Licenses From These 5 States Won’t Be Valid to Board a Flight

Licenses From These 5 States 

Won’t Be Valid to Board a Flight

Written By: George Kennedy

Your driver’s license; the one thing you assume will always allow you to verify who you are. That may be to a bouncer at a bar, a ticket teller at a train station, or to a police officer. But folks in a handful of states may not be able to use their valid state driver’s licenses to get on a flight—even a domestic one.

According to CNN Money, it all started with the Real ID Act, which was passed by the U.S. government ten years ago. The act instructed states to adopt stricter standards for state-issued IDs so that it would be harder for potential terrorists and criminals to obtain IDs. This called for tougher standards for which documents were needed to get an ID.  But fast-forward a decade, and less than half of the states have adopted these standards. In fact only 22 state follow the Real ID protocols, and here’s the kicker– state that have not complied cannot use those IDs to board a domestic flight.

Neither the Department of Homeland Security, nor TSA have been enforcing the standard, but reportedly will start enforcing it in 2016. If you are from one of these non-compliant states, you will be forced to show a passport, military ID, or some other form of identification. So far, 19 states have been granted extensions through October 10, 2016. That leaves five states that are non-compliant, have not been granted extensions, or have extension requests that are still being reviewed, or none at all.

These states are Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, and Washington state, and their deadline is January 10. Even as of last week, DHS announced that New Mexico will be given an extension if it makes efforts to become compliant by the end of this new year. States are supposed to be given a 120 day notice before it can start to decline IDs. With all of this looming, we can certainly expect DHS and TSA to make some announcements regarding further extensions for these states, thought nothing is certain.

Technically, you do not need a photo ID to take a domestic flight. It is just a real pain, as you have to go through additional screening. With that in mind, if you are in one of the non-compliant states, maybe just make sure your passport is up to date, keeping you safe from whatever bureaucratic madness ensues in the months ahead.

See where your state is in terms of ID compliance by clicking on the Department of Homeland Security’s page here.

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Maraloha Travel

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NCL Escape - Day 7 (Nassau, Bahamas)

NCL Escape - Day 7

(Nassau, Bahamas)

Here is the jam packed, last chance, one day activity that you really have to know what you are doing, where you are going, and how much time you have to do it in.  Even though we were arriving in Nassau, Bahamas at 12:15PM, again, there were lots of sales going on at Central Retail on the ship.  They had the Bell & Rose Box Jewelry on sale and another presentation about Nassau going on, plus this was a good opportunity to do your last minute shopping on your photos before heading ashore.  I can guarantee that later on, when you return from being ashore, you will want to rest and just enjoy yourself before hitting the Port of Miami the next day.

Off the ship we go to do some last minute shopping and hopefully get some good bargains on jewelry and gifts.  We spent about 2 ½ hours in different stores, especially Diamonds International where they had the last Parazul bags. 

If you know anything about Parazul, they are more popular than Coach and Michael Kors. Unfortunately, they are very rare now as the company went out of business. I was fortunate to get several of the Parazul bags a few years back and they have gone up in value significantly since that time.  No, I don’t plan on selling them as they are my favorite bags and like to give them as gifts to family.  But if you have the chance to get one, this is the place you want to go as there is nowhere else in the Caribbean to get them anymore.  The sale they had going was buy one, get one free!  They run about $395, but you get two for the price of one!  Great deal!

Next, we wanted to go to Atlantis and I have a connection there to set us up with a tour.  So we head to get the water taxi and we are waiting around for about 45 minutes!  I was so mad and was ready to jump out to take a taxi, but by that time, the captain came and we set off to Atlantis.  With about a 10 minute boat ride we unfortunately, only had about 45 minutes on our own to get a glimpse of Atlantis. 

Atlantis is so big that you need an entire day just to see it. It can be quite expensive but well worth it to stay. Remember that Florida is not that far from Nassau and you can do a weekend trip there. So after seeing a little part of Atlantis and with only about 45 minutes to get back to the ship, we were cutting it pretty close! We jumped into taxi and now stuck in traffic! OMG! I am panicking thinking we were not going to make it. However, we just made it about 10 minutes before 6:30pm! Thank goodness! I was dancing as we approached the dock! 

TIP: If you ever do get stuck where the ship leaves without you, the ship does have a list of who is not onboard, goes to the passenger’s cabin, gets their documentation and gives it to the harbor master.  So when you do finally arrive, you will get your documents to figure out how you are going to get to the next port, yes, on your own!  So a word of advice: DON’T MISS THE SHIP!  

Onboard now safely and a big sigh of relief, we head to the cabin and receive a great surprise from Sean!  A bottle of champagne to destress and relax after the ordeal we just went through!  So after a few glasses of bubbly, we get ready to go see the International Crew Talent Show. This is a definite must and a lot of fun to see.  Don’t miss it on your next cruise!  However, for those of you that either have no interest in seeing a show or didn’t get a chance to see it, you still have time here to finalize your onboard account, get some last minute deals on gifts, and take care of your photos.  Remember that you won’t have time to do this the next morning as it is quite busy and the elevators are packed with people disembarking the ship.

After the show and finalizing our gifts, photos, and onboard account, we head back to the cabin to pack.  The cruise line, based on the time you are disembarking, ask you to pack your bags and leave them outside your cabin before midnight.  This is only if you are planning not to take them off yourself.  You do have that option, but for myself and J.C., we really didn’t want to lug it everywhere.  

After packing we decided to visit the District Brew House for a last minute beer.  There were not many people there but we were at least able to enjoy a frosty beverage!  One thing to remember about the Brew House is that they have over 50 beers, but most you can enjoy in your state.  Not much different or exotic as I thought but it does beat your average Coors Light or Bud Platinum!

Well, off to the cabin to get some sleep as you have to be up at 6AM to get some breakfast and grab your stuff before disembarking the ship.

Please feel free to comment as I would love to hear from you.  Tune in for our post-cruise trip back home to Tampa!

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Why You Should Make Vacation Time a Priority This Year

Why You Should Make Vacation 

Time a Priority This Year

Written By: Laura Entis

New Year's Eve has come and gone, but it's not too late to add one more item to your list of resolutions: Take more vacations.

On the surface, this may seem like a frivolous, indulgent goal. But not only is it important -- making time for regular trips with friends and family increases one's feeling of well-being, finds a new survey by Gallup – but it's difficult. A recent survey by Glassdoor found the average U.S. employee only takes 51 percent of their eligible vacation/paid time off.

That’s a real shame, because Americans who regularly take time off work to go on trips report significantly higher well-being than their counterparts who are glued to their work year-round. Interestingly, not only does this vacation-effect persist across income groups, but its impact is so profound that those who earn less than $24,000 a year but take regular trips report a higher well-being score, on average, than those who earn $120,000 or more annually but don't regularly take vacations. (The data comes from more than 148,000 interviews with Americans aged 18 or older conducted from January through November.)

While well-being is a somewhat hard to pinpoint term, it's important. As Gallup notes, previous research has tied well-being scores to health outcomes including life expectancy and a lower risk of obesity, while some studies suggest that taking time off positively impacts the brain and heart.

All of which means vacation time isn't just good for employees – it can be good for employers, too. Besides the health cost benefits, encouraging workers to actually use their vacation days can decrease burnout rates and increase employee retention.

So this coming year, let's all resist the urge to remain tethered to our desks and make vacation a priority.

So make that New Year's Resolution count! Call us today to book your dream destination and lets make memories!

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Royal Caribbean BOGO Event! - HURRY Sale Ends January 3, 2016!

ROYAL CARIBBEAN BOGO EVENT                                            ENDS JANUARY 3, 2016                                           DON'T DELAY! CALL TODAY!

For more information or to make a reservation contact: Lisa Schindler from Maraloha Travel   Call 914-774-2494

Buy One Get One Half Off! At Royal Caribbean International we understand that when choosing a vacation, everyone's preferences are as different as the destinations we sail to. A Royal Caribbean International cruise vacation offers something for everyone: a variety of classes and excursions, bustling nightlife, moments of quiet relaxation or fun for the whole family.

7 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise
							Ship Name: Adventure Of The Seas 2016 Sail Date: Apr 02 Destination: Caribbean Departure Port: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Starting From: USD 817.50 Taxes, fees and port expenses:N/A
Pricing: per person*			- Interior -USD 817.50
7 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise Ship Name:Adventure Of The Seas 2016 Sail Date:  Apr 23 Destination:Caribbean Stateroom:Balcony Starting From: USD 1,190.00 per person* Taxes, fees and port expenses:N/A 4 Night Bahamas Cruise Ship Name:Jewel Of The Seas 2016 Sail Date:  Apr 24 Destination:Caribbean Stateroom:Deluxe/Suites Starting From: USD 1,881.00 per person* Taxes, fees and port expenses:N/A 4 Night Bahamas Cruise Ship Name:Jewel Of The Seas 2016 Sail Date:  Apr 24 Destination:Caribbean Stateroom:Balcony Starting From: USD 837.50 per person* Taxes, fees and port expenses:N/A 7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise Ship Name:Liberty Of The Seas 2016 Sail Date:  Apr 24 Destination:Caribbean Stateroom:Deluxe/Suites Starting From: USD 2,002.50 per person* Taxes, fees and port expenses:N/A

Call today to book your experience of a lifetime! For more information or to make a reservation, contact: MARALOHA TRAVEL phone: 914-774-2494 | Fax: 813-961-6862 email: maralohatvl@aol.com  web:www.avoyatravel.com/experts/lisaschindler LISA SCHINDLER 401 E LAS OLAS BLVD, SUITE 1400, FT LAUDERDALE, FL 33558

*Prices are per person, based on double occupancy, for cruise only on select sailings and stateroom categories. Taxes, fees and port expenses are additional.  For new reservations only. Certain restrictions apply. Prices include Non Commissionable Cruise Fare and are quoted in US dollars. All itineraries and prices are subject to change without notice. © 2015 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships registry: The Bahamas. Brilliance of the Seas is operated by RCL (UK) Ltd. Subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

CROWN & ANCHOR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER When you reserve your cruise vacation, remember to include your Crown & Anchor Society Membership Number to ensure you receive all the benefits and recognition you deserve. If you need your membership number, or to update your member information, please e-mail us at crownandanchor@rccl.com, or call the Crown & Anchor Society at (800) 526-9723, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. (ET), Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET).

E-MAIL INFORMATION If you have questions or comments about anything you've seen in this message, please e-mail: maralohatvl@aol.com.

For more information and reservations, contact the travel agent listed in your customized HTML E-Mail. Thank you, Royal Caribbean International Get Out There. If you encounter any difficulty trying to view or print your customized document, please contact your travel agent. If you wish not to recieve this kind of emails in future, please click on the link to optout: http://www.avoyatravel.com or contact the Agency Maraloha Travel, 914-774-2494, maralohatvl@aol.com - Maraloha Travel an independently owned and operated affiliate of Avoya Travel - 401 E LAS OLAS BLVD SUITE 1400, FT LAUDERDALE, FL, USA, 33558 p: 914-774-2494  Fax: 813-961-6862 www.avoyatravel.com/experts/lisaschindler

NCL Escape - Day 6 (Sea Day)

NCL Escape - Day 6

(Sea Day)

The Day It Is Not Busy!

Here we go! Another day at sea and lots of activities on board! This is the day for all the specials on photos, gifts, and bargains to get for family, friends, colleagues back home. We decided to head out to the Marketplace on poolside to see what the T-shirt sale was all about. The t-shirts were your standard NCL garb and reasonably priced. 2 for $20 and come in all sizes, however, you have to get their early as the place was mobbed! Everyone wants a good bargain so you have to search the piles of t-shirts and hold onto the shirts you want. This is also good for the business entrepreneurs as you can get gifts for clients too!

Next up, Central Retail (the gift shop) for the bargains on watches, scarves, and jewelry.  Mind you, this is not your upscale jewelry and if you know your pricing you can get these items at any store in the US.  However, the Bell & Rose Box Jewelry which comes with a watch and some extra items is definitely worth the money.  It would cost you about $20 per box on the cruise and it’s a definite steel!  Great gifts again for anyone and you can’t find this at any store.  Since Central Retail is near the photo gallery and the fine jewelry, this is a good time to see if they have any sales going on.  I know that I was interested in the Marahlago and Lauren G Adams jewelry, but with Marahlago, there was only a 20% discount.  You can get it directly from Marahlago for less so this is really not a bargain. 

However, Lauren G Adams jewelry I was able to get a one of a kind, not being sold anywhere, Montana collection necklace.  This was a worthwhile piece and very beautiful.  Remember, when you shop for jewelry you want to make sure that over the years it goes up in value, and it will if you invest in the right piece.  I know that most of my pieces will do so, especially Tanzanite.  If you are ever in the islands, this is a must!

So now with being exhausted and starting to get a migraine from all the crowds, chaos, and bargain shopping, it was off to poolside to get a drink and see the ice carving demonstration! It’s great to watch how they can carve away at a block of ice to create a masterpiece.  Since it was the Christmas season, they decided to do a reindeer.

Since it was now about 4pm, and we spend much of our time relaxing at poolside, it was back to the cabin to get ready to take some professional photos.  Remember that the do offer this during the cruise, at least 4 times so you have the opportunity to get some really good pictures.  You don’t pay for them yet, as you need to go up to the photo gallery, pick the ones you want, and then pay for them.  They can get pricy as the 5x7 costs $20.00 and the 8x10 costs $30.  However, they do have specials, for instance buy 10 for $149 or buy 10 with everything on a USB for $149.  Not a bad deal either as we decided to do the $149. 

Heading to the Atrium at around 7:30pm, there was a line and a wait for most of the picture taking.  We scheduled ourselves to be at “The Brat Pack” show at 8:45pm and was hoping it wasn’t going to take too long, so I was a little stressed.  Finally at around 8:15pm, we started to take some pictures and to my surprise, J.C. proposed (as most of you knew from the Facebook posting)!  I was very surprised and excited, especially with everyone screaming at the photo shoot, Sean and the rest of the NCL staff practically announcing it to everyone, and the Brat Pack actors waiting for us to escort us into the show!  What a surprise that was!   

After the show, we headed back to our cabin to get ready for the “Glow” party at H2O Spice.  Now this was a party you didn’t want to miss!  This party really hit it off with many of the passengers onboard and the turnout was much better than the 80’s party.  Dancing, laughter, and excitement became the vibe of the party.  The music was pumping, the people were jumping and singing along.  We loved this party and even J.C. broke out a dance move, here and there! 

Here is a video of our experience with this party:

Even though this is almost the end of our cruise, we were ready for more!

Please feel free to comment as I would love to hear from you.  Tune in for our last day of our cruise on Norwegian's newest ship the Escape!

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NCL Escape - Day 5 (Tortola, GB Virgin Islands)

NCL Escape - Day 5

(Tortola, GB Virgin Islands)

As we pulled into Tortola, the weather was absolutely gorgeous!  I don’t care what people say as there is no way to get a view like this from staying on the island. It can only be seen from a cruise ship.  Since there is not much to do in Tortola besides taking a tour and having to be back on the ship by 2:30PM, we decided to do our own exploring.  

Again, since I have been here before, there is a little market about a 10 minute walk away from the ship on the outskirts of town.  So, we decided to check it out and do a little video for Maraloha Travel.  Don’t worry… that is coming soon as well!

 

After doing a little shopping at the market, we decided to head back to the ship.  We decided to go to the Garden Café to get some food and then plan our evening.  As we entered our cabin, another gift was left for us.  What a treat! 

Next, we got ready to go see Mark Klein, the comedian in the Escape Theater. Mark Klein began his career as a stand-up comedian in comedy clubs from Alaska to Florida, headlining across the country, and has been on National & Regional Media from CBS, A&E, Showtime, Comedy Central, Comcast, The Bob & Tom Show, and Forbes magazine. He has expanded his schedule to include cruise ship entertainment and just happened to be on the NCL Escape.  The show was great and he was really funny.  We were able to talk to him after the show and realized that he has also been at Sidesplitters Comedy Club in Tampa, only a 10 minute ride from our house and knew the owner!  What a small world!  So hopefully the next time he is in town, we will be able to see him.

After the show, we decided to go to the casino to try our luck and ran into Isabelle and Brent!  What a great couple!  They were still boasting about their cabin and how much fun they were having. 

We also decided to explore the ship a little more and found a great Christmas display near Le Bistro.  All handmade by the chef with lights and music. 

A very brief day with not much excitement but well work the needed rest.

Please feel free to comment as I would love to hear from you.  Tune in for day six of our cruise on Norwegian's newest ship the Escape!

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