in pure excitement at seeing the sets and props, it was literally a Harry Potter fan's dream. It's situated in Hertfordshire and there are again plenty of hotel choices to choose from. Be careful though, the gift shop is lethal with replica wands and time turners (those in the know...know). Legoland Windsor - This is my little boy's dream, we have looked at photos of this and I must get my little Lego architect here soon. It does look a lot of fun with rides, interactive shows and attractions and would you believe over 53 million bricks have been used in the park! You can do one or two days in the park and I can arrange hotels too. Now if you're a massive thrill-seeker you have all the UK theme parks, such as Drayton Manor, Chessington, Alton Towers, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Thorpe Park, all of which can be arranged with hotel stays. These are just a few ideas for you but if you see anything and if you're wondering if I can help then please do ask.

17 February 2017

This was a trip I booked for my parents, it was my Mother's present to my Father for his birthday this year and they were lucky enough to get on board on Valentine's Day. My mum is wonderful with words so I asked her to take as many photos and give me a proper review of what it was like. I secretly think my Mum would love to be a Travel Counsellor too as she jumped at the chance to do this for me. Here is what she had to say..... After asking Paula Hancock our Travel Counsellor and also our Daughter to advise me on a present for John, my husbands birthday, she recommended a lunch trip on the Belmond Northern Belle. I can only say thank you with all my heart. This went far far beyond our expectations. It was a truly amazing day, from walking the red carpet to your carriage to being seated by very attentive staff who made me welcome with a lovely gift, a small teddy. It was wonderful - as soon as we were seated we were offered champagne, and then informed about everything from the menu to where the beautiful toilets were (never thought I'd use beautiful and toilets in the same sentence) but they were. The food was fine dining taken to another level, all served perfectly, all the staff introduced themselves by name, and were extremely attentive, they anticipated our every need. We had £24 to spend on drinks between us, and you had a very varied choice of beverage from very fine wines to beer, to cocktails, to soft drinks, whatever you wanted was served and presented brilliantly, and all this whilst travelling through lovely English countryside. Just to add to the ambience there was a very clever table magician, and a band of strolling players who serenaded us with our chosen song. This experience was like stepping back in time it was so relaxing and having a taste of being treated like royalty was priceless. We are now looking at the other trains the London Pullman and the dream would be the Orient Express.....well one can dream.

11 November 2016

On Christmas Eve 2015 at about 8am we took off from Manchester airport – myself, my mum and my two children, Madison who was 12 and Jaxon who was 4. It was an easy flight as we had plenty in a backpack to keep the kids amused. Around three hours later we landed at Enontekio airport in Finnish Lapland. The view was simply breathtaking and the kids were beside themselves with excitement, to tell you the truth so were my mum and I. We boarded the transfer coach and spent the next hour or so driving though the most beautiful snow filled fields, spotting the odd reindeer dotted about here and there amongst the trees until we arrived at our magical snow village destination. First we were taken into a restaurant to have some lunch which was lovely and definitely welcome into our hungry tummies by now. After this we were taken into the clothing room and given snow suits and boots to wear to do all the daily activities. Then the fun began. We had so much fun riding a reindeer-pulled sleigh, we slid down hills on toboggans, and we had a go on snow mobiles. Even my four year old had a go, although he couldn't go far except in a circle. He was held by a safety rope but he absolutely was driving the snow mobile by himself - super proud mummy moment. Then we went to have a hot chocolate to warm up a little and stand by one of the log fires that were burning around. After we had warmed up a little it was on to more activities and my personal favourite was the husky dog sled ride - they go pretty fast. I kept having sneaky glances at my kids and their faces were smiling and laughing so much. This was our last activity before we went off in the forest on a sled pulled by a snowmobile in search of the real Santa. We rode for what seemed like quite a few minutes until a clearing broke and an elf named Snowflake appeared to say Santa had been waiting for us. She stood at the door and knocked and Santa shouted my children's names from the other side (a really lovely and special touch). Mouths gaped as Santa somehow knew my son’s name. Inside was a roaring fire and the big man himself sat on a wooden throne. He sat and spoke to my children for quite some time, we didn't feel at all rushed, lots of photos were taken and a gift for each of them given. Then it was time to leave, we made our way back to the clothing room to remove our snowsuits and boots and begin the journey home. We arrived home into Manchester around 10.30pm and made our way back to our house. Luckily the children were tucked up into bed before midnight, as everyone knows you need to be asleep by then or the "Big Man" won't come. It was truly a special trip and one we will never forget. I hope you enjoyed this blog and watch out for more soon.