Q&A

CAN Y0U BUY CRYSTAL FOR $2305?

Q – We have friends in Portland who claim to have booked a Crystal Cruise for $2305 per person. They’ve been bragging about the great deal they got but we wonder if this is really the rate. I don’t know exactly where they are going but I think they are traveling in April or May….

WILL MIAMI START TO SMELL LIKE AN ASHTRAY?

Q – My wife and I like to gamble and we go on upscale gambling vacations twice a year. We’ve heard that there is something coming to Miami to be built by the Chinese that will be the largest casino in the States. Is there any truth to this?  As a suggestion, your coverage of…

WHAT HAPPENED TO CRUISES OUT OF MEXICO?

Q – My husband and I and our two children were looking forward to booking a cruise to the Mexican Riviera this year. But when we spoke to our agent, she told us that there just aren’t any cruises that would suit our needs and she suggested we look, instead, at the Western Caribbean. What…

ARE WE SAFE UP THERE?

Q – I am desperate to take my wife to see relatives in County Clare, Ireland next summer. But she is absolutely afraid to fly. Any facts you might provide to help me convince her it is safe would be much appreciated. A – We’re not sure she will care much about our “facts” but…

HOW MANY MORE CRUISE BERTHS ARE BEING BUILT?

Q – I am just wondering about the state of the US Cruise industry. With the economy, and all, are new ships going to be launched in the next several years or are they holding off? A – Cruise brands based in North America have firm contracts to launch 10 new cruise ships between now…

CAN WE ACTUALLY WALTZ IN THE NEW YEAR?

Q – A quick question about a lifelong dream. I have always wanted to surprise my wife with a lavish New Year Ball celebration, where we can waltz in the New Year in Vienna. Is this even possible? I know that it will not be inexpensive. A –  Yes, you can attend any one of…

BED BUGS AT SEA: HOW SERIOUS A PROBLEM?

Q – We’re turning to traveltruth with a serious concern. We are being urged by family members to join them on a Spring Break cruise next year on Norwegian Cruises Line. But my husband and I have real concerns about bed bugs which we understand is a real problem on cruise ships. How serious a…

THE INEVITABLE HARRY POTTER QUESTION

Q – I read this site all the time now and I know you are not particularly child-centered. But please help us. We’ve got eleven year-old Natalie and thirteen year-old George, Muggles one and all. They are begging us to take them to Universal for a week of Harry Potterizing. Has anyone on your staff…

OUR BEST BALTIC BET

Q – I have avoided cruises for most of my adult life, not wishing to attend any party I would be unable to leave at my choosing.  In February, my wife and I accepted an invitation to join her tennis group and their spouses on what seems to have been a stereotypical cruise of the…

PONDERING SOUTH AFRICA ON A RIVER CRUISE

Q – We have found a sixteen-day tour to South Africa run by AMA Waterways. I’ve never heard of them or the river cruise boat they are using, a boat called the MS Zambezi Queen. South Africa has been a dream of ours for a very long time. On this trip you get to see…

IDEAL TIMES TO VISIT CHINA AND THE SILK ROAD

Q – We’re recently retired from the financial sector where, I suppose you could say, quoting  that famous Saturday Night Sketch, “we’ve done berry, berry well.” So now it’s time to see the rest of the world excluding Europe, a continent we know well. Our first thoughts are to do, perhaps, two trips to China,…

SO HOW MUCH DID MY BAKED ALASKA REALLY COST?

Q –  We’ve sailed  on NCL twice and Royal Caribbean three times, the last time on the Oasis of the Seas. On our last cruise we shared a table with a couple from Arizona and another from Philadelphia. The fellow from Philly owned a restaurant and we talked quite a but about the food on…

CAN WE DO OUR DREAM HONEYMOON FOR $10,000?

Q –  We have this dream that we  can do an over-the-water bungalow honeymoon for no more than $10,000 including economy airfare from New York.  Is this in any way possible and how or where do we begin? A – Difficult but not really impossible. The trick will be to use an agent who works…

DO WE WANT THE CRUISE LINE’S INSURANCE?

Q – We will be taking our two teenage girls on a Christmas Cruise aboard the Celebrity Eclipse. Our travel agent wants us to take Celebrity’s insurance but has been less than helpful in educating us on this fairly important component of our trip.  One of the girls has, what I think would be, a…

IS THE PAUL GAUGUIN GETTING A SISTER?

Q –  We had an extraordinary time on the Paul Gauguin sailing the Society Islands last May. Since then, we’ve heard rumors that there will be a Gauguin # 2. Any truth to the rumor? Wonder how they rate currently and when the 2012 Revised Cruise Line Ratings will be finalized? I hate to be…

DOES DISNEY DISCOUNT FOR EX-MILITARY?

Q – Don’t know if anyone ever just says “thank you” for this site, but we feel like we ought to. I am ex-military and my son is currently based at Ft. Hood. One of my neighbors told us that Walt Disney World actually has a resort for the military with sharply reduced rates. Any…

EXPLORING AMAZON RAINFOREST WITHOUT POISON DARTS

Q – We are going to be turning the corner on seventy and we are starting to think we ought to move on some of our bucket list exotics. We’re really anxious to get into the Peruvian Amazon to see as much as possible off a safe, comfortable expedition boat. Any company we should be…

HIDDEN BELT OR FANNY PACK?

Q – In a few months we’ll be off to Europe for the first time, visiting primarily Italy with some France. As we walk around, we were wondering if we should buy one of those hidden money belts or a fanny pack for our valuables? A – The money belts and fanny packs are not…

HOW DO WE AVOID BANQUET QUALITY RIVER BOAT FOOD?

Q –  It is our 40th anniversary and first European trip. We are looking at river cruises. Outstanding food is a concern with any cruise or all-inclusive tour. We’d hate to be in Europe for two weeks eating buffet or banquet style food. Any advice would be appreciated. A – Since you used the term…

WILL OUR FELLOW TOUR MEMBERS BELIEVE THE EARTH IS FLAT?

Q – No one has ever asked traveltruth a really important question. My wife and I are off to China on our first ever escorted tour. We are extremely nervous about this trip as we really have no sense of who our fellow guests will be. The tour company is Gate1 and the feedback we…

URGENTLY NEED MEDICAL TEST RESULTS FROM CRUISE

Q – Thank you for FINALLY telling the truth, the whole truth, the cruise truth! I hope you can answer the question I have. My Mother just disembarked from Singaport on a flight to Dallas Texas after a 52 day segment of the Seabourn’s world cruise ( Seabourn Quest). She was taken from the airport…

MY CRUISE WAS LIKE A BAD WEDDING RECEPTION

Q – Dear Traveltruth – Greetings from Australia. I know that Aussies have a reputation for telling the truth in a direct manner. Hence these comments and question. I found your site by accident on the internet. But I sense I will get a truthful response. My dear husband who is now in a wheelchair…

ROMANTIC BEACHES AND A GOOD DINNER

Q – OK here’s the deal. We’re in our mid-thirties, not all that well traveled, but we have a week and want to do a Caribbean island that has a nice variety of beaches. We are willing to spend up to $1200 a night for a great beach and we’d love a restaurant recommendation on…

IS MY TRAVEL AGENT PARANOID ABOUT SOUTH AMERICA?

Q – We are headed off to Brazil in October for a two week custom-planned vacation. Our travel agent is recommending that we take out a new credit card just for this trip because she is concerned that the card could be compromised during our stay. Do you think she is being just a little…

HELP SUPPORT THESE BOOBIES

Q – We were referred to you by a serious world traveler friend. My husband and I are planning a trip to the Galapagos but we’re not sure that the Celebrity Expedition  Cruise is the way to go. There are land trips and other sailing vessels but we feel like the blue foot boobies. Help!…

WHY DON’T YOU WRITE ABOUT ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CARNIVAL, OR NORWEGIAN?

Q – We are going to devote a portion of this weekend reading this site, but so far, we can’t find anything much about the Splendour of the Seas, the Enchantment, the Norway, or the Celebration. We’ve sailed all of them and wonder why these cruise lines, which I believe are the largest, seem to be…

SEEKING COLLETTE VACATIONS RATINGS

Q – We are members of Marriott’s Vacation Club and we are thinking of going to Italy with them. They use a company called Collette Vacations and we’ve been trying to find ratings of the company. Any advice would be appreciated. A – Collette Vacations is a highly reputable company that is family-owned and has…

SHOULD WE DO EGYPT IN OCTOBER?

Q – We are considering joining our church group for a tour our Minister is leading to Egyot and the Holy Land. As part of the trip, we’ll be spending nine nights in Egypt and we’re a little nervous. We’ve never been to Europe or the Middle East so this is kind of a big…

FORGIVE US – WE’RE NOT ON FACEBOOK – YET

Q – Cool site but we I wish you could tell us where we can find you on Facebook. We’ve tried several searches and we can’t seem to find anything. A – Well first you have to sign in to Facebook. Then put our name, Churchill and Turen Ltd., or our web site name, www.traveltruth.com in…