09 February 2021

It’s official! I’m so pleased to announce Travel Counsellors have been named Best UK Homeworking Agency by Sandals Resorts for 2019. It was an honour to represent Travel Counsellors and collect the award in person at the stunning Beaches Turks and Caicos property. The star studded Gala dinner was hosted by Sandals and over 500 amazing travel agents from around the world were in attendance. Representing the UK team for Travel Counsellors we were honoured to pick up the top Home Working Agency Award. Myself and fellow TC Nadine Judd share this award with every other home working Travel Counsellor - we are so very proud.

24 February 2020

AHOY SAILOR! Lucky Nick Markham (another fabulous TC) got to experience the amazing new Virgin Cruise ship this week. Here is what he had to say about his visit. This is an adult only ship. On arrival on board deck 6, we were immediately met by young vibrant crew. ‘Ahoy Sailor’ was the greeting throughout the day by the plentiful crew, and their enthusiasm was infectious. You found yourself easily returning this greeting with the same abundance of enthusiasm. The Roundabout, Deck 7 — This is the equivalent of other cruise ship’s atrium. But if you are looking for an open span area covering the usual average of 3 floors then you won’t find it on this ship. It has a sweeping staircase that takes you up to the next level but it is enclosed so there is no view up to the next floor, and the staircase is plain. Coming off the roundabout are several closed areas; such as ‘Sip’ where you can get a glass of champagne or maybe ‘Lick Me ‘Till Ice Cream’ is more your thing; an ice cream serving area. On the other side of the Roundabout is a nice coffee shop ‘The Grounds Club’ serving pastries etc. The Stairwell/Lift Areas - These areas were in my opinion plain. No artwork on the stairwell walls that is usually found on ships and the majority of the ship public areas are tiled floors. The lifts themselves are creative with a visual effect of being underwater with bubbles in glass walls and when you come out of the lift there is on the far end of the ship’s lifts contemporary moulded structures of seaside art telling you what floor you are on. Eating on board - Sir Richard Branson was keen to not have the ‘main dining hall’ experience. Instead there are several eating areas where you are encouraged to sit in big groups with your fellow passengers; after all this is a ‘party ship’ where mixing and getting along with your fellow ‘sailors’ will add to this party vibe. An intimate meal for 2 is not really what this ship is about; but if you enjoy the social, interacting side to cruising then this way of eating, albeit relaxed in nature, (no formal dining) may be for you. On our tour we were taken into ‘Razzle Dazzle’ a vegetarian eatery with a ‘Virgin’ twist! For two days on every voyage Drag Brunch can be enjoyed, a spectacular drag queen will take over this space to provide some entertainment. Gunbae was our next stop; a Korean BBQ dining experience. This is a diner style area with big sweeping booths where sailors will be encouraged to start their voyage. It was said to be a great way to meet your fellow sailors and indulge in the ‘drinking games!’ There are menus on the table giving examples of drinking games in case you are struggling for your own. The BBQ chicken we were served in a Tapas format was delicious; I would recommend this dining experience; I can’t comment on the drinking games, although we were served a shot off Soju, there was not enough time on our tour to throw ourselves into a round of drinking games! Cabins - We were shown to the ‘Rock Star’ cabins. (The black and white stripped carpets that are throughout the corridors leading to the cabins won’t be for everybody. One of our tour did have to step out of the corridor due to feeling dizzy! - see image). The Rock Star suite category are cabins that will give you access to private areas on the ship. There are 2 types of this category with a ‘mega’ experience which is a large suite, separate room areas and a balcony with your own hot tub etc. Music can be played in these rooms with the multiple guitars available with an amplifier. All cabins are where the party starts and probably ends! The Rock Star rooms have record players with a selection of vinyls, ingredients and paraphernalia to create you own cocktails and a swinging hammock on your deck (hammocks are on all balcony grade cabins). Your cabin bed is packed away in the daytime so that your room becomes lounging space for you to bring back your friends for socialising. The beds in all rooms are created so that they can be folded back into seating for the daytime so no longer do your fellow sailors have to sit on your bed. Smart technology operates your mood lighting, curtains, air conditioning etc and the bathrooms are modern. Although I like to escape to my bed at times in the day (it takes the cabin steward approximately 15 minutes to make up your bed), the cabins were fantastic in design and general comfort. Accessible cabin - We were shown the accessible Rock Star cabin. It was a huge space with easy access on to the balcony and a large bathroom. It would easily meet Nick’s needs as wheelchair dependant. Pleasantly decorated with all the gadgets. We were told by the steward that there are 29 accessible cabins. Nick found it easy to mobilise the ship in his wheelchair. The Manor - This was not open for our tour but the entrance area was - see the image I have posted of the bright dangling lights that meet you as you walk in. It really stops you in your tracks! Squid Ink - This area was closed. A tattoo shop; the first one at sea. As you can see from the image this is a seriously technical area. With world famous artists reported to be working this area this looks like it is for the modern inking of full leg and arm sleeve additions that are currently popular. The Open Decks - Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour to showcase this area. It is difficult to give an opinion as the seating was packed away and all the pool and jacuzzi’s covered over. There was not obvious accessible hoists for the pools to be seen. The decks were open plan and again the seating was large areas encouraging the socialising with your fellow sailors. The Athletic Club - This is a small ‘dark’ area. It is set up for sailors to have personal HIIT sessions with TRX, painted floor areas for HIIT and rowing machines. There is a boxing ring outside and gloves are provided; there is a punchbag dangling down into the middle of the ring so I imagine this is to be punched rather than a fellow sailor sparring match! The ‘Wellness Team’ member that we met was again young and vibrant. It was made clear that ‘wellness’ was felt to be an important part of the ‘sailor’ experience. There is also an on board gym with all the traditional equipment you would expect; we did not get shown this. All in all a fantastic ship and will an amazing Virgin experience when it sets sail.

15 October 2019

On Tuesday I was invited to the regional Sandals Agent Appreciation Dinner at the Hilton Northampton. We arrived to be greeted by a glass of fizz and a room full of local travel colleagues. After a delicious 3 course dinner with wine we sat down to receive an update from Faye our Sandals representative on all things new and exciting with the brand. Followed by an awards ceremony. Little did I know that I was up for one of these awards. Well done to me - Rising Agency for Northamptonshire. Being a Sandals Specialist Silver Agent I sell a lot of their holidays and I have a great wealth of knowledge and experience of the hotels. It was so amazing for Sandals to recognise this achievement being a homeworker on my own. I honestly LOVE selling Sandals holidays to my customers. I know they will receive the highest level of service from Sandals which they get from me, so its a win win for everyone. For more information on Sandals holidays please see my Sandals Blog.. For all the latest Sandals offers visit www.facebook.com/lucyalthorpeTC

02 July 2019

Lucy Althorpe Travel Counsellor and Icon Bridal are pleased to offer a fantastic competition to win a honeymoon. Simply purchase your wedding dress from Icon Bridal between 1st July - 31st August 2019 and you will automatically be entered into our grand prize draw. Terms and Conditions: The winner will be selected at random on Monday 2nd September 2019 and will win £500 towards a honeymoon of their choice booked with Lucy Althorpe - Travel Counsellor. Dress cannot be purchased in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. Honeymoon destination can be selected by the couple up to the value of £500. Should the trip exceed this amount the couple have the option to pay the difference. Our honeymoon gift registry service is also available to all couples who book to help towards the cost of the trip.

08 February 2019

An easy, stress-free way to manage your dream wedding and honeymoon online - courtesy of your personal Travel Counsellor - Lucy Althorpe Our Honeymoon Gift Registry service allows your wedding guests to give you the most memorable gift of all – your dream honeymoon tailor-made down to the finest detail. You may already have all the bed linen and towels you need, or you may have a perfect honeymoon in mind but need a helping hand making your dream trip a reality. Whether it’s the ultimate adventure trip, a romantic city break, or a luxurious retreat to faraway shores, the Gift Registry means you can have the honeymoon you always wanted. Your unique Honeymoon Gift Registry web page will be personalised with your photo and messages, allowing guests, friends and family to log in easily and contribute towards your honeymoon. As part of this unique service, you can also purchase a Honeymoon Registry pack, which includes guest cards designed to send out with your wedding invitations, to let guests know how they can contribute to your dream honeymoon. The Honeymoon Registry pack also includes thank you cards and envelopes, to let your guests know how much you appreciate their contribution. Testimonial - Paula Conde Jay and I made use of this fantastic Gift Registry service for our honeymoon to Antigua and we were so glad we did. It took away the headache of asking for gifts or collecting presents/cash at the reception. All our guests found the online service very easy to use and a secure way to donate towards our honeymoon. Every time someone donated, we received an email alerting us to who and how much which we found fantastic. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this service to anyone else booking a honeymoon with Lucy. Both Lucy and this service are amazing!

29 December 2015

This was our third trip to the Maldives following stays at Medhufushi and Banyan Tree. We were slightly nervous about booking for this hotel due to the size of the island! We like to keep ourselves to ourselves on holiday with peace and quiet - however we need not have worried too much. Private Lounge - when we arrived at Male we were greeted by the hotel rep who took our cases and guided us to the shuttle bus to the sea planes. We were dropped off prior to the main building at the hotels private lounge which was a nice touch. Cold towels, drinks and snacks available and the chance to refreshen up before your sea plane transfer. Accommodation - Upon arrival we were greeted by the staff and this was where their amazing hospitality started! After a quick chat in reception we were guided straight to our water villa which was simply stunning. Comfy bed, great shower, bath robes and lush toiletries.. flat screen TV, large terrace with two sunbeds, table and chairs plus outdoor shower and total privacy from next door. Beautiful! Our room boy was extremely attentive and couldnt do enough for us. Each day he would stop by for a quick chat but this never distracted him from doing an amazing job, he really looked after us. Food - there is a good selection on the island with 5 main restaurants to choose from. Staying in the water villas meant East was our nearest restaurant and hosted a fabulous breakfast every day! We are early birds so had breakfast around 8am each day which was fabulous - nice and quiet with amazing views of the Ocean. Dinner at East provided a good selection of authentic Thai and Asian cuisine in buffet style. Noo was the "family" choice for the buffet but we avoided this as we found it a bit more like a canteen than a restaurant. Senses a la carte provided sensational curry dishes and Allegria again provided good quality a la carte Italian food. Every night was different and the sevice was generally excellent. On the night of our anniversary the hotel arranged a special treat of a private dinner on the beach which we hadnt asked for and did not have to pay a suppliment - this was a wonderful gesture and we had the most amazing night dining under the stars. To Do - Ok so there isnt a house reef as such however around the water villas there is a good selection of small corals with some decent fish viewing for those who dont want to venture into deeper water. The daily snorkelling trips (either morning or afternoon) were a must for those seeking amazing marine life - no charge for these trips and worth the daily visit. We also paid $80pp for the half day whale shark safari and were not dissapointed. We swam with 2 of these amazing creatures and the staff were especialy careful when briefing everyone on what to do and not to do with these creatures which is more than can be said for other "tourist" boat trips which just tipped up and jumped in on top of us without a care for us or the whale shark! Very annoying!!! Back on the island there is daily shark/stingray feeding plus cooking classes, sunset yoga, tennis and much more. For the kids there is a decent kids club and kids pool but we stayed well away from that! There are a few gift shops but as expected for the Maldives they were incredibly expensive. One of the nice touches was the "phone home phone box" where for two minutes off peak you could call home free of charge. A lovely idea! We didnt use the nightclub so cannot comment on that! Spa - I visted the spa for three treatments during my 10 day stay and although it was a lovely experience it didnt compare wsith Banyan Tree or Medhufushi. In my opinion this is one area they could improve upon. All inclusive - I have to say this is the best AI resort I have been to anywhere in the world! We are not huge drinkers however the choice and selection available on the AI plan was fabulous -not just your usual cheap non branded "house" drinks. The wine list was extensive and we were introduced to some wonderful new wines which we are still drinking upon our return to the UK. The cocktail menu was so varied we had a different drink after dinner every night in one of the choices of three bars on the island! Ok - so the island is huge (compared to others in the Maldives) and to walk round it will take your around two hours or you can use the complimentary bikes to get around. But this kind of added to its appeal as you didnt feel you were on an island with 100's of other guests and it gave you something different to do each day. While we were there the resort was undergoing its re-brand to LUX (we stayed while it was Diva) so it would be interesting to return and see what changes have been made. Recommendations - there is only one main change we would make and that would be to get rid of the tacky awful entertainment that rotates round the bars each night. This girly duo looked and sounded awful and we actually planned our cocktails around where they were NOT performing! It cheapened the experience and we found it totally un-necessary for this type of holiday. We would definitely return to the island and recommend this to anyone who is seeking luxury accommodation, excellent service, amazing food and breath-taking Maldivian beauty. I have added some "informative" photos of the island rather than just generic beach shots to help potential guests choose this great resort. I hope you have enjoyed this review!