Contrino Makes Travel a Breeze

Contrino Travel, Inc., located in Staten Island, New York, has been helping travelers since 2005. Throughout that time several travelers have requested assistance for planning family vacations, honeymoons and getaways. Contrino’s goal is to make your trip a memorable and stress-free one! Take a look at this snapshot provided by a traveler following a cruise to Bermuda with her husband.

“We just back from a Celebrity cruise to Bermuda -great destination, wonderful cruise line! We chose Contrino Travel to book this cruise because we know Valarie provides full service to us. We received complete and accurate booking, well-priced trip insurance, and a 24/7 voice at the end of the phone line if we had any problems. The complimentary bottle of wine was a gracious reminder of her role in making this trip a success. Once in Bermuda, we had no trouble getting a two day bus and ferry pass to get around the island. So we enjoyed St. Georges, Hamilton and everything in between. Others on the cruise just took the bus to the beach! This early August cruise, the ship and the itinerary, worked well for many multi-generational families on vacation and they had great programs for teens and younger kids, relaxed dining, and plenty to do. We didn't see a single crying or whiney kid on board. Something new to us was the dining option for breakfast and lunch. There was only healthy food, no lines, and tables by floor to ceiling windows. It was Delightful! We thought the talent and entertainment on the Celebrity Summit was above average, and the ship's staff from mechanics to officers, were always friendly. Many thanks to Contrino Travel and Celebrity for a wonderful week.” -Julie and Joe Laudicina

The goal of Contrino Travel, Inc. is to make traveling simple and fun – the way it should be for you and your partner or family. From selecting a trip to dealing with travel emergencies, Contrino Travel is there for you every step of the way to ensure a safe, happy and memorable vacation!

Have PRIDE in your honeymoon.

The bill has been passed, the law has been signed and same sex marriage will be a reality in the state of New York on July 24, 2011.  Contrino Travel is excited for the recent advancement in the LBGT community. As we celebrate this accomplishment we look forward to planning many same sex marriage honeymoons and family vacations. Contrino Travel has been proudly serving the LBGT community for six years and we take pride in our title as the LBGT get-a-way expert of New York.

After the wedding bells ring for those who once could only dream of marriage, let Contrino Travel take care of your honeymoon. We offer a variety of choices perfect the LGBT community through connections with gay-friendly airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, cruise lines and more. To serve you in the best way possible, we have also partnered with gay-friendly tour operators to make your vacation a happy one!

Thinking of a cruise? Contrino Travel has full access to top of the line cruise suppliers offering various destinations including the Greek Isles, Alaska, Australia and the Caribbean. Have your mind set on something tropical? We can plan your Hawaiian vacation to any of the islands you want to explore. Pick an island and we will plan a romantic and relaxing get-a-way for you and your partner. Some gay beaches in Hawaii include Kehena Beach on Hawaii’s Big Island and Queen’s Surf on Oahu. Don’t have a lot time and need to stay closer to home? No problem. Think Key West. The Floridian city is home to a tropical climate, gay-friendly atmosphere and is only a short flight away.

We can also help you pay for your honeymoon through our Honeymoon Registry. The Registry has served more than 120,000 newlyweds! You can set up your free honeymoon registry online, add your honeymoon wishes, send our announcements to friends and family, and have the honeymoon of your dreams! If this idea seems completely foreign to you, Contrino Travel to the rescue! The registry website offers sample registries and emails, tips and advice.

We know how overhwelming travel can be, especially if you don’t feel safe and comfortable. It is our mission to help you celebrate  the passing of the new law and the marriage of your partner and family.

Ew! Avoiding Nasty Bedbugs While Traveling etal

Being the avid traveler given my profession, hotel room and cruise cabin cleanliness has always been but is becoming more a growing concern of mine. Relative to this is the more pronounced concern for bed bugs and how to avoid getting bit by or even worse, bringing them home with you.
First know that bed bugs do NOT discriminate--even the cushiest of hotels may have to fumigate from time to time. Cleanliness of the hotel doesn’t play a role either. These pesky creatures are brought in by travelers.
Here are a few pro-active Contrino Travel suggest you can do to try to avoid bed bugs.
Upon entering the room, do NOT throw your luggage onto the bed (even with the spread on). Hotels generally provide a collapsible luggage rack—use it, instead of the bed. If you do unpack, do so after checking your room for bed bugs. If you store your suitcase in the closet, put it in a trash bag that you’ve already packed in your luggage. You might want to pack a few plastic baggies too. The TV remote was found to have the most germs, so it would behoove you to throw it into a plastic baggie before channel surfing.
In addition, immediately remove the bedspread. Do not put it on any couch or chair that you have intentions using. If possible, introduce yourself to the cleaning person, asking them to keep it off for your entire stay.
Next, check under the mattress, looking for small a reddish-brown spot (which is dried excrement). Be sure to check the crevices of the mattress too—while difficult to find these bugs, this is where they typically hide.
Also, if there are any couches or chairs in the room that you will be using, check them too, same way you would check a mattress, checking the crevices. This goes for throw pillows as well.
If after this process you do note any of the above, immediately call or go to the Front Desk. If necessary, ask to speak to a manager and report your findings. This person should provide a full refund and offer to move you to another room. If you decide to stay on property, it is strongly recommend that you complete the above steps to ensure cleanliness. Typically, if one room has infestation, there may be others too within that property.
If hotel staff refuses to change your room and/or offer a 100% refund, move to another property and be sure to post your ill findings on Trip Advisor or, if you have a Twitter account, tweet your experience. Nowadays, the power of the Internet works wonders!
It ceases to amaze how more far-advanced the international hotel arena is in comparison to US hotel properties. If you travel to Europe, Mexico and most Caribbean destinations you’ll find the rooms tiled versus a rug. Common sense dictates that tile is so much easier to keep clean—how often do you think they shampoo the rugs? Also, you will find energy-saving techniques, one of which is using your room key to turn the electric on and off in your room. The US is just catching on with this, as evidenced by a recent stay at the Aria in Las Vegas.
Other quick and easy things to do for a more clean-friendly room is to carry a miniature spray can of Lysol, using it on the phone, door knobs and anything else you deem necessary. Relatively these travel size cans are relatively inexpensive and easy to pack.
Lastly, it used to be that the toothbrush would be put in the glass in the bathroom that the hotel provided. Now, that doesn’t happen until that glass gets washed in hot water AND soap!