Charles and Lillie Woodrows

The Woodrows and others stayed at sea for almost nine hours before it was deemed safe enough to continue island hopping. Despite almost participating in one the worst natural disasters of the past century, they still describe their experience as “most enjoyable.”

“It’s hard to pick a favorite island in Hawaii as each has its own distinct beauty,” said Charles. “It’s very difficult to pick one over the other and I don’t think I can.”

Their vacation was even more enjoyable because they saved money by using Cruises, Travel and Attractions’ travel agency and utilizing its website, www.thevacationstationmembers.com.

When it was all over, they rated the company’s customer service as excellent.
Best of all, because the Woodrows are members of Cruises, Travel and Attractions, they received a rebate check after their vacation was over, saving them even more money. While they are staying closer to home for their next vacation, Cruises, Travel and Attractions will still be available to help them plan their trip and keep more money in their pockets.

Charles and Lillie Woodrows

Charles and Lillie Woodrow of Hopkins, South Carolina, have been members of Vacation Inspiration for two years but didn’t decide to take their first trip to Europe until last year.

“We had a good experience, so we booked another vacation this year through Cruises, Travel and Attractions and headed to Hawaii,” said Charles Woodrow. “While we won’t travel as far from home next time, we will definitely utilize our membership with Cruises, Travel and Attractions again.”

A 15-day vacation to Hawaii is a dream vacation and one the Woodrows won’t soon forget – but for another reason.

“We were on a cruise visiting some of the Hawaiian Islands when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan,” Charles explained. “It was incredible, but we were kept informed of what was happening the entire time. The cruise line took us out to sea for about 25 miles to avoid getting hit ourselves. It was definitely a new and once-in-alifetime experience for all of us.”…

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Charles and Lillie Woodrows

The Woodrows and others stayed at sea for almost nine hours before it was deemed safe enough to continue island hopping. Despite almost participating in one the worst natural disasters of the past century, they still describe their experience as “most enjoyable.”

“It’s hard to pick a favorite island in Hawaii as each has its own distinct beauty,” said Charles. “It’s very difficult to pick one over the other and I don’t think I can.”

Their vacation was even more enjoyable because they saved money by using Cruises, Travel and Attractions’ travel agency and utilizing its website, www.thevacationstationmembers.com.

When it was all over, they rated the company’s customer service as excellent.
Best of all, because the Woodrows are members of Cruises, Travel and Attractions, they received a rebate check after their vacation was over, saving them even more money. While they are staying closer to home for their next vacation, Cruises, Travel and Attractions will still be available to help them plan their trip and keep more money in their pockets.

Cruise, Travel and Attractions has been has been recognized by Royal Caribbean International for its excellent work in 2010, citing the company’s travel agent team for meeting its booking goals for the year. “The highest level of customer service is our number one goal. It makes me happy to make my clients happy,” said CTA travel agent Connie Maher.

Maggie, Jennifer, Allie, Connie, Gareth and Danette earned a plaque from Royal Carribbean, which cruises to more than 280 destinations in 81 countries worldwide. Acknowledgement from a major cruise line is a nice accomplishment for the CTA team, but what they really enjoy is the recognition they receive from happy members.

The travel agents are knowledgeable about all the major lines and each of their ships, embarkation ports, itineraries, ports-of-call and excursions. Of course, Royal Caribbean is just one of many cruise lines that Cruise, Travel and Attractions offers. They can book members on the huge variety of cruises offered by any cruise company, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Viking River Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Seabourn.

William and Lenora Chapin love to travel and their favorite way to see the world is from a cruise ship. Cruising offers many benefits, but one of the most appreciated is the combination of transportation and lodging that eliminates the constant packing, unpacking and moving of luggage from one destination to the next. William Chapin also believes you can cover a lot more territory aboard a ship.

We love cruises because it is such an easy way to see a lot of places,” Chapin said. The Chapins have been members of Cruise, Travel and Attractions for about two years and have taken full advantage of this fantastic travel resource. And CTA makes it easy with cruises on big-name cruise lines.

“We went on an Eastern Mediterranean cruiseand we loved it.” he said, “In fact, we’re going on another cruise this month.” This next cruise will take them to the Eastern Mediterranean for 12 relaxing and fun-filled days. “This cruise will be even better,” Chapin said. “It goes to Istanbul and the Greek Isles but includes some unusual stops such as Alexandria and Cairo.

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It only took a postcard in her mailbox to pique Lynn Meyer’s interest in learning about Cruise, Travel and Attractions. It sounded like a good idea, and it was just a short trip to the nearby office to find out more. It turned out to be the first step to many journeys she’s taken with her husband Bill.

We went with a very open mind to hear what the program was about,” said Lynn.

Bill jumped in saying, “It turned out very interesting.” He continued by explaining that the Cruise, Travel and Attractions folks actively work to find out where you would like to visit – then they come up with suggestions.

“It’s kind of a neat idea,” Bill said.

The Meyers have been members since the summer of 2009, and they were anxious to try a variety of plans offered by Cruise, Travel and Attractions. For example, they wanted to visit Florida’s panhandle, so the staff at Cruise, Travel and Attractions presented several options from which to choose.

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For the most part, if you want to take a memorable vacation and get the most for your hard-earned cash, you have two options: You can sacrifice price in the name of convenience by seeking the services of a traditional travel agent, or you can spend countless hours searching Google, Yahoo, Bing and the other search engines all hours of the day and night, anxiously looking and hoping for airlines and cruise companies to temporarily drop their prices – and hoping you catch it!

But there’s a better way that marries safety and savings of your time and money – one that fits your schedule, fulfills your dreams and falls within the guidelines of your own budget. Cruises, Travel and Attractions (CTA), as seen on The Travel Channel, is now open in Tampa, Florida and offering discounts and services to Florida residents. CTA bridges the gap between financial considerations and customer service by customizing any type of vacation, anywhere in the world at the lowest price possible-then sweetening the pot by rebating a portion of the cost of the vacation back to you.

CTA Makes Your Life Simple, Makes Vacation Relaxing

“We can design any type of vacation, and, regardless of how much time it takes, we’ll put together the vacation that’s right for you. We really like helping people get what they want,” said CTA Sales Manager Mark Young. “In addition to our high level of customer service, the low prices and rebate can save you thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime.”

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By Charles W. Skelly and Donna Sheriff (Mostly Fact)

GRANDPA HARDEE SAYS that when Cocoa was still a settlement called Indian River City, there was nowhere a man could get a drink to lift his spirits unless he went all the way to Titusville. The trip alone deserved a healthy drink, but then you had to come all the way back.

Rightly enough, some enterprising young man began to bring a supply of liquor back home with him and sell a drink or two in the store on Delannoy Avenue.

Now who it was that thought a place of this kind needed protection I don’t know. Or perhaps some wife was trying to discourage patrons from entering the building. In any case, somebody went out into the scrub and captured a wild cat and chained him in front of the door.

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Brian Sherman

HISTORIC COCOA VILLAGE, within easy driving distance of Florida’s bustling theme parks in Orlando and virtually within hearing distance of the thunderous rockets that soar skyward from the Kennedy Space Center, provides a relaxing link to the past amid the cacophony of the present.

Bordered by the Indian River, State Road 520 and Brevard Avenue, Cocoa’s restored downtown offers a wide variety of businesses, an active calendar of events and a glimpse of what life was like in coastal Florida long before families flocked to Disney World and scientists turned the fantasy of space travel to reality.

Cocoa, a town of almost 17,000 people on Florida’s central coast, was founded by fishermen in 1860. The first commercial building was constructed in the early 1880s in what was then called Indian River City. Apparently, U.S. Postal authorities deemed the name too long for a postmark. Several different stories are still in circulation concerning how the name Cocoa was chosen. The city survived a disastrous downtown fire in 1890 and a brutal freeze in the winter of 1894-95 that destroyed the area’s citrus crop and crippled the industry that had given the Florida coast a taste of prosperity.

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By Stacy E. Domingo

NESTLED ALONG THE EAST COAST of Central Florida, 21 Riverside is a modern condominium that is surrounded by the echoes of the prosperous past. Located in the Historic Cocoa Village, the condominium offers a stunning river- front penthouse that overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway and provides 180-degree views of the Indian River, the Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Village and Merritt Island.

Imagine witnessing history-making launches from your 10th-floor wraparound balcony or daydreaming about the many carefree cruise ships entering and leaving Port Canaveral. It is not easy to find places that willingly embrace the past while observing the future, but 21 Riverside in Historic Cocoa Village pulls it off with élan.

This spacious penthouse with 10-foot ceilings offers a gourmet kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances, cherry cabinetry, granite counter tops and a butler’s pantry that includes
additional appliances such as a wine cooler, extra refrigerator and dishwasher. The three bathrooms are luxurious, and hardwood, carpet and marble tile flooring is throughout the residence.

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