Crashing Weddings and Earning Rewards

By Nancy Bennison, 14-time traveler and 20-time Vacation Ambassador from Amherst, NH

Any salesman will tell you that having a great product makes selling it easy. O.A.T. is a great company. The fact that I leave tomorrow on my tenth trip and have paid for #11 and #12 speaks volumes to the people I approach to join us on trips.

I have used the Vacation Ambassador Program to connect with old friends. We have invited friends from our small town, college friends, friends from grad school, family members, former colleagues, and neighbors from 40 years ago! We love reconnecting with old friends on these trips and sharing our love of travel with them.

Most of my referrals have gone on their first trip with us and several have joined us again. A college classmate bravely went to Japan without me. I had told her about our wonderful experience in Japan and she signed up. On my recommendation, she asked her guide if the group could walk a short stretch of the old Tokaido Road. Very little of the road still exists, but this stretch is very atmospheric lined with ancient cedars. She agrees with me that it should be a regular addition to the program in Hakone. She will be joining our group traveling to Egypt next year.

I carry referral cards in my wallet and I keep them in the pockets of O.A.T. fleeces and jackets so if the opportunity to talk travel arises, I’m ready.

People always ask what our favorite trip is. That’s like asking which of my daughters I love more. We’ve never had a bad trip and we love that there are always surprises beyond the printed itinerary. One of our favorite things is crashing weddings. In much of the world, not having an invitation does not preclude joining wedding festivities. Our first wedding was in the Day in the Life village in China. We were mortified when our guide took us right up front and had our picture taken with the bride and groom.

Last year we crashed a wedding in Yangon, Burma. We were on our way to the river when our guide stopped the bus and within a couple of minutes, we were seated at the reception eating ice cream (at 9:30 in the morning). Nothing compares with our experience crashing three weddings during our Heart of India trip. The first was an extraordinary affair for 22 dowry-less couples. There were 10,000 guests, but we didn’t blend in. We were escorted to the front to bless the brides and grooms. Then we were seated on an adjacent empty stage where we became the focus of numerous photos by guests wielding cell phones. Talk about upstaging the brides! We were invited to stay and eat, but we were off to Khajuraho.

Our last night in Varanasi, we dressed in beautiful silk saris for our farewell dinner. We were properly attired to crash not one, but two, upscale weddings, taking place at our hotel. We joined the parade with bands, fireworks, and dancing to escort the grooms to the wedding. One groom’s sister asked a few of us to come to the wedding. The bride and groom looked magnificent in their wedding finery and appeared to be much happier than our dowry-less couples. I have wonderful pictures of each of these weddings. We didn’t overstay our welcome at any of the weddings, but what memorable experiences these were.

Achieving Antarctica

18-time travelers Ann and Jack Donoghue are among some of our top Vacation Ambassadors.

17-time travelers Ann and Jack D. are among some of our top Vacation Ambassadors.

When asked to describe his recent trip small ship cruisetour to Antarctica, 17-time traveler Jack Donoghue of Beverly, MA, was quick to declare, “I wouldn’t call it a trip—I would call it an adventure.” He spoke passionately about his experience on Antarctic’s White Wilderness, the attentive crew aboard the Corinthian, and the breathtaking landscapes of the White Continent.

Jack would definitely recommend this trip to “someone looking for an adventure,” and he’s very adept at inspiring others to travel: he and his wife Ann have referred over 60 new travelers to Grand Circle and O.A.T. In fact, they used one of the free trip certificates (valued at $6500) they earned through our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program to help fund this Small Ship Cruise Tour.

Besides actually setting foot on Antarctic ground, Jack considers the time spent aboard the Corinthian as part of the adventure, sailing to and from Antarctica from Ushuaia, Argentina, or the “City at the End of the World.” A thrilling part of the voyage was crossing the Drake Passage, a journey often called the “Drake Shake” because of the sometimes rough seas here. Jack emphasized that “safety was the number one concern” throughout the trip, and he underscores how the crew made sure all of the passengers felt comfortable and well cared for. “The crew members would take you by the hand to your seat at dinner, and they would help steady you when you were getting out of the zodiacs onto land. There was no sense of danger, and we felt very safe the whole time.”

Jack and Ann were pleasantly surprised by the insightful onboard lectures given each day by their expedition team of explorers, researchers, and naturalists. They helped the couple to spot albatross and other sea birds from the deck, as well as groups of 20-30 humpback whales at a time. Seeing wildlife from the ship was one thing, but arriving on land and coming face to face with penguins and Antarctic seals was an unparalleled experience. Jack compares it to “the difference between visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom and taking an African safari.”

He was impressed by the “amazingly blue icebergs,” and loved getting close to them during the short zodiac rides from the ship to the shore. Speaking of getting close, the Donoghues also came to appreciate the nimbleness of the Corinthian. “The small ship was better because it could get into smaller spaces. We saw a few other ships and some of them were too large for their passengers to go ashore as much.”

When they made landfall on their seventh continent, Jack and Ann felt an enormous sense of accomplishment. They visited two separate research stations, including the Port Lockroy Research Station, where they mailed themselves a postcard from the Penguin Post Office—it only took about a month to reach their home. Jack’s best advice for someone interested in traveling to Antarctica is this: “Don’t wait to make it your seventh continent—you want to make sure to enjoy it while you’re there.”

Since their Antarctic adventure, Jack and Ann have kept in contact with the members of their group, sharing photos with one another. Jack’s most successful method for referring new travelers is to post photos and stories from his travels on his blog. He adds his Customer Number and contact information at the end of each post for readers to use when they reserve their first trip. Recently, he has created video logs of his trips because they evoke “feelings you can’t get out of still pictures.”

Recommended By You

We asked some of our top Vacation Ambassadors which trip they recommend most...

We asked some of our top Vacation Ambassadors which trip they recommend most for first-time travelers and why. From river cruising down Europe’s waterways to getting up close and personal with wildlife on an African safari, our Vacation Ambassadors have perfect suggestions for every type of traveler. Do you have your own set of trips you recommend to new travelers? Let us know in an email to [email protected].

Great, Great Rivers

For those interested in cruising, I suggest a river cruise to start with, and The Great Rivers of Europe is the best. There they can start in a great city (Amsterdam or Vienna), unpack only once, and see many great stops along the way. In both cases the transition to foreign travel will be easier. They will get a feel for O.A.T. and Grand Circle, and our great Trip Experience Leaders. They will surely come back.

Thanks to: Chuck and Dee Dee N., 19-time travelers and 17-time Vacation Ambassadors from Huntington Beach, CA

We would recommend a River Cruise—The Great Rivers of Europe. It’s so much easier to only unpack once, especially for an inexperienced traveler.

Thanks to: Richard and Kathleen N., 16-time travelers and 16-time Vacation Ambassadors from Arlington, TX

The last trip we took was The Great Rivers of Europe with my daughter, her husband, our granddaughter and her dad (my son), my sister, who travels with us all the time, and our neighbor across the street. We wanted them to see the highlights. We’ve taken several River Cruises and that was the best one without a doubt. We celebrated our 63rd anniversary on that trip and Grand Circle treated us so well.

Thanks to: Billy and Myrtle M., 10-time travelers and 16-time Vacation Ambassadors from Stephenville, TX

My favorite trip was a River Cruise trip from Vienna to Amsterdam, The Great Rivers of Europe. My two brothers and their wives went with my husband Art and me. We extended our trip to Belgium where my older brother Dick got together with an exchange student that they had sponsored many years before—we got to meet his wife and family.

We have referred so many people because we get people interested in traveling, and they go on trips with us.

Thanks to: Sally A., 22-time travelers and 16-time Vacation Ambassador from Granite Bay, CA

Recommending Romance

It is difficult to recommend only one of the river cruises when all of them are unique. Romance of the Rhine and Mosel always comes to mind because both times we have taken it, we have experienced different adventures. Speyer was delightful. When we were there on November 11, 2012, we made lanterns and participated in the St. Martin parade in the city with local people. It was nice to learn of local traditions and meet with some of the local people. Last year we enjoyed a ride in a "hay" wagon to the top of a mountain to tour a local vineyard in Zell. There are so many things we have enjoyed on all the river cruises that it is difficult to narrow them down to one.

The American Cemetery in Luxembourg visit always brings tears to my eyes and the feeling of pride and thanksgiving for the soldiers that gave their lives in the war. This was a most inspiring part of our Romance of the Rhine and Mosel cruise. The visit to the courtroom in Nuremberg where the Nazi war trials were held was also a great experience as was the stop at the Remagen Bridge Museum. So many other events that happened in WWII are available on Grand Circle cruises.

Thanks to: Lillian and Phillip B., 11-time travelers and 15-time Vacation Ambassadors from Waco, TX

Know Your Audience