• CAN YOU ADDRESS A BASIC QUESTION – RELATED TO SIZE?

  Q – Like a fair number of your followers, my wife and I are each anticipating retirement in about a year if Elon does not get to us before then! We are talking to agents here in Dallas but we are getting conflicting answers. We are not that well traveled, we will be in our mid-sixties in excellent shape, and we are, I suppose more adventurous than most. Cost is not really a factor.  And here’s our dilemma and where we are getting confusing information:

  We understand all of the advantages of cruising but there is no way we would ever board anything that carried more than a few hundred guests. We would want to travel to some really fascinating places – not London or Paris – and we would want to do some hiking, perhaps biking off the boat. We’d love to travel with a brand that stood for excellent service with fellow guests with enough energy to want to truly explore some exotic destinations.

  That all said, is there one cruise product that your team feels comes closest to potentially meeting and exceeding our expectations? Please just give me your first choice – we’re not interested in second or third. The agents I have talked to keep throwing Silversea and Viking at me. Thanks and very much enjoy the hardcore info on your site. 

  A – When it comes to the sailing experience we are convinced that “size” is the critical component. You should look first at Aqua Expeditions. They are, we believe, the best in the small ship expedition field. Their vessels never carry more than 350 guests and some of their smaller ships carry far less. They are best known for operating exploration journeys of quality in Peru on the Amazon, the Mekong (Cambodia and Vietnam) along with coastal yacht voyages to Komodo National Park and the Spice Islands. 

  Aqua’s newest yacht, the Aqua Mare, is based in the Galapagos Islands and carries up to 16 guests. Please let us know how this all turns out and give all of the Dallas agents our warmest regards.
• HEADED TO SWEDEN UNTIL I READ THIS ………..

  Q – We are excited about a tour with Kensington followed preceded by a five nights in Stockholm which we booked ourselves online.

  Yesterday, we happened to look up some of the expected “excellent” ratings for Sweden’s safety only to discover that our State Department has issued a :evel 2 Warning for the country warning of “terrorists with little or no warning” who might attack any place where people tend to gather in large numbers. This could include “airports, cultural institutions, and major sporting events” to list a few.

  We have only been to Europe once before and this makes us very nervous. Should we reconsider this trip?

  A – Absolutely – we think you should cancel all foreign travel and stay home in the safety of our own country.

  Oh – wait a minute! Come to think of it, we currently rank # 134 on the International Safety Index, meaning that there are 133 countries in the world that are statistically safer than the United States. If you didn’t travel, you might be relying for your “view of the world” as presented by Whoopi and the ladies on “The View”. 

  Of course you should enjoy Sweden for all that it offers. The country ranks among the top three nations in the world on the “Happiness Index”. Its citizens would not be that happy if they feared for their lives. 

  In Gothenburg’s Ostra Nordstan shopping center and Old Townin Stockholm you could encounter some top-tier professional pickpockets.

  And watch out for the famed Swedish Taxi Scam – the meters are in Swedish krona but they may try to convince you that the fare is showing in Euros. 

  Other that that – enjoy every moment and remember to collect your “commission refund” when you check out of your hotel. 

• IS CRYSTAL CRUISES REALLY OFFERING FAR SUPERIOR SHORE EXCURSIONS THROUGH A&K AS PREDICTED?

  Q – (3.3.25) – We are huge fans of the Traveltruth Media Group but there is one question I have been waiting for others to  ask. My husband and I are thinking about Crystal versus Seabourn for a cruise in Europe out of Venice next summer. We’ve sailed Seabourn twice before, once on an unforgetable journey to Antarctica, and were thoroughly impressed. They deserve your high rankings. But, among our 18 past cruises, are three on the “former” Crystal Cruises we absolutely loved! We have avoided them since the bankruptcy and the new Abercrombie & Kent purchase but we are now seriously thinking about them.

  We get Crystal mailings and they kept sort of hinting that on January 1st there would be a major change and the operation of shore excursions would now be handled by A&K local offices. They would, we were led to believe, be better than the shore excursions offered by anyone else in Europe because of A&K’s operation planning and access to the best places with the best guides. Despite the Crystal inferences, I have seen nothing in the press or on your sites to indicate that the big change expected on January 1st has taken place. So a simple question – did the improvement and takeover by A&K in terms of shore excursion quality actually take place? Can I be certain that the quality of Crystal shore excursions will, on the whole, be better than its five-star competitors? 

  A – The short answer is “No – not exactly”. It has not happened as some Crystal optimists had hoped it would. Instead, Crystal has announced that three years after their acquisition of Crystal, actual “A&K Experiences” will be available to guests.

  In reviewing A&K’s announcement carefully, it appears that the company is no longer making aby claims about immediate changes in day-by-day shore excursions. Instead, A&K is taking a different path, announcing a series of longer pre/post cruise A&K branded experiences, most requiring several overnights.

  In 2025, the A&K branded pre/post programs will primarily be offered on cruises operating within Asia and Africa as well as a number of special land programs in India.

  The company admits it is “planting seeds” and will be expanding its programs in 2026 to include Alaska, Iceland, Italy, and France sailings.

  Every year will bring additional A&K Cruise tour offerings but it will likely be several years before A&K attempts the impossible task of operating all shore excursions under the company umbrella. 

  For now, what we can say with some accuracy, is that on a number of exotic sailings, A&K is offering longer pre and post programs to their guests of substantial quality – and cost. In the very near future, A&K will offer pre and post options unmatched by any competitor. We think that is a fair statement. But vast improvements in the overall quality of European shore excursions is a long way away and presents numerous operational hurdles. 

  What is often missing from the press coverage related to shore excursions is the fact that in most European ports, aside from the majors, there are only one or two shoreside companies with the financial stability, bus inventory, and contracted guides to handle several cruise ships arriving on the same day. Every cruise line must work with the firm that has the buses and the guides – they have little choice but to go with their programs. A&K has offices throughout the world. In the long run, that could become a serious competitive advantage. But, we think, that is years away. 

   

   

   

   

   

   
• WE ARE DOING A BRITISH ISLES ESCORTED TOUR PROGRAM – DO WE NEED ONE OF THE NEW VISAS?

  Q – We booked a fully guided tour out of London and ending in Edinburgh. We booked it ourself and we have not received any information about the new Visa Program I have heard about. It is a 12-Day tour operated by a British company so, as Americans, I wonder what I need to do. Thanks in advance for any help you might provide. 

  A –  If you are connecting flights at Heathrow etc. you would not need the new ETA Visa. 

  As you will be traveling to other countries, you will need an ETA Visa to travel through the United Kingdom. This is easy to obtain online. The Visa is currently 10 British Pounds (about $12.00 P.P.)

  The most simple way to get the Visa is to download the UK ETA App on your phone using either the Apple App Store or Google Play.

  On Apple, the App is located under “Utilities.” There is no charge for the App.

  The process is quite simple – this is what you will need:

  • • Keep Passport handy
    • Have Credit Card handy
    • You will need to take a photo of your passport photo page as well as a self-photo from the neck up.
    • There is a simple online form to fill out

  It has been averaging 3-4 business days for the completed Visa to be returned to you.

  Your note was a tad disturbing. Why have you not been in touch with the tour operator you booked? Why are they not advising you on the Visa issue? Who is taking responsibility for the planning of your journey at the other end? Who is your travel advocate? 

• ARE THESE CRUISE UPGRADE OFFERS SOMETHING TO POUNCE ON?

  Q – (2.25.25) – We just received an unsolicited offer from Regent Seven Seas for a Suite Upgrade Bidding Offer. I wonder, first of all if this is legit as it did not come from my agent. But if it is legit – what gives? When did Regent start marketing like a three-star Vegas Hotel?

  The pricing could be good and it seems like a good deal. What do you recommend and does Regent really know anything about this offer?

  A – The offer you attached is quite legitimate and we imagine your agent was copied in. We share your opinion that this is a rather odd way to represent a supposed five-star cruise line. One has to imagine that this brilliant marketing ploy originated at one of NCH’s lower tier brands like Norwegian Cruises or Oceania. 

  This could work out well and there are many booked guests who will tell us that they are pleased with the Bid outcome. But this is what you must consider:

  • The chances are good that you would have received a better price than the Bid price on the upgraded category if you had booked it originally when prices were lower. Most five-star cruise lines raise their prices on a 90-120 day cycle.
  • If your “Bid” is accepted you will have no option to rescind it. You’re stuck.
  • You have no input in terms of where on the ship the suite is located. You must take what is assigned. Be certain you get on well with elevator shafts. What staterooms are left for the bidding process? Not the best-located ones.
  • Payment is due immediately once your Bid is accepted.
  • Most Bids are not accepted unless they come close to the high-end revenue goal of the cruise line.
  • No cruise line wants Bid Suite winners telling the fools who actually paid for their suite what a lousy deal they received. 

  It all boils down to what someone once said …”well, are you feelin lucky?”

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