JUST HOW CLEAN IS THE DANUBE?

Q – Just wondering – the water on our recent AMA cruise seemed to be really clean for the most part. Is the Danube considered to be a clean river? A – For the most part, yes. It is even cleaner than the Hudson River. Since it passes through ten countries, there are areas of…

CAN YOU HELP AN AUSSIE BOOK A CRUISE?

Q –   Thank you for such an informative site, I have learned much and have so much more to learn. I believe I may be more informed, however, more confused. My husband and I are Australians planning to take a European River Cruise in 2017. After reading you site, I am tempted to go straight to…

IS THERE A MORE YOUTHFUL RIVER CRUISE OPTION?

Q –    My friends and I have decided that for our next trip we want a tour that covers several cities and doesn’t require changing hotels every night or two. We’re thinking a river cruise might be the thing, but several people told me that river cruises are best taken at 70+ –thereby insuring…

HOW CAN A READER TELL IF AN ONLINE REVIEW IS HONEST?

Q –  As an early adapter and technical Millennial, I like to think of myself as tuned in. But travel on the internet seems to be a blur of contradictory advice and I keep getting the feeling that I am being set up and fed large amounts of really crappy, biased information. This seems particularly…

ANY WAY TO COMBINE A TRAIN TRIP OF QUALITY WITH MACHU PICCHU ?

Q – This is a lovely web sight and we’d love to know who sponsors it. Is it the tourist boards or the hotels? Our question concerns a desire to see Machu Picchu but to combine it with train travel which my husband just loves. He has a magnificent train set up in our basement…

SEEKING LUXURY SERVICES ON A HUGE SHIP WITH ABOUT 75 RESTAURANTS

Q – If I may offer a critique – you seem to really gloss over another luxury option for people like us. We are willing to pay for private, top-drawer accommodations with, perhaps, a private dining option, butler service. etc. But we are also interested in going to the on-board shows, art sales, lectures and…

DO THE CRUISE LINES PLAN THEIR OWN SHORE EXCURSIONS?

Q – My husband and my sister and her husband have been cruising together for the past eight years on Crystal, Silversea, and Azamara. And while nothing comes close to Crystal in terms of service, food, and entertainment, they all seem to have one thing in common – a few real shore excursion clinkers. Do…

READY TO CRUISE – WITHOUT A SPORTS JACKET

Q –  I just found your site and think it is great.  Thank you for some honest answers to questions.  I will be retiring in soon and my wife and I are thinking of doing some cruising, both river and ocean, to see some of the world.  We are even thinking about a world cruise,…

OUR SMALL SHIP CRUISE OF THE YEAR

Q – We have become regulars on your sites and trust the advice you share on so many topics of interest. My wife and I are in our early forties, we live in New York and both work in investment banking. We have traveled extensively in North America and Europe. We’ve sailed Seabourn and Sea…

CURIOUS ABOUT CRUISE LINE EXECUTIVE SALARIESq

Q –  As an HR guy, I am curious about the salary levels of the more prominent executives at the largest cruise lines. I wonder if there is any information you might post that would give me an idea of what these people earn annually. I am sure that a lot of cruisers who share…

WHO REALLY HAS THE BEST AIRLINE FOOD IN FIRST CLASS?

Q – We’ve started enjoying our retirement and flying to points around the world on our bucket list. We had owned fractional ownership in our own jet but going forward we’re feeling that flying commercially in First makes more sense. Obviously, we fly the airline and the route that works best for us but my…

DO THE EUROPEANS REQUIRE PIN NUMBERS WITH THOSE CHIP CARDS?

Q –   We will be leaving for Europe in three months  and we’re concerned about whether or not our credit cards will be accepted or do we need a chip? Also wondering about a pin number. It seems we’re  quite a bit ahead of the Euros on this issue as we don’t need the…

IS OUR TRAVEL AGENT NUTS?

Q – We are winos, in the best sense of the word, and all of our recent forays have been to wine destinations like Bordeaux, Tuscany, and a great week in Napa. Our travel agent has planned these well and knows we’re adventurous (early forties and financially comfortable).  But now she is recommending we go…

LOOKING FOR ADVICE ABOUT INTERNATIONAL PHONES

Q –  This is written out of frustration. I’ve been on tech boards, researched on my own, and talked to my best high-tech buddies, and no one seems to have a solution to a simple question. I travel internationally all the time and I need to use my phone in the most effective manner. Some…

DO WE REALLY HATE HIGH-DENSITY VACATIONS?

Q – Don’t wish to slow down the pace of your wonderfully engaging travel Q&A, but, as an architect, the question of density and travel is something I find intriguing. I work on high-rise design. If you think of places like Monte Carlo, the Indian slum Dharvari, and, perhaps, Hong Kong, we would have several…

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT WHEN THEY CLEAN MY ROOM?

Q – As a frequent traveler within the USA,  I find my printing business takes me away about three weeks a month. I stay in lots of hotels, never, if I can help it, less than four stars, as five-star hotels always have excellent ac system installation that would make you feel relaxed and comfortable….

DO I WANT A SOUTHBOUND CRUISE BETWEEN AMSTERDAM AND BUDAPEST?

Q –  Thank you for all of this truly helpful information. We are going to take one of your suggestions to do a European “sampler” 14-Day cruise that includes sailing on the Danube, the Main, the Rhine between Budapest and Amsterdam. It sounds like a great way to experience the best of European river cruising….

WHY ARE RIVER CRUISES SO LONG?

Q – We are looking over several brochures including Grand Circle and Uniworld, and we notice that almost all of their programs are 10 to 14 days long. As a a working mother I can’t take off more than a week for a river cruise vacation. Are there specific lines that concentrate on shorter cruises? …

SHOULD WE WAIT FOR CRYSTAL’S RHINE CRUISE?

Q –  We are anxious to do the Classic Rhine Itinerary and we wonder if you expect Crystal to deliver on its promise to offer day sailing and more time in port in the evening? We are not at all concerned about the quality of the new company as we agree with your ratings that…