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…
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…
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…
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…
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 –…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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, 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…
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…
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…
There really is a food product nicknamed “Pink Slime” that is only now being discontinued by some major food chains and fast food restaurants because Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver exposed the fact that 70% of the supermarkets in America were putting the stuff in their hamburger meat. The processed material is gelatinous, ammonia-treated, pieces of…
It seems like folks in the States believe that nearly everything that costs less than $20.00 is made in China. But the Washington Post points out that we Chinese have been consuming a good deal of stuff made int the USA. In fact, the Post reports that exports to, not from, China have increased by…
Q – We will be taking our two teenage girls on a Christmas Cruise aboard the Celebrity Eclipse. Our travel agent wants us to take Celebrity’s insurance but has been less than helpful in educating us on this fairly important component of our trip. One of the girls has, what I think would be, a…
The Federal Reserve recently completed a series of “stress tests” to determine which of banks bailed out by the government three years ago are sound enough to weather another financial storm. As reported in the NY Times, four major banks failed the tests. They are Citigroup, Ally Bank (but A for Advertising), Sun Trust and…
Q – We had an extraordinary time on the Paul Gauguin sailing the Society Islands last May. Since then, we’ve heard rumors that there will be a Gauguin # 2. Any truth to the rumor? Wonder how they rate currently and when the 2012 Revised Cruise Line Ratings will be finalized? I hate to be…
Q – Don’t know if anyone ever just says “thank you” for this site, but we feel like we ought to. I am ex-military and my son is currently based at Ft. Hood. One of my neighbors told us that Walt Disney World actually has a resort for the military with sharply reduced rates. Any…
Q – We are going to be turning the corner on seventy and we are starting to think we ought to move on some of our bucket list exotics. We’re really anxious to get into the Peruvian Amazon to see as much as possible off a safe, comfortable expedition boat. Any company we should be…
I visited Myanmar last November and it became one of my two top trips of my travels. As a child at school in Robin Hood country, the British Empire and Ex British Empire were taught in history and geography lessons. The magical names of Rangoon, Mandalay and the Irrawaddy river sparked a lightbulb so that,…
Q – In a few months we’ll be off to Europe for the first time, visiting primarily Italy with some France. As we walk around, we were wondering if we should buy one of those hidden money belts or a fanny pack for our valuables? A – The money belts and fanny packs are not…
For true travelers seeking something different, we highly recommend Zegrahm Expeditions land-based tour, “The Five Stans: The Hidden Heart of Asia”. This 18-day journey beginning September 7th, 2012, includes time in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,and Turkmenistan. Participants will follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo gazing at river-studded plateau steppes, snow capped mountains, camel caravans,…
There is just no way to sugarcoat the fact that Athens is not the tourist-friendly city it was as recently as one year ago. The visitor to Athens is not going to be in any danger. The crime rate in Athens, while growing, is still lower than that of many popular European cities and even…
Q – It is our 40th anniversary and first European trip. We are looking at river cruises. Outstanding food is a concern with any cruise or all-inclusive tour. We’d hate to be in Europe for two weeks eating buffet or banquet style food. Any advice would be appreciated. A – Since you used the term…
Q – No one has ever asked traveltruth a really important question. My wife and I are off to China on our first ever escorted tour. We are extremely nervous about this trip as we really have no sense of who our fellow guests will be. The tour company is Gate1 and the feedback we…
Q – Thank you for FINALLY telling the truth, the whole truth, the cruise truth! I hope you can answer the question I have. My Mother just disembarked from Singaport on a flight to Dallas Texas after a 52 day segment of the Seabourn’s world cruise ( Seabourn Quest). She was taken from the airport…
Q – Dear Traveltruth – Greetings from Australia. I know that Aussies have a reputation for telling the truth in a direct manner. Hence these comments and question. I found your site by accident on the internet. But I sense I will get a truthful response. My dear husband who is now in a wheelchair…
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