The Lollipop Road

Archive for the ‘Travel Deals’ Category

It’s deal day again and this week we’re highlighting Cunard Lines 3-day Cruise Sale that starts today. With cruises on the luxurious Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria starting at only $799 per person, you can sail in style without breaking the bank. Cunard is ideal if you’re looking for an upscale cruise experience and have young kids in tow. Cunard offers a Nursery/Play Zone that is open to kids age 1 to 6. Best of all, unlike other cruise lines, babysitting is included for FREE! If you’re sailing with a child under the age of 1, they can also enjoy the play area when supervised by an adult. Check out our cruise line babysitting guide for more details.

The gem of this sale is an 11-night sailing on the Queen Mary 2 on December 8, 2010. You can sail round-trip from New York for 11 nights from just $995 per person for an inside cabin! You’ll also get up to $300 in onboard credits and a reduced deposit. This is a rare deal for Cunard, so act quickly before the space disappears.

The runner up is a 7-night Mediterranean sailing from Rome to Southampton onboard the Queen Victoria. With inside cabins from $799 per person (no 4th pax availability), what makes this sailing special is that it sails during the Thanksgiving holiday. Note that the promotional brochure advertises it as a 12-night sailing – now that would be a real bargain, but alas, it isonly 7 nights in reality. Up to $300 onboard credit is also available on this sailing.

Share your best travel deals, discounts tips or secrets with us by adding your link below. Read the Rules of the Road before posting.

Disclosure

It’s deal day again and this weeks deal is a Disney of a deal! Disney Cruise Line is offering its Kids Sail Free promotion for Verandah cabins only on the Disney Magic sailings between January 3 and March 5, 2011. If you’ve never sailed with Disney, this might be a great time to explore what Disney Cruise Line has to offer. Check out our review for more information.

Starting with the 5 night Bahamas sailing on January 3, 2011, you can sail in a Verandah cabin from only $2765 for a family of four - this one still isn’t listed on their website, so take advantage of the secret savings on this sailing while it lasts. The less expensive verandahs on the 7 night Caribbean sailings are drying up quickly (cabins on the February 19th sailing were gone before the sale started), but you can still hop on board the January 22, 2011 sailing from only $3,341 for a family of four. To obtain this special pricing, use booking code KFO.

Let me say again that when Disney launches these promotions, cabins sell fast. If you follow us on Twitter, you noticed that we tweeted this deal yesterday morning, before it even hit the Disney website. So, if you want to stay on top of these deals make sure that you follow us on Twitter!

Now it’s your turn…share your best travel deals, discounts tips or secrets with us by adding your link below. Read the Rules of the Road before posting.

 

Disclosure

Since our launch in November of 2009, we’ve shared travel deals, discounts and tips with our readers every Wednesday in what we’ve dubbed deal day. Beginning this week, we’re asking other bloggers/writers, travel agents and travel providers to join us in submitting their best travel deals. Please read how it works and The Rules of The Road before posting your link.

Our pick for the best family travel deal of the week is being offered by Expedia. Book a minimum 3-night Bahamas vacation package (air and hotel) now through September 15th for travel August 15th-December 22nd and get $300 off! With a minimum $600 required spend (before taxes and fees), you can save up to 50% and at many hotels kids stay and eat for free! Use promo code BAHFALL.

Here are a few of the bargain prices that we’ve found (prices include air and hotel after all discounts including taxes and fees):

• 3-nights at the British Colonial Hilton from just $224pp for a family of 4. Conveniently located in downtown Nassau, this property has a great pool and wide sandy beach and the Nassau Pirate Museum is just a block away!
• Paradise awaits – 3-nights at the Comfort Inn and Suites on Paradise Island offers free breakfast and unlimited use of the Atlantis facilities from just $233pp!
• Looking for an all-inclusive resort – try the Paradise Island Harbor Resort from just $243pp for a family of 4!

Going to the Bahamas? Be sure to check out the following resources:

• A Day at Blue Lagoon Island in Nassau
• Family Friendly Excursions in Freeport
• Lucayan National Park – Grand Bahama Island
• Finding the Right Bahamas Tours

Share your best travel deals, discounts tips or secrets with us by adding your link below. Read the Rules of the Road before posting.

Disclosure

Since our launch in November of 2009, we’ve shared travel deals, discounts and tips with our readers every Wednesday in what we’ve dubbed deal day. Beginning this week, we’re asking other bloggers/writers, travel agents and travel providers to join us in submitting their best travel deals. We recognize that we cannot possibly list every deal we come across, so we’re hoping that you can help us to help our loyal readers.

Here is how it works:

Bloggers/Writers

1. If you are a blogger/writer, choose an article or post that you have authored involving discount travel, current travel deals or tips for receiving free or discount travel. This can include a post or article describing a free attraction that you visited or a free activity that you participated in. All posts and articles should be G-rated as this is a family friendly website.
2. In the first box, enter your deal or article/post topic followed by your website or blog name in parenthesis (). In the second box, enter a valid e-mail address. In the third box, enter a direct link to your post or article (do not link to a general page or your homepage as those links will be removed). An example form is included below.
3. Include a link back to our blog (http://www.thelollipoproad.com) in your post or article so that your readers can find other deals and tips for traveling on the cheap. (Ex. For more travel deals and tips on reducing your travel costs, check out deal day at The Lollipop Road)
4. Limit one link per author, blog or website each deal day.

Travel Agents & Travel Providers

1. If you are a travel agent or travel provider, choose a single deal or a group of deals that represent an excellent value for travelers. Since our focus is on families, it would be most appropriate to provide a family friendly travel deal whenever possible. If you are providing a group of travel deals, they should be related (ie Carnival cruise deals or Disney hotel deals). We understand that many travel agents and travel providers also author websites or blogs. Submissions linking to articles or posts should adhere to the requirements for bloggers/writers above.
2. In the first box, enter your deal title followed by your website or company name in parenthesis (). In the second box, enter a valid e-mail address. In the third box, enter a direct link to your travel deal (do not link to a general page, contact page or homepage as those links will be removed). An example form is included below.
3. Include a link back to our blog (http://www.thelollipoproad.com) on your linked page so that your readers can find other deals and tips for traveling on the cheap. (Ex. We think this is such a great deal that we’ve submitted it as part of  deal day at The Lollipop Road) Alternatively, you may place a link to our blog on your website homepage, which will allow you more flexibility when posting your link.
4. Limit one link per travel agent, company or travel provider each deal day.

We reserve the right to remove any links that we deem to be inappropriate. Please review the other links that have been posted before posting your link so that you are not duplicating a deal posted by another reader. Thank you for participating!

Disclosure

This deal day, we have a couple of unusual deals that have popped up and a big announcement that will hopefully take deal day up a notch…with your help.

First, the deals…I haven’t been this excited about a deal since I flew to Singapore for under $300! Both JetBlue and Sun Country have launched an all-you-can-fly deal for travel this fall. Just how much could you possibly fly?

• JetBlue is offering a 30-day All You Can Jet pass for $499 (Friday and Sunday excluded) or $699 (travel any day). The best part is that taxes and fees are included for all domestic flights. If you want to venture to Puerto Rico, you’ll pay departure and arrival taxes of about $32 RT. Other International destinations will set you back up to $170, but hey, how else could you possibly fly to South America, Bermuda, Mexico and a dozen Caribbean destinations for as little as $499 plus taxes and fees? You must reserve your pass by Friday, August 20th (supplies are limited, so don’t dawdle) and travel is valid from September 7 – October 6. Be sure to read the additional restrictions before buying.
• Sun Country has also jumped on the all-you-can-fly bandwagon with its Fall Free For All pass for $499. The upside is that it allows you to travel for 37 days without blackout days (September 7 – October 13), but on the downside their network is much more limited and taxes and fees are not included, even for domestic flights. However, if you’re in the Midwest and want to squeeze in a trip to Cancun, Vegas and a couple of other weekend jaunts, this might be a great deal for you.

So, where will you be going?

Okay, now for the announcement. Beginning next week, deal day will take on a bit of a personality. We’ll be offering our readers the opportunity to share their own deals with other readers. You’ll be able to post a link to your favorite travel deal, travel deal website or a post or article that you have authored that focuses on budget related travel. Check back next week for full details and information!

Disclosure

Well, the summer is almost over and we’ve been searching for a few last minute things to do with the kids, so this deal day, we’re focusing on a few remaining free and discount activities that you can do as a family before school begins again.

1. Once again, the National Park Service is providing free entry into our National Parks this coming weekend, August 14-15.  If you haven’t planned your weekend yet, you might want to check out our selection of articles on National Parks.
2. SeaWorld Orlando currently has an ongoing promotion with Pepsi that will give you a free admission with each full-priced admission purchased.  This offer is good for up to 6 tickets!  Tickets must be purchased by August 31, 2010 and are valid through December 21, 2010.
3. Are you a Bank of America customer?  You can gain free admission to select museums and attractions around the country on September 4th and 5th, just by showing your ID and any Bank of America card or statement.
4. Ever wanted to go to a free movie screening?  GOFOBO gives out tickets to movie screenings every day.  You will frequently need an RSVP code, but you might get lucky and find one at FatWallet.  You can also check out the Free Movie Screening Blog.  Here is an upcoming example: Hubble 3D – August 14, 2010 – 11:00 AM, Celebration! Cinema-North, Grand Rapids, MI.  Good Luck!

Enjoy what is left of the summer!

Disclosure

It’s deal day again and we’re taking a look at some of the best last-minute family cruise deals you can squeeze in before summer comes to an end and school starts once again!  Pricing is based upon 2 adults and 2 children (one under 2 ) in the same cabin, including all taxes and fees.  Fares can change without notice, so act quickly!

The steal in this pack is the Celebrity Solstice.  You’d normally pay close to this total for 2 people, but for these two sailings, a family of four can sail for around $2,500!  This is a great ship, so if you’re looking for a bit of an upscale mass market experience (comparable to Disney without all of the special entertainment), you’ll love the Solstice.

To book any of these sailings, contact your local travel agent or visit Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity or NCL online.  Remember to ask about past passenger, senior or resident discounts or bonuses for these sailings to get an even better deal!  Bon Voyage!

Disclosure

Each time I do a post recap, I always hear from readers that they had missed a post or didn’t realize that we had covered a particular topic.  With over 200 articles, it is easy to understand why.  So, this deal day I’m recapping the Top 5 Deal Related Posts that are still relevant today.

1. Traveling For Free With The Family - Our most recent, but perhaps one of our most pupular deal posts ever, this is a great primer to get you started on free travel.
2. Best Websites To Find Travel Deals – This post outlines where you can find some of the same travel deals that we post each week.
3. Families Save With AAA Discounts – One of the most overlooked ways to save money on travel with kids.
4. Travel Related Discounts And Coupons – Yet more ways to save on your next vacation.
5. Travel Rebates Save You Money – Don’t be leaving money on the table – if you’re not earning rebates, you’re losing out on easy savings.

Happy deal hunting!

Disclosure

This deal day we’re going a bit outside the box to talk about traveling for free.  Okay, so it’s easy to say, but can you really travel with kids for free?  Absolutely!

One of the secrets to traveling cheaply with the family is to concentrate on obtaining freebies for the kids first as they are usually the easiest to find.  When traveling, you can almost always find restaurants that allow kids to eat for free – okay that was easy.  Next, focus on attractions that offer free entry for kids or even for the entire family.  Okay, so this one may be a bit more tricky.  I start by focusing on the obvious – for example, Washington, DC is going to offer a multitude of obvious options.

Our National Parks are another good example.  During National Parks Week, all entry is free.  You can also enter for free at select times during the year during Fee Free Days.  Lots of museums offer free admission during select times and days.  Still looking for more?  Check out Free Attractions by state.

Now we’re making progress!  So, now that you have free meals and free attractions, how do you get there for free?  Yeah, this is the hard part.  Obviously, the driving vacation is going to be the least expensive…or is it?  One of the easiest ways to get free transportation is to sign up for an affinity credit card or use those piles of frequent flyer miles you’ve been stashing away.  Flying is always free for lap infants under the age of two, so if you have a little toddler, you’re half way there.

Using frequent flyer miles is an obvious way to obtain free travel, but even those tickets often come with a small (or not so small) redemption fee and taxes.  Besides, you spent lots of money (or at least your employer did) to earn those, so not exactly free, right?  Well, there are plenty of ways to earn miles without flying.  For example, you can earn miles for just making everyday purchases using one of the branded mile earning credit cards.  You can also earn miles for making purchases through an airlines website, eating out and doing things that you normally would do.  Check out some of the best affinity credit card programs and decide for yourself if you’re up to the challenge.  Check out Southwest Airlines latest offer.

Don’t want all those annoying credit cards…I’ll let you in on a little secret.  I earned enough miles with American Airlines to fly to Europe without having to actually fly American Airlines or use one of their credit cards.  AA has a relationship with BankDirect, so you can earn miles just for having a bank account.  With bonuses and monthly earnings, I was able to earn enough miles for that free trip.  Pretty cool, eh?

The same method can be utilized for earning free train travel and even free hotel nights.  The key to earning significant miles and points is to concentrate on the bonuses and exploit the unusual earning opportunities.  Remember the guy who earned lifetime status with American Airlines for buying food?  There are plenty of opportunities out there – check out FlyerTalk and InsideFlyer to become a mileage junkie.

So, traveling for free isn’t impossible, it just takes some research and planning.  Go forth, earn miles, eat and recreate for free and travel safely.  Check back next week as we dig up more travel bargains for your next family vacation.

Disclosure

This deal day we’re circling the country to focus on regional travel deals that appeal to families who are looking to get away this summer.  Some of these are time sensitive, so don’t delay.

• The Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells has an amazing offer geared toward families looking for some late summer fun.  From August 31st through September 30th they’re offering a three-night stay in one of their two-bedroom suites with free admission to their waterpark for only $299.95.  Blackout dates apply – see promotion details for restrictions.  Use booking code FALL3NIGHT.
• For our California readers or those visiting this week, the SoCal Metrolink is offering a half-price Friends & Family 4-Pack.  For just $14.50 you’ll get 4 round-trip tickets valid for rides from July 9-13.
• Looking for a special trip to a far away exotic destination?  Air New Zealand is offering round-trip airfare from LAX to Raratonga in the Cook Islands for only $586 plus taxes and fees. Valid for departures on July 18th and 25th, all travel must be completed by August 8th.  Reserve by July 14th to take advantage of this special deal!
• For our friends North of the border (or near it), Air Canada has several promo codes out there that will get you up to 20% off fares to Asia from Canada.  Valid for travel between November 1 and December 15 for booking made through July 9th.  Check out the details and start planning.
• MSC Cruises has launched Kids Sail Free on any MSC Cruise.  How about a 7-night Western Caribbean Holiday Cruise (12/19-26) in an outside cabin for under $2,000…that’s right, for a family of four including taxes and fees…amazing.  Don’t miss out on this promotion!

Well, that’s it for this week.  Be sure to check back with us again next week as the deals are starting to heat up along with the weather.

Disclosure