Traveling is for the Dogs

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Top 5 Basic Things to Consider When Choosing a Travel Agent For Traveling to Antarctica

Travelers planning a trip must perform due diligence with the task of choosing a dependable travel agent. This becomes crucial when the planned trip is to Antarctica. The harsh and unpredictable weather as well as remote and inhospitable geographical conditions of the region demand that experienced and capable people handle the affairs of an expedition be it by air or sea.

Choosing a dependable travel agent is a tricky job as there are a dismayingly large number of travel agencies out there. Anyone with a little knowledge of Internet ticket booking and awareness of travel destinations can set up a travel agency. It is hard to expect quality and dependable service even from registered travel agencies as the registration process is simple and doesn't require much more than filling out a simple form and paying some fees. Airliners and cruise liners affiliations are also meaningless. Let the lure of visiting the White Continent not make you overlook some basic factors in choosing a travel agent. If I were traveling to Antarctica these are the things I would be concentrating on for selecting a travel agent.

Reputation

This is the prime consideration while choosing a travel agent. Usually, the more reputable a travel agency the better is its service. Ascertain whether it's lower cost or quality service that makes a particular travel agent special. Your target is clearly reputation based on the dependability of service. Cheap and best are not applicable always. You don't drive the cheapest car, don't wear the cheapest dress, and don't eat out in the cheapest restaurant. So why choose a travel agent that specializes in providing cheap services. You are going to Antarctica, remember. Everything should be top notch. You should concentrate on getting that. Getting better rates becomes secondary to getting top equipment, facilities, and services.

People assume that the longer a travel agency is in business the better will be the quality of their service. This is purely a common assumption and there are no statistics to support this. Not how long has the travel agency been in service, but how well is it serving travelers now should be the question uppermost in your mind. The fact is that there are many old travel agencies on the verge of running out of business and there are many new travel agencies offering better services with newer and appropriate policies. Reputed, experienced, and efficient should be the preferred criteria of your choice. Equally important is to choose tour operators that specialize in expeditions to ice covered lands like the Arctic and Antarctica.

Check with Friends, Clients, and Suppliers

The best opinions that you can get are from trusted friends and associates that have traveled to Antarctica. If you can tolerate a little exaggeration or understatement you will get honest opinions from them. However, don't take a single emphatic recommendation as final. Check and verify with others about any recommendation. Find from the recommended travel agent if they are giving any benefits to clients for bringing in referrals. Make sure that your friend has not referred you mainly to earn benefits for himself.

Get a list of existing clients and suppliers from the travel agent to verify its claims. Find out how the travel agency performs on a bad day. Be careful as it's natural on the part of a supplier to say only positive things about a travel agent if the latter is the former's client. You should contact a reliable and reputable supplier to establish the truth whether or not the travel agent does business with it. Clients can better testify about the veracity of the claims made by a tour operator. Get an exhaustive list of clients so that the travel agent will not know which ones you are going to contact. If you are taking the contact address of a few clients then contact them right away so that the travel agent gets no time to tutor clients and dress up testimonies.

Dependable Team

The competencies and expertise of the expedition team are crucial to an Antarctic expedition. In the unending stretch of ice and cold water you have only them to ensure your safety. A dependable team should comprise of at least one veteran captain having several expedition experiences, expert sailors, environmentalists, geologists familiar with the topography of the continent and specializing in glaciology, oceanographers, marine biologists, polar scientists, and polar educators. It's essential for all the above people to have previous Antarctic expedition experience. Make sure that the team has all the qualification and experience to make your expedition a safe and enjoyable one.

Sturdy Ship

Special attention must be paid for the kind of ship the travel agent is going to put you on and the team that will lead the expedition. The ship must be in top condition. It must have all the latest communication tools as well as expedition equipment. Find out how well the ship can cope with disaster?

Ask the travel agent about which cruise liners are listed in their agency and how many voyages the cruise liners have made to Antarctica? The more successful voyages made by a cruise liner the better - the rule is simple. Is your travel agency offering good ice breaking ships or ice strengthening cruises? If you are more adventurous you should prefer the ice breaking cruises as they will take you to places that just ice strengthened ships cannot take. Ask the tour operator what kind of logistics the ships offer (zodiacs and helicopters). What kind of gear and equipment do they make available on the ship? Will the ship have qualified guides, naturalists, geologists, and sailors to make the expedition safe and successful?

Some More Questions to Ask the Tour Operators

There are expeditions led by people that have explored the entire Antarctic. Your expedition can benefit immensely from the knowledge of such people. Find out whether the tour operators are members of International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO). IAATO is a private body, which has laid down the rules to be followed by tour operators while going to Antarctica and about conduct on the continent.

Ask the travel agent this precious question, "what service they offer which any other agents do not or cannot offer"? Compare the results and answers of the travel agents and go for the most reliable one.

If you plan to fly over part of Antarctica then find out from the tour operator whether the pilot and crew members have previous flying experience to the continent. Some travel agencies make sure that the captain of the airplane has flown to Antarctica at least once before.

These are just five basic factors that you should consider when selecting a travel agent for an expedition to Antarctica. There are more things that you should take into account while doing the due diligence in this regard. Look up on the Internet and guidebooks to cover all the aspects to make sure that you have taken utmost care in selecting a travel agent. Do not always trust what is posted in forums without cross checking. For that matter trust advise or information only when they come from an authentic and reputed source. Cross check them to be absolutely sure. Have a safe and happy voyage.

Top 5 States For Traveling Nurses

Do you have a desire to move about, see the country, and gain valuable nursing experience? Travel nurse jobs may be just the career that you are looking for. As a traveling nurse, you are able to move about from state to state, city to city and work in different environments in various hospitals. There are huge advantages to this nomadic nurse. The best is being able to choose where you wish to work.

California comes in at the top of the list. The west coast, with its sandy beaches, postcard sunsets, mountains, and other wonderful sites, is perfect for just about any traveling nurse. A state as long as California is easy to travel in for different climates, if you like to keep to more mild weather. The healthcare field is booming in California, along with its population. Traveling nurse jobs will be in high demand in this state. Within the next decade, California is going to need over a quarter of a million nurses. This will offer opportunities for years to come.

Florida, the tropical paradise of the east coast, comes in second on the list. Mild winters are found in northern Florida, while the southern tip of Florida maintains its warm climate almost year round. Florida is a destination for many retirees, and almost 3 million of the citizens in Florida are over the age of 65. This means that there is a constant demand for nursing. Nursing demand is expected to grow. Florida is an excellent state, with no income tax, and plenty of sights and distractions for when you are not working.

Third place goes to New York. New York offers a variety of settings from urban to rural life. It has small towns and, of course, the biggest of cities. New York City, The Big Apple, The City that Never Sleeps; no matter what it is called, it always has something for you to do. Nursing in the city or in the rural countryside is high in demand. Here there can be found a cultural and exciting variety of living styles. Since most hospitals pay for a modest apartment, the higher cost of housing is rarely an issue to the traveling nurse.

Ohio comes in fourth place of this list. The balance of the Midwestern lifestyle and its large urban centers provide a huge opportunity to traveling nurses. Traveling nurses taking jobs here can expect that the need for them will continue to grow. It is estimated that close to 150,000 nurses will be needed over the next decade. With the wide expanse of land, and three major cities, there are plenty of opportunities for traveling nurse jobs in Ohio.

Finally the great state of Pennsylvania finalizes the list. There is a current high demand for healthcare workers. These positions range from nurses to CNA's. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are not only great population centers to find work, but loaded with historical and brilliant night-life. Traveling nurses that have an interest in history or politics will enjoy living in this place where our country was born.

Top Ten Travel Tips For Students Traveling Abroad

Although most trips abroad are trouble free, being prepared will go a long way to avoiding the possibility of serious trouble.

1. Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and visas, if required. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency information page of your passport!

2. Read the Consular Information Sheets (and Public Announcements or Travel Warnings, if applicable) for the countries you plan to visit.

3.Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends at home, so that you can be contacted in case of an emergency. Keep your host program informed of your whereabouts.

4. Make sure you have insurance that will cover your emergency medical needs (including medical evacuation) while you are overseas. Travel insurance may be necessary if your present health insurance does not cover you in foriegn countries.

5. Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of the countries to which you are traveling. Remember, while in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws!

6. Do not leave your luggage unattended in public areas and never accept packages from strangers.

7. While abroad, avoid using illicit drugs or drinking excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages, and associating with people who do.

8. Do not become a target for thieves by wearing conspicuous clothing and expensive jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of cash or unnecessary credit cards.

9. Deal only with authorized agents when you exchange money to avoid violating local laws.

10. When overseas, avoid demonstrations and other situations that may become unruly or where anti-American sentiments may be expressed.