looking for companies that have these kinds of shops in Va.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2011 04:07PM by kwoodley.

Good luck!

How do you take a cruise in Virginia ?

I'm looking for a facial, a bowling shop, a nap, a high end restaurant, a week in Aspen, the perfect bar of chocolate, successful completion of my day's tasks, a warm hug, another nap, a cruise in Oklahoma, and the real reason I have curly hair.

You must have eaten lots of carrots. My Mom always told me I would not have curly hair unless I ate my carrots. I complied and it is still board straight . . .

Jacob. Keeping this Board straight is the reason for your curly hair....

But we definitely send you warm hugs!!

This is something I would post.

Translation of all of the above: "I might know who does those in VA if I lived in VA, but if I was doing the shops myself it would not be in my interests to share who did them as I would be giving away my own work." On the other hand, if you research the forum you are likely to see some generic company suggestions of companies that do some spas and some conversations about the nature of reporting required on 'hospitality shops', be they cruises or resorts or just hotels. These may or may not lead you to the shops you seek, but we all spend a lot of time researching, signing up and building our reputation as shoppers so if/when there are opportunities available we are in a position to take advantage of them.

I don't think you'll be able to score a free cruise out of MSing. Just saying...

There have been some, but you would not get to relax and enjoy the cruise because of all the required observations and getting it all written up. Same issue with the upscale hotels and resorts and with the spas.

JacobJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm looking for a facial, a bowling shop, a nap, a
> high end restaurant, a week in Aspen, the perfect
> bar of chocolate, successful completion of my
> day's tasks, a warm hug, another nap, a cruise in
> Oklahoma, and the real reason I have curly hair.

Bowling shop - I know who does them, but my ICAs and your guidelines. . .
Nap - Using the search feature, try "Luxury".
High end restaurant - YES, with a 2-figure fee and short report!
Aspen - work at it, you should be able to shop for lift tickets, room and board, perhaps miles/days apart.
Chocolate - yes. More than one MSP allows us to indulge.
Hugs and another nap - Come on, now. Really?!
Cruise in OK? A car shop in tornado alley could qualify.
Curly hair - Got me there. Because it's not straight?

Flash Wrote:
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> There have been some, but you would not get to
> relax and enjoy the cruise because of all the
> required observations and getting it all written
> up. Same issue with the upscale hotels and
> resorts and with the spas.


No kidding. A shopper friend took the 10 day Alaskan cruise as a shop. Paid very well-trip plus very handsome fee. She was exhausted when she came home-said NEVER again.

I certainly have felt that way about resort shops. Then a few months later I would persuade myself that it wasn't THAT bad . . .

I'd run if I was offered a cruise, hotels are about all the work I need. From afar it all sounds good, but, I'll save my pennies and relax when I do take a cruise, thanks anyway. To find a cruise, do your research, they have them out there for the very savy and experienced not afraid of hard work.... bottom line, if you have to ask, your probably not ready for them.

3offthecharts Wrote:
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> Flash Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There have been some, but you would not get to
> > relax and enjoy the cruise because of all the
> > required observations and getting it all
> written
> > up. Same issue with the upscale hotels and
> > resorts and with the spas.
>
>
> No kidding. A shopper friend took the 10 day
> Alaskan cruise as a shop. Paid very well-trip plus
> very handsome fee. She was exhausted when she came
> home-said NEVER again.


yea..i did a amusement part and a water park and i wont again either.

Irene_L.A. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'd run if I was offered a cruise, hotels are
> about all the work I need. From afar it all
> sounds good, but, I'll save my pennies and relax
> when I do take a cruise, thanks anyway. To find a
> cruise, do your research, they have them out there
> for the very savy and experienced not afraid of
> hard work.... bottom line, if you have to ask,
> your probably not ready for them.
the problem is there just is not those kinds of shops here..well the cruise anyway. I've been shopping for over three years and are with at least 10 companies. now I'm looking for something different. so to all that say research..that's what I'm doing and thought this was for that purpose too.

Nichtoliver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't think you'll be able to score a free
> cruise out of MSing. Just saying...


I have seen them..ok..just not where I'm at

mrcomputer101 Wrote:
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> How do you take a cruise in Virginia ?


Ok..you go where the water is and you get on the ship. then you sail away to where ever yr going! you do know we have the ocean and beaches here..right

kwoodley Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> the problem is there just is not those kinds of
> shops here..well the cruise anyway. I've been
> shopping for over three years and are with at
> least 10 companies. now I'm looking for something
> different. so to all that say research..that's
> what I'm doing and thought this was for that
> purpose too.

Generally these are shops you need to go to rather than them being available close to you. There is one day trip available to me locally, but if I was going to take a more traditional cruise would be out of a port more than 100 miles away.

By now you know what shops your 10 companies offer. While some companies show their 'good stuff' only to their best shoppers, three years with them should have provided you ample opportunity to prove yourself with them. You need to sign up with more companies and prove yourself with them as well to see if they have any 'good stuff' to offer you. There is a list of 200+ companies in the first post of the first thread of Mystery Shopping Company Discussion. If you are seriously shopping, it makes sense to sign up with as many of them as you can because the company with shops this year may not have the client next year. This year a company I have been signed up with for 6 years with nothing in my area finally has a client near me and may become one of my best companies for 2011. The company that was my best for 2010 has lost their major client in my area so this will be the first year in a few that I am unlikely to do enough work for them to send me a 1099.

Apparently you have never been to Oklahoma. Google "Cherokee Queen" and see what fine cruises you can take on Grand Lake in Grove, OK!!

Ya'll might be surprised at the amount of exciting tourism we have around here. If you're ever this way, PM me, I'll take you to see the Blue Whale!


JacobJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm looking for a facial, a bowling shop, a nap, a
> high end restaurant, a week in Aspen, the perfect
> bar of chocolate, successful completion of my
> day's tasks, a warm hug, another nap, a cruise in
> Oklahoma, and the real reason I have curly hair.