ALEX & TED - Cruise Connection

Hi Everyone,

My name is Alex Kuncio and my husband is Ted Rodriguez.  I also answer to A Rod and he will also answer to Mr. Kuncio.  I have been Diana’s and Roger’s travel agent for over 10 years…..and SURVIVED!!  I was interviewed by Diana and Roger many moons ago and after undergoing a forensic inspection of my abilities….I was initiated into the group.  Life as I knew it was no longer…..emails from Diana at 2am…”I just had a couple of questions concerning……. 2 pages later……  You all know what I’m talking about.  Diana is the most thorough and detailed person ALIVE!!!  And that is only 1% of what I love about her.  Diana and Roger both are generous, warm and giving to a fault.  The rest of the group moves along those same lines…caring and kind with threads of a sick sense of humor….I won’t mention any names.  This makes for a uniquely special group dynamic that just WORKS.  Not sure why…but it works……………. 

Ted and I had the honor of being in Cancun at the last renewal in 2010.  What a beautiful event and location.  A trip to remember to be sure but more than a great destination, it’s about the people who attended that made it an unforgettable experience.  My favorite part of being with the group is the nonstop laughter that surrounds us whenever we congregate.  It starts with our first get together and doesn’t stop until our final disembarkation.  What makes cruising so perfect for this group is how it allows each and everyone of us to fill our days as we wish….no pressure to join activities that others find enjoyable but we don't….it’s the freedom to do what we want.  That could be a hot stone massage; a game of Bingo, a cooking demo, taking a dancing lesson, joining a wine tasting or just ordering room service to your stateroom to relax.

Ted & I have cruised more times than we care to admit to (least you figure out our age!) and enjoyed exotic destinations experiences such as dancing in the ballroom of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg; riding a camel at the Pyramids in Egypt;  hearing the call to prayer while walking the streets of Istanbul, Turkey;  shopping for end of season jewelry bargains on the island of Mykonos, Greece;  skinny dipping in the Red Sea under  a full moon….oh, sorry, wrong story,  this was exotic destinations not erotic….guess that leaves Rio de Janeiro out too!  Anyway, you get the picture…..Spending your days doing whatever your heart desires, spending your evenings with friends and sharing your stories of adventures.  All this without the hassle of having to pack and unpack at a different hotel every couple of days.  Doesn’t get any better than that!  This is what I most enjoy about being a travel agent….fulfilling people’s dreams.   Ted and my perfect dream experience would be waking up in the morning and stepping out onto our balcony to feel the warm ocean breeze on our face, having that perfect cup of coffee with a delicious croissant while being able to smell the ocean.  Next I would go to a Zumba class and Ted would RUN to catch that SPIN class before we meet and try to decide where to eat lunch….the pizzeria (always my favorite) or the British Pub!  After all this hard work…I need a massage which does not appeal to Ted so he would attend a lecture on “How to boil water without burning yourself”.  I enjoy dressing up so allowing myself the luxury of a leisurely pace to get ready to meet the group for our favorite cocktails….I like my Vodka Martini with olives and Ted stays true to wine…whatever color.  Now the hard part….what to order for dinner?  That is typically the biggest challenge of the day.  Escargot to start is always good, with a Caesar Salad, maybe some soup de jour and being carnivores….we like our meat!  Dessert is a must for Ted and if it’s not chocolate….it’s not dessert or worthy of being called dessert in”The World According to Ted”.  I can easily skip dessert and have another steak:-)  We have been to Hawaii many times but have never cruised there before.  Ted has always wanted to sail there on his own sailboat so hopefully I’m off the hook with this cruise!  Ted’s favorite island is the big island of Hawaii where he worked as a camp counselor in his late teens.  Picking a favorite for me is difficult…I have wonderful memories from each and every island, Diamond Head in Honolulu is stunning, the charming whaling village of Lahaina on Maui is where we bought a piece of artwork that still hangs in our dining room, and the beautiful lush landscape of Kauai is unforgettable.  The people are kind and warm and the water is so blue…..I love it!  Leaving Hawaii is always difficult but being able to slowly acclimate back into LA life is much easier on a cruise rather than having to hassle with the airlines.  I can also bring back some extra goodies since I won’t be flying….oh boy!!!!  I wonder if they have any whale bones there to match the one we got in Mexico!  I won’t have to limit myself to size….this is always dangerous!  Well, I feel as if I’ve taken a stroll down memory lane and now want to jump onto a ship…no matter where it’s going…there’s always an adventure to be had.

We’re looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

Warmest regards,

Alex & Ted

Innovative Travel Planner