Q&A

IS VIKING – AS CLAIMED – THE WORLD’S BEST CRUISE LINE?

Q- How can Viking Cruises claim it has consistently been voted the world’s best cruise line when, based on Cruisetruth information, it clearly isn’t? Are there any laws in travel related to the claims made by various cruise lines or tour operators as to the quality of the product and whether or not they are…

AM I REALLY OUT THE MONEY ON REGENT GIVEN MY AGE?

Q –  7.28.22 –  I really need some help with this one. In five weeks I am scheduled to do a 12-Day cruise on Regent Seven Seas to the British Isles. Well, as it happens, I am 82 and rather susceptible to Covid. In addition, the temperatures in London and other parts of the UK…

WILL BUDAPEST BE OK? WE HEAR PROBLEMS ARE LIMITED TO THE RHINE

Q – We are desperately trying to get information about our Danube Cruise on Scenic that begins in Budapest in two weeks. Nothing from Scenic yet and the news reports we have been reading seem to specify the Rhine. Can you help us understand the situation in Budapest? Great site!!!  A – The Danube is…

WE ARE LOCKED INTO A RHINE RIVER CAGE AND CAN’T GET OUT

Q – Our travel agent told us that mid-October was a great time to do the Rhine because the tourists have left and the temperatures are cooling off. So here we are, scheduled to leave on October 13th on Viking with no recourse until they, on their own, decide to cancel our cruise – which…

WONDERING IF YOU SAW THE CNN PIECE ABOUT THE END OF RIVER CRUISING?

Q – My family and I have been really upset by the article we read from CNN Travel which came out quite recently. It seems to say that river cruising is, for all practical purposes, over with. This article makes us think that our planned family cruise next August along the Seine River may be…

ANY CHANCE OF EXCHANGING SUNDAY SERVICES FOR A REDUCED RATE CRUISE?

Q – Really enjoy this ad-free site. Congratulations. I am a Minister in Michigan who is slowly retiring. I’ve long thought about how much I would enjoy performing Sunday services aboard a cruise ship in exchange for free or reduced-rate passage. The problem is that I don’t know who to contact to set up, this…

WE’RE DELUXE – BUT THE KIDDIES AREN’T. NOT YET ANYWAY.

Q – 8.3.22 -We are planning on taking our three children on a cruise to South America. We are deluxe cruisers but for this trip we will be traveling with our seven-year-old son and our nine and eighteen-year-old daughters (it’s a long story). Just how high-end do you think we can go? We’re desperately trying…

HONESTLY – ARE WE GIVING UP OUR ‘FOODIE’ CREDS DINING ON A CRUISE SHIP?

Q –  8.2.22  -We are “foodies” in the sense that all of our prior vacations in Europe have been food oriented. We love  Michelin’s and we love eating a sandwich in Barcelona’s La Boqueria food market. We’ve done many trips including three or four cooking schools in France and two memorable weeks exploring Moroccan cuisine…

BEST TYPE OF TRAVEL EXPERIENCE FOR AN 18 YEAR-OLD

  Q – what do you think of the idea of bringing our 18-and-a-half-year-old extraordinary daughter on a Tauck Family Bridges Tour to Italy this coming August before she is off to Boston to start college? A – Strong opinion on this one – we would not book the family on a Tauck Bridges tour…

WHO DO I FAVOR WITH MY PRESENCE: THE CANADIANS OR THE SWISS?

Q – 7.17.22 – We are leaving on an Avalon River Cruise on the Rhine in early  September. Given what we are reading about the airline situation in Europe, we are confused about how to arrange our air. Our agent has come up with an hour connection through Toronto or an hour-and-a-half connecting time in…

HOTEL IN PUERTO RICO IS FIGHTING ME ON AGENT COMMISSION REFUND

Q – Just back from a stay at one of the better resorts in San Juan. As recommended, when checking out I asked that the built-in travel agent commission be taken off our bill since I had booked this personally on the phone with no travel agent involved. They refused and mumbled something about “they…

THE ONE THING TO KNOW BEFORE DEPLANING AT CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT

Q – Thanks so much for the best travel site we’ve ever found. The missing ads are not missed at all. My husband and I are off on a twice-delayed trip to Paris and the French Riviera. We’ve had lots of time to prepare and we’ve read everything we can about Paris, particularly the pieces…

FAMILY VACATION WITH FIVE KIDS – TOUR VERSUS CRUISE?

Q – We are thinking of bringing our family of fourteen on a cruise or land tour. The group would have five kids between the ages of five and seventeen. We have looked at a Globus tour as well as a cruise on Royal Caribbean – both in Europe. We will travel in the summer…

Lots of Great Hotel Stays in Our Future – But How Best to Proceed?

Q – I am pleased to share that we have, like many of your followers, achieved critical mass for retirement. We can pretty much afford to travel anywhere and any way we choose. But our dilemma, I suppose, is that we believe top resort or top tier hotel stays provide everything we need. We will…

CAN WE BOOK TAYLOR SWIFT IN COACH?

Q – We’re flying to Cabo San Lucas in October with our kids. Any recommendations on the best masks to wear on the aircraft? Kind of concerned as we are flying coach. Can my daughter get away with wearing her Taylor Swift cloth mask? A – Those washable fabric masks might not be enough by…

WONDERING IF A TOURIST WOULD GO TO AFGHANISTAN OR IRAN?

Q – Has Churchill & Turen planned trips to Iran or Afghanistan for clients in recent years? I would guess not but some people like to taker chances. A – We have sent several Churchill & Turen guests to Iran in recent years and the escorted tours went extremely well. The Iranians they encountered seemed…

WILL I GET A MORE COMFORTABLE SEAT ON AMERICAN OR BRITISH AIRWAYS?

Q – We are planning on flying into London next April. Schedule-wise it seems to boil down to either American or British Airways. The BA res. people are telling us they offer the best service to Europe because they have new seats and improved menus aboard their aircraft. We will be flying Business and paying…

YOU DON’T SEEM TO DISCUSS PRICE VERY OFTEN: MAY WE ASK WHY?

Q – One of the things we’ve noticed about working with your company is that we seem to never get into price or discount discussions. We’ve been happy with everything but wonder if we’re unusual in that we never feel the need to raise the topic? A – Interesting question. The consumer is overwhelmed with…

BASED ON THE LATEST TRAVEL INTEL – AFRICA OR BRAZIL AND PERU NEXT YEAR?

Q – We are considering travel to Brazil and/or Peru or the safari we have always wanted to do to Kenya and Tanzania. We would be doing this next year, summer, or early fall. Based on current information, do you have a strong preference for one of these destinations? A – East Africa would be…

IS THERE ONE BEST FLIGHT APP. TO CARRY WITH US TO EUROPE?

Q – We will be traveling to the Greek Islands this October, thanks to you. We are not all that digitally proficient and we are wondering if there is anything like a flight app that will work while we travel to monitor gate changes, flight delays etc. It would be great to have that with us….