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AlbertAns hAve been turning to AMA Travel for all kinds of group getaways over the years : that destination wedding on a white-sand beach ; that corporate retreat to sunny Orlando ; that longanticipated family trip to Disneyland with multiple generations in tow . But there ’ s also a whole other class of group trip waiting to make travel dreams come true — escorted tours and cruises , hosted by seasoned AMA Travel experts .
“ The people we send to escort these trips are extremely passionate about travel , and the destination ,” says Roland Van Meurs , AMA Travel member services manager for St . Albert , who has been escorting groups around the world for more than a decade . While on the trip , these individuals lead each day ’ s activities , and help with needs and issues as they crop up . This could be anything from arranging an impromptu whale-watching tour or recommending
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local cafés to assisting with unexpected flight changes and medical emergencies .
AMA members Elaine and Lawrence Rowan were on Van Meurs ’ s most recent escorted trip last fall , a Canada- New England cruise .
“ We ’ d been on non-escorted cruises before , where if we needed something we were pretty much on our own ,” Elaine says . “ It was really reassuring to know AMA Travel was there . It gave us a safety net if we needed some help .”
Then there are the perks . AMA Travel escorted trips are typically fixed-price . They include extras — like special dinners , cocktail parties and activities — not found on other group tours . And there are always thoughtful touches you ’ d never expect : On the Canada-New England cruise , Van Meurs hosted a unique Canadianinspired gathering with Tim Hortons coffee for his group . On another trip ,
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to the Cook Islands and Tahiti , he made arrangements for a local craftsman to create wood carvings for the participants .
When a group of Albertans gets together , new friendships are likely to bloom . “ It ’ s often the social aspect that draws people in ,” Van Meurs says . “ Even if the participants don ’ t need any of our services on a particular day , sometimes they just come by to say hi .”
For those who worry about cost , escorted tours sometimes offer better value than self-planned trips . “ When you ’ re doing it on your own , there ’ s a lot of work that needs to be done . You have to research the heck out of everything ,” Van Meurs says . “ And then when you factor in all the little costs — transportation , activities and the like — a lot of times it isn ’ t cheaper . Or if it is , you ’ ve missed out on many of the things that escorted tours include already .”
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