Q&A

WILL THE COAST OF NORWAY BE A BOREWAY?

Q – As frequent cruisers, we have to make our minds up quickly about a 16-Day voyage on Regent Seven Seas between Oslo and Copenhagen. This is a cruise pretty much limited to the coast of Norway and St. Petersburg, which we’ve previously visited, is not  on the itinerary. Wondering of you would recommend this specific itinerary?…

GREEK FAMILY SPECTACULAR

Q – We have a rather large, tightly-knit Greek family (so what else is new) and we’re planning to go to the islands in 2016 for a two-week spectacular trip. We thought it best to start now. Of course we’ll have all age groups and some will want to do their own thing. We have some…

CAN WE DO A CUSTOM BEEMER TOUR?

Q – We have three BMW’s in the garage. For our next trip to Europe, we’d love to have a custom trip arranged where we might drive a Beemer on some of Germany’s best roads, with frequent stops for beer and Brotzeit. We know what we want – we just don’t know how to begin….

A PHOTOGRAPHER’S DREAM TRIP

Q – Please don’t use my name but you can say that I am a fairly well-known amateur photographer whose work has appeared in several major publications including AFAR and National Geographic. But I have a day job that finances our photographic journeys. My dream is to take some great photos of Japan’s Mt. Fuji…

CAN WE TURN JAMAICA INTO A MEMORABLE VACATION?

Q – We’re really into traveltruth but we feel you seriously shortchange the Caribbean. There isn’t much objective information about the islands online – they all use the term “paradise” interchangeably.  In three months, we’re off to Jamaica on a corporate reward trip including accommodations at Rose Hall. But we keep hearing negatives about the…

SHOULD I LET MY DAUGHTER GO ON A CRUISE?

Q – Thank you for the information you give about some of the things you need to be careful about on some of these cruise ships. My 17 year-old daughter has asked me to let her go with a friend on a three-night Royal Caribbean Bahamas cruise. Her friends mother will be going, but she…

BIG MOVES TO EUROPE

Q – We have always had a desire to sail the world’s largest ship for a week or so. I’ve heard Royal Caribbean and Carnival ships are huge but we literally want to sail the biggest next summer. Can you tell us which ship that would be? A – The Royal Caribbean Allure of the…

WILL WE BE ABLE TO GET AWAY ON AMERICAN CHRISTMAS 2017?

Q – With all the problems we’ve been reading about involving American Airline’s bankruptcy and this pending deal with US Airways, we are wondering if keeping miles in our Advantage account for a planned major Christmas trip in 2017 is a good idea? A – The merger with US Air went through last year and American…

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET UPDATED GATE INFORMATION ON MY iPHONE?

Q – I know the airlines can notify you of an assigned gate or change, but is there any single source I can use all of the time to get information without having to trust my airline to update me? A – There are two apps that are quite good and both have a basic version…

SHOULD WE CANCEL OUR ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE?

Q – We’ve been listening to the horrific news reports about the virus that got everyone sick on the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas. We have never cruised and are scheduled to take our first stab at cruising this October with two other couples from our church. As luck would have it, we’re booked…

A ‘PUT YOU ON THE SPOT” QUESTION

Q – Over the past two years, you have kind of spoiled us with the candor of your responses in the Q&A section of your site. So let me pose a question that may put you on the spot. I have to fly rather frequently to Europe where my company has several factories and storage…

VACATION.COM VERSUS VIRTUOSO, VERSUS SIGNATURE

Q – We worked with an agent who was in the Virtuoso Consortium for many years. We now have a new agent who is in something called Signature. Meanwhile, our best friends use someone connected to Vacations.com who just got them a wonderful upgrade at the Hyatt in New York.  Each of these groups seems to…

DO WE REALLY NEED AN INDIAN VISA?

Q – We are on a Crystal cruise to Malaysia and Singapore that stops for the day at Port Blair, in the Andaman Islands, which technically belong to India. We just learned it will cost is $334 and a whole lot of paperwork, plus sending our passports to the Indian embassy, in order to get…

THE OCEANIA MARINA SAYS IT HAS GREAT FOOD. DOES IT?

Q – We are mid-town Manhattan Foodies, quite used to choosing from America’s best restaurants, many with world-famous chefs. We are considering our first experience at sea and friends tell us they’ve read that Oceania has the best food.  We shop at Zabar’s and we dine at Le Bernadin at least once a month, if…

WHICH PORTS IN ISRAEL ARE BEST FOR CRUISE PASSENGERS?

Q – Now that the Iranians have promised not to build nukes and the Syrians are dismantling their nerve gas depots, it is time for a family cruise to Israel we’ve been putting off for close to 20 years. We’re not worried, if you’re not worried, about taking our teens, 15 and 17, to Israel…

iPHONES AND PASSPORTS IN CUBA

Q – We are really excited to be going on one of the first scheduled tours to Cuba. We just signed up but we had two immediate questions. Will our iPhone work in Cuba and what do we do with our Passport? Will we be carrying it with us? A – You will be able…

AMERICAN VERSUS UNITED TO LONDON

Q –  We are going to be attending a conference  in London next  month and we’re trying to figure out whether we should be booking our air on American or United out of Chicago. The seating in Business Class is really important to us and we are wondering which of these has beds that will allow…

WILL AN ATLANTIC HURRICAINE BANKRUPT OUR VACATION?

Q – Our family of five is booked on a Crystal Cruise to New England and Canada in top suites in Mid-October. We booked this cruise largely based on the traveltruth ratings, the most honest we’ve found. But given our substantial investment for two doubles and a single all upper decks, I am concerned about…

ANYTHING COOL AND HIP IN THE CARIBBEAN?

Q – My boyfriend and I are professionals in the fashion industry in New York and we are in dire need of a Caribbean getaway sometime in December, perhaps over the Holidays. We like hip resorts with progressive food and rooms with modern design touches. We also have rather high expectations about service, a rare commodity, from what we…

WHY NO REPORTING ON THE REAL SCENT OF PARIS – URINE?

Q – My husband and I have just returned from a week in Paris. We were rather amazed at the number of homeless people on the streets. We had been there in 1994 and it was nothing like this. The smell of urine is everywhere and people are just setting up cots on the sidewalks all…

SHOULD WE BRING MAGNETS ON OUR CRUISE?

Q – We will shortly be taking our first cruise aboard the Celebrity Eclipse. Do you like and recommend this ship and Celebrity generally? Also, we read on the internet that you are supposed to bring a set of magnets on a cruise but we have no idea why nor does our travel agent. Any…

GOING TO KINGSTON MON, AND NEED GREAT FOOD

Q – We are heading to Jamaica for a vacation that will involve a great music festival in Kingston. We’re foodies but know little about dining in Kingston. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Our air fare and hotels are set. Know you will provide trustworthy advice. A – While Jerk Chicken is everywhere, we would…

HOW FAR CAN I GO ON A NON-STOP FLIGHT?

Q – Wondering whether one of your editors can tell me who is operating the longest passenger flight these days. For the ultimate getaway, I might be tempted to take it and let that be the degree to which I do itinerary planning. Is there any advantage to using a travel agent once I decide…

BARCELONA IN JULY – ANY DANGER?

Q – My husband and I read traveltruth on our iPad in bed. So thanks for that. Despite the time devoted to your excellent site, we have managed to have two kids and we’re all scheduled to do an Azamara Cruise next summer that will spend two days in Barcelona. Our perfectly behaved angels are…

BARBADOS TO RIO: SHOULD WE SPLURGE?

Q – We are seriously considering joining friends from work on the January 15th sailing of Silverseas from Barbados to South America. We’ve never cruised this line but the combination of the Caribbean and South America intrigues us. Is $5650 a great deal for a window suite?  We’ve been working with an agent but were…

ROME DURING EASTER WEEK?

Q – We are taking our 16-Year old on a dream trip to Italy this coming spring. Our highlights will be Venice, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast. Our tentative schedule puts us in Rome Easter week flying home after the Holiday. But we don’t know how insane Rome will be that weekend. We had wanted…