Q – We are previous river boat guests of AMA and Gate 1. Now, we are looking to spend a bit more money to do something a little more exotic than Europe. We are looking at AMA’s Africa and Vietnam programs, each of which we know from reading RiverBoatRatings you rate quite highly. But as…
Q – Wondering if I should be tipping in local currency or US dollars during a planned ten-day stay in Brazil? May I assume they all want US dollars? A – The answer is a bit nuanced. If you are dealing with hotel staff or those working with upscale travelers, tipping in US dollars is…
Q – Greetings from the coast of Carolina! We have taken too many ocean cruises to count, and are considering a rivership cruise. After reading just about everything on your EXCELLENT site, our brains are ready to explode. Here are some basic needs/filters, and most of our friends (we live in a very active 55+…
Q – It seems like a lot of the cruise lines are cutting out the Midnight Buffets. We are working our way up to one of the five-star, inclusive small ships you write about but we’re trying to find one that has midnight buffets. A – Sorry – they have gone the way of Bingo…
Q – We love , absolutely love your site(s). Hope you can continue forever. But, sad to say, we haven’t cruised since an awful big ship experience in 2012. We sailed a ship where our fellow passengers were rude and dressed like slobs. But the worst part was that we had an “assigned” table with…
Q – Our friends in Boise will be joining us for a nice cruise next year celebrating my husband’s retirement as a school superintendent. He has always wanted to go to Dubai and our agent has come up with a sailing on Azamara aboard the Journey on November 14th next year. But I doubt she’s…
Q – In researching a planned cruise to China, we’ve come across a line called Dream Cruises. They seem to be really under the radar and are not even reviewed on Cruisetruth. Is this a red flag or just an oversight? Wondering if we should include Dream on our “possible” list which currently includes Crystal…
Q – I travel frequently on business, often staying at top-tier properties in major cities, particularly in western Europe, Korea, and Japan. I am an independent consultant in the chemical industry and I don’t work with a corporate travel agency – my secretary handles all of my travel and she’s really sharp. So my question…
Q – Our mother has never really been anywhere and she seems to have no interest in going to Europe or South America. For her birthday, we would love to send her somewhere for a great experience. Her passion in life is her love of dogs. Four of us would go with her on a…
Q – My wife and I are in our mid-sixties and we want to start doing some longer trips that might include cruise or train components. I think you would define us as really good travelers and we’ve enjoyed a wide range of terrains and accommodations during our travels. Now, we are planning a four…
Q – Easter Island is near the top of our current Bucket List. We are planning to go to Chile and then spend some time on the island but no sure how much time it deserves. What do you recommend. We are adventurous and we would want to use private guides throughout with great accommodations….
Q – My two boys, 16 and 14, will be joining my brother, my wife and I on a two-week jaunt that I want to be memorable in every way. I have budgeted about $20,000 USD per person for top everything. Is that reasonable? I would like to consider working with you and, yes, we…
Q – We are extremely excited to be joining our friends, there will be five couples, all from Springfield, Illinois on a cruise next year that will take in some of the Dutch ports and the flower shows. We booked the cruise with the Avalon people who were nice but not exactly useful when we…
Q – We are about ready to pull the trigger on a sailing on the Scenic Jade. This will be our first river cruise and we are a bit anxious about prison-cell size rooms. There is one Royal Suite still available and I am wondering if you think we should spend the money for it…
Q – I have read about Disney operating river cruises that might be perfect for my family of four (my boy is 13 my girl is 9). There is a certain wholesomeness about the Disney product that we love – I don’t want to worry about off-color comedians or R-rated on-board movies. Wondering how I…
Q – We were assigned a three and a half-hour layover in Frankfort on a cruise we booked online that is due to depart in three weeks. Now, it turns out that the United flight we were promised is being flown on a Lufthansa airplane. My wife and I are booked in an Oceania Suite…
Q – We were in a netherworld of fake reviews and reports by “critics” after their free trips – so really glad to stumble upon your site. (As a person who works in PR, I’d suggest you think about hiring someone to publicize you. Everyone knows Cruise Critic – but no one knows you) I’ve…
Q – We’ve been entirely impressed with the ships and service on Silversea and we have an upcoming 20-Day sailing coming up with them this winter in the Orient. We booked on-board to get extra incentives so we were not able to use a consultant. On our last cruise, we used the Concierge on the…
Q – My husband and I were surprised, as were our friends Tad and Susie, with whom we have cruised six times, that Disney did not make your excellent list of the World’s Ten Best Cruise Lines. You must be childless snobs or Disney has gone downhill as they are rated at or near the…
Q – We have done two cruises on NCL and one Costa. We are now ready to step up. As we read your excellent reviews and information we see no mention of Midnight Buffets, something we would always look forward to on our previous cruises. Which lines in the Top Ten have them. A –…
Q – We had an absolutely awful cruise experience in 2012 and have not cruised since. The staff was often rude, and the passengers dressed like slobs, and no one seemed to have any sense of propriety and manners. But the worst part was that we were assigned a table with a retired, alcoholic surgeon…
Q – We’ve relied on this site a great deal as we’ve planned for our first cruise to Europe. We did Azamara in the Caribbean and absolutely loved it. Your review was dead on. It seemed the decor was getting a bit tired but now that the Journey has been refurbished, we think the 11-night…
Q – This whole concept of a place where people can learn how things really work in the cruise industry is great but that is not what this site is. As an agent, I would love to use your material for my clients but you are intentionally listing only the most expensive lines when you…
Q – We have just returned from a cruise on Oceania, a line we really love. It is our third cruise with them and we can’t imagine any other line having better food, as CruiseTruth points out. On our first cruise to New England/Canada we just walked around the towns on our own. On our…
Q – My father-in-law has an agent who is in love with Viking Cruises, which I understand is fairly new. We’re loyal Holland America fans. We’d love to join them on a European capitals sailing but we’re wondering if we will be really disappointed. Do they include as much as Holland America and are they…
Q – We have friends who just had their rental car broken into in Switzerland. A bag was taken including their passports, wallet, cell phone etc. We have an upcoming trip planned to Greece and Italy and we will be renting a car for a portion of this trip. What do we do if we…
Q – I have gotten my golfing, Bloody Mary drinking, lazy retiree of a husband to agree to take me on a cruise in the Galapagos islands in January or February of 2018. I am wondering when I should make these arrangements? How far in advance should I start locking this in? A – The…
Q – We have dear friends who recently returned from a Private Jet Tour around South America and they absolutely raved about the experience, We’re in our early seventies and we’re at a stage in life where we want the details handled. Our friends said the private jet made everything easier with no overnight flying,…
Q – With all the terrorism over there, I am wondering where the Europeans themselves are now going on vacation. I know a lot of them used to go to Egypt but I imagine that has dried up. Are they now avoiding travel and staying home on vacation. A – The Europeans tend to be…
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