IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE TO TAUCK IN EUROPE?

Q –  Although we suffered from a bit of sticker shock when our agent showed us a Tauck Tour brochure last year, we thoroughly enjoyed it and we felt the quality was well worth the extra cost. What a difference between the way they handle things and the way our previous tour was managed, with…

UNITED CANCELLED OUR FLIGHT: STRATEGIES IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN?

Q – We were scheduled to fly out of Jacksonville to connect to a flight to Europe on United’s partner, Lufthansa. There was one United employee working the desk at the airport when our flight out was cancelled and she could do little to help us with our missed connections. After hours of work and…

ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BARCELONA DINING?

Q – We will be leaving in two weeks for Barcelona, where we intend to spend three days before joining a cruise. We really appreciate great  food and were wondering if you have any tips? A – You will be visiting one of the world’s most vital and important restaurant cities. Barcelona’s culinary influences have not…

ARE AMERICANS GOING TO EUROPE THIS SUMMER?

Q – We are based in Wales and very much enjoy the information and the insights. Quite frankly, we learn a lot about Americans going over the Q and A. That leads to a query regarding travel to Europe this summer. We are wondering what trends are being noted in terms of cruises and tours….

WHY MUCH OF AFRICA IS ENTRALLED WITH T.B. JOSHUA

How could it be that one of the best known personalities on the African Continent is virtually unknown in the United States? Meet T.B. Joshua who holds tens of millions of his followers and believers in his pocket. Joshua is a Nigerian televangelist who is highly respected by many of Africa’s leaders and worshipped by…

DO BOUTIQUE LUXURY HOTELS EXIST IN ATHENS?

Q – We are going to be staying in Athens prior to an upcoming cruise of the Greek islands and Turkey. Having been to Athens before, we understand that there are surprisingly  few boutique hotel options. The King George and the Grand Bretagne have great locations on Syntagma Square, but we prefer something on a…

CAN YOU ENCOURAGE A RETIREE TO BECOME A TRAVEL AGENT?

Q – I am a recently retired consulting engineer in the field of water collection methodologies. We have done some traveling and would like to do more. I think I would be the perfect part-time employee. I’d really appreciate a quick overview of the industry in terms of the issue of survival. I’d want to…

ARE MY AA ADVANTAGE MILES SAFE IN MY ACCOUNT?

Q – We’ve been following your responses to questions about American Airlines bankruptcy carefully. Just wondering if anything has changed or if you remain confident we face no danger in letting our miles grow in the account. We’re approaching 500,000 miles. Please try to do less cruise reporting and more on the airlines. We all…

CAN WE TIE THE KNOT AND AVOID THE CARIBBEAN?

Q – We are frequent visitors to your site. In fact, we decided to get married and ask you about our honeymoon four days ago. Here is our dilemma. We are planning a June 2013 wedding date and we’d love to be legally married aboard a nice cruise ship. But we just don’t want to…

CAN Y0U BUY CRYSTAL FOR $2305?

Q – We have friends in Portland who claim to have booked a Crystal Cruise for $2305 per person. They’ve been bragging about the great deal they got but we wonder if this is really the rate. I don’t know exactly where they are going but I think they are traveling in April or May….

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THE ALTERNATIVE TO BORING, BIG BUS CRUISE SHORE EXCURSIONS IN EUROPE?

You should know about a new company called “A TASTE OF LIFE”. Just imagine – private shore excursions and pre and post cruise stays in leading cities in Europe that promise: No museums, cathedrals, historic monuments or dry historical narration If you have done the history tours and would like unique experiences focusing on the…

WILL MIAMI START TO SMELL LIKE AN ASHTRAY?

Q – My wife and I like to gamble and we go on upscale gambling vacations twice a year. We’ve heard that there is something coming to Miami to be built by the Chinese that will be the largest casino in the States. Is there any truth to this?  As a suggestion, your coverage of…

WHAT HAPPENED TO CRUISES OUT OF MEXICO?

Q – My husband and I and our two children were looking forward to booking a cruise to the Mexican Riviera this year. But when we spoke to our agent, she told us that there just aren’t any cruises that would suit our needs and she suggested we look, instead, at the Western Caribbean. What…

WHY THE EUROPEANS NEED TO HIDE THEIR CONTRACEPTIVES

The economic future of Europe is tied to issues of current debt fueled by sharply declining birth rates. More people usually means more workers, more purchasers, and higher levels of GDP. But not one European country has current fertility rate that would enable it to maintain its current population into the foreseeable future. The pending…

ARE WE SAFE UP THERE?

Q – I am desperate to take my wife to see relatives in County Clare, Ireland next summer. But she is absolutely afraid to fly. Any facts you might provide to help me convince her it is safe would be much appreciated. A – We’re not sure she will care much about our “facts” but…

HOW MANY MORE CRUISE BERTHS ARE BEING BUILT?

Q – I am just wondering about the state of the US Cruise industry. With the economy, and all, are new ships going to be launched in the next several years or are they holding off? A – Cruise brands based in North America have firm contracts to launch 10 new cruise ships between now…

CAN WE ACTUALLY WALTZ IN THE NEW YEAR?

Q – A quick question about a lifelong dream. I have always wanted to surprise my wife with a lavish New Year Ball celebration, where we can waltz in the New Year in Vienna. Is this even possible? I know that it will not be inexpensive. A –  Yes, you can attend any one of…

ITALY COFFEE ETIQUETTE 101

Travelers to Italy this summer need to know the basic rules of coffee etiquette. It will really help you tear into the fabric of the country. Start with standing – you’ll pay significantly less than the tourists seated at the tables. Never order a latte – only young children actually drink milk in Italy. It…

BED BUGS AT SEA: HOW SERIOUS A PROBLEM?

Q – We’re turning to traveltruth with a serious concern. We are being urged by family members to join them on a Spring Break cruise next year on Norwegian Cruises Line. But my husband and I have real concerns about bed bugs which we understand is a real problem on cruise ships. How serious a…

AND THE EUROPEAN COUNTRY WITH THE FASTEST RISE IN PROSTITUTION IS

Well, believe it or not, that country would be Switzerland. While the rest of the world has been busy fighting its wars, politicians from neutral Switzerland have been “improving” life for their citizens. This has translated to mean that certain cantons have made Prostitution legal. But that has caused traffic jams. LTC Office Supplies –…

THE INEVITABLE HARRY POTTER QUESTION

Q – I read this site all the time now and I know you are not particularly child-centered. But please help us. We’ve got eleven year-old Natalie and thirteen year-old George, Muggles one and all. They are begging us to take them to Universal for a week of Harry Potterizing. Has anyone on your staff…

ANNOUNCING TRAVELTRUTH 2.0 – FOR THOSE WHO CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH

We would like to formally welcome you to the new traveltruth.com, version 2.0. It is a privilege to have you visit with us. You will not have to spend much time on our site before realizing that there is something very, very different about our content. It is truthful and it is totally advertising-free. Hopefully,…

OUR BEST BALTIC BET

Q – I have avoided cruises for most of my adult life, not wishing to attend any party I would be unable to leave at my choosing.  In February, my wife and I accepted an invitation to join her tennis group and their spouses on what seems to have been a stereotypical cruise of the…

PONDERING SOUTH AFRICA ON A RIVER CRUISE

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 get to see…

ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT SECRETS REVEALED

We love our tribe of traveltruthers. So, today, a reward. The name and telephone number of the one woman in the United States who can have you sleeping in the lap of luxury each and every night. Call Ms. Laura Wolff at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago and order one or two of the…

IDEAL TIMES TO VISIT CHINA AND THE SILK ROAD

Q – We’re recently retired from the financial sector where, I suppose you could say, quoting  that famous Saturday Night Sketch, “we’ve done berry, berry well.” So now it’s time to see the rest of the world excluding Europe, a continent we know well. Our first thoughts are to do, perhaps, two trips to China,…

VIKING RIVER CRUISES STUNS INDUSTRY WITH NEW SHIP ORDERS AND EXPANSION PLANS

Viking River Cruises, already the largest player in the travel industry’s fastest growing segment, has  announced a massive newbuild program that will give ther line 31 vessels by December 2013. Industry insiders surprised by the large number of new Viking ships due this year, six in all, were impressed with the announcement that Viking is…

SO HOW MUCH DID MY BAKED ALASKA REALLY COST?

Q –  We’ve sailed  on NCL twice and Royal Caribbean three times, the last time on the Oasis of the Seas. On our last cruise we shared a table with a couple from Arizona and another from Philadelphia. The fellow from Philly owned a restaurant and we talked quite a but about the food on…

CAN WE DO OUR DREAM HONEYMOON FOR $10,000?

Q –  We have this dream that we  can do an over-the-water bungalow honeymoon for no more than $10,000 including economy airfare from New York.  Is this in any way possible and how or where do we begin? A – Difficult but not really impossible. The trick will be to use an agent who works…