Become a Home Based Travel Agent

Some random thoughts in Hawaii….
By Rusty Pickett

I am along with my best client group on a cruise on Celebrity Millennium doing the Hawaiian Islands and then transiting to Vancouver.  Some random thoughts and observations….

I flew in a day early, and stayed at the military hotel on Waikiki - the Hale Koa.  That was a wonderful experience as retirees from WWII, Korean, Vietnam, the Cold War, and active duty folks currently serving in harms way come together without fanfare or expectations.  Everyone has a military ID card, either active or retired, and there was a great sense of mutual respect and admiration. 

I couldn’t believe that there is no parking at the Honolulu Aloha Tower cruise terminal.  I wanted to rent a car for the two days that I was in Honolulu, but there was no place to park it overnight that was reasonable.  The Aloha Tower parking is $3.00 for 30 minutes all day.  Nuts – not a chamber of commerce decision!

For the first time in 40+ cruises three of us – a client couple and myself – scared off a retired couple from Branson Missouri – we had all taken showers and thought we were being polite.  They were replaced by a wonderful couple – 80 somethings.  He had served in Patton’s Third Army in World War II.  Fun folks – glad to have them; has to have real cream in his coffee.  It was fun to watch the Assistant Waiter run and get it.  His wife gave him a hard time, but after six kids and lots of years of marriage, I am sure he expected it.

The tour ticket said long pants and sturdy shoes strongly recommended. Why do folks show up in shorts and sandals to walk on lava fields and into lava tubes?

Cruising Hawaii is wonderful from a business standpoint – Verizon has the islands covered.  Cell phone and broadband wireless.  Almost like being home in the office….LOL.

My group representative emailed me that Celebrity wants to put the commission for the entire group on my credit card.  Someone isn’t thinking clearly in Miami.  I’ll fix this.

Lava Tree State Park should be off limits to families with kids.  Look at the pictures – too many young people will ask far too many questions about what human body parts the lava formations look like.

Several lady passengers on board had recently finished chemotherapy.  An Hawaiian cruise seems to be wonderful as they struggle to get their lives back.

There are two “sun” events that everyone in the US should be required to witness.  Sunset in Key West in Mallory Square and sunrise on Haleakala in Maui.  (Haven’t made it up for the sunrise experience, but I have biked down the volcano and drove through the clouds to the summit yesterday – breathtaking at 10,023 feet.  7000 more feet and I would be at base camp for Mt. Everest.)

It doesn’t get much better than to sit on the back deck of a cruise ship anchored off of Lahaina, Maui sipping good port and smoking a good Dominican cigar with live island music being played.  Aloha.