Follow my #AmazingAussieAdventure to WA and SA

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I’m off again. Memorial day, I take off on my fourth Amazing Aussie Adventure with Travel2. You will be able to follow my adventures on my social media accounts. (@BoomerangEscapes @AustraliaTravelExpert) You can also search the following hashtags: #amazingaussieadventure, #myhappyplace, #Australia, #BoomerangEscapes, #AustraliaTravelExpert, and #returntoyourhappyplace. Similar to past trips, about 40 top agents from across the U.S. have been chosen to head Down Under to meet suppliers and experience the wonders the country has to offer. I am headed to Western Australia and South Australia this year.

My adventure begins on Monday, May 28th, as I make my way from Newark to LA to catch my overnight flight on Air New Zealand.  We will arrive in Perth on Wednesday, May 30th and be off and running. Wednesday begins day one, yikes!

Day 1-No time to lose as we begin exploring Perth the afternoon we arrive. Once we have luggage in hand we will board our afternoon city driving tour.  We will go through Perth City and past some key locations, including Elizabeth Quay, the Bell Tower, Yagan Square, Kings Park and Perth Mint. After seeing the highlights we will arrive at our hotel the Crown Towers to freshen up before a dinner with some of Perth’s hoteliers.

Day 2-We will rise early for a trip to Rottnest Island.  I’m truly so excited for this and the opportunity to see the quokka up close.  This is the only placed you will find these guys in the wild. Our morning will also include biking, swimming and snorkeling. In the afternoon, we head to Fremantle for some free time to explore. Fremantle is renowned for its seafood and cosmopolitan live.  The day concludes with a 3 course hosted dinner in the award winning Chairman’s Villa.

Day 3-June 1st. With breakfast in a box in hand we head to the airport departing Perth for Exmouth. Once luggage dropped in Exmouth at Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort we head out with Ningaloo Safari Tours  for touring activities in Cape Range National Park.  We will be visiting Vlaming Head Lighthouse, Yardie Creek, Turquoise Bay and Sal Salis. We will have a picnic lunch at the creek and at the bay get in some swim and snorkel time.  Arriving back at our hotel late in the afternoon we enjoy dinner at and an evening at leisure.

Day 4-Another early day. And another amazing experience. Today we meet Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo and head out on the waters for an incredible opportunity to swim with the whale sharks.  The ride will include morning tea, refreshments and lunch. After our exciting day on the water the evening concludes with site inspection of Exmouth Escape Resort and dinner at Whalers Restaurant.

Day 5-This morning we will be joining Exmouth Adventure Co for a private kayaking tour. I’ll have the opportunity for a morning snorkel. After lunch we are headed to the airport to make our way to Adelaide.  Once in Adelaide we will have some time to explore and dine on our own.

Day 6-Training Day. Today we have one on one appointments with 40 preferred suppliers. After a day of education and relationship building we celebrate the evening with an Evening Gala Dinner at Adelaide Botanical Gardens. Networking ensues until we decide to retire for the evening.

Day 7-Time to explore Adelaide with a contemporary wine tour in Adelaide Hills/McLaren Vale: The Cube, Wirra Wirra, The Lane, and perhaps Mt Lofty Vineyards or Red Poles.  After a full day of tastings the night concludes with a closing event at the Playford Hotel Adelaide hosted by Tourism Tasmania (next on my list)

Day 8-There will be many sad faces as our adventure will come to an end, and it will be time to catch our flight back to the U.S. I will look forward to making another trip to my happy place, but until next time Australia.

*We will be trying a new app on this trip that is supposed to help with jet lag. I will be writing up a blog on my return to let you know how well it worked.

**Any or all activities that I participate in on my travels can be worked into your own itinerary. Call for a complimentary planning session to begin customizing your own #amazingaussieadventure.**

 


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslFollow my #AmazingAussieAdventure to WA and SA
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A Personal Review-My Night Aboard Adventure of the Seas

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I recently had the opportunity and invite from Royal Caribbean for One Bold Night onboard the reimagined Adventure of the Seas. The Adventure of the Seas just came out of refurbishments and is making Cape Liberty, in Bayonne, NJ, its new homeport. She will be offering summer getaways and fall foliage escapes. The cruise line invited a whole slew of agents from the area to get a taste and feel of her new look with a one night onboard experience.

What can you find on this reimagined ship from Royal Caribbean’s Explorer class? There is plenty, from the waves of the Perfect Storm Water Slides to the rustic flavors of Giovanni’s Table. We covered a lot of ground exploring and sampling the ships activities and food options during our overnight stay. Two of my travel friends even gave the slides a go despite our unseasonable spring temps. Their rating 2 thumbs up on the fun scale. My personal sleeping quarters were one of the ocean view cabins. I personally loved how the bed was aligned beneath the windows. For me it seem to make the cabin more spacious though I would rate the mattress on the firm side. I also, liked the curved design of the shower doors which gave a bit more room in the stall for washing up.


Once on board, we were given a sort of scavenger hunt that took has from Deck 15 on down and every where in between. It was actually a very fun way to explore and cover the ship versus an organized tour. I was able to linger at areas I wanted more information on or to even try and taste them out. The sushi rolls from Izumi were great! I got to see The Perfect Storm, the Two-Story mini-golf course, the Sky Bar, the Adults Only Solarium, Giovanni’s Table, Izumi Japanese Cuisine, Chops Grille, a variety of staterooms and more! There is so much to explore and do on the this ship.

One of my favorite areas besides the Sky Bar and hot tubs was the Promenade Deck. Very cool dining, drinking and of course shopping here. They also have cabins that overlook this area. But beware, there could be a party going on, so if you go to bed early this might not be the room category for you. Oh and speaking of entertainment the ship has it all. There are Broadway shows, comedy, dance parties, casino, games and more. For me I always take in the late night comedy. Nothing better than getting a good laugh on. Our entertainer for the evening was Kivi Rogers. Another late night favorite spot after comedy is to hit the Blue Moon on Deck 14. Beautiful panoramic views of your place at sea. Partake in the Silent Party where everyone has headphones and you get complete control over you listening experience. And the handy daily Cruise Compass let’s you know what’s going on when and where. It’s up to you to do as little or as much as you like.

Let’s not forget the kids. Royal Caribbean has gone the extra nautical mile. There is an interactive aqua park just for the kids. Then their own program, the Adventure Ocean Youth Program with day-to-night activities for kids ages 3 to 11. And they haven’t forgotten the older crowd with activities and hangouts just for the teens ages 12-17. So much for everyone!

This is not a just a cruise. It’s a vacation with all the thrills. Racing waterslides, FlowRider, Aqua park and Adult Only Solarium to recharge. Add in dazzling bars, entertainment, and culinary delights you have a vacation the whole family can enjoy or even just mom and dad. Adventure of the Seas will be sailing from Cape Liberty May-September 2018 with a 7-night Bahamas cruise and October 2018-April 2019 from Fort Lauderdale with 6 and 8 night Easter Caribbean itineraries. Be sure to inquire about group pricing and get a whole gang of your friends together or celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary.

If you are looking to see a variety of destinations while enjoying a variety of daily activities with only having to unpack once, then a cruise may be the ideal vacation experience for you. Discuss it with our planners to get the right match for your vacation.


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslA Personal Review-My Night Aboard Adventure of the Seas
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My Celebrity Summit Ship Inspection

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Sunday at sea. Well, almost at sea. I got to spend it aboard Celebrity Summit tour her decks, cabins, and sampling her food and beverages.  I know it’s a rough life, but someone has to do it and it might as well be me.  Actually it can be quite grueling and I know my feet, legs, and a** are feeling the  3 hours of walking the ship.  But this is truly a great opportunity for me to get a feel of what Celebrity has to offer you, my clients, as a line as well as how does it compare to the other lines.
Sticking to the Summit she is part of the millennium class that was updated not too long ago with all the solstice class perks. Despite her latest dry dock being only in the last few years, this beauty is about to go back in dry dock Feb 2019 to be “edge-ified” before returning back to Cape Liberty in 2019 for her seasonal Bermuda itineraries and Canada/New England.  When she is not up here in the north she does loops out of San Juan. They only plan on having her docked for about a month, but she will be freshly made up with changes to rooms and the Edge Class additions. One of the cabin changes will include new larger showers with the rounded sliding doors.  Her cabins are include inside, ocean, balcony, concierge, Aqua class, and Suite class.  You will find as you climb the cabin levels you will find increased amenities and nicer quality amenities with difference even in the bathrobes and towels, but all rooms do include bathrobes for the guests.  Fun amenities I saw in the Aqua class cabins were  gift bags, raspberry tea, complimentary water bottles, binoculars, large umbrella, magnifying mirror (ladies this is awesome) and they get exclusive to Blue Restaurant on the ships that have it.


When boarding the Summit, you will be greeted with a glass of champagne. This is a Celebrity standard. Prepare to check out one of the main lounge or dining venues when you first get onboard as rooms are typically not ready until 1pm.  It’s a great opportunity to get into relax mode with a drink and lunch meal.  I have to say the food was of great quality as we enjoyed a hosted lunch in the main dining. My lunch consisted of white wine, Caesar salad, salmon filet atop a bed of mash potatoes and spinach and concluded with apple pie.  Yes, you may just put a few pounds on unless you plan on visiting deck 10 for the fitness center.  Here you will also find the spa, hot tubs in the solarium and the Spa Café.

As long as we are talking food, the Summit has two specialty restaurants that you can make reservations for before you arrive or once on board. You have the Tuscan Grill and Qzine.  Tuscan is Italian flavors and Qzine offers a tapes style selections of wide international cuisine flavors. Dinner plates run about $40-45 per person for a meal.  For regular dining you have the Ocean View Café which has the buffet for all 3 meals and the main dining restaurant on decks 3 and 4 for you timed seating. Guests staying in Suite class have Luminae as their main dining option. The suite guests also get to enjoy Michael’s Club exclusively which is great spot when waiting for your room to ready.

Let’s talk about family travel on the Summit. While Celebrity is not known drawing a huge kid crowd (last week’s sailing only had 12 kids on it) during summer months when school’s out you will find a good number.  You have the options of family suite that sleeps 5 and also the one-bedroom suites have adjoining rooms if you have the older kids you want to be separate from, yet still within reach. The Summit has areas designed for all ages aboard and these can be found on Deck 11. There is the Fun Factory for you 3-12 and the X-Club for your tweens and teens. The kids’ club is Autism friendly as well!

Lots of fun spots for adults to disappear to. A bar you would definitely find me at is the Martini Bar and right next to it Crush.  Ice bar with lots of vodka choices.  The Sunset Bar makes a great spot to be as the ship pulls from port and a travel agent favorite. Then I definitely recommend sneaking away to the Rooftop Terrace for a bit of relaxation. I suggest taking part in the Taste of Film they  offer for a price of $20. This is where they match food and drink to a movie of choice, say something like Under the Tuscan Sun for example where they pick tastes from the movie. Thinking of Italy and wine, make a stop at Cellar Masters with world wine tours with your sommelier.

Another entertainment venue to catch while on board is the theatre productions. Celebrity actually owns their own production company. This gives them the ability to create and produce their own shows. With this advantage their shows can be changed out, different on ships based on itineraries, and have a longer run life to keep things fresh. Currently 3 shows are running on the Summit and the theatre also houses the comedians that come on board. Plenty of entertainment to choose from each night and always different.

For you cruisers, for those wanting to see Bermuda, the Summit out of Cape Liberty is a great option. Or consider coming in fall to experience the foliage of New England and Canada.   To get more information or pricing, feel free to reach out to any of our planners at 1-844-386-3600 or email info@boomerangescapes.com


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslMy Celebrity Summit Ship Inspection
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Why You Should Download Your Airline’s App

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Given the uncertainties of life, it made me realize that there are things that you can do as a traveler to make your travel a little less unpredictable. Let’s consider technology. One of the great technologies is that of our cell phone. It like no other device can let us know what is going on minute to minute. All you need to do is download applications to your phone. There are tons of them out there. What I recommend for making your travel less stressful is to add the airline apps to your phone such as United Airlines. Almost every airline now a day offers an app for your smart phone. Whichever airline or airlines your flying add that application to your phone. Any of the airlines applications can be found in your phones app store.

Once you have the app downloaded you can access information about your flight, use it to check-in online, purchase upgrades, check baggage allowances, and more. One of my favorite things is being able to turn on the notifications button for my flight. When you have notifications on you will receive alerts as to any changes or delays. As a travel planner, I keep these notification alerts on my phone not only for my personal travel, but for my client’s travel as well. By adding my client’s flight information into notification alerts, I can stay on top of any issues that may arise prior to departure or arrival home. It also gives me peace of mind when I know my client’s flights have safely departed and arrived. In the event of an issue such as weather that can cause a delay or cancel the flight, I can quickly be in contact with you and start working on other options to get you to your destination in what hopefully is the most stress-free way possible. The apps truly are handy for us both. While nothing is a guarantee and the apps won’t prevent a flight from being delayed or cancelled, the advanced knowledge and ability to stay in touch with your air carrier and your travel planner does help. Try it on your next vacation escape.


Andrea Ward is an independent travel consultant of Boomerang Escapes, who is based in Wisconsin.

She has been planning vacation escapes for the company since 2013 and specializes in Caribbean Destinations. Her primary focus is on the all-inclusive vacation experience for adult or family getaways for individuals and small groups. Sandals and AMResorts are among the specialist certificates she holds.


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Andrea WardWhy You Should Download Your Airline’s App
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