VVJan22

State of Travel
By: Stu Cooper / Happy Adventures
Here’s my take of the state of travel. It’s
based on what I experienced through
conversations I’ve had with airline and cruise
line personnel these past few weeks.
As many of you know, last month, I traveled from my home in New
York to Las Vegas. My wife Sharon and I spent a week preparing for
Vegas Voyagers 2022.
We flew on Delta and were pleasantly
surprised at how smooth and effortless the
experience was. And while the flights were
90% full, everyone “worked and played well
with others.”
The Delta staff was attentive and efficient. Full food and
snack service was provided, and our flights were not only
on time, but early. All in all, a great airline experience.
We met with Voyagers scheduled to go on our two Vegas Voyagers
upcoming cruises, the RCCL Navigator of the Seas to the Mexican
Riviera, February 21-28 and the Princess Cruise Line’s cruise March
26–April 2 along the Pacific coast. In preparing for these trips we
informed all of the current protocols initiated by the cruise lines.
For example, cruise capacity as of this writing has been limited to
50%. With those numbers, when you cruise, you will feel as if the ship
is empty.
There will be plenty of elbow room with good social distancing. While
masks are still required indoors on the ship, they are not required in
dining rooms and bars when eating or drinking.
There is also no mask requirement on open decks. Proof of full
vaccination and a negative Covid test
within two days of departure however are
still required.
With all these proactive measures in
place, we are happy to announce three more
“Bus to the Boat” cruises for late 2022 and
early 2023. They are:
1. Discovery Princess 7 night Mexican
Riviera, December 10-17, 2022,
2. A 10 night Mexico cruise on the Crown Princess, January 6–16,
2023 and
3. A 15 night Hawaiian Island cruise on the Crown Princess February
15–March 2, 2023.
For more information or if you have any questions, give me a call
at 516-485-3200.
By: Kathy Manney / Around Our World
Seated comfortably, John leans forward to
talk about his
Southern Nevada
Honor Flight. In person, he is disarming
and at 81, appears younger than his
years.
As I question him, John had little
interest in talking about himself. Instead,
he is quick to praise Honor Flights and
how much they do for military veterans.
When talking about himself, the focus
is on the present, not the past. The praise
for the time and effort volunteers put
into the program.
John left Las Vegas on an early Friday
morning, spent all day Saturday sightseeing
with a banquet that evening
and returned home on Sunday. John’s
grandson, stationed in Norfolk with the
US Navy attended the banquet.
John was scheduled for his Honor Flight three times between 2020 -
2021. Those trips were cancelled due to Covid.
Southern Nevada’s first Honor Flight trip since 2019 took place
in October 2021. John was fortunate his daughter, herself a military
42
Thanks for the Memories Honor Flights
January 2022
veteran, initiated his application and was his guardian. Guardians saw
to the veteran’s needs and that their experiences go safely and smoothly.
If you haven’t heard of Honor Flights, they are a volunteer nonprofit
organization that began in 2005
as a way to pay tribute to World War II
veterans by taking them to Washington
D.C. to see the World War II Memorial on
the National Mall built in their honor.
It grew to include Korean and Vietnam
veterans.
Like all wartime veterans, John vividly
remembers the first time he entered a
combat zone. A Vietnam veteran, during
his life John has seen much that has
changed and much which has not.
His full activity day in Washington
included the VIP treatment throughout
his trip and opportunity to visit the
war memorials, especially the Vietnam
Memorial. John simply stated, “Thanks
for the memories Honor Flights.”
Adds John’s daughter: “I have never seen my dad so happy” and his
grandson later texted, “I absolutely loved it.”
Kathy Manney enjoys visiting interesting places and being an
Adventure Diva. Her “Must See” travel journeys continue - always
with enthusiasm.