Q – If I might put forward a question: when staying in a hotel arranged by the tour operator as part of the itinerary, are personal gratuities to hotel staff employees redundant? We realize that one can never give too much & have been generous, but remain uncertain as to proper & expected protocol. This…
Q – We are booked on a tour that will concentrate on the history of Persia (Iran). Yesterday, my local newspaper announced that several women have been attached by having acid thrown in their face for not dressing in the proper Islamic fundamentalist manner. The trip is in three weeks and we are seriously thinking…
By Traveltruth Managing Editor Richard Bruce Turen For the past twenty-three years, my family and I have taken our annual vacation accompanied by a few dozen of our favorite clients. Insane, perhaps, but shared experiences are always the best. But unlike the tours, culinary and otherwise, that I’ve put together for our clients, this…
Q – We are looking for advice concerning reports of neighboring stateroom’s disturbing noise volume in Tauck’s MS Inspire Loft stateroom # 104. The noise comes from other cabins vacuum toilet-flushing. (We are currently booked in that cabin for next summer). On the one hand, we read that Tauck and Scylla would address the problem…
TITANIC CRUISE LINES REVEALS PLANS By Richard Bruce Turen – Managing Editor Traveltruth.com Last week, I was able to snag an exclusive interview with one of the most innovative cruise line CEO’s in the business. I sat down with Dave Weidenaar of the new Titanic Cruise Lines at his headquarters in Burlington, Vermont for a…
Q – We have been debating cancelling our planned trip to South Africa next August. We read the comments from the fellow whose wife is spooked – you advised them to cancel their trip. But I am sure many of your followers would like a simple, up-to-date summary of where the Ebola problem stands in terms…
Q – We were going to sit down with a travel specialist and then we discovered traveltruth. I am Slovenian and I have had a rather charmed corporate life. I want to take my wife, who happens to be from Nicaragua, to Lake Bled, a place my father spoke about for years. I am sad to…
THE SAFETY BUCKET LIST In a world that can sometimes seem tumultuous, many of our clients are seeking out vacations where peace, calm, and personal safety can practically be guaranteed to visitors. This is a new reality-based “bucket list.” Each of these destinations is, statistically, considerably safer than a vacation within the United States. #…
Every year thousands of tourists travel to Tanzania and Kenya in the hope of getting a glimpse of one of nature’s greatest phenomenons. It is one of the most spectacular sights you will ever witness, but it is one that is unpredictable and can vary wildly from year to year. The migration traditionally describes…
Q – We are looking to celebrate my recent retirement from Citibank with a trip that has only one major requirement: We wish to visit the world’s most beautiful beach. There is little interest in visiting the second best beach or the third. We certainly understand the subjective quality of this question but, “Is there…
October 15, 2014: Listening to the noise of the 24-Hour, always “Breaking News” stories, we’d all be better off hiding under our beds. But experienced travelers know that sensationalized reporting can make any place in the world sound dangerous. Here are our current Go/Don’t Go Ratings based on the best available industry on-site reports. Liberia…
Q – My husband and I are making our second trip to London and we are scheduled to fly a 777 on American. The model is a 300, whatever that means. We have asked for aisle seats across. Our travel agent says this is a great plane but we know that sometimes the information on…
Q – Forgive me, but I just don’t get it. My wife wants to bring the grandkids, ages 8-16 on a seven-night Disney cruise. I’ve heard they do some special things but have no sense of the experience. Wouldn’t the family have just as good a time on an adult line like Princess that also…
Q – We will be making our third trip to Asia, this time Thailand and Laos. I am wondering if I should let the credit card company just work out the exchange rate when they bill us or should we try to exchange at a currency outlet here or abroad? We do have a Capital One Venture…
This is our list of the current “Hot Vacations Worldwide” as compiled by the $12.4 billion Virtuoso membership. The “Hot List” is compiled using date that tracks the largest increases in traveler visits year-over-year: # 1 – NEW ZEALAND # 2 – CHILE # 3 – INDONESIA # 4 – HUNGARY # 5 – HONG…
Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises have been sold. After being rumored for weeks, the deal to acquire Prestige Holdings, the owners of both Oceania and Regent Seven Seas cruises lines, has been formally announced by Norwegian Cruise line’s CEO Kevin Sheehan, The deal cost NCL $3.03 billion and Norwegian will soon be issuing…
Q – Our agent has assigned us to a cabin that appears to be at the very rear of the boat on a river cruise we are taking next July. Just wondering if we should kick and scream. Our impression is that there was very little space left on the sailing. Does that sound right…
Q – My wife and I, and my semi-annoying brother-in-law (he actually plays polo – what a toff) are looking at a Scenic Waterways cruise on one of their new ships, something called the Awful, oops, sorry, its the “Opal”. Haven’t heard much about this boat and my wife points out that you guys don’t…
Q – My wife and I are planning to travel to India in November and are wondering whether or not to include a visit to the Pushkar Far in our itinerary? A – The Pushkar Fair takes place in the fall every year, with the exact dates being determined by the Hindi calendar. This somewhat…
Q – We will be leaving shortly for a culinary tour of southern Italy. Are there any “proper manners” we should be aware of as we dine out? A – Try not to ask the owner if he or any member of his family is involved with the Mafia. This could possibly ruin your meal….
While proper tipping etiquette does vary from country-to-country, you will be pleased to know there are current industry standard expectations of tipping behavior. Here is what you should be tipping for good to excellent service: HOTEL DOORMAN: $1.00 TO $2.00 or 1 Euro for opening door, hailing a taxi and $3.00 or 2 Euro for…
A new study released by the U.K.’s Aberystwyth University (you get a degree if you can learn how to spell it) is shaking up the way US travelers are now exchanging greetings. The fist-bump, popularized by President Obama, has now been shown to reduce exposure to bacterial disease by 90% when compared to the common handshake. As…
Q – Somehow, I know that your team will know the answer to this question. I was doing a quick connection at O’Hare Airport in Chicago and walked past this gourmet-looking chocolate store called Vosges. Any good, worth bringing home, or skipable? A – We’re not huge fans but it is decent chocolate. The stunner,…
Q – Call us crazy, but we’re bringing the twins, our eleven year-olds girls, on a Crystal Cruise to the Baltic that will include several days in St. Petersburg, Russia. We want to put together a special day that might include a really nice lunch the entire family can enjoy. Is there anywhere you could…
Q – As we plan a river boat journey, our first, from Basel to Amsterdam next September, we are wondering when it might make the most sense to book. We are looking at Viking River and we know that the boats book up early. A – Two schools of thought. You may want to book this afternoon….
Q – We are going to be staying at the Grand Hotel des lles Borromees along the water in Stresa for a week. Flying from LA to Milano, renting an Alfa, and ready for some day trips. Are there any restaurants in the area worth a drive of am hour or so that you could…
WANT TO AVOID NOROVIRUS? DINE AT SEA (reprinted from Travel Weekly Magazine) By Senior Contributing Editor Richard Bruce Turen Given their fairness in all matters concerning cruise industry health and safety matters, I imagine I will soon be seeing a public apology from our friends at the major network news organizations and the decision-makers at…
Q – In the mid-eighties, I spent a semester in Barcelona, studying Spanish and a bit of Architecture. Now, my wife and I, she has never been to Spain, are heading for Barcelona to begin a 12-Day Cruise on Oceania. Because of work, there is just the one day in Barcelona and I am intent…
Q – Do you think it is practical, to plan a trip to Mexico City that would allow us to take in some of the best local food spots and markets in about a week? My husband just lives for authentic Mexican food but we live just outside of Birmingham and we’re not about to…
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