FAMILY VACATION WITH FIVE KIDS – TOUR VERSUS CRUISE?

Q – We are thinking of bringing our family of fourteen on a cruise or land tour. The group would have five kids between the ages of five and seventeen. We have looked at a Globus tour as well as a cruise on Royal Caribbean – both in Europe. We will travel in the summer…

Lots of Great Hotel Stays in Our Future – But How Best to Proceed?

Q – I am pleased to share that we have, like many of your followers, achieved critical mass for retirement. We can pretty much afford to travel anywhere and any way we choose. But our dilemma, I suppose, is that we believe top resort or top tier hotel stays provide everything we need. We will…

AM I OWED A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER USED A TRAVEL AGENT?

Q –  3.12.22 – I have to say that I was rather shocked to come across your traveltruth site and then your other consumer sites. Great job! I am a VP of Sales for a Fortune 500 firm. Over the past four years, I’ve been traveling constantly while also taking cruise vacations and two trips…

CAN WE MOVE ON? I HAVE LITTLE SYMPATHY FOR CRYSTAL GUESTS EXPECTING REFUNDS

Q – We enjoy reading the Q&A on Cruisetruth and we have several questions we’d love to pose about the likely impact of the war in Ukraine, why Windstar does not appear in your ratings and the financial status of the major cruise lines. But it seems that instead of addressing my questions, your editors…

CAN WE BOOK TAYLOR SWIFT IN COACH?

Q – We’re flying to Cabo San Lucas in October with our kids. Any recommendations on the best masks to wear on the aircraft? Kind of concerned as we are flying coach. Can my daughter get away with wearing her Taylor Swift cloth mask? A – Those washable fabric masks might not be enough by…

WONDERING IF A TOURIST WOULD GO TO AFGHANISTAN OR IRAN?

Q – Has Churchill & Turen planned trips to Iran or Afghanistan for clients in recent years? I would guess not but some people like to taker chances. A – We have sent several Churchill & Turen guests to Iran in recent years and the escorted tours went extremely well. The Iranians they encountered seemed…

WILL I GET A MORE COMFORTABLE SEAT ON AMERICAN OR BRITISH AIRWAYS?

Q – We are planning on flying into London next April. Schedule-wise it seems to boil down to either American or British Airways. The BA res. people are telling us they offer the best service to Europe because they have new seats and improved menus aboard their aircraft. We will be flying Business and paying…

YOU DON’T SEEM TO DISCUSS PRICE VERY OFTEN: MAY WE ASK WHY?

Q – One of the things we’ve noticed about working with your company is that we seem to never get into price or discount discussions. We’ve been happy with everything but wonder if we’re unusual in that we never feel the need to raise the topic? A – Interesting question. The consumer is overwhelmed with…

BASED ON THE LATEST TRAVEL INTEL – AFRICA OR BRAZIL AND PERU NEXT YEAR?

Q – We are considering travel to Brazil and/or Peru or the safari we have always wanted to do to Kenya and Tanzania. We would be doing this next year, summer, or early fall. Based on current information, do you have a strong preference for one of these destinations? A – East Africa would be…

DO WE WANT THE ‘CANCEL FOR ANY REASON” POLICY?

Q – We have been using Travelex insurance for our cruises on Silversea and AMA Waterways. Do they still have insurance available that lets you cancel for any reason? Seems like it might be a good idea given all that has happened. A – Yes. Travelex is still offering an upgraded Cancel for Any Reason…

IS THERE ONE BEST FLIGHT APP. TO CARRY WITH US TO EUROPE?

Q – We will be traveling to the Greek Islands this October, thanks to you. We are not all that digitally proficient and we are wondering if there is anything like a flight app that will work while we travel to monitor gate changes, flight delays etc. It would be great to have that with us….

IS GOING TO GREECE WISE AT THIS TIME?

 Q – What kind of Covid Test proof will we need to cruise the Greek Islands with Seabourn next summer? A – Right now, you do not need a Covid Text pass grade within the last 72 hours prior to arrival in Greece. You are likely referring to your vaccination certificates., the US is a…

YOUR TOP TEN LIST MAKES IT ALL FALL INTO PLACE – BUT……..

Q – Kudos on your Top Ten Cruise Line ratings. They are the most professional and detailed we’ve seen and they make the reviews and snarky comments on Cruise Critic look like they are written by amateurs. Like many of your followers, my wife and I, along with our friends who always join us, are…

DO CALL CENTERS UNDERSTAND VEGANISM?

Q – We are booked on a special air deal with Viking Cruises sailing out of Copenhagen next year. Both my husband and I are taking our first cruise outside the Caribbean. We are not so worried about our food on the ship but we are strict vegans and we want to be certain that…

DO CREW REALLY EARN MORE THAN THE SHIP’S CAPTAIN?

Q – I once read somewhere that cabin stewards on cruise ships often earn more than the Captain when you factor in tips. True? A – You are, dear friend, dating yourself a bit. But it was once true back in the sixties and seventies. Cabin stewards, particularly those from Great Britain and Italy were…

IS VIKING SAILING DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI LOADED WITH MONEY?

Q – We are looking at a very interesting Viking Cruises itinerary down the Mississippi and ending in New Orleans next summer (2022). Any recommendations regarding this “All American” itinerary? It looks really different, appealing, and I love the idea of the profits staying in America. A – This itinerary has been incredibly popular with…

DOES THIS SILVERSEA PRICING FOR A SUSHI ROLL SOUND RIGHT TO YOU?

Q – We are looking at the Silversea 14-Day round-trip Yokahama itinerary next April. Is this a really good Japan itinerary and can you explain why Silversea is charging almost $7000 per person for their four-night Imperial Japan pre-cruise program. A – You have actually stumbled across one of the very best Japan “in-depth” itineraries…

HEADED TO PRAGUE – BUT NOT TO SEE THE SITES

Q – We are people travelers – we could care less about sterile historical buildings and silly church buildings with their excessive costs. For us, we like to be around locals where they gather – seeing neighborhoods that are developing but are off the beaten tourist track. It seems that we invariably stumble into some…

HAVE AN IDEA TO DO A TOUR TO EGYPT TWO YEARS FROM NOW

Q – 5.14.21  Thank you for all of this – extraordinary info. We are planning a tour to Egypt that will include a cruise along the Nile for four nights. This is a bucket list item and I am an advance planner. The dates and pricing for our planned travel about two years from today…

HEADED TO COPENHAGEN ON VEGAN WINGS

Q – Thanks to your efforts, we are looking forward to a cruise from Copenhagen to Stockholm next summer. We have decided to arrive in Copenhagen two nights prior to our sailing on the Regent Splendor. We would love to stay at a well-located, reasonably-priced hotel and go out to a nice dinner before boarding…

IS IT SAFE TO GIVE A HOTEL SITE MY CREDIT CARD?

Q – As we start planning our travels again, and I don’t want to bother you with long weekends and domestic hotel stays, I wonder if you are feeling that handing over credit card info to a hotel website or online booker is reliable these days? In the past, I’ve done it without thinking, but…

DO I REALLY WANT TO GIVE THESE CRUIS ELINES ALL MY MONEY UPFRONT?

Q – Great site but you should be talking more about Viking Cruises – they are terrific. Best value out there unless you are a heavy premium brands drinker and a sightseer who must have an, “oh so private” driver” instead of a bus. We’ll spend money when we cruise but we like to know…