:: Four Winds Tours & Travel ::

TESTIMONIALS

Just a few highlights from our schools who traveled in 2010:

In 2010, we embarked on our first Instrumental Music Trip at Kennedy High School. This was my first trip as a music teacher and after hearing of our choral department's experience with Four Winds, I called and from that first moment on Shonda and her staff were absolutely phenomenal. I always felt like I was their top priority and no question was too small to discuss. The entire time I was kept informed of our planning which turned into a wonderful trip that my students loved. From the moment we stepped on the bus our trip went off without a hitch. Even when I called to ask a question on a Saturday within two rings I was connected with Four Winds. Four Winds Tours and Travel are an exceptional travel agency and I look forward to our relationship on as many trips as possible!!

- Walter Avellaneda Jr,Director of Bands,John F. Kennedy HS, Bellmore, NY

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for providing a remarkable experience for the Wantagh High School Band on our tour of Madrid and Segovia, Spain. The day tours of Toledo, Madrid and Segovia were breathtaking. Each and every meal was excellent, and we appreciated the choice of Spanish and American foods in the hotels and restaurants. The hotel Ayre Colon was magnificent, luxurious, and modern, as well as impeccably clean. Our tour guides were wonderfully warm, compassionate, interesting, friendly people, and experts on the history of the land and the people. The Wantagh students cheered for them on the last day of the trip, and gave handshakes and hugs.

The most spiritual moments of the trip came with the Segovia and Madrid concerts. The concert halls, the concert managers, and the execution of the programs were professional in every way. The huge audiences jumped to their feet with rounds of applause—lasting for minutes on end.

This Wantagh Band trip to Spain was significantly one of the most memorable of my career!! Thanks to Gaurav Namit for providing excellent guidance and assistance in Europe, and to your wonderful office staff for their attention to almost every detail. Four Winds Tours and Travel is the only agency to use for world class music trips.

The Wantagh High School Wind Ensemble is enthusiastically awaiting the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall next March. Our memories from last year’s concert are still alive in the spirit of the ensemble. The execution of the concert by Four Winds Tours and Travel was smooth, comfortable and timely. The staff was fully prepared to facilitate the groups from warm-up area and changing rooms, to the stage area and concert hall. Once again, your top-shelf is a joy to work with.

- Mindy Dragovich, Wantagh High School, Wantagh, NY

I do hope we can do business in the future and I will highly recommend your company.

- Rob Blendinger, Hinsdale Central School, Hinsdale, NY

Just a few highlights from our schools who traveled in 2009:

The Trip was a huge success- everything ran smoothly. The accommodations were great and everyone loved all of the activities. You all did an outstanding job. Thank you again for another great trip! - Delia Montenegro, Briarcliff Manor High School, Briarcliff, NY

The seniors that went on the Boston had such a great trip. The timing of the bus was perfect. Kevin was a personable and safe driver. We left the school on time and made it to the first Boston drop off on schedule. The ride was quick that to the availability of a DVD player on the bus. Wandering around Quincy market was just what they wanted. Did you also arrange for the perfect weather? The dinner cruise was far better than I expected. The Spirit of Boston was a beautiful ship and the meal was to die for. Sometimes high school students are hard to please when it comes to food. Everyone cleaned their plates and was satisfied. The DJ was fine and the singing waiters were a treat. Our waiter went to each table and had the students sing along if the knew the words, and they did. It was wonderful to stay on the ducks and watch the city light up as the sun went down. Promptly at 10 we were picked up to return to the hotel. The lodging was another positive experience. The students were impressed with the rooms. They were clean, spacious and comfortable. The chaperones felt the same way. The second day we were dropped off at the "Pru" & Copley Square for some more walking & shopping. By the time we left, the students and chaperones were exhausted and happy. Thank you for all the efforts of the Four Winds Staff. We were all highly satisfied with the trip and would highly recommend you to other class advisers. You made the whole trip so easy for us.
- Martha Thomson & Kathy VanOrman, Mt. Everett Regional School, Sheffield, MA

Thank you for the wonderful job coordinating and planning our trip to Music in the Parks on May 2nd, 2009. All of our staff was very appreciative and had an amazing time at the festival.
- Josephine Rosado, Finley Middle School, Huntington, NY

I just wanted to send this email to thank you all for ALL the hard work that your company did for us! Our students had a wonderful time in Orlando for Grad Bash and the service we received was EXCELLENT! To Laura, Cathy and the entire staff of Four Winds Tours & Travel, Spingarn sends a Big Thank You! We look forward to working with you next year!
- LaTasha Solomon, Spingarn Senior High School, Washington, DC

Just a few highlights from our schools who travelled in 2008:

Thank you for a great experience. The bus drivers were wonderful and the students really had a great time (So did I). A big thank you to all of you who helped me.
- Angelina Petraglia, MS 582 Brooklyn, NY

Tanya, Laura, and Cathy, Thank you for a job well done. The trip went beautifully. The timing worked well and all the sites were terrific to deal with. We appreciate your customer service and flexibilty.
Thanks for all your hard work,
- Dante Napolitano, Missisquoi Valley Union High School, Swanton, VT

I just wanted to let you know that the senior trip went very well. Many of them said it was awesome, best trip ever! The kids had a terrific time. The weather was perfect and the kids behaved beautifully. I forgot to mention how great the bus drivers were: Jose & Ben. They were very accommodating and helpful. Thanks to all your staff who put it together. It was a memorable time for the seniors.
- Maria Bourassa, Groton Dunstable Regional High School, Groton, MA

To all the wonderful ladies at 4 Winds Travel, I just wanted to extend thanks to all of you from all of us at Southampton jazz and strings! Canada was a huge success and fun for all!
- Danielle Schulman, Southampton high School, Southampton, NY

Dear Four Winds Tours and Travel Staff, (Especially Amina, Shonda, and Veena)
I wanted to personally say "thank you" for such a great trip! Amina has been a godsend to me and the class of 2008 @ Hunter- Tannersville. She was so encouraging and wonderful every time I called to change a detail with the trip. Also, I can't thank you enough for putting so much time into our trip. The itinerary was detailed and the contact information was very helpful. You all are worth your weight in gold!

I hope that in the future I can work with you all again. I have spoken with next year's advisor and I told her how truly amazing you all are - you rock the house!

Thanks again for a great trip!
- Kelly Schermerhorn, Hunter-Tannersville High School Tannersville, NY

Hello Everyone at Four Winds, Thank you for planning such a great trip. Our itinerary ran perfectly. The students had a great time in Orlando. We came in first place in the competition.
- Derrick James, New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, NY

Dear Veena, I want to take this opportunity to thank you and your team at Four Winds Tours and Travel for an excellent and smoothly run Senior Class Trip! I especially want to extend my gratitude to Shonda. She was extremely cooperative and handled every last detail with speed and precision. She was truly a "life saver" and helped accommodate the students as well as the chaperones. I would wholeheartedly recommend Shonda and your company to all the upcoming class advisors!"
- Sonja Ferreira, Fallsburg High School, Fallsburg, NY

The seventh grade trip to Philadelphia was a wonderful experience for all of our students. While at the Franklin Institute, the students were able to tour the museum and visit those sites that interested them the most, sites that provided them with opportunities for hands-on learning. At the Constitution Center, students viewed the dramatic presentation of "Freedom Rising", which chronicled our move toward independence and the creation of our form of government under the United States Constitution. The final stops for the students were a walk down the street to view The Liberty Bell, a world-wide symbol of freedom, a tour of Congress Hall, and a dinner at the Philadelphia Hard Rock Cafe. All in all, it was an amazing experience for the entire seventh grade.

Thank you so much for helping us to plan and implement our class trip. Your attention to detail and your willingness to make adjustments to the itinerary to accommodate our needs made this trip particularly successful. Please accept my sincere appreciation for all your efforts."
Respectfully yours,
- Thomas Kemnitzer, West Hempstead Middle School, West Hempstead, NY
Seventh Grade Team Leader & Social Studies Teacher

More Highlights from Schools:

Four winds Tours and Travel has provided the Wantagh High School Band with superb performance opportunities in exotic, safe, and historic places. The students have grown as individuals and as an ensemble through our tours. Parents, administrators, teachers, and students comment that the trips are well-organized and affordable. The office staff are amazing people, professional, organized, and totally committed to their clients. We will never travel without the assistance of Four Winds, cherishing our 13 years of friendly business.

- Mindy Dragovich, Wantagh High School, Wantagh, NY

I can not thank you enough for the professional, yet personal, touch that you have put on our choral trips these past 12 years. I still remember how it all started...

Over a decade ago, I was running around, as usual, like a “chicken without a head”, trying to put the finishing touches on my trip, making every phone call myself, cutting checks, all the crazy things that took me away from actually teaching my choir. Suddenly, all my plans hit an unexpected problem because I had accidently put the wrong month on a restaurant group reservation form.

While I was on hold with the restaurant manager, begging him to let us come in that weekend anyway, the school's band director came walking into my office- “Well, I just got back from my meeting with Veena; she gave me my plane tickets and the latest copy of my itinerary, everything's all ready, what a smooth process... who are you on the phone with?”

It was at that moment that I decided to use Four Winds the following year. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! One of the things I love about your trips is that you are always a phone call away, throughout the entire weekend. Whenever the unexpected pops up, one call to you and your staff, at any time of the day or night, and I can be sure that it is being resolved. You go above and beyond the call and take care of my every concern and every detail, leaving me to be the director, not the tour agent.

Four Winds has one of the most personable, professional, friendly staffs that I have ever had the good pleasure to be associated with. You make every one of your clients feel like they are the most important thing in the world, like they are part of the Four Winds Family, and that means so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

- Sanford Sardo, Director of Choral Activities, Calhoun High School, Merrick, NY

My bands and color guards have traveled with Four Winds Tours and Travel for the past ten years. Each trip has been extremely organized, educational and entertaining. The accommodations and reservations are always top-rate, giving the students positive experiences and life-time memories. The owner and staff of Four Winds are very personable and go out of their way to make your trip successful. They have my complete recommendation!
- Dan Jones, Johnstown High School, Johnstown, NY

On behalf of Class of 2007 of the Chester Academy, I would like to thank you for all the arrangements and re-arrangements that you made with such swiftness. The rain ever made a difference and our small group broadcast – what a fabulous time they had! Thanks!
– Leslie Migliorato & Patti Fassetta; Senior Class Advisor, Chester, PA

It was great working with you! THANK YOU SO MUCH for everything! The trip was GREAT! We all absolutely loved the bus and the driver (Willie). We want him always : )
- Mrs. Crawford; Middle School Senior Class Advisor, Westbury, NY

Dearest Veena, Shonda, Tanya, and ALL of the wonderful staff at Four Winds Tour and Travel,

After 8 years of having your company put together my choir trips, and of having you, Veena, as a friend, I realized that I have never done what we teachers are trained to do when we want to bring someone a little joy: call a parent for no other reason than to tell her how much you enjoy her child in class. Well, this letter is for no other reason but to tell you just how great you are and have been.

I don’t know if I ever told you this, but a year or 2 after I started using you to plan my trips, a close family friend expanded his business to include the planning of school music organization trips. He is more like an uncle than a friend and although I love him like a family member, I had already built so much trust in you and your employees that I could not imagine switching. You were and are so good to me that to this day, he asks me at least once a year to switch and I always have the same response! “I could never do that to Veena. She takes such good care of me!”

You are always on top of things, practically nothing slips through your fingers, , you think of just about everything there is to think about so that I can just be on auto pilot and listen to you, and you go out of your way to right the rare wrong that may happen on a trip that isn’t even your fault! Your experience in the field makes me trust that you are basing your decisions on past trials and successes and that you are a pro! Your constant efforts to make sure that even with work, and life’s hustle bustle and hardships, that we take the time out to connect as friends, whether it’s a quick phone conversation here or a lunch, is downright refreshingly human. And your staff is like a staff of angels! I feel like they must pass a “friendliness test” to get hired and then have to go to “be-even-nicer-refining-school” as training before they start their work!!!

I have really just never encountered a company where everyone is so organized, competent, willing to bend over backwards for customers, and genuinely happy! Even on tough days! Trader Joes comes to mind but even they don’t come close to comparing with you guys! J

I guess I just wanted to express my sincere gratitude for your years of outstanding, above and beyond service and tell you that the efforts you make to stand out from the rest definitely work! I look forward to having another successful year together!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Jeanette Pincus, Bellmore JFK HS Choral Director

I recently had to cancel a field trip one day prior to the trip as a result of a bus company not having properly certified drivers. The students, parents and teachers were very disappointed. On Monday I quickly made a call to a tour company with which I worked closely when I was at Sayville Middle School – Four Winds Tours in Jericho.

I explained to Four Winds my dilemma and that I wanted to reschedule the trip using an approved bus company. They called me back in half an hour and with one hour the trip was rescheduled.

In my six years working with them at Sayville, I must say that they are the most reputable company out there.
- John Amato, Principal of Finley Middle School, Huntington, NY

WE THANK YOU FOR YOU ASSISTANCE WITH OUR FIRST OVERNIGHT TRIP. THE TRIP WAS A SUCCESS! THE BUSES AND DRIVERS WERE EXCELLENT, THE EVENTS WERE WELL ORGANIZED, AND THE FOOD WAS GREAT. THE DIRECTORS, STUDENT MUSICIANS, AND CHAPERONES HAD A REWARDING AND PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE. ON BEHALF OF THE BRIARCLIFF BAND AND CHORUS, WE THANK YOU.
- Delia Montenegro & John Banks, Briarcliff Manor High School, Briarcliff, NY

Our experience with Four Winds was so positive that we have decided to continue with them for our future trips. Veena, Shonda and Tanya go the extra mile to help create the perfect itinerary, accommodate last minute changes, and make themselves available throughout the trip. I especially enjoyed getting a phone call upon our arrival to New York. It was Four Winds just calling to make sure everything was going allright! The kids had a great time, and the chaperones and myself loved how organized the trip was. Every detail was taken care of - Thank you Four Winds!

- Mary Clementi, Edison High School, VA

As an advisor working to arrange a senior trip. I have found Four Winds to be exceptionally knowledgeable, friendly and easy to work with. Every question and concern has been answered in a timely and efficient manner. I would highly recommend this company to any school group and would not hesitate to use them again.

- Linda Cole, Fort Plain HS, NY

Camp Highlights:

Four Winds Tours has planned trips for the town of Hempstead for many years. Anchor is a recreation program servicing children and adults with special needs.

We have traveled with Four Winds to Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lake George, Lancaster/ Amish Country, Six Flags Amusement Park, and many other great destinations.

The friendly staff at Four Winds work hard to find appropriate and exciting trips for our Young Adults with accessible accommodations for our participants with physical challenges.Since our population requires "tailor-made" trips, the staff at Four Winds graciously adjusts times schedules and offers many options to suit the needs and interests of our groups.

It is a pleasure working with this pleasant and competent group of people at Four Winds."

Sincerely,
Joe Lentini, Coordinator of Anchor, Camp Anchor, NY

Camp Starlight has traveled with Four Winds Tours & Travel for the past 11 years. From transporting our campers to and from camp safely to organizing overnight trips, Four Winds has always proved to be a reliable, dependable and professional company to work with. With such a busy summer schedule, it's nice to know that we can rely on a company such as Four Winds to take care of our travel needs without hesitation. I would highly recommend Four Winds Tours and Travel to any organization.

David Miller,Owner/ Director, Camp Starlight, PA

Dear Veena,

While I had a few extra moments, I just wanted to send you a quick note thanking you for the terrific service your company, Four Winds Tours and Travel, has provided West Hills Day Camp for the last several years.

Each trip you have planned for our teen and pre - teen groups has been exciting, age appropriate, and most of all, lots of fun. Our young travellers and their parents are in agreement that the West Hills trip are the best anywhere!

As a director who tends to worry about his campers when they are travelling off camp grounds, it really gives me peace of mind to know that Four Winds is monitoring each trip around the clock to make sure that everything is going well and to take care of any unexpected situations.

By the way, Alan, our Teen Tours coordinator and Demetri and Steve, our Junior Travel coordinators, also send their best. They tell me you have made their jobs a good deal less difficult and a whole lot more enjoyable.

Once again, Veena, thanks for everything. I have no doubt that the future editions of travel calendars will be every bit as successful as the ones before it.

Sincerely,

Michael Moore

Executive Director, West Hills Day Camp, NY