The Flagg Agency

 The year was 2004 and we had just celebrated our 10th anniversary that January. For years, we had had a different travel goal in mind for our 10th anniversary, but the birth of our daughter the year before had given us a postponement to that goal.

We decided that an Alaska cruise would be the next best thing. We had always been intrigued by the allure of the last frontier. We knew several people who had cruised Alaska and came back raving. For most an Alaska cruise will be a one time experience. The length of time it takes to fly there plus the added expense make Alaska a once-in-a-lifetime destination.

Will the ship leave without me?

One of the services we offer clients leaving from a domestic port is a phone call on the day of embarkation. We like to be sure the stateroom is satisfactory, our client made it on the ship, and if there are any last minute questions or issues. Yesterday we called our client and could hear a bit of frustration in his voice. Through a bad phone connection he said one of his bags was missing then the phone disconnected. He soon called back from his wife’s phone and this time the connection was better. He was okay with the fact that one of his bags was missing. I knew he had driven to the port so I began to do a little investigating. He said that only one piece of luggage had been delivered to his stateroom. It was at that point that realization hit. We knew our clients were first time cruisers, and even on the day he boarded the ship he still had first time cruiser questions.

Did you know it is possible to make the most of your next fundraising effort by holding a fundraising cruise? Cruises offer exciting destinations from Alaska to Europe to the Caribbean which will increase your chances of heighten attendance and with no extra financial investment on your part.

There are many different ways to use a cruise in your fundraising efforts, whether it’s through silent auctions, ticket sales, raffles, or promoting a fundraising group.  One of the most popular types of groups sailing on today’s cruise ships are those designed around a fundraising theme.  If your church group, club or nonprofit organization is looking for a different yet fun-filled way to make money, you may want to consider a group cruise for your next fundraiser.

The view of Tuscany from Castellano di Verazzano

Have you ever wanted to explore the enchanting Tuscan countryside? You can, however, time is of the essence if you want to take advantage of a very special offer we have.

We want to use our blog to pass on this release from Travel Guard is an insurance carrier we recommend.
Travel Guard provides free assistance to travelers in Haiti

The devastating earthquake in Haiti this week has many in the travel industry wondering what they can do to help. We in the travel industry are especially impacted by the news as well as uniquely positioned to extend a hand to those in need through the resources we manage.

We want you to know that Travel Guard will be providing free emergency travel and medical assistance services to travelers and families affected by this week’s earthquake in Haiti. Services available through Travel Guard include coordination of emergency medical arrangements and evacuations, temporary lodging, cash wire transfers, passport replacement, translation services, message relay, emergency travel arrangements, and luggage tracking for items lost during the quake.

Travel Guard is also coordinating with its network of medical and evacuation specialists and air ambulance providers to monitor evacuation and assistance needs and facilitate evacuations from the area. Travelers in Haiti or their family members are encouraged to contact Travel Guard’s assistance coordinators for travel help or assistance in communicating with family members at home. If you know of anyone who may need assistance, please let them know they can call Travel Guard’s 24-hour World Service Center at 866-644-6811. If they are in Haiti or areas outside the U.S., they can call us collect at 715-295-1209.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all whose lives have been devastated by this tragic event,” said Dean Sivley, CEO of Travel Guard North America.  “We have a number of Travel Guard customers who are in the area and we are diligently working to provide the assistance they need including medical case management, relaying messages to family members and coordinating emergency travel arrangements. We are also extending these services to any U.S. travelers and their family members who have been affected by the quake, because we feel it is an important part of our social responsibility as a global provider of travel insurance plans and assistance services.”