Q – My husband and I are going overseas for the first time this April on a tour arranged through our church in Boise. It is a group tour and we have to get to New York on our own to get on a Delta Airlines flight. My question is how much time do you…
Windstar Cruises, a line that operates three unique small cruise ships with computerized sails, has suddenly become the largest of the small ship (under 300 guests) operators with the announcement that it has purchased the three smaller and older Seabourn ships, the Pride, the Legend, and the Spirit. The delivery of the 208 passenger ships…
American Airlines and US Airways have consummated their stormy merger prenuptials, and we are expecting Justice Department approval of a deal worth an estimated $11 billion to be finalized this Fall. The new carrier will be known as American Airlines with headquarters remaining in Ft. Worth. After all is said and done, the stockholders in…
Q – After watching CNN and other interviews with the poor folks getting off the Carnival Triumph, I really wonder if we ever will take that first cruise. So let’s see why travel “truth” is still, as far as I can see, recommending cruising. Given the honesty of your answers to other questions, I wonder how you…
Q – We work full time and have just nine or ten nights to spend in Italy. We love hiking, exploring, and really good food. Could the Amalfi Coast work in that time frame and how would we set it up in terms of hotels and air. We are in our fifties and we like…
Now that our 2013 June Signature Cruise from Reykjavik to Copenhagen is sold out, we have set our sights on an early announcement for all of our VRVIP Guests announcing our personally escorted trip in 2014. In celebration of our 25th Year in this patently absurd business of ours, (absurd because your competence is dependent…
Q – We have been following the story, now on the New York Times second and third page, of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. I am writing this on February 8th and I wonder what the status is. We are supposed to fly the plane in April on United. You all seem to be honest journalists…
Q – Hopefully you can help us get an answer to a question that is not covered online or in the various river boat brochures. To what degree will the on board Concierge staff customize sightseeing or arrange for private guides? We love the concept of river boating, as you’re presented them, but we know…
Q – As potential new cruisers, we found your site extremely helpful. But we did notice the absence of any information on boat safety and who has the safest river boats. Given the Concordia and other mishaps at sea, we wonder why the omission? We’ve never cruised before and we’re rather nervous about all this….
Q – Our friends found an ad for a river boat company we’ve never heard of called A-Rosa. They sound like a spaghetti sauce but they claim to be both deluxe and inclusive. Is this a line we should be looking at for a summer Danube cruise. From their ad, it looks as though they…
Q – It appears that cruising along Europe’s best rivers is even more popular than we’ve been lead to believe. We are trying to travel the Danube in a top suite on Tauck and everything is booked up for the entire summer of 2013. Is this typical of the industry? If so, when do you…
BOEING’S NEW 787 DREAMLINER TAKEN OFF THE TARMAC The mostly eagerly anticipated aircraft of the decade has been taken out of service worldwide because of fire-inducing issues with the new lithium ion batteries unique to the 787. ANA and Japan Airlines have already taken delivery of 28 of the planes. Air India has has 6….
THE REALLY BIG PICTURE Sometimes, we in travel need to step back a few paces, to see the big picture in terms of future travel destinations. NASA’s latest data collected from the amazing Kepler long-range telescope, now indicates that there may be as many as 17 billion planets the size of Earth in the galaxy, including the 461…
Q – In this day and age of less ostentatious travel, I wonder if cruise lines are still offering Around the World type cruises? A – This year, we count nine lines offering ATW Cruises, six of which will literally circumnavigate the globe. Three of these lines, Holland America, Seabourn, and Silverseas, compete with identical length, 115…
The Disney folks are launching a new series of technology improvements to enhance guest experiences. The initiative is known as MyMagic+. The program, which will first be introduced at Walt Disney World in Orlando will include a new website and dedicated apps. But the innovative part of this is the radio-frequency technology that comes embedded in…
Q – We’ve been searching for a really strange destination and thought your staff might be able to help. We will soon be opening an ice cream parlor in Sonoma, California. I’ve taken early retirement and before getting back to the hard work ahead in launching a labor intensive business, my wife and I want to…
Q – I am in the restaurant business and your site has pretty much convinced my wife and I to try a river cruise. My only question is whether or not I can use my laptop onboard for business two or three hours a day. I have to be in contact with our various franchisees…
Q – Like about half of the residents of our condo building, I am likely to be needing hip surgery. In the meantime my better half wants us to take a river cruise this summer. Is one line better at offering easier walking tours than the others? Enjoying the site quite a bit. A – …
Q – Which of the river boat companies would have the most sophisticated clientele? We are well traveled and we would like to be with people with a broad range of intellectual interests who are on a river cruise because of their cultural curiosity. We notice that there is a Sophistication Rating for cruise ships…
Q – We have read that Grand Circle has a really high repeat factor. This is important to us and, if it is true, would be a reason for booking. We have been on more than a dozen Tauck Tours and on almost every one 75% or more of the guests were repeaters. A – …
Q – Friends have just returned from a European river cruise with Viking. They thought it was a terrific deal compared to big cruise ships but they felt that there was literally not enough food. No one offered them seconds and the staff seemed shocked when they asked for more food, calling in the maitre’d….
Q – We have found a sixteen-day tour to South Africa run by AMA Waterways. I’ve never heard of them or the river cruise boat they are using, a boat called the MS Zambezi Queen. South Africa has been a dream of ours for a very long time. On this trip you visit Cape Town,…
Q – We find your site rather confusing. On the one hand, it purports to be a cruise site, but we notice lots of information that seems way off topic. If you wish to have people use the site, you might want to think about sticking to one thing and doing it well. Our question…
Q – These hotels really get me angry. They always pretend they are full when I ask for an upgrade. Meanwhile, I know from online availability, that they have suites available. I am just constantly being turned down for upgrades and I know others are getting them. I dress quite well, I’m a decent looking…
Q – My boss just informed me that I’ve won a two week trip to Italy that will include three nights in Sorrento, along the Amalfi Coast. My wife wants us to rent a car and do some driving. Do you think that’s a safe idea? Any tips on the towns nearby that are “must-see’s”….
Q – With great sadness, my husband and I read of the passing of Andy Griffith, a wonderful role model and, I think, a true southern gentleman. My husband suggested we just “drive to Mayberry”. Is there such a place and how would we get there? Hope this request is not sounding silly. A –…
The most expensive lunch ever recorded will be consumed by an anonymous bidder who paid $3.46 million to break bread with legendary investor Warren Buffett. The money will be donated to Glide Community Church and its outreach center in San Francisco. Do not scoff at the cost of this meal. Last year, Ted Weschler paid…
Q – I am a country club wine drinker but I do keep the Wine Bible next tot he remote and I am slowly getting into French red, particularly Bordeaux’s. We’re headed to France to do some tasting with another couple who thinks that the Trader Joe’s label is really prestigious. But I do want…
Q – I am a software gun for hire and I travel about 80% of the time. I know that there are often great deals online at the hotels I’m staying at but I just don’t have the time to check it all out on a daily basis. Is there any way to get the…
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