DO YOU RECOMMEND THE NAADAM FESTIVAL IN MONGOLIA?

Q –  My wife and I are just starting to enjoy traveling and we’d love to form a relationship with your company. It is clear that you value honesty over profits, although I am sure there is a huge market for honesty in your profession. For our first big trip, we’re thinking about traveling to…

WHY ARE YOU KEEPING US FROM DRINKING COFFEE ON MY UNITED FLIGHTS?

Q – OK, I’ve become a traveltruth addict, I just can’t handle the news sites these days. But I read  something last night that kind of upset me as much on this site last night – you are saying flyers should not consume coffee in flight. Please explain as my life pretty much consists of…

ANYTHING FOR ACTIVE, FOODIES, WHO LOVE BIKING?

Q – I suppose you could say we are the representative of the new breed of river boat cruiser. We’re active Gen X’s who love the idea of a river cruise, food events, and the opportunity to do some longer bike rides. We realize that most of the folks we’d be traveling with would have…

DO ANY RIVER BOATS HAVE EXTRA-LENGTH BEDS?

Q – We want to do a river cruise on the Moselle but I would need to find a ship that has larger than normal beds. I am 6′ 8″ so I need a bed with length. Any suggestions would be appreciated. A No worries. Most of the leading lines do stock bed extenders for…

CONSIDERING A RIVER CRUISE BUT WE HAVE SOME BIG BUT’S!

A – We are looking at joining our dentist and his wife on an Avalon cruise next year on the German rivers. We’ve cruised with Celebrity, which you really short-change in my opinion on your cruisetruth site, and Oceania, which we love, numerous times. We want to sail with our friends but my husband is…

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF CROSI EUROPE’S NEW PROGRAM IN AFRICA?

Q – We have been doing our homework online and found a compelling program offered by a company called Crosi. We’ve always wanted to do southern Africa, particularly Botswana, by river boat and this could meet our needs. What do you think about this line? They are not rate don your cruisetruth and we wonder…

ARE THERE ANY ITINERARIES IN EUROPE DEVOTED TO JEWISH CULTURE THEMES?

Q  – We’ve sailed Crystal and Holland America – never a river cruise. But we are thinking about a river cruise that might take us to some important Jewish heritage sites. Do such programs exist?  A – Yes, there are several options. The most popular route to explore Jewish history is passing through Germany along…

JUST HOW BAD ARE OUR CHANCES ON THE ELBE?

Q – As you seem to be the only folks talking openly about river flooding on some of these European rivers, we thought we would pose this question to you. We want to take our two teenage daughters with us this summer on a cruise itinerary that takes in Switzerland and Germany. You identify the…

WHAT IS THE MOST EXOTIC PLACE YOU CAN GO ON A RIVERBOAT CRUISE?

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…

TIPPING IN BRAZIL: DO THEY WANT OUR DOLLARS?

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…

DO ANY OF THE TOP TEN LINES DO A MIDNIGHT BUFFET?

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…

WILL THE SAME DOCTOR BE ABOARD?

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…

ARE WE MAKING A MISTAKE WITH THIS TRIP?

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…

IS DREAM CRUISES A LINE WE SHOULD CONSIDER IN CHINA?

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…

HOW DO YOU GET UPGRADED AUTOMATICALLY AT HOTELS?

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…

WHERE DO WE SEND A REAL DOG LOVER?

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…

DO THEY STILL HAVE AROUND THE WORLD FARES FOR GEEZERS?`

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…

HOW BEST TO DO EASTER ISLAND?

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….

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF BEST MONTH TO VISIT IRELAND.

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…

BOOKED ON AVALON ARTISTRY AND NEED HELP

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…

YES TO SCENIC JADE – BUT WHERE ON THE SHIP?

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…

IS DISNEY LAUNCHING A RIVER CRUISE LINE?

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…

ANYTHING YOU RECOMMEND FOR A LOUSY AIR SCHEDULE?

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…

HELP – TORN BETWEEN SEA DREAM AND SEABOURN

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…

TIPPING THE CONCIERGE: IS THIS A GOOD IDEA?

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…

ARE YOU CHILDLESS SNOBS? WHY ELSE WOULD DISNEY BE LEFT OFF YOUR LIST?

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…