LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MIDNIGHT BUFFET

Q – We have done two cruises on NCL and one Costa. We are now ready to step up. As we read your excellent reviews and information we see no mention of Midnight Buffets, something we would always look forward to on our previous cruises. Which lines in the Top Ten have them. A –…

ANY HOPE OF AVOIDING ON-BOARD “DEPLORABLES”?

Q – We had an absolutely awful cruise experience in 2012 and have not cruised since. The staff was often rude, and the passengers dressed like slobs, and no one seemed to have any sense of propriety and manners. But the worst part was that we were assigned a table with a retired, alcoholic surgeon…

WHAT ARE WE MISSING ON THIS AZAMARA ITINERARY?

Q –  We’ve relied on this site a great deal as we’ve planned for our first cruise to Europe. We did Azamara in the Caribbean and absolutely loved it. Your review was dead on. It seemed the decor was getting a bit tired but now that the Journey has been refurbished, we think the 11-night…

YOUR SITE IS REALLY BOTHERING ME

Q – This whole concept of a place where people can learn how things really work in the cruise industry is great but that is not what this site is. As an agent, I would love to use your material for my clients but you are intentionally listing only the most expensive lines when you…

WHY DID WE GET THE WORLD’S WORST TOUR GUIDE?

Q – We have just returned from a cruise on Oceania, a line we really love. It is our third cruise with them and we can’t imagine any other line having better food, as CruiseTruth points out. On our first cruise to New England/Canada we just walked around the towns on our own. On our…

JUST HOW GOOD A VALUE IS VIKING CRUISES?

Q –  My father-in-law has an agent who is in love with Viking Cruises, which I understand is fairly new. We’re loyal Holland America fans. We’d love to join them on a European capitals sailing but we’re wondering if we will be really disappointed. Do they include as much as Holland America and are they…

WHAT IF I LOSE MY PASSPORT DURING MY TRIP?

Q – We have friends who just had their rental car broken into in Switzerland. A bag was taken including their passports, wallet, cell phone etc. We have an upcoming trip planned to Greece and Italy and we will be renting a car for a portion of this trip. What do we do if  we…

PLANNING ON TOURING GALAPAGOS: WHEN DO WE

Q – I have gotten my golfing, Bloody Mary drinking, lazy retiree of a husband to agree to take me on a cruise in the Galapagos islands in January or February of 2018. I am wondering when I should make these arrangements? How far in advance should I start locking this in? A – The…

LOOKING FOR A WINTER TRIP TO AFRICA BY PRIVATE JET

Q – We have dear friends who recently returned from a Private Jet Tour around South America and they absolutely raved about the experience, We’re in our early seventies and we’re at a stage in life where we want the details handled. Our friends said the private jet made everything easier with no overnight flying,…

SO WHERE IN EUROPE ARE TOURISTS STILL GOING?

Q – With all the terrorism over there, I am wondering where the Europeans themselves are now going on vacation. I know a lot of them used to go to Egypt but I imagine that has dried up. Are they now avoiding travel and staying home on vacation.  A –  The Europeans tend to be…

AIR FRANCE STRIKE; HOW DO WE AVOID IT NEXT TIME?

Q –  In June we got caught up in the middle of the Air France pilot strike making it impossible for us to get home on time. It was an absolute mess but I won’t bore your readers with details, except to say that we had to triple connect from Paris to get back to…

ARE ANTARCTICA SHORE EXCURSIONS LIMITED IN SIZE?

Q – Three days ago I placed a call to an outfit called Quark Expeditions about a sailing to Antarctica. They have 10-12 day programs on an older expedition vessel operating through March. The salesperson I spoke with said that only a limited number of visitors can go ashore in zodiacs at any one time…

BEST TIME FOR A BALTIC CRUISE

Q – We have just started planning a Baltic cruise taking in Scandinavia and Russia. But we are getting wildly divergent opinions regarding the best month to go. Please let me know when we should do this trip? A – The Scandinavians luxuriate in sunny days but they really love, along with the Russians, the…

ANTARCTICA: SCENIC OR CRYSTAL?

Q –  We are anxious to book an Antarctica sailing on one of two new ships supposed to be launched in 2018 – the Crystal Endeavor and the Scenic Eclipse. As we want to start reading and getting ready for this trip, which will you be recommending to us in terms of overall quality and…

DO THE PHILIPPINE CREW MEMBERS ABOARD THESE SHIPS HAVE US LEGAL PROTECTIONS?

Q – Just returned from a sensational Silverseas  cruise in Alaska. You don’t praise this line enough as it is, based on our 13 prior cruises, the very best of the best. There was an interesting discussion one evening at our table about the rights of crew members like the lovely folks from the Philippine…

CAN YOU STEAK US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

Q – We’re about ready to book our first cruise. We’re read the online reviews, your stuff, and looked at the line’s web sites. But now its time to pull the plug. Is there a way to work with you on getting this done?  We live in Los Angeles and we are foodies and steak…

WINDSTAR SEEMS LIKE A GREAT VALUE – WHAT ARE WE MISSING?

Q – We have been following your Q and A since you started and we thank you for such honest feedback. Our employment situation has changed and I’ve resigned from three Boards, so my wife and I can now start doing several cruises a year. Our plan is to start with one of the small…

WILL ANOTHER EXPLORER BE BUILT?

Q – The online reviews have all been quite positive  for the new Regent Explorer. We’re wondering if Regent will be ordering another one as I understand it takes three years to build? We missed the Inaugural of the Explorer but we may like to book the first sailing of any new ships they launch….

PLANNING ON DOING SOME ADVENTURE CRUISING IN 2018, 2019 AND BEYOND (HOPEFULLY)

Q – We are already planning for a new life of cruising devoid of canned Gershwin tributes, scam art auctions, and silly dress requirements. We are active, adventure types and I suppose we are getting ready to “retire” from cruising (Crystal is our brand of choice) to something smaller and more adventurous. We love true…

ARE WE GOING TO EVER FIND A SMALL BOAT WE WILL ENJOY?

Q – Cheers. My wife enjoys browsing boutique and secondhand shops, and we both enjoy a scenic or interesting walk. We live in a beautiful coastal town in Massachusetts so we don’t feel the need to do much traveling, and have never done a cruise. We do go to London once a year for a…

IS SEA DREAM BUILDING A NEW 200 PASSENGER SHIP?

Q – We’ve just returned from a Sea Dream Cruise that your firm booked for us – thank you very much. While on-board, the crew was telling some of us that the line is building a new ship to be called Sea Dream carrying 200 guests, twice the size of the current vessels. What can…

COMPARING AZAMARA, OCEANIA, AND WINDSTAR

Q – As we have learned,carefully reading (and enjoying) the information you have put together, what you see is not always what you get when you book a cruise. We are trying to figure out whether or not we should choose Windstar, Azamara, or Oceania. From your reviews, we are leaning toward Azamara, but are…

VIKING STAR ELIMINATED ISTANBUL

Q – We completed our first cruise  on the Viking Star, which was highly recommended by our agent. Since this line does not appear to be in the Top Ten Ratings of cruise lines we were skeptical. We’re in our mid-forties and were told that Viking had a younger clientele. We boarded in Venice and…

WONDERING WHO IS FINANCING VIRGIN CRUISES

Q – As a frequent cruiser, I’ve been on eight of your top-ten rated lines, I am interested in the financials of some of these businesses. It seems to me that it is extremely difficult, with all of the discounting, to really make money in the cruise industry. The new Virgin ships won’t be paid…

WHY IS SEABOURN SO ANTI-SMOKING?

Q –  Dear Sirs; I am writing to inform you that the politically correct have taken over Seabourn Cruise Lines. I sit here on my porch on a sparkling evening in Eugene, Ore. The stars are bright and I have a glass of cognac on the table next to me. In my hand I have…

ARE THEIR CRUISES WHERE GUESTS PICK THE PORTS?

Q –  We have a friend who once worked as a stevedore on the Cunard Line. He is 81 and still reads all he can about the cruise industry. The other night he told us that there are now lines where you board the ship and the passengers actually vote on where they are going….

YOUR WEATHER CONCERNS SEEM A BIT ALARMING

Q –  Your travel advice is spot on with one rather glaring exception. We don’t subscribe to your theory that the earth is getting hotter and that travel to places like Europe should be reconsidered in the summer months. We just returned from a ten-day package in Germany and we found the July temperatures to…

HOW DO YOU SPOT A FAKE HOTEL REVIEW?

Q –  Most of my  friends use and depend on TripAdvisor to develop their travel “expertise”. They mostly use it to justify the hotel they selected based on price. But I have learned, partly from this informative site, that these online reviews are often fake. So I wonder if you might share some ways that…

CAN I SELL MY BOOKED HOTEL ROOM TO SOMEONE ELSE?

Q – We’ve booked a hotel in London  for five nights and are currently in penalty. There is no agent involved and I did not take out insurance for this trip. We’re due to leave in 11 days. Is there any way to sell the room in London or to re-sell it in the States…