Seven Things to Do with Your Tax Refund

Tax season is almost (thankfully) over! If you’re one of the approximately 83% of Americans who receive a refund, figuring out what to do with it is most likely on your mind.

We recommend using it (or a portion of it) to plan your next vacation. According to a recent study, vacation had similar stress-reducing benefits as meditation and participants showed positive effects 10 months after taking the vacation. Still need more reasons to get away? It’s good for business.

Now that we’ve established that it’s in your best interest to get away, let’s talk vacations! Whether you get re-energized from an adventurous hike or by kicking up your feet by the pool, we’ve got an idea for you. Here’s our list of seven things to do with your tax refund:

1. Cruise
RCI_MJ_AerialCocoCay158R.pngSail to the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, New England and more! Going on a cruise is easier than ever. There are literally THOUSANDS of options – number of days, destinations, activities, room accommodations, departure ports – that there is a choice for every budget. We recommend Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International who make it easy with cruises directly from ports in New York and Bayonne, NJ (plus Royal Caribbean also sails from Baltimore, MD). With all the options and activities to do on board and off, cruising is the new go-to for vacationers with the bonus of unpacking only once. Looking to save your hard earned money? Opt for an inside cabin.

2. All-inclusives
SESRC_Aerial_Year2016_1.pngLeave your wallet at home because everything’s included on these easy vacations. Pay one price for your flight, transfers to the resort, hotel, meals, drinks (including open bar), most activities, and entertainment. Options include family friendly accommodations as well as adult only resorts. Popular destinations include Punta Cana, Cancun, the Riviera Maya, and Jamaica. A four-night vacation with flight could be less than $800 per person. Search now

3.Walt Disney World

cinderella-castle-gallery02.pngIf you have kids, they have inevitably asked, “Can we go to Walt Disney World?” Whether you’re ready to go this year, or want to put a deposit on a future trip, Boscov’s Travel gets you to the magic faster with the Boscov’s Travel Exclusive Charter to Walt Disney World. Fly non-stop from local Pennsylvania airports including Harrisburg, Lancaster, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, or Reading Airports. Service is in the spring and fall, fly Sunday/return Saturday, and every weekend in spring through fall (airports vary). Learn more here.

4.Cuba
Get major bragging rights for being one of the first to see this newly opened country. We make it easy with cruises that stop in this unforgettable country. Get all the Cuba facts here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.River Cruise

Offering a whole new perspective on your destination, river cruises have grown in popularity due to their immersive experiences and less time spent traveling (you’ll sail to your next destination while you sleep). Stops include popular destinations as well as less crowded villages easily accessible from the river.

 

6.G Adventures
154e86bc0b91759f6ff328aac9cc8101.pngIf you seek adventure, look no further than G Adventures. One of our preferred tour operators, G Adventures gives you access to the world. Camp on your hike up to Machu Picchu, tour the Great Pyramids of Giza, kayak in Antarctica, or view the Irrawaddy dolphins on the rivers of Mekong.

 

 

7.Buy travel protection
Boring, right? There’s nothing exciting about planning for a vacation to go awry, but it can happen. But just like in life, by protecting your travel investment with travel protection, you buy yourself peace of mind and assurance that you will (eventually) take a vacation. Purchasing travel protection is easy. Get an estimate here.

If you’re ready to put your tax refund to good use, call us at 800-755-8020, email [email protected] or visit us for current deals.

Visit Boscov’s Travel located within select Boscov’s including Pennsylvania (Camp Hill, Colonial Park/Harrisburg, Easton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Neshaminy/Bensalem, Wyomissing, Reading, Pottstown, Pottsville, Scranton, Selinsgrove, Wilkes-Barre), New York (Binghamton), New Jersey (Atlantic City and Moorestown), Delaware (Wilmington), and Maryland (Salisbury).  View our locations here. If you live a little further away, book over the phone by calling us at 800-755-8020. Learn more at boscovstravel.com. As to Disney artwork/properties: ©Disney

Planning a Summer Vacation?

Planning a summer vacation can become stressful. How much should you budget? What’s the availability of the rental? Will there be activities for the kids? Do you need to bring towels and bedding? Will you cut your vacation short to avoid the traffic? How far away do you want to be from the beach?

One of the benefits of booking an all-inclusive vacation is that the planning is done for you! Costs are upfront, so there is no need to budget above the initial price.

If you’re thinking about a vacation to the shore this summer for you and your family, now’s the time to consider ‘The Shore Without the Chores.’ With Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations, the vacation for you and your family to Mexico or the Dominican Republic may be less than half the price of a trip to the shore. With no cooking, no cleaning, and no laundry, it’s worth comparing an all-inclusive vacation to what you’d spend at the shore!

SWOTC 2016_2[2]

Download the flyer here – Shore-Without-The-Chore-Flyer-Apple-Vacations-March-2016

Dreams Sands Cancun Resort

Dreams La Romana Resort

Ready to book your vacation? Visit Boscov’s Travel located within select Boscov’s including Pennsylvania (Camp Hill, Colonial Park/Harrisburg, Easton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Neshaminy/Bensalem, Wyomissing, Reading, Pottstown, Pottsville, Scranton, Selinsgrove, Wilkes-Barre), New York (Binghamton), New Jersey (Atlantic City and Moorestown), Delaware (Wilmington), and Maryland (Salisbury).  View our locations here. If you live a little further away, book over the phone by calling us at 800-755-8020. Learn more at boscovstravel.com or view more Apple Vacation packages here.

A Traveler’s Perspective: One of the Best Resorts in Punta Cana

Zoetry Agua in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic is an all-inclusive luxury resort boasting a 6+ Global Apple rating from Apple Vacations (basically, the place is ranked at the very top of the chart). Two of our clients recently visited the resort and provided insider-access into one of the most beautiful Punta Cana hotels we’ve ever seen!

Stacy and Tyler, avid travelers and repeat Boscov’s Travel customers, were looking for an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica. Having booked several trips for them in the past, Boscov’s Travel Camp Hill Travel Specialist Amy Bressler knew the amenities that Stacy and Tyler preferred, what type of atmosphere they gravitated to and what resort would provide the best vacation experience for them. They ended up on a different island all-together and settled on Zoetry Agua resort in Punta Cana.

Below, Stacy gives us her perspective on the resort (they had their own private butler!), why she recommends using a travel agency and why travel continues to be one of her favorite hobbies.

Why did you choose the particular resort?

Amy, our Travel Specialist, most definitely steered us in the right direction. She found an awesome deal at the Zoetry Agua Resort and once she showed us the resort, we were sold!

What did you like about the accommodations at the resort? (It looks like your room had its own private pool, too!)

I loved everything about this resort and our accommodations. The resort was a smaller resort with fewer rooms than most of the other resorts we have been to (96 to be exact). This made for a nice, quiet, and relaxing vacation. We had our own butler that took care of everything. He made our reservations for our spa appointments, set up transportation and tee times for two golf trips, and found us on the beach and by the pool just to make sure we had fresh drinks and beach towels.

Our room at the resort was amazing; it was bigger than some apartments. There was a “yard” with a small private pool to cool off along with lounge chairs. There was a separate sitting room with a couch and a dining table to enjoy room service. We had an open air bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and rain shower.

Our backyard

The beach and pool areas had plenty of available lounge chairs, umbrellas and natural palm trees for shade. The wait staff at the resort was top notch. They took very good care of us, our drinks were never empty, they paid great attention to detail, and they knew our names. The staff really made us feel that we were a priority and the only ones at the resort!

How were the food and drinks?

The food was excellent and the drinks were always well made. The variety of menu options was great, I don’t eat seafood and there were more than enough choices from which to choose. The steaks were probably the best tasting and well prepared steaks I have ever had on a vacation like this!

Do you have any stories from the trip that stand out?

I honestly loved everything about this trip. It was by far the nicest resort we have been to. Two things that stood were the service and the staff. From the beach and poolside staff, to the wait staff at breakfast, lunch and dinner, to our butler and even the staff at the spa, everyone was just fantastic. The resort was gorgeous, clean, and quiet – it just had such a relaxed atmosphere. I would definitely recommend this resort to anyone who wants to be taken care of and truly relax on their vacation!

So how did you learn about Boscov’s Travel?

I had been familiar with Boscov’s Travel for quite some time, my mother worked for Boscov’s department store for several years so I was aware Boscov’s had a travel division. At the time I booked my first trip through Boscov’s Travel, I did so because I was traveling with a group and Boscov’s Travel was the travel agency the group was working with. I met my travel agent Amy when booking that first trip and we have been planning vacations with her for four years now!

What makes you continue to choose Boscov’s Travel when you want to plan a vacation?

There are many reasons Boscov’s Travel is our go-to travel agency to book a vacation. We love our travel agent, Amy! She is the best and I recommend her to anyone and everyone who is looking to plan a trip. She is quick to return my calls and emails, she answers any and all questions, and makes us feel confident we are getting a great price at a perfect location with all the amenities. We also love Boscov’s Travel because of the prices they are able to offer. I have researched booking a vacation at the rate Amy has quoted us and it is definitely impossible.

Since you have been on a few trips with us and seem well-traveled, why do you choose to continue to travel?

Travel and adventure is a passion of mine. I grew up going on family vacations to Florida, cruising up and down the east coast, to the Caribbean and Canada and taking weekend trips to cities like Baltimore, D.C., New York City, and Philadelphia. I even took a school trip to Europe. I absolutely love to travel, visit new places, explore new cultures, or just relax on the beach or poolside with a fruity umbrella drink. That is what I love about traveling – the possibilities are endless. In one trip you can be RV-ing through the jungle in the Dominican one day and the next laying by the beach and eating a traditional Dominican dinner.

Any advice to other travelers?

My advice for other travelers: if you want a worry free vacation beginning to end, book your vacation through a travel agent. We have never had to worry about how we are getting from the airport to our resort or back to the airport from the resort, we have never had any surprise fees or other unexpected expenditures. We have never had to spend hours paging through resorts, comparing prices, and trying to find flights. Our vacations are truly vacations because we let our travel agent do all the work for us so all we have to do is show up, order a drink, and relax!  Aside from that, don’t over pack and relax – you are on vacation.

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Beautiful beaches

 

Thanks to Stacy for sharing her vacation experiences! If you’re ready to book a vacation, visit Boscov’s Travel located within select Boscov’s including Pennsylvania (Camp Hill, Colonial Park/Harrisburg, Easton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Neshaminy/Bensalem, Wyomissing, Reading, Pottstown, Pottsville, Scranton, Selinsgrove, Wilkes-Barre), New York (Binghamton), New jersey (Atlantic City and Moorestown), Delaware (Wilmington), and Maryland (Salisbury).  View our locations here or call us at 800-755-8020. Learn more at boscovstravel.com