[Travelandtourism] Issues with doing trips to far in advance

Thu Apr 17 17:44:21 UTC 2014

It has come up about doing trips in 2016 instead of 2015, the problem falls that we may not be able to hold the space for 2016. Only type of trip that this can be done with current 2014 or 2015 rates, would be a cruise.
Other than that, normally prices go up about 5 to 10% a year on group rates.
So if people want to do payment plans for 2015 maybe in September or October and if we are talking Puerto Rico I would recommend Spring/Winter months and not  Summer/Fall months due to Hurricane Season, there are at least 12 or more hurricanes in the region during the months of July through November, yes November! I was on my honeymoon with Nelson in 1999 and we went to PR, and we were there when one of the Hurricanes hit. Might not make news up here, but if we are down there, we may not be out for days on our adventures. 
No we don't have to do them during meet the blind months, but I will be looking at the most economical pricing for the trips.
Also if we go during the heat of the summer, some of us have health issues, and it would not be good to travel in the heat to certain places.
So, again, please start giving ideas, or the officers will decide and it might not be what the division wants, so we do need your inputs, thank you.
Cheryl Echevarria, PresidentNFB Travel & Tourism National Federation of the Blind631-236-5138President at nfbtravel.org
Sign up for our e-newsletter by e-mailing us you first and last name, and e-mail address to reservations at echevarriatravel.com, let us know if you want just text or pictures in your e-mail.
Echevarria Travel has partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all her braille needs.  Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama

Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 08:01:00 -0400
Subject: RE: [Travelandtourism] Report on last nights division meeting which	went wonderfully
From: Cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
To: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org

Good morning margo thank you. 

As stated we cab do a group event at convention in 2015. Either before convention starts or after it. We just need to start ideas after convention especially since 2015 NFB celebrates our 75th Anniversary.  We can also use part of whatever we do to the
 NFB as we did with the blind month challenge back in 2013

Cheryl Echevarria
Echevarria Travel
www.echevarriatravel.com
Echevarriatravelblog.com
631-456-5394
Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
Cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com

-------- Original message --------
From: margo and isis 
Date:04/17/2014 7:56 AM (GMT-05:00) 
To: 'Brandy Pinder' ,'NFB Travel and Tourism Division List'
,'Amy Baron' ,'DJ Reese' 
,'Glenda Farnum' ,'Jemal Powell' ,'Jo Taylor'
,'Lavar Philips' ,'Milton Taylor'

Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] Report on last nights division meeting which went wonderfully

Okay, I ditto Brandy's ideas about PR and fundraising.  

Margo and Isis

-----Original Message-----

From: Brandy Pinder [mailto:bdpinder at gmail.com]

Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 9:56 PM

To: 'NFB Travel and Tourism Division List'; 'Amy Baron'; 'DJ Reese'; 'Glenda

Farnum'; 'Jemal Powell'; 'Jo Taylor'; 'Lavar Philips'; 'Margo downey';

'Milton Taylor'

Subject: RE: [Travelandtourism] Report on last nights division meeting which

went wonderfully

Hi All,

Just a few thoughts. 

First, I am not positive until I get my full schedule the day before if I

will be able to make the call on April 29th. Tuesday is usually a later

working day from me and my commute is about an hour and a half so if I do

get off at seven this puts me in the door around 8:30 if I'm lucky... But

maybe I will get lucky again and get off early. It's happened two Tuesday's

in a row so who knows.

My first choice for 2015, and I think I've said it before so sorry for

repeating, is PR. I love beaches, water, warm weather etc and I enjoy all

varieties of Spanish culture, food, and music. It would be visiting a whole

other culture without needing a passport. Also, it is somewhere I wouldn't

be as eager to go alone. Lavar has mentioned most people do speak good

English in PR but what if it is mostly Spanish speaking of which I can

understand but do not speak? Also, it would be neat to go with nelson

because he is from PR because he can show us all the things outside of the

typical tourist things that most people would think of going to see.

Also, the thought of having a small fund raiser either the day before

national convention or after national convention in the next few years I

think is a brilliant idea. Many people will already be there because of

convention and it wouldnt' cost them much extra to do an extra night and a

tour and I'm assuming if it was a fund raiser many would be willing to

participate. I don't know if this would be feasible for 2015 because we may

already have something in October. Also, I think we would have more success

with the fund raiser if it was every two years until it becomes more widely

known. I know it isn't just for the blind community but many of us can't

afford one trip per year which comes out to close to one hundred a month for

two people and around seventy for one. If people could pay more over an

eighteen month period this may fit into some people's budget better. I know

some conferences like Top Dog have gone to every other year because they

realized that people really couldn't afford every year. Or maybe every

alterating year it could be attached to national convention and the next

year something else in October. Once more and more people, blind and

otherwise, start coming maybe we could swing every year.

Just some thoughts. Thoughts on my thoughts? Smile

-----Original Message-----

From: Travelandtourism [mailto:travelandtourism-bounces at nfbnet.org] On

Behalf Of cheryl echevarria

Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 3:15 PM

To: travelandtourism; Amy Baron; DJ Reese; Glenda Farnum; Jemal Powell; Jo

Taylor; Lavar Philips; Margo downey; Milton Taylor

Subject: [Travelandtourism] Report on last nights division meeting which

went wonderfully

We had a great turnout last night for the Division Meeting of the Travel &

Tourism Division.

Everyone was new accept 1 person.  Also Milton Taylor, took over for Glenda

Farnum, Treasurer, for the night; and our Secretary, Margo Downey, is not

well, so please remember Margo in your prayers. Also, we did not hear from

Vice President, Maurice Shackelford.

We have 2 new paid members, Brandy Pinder (NFB of NY) and Lavar Phillips who

is not new to the division, he is our webmaster, and is also from the NFB of

NY, so welcome the both of you.

Since, we had some many people on the call, about 8 all together.  We did a

review of what this division is, and what we do, etc.

Such as this division, you don't have to be a travel professional, a leader

in the organization, a traveler to foreign countries, etc.

We talk about those things, as well as, give advise about local para-transit

contacts, especially if you need help with your programs. Both Margo Downey,

Secretary, who is a transportation commissioner, in Buffalo, NY and Jemal

Powel, Board Member sit on transportation advisory board in Illinois, that

we will be having future discussions just dedicated to these topics in the

future.

We went around and introduced each other, where each one was from, we had

people from Wisconsin, Oregon, Missouri, California and more.

We gave a history of the division which started in 2001 by Stephanie Scott

Nelson speaking with Dr. Maurer, about an interest group related to travel

through today on areas that affect all of us in the travel industry from the

TSA, Airline Personnel, issues affecting our Veteran's. I also am a member

of the National Association of Blind Veterans, I am not a veteran, but I did

join the division in helping with travel related issues.

Which reminds me, we still need support on the, Space Available Bill, this

year in DC, we were not actively seeking support because of the Fair Wages

and Airline Bills, but this bill is very serious as well. So let's remind

our Senators of S346, because it seems that Senate is dragging their heels

on this, leave your House of Representative people alone, they are all for

it.

For more information on S346, please go to the nfb.org website

nfb.org/national-federation-blind-applauds-introduction-bill-benefit-disable

d-veterans.

Some of the other things that were discussed, the 2013 trip to Utah, which

was our 1st fundraiser, and we have people on the call that went and we have

many people who would like to go back to Utah for 2015.

Another topic that came up with doing something this year at National

Convention for group trips to the local sights, well it is kind of late for

that, even though the convention is in July, there are a lot of planning on

that, and if the division is going to do it as a fundraiser, the officers

should be there to make sure things go smoothly, this can be looked at for

the 75th Convention, since we will be in Orlando again, but we need to start

thinking of these things after convention.

So, going forward, we will have a few calls a month, like we would like to

have our next meeting just about ideas for the 2015 fundraiser trip, this is

the only thing we have as a fundraiser to bring in money, we raised $1400

last year, and that doesn't go very far.

One meeting we will have just to discuss you local transportation in your

area, and get ideas on how and what to mention at local hearings or whom to

speak to locally before you reach out to a Senator or someone else that

doesn't handle the local areas.

As well as, employment opportunities, and I don't just mean, being a travel

agent, maybe work in a hotel, or resort, or on a cruise ship, we can have

guests on the calls that actually have some ideas in that area, such as

Statler Center, who will be at our Convention meeting, or maybe have Mark

Jones come back and see if he can recommend, some areas where to apply for a

job, or see if we can have Cathy Vazquez or other areas of the travel

industry where you can work.

But we need your inputs on the things we will talk about. Milton Taylor, had

mentioned to me this morning, that the Seniors Division is doing this, and

so I thought we can do the same thing.

What do you all think?

We will try to have 2 meetings a month, and not all officers have to be on

the calls for this.

Right now we have our meetings starting at 8pm Eastern Time on Tuesday

Nights.

Our first meeting will be April 29th, 2014 to discuss only ideas for

Fundraiser Trip 2015, you do not need to be a paid member yet until July,

since that is when the year starts, so please RSVP that you will be

attending, via this list travelandtourism at nfbnet.org, and the ideas you

have, but bring exact ideas, don't just say California, NY, Utah, without

stating why you would like to go there, what you would like to see and do.

Make is realistic, meaning we cannot go from New York City to Buffalo in one

trip, because it is 8 hours to get there. Just some advice.

Nothing is off the table on this.

Respectfully,

Cheryl Echevarria, PresidentNFB Travel &

Tourism631-236-5138cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com

Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 of NY StateOffering the Best in

Meaningful Travel Experiences for Everyone!Cheryl Echevarria,

Ownerwww.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations at echevarriatravel.com

Sign up for our e-newsletter by e-mailing us you first and last name, and

e-mail address to reservations at echevarriatravel.com, let us know if you want

just text or pictures in your e-mail.

Echevarria Travel has partnered with Braille Smith. 
www.braillesmith.com for

all her braille needs.  Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama

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