Great Places to Travel as the Pandemic Draws to a Close.

May 7, 2021
Jay Stafford
 

Introduction: 

Welcome to trials and tribulations at work the podcast where we talk about everything related to the workplace. Join us as we interview leading experts to discuss a variety of workplace related issues to help you learn about your rights, as well as how to succeed professionally, personally and financially in the workplace. And here’s your host, Jay Stafford, founder of the law firm of JW. Stafford.

Jamaal Stafford: 

Our guest on today’s episode, proper coral is VP of Sales and Marketing at beachbum vacations in international travel agency. He’s traveled extensively throughout the many Caribbean islands and a lot of other locations throughout the world. Robert loves his job, and the fact that he wakes up every day with the goal of sending people to some of the most amazing places this world has to offer.

Robert Whorrall: 

Robert, thank

Jamaal Stafford: 

you so much for joining us on the podcast today. I think I speak for all of our listeners when I say that we are all very interested in figuring out some places that we can travel to and unwind following this long year of lock downs and chaos. For our listeners that don’t know, I’ve known Robert and his wife, Haley for years now, mainly via email. You all booked numerous vacations for our family. And it’s so great to have you on up before we start talking about places to go. I want you to tell our listeners how you got started in the travel consulting business.

Robert Whorrall: 

Yeah, no, hey, well, thank you for having me on Jay. I really appreciate it. I love educating people and telling them the truth and being legit and honest. That’s why I think our is our special sauce. We thought from day one, we’d always be straight with people rather than marketing or whatever. To be honest with you. I’m not I don’t have any great story other than my wife after we get married. She’s like, hey, do you want to join for six months? I need some help. Yeah, and this was back in 2004. And I’m like, yeah, I’ll help you in the weekends and stuff. And once I seen that potential, and kind of taken my engineering mind, into processing, and how it processes work, it really helped us get things going and train people and have more bodies, or more people involve more humans. And we just really built it on listen to the customer. It’s a listening phase. It’s a listening exercise, be open and honest with them. And you know, make sure that you match them up to the destination and resort. And that’s the secret of travel. It’s like the best kept secret, but everyone knows it. Yeah. You know, a lot of companies don’t do it. Because I mean, really, J there should be a website that you go through a questionnaire and finally get to some options that you could just book. Yeah, but no one does it that way. And but yeah, that’s how we got started. And about six months after I started with my wife, I said, You know what, I think I can do this. And she’s like, well, you’re pretty good at it. And you’re helped me out. And so she’s the one that started beachbum vacations, and she named it she did all that I just did all the work in the background.

Jamaal Stafford: 

Nice. I love that name. beachbum vacation to that very much is that’s exactly, you know, I love the beach, you know. But hey, tell our listeners, you guys focus on any particular geographic regions.

Robert Whorrall: 

I mean, our bread and butter. You know, the the most common request is definitely Mexico, Caribbean, more Caribbean for many years, but for the last year, probably more Mexico because of less COVID restrictions. But I mean, that’s our focal because of requests. But I mean, we have agents that we hired throughout the years that are, you know, specialists and cruises specialists in Europe, specialists in Southeast Asia. You know, New Zealand, Australia. I remember hiring this one girl probably about 14 years ago now. And she was to 44 countries before we hired her. Wow. Yeah. So Wow. But I mean, there’s some agents that love to stick to, you know, Fiji and Tahiti in Hawaii, and they love the French, Polynesian, you know, the Samoan people. And there’s other agents that are just better at Mexico. They had more knowledge. They’ve been there more they’d speak English and you know, Spanish and stuff like that. I have one beachbum that’s been with us since day one. Her name is Becky. She’s home in Italy. She lives in New Jersey. Yeah, work from there, you know, eight months a year, but she goes to, you know, Italy for four months. And her husband’s Italian. He’s retired and New Jersey police officer. And I wouldn’t dare said anyone else to anybody except for her if they wanted Italy. Yeah, you know, she knows it. Whether I suppose. That’s great. Yeah, we definitely have agents that you know, even focus on Canada. So I don’t believe we’ve ever sold China or Russia before. And maybe we haven’t, I just don’t know about it. And there’s probably a couple other countries but it’s definitely big stuff mostly, but at the same time, we are capable of cruises Europe, you know, and stuff like that. Okay,

Jamaal Stafford: 

hey, just so our listeners can get some insight into you and in your travel preferences. Tell us where you and your wife Haley like Travel in,

Robert Whorrall: 

like a couples trip is that we mean like, Well,

Jamaal Stafford: 

I mean, just family couple, I mean, just kind of tell her where you guys like to go just so we can get some insight into you guys.

Robert Whorrall: 

It’s just my wife and I and you know, 17 years of marriage, five children and taking the kids, we’re going to probably one of three places. It just depends on like our mood or the time of the year we’re going. So if it’s spring, because I think the best time to travel is March through May. That’s just it’s clear skies, less rain. You still can get it but it’s you know, lower amount of lower percentage stuff, you know, to have, it seems like it’s not too hot. You know what I mean? And the winner in the Caribbean is over. I went we went away many times in April, usually over Easter, you know, take the kids with us and sometimes we haven’t, and there’d be maybe half hour rain all week. But we’ll go to Turks and Caicos is one of our favorites in the particular resort we go to is m vigorous and vigorous key private Island Resort little pricey, but at the same time they fly in a private plane over to their island, they own 1100 acre island with 10 single, what’s called bachelor units with pools and then they own for multi bedroom family units. And they give you a golf cart and you have access to your own Yamaha jet boat. And they would rather you ask for the captain or you know, someone to drive the boat because of alcohol. It’s all inclusive, right? Yeah. But it’s kind of neat to get on the golf cart and cruise around the island go to you know, depending on restaurant or beach you want to go to and you’re on your own. It’s definitely not a social resort. But I think that’s a kind of resort we want when we’re not going with our kids. That would be our probably my number one. I think it’s probably hers, too. I mean, I’ve been to Jamaica 42 times I love Jamaica, the Jamaican people are probably the hardest working most honest people I know. Yeah. Like you know, outside the United States. And I just love their vibe. So we would usually go to nigro the girl Jamaica has got that vibe no problem on you know, log one, you know all that stuff anymore. either stay at the zoo, you know, stay a couple swept awais you know, was my pick last year or sorry, the year before? We play little games with each other like, Hey, you pick this time, you know? Yeah. So and then of course, if you’re looking for that beautiful beach and you still want that superb five star no matter what people taking care of you. And Anya a bit more if you if you know some vacations, you don’t want that. Mexico. I mean, I can put it for seasons. But that’s not inclusive against a four or five star adult only all inclusive any day. Yeah. Just the service from the Mexicans are just amazing. And are you know, in the 17 years I’ve been in the business, the language barrier is less than less than less, right? Well, yeah, maybe 17 years ago, you had to know some Spanish in order to even get from one end of the resort to the other. We love El Dorado maroma It’s a adult only in Marina beach, one of the nicest beaches in the Riviera Maya. It’s about 3540 minutes from the airport. They have thatch roof. They even built a couple overwater bungalows which they called Pella feetoes. Meaning over over water. kassa or you know home. Yeah, they’re gorgeous. They’re they’re all inclusive, the score man inclusive. So some people, you know, I would say, Are you a foodie? And if they go yes, then I may offer that option if it’s a match to them. But if they say like, No, no, no, we’re more Applebee’s people than I don’t think it’s the resort to go to because it’s you know, they have octopus and they have, you know, neat stuff that Yeah, on a normal menu. There’s no, you know, very little burgers and fries. But if they did have burger, it’d be a Kobe beef burger. You know what I mean? before? Yeah, we the places that have a good vibe. Yeah. You know that we’re really picky on Clearwater.

Jamaal Stafford: 

That’s great. Yeah, no, that’s perfect.

Unknown: 

And look, speaking

Jamaal Stafford: 

of Mexico, you know, let’s talk briefly briefly about the COVID landscape, you know, as things stand now, you know, give us a general sense of the international travel landscape. Where can Americans go with little hassle,

Robert Whorrall: 

June 8 of 2020. I had a call. Sorry, it was like June 1, but on June 8, I traveled I got a call from a lady named Dolores Lopez lira. And she owns Eldorado brands. She owns the Nickelodeon. It’s going to open here soon. She has a generation’s brain and she’s like, Robert, can you please come down? I know, many people in the travel industry to see it’s it’s okay to travel. I go Well, yeah, but Mexico is not open till June 10. There’s no flight. And she’s like, Robert, go to your system. And look, the flights been going every day. Anyway, I fly down on June 8, and this was before mastery acquired anywhere. And, you know, they left it up to you, which I think should have been done from the start, but that’s just my opinion. Doesn’t mean I’m right at We cruise through, and I sat down had meetings every day with her. And we talked about what the Mexican government was going to do. And she promised me they would not be testing on the way in. They said, they feel temperature checks and questions, and people being honest, would be enough. So we’re like, Alright, then I think it was a month later, I get invited to go meet the president of Dominican Republic, and he tells me the same thing, we’re not going to test to get in, we don’t believe in it. Now, every other Caribbean island, every other Caribbean island, including Hawaii, on the other side of the Pacific, you have to have a negative test to enter. Now it has to be within 72 hours of landing, you know, of a rival. So I don’t like the way that the Mexican government is, you know, is going about it, because I don’t think people I’m sure there’s one person out there would do it, Jay, but I don’t think people would knowingly get on the plane sick, maybe pre COVID. But not anymore, people are actually going to stay home from work and not like be a warrior and go into the office anymore. People are going to cover their faces, like they taught my little one how big your face when you sneeze and stuff like that stay at home, you know, make some sense of it. But yeah, so there’s certain resorts in Mexico and Dominican Republic to met most accessible right now without restrictions that they you know, they’re kind of temperature check, they’re gonna ask you to can sanitize, when you get out of the, the, you know, the bus of the car, when you arrive at the resort, you’re gonna have a seal on the door, when you go into your room, like when you put your card reader in the room, right, it’s gonna have a seal on it, and you’re gonna be the first person that broke that seal. Like I found once I travel June, July, August, October, I traveled every month, and just to go to a new destination. And I stuck to those two destinations, because I said, You know what, the other destinations I love as well, Aruba, Jamaica, St. Lucia, all these, you know, Caribbean islands, but they’re just, they’re really scared. They’re very, you know, anxious or whatever. So I didn’t want to, you know, ruffle any feathers or give anyone false hopes that he make is open. Right, right. I mean, so every time we went there, I kept on saying to myself, and I remember repeating it to our agents, the planes are clean, like they should have been for 20 years. Yeah, they’re wiping things down, like they should have bought, they’ve been doing for 20 years, the resorts are cleaning your rooms to the point where they should have been doing it that way. Now, the reason why we’re always good at cleaning your room. That’s one thing that they were good at. But they’re now even better. Like when I was taken out. You know, I got to my room in June 8. And I said, You know what, I think we’re going to have a beer. And normally I poured it in a glass and I was like, Yeah, COVID maybe I won’t put it in the glass, right? Yeah. But they were sealed and clear. Like heat seal. Oh, wow. For the first time ever. So I was like, Yeah, I feel good now. And I opened up the clear sea of my glass and held myself a beer and sat on my porch and like, wow, I haven’t traveled it like four or five months. But a lot of good things. I believe it from what I see. And I traveled 80,000 to 100,000 miles in the air a year. I the biggest one that I see is the airports, the bathrooms in the airport, the planes, they’re all clean, and you’re when you’re walking on a plane now j instead of you like ringing the bell to try to get a drink or get a water. I think they given you a little baggie that has a water, your crackers your peanuts, a little hand sanitizer. Yeah. And it’s they’re passing it, it was like, Oh, well, geez, I get everything right now. You know, yeah. So, I mean, in different airlines that do different Delta seems to be the leader in social distancing American not so much. And, you know, of course, Southwest, not so much in some of the other airlines. As much as you know, we look at a tough situation for travel came on COVID you know, I see that I see them you know, instead of maybe just washing the class quickly, it goes to a section at the bar where it gets put into Hochstein. You know, instead of a guy just washing it out by hand and exactly drink you know, yeah. So it’s, I actually liked a lot of the new stuff as much as I thought it would be, you know, maybe not so good. So all of Mexico Cabo is a little more strict on testing every not testing but testing your temperature, or asking you more questions. You know, things like that Puerto Vallarta it can’t cool. They’re a little bit more lacks. They have like a massive let’s call it a thermometer for lack of better words, or explanation. And when people are walking through to immigration, it’s it’s checking everyone’s temperature. And then if your temperatures anywhere is around 99 point anything, they’re hauling it right just gonna ask you some questions. You know, look at symptoms if they can pick anything up, as you know, do that do another temperature check to see if the actual scanner was proper. And then they do the same on the way Oh, they give you a questionnaire. And it just says, Have you known no one we’ve been around anyone with COVID during your vacation stay Have you had you know, headache and you know runny nose and stuff like that if you know, flu symptoms and you go yes or no Whatever you say, and then you, you get back on the plane now ever since January 26, the new administration of our country has put in a restriction that everyone no matter who, yeah, it’s in air. Now that’s going to be because if you want to drive or walk across the border, South north, whatever, you don’t have to be tested. But if you’re flying, you have to be and it’s all about being in that. You know, that plane that with that mixed air. Yeah, one thing I did learn, I got a couple friends are pilots. I know a lot of flight attendants. They’ve been using heppa filters for years. Yeah. Well, I mean, they’re there. They are recycling that or that air, but they’re cleaning it very, very well. I think, you know, you hear the stories of people like yeah, I think I got sick on the plane, you know, got the flu or whatever. For years. It was because the person sitting beside you, guys,

Jamaal Stafford: 

right, right. The person right next to you. Yeah, yeah.

Robert Whorrall: 

Yeah.

Unknown: 

Well,

Jamaal Stafford: 

look, no rubber. I appreciate that look up. Last thing about travel, at least as relates to sort of the big landscape? You know, we’re hearing a little bit about these vaccine passports. You know, what have you heard about them? And what are your thoughts in terms of what role those may have in international travel going forward? For the near future?

Robert Whorrall: 

Yeah, definitely. Definitely. so far. Iceland? income. If you have a vaccine, you get a card? Yeah, I think I do believe it depends on where you’re getting the vaccine, from what company you know, there’s moderner, there’s Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson. And they, I do believe give you a lot of tronic copy as well. And you get a paper copy of card. And there, you’re going to be able to get on a plane easy. You’re going to have to test and you’re going to fly into Iceland, the only other it’s not a country, but it’s virgin voyages, owned by Richard Branson. He’s saying that, hey, if you have the vaccine, and come on our boats to launch February 14, and 2020 and didn’t put anyone on those boats, they launched a brand new cruise line, all inclusive adults only brand spanking new boats and couldn’t put anybody on and Hey, that was bad luck, I guess for him. But they are starting to load up some sailings, and, you know, go from there. I do believe it’ll be a tiered process. And this is my opinion. j i don’t. I’m not gonna say this. It’s fact. Like currently, like for the last 10 years, I have Global Entry. I have TSA precheck. And I have like a status with the airline. Yeah. So I’m flying through airports. I can go faster than anybody. Yeah, there’s no lineups I’m already cleared. I just showed my Global Entry and go up to the kiosk, boom, boom, boom, my gate what before people were even getting through the lineup and customs and immigration? I think it’s going to be tiered like that. And I believe they’re going to have a vaccine passport don’t have to get tested. Got it, you know, don’t have to test in or out. And then you’re going to have people that you know, we know 56% of the country is maybe not going for the vaccine right away. Maybe they will in the future. They’re gonna probably have to get tested. But not for Mexico or Dominican Republic so far. Yeah, I do believe it’s gonna be tiered. Or there’ll be options. That make sense. Yeah. That makes perfect sense. Yeah, no. And I here’s the tough one, like even us going away with our children a week from tomorrow. They don’t want a big q tip up their nose. You know what I mean? Yeah. I don’t know. It’s not much to really ask for To be honest with you. It’s just a Q tip. And it’s just a nostril, but it freaks a little ones. Oh, yeah. We have teenagers, too. They don’t care. Yeah. But I think it’s responsible to do it. I think that it is deterring some people going, and I will tell you this, most mothers because mothers make the decision for travel, it’s you know, they do know, they talk to their partner. But they make the decisions. They say, say to us, if I’m taking my kids, I’ll do it. But if not taken my kids and I test positive for some reason, false or negative, positive. It doesn’t matter. Yeah, I’ll be away from my kids for a week or two. Right? I can’t leave them with grandmother or my friend, you know, whoever is taking care of the kids. So more families are up to go with their kids then with those, and I didn’t see that coming.

Jamaal Stafford: 

Yeah,

Robert Whorrall: 

I know. Because they just thought the worst case scenario is they test positive. They can’t get on the plane. Yeah, you get on the back come to us. And they’ll be stuck without their children. No minus missing them a lot. They don’t want to leave that responsibility with grandma or sister or whoever. Right? Yeah. So they’re taking their family. If they’re gonna if they’re gonna go but you know, the We’ll see what happens I think money will cash or whatever of revenue whatever the worthy in a way can say it will kind of see what the vaccine password how popular it will be or how popular won’t be. Yeah, you know because money you know money doesn’t see BS. That’s very true. But Haley wanted me to throw in one thing like when it comes to families because we know this is spring break starting here the weather depending on where you live in the country. In the next week or two. Best three family resorts we touted with our children.

Jamaal Stafford: 

Yeah, please. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I

Robert Whorrall: 

mean, we love generations if it’s multifamily generations Riviera Maya. It doesn’t have the best beach but it has some amazing like amazing service. Every room is swim up. Even if it’s on the third floor, they get to swim up room. Okay, and it’s really built for multifamily generational because there’s 123 and four bedroom units and they’re all connected the same living room. Oh yeah. Yeah. So you can like you can shut your bedroom door and have your own vacation with your kids or your you know, just a to yours with your sister and her kids in the next room and maybe your mom and dad and the next room and then you can eat order room service and the resorts are really doing some neat stuff they’re giving you five or six options before COVID need to get to come to the restaurant or order room service of the room service menu rather offering to come to the resort cooking for you come to the come to the room free and cook for you come to the room with it ready? You know like room service, right? Pick up at the restaurant, whatever restaurant you want to pick up, meaning you just go down for you and the wife and kids whatever you go down to the whatever restaurant y’all voted on Asian or Mexican or you know whatever. Yeah, you could pick up an order that you call in just like you do you know anywhere else. Yeah. And then the other option obviously is dine in so they’re given more options and plus the regular room service. The other family resort we absolutely love his his Hyatt Ziva cap con. Anytime you hear Ziva it means family. I don’t know the translation. I think they told us but there’s a high Ziva and solera they’re the only high end that are all inclusive. This alaris for adults, diseases or for families. Well, the one cap kinda besides of being double gated. Okay. 15 minutes from the airport, and, you know, Punta Cana, right? It has the best beach in Punta Cana, the beach is just gorgeous. Anyone wants a Google Image saying Oh, cap Cana, Dominican Republic, they’ll just like, Oh, I didn’t even know these are that nice. They’re white, white sand and Clearwater Eagle walk out for a while you’re like, Man, I’m only up to my waist.

Unknown: 

That’s awesome.

Robert Whorrall: 

They have a brand new waterpark. It’s a new build. Lots of good restaurants, you know, kid friendly, family friendly kids activities and adult activities. It just gives you the best of both worlds. Yeah. And then I would think you’re looking for something a little bit more high end and that’s pretty high. And that’s four and a half five star. Yeah. finest playa my house. Yeah, apply I mean and beach modest me and limit woman. So you know, anytime we send clients there, I’m like, you’re going to the finest resort on beach of women. The ladies love it. I got my girls. Yeah, I’d say they’re pretty high end. It’s more quiet, though. You know, every time you go a little bit more high end it gets a little bit more quiet. Yeah, they have kids camp, you can go in with your child, some kid camps, at resorts, you know that going in. And that’s more of like a respect for other children and other parents, you know, with this kid camp, they they want you to come in with your children. They don’t want to be unattended. And they have all the waterpark and they have food out and, and things games and crafts and all kinds of things. Do they? Yes, they have Xbox and all that too. But you know, we don’t let the parents know that we like kids. Yeah, good food carts and stuff like that. But yeah, there’s some beautiful resorts are there for families, especially nowadays, a lot of them are putting water parks and they want they want your children to be active. And I guess the word would be, I don’t know, having a vacation of their own. Well, you and your wife can have a vacation as well. Yeah. So I mean, if your kids are like dead, dead, dead, let’s do something. I’m bored. my iPad, I can’t see it in the sunlight. If you’re at the waterpark, and you’re just sitting there, you know, relaxing and joining them for a couple hours, whatever doing the water slides and all that. Yeah. And then, you know, if you have one that’s you know, a little older, you can take care of the other two or one or whatever. Sometimes you can just go go to the waterpark and make sure to come back in an hour or I’m going to come find you in one or two. Yeah, you know, no kids can leave a resort. Right? Exactly. Yeah, I might be able to get away with it. But kids Well, no, not at all. In the 16 years we’ve been going away. Not one of our kids ever was a To get off a resort thing we go try. yeah

Jamaal Stafford: 

check on the security there had a look. Thanks for giving us the three family resorts but let’s let’s also give our listeners who maybe want to have that adult only experience. Give them three good resorts that they should consider and tell us why you chose them.

Robert Whorrall: 

Definitely. Eldorado Casitas Casino Royale they actually the official name is, um it’s probably has the nicest suite for the dollar for the value. It is a cathedral. Let’s call it bachelor pad with a Jacuzzi and on like right inside the room but looking out on the balcony. It has an indoor and outdoor shower which is I don’t care what anyone says is sexy when you’re on vacation. It’s very it’s very private. Yes. You know that Sach palapa, nice double sink, separate toilet then shower you know what I mean? So it gives you some space big king size bed 24 hour room service. All of them are ocean front beaches, not amazing. But the services and there’s lots of things to do that we love that resort it’s kind of like the Eldorado Wardell is the resort and sits on but it’s a resort within a resort that makes sense because he is way out love it love it but secrets cap corner it’s on that cap kind of beach in Dominican Republic sits beside the highest gorgeous as well newer build I know the owners well it’s all about the beach in this in that romantic you know field and then I’ll go back to what I first started with because it’s my favorite and I hope it’s my wife but if it’s not that’s cool is Vegas key private Island Resort in Turks and Caicos You know, you’re landing Turks and then you get transferred by you know, SUV over to the private side of the airport. And then they fly it’s a 20 minute flight. Little tiny claim something like that. You only go up about 5000 feet in the views. The views are crazy. Okay, I put it all on my Instagram there back when we went last. And if you’re looking for clear clear water white sand beach that Tahitian Polynesian you know moldy type of thing. It’s it’s Turks. Great. exumas has that similar water to it’s the great exumas there’s a 360 Islands and keys. And Tyler Perry has his own island Johnny Depp, Oprah, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Yeah, let’s cades Copperfield, David Copperfield. Um, there’s plenty more people that own their own island. And it’s, it’s, it’s the closest point to Cuba, from Bahamas. It’s in the southern Bahamas, and it’s called great exumas I’ve swam with wild pigs. I’ve swam with nurse sharks, and this is all in the wild. I have some very good friends there. I’ve been there for 14 times. It’s absolutely unique and gorgeous. If you’re looking for that clear, clear water, and it’s very little children because it’s more of an adult, you know, destination. Yeah.

Jamaal Stafford: 

Okay. Hey, let me ask you this. Robert, you mentioned some good places. Is there like a gem location that you believe people should be thinking about? But sometimes maybe you might overlook? Is there a gym location? Yeah,

Robert Whorrall: 

yeah, it’s it’s it’s kind of a hidden thing, but no one really talks about it and I think people already went there for years like their mums and dads your mom my mom and dad your mom and dad type thing secrets St. Martin secrets resorts are adults only st Maarten it’s on the French side. It’s a split Island between Dutch and French and they have a little resort it’s not that little but it’s 150 rooms I think they added some during COVID the views it’s in this little like Bay The first time I went there to give you an idea j little turtles you know plate size just swimming beside me a little guy How you doing? You know Yeah, water waters clear. The everyone speaks English there’s some patois Of course it’s great flight. It’s that airport where you come in your land and right by the beach where everyone stands there. Yeah, very mountainous lush tropical. It’s it’s a place that people don’t go to often because they didn’t really have any all inclusive or any decent ones up until the last couple years. So it’s the secrets brand decided to go in there. One of the owners and he bought up the former Weston no sorry, it was a former Radisson I apologize. And then re resorts bought it and then they get hit by the hurricane really bad. So you know, they got their insurance money, I’m sure. Yeah. And then secrets came in and purchased like probably a beat up resort. And they fixed up you know, got rid of all the furniture needed renovations anyway. Yeah. So we get all new furniture, all new windows. There wouldn’t have been a window left in the place and they renovated and I do believe they ended 100 something rooms They were supposed to open last year as well. Oh, wow, that haven’t opened yet. It’s French controlled that side but once they do fully open it’s it’s a unique you know, destination. They got gambling there in the Dutch side. So if someone wants to do a little gambling everyone likes to go one night gambling no casino great food on the French side. Wow. Okay. I mean, if you’re looking for escar go and you know, fill him in young, you know, some of the famous, you know, French dishes out there. They just, it’s like coconut from France because they’re doing scratch kitchens instead of you know, frozen. There’s an order you know, the most famous beach in St. Maarten for a beach. It used to be known for like being topless. But I mean, maybe in high season when the French are there, you might see a little bit that even though there’s families, but normally not much anymore, you know, people kind of went past that. And then most people that go there, we asked them you should or suggest go to in guila. And we’ll is right there. Yeah. From secret St. Maarten, you can see it will. Yep. And I’ve never stayed there’s this resort. I’ve had lunch there twice. But I dreamed to stay there someday. my bucket list is capture Luca. Capture Luca is that

Jamaal Stafford: 

on Anguilla,

Robert Whorrall: 

on Anguilla. And, I mean, I went to we went to lunch there two years ago, it was full. And that’s some of the reasons why you can’t get in. It’s expensive, a little pricey or spendy, whatever you want to say. Yeah, but we had lunch there. And the waiter was like, hey, Sir, how can I help? You know, what would you like to drink and I was just in awe because the it’s in this COVID Bay, and it’s just absolutely gorgeous white powder, sand, the clearest water and you can walk right across this bay, over your head, very secluded, every every room speech rug. Okay, you know, if you Google it, or you know, Google images or whatever, DuckDuckGo, whatever. You see what I mean. They got some great videos on YouTube of capture Luka, but it’s a hidden gem as well. That’s awesome.

Jamaal Stafford: 

That’s awesome. Hey, Robert, look, you give us some amazing places to think about, hey, look, tell our listeners how they can get in touch with you.

Robert Whorrall: 

beachbum vacations calm. If you ever want to email me direct at Robert at beachbum. vacations calm? I answer the sales at beach publications calm as well. If I am not a specialist in what you’re looking for, I will make sure you are connected with one formal introduction to one of our agents. We have 16 agents in the United States and one in Canada. And they all work from home they always have. So all these you know, working from home loans we hear from others. We’re like, Hey, welcome to the club. Yeah, but, you know, I think it’s a bonus because you get it in the middle of the winter, when it’s snowing, you get up in your PJs, and you can work all day, you know, as long as it’s not a zoom call. But in of course, we’re on Instagram and Facebook. But our secret compared to our competition, or whoever any.com is we interview our clients, we interview everybody to find out where they’ll match to, you know, I go to a resort and love it and you go in with your wife and you’d be like, No, man, I don’t like this place. Yeah, it’s because I didn’t talk to you to see what was important to you and your wife, you know. So we always try to you know, get down to at least one or two destinations. And sometimes flights will dictate that nonstop versus connection. And then once you’re in destination you’re looking at well which resort will match. And then you want the best match. You don’t want necessarily the best price every time of course we do. We always want a competitive price. We will never want to overpay no one does. Yeah, but you want to make sure that resort matches with your likes and dislikes and what you expect. You know, I know some people that won’t go to a resort unless it has been like, you know for they have a certain pina colada. Yeah. Or you know, they they have to have steak cups, you know, stuff like that. And certain people don’t want quiet they want social. So if I said that person I didn’t ever you just pretend I didn’t interview them. And I send them to a social resort. They’re gonna call me date one go. Yeah, we got we don’t like it here. Right. I’ll be like, why it’s five star. What do you mean? Yeah, he just beautiful. Yeah. And the drinks are amazing. They’d be like, I know. But it’s too noisy and people around and they’re like a megaphones and trying to get us to dance. We want to sit in the beach and not be bothered. Yeah. You know, I think the interview process is very important. We call it qualifying the client, qualify for a destination and resort. Once you get down to a couple different resorts for choose from. Then it’s about room category. And that’s guys were like, yeah, give us a garden view room. And the girls won’t put up with that. Oh, no, no. You know what? 80% of the people that do not pick the right room through you know, when they’re booking whenever they’re booking through a travel agent or whoever. When they get to the resort the resorts tell us by the time they land, the resort sale anymore will tell them it is. Yeah. And they’ll upgrade to that ocean view or ocean front or beach front room. And it’s not on sale anymore. Right? Well say, Oh, yeah, yeah, we’ll make you a deal. But they’re not going to give you the deal deal that we could have gave you before you left or before you booked? Yeah, they said 80% of the people that don’t get the right room, or don’t get at least Oceanview will pay for upgrades when they get there. They’ll pay usually double. So say for instance, the difference between garden views, and ocean view was $600. For the week, it’s gonna be 12 $100 when you get there, and when your wife looks at your Jay and goes, Hey, honey, I want to see the ocean when I wake up and put me in a real good mood, and we’ll order room service and sit on a balcony. It’s gonna make me really happy. You’re like, here’s here’s the credit card. Oh.

Jamaal Stafford: 

Yeah. My wife’s not letting me book it without the view. We’re not even going there. But yeah, that’s, that’s awesome. And look, Robert, I really appreciate you and, and Hayley and everything that you guys done for us. And, you know, really great insights today, and just really appreciate you giving us the time, and given us some insights, especially is this travel situation with, you know, COVID? And what have you is this changed thing. So, it just,

Robert Whorrall: 

I just go a little quicker than that. And I know I’m supposed to be done by now. But now you find God, there’s two different types of resources out there and not every resource ever going to tell you this because they have to stay in that you know, box that you know, they don’t want to get doxxed or canceled or in trouble or, or even legally in trouble. You know what, but there is resorts that are it’s up to you to wear a mask, and it’s up to you to social distance. And that’s your responsibility as an adult, as a father as a mother is, you know, whoever, yeah, there’s other resorts that are not like that. They’re like, No, no, no, no, no, if you’re walking inside a random resort, you have to wear a mask. If you’re, you know, coming in a restaurant, you have to, I don’t care if you just washed your hands, we have to squirt some sanitizer on your hands. And you have to take it to your table, you have to wear a mask. And when you sit down, you can take it off, and we’re going to you know, seal up your your utensils in a clear plastic with that heat sink. Right? Oh, stuff like that, for any of your listeners that want to like go back to normal and the COVID is not a big thing to them to lose. Mexico. I was there. January 21st, the 25th. It was like they never even got the email or they never even got the memo. Yeah, yeah. And there was a couple there was like 10,000 people down there in this town. There’s, there’s lots of beach bars and small resorts. There’s no big resorts there. Yeah, it’s, it’s interesting. But so if someone does call up and say, you know, COVID smoking, I’m not saying I agree or disagree with them. We want to go to a place that doesn’t have as much restrictions, or at least leaves it up to us my wife, because we can just do that here. Yeah, you know, I like all right, I know, the resorts that won’t be more relaxed, and it’s usually adults only to be honest with you. Okay. Okay. And another thing is, if you get a low rise resort, it doesn’t have any elevators. So when you have no elevators, and you don’t have a lot of stuff to do inside, meaning big lobbies. And usually, they’re less restrictive, because they have open air, you have to walk up to your room and up the steps or in the back door, you know, but if you’re in a hotel, that’s a high rise, that’s in can’t Kuhn that has 12 to 15 floors, you’re gonna have a couple, four or five elevators, it’s going to have more restrictions, because people are not able to, to distance themselves, and they’re gonna be on elevators and stuff like that. So it just, it just depends, you know, and again, I don’t judge people, because I, you know, I want to take care of people make sure they get what they’re looking for, and I match them up. But there is such a thing is I want to go less restrictive. Yeah. And I want to go more restrictive. Some people want to do that. And that’s good. That’s whatever. Yeah. And then and then there’s the client. It’s not often that there is client, is there any place to go? There’s no restrictions. And they’re like, yep,

Jamaal Stafford: 

it’s always a place. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Look, I think as people get vaccinated, they’re going to be looking for, you know, some places like that to go. And so, you know, again, really, thank you so much, Robert. definitely appreciate it. And definitely look forward to having you back another time. So really appreciate this.

Robert Whorrall: 

Excellent. My pleasure, my honor.

Jamaal Stafford: 

Thank you for listening to today’s podcast. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and be sure to share this podcast with your friends and family. If you have questions. You can always email us at info at Stafford trial team calm again, that’s info at Stafford trial team comm We look forward to catching up with you next time. Till then take care