Sub Sea Systems — Our World is a blog dedicated to the unique experiences of Sub Sea Systems — Immerse yourself in our incredible adventures, company culture, and innovative programs and products.
Sub Sea Systems and Sea TREK engaged social media users with
the 2nd annual “Smile a Day” campaign throughout the month of March.
The campaign aimed to increase awareness about the Sea TREK experience and Sea
TREK destinations around the world, and to earn organic likes and follows. Each
day in March, a Sea TREK photo along with a guest’s testimonial was posted across
Sea TREK’s social media channels.
The photos and testimonials captured the true emotion of the
Sea TREK experience from the guests’ point of view. All of the content was
sourced from real reviews on TripAdvisor, Facebook, blogs and Yelp.
Sea TREK saw an increase in activity across all social media
platforms. TheSea TREK Facebook page received new followers and over 60
reactions and shares; Instagram had over 220 engagements, while Pinterestresulted
in 533 impressions for the newly created Sea TREK Smiles board. Not bad for an
unpaid, organic campaign!
Are you utilizing your positive quotes and reviews on your
pages? What are some of your favorite “awareness” campaigns from social media?Share your favorites below!
Want to see the World, but your bank account will only allow
you to take a quick Uber to a nearby park? We would love to help you reach your
dream destinations! We are introducing a new segment of the Sub Sea Systems
blog, offering you money-saving travel tips and the inside scoop on travel
deals. I’m Terrie Carrozzella, your
“hostess” for this special travel series.
The first article takes a look at savings options via
frequent flyer miles and hotel points programs. Opportunities to fly and stay
in hotels at little or no cost are there for the taking, if you know where
they’re hiding. Here are some ideas on how you can collect these freebies.
Airline or hotel-sponsored
credit cards
The vast majority of airlines and hotels offer credit cards that
give cardholders frequent flyer miles or points for stays. Typically, you can expect
to earn a point or two per dollar charged on these cards. However, it’s the
initial sign-up bonuses that make the big difference! Many credit cards
promoted via airlines and hotels even offer bonuses such as a free round-trip
flight or a free nights stay, if you spend a certain amount in a set period of
time. While initially this may seem like a daunting task, consider making all
of your purchases for that period with the card, no matter how small. Use that
credit card instead of hauling out your checkbook or throwing down your ATM
card.
Here are a few examples of the cards I recently obtained,
and what I did with them:
Current bonus:
spend $1,000 in three months and receive 50,000 miles.
I obtained this card about a year before I wanted to travel.
I easily got to the required purchases by using this card for groceries, gas,
and my morning coffee run. I added in a couple of trips to my local takeout counter and renewed my
pet insurance a few weeks early, so that I could easily fulfill the
requirement. My husband got the same card and paid for our car insurance, his
monthly wine club subscription, and our propane bill. We each earned 50,000
miles each before the third month even arrived, and booked our flight to
Hawaii.We still have miles left over! Savings = $2,600!
With a similar program, we obtained America Express cards
for Hilton points, and after spending the required amount, booked two nights at
the Grand Wailea Resort (Waldorf Estoria). We only had to pay for parking and
the obligatory resort fee. Savings
equate to approximately $950, allowing us to stay at a hotel that would
typically be out of our reach financially.
Of course, the value of these credit cards only exists if
you pay your balance every month. Incurring charges and paying fees defeats the
purpose. You also need to be aware of annual fees that many cards charge. We
typically opt to cancel our cards before we incur any fees. Note: most cards require a waiting
period before you can reapply (but when you do, you get the bonus miles again!)
If you are not comfortable juggling credit cards, or you’re
about to make a major purchase like a home or car and don’t want your credit
rating to go up and down, there are other ways to obtain miles and points.
Give up Googling
There are companies online that offer bonuses for utilizing
their search engines to do your internet sleuthing. For example, mypoints.com
offers points if you download their “search and earn” feature. Additionally,
you can take their surveys or click through ads, and earn points that you can
then trade for airline and hotel gift cards. Want more points? Make online
purchases via the mypoints site rather than going directly to shopping sites
like JC Penney, amazon.com and homedepot.com; click through their links on
mypoints instead.
Take Surveys
If you have a few minutes per week to dedicate to your goal
of free travel, consider taking online marketing surveys. These surveys are not
constructed to annoy you with spam, but are utilized to gather information for
new products, or for bettering existing products. Taking surveys not only gives
you a voice in product development, it will reward you with points, miles, and
other bonuses. Check out e-miles.com, e-rewards, or points.com. Jet Blue has
started its own earning program via True Blue, which combines survey taking
with ad click-throughs, to enable customers to earn and save money toward that
trip of a lifetime!
Discount Gift Cards
A fair amount of savings can be obtained by purchasing
discount gift cards for airlines and hotels. Raise.com, a discount gift card
site, can be used to purchase a variety of gift cards at a reduced price. If
you sign up for their emails, once per week you will receive a list of
additional discounts available for the following weekend. It’s important to
verify your cards when you receive them, and be aware of the rules and
restrictions found on the raise.com site.
These are merely a few ideas on how you can earn miles and
points, and get to the destinations on your bucket list sooner than you might
have imagined.
How do you save money on travel? Share your tips below!
Terrie Carrozzella is the Web Designer & Social Media Manager for Sub Sea Systems. Want to contact Terrie about Sea TREK helmet diving, Clear Lounge underwater oxygen bar, or FunCat electric catamarans? Email her here!
Everybody needs time to relax, and what better
way to do so than on your own watercraft? There are many options available to
enjoy family and friends time on the water. But how does one decide on the best
option? Whether it is a fishing boat, a thrilling PWC (personal watercraft,
such as a Jet Ski), or a leisurely, motorized water vehicle, here are some
things to consider when determining what will work best for you.
Find
Your Perfect Fit
Activity level —The types of activities that you and your family enjoy are first on the list of
considerations. Are you expecting a fast-paced thrill ride, zipping to the
opposite side of the lake in seconds, or do you prefer a peaceful outing?Do you want a workout, or do you want the
watercraft to do the work for you, so you can enjoy sightseeing or fishing?
Comfort and Accessibility —Consider who will share in your
adventure. A large family with boisterous children may be uncomfortable on a
traditional fishing vessel, and Mom and Dad might not love the idea of jetting
across the water at warp speed. Some family members might embrace the sun,
while others might appreciate a cooling shade that offers protection from
damaging rays. Available on-board storage is yet another factor. If you tend to
travel with a lot of “stuff”, you will want to ensure that adequate space is
available.
Transportation and
Storage — Easy access to your
watercraft is another consideration. What size is the dock you will be utilizing?
Will you pull the vehicle out of the water when not in use? How will you get it
out of the water? The location of your dock, the ease with which you can move
the vehicle, and the size of your storage area all play a roll in your
decision-making.
Safety and Reliability — Your selection is going to be an
investment, both in the initial purchase and the upkeep. You want to make sure
that whatever you buy, your new recreational vehicle will have a long lifespan
and require as little maintenance as possible. Durable materials such as polyethylene, marine grade aluminum,
and mold-resistant seat material offer longevity. In electric vehicles, battery
upgrades can offer longer running times and a worry-free ride. Safety on and
around the vehicle is also an important consideration if you plan to swim near
the watercraft. Would you love to give your younger family members a chance to
drive, at a safe, manageable speed? What is the stability rating of the
watercraft? These are all important safety factors that you must consider.
Environmental Concerns — motor and noise pollution are real
concerns facing today’s water recreation lovers. If you will be enjoying
waterways near homes, or are going to spend time on your favorite lake where
people swim or fish, motorized vehicles can often be a detriment to the health
of our precious resources. Noise levels of motorized vehicles not only
contribute to a negative experience for those aboard, but are also frowned upon
by neighbors in close proximity. An electric (& solar charged) option
offers a quiet ride that is environmentally friendly.
The FunCat– a motorized
catamaran for safe, family fun!
Sub SeaSystem’s FunCat is an electric, solar charged catamaran that is designed and
built for comfort, stability, safety and reliability. The watercraft is powered
by electric motors, so there is no paddling, sweating, or manual labor
involved… your only exertion is the push of a button!
A
combination of adults and kids can sit comfortably on its spacious chaise
lounge seat, which reclines in two positions and includes a retractable bimini
shade for UV sun protection. Two watertight storage compartments provide an
accessible and convenient place to keep your towels, water bottles, sunscreen
and snacks for later. They can even be used as an ice chest!
A
lightweight trailer is available for easy transportation of your FunCat to your
favorite lake. And, two large handles on the front of each pontoon make it easy
to pull the FunCat from the water up onto the beach when you’re ready to hop
off.
Easy-to-use
controls allow almost anyone a chance to drive, while the pontoons house
environmentally friendly motors that are safely recessed and tucked away.
The
FunCat’s electric motors offer a quiet, relaxing ride, so that your family can
enjoy a calming trek across the water. New, innovative upgrades include
eco-friendly solar panels that can be retrofitted to any FunCat, utilizing the
cleanest energy source available, the sun! Recreation lovers can also upgrade
to Lithium Ion batteries, which provide a longer battery life, huge performance
gains and extended fun on the water.
Did you know…the cult hit series “Stranger Things,” an
American science fiction-horror series created for Netflix, has encouraged
obsessed artists to create some incredible fan art?! The show’s most popular
character, Eleven (or El for short), is frequently depicted in this new
insurgence of pop culture.
In the series, Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, has
some intense experiences. In season 1, episodes 5 and 6, El is dropped into a
tank of water, donning…you guessed it…a Sea TREK helmet! The art community
responded with some pretty fantastic imagery of El in the helmet. Check out a
few we found!
Image Source - Pinterest
El donning her helmet has proven so popular, even the
company Funko has gotten in on the fun. They’ve created an adorable vinyl
figure reflecting “Eleven Underwater.” Available online, this toy is sure to
appeal to any fan of the series.
Want to create your own fan art, and win an Eleven
Underwater doll?Sea TREK would love to see your artistic interpretation of
Eleven in her helmet. Upload your fan art to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, and add the hash tag
#ElevenUnderwater. We will select one winner to receive a fun and funky El doll.
The winner of this contest will be chosen by Sub Sea Systems on Monday, March 20th,
and notified via direct message.
So, get your pencils, markers and brushes dusted off, and
get creative! We can’t wait to see your interpretations of El in her Sea TREK
helmet!
