Read the full feature on the CMTA Travel Services blog
The Maldives is on almost every traveller’s dream list — and for good reason. Turquoise lagoons, overwater bungalows, white sand that squeaks under your feet, and a pace of life that makes you forget everything you left behind. RIU Hotels has made this paradise accessible with two exceptional properties in the Dhaalu Atoll, offering 24-hour all-inclusive luxury on one of the most beautiful archipelagos on earth.
Two Resorts, One Perfect Location
RIU operates two connected properties on the islands of Maafushi and Kedhigandu in the Dhaalu Atoll — the Riu Palace Maldives and the Riu Atoll. Linked by a walkway and surrounded by the Indian Ocean, both offer overwater and beachfront rooms with views that you simply cannot believe are real until you’re standing in them. The 24h All Inclusive service means everything from gourmet meals to cocktails at the pool bar is included, day or night.
Riu Palace Maldives — For Extra Luxury
With 176 rooms and four themed evening restaurants — fusion Krystal, Japanese Yu Hi, Italian Sofia, and a Steakhouse — the Palace property takes all-inclusive to a genuinely luxurious level. Add a pool bar, Sports Bar, and Lounge Bar, and you have everything you need without ever feeling like you need to go anywhere. Though you absolutely should venture out to snorkel the reef just offshore.
Riu Atoll — For More Space
The Riu Atoll offers 264 rooms with a slightly more relaxed atmosphere, the Italian Sofia restaurant, a Steakhouse, and the same incredible Indian Ocean setting. Both properties share access to water sports, entertainment programmes seven days a week, and Club RiuLand for families travelling with children.
Perfect For…
Couples on a honeymoon or anniversary trip. Families wanting an all-inclusive experience without the chaos of a large resort complex. Friends celebrating milestones. Or honestly, anyone who has been telling themselves “someday” about the Maldives — this is your someday.
Time to make the Maldives a reality?
Renée Charbonneau is a Certified Travel Agent and proud member of CMTA Travel Services in Grande Prairie, AB. She can build you the perfect Maldives package — flights from Alberta included.
No trip is guaranteed to go perfectly. But the difference between a disaster and a delay often comes down to one thing: whether you have a travel agent in your corner.
The Moment the Airline App Fails You
Your flight is cancelled. The rebooking app keeps crashing. The hold queue is four hours long. In that moment, a client who booked through a travel agent has an enormous advantage. They call their agent. Their agent — who has direct access to airline reservation systems and supplier contacts — works the problem while the client sits down and breathes.
Real-Time Rebooking and Rerouting
When travel plans collapse, speed matters. A travel agent can rebook flights, find alternative routing, secure hotel rooms, and adjust downstream reservations — often before a self-booking traveller has even reached the front of the customer service line. That’s not luck. It’s the power of industry relationships and professional access.
Natural Disasters, Strikes, and Travel Advisories
When a hurricane is approaching your destination, or a transit strike is disrupting your city, or a government travel advisory is issued mid-trip, your agent is monitoring. They reach out proactively, explain your options, and help you make decisions before the situation becomes a crisis. Clients who booked independently often don’t find out until they’re already at the airport.
Medical Emergencies and Evacuations
A medical emergency abroad is frightening enough without having to navigate foreign health systems alone. Your travel agent helps coordinate with your travel insurance provider, connects you with the right contacts, and supports your family at home who may be trying to help from a distance. They’re an informed advocate when you’re at your most vulnerable.
Someone Who Knows Your Whole Trip
When something goes wrong, every detail of your booking matters — your confirmation numbers, your hotel contact, your tour operator, your insurance policy. Your travel agent has all of it. You don’t have to dig through emails or remember which app you booked what through. That single point of contact is worth everything in a crisis.
Read the full feature on the CMTA Travel Services blog
Lima is one of South America’s great underrated cities — and increasingly, travellers are choosing to linger longer rather than rush through on the way to Machu Picchu. The world’s second-largest desert city is home to a culinary scene that consistently ranks among the planet’s best, coastal cliffs with spectacular Pacific views, and neighbourhoods that swing from colonial grandeur to bohemian cool. Here’s how to make the most of 24 hours.
Morning: Coffee and the Coast
Start the day with Peruvian coffee — some of the best in South America, known for its vanilla-toned sweetness and nutty aroma. The brave can try emoliente, a traditional herb-infused hot drink with maca. Then head to Óvalo de Miraflores and walk south along the Malecón promenade — a cliffside path above the Pacific with sweeping ocean views. Follow it to the artsy Barranco district, where the legendary Bridge of Sighs is said to grant wishes to anyone who holds their breath while crossing.
Afternoon: Food, History, and the Plaza Mayor
Lima’s food reputation is global — the city is home to several of the world’s top 50 restaurants. But the best foodie experiences aren’t always the fanciest: try fresh ceviche at a casual spot on Calle Berlin, or sample choclo con queso (Andean corn with cheese) and papa rellena (stuffed potato with aji sauce) from street vendors. For culture, the Plaza Mayor — a UNESCO World Heritage site surrounded by the Presidential Palace and Cathedral of Lima — gives you the city’s colonial history in one stunning square.
Evening: Pisco Sours and Peñas
No visit to Lima is complete without Peru’s national cocktail, the Pisco Sour. The Museo del Pisco is the obvious starting point, but any bar worth visiting makes an excellent version. If you want to go deeper into local culture, look for a peña in Barranco — hidden-away basement restaurants where couples perform traditional dances to live music, unchanged by tourism and utterly authentic.
Routing Through Lima — How It Works from Alberta
Lima is typically a gateway city for Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and G Adventures tours throughout Peru and South America. Spending a proper day or two in Lima before heading south is one of the smartest decisions you can make — and it’s easy to build into any South America itinerary.
Ready to plan your South America trip?
Renée Charbonneau is a Certified Travel Agent and proud member of CMTA Travel Services in Grande Prairie, AB.
Read the full feature on the CMTA Travel Services blog
For Albertans, Alaska is practically in the backyard — and yet it remains one of the most awe-inspiring destinations on the planet. Vast glaciers, untamed wilderness, breaching whales, and bald eagles circling above old-growth forests. When people say you have to experience Alaska for yourself, they mean it. And nobody does Alaska better than Princess Cruises, with over 55 years of experience and 21 “Best Cruise Line in Alaska” awards to their name.
Voyage of the Glaciers — The Signature Itinerary
Consistently Princess’s top-rated Alaska offering, the Voyage of the Glaciers gives you not one but two days among magnificent glaciers — including Glacier Bay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that only a select group of cruise lines have permission to enter. You’ll also visit three of Alaska’s most compelling towns: gold rush-era Skagway, salmon-rich Ketchikan, and Juneau, the state capital. The sense of scale here — towering ice walls, endless wilderness, wildlife around every corner — is something photographs simply can’t capture.
Inside Passage Sailings from Seattle
For those who want flexibility, Princess offers Inside Passage itineraries with weekend departures from Seattle — making it easy to connect from Alberta without a complex routing. Late-night departures in Juneau and Victoria give you extra time to explore these favourite ports at a relaxed pace. Shore excursions range from whale watching and salmon fishing to helicopter rides over glaciers.
Go Deeper with a Cruisetour
For the full Alaska experience, a Princess Cruisetour combines a seven-day glacier cruise with scenic rail travel and nights at a Wilderness Lodge deep in the interior. The Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service takes you from the ship directly to the Denali area through glass-domed windows, with Denali National Park and its extraordinary wildlife viewing waiting at the other end. This is how Albertans — who appreciate big sky, wide open spaces, and genuine wilderness — should experience Alaska.
Alaska Trip Planning — Where an Agent Earns Their Keep
Alaska cruise and cruisetour packages can be complex to assemble — especially when you’re adding flights from Grande Prairie or Edmonton, pre-cruise nights in Vancouver or Seattle, and shore excursion bookings. Having Renée in your corner means the logistics are handled, the pricing is competitive, and your Alaska experience is exactly what you hoped it would be.
Ready to see Alaska the right way?
Renée Charbonneau is a Certified Travel Agent and proud member of CMTA Travel Services in Grande Prairie, AB. She specializes in Alaska cruise and cruisetour packages for Albertans.
Anyone can book a flight and a hotel. What a professional travel agent builds is something different — a trip where every piece fits together, the timing makes sense, and nothing important gets left out.
The Difference Between Booking and Planning
Booking is transactional. Planning is thoughtful. When you work with a travel agent, they start by asking what kind of traveller you are — not just where you want to go. Do you want to hit every landmark, or wander at your own pace? Do you want structured tours or free days? Are you travelling with young kids, seniors, or both? The answers shape an itinerary designed for you specifically, not a generic template.
They Know What the Brochure Doesn’t Say
Travel agents bring destination knowledge that goes beyond what you’ll find on a tourism board website. They know which museums need to be booked weeks in advance, which transfers take longer than they look on a map, which resorts have better rooms in one building over another, and which excursions are worth every penny versus which are tourist traps. That insider knowledge shapes better recommendations.
Logical Flow and Realistic Timing
One of the most common self-booking mistakes is an itinerary that’s physically exhausting. Your agent builds in appropriate pacing — enough recovery time after long flights, realistic travel times between cities, and a balance of activity and rest. They also know things like: don’t schedule Rome on a Monday when half the museums are closed, or don’t arrive in Havana late at night when navigation is harder.
All Your Documents in One Place
A professionally prepared itinerary from your travel agent includes every confirmation number, address, phone number, and timing detail you need — organized by day, not scattered across a dozen emails. When you land, you know exactly what’s next.
Built-In Flexibility for the Unexpected
Good itineraries have breathing room. Your agent knows to build in buffer time, suggest optional alternatives for weather-dependent activities, and flag which elements are most time-sensitive. That planning is what turns a stressful situation into a minor inconvenience.
Ready for a trip that’s been thoughtfully planned, not just booked?
