excursions travel club

Review Highlights

“ There we met the presenter who said he had done this job for twenty-two years. ” in 2 reviews

“ We were waiting for the switch to be flipped and get a high pressure sales meeting. ” in 4 reviews

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2900 Green Mountain Dr

Branson, MO 65616

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My wife and I got the 5-Day / 4-Night Branson deal with show tickets and attended the presentation. Pretty slick but websites were already open and wouldn't show anything not already pulled up. Starting price was just under $20k, quickly offered the $6900 option followed by the $3300 deal. We said no and weren't overly pressured like others said they were. Well after being home for a week, I get the text to call and activate my $100 hotel savings card. Then came the survey questions on how well they did and low and behold, the Platinum package ($6,500 price) is waived for us if we pay the $69 quarterly fee up front for 2 years. So, for $520 we get what we would have paid $6900 at the presentation and a $99 quarterly fee. After finding this site and reading real stories of those who bought their service, I'm glad to said thanks, but no thanks!!

Total SCAM - we bought into this because we travel a lot anyway. We were told that we could match or do better than other sources for Airlines, Cruises, Hotel, Rental Cars, and Condos. The problem is we attempted more than once to book airfare by calling the customer service number and the tickets prices are higher than the airline websites. The Condos and Hotels are never available and we have not even seen rental cars. We have NEVER used our high cost Travel program for 2 years now and are tempted to stop paying the monthly fees. The problem is we paid so much up front - either way we end up throwing away money!!!

Join me in getting these people exposed! I've alerted the media and they are interested in doing an expose'. My e-mail is [email protected]. STAY AWAY!!! this is a scam! I bought a membership after the charismatic salesman gave a flashy presentation and what you see is NOT what you get. Customer service sucks and once you sign that contract they own you! prices are no cheaper than what you get on air BNB. I hope this review saves at least one person from falling victim to this circus sideshow. American Greed should do a show on this place.

My husband and I answered minimal questions, kept saying no to each person who pushed harder and harder. Don't give in. After the fourth person that spoke to us we firmly said we were not interested. She threw her pen down, got angry but we got our free shows and cash! We happily walked away,

Not what it seems. Most places are tired, sad condos. Not worth it! Don't get sucked in!

Well that turned out to be the most expensive show tickets! Got roped into a presentation of the travel club. Went to the presentation. Very friendly people. Sucker into a 12,000 travel club that sounded too good to be true and it was. After reading reviews we went back to cancel our membership and we're pressured into a 2 year $1600 trial which we regret. Seems that most of the condos that are advertised for great deals are tired old timeshares that are not very appealing. The car rental is a joke. You can find cheaper rates yourself and hotels are no deal either. Don't fall for it! It's definitely not worth it.

Would give 0, how rude, worst than time share sales. Talk about high pressure, they basically tell you that you are stupid if you don't buy!

My wife and I went to a required presentation on October 17, 2023 as we had already received discounted tickets to a show. We had no plans to buy anything but just sit through the sales pitches. Which we did. However, I would like to enlighten people as to what happened. 1.) When we entered the building we were quickly met by a salesperson who got me a cup of coffee. He knew we were hostile to buying but that didn't surprise him. Everybody is. 2,) We were taken into the main presentation room. There we met the presenter who said he had done this job for twenty-two years. He gave a poliished pitch with excellent slides, videos, and examples beginning with the statement that he was not selling timeshares. In fact they help people out of them. 3.) Next we were sent into separate offices (car salemen anyone!) 4.) The original salesman offered us discounts from the $19,995 price. We were as likely to purchase colon exams as his product. We said no. 4.)He left and another woman came in. She asked if we had been to such a presentation before. We had and said so. Then she signed the release and we left to take it to the half price ticket store. GAME OVER!

Cant afford their deal of 19k plus, just keep telling them no, they will keep dropping the price just to make a deal; then tell you not to tell others. Not customer friendly at all. If you go to Branson, MO, stay away from these people. The shows are fantastic but not at what they charge. We got scammed bad.

Love working with these guys, I don't have much time to plan on my own so this helped me greatly.

It's a ripoff. Don't let them sucker you into "great savings" they show on a saved (not live) website only to find out you can use an AARP discount or sometimes just book online for the same savings.

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Sights of Elektrostal: the history of the city, what to see, photos and reviews

Table of contents:, history of the city, attractions, engineering plant, church of the righteous john of kronstadt, city recreation and culture park, cinema gallery, avangard paintball club.

2024 Author : Harold Hamphrey | [email protected] . Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Elektrostal is a fairly large industrial city, which is located near the Vokhonka River and almost 40-50 km from the eastern part of Moscow. There are a lot of powerful factories here, where many residents of Elektrostal work. They are perfectly combined with the most beautiful green boulevards, streets and parks, bright lawns and flower beds that adorn almost the entire town. It is picturesque due to amazing reservoirs and forests. It is worth learning more about the main attractions of Elektrostal, photos of which are in the article.

The city was founded in 1916 thanks to the construction of a metallurgical plant. Previously, this place was the natural boundary of Calm. To start construction, the labor of local peasants was used. In the middle of 1925 herebuilt the first railway line that connected Elektrostal with Moscow. After the onset of 1938, the village turned into a separate city.

It is noteworthy that during the Great Patriotic War, the Electrostal plants produced ammunition that was needed for victory. In particular, it is worth noting the production of the legendary Katyushas.

A new stage for the factories of the city began after the invention of atomic weapons. The local plant was on the list of the main production facilities of the nuclear industry. This led to the fact that in 1954 the production of fuel was launched, which was used for the operation of nuclear power plants.

In 1963, the cultural center "October" was built, and this was done by the masters of the Novo-Kramatorsky plant, named after Stalin. It featured a spacious auditorium that could seat more than 850 people, as well as a unique revolving stage for actors to change scenery in seconds.

At different times, eminent creative groups performed in this cultural center, as well as the Beryozka ensemble, famous at that time. It is noteworthy that even in our time the cultural center is actively functioning, and the square in front of it is considered the most beautiful place in Elektrostal with fountains operating in the summer. In mid-2013, it received the status of a city of labor and military glory.

There are many numerous monuments in the city that tell about the history of this amazing place: a monument to Nikolai Vtorov -the founder of the famous plant "Elektrostal" near the House of Culture, a monument to Tevosyan - the chief engineer, monuments to M. Gorky and K. Marx, a sculpture "Steelworker", a monument to Korneev - Hero of the Soviet Union, as well as a memorial and a monument to soldiers who died in Afghanistan and on North Caucasus.

This is a fairly large and old factory in the city that specializes in the production of fuel for local gas stations. The plant is part of the structure of the company FC "TVEL" of the state corporation "Rosatom". The General Director of the enterprise is O. L. Sedelnikov.

This plant produces nuclear fuel, which is used by many nuclear power plants, transport power plants and research reactors, not only in Russia, but also in other European countries. The company has quality certificates OHSAS 18001, ISO 14001, ISO 9001.

The museum of the plant presents its history, shows old photographs of the streets of the city, there are achievements of workers, as well as photos of significant people, there are many of the most interesting models produced at the machine-building plant. It also stores presentations showing the principles of the enterprise.

This temple - a landmark of Elektrostal - is a single-dome centric church, which is made in the style of Byzantine times. It was erected in the 20th century, in the immediate vicinity of St. Andrew's Church. The temple was designed by T. V. Trubnikov and V. A. Drozdov, according to the developments of which the iconostasis and interior were exactly designed.

The church plays the role of a baptismal church and belongs to the Moscow diocese. The main shrines of the church are the most ancient and valuable icons of Nikandor Gorodnoyezersky and the Great Martyr Panteleimon. In addition, particles of the relics of saints are kept here. Divine services are held in the temple only during religious holidays.

The local park - a landmark of Elektrostal is an ideal place where everyone can stay alone with nature, ride numerous attractions, and also spend time playing slot machines. The park is especially popular in the summer - it is full of families, youth companies and couples in love.

Especially for the summer in 2013, the park was re-planned, which made it possible to accommodate more modern entertainment and interesting playgrounds for young visitors. Swimmers will love the dragon and swans, and trampolines have been installed for more active children.

It is noteworthy that the prices in the local park are quite affordable: the cost of a ticket for various attractions ranges from 30-100 rubles. Today it is called "Wonder Park", and it is divided into a quieter "Quiet Alley" and "Entertainment Alley", where there is an inexpensive cafe, a summer stage, and also quite a lot ofattractions.

This cinema is very popular, so it can be called a landmark of Elektrostal. It is located in the shopping center "Elgrad" and consists of 5 spacious halls that can accommodate more than 800 people. To show 2D and 3D films, only modern equipment is used: Dolby Digital Surround EX and MasterImage acoustics, as well as huge screens with a special coating. In all cinema halls, very comfortable conditions for visitors were created: climate control and soft chairs.

In the foyer of the Cinema Gallery there is a play area, a fairly spacious cafe, fast food establishments (Suneki, Tashir-pizza, Rostiks, Kebab-tun, etc.) and popcorn- bar. This is an attractive local leisure center, where the residents of Elektrostal are shown all the latest cinema.

This is a whole complex where you can spend your free time pleasantly and profitably. In addition to the playgrounds, which are fully equipped for playing laser tag and paintball, guests are invited to visit a local cafe where delicious home-cooked dishes are prepared, a banquet menu, karaoke, as well as a relaxing sauna with a warm font.

What do tourists who have visited the city say? It is not tourist, but industrial. Attractions are quite specific, but overall interesting. Tourists were pleased with low prices.

Looking at the photo of the sights of the city of Elektrostal, you may want to go there and spendunforgettable weekend.

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These Private Travel Clubs Are Exclusive — and Affordable

If unrivaled access and seamless planning sound like your style, perhaps it’s time to sign up for a private travel group.

Andria Gutierrez is a marketing executive in Lake Tahoe, California, who loves to travel — but doesn't love the time suck of researching vacations. "When I was younger, I planned all my own trips," she says. "But now that I own a business, I just don't have the spare hours anymore."

That's why she recently joined Allcall , which offers personalized itineraries and exclusive deals to members. She's already taken three Allcall trips, including a multi-state ski trip and a vacation in Baja California, Mexico. "The team is incredibly helpful and responsive," Gutierrez says. "They make the planning process so efficient."

While some established outfits like Exclusive Resorts and Wheels Up have catered to the ultra-wealthy for years, a number of new clubs are opening their doors. One reason is, of course, a new obsession with safety.

"Health has become the paramount concern of our members," says Melissa Biggs Bradley, founder of Indagare , which plans and books trips for its members. "We have a ton of information on COVID protocols, and the team takes care of understanding those, even as they change all the time."

There are other factors at play. "I'd traveled independently for decades," says Suzy Kellems Dominik, an artist from New York City. But hearing about an opportunity to visit Modena, Italy, with acclaimed chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana was enough to convince her to join Prior , a company that started in 2019.

"What's so interesting is that they have this access," Kellems Dominik says. "It's intellectual and emotional travel — the imagination is just endless — and they curated a group of very interesting people who were all like-minded around food."

That ability to open doors is also drawing travelers who don't normally think of themselves as joiners. Around half of all millennials are now considering signing up for some form of travel club, according to one industry survey, outpacing the interest from Gen Xers and baby boomers. Even Exclusive Resorts, which charges an extra hefty fee per day for trips on top of the cost of membership, has seen a surge of interest from young families. In 2020, the company notched its best December in nine years, despite the pandemic.

So which of these clubs is right for you? It all depends on what you're looking for — and how much you're ready to invest.

For Upscale Private Stays

Exclusive Resorts has a portfolio of over 400 vacation homes, plus members-only cruises and expeditions. Inspirato has the keys to villas in over 180 locations; members can also jump aboard cruises arranged by the company. A more affordable choice is Koala , which allows travelers to book one-off stays in timeshares all over the globe.

For a Like-Minded Community

El Camino began as a small-group-trip operator focused on helping women to travel to new places, but has since unveiled El Camino Travel Clubhouse, a platform that allows members to participate in virtual events and chats about upcoming trips. Manifest , which debuted in August 2020, has chapters in cities across the United States. "We create a social aspect, with people getting to know each other outside of just traveling together," founder Jeff Potter says.

For Feel-good Trips

The upstart wellness website and app MyLifeWell went live in 2020 with virtual fitness classes and a selection of workout gear. Now it connects subscribers with travel advisors who specialize in booking wellness retreats at Canyon Ranch properties, among others.

For the Commitment-phobic

The high cost of clubs has historically been a barrier to signing up. But in the spring of 2020, Prior lowered its price tag in an effort to draw together a more diverse group of adventurers. "I don't want a club in the sense of shutting people out," founder David Prior says. Travel + Leisure Co. launched its own affordable subscription club, promising preferential rates and insider experiences around the world.

A version of this story first appeared in the June 2020 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline Join the Club.

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Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

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The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

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Beer Club Tolsty Medved

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BEER CLUB TOLSTY MEDVED, Elektrostal - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

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A ghost pianist and color-changing cocktails: Inside Princess Cruises' hidden magic club

The pianist at a lounge on Princess Cruises’ new ship played the theme song from “Titanic” while guests sipped their cocktails.

It may seem like dark humor, but the musician is a ghost, after all. As the story goes, Isabella lives inside the space entertaining guests (she even takes requests).

In actuality, the instrument – which appeared to play itself – is part of Spellbound by Magic Castle, a new venue on the Sun Princess that combines dinner, drinks and magic. The speakeasy-like space was created in partnership with the Magic Castle , a legendary private club in Los Angeles.

Denise Saviss, the cruise line’s vice president for entertainment experience, said during a recent sailing that the Magic Castle has been a “well-protected secret.”

“As a members-only club, you can only attend by invitation, but they are keen to expand, and a partnership with us was a really great way to do that where we have a ton of international guests who may not ever get over to Hollywood and therefore it's not in reach,” Saviss said. 

USA TODAY got a preview of Spellbound during a cruise ahead of its opening next month. Here’s what guests can expect.

What is Spellbound like?

Guests will start the evening with dinner in the Horizons Dining Room, choosing from a menu not found elsewhere on board (our preview did not include the dinner portion). They will then be escorted through an inconspicuous black door off the ship’s Piazza into Spellbound’s small foyer. There, a voice on a speaker tells the story of the Larsen family, who opened the Magic Castle in 1963, for a few minutes.

We were prompted to say the magic words (“Open sesame”), and the fireplace in front of us moved aside to reveal a music room and the Parlor Bar, lined with art and artifacts curated with help from the Magic Castle. A pair of handcuffs used by famed escape artist Harry Houdini even hung on one wall.

Isabella and her companion, a white bird named The Professor, can be seen in a portrait in the music room. She is the cousin of another ghost, Irma, who lives at the Magic Castle in California.

“Irma never loved to travel, but Isabella did,” said Kerry Lovegrove, Princess’ director of entertainment experience. “She traveled probably one too many times across the Atlantic, and then all of a sudden she was lost at sea. So she suddenly found the Sun Princess being built in Monfalcone and thought she’d attach herself onto that ship.”

Isabella disappears from view when she’s ready to play. The Professor, meanwhile, moves over to a nearby birdcage to enjoy the music (I saw him swaying to “My Heart Will Go On” at one point).

Behind the bar, a library holds its own not-so-hidden treasures. I picked up a gold rotary phone and heard someone ask “How can I help?” before changing their mind and hanging up. Guests might also see books float and fall, according to Lovegrove.

Even the drinks appear enchanted. One cocktail I ordered, The Magician, featured butterfly pea tequila that turned from blue to purple as the server poured it into the glass (also containing mezcal, lime, grapefruit, serrano peppers and agave).

Spellbound hosts magic in the bar as well as its 30-seat theater. Before theater seating opened, Mark Gibson kept us glued to his card deck, at one point finding the card a fellow guest chose by cutting the deck with the assistance of a tiny plunger. Woody Aragon also used cards in the theater, including asking an audience member to call someone who wasn’t in the room to pick one. (Spoiler: he named their chosen card correctly.)

The Parlor Bar magician will stay on the ship for a couple of months at a time, and the magician performing in the theater will change every cruise or two, but all are vetted by the Magic Castle team.

When will Spellbound by Magic Castle open?

Spellbound will open April 8 and is now available to book. Guests must be at least 13 to enter and just like at the venue’s Hollywood namesake, there is a mandatory dress code (my invitation called for cocktail attire).

The cruise line also will host its second Magic Castle Conjurer’s Cruise themed sailing on Sun Princess in November.

How much does Spellbound cost?

The experience costs $149 per person, including dinner, entertainment and unlimited drinks. 

Spellbound will offer three theater shows a night and can accommodate a total of 90 guests (30 each night). Once they’re in the space, they can stay as long as they like (until it closes for the night). There are dinner seatings at 5, 7 and 9 p.m., and Spellbound is expected to close around midnight, though there is no hard closing time.

Best times to go on a cruise: We broke it down by region

Lovegrove said the venue serves as a new home base for magic, which already proved popular with Princess guests in other spaces on its ships. “If you love magicians, this is the spot for you.”

The reporter on this story received access to this sailing from Princess Cruises. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.  

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].