The rest of Q&A

Q –  My wife and I are contemplating a river cruise in  November/December 2017 and have a questions: Does it make sense to be on a river cruise for these Christmas markets considering that the outside temperature is going to be lower and might prevent you from fully enjoying the aspects of a river cruise – in other words, we would assume you could not be outside on the deck to enjoy the scenery.

A – Well you can be outside on the upper deck provided you have saved all of the gear you had on the last time you climbed Everest. Yes, central Europe is cold during the Christmas Season – but that is why it feels so much like what Christmas ought to be but often isn’t. The warm mulled Gluewein will surely warm you up so you will be prepared for grilled sausages of the highest caliber. You will be huddled up against the wind, and you will encounter some rain, and it won’t at all be like your last vacation in Jamaica. But, somehow, you will feel a real part of an authentic winter festival that just doesn’t stop. We love the Christmas Market River cruises and we’d do the trip just for the schnitzel.

Q –  Is this really the right time to be thinking about traveling to Europe? We have some concerns about traveling this summer but we really want to go on our planned cruise. What are you advising and how do you handle this question with your clients?

A – For most travelers, whether or not to travel to any destination is a heady mix of emotion, anticipation, a bit of natural fear, and rational thinking about gain and loss. So we think there is no simple answer and we do not want to be seen as salesmen for the notion that you should always travel no matter what. If your fears reach the point where you find it impossible to truly look forward to your journey, we would suggest considering cancellation. 

We have just had a terrorist event in Brussels at two locations that has resulted in more than 30 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Yet, the small restaurants that surround the Maelbeerk train station reopened in 24 hours and the streets of Brussels are filled with local residents who refuse to live their lives in fear. The people of Paris held huge banners that said “We are not afraid” immediately after the recent attacks in their city. We think we must never “Be Afraid” If we are, then those who would threaten us out of envy would win. Here is what we think you might consider before deciding “Should I Go or Should I Stay.”

THE FACTS: It is a head/heart thing. The 24-Hour News cycle thrives on tragedy. It gives the terrorists the kind of notoriety they seek. But we are always going to make the best decisions in an atmosphere of calm, using our heads to examine the facts. Here is one worth remembering. Right now, in the world as it exists, you are 1,052 times more likely to die in an automobile accident than you are in a terrorist act while traveling abroad. You are four times more likely to be struck by lightning than you are by a terrorist act. Your life expectancy actually goes up when you travel in Europe because you are not in the country with one of the highest murder rates in the world and one of the highest rates of fatal automobile accidents.

But some folks want even more specifics. So here are a few worth remembering although there are dozens of others that we could have listed:

• Your chance of dying in any kind of worldwide terrorist attack is 1 in 9.3 million
• Your chance of dying from a food poisoning is 1 in 3 million
• Your chance of dying from a dog bite is 1 in 700,000
• Your chance of dying from a car accident is 1 in 18,585
• Your chance of dying in your own bathtub is 1 in 685,000

CONCLUSION: Unless you plan to stay off American roads, not walk in our cities or suburbs, stay away from dogs and refuse to bathe, you might as well take that trip to Europe of wherever else you wish to travel. Staying home really is considerably more dangerous.

PROTECTING YOURSELF WHEN YOU TRAVEL ABROAD: We want you to avoid bad neighborhoods. Every city  has them – well not every city, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are virtually crime-free. You need to have a sense of neighborhood when working with your consultant to book hotels. Inexpensive hotels skimp on security – avoid them. If you are staying in a major city with a threat that concerns you, avoid US chain hotels and select a good five-star locally-owned property.

INSURANCE: You can always take out a “Cancel for Any Reason” top-end policy. The best of these, in our view, is the Maxi-Policy issued by Travelex. But be aware that the premium for such coverage averages 10-11% of the total cost of your trip.

USE A TRAVEL CONSULTANT WHO IS A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE TOP CONSORTIUMS: They will have access to daily security updates from their on-site offices around-the-world. Using one of these consultants is your best chance of receiving updated, accurate information about your destination.

IF YOU WISH TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH THINK OF THE AUSSIES: Our own State Department memos and warnings are often over-stated and issued in an attempt to cover all bases. Savvy travelers, instead, look to security announcements online issued by the Australian Foreign Office for their own citizens. They tend to be more accurate than ours. The British Foreign Office also issued worthwhile reports updating local conditions abroad.

DON’T BE AFRAID

Q –   Our neighbor said his son told him to get a passport card to use in place of an actual passport when he travels outside the States. We went online and it looks like the card is less expensive than a passport and easier to carry. Since we’re planning to do one of these river cruises in Germany later this year, we were wondering if the card will work for us? 

A – No. The Passport Card is only valid for travel between the United States and Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada, and Bermuda. Travel to any other country requires a valid US Passport. You do not get “Serious Traveler Qualification Credits” if you only travel to Mexico and the Caribbean in your lifetime. Canada barely qualifies unless, of course, you marry someone from Quebec.

Q –  My wife and I want to travel on a charter transportation to Cuba in early May. We’ve looked into AccessTrips culinary tour to Cuba and it looks good. Do you handle tours to Cuba? If so, would you recommend the AccessTrips tour or any others? Thank you.

A – Access is a company that was launched in 2001. They specialize in one-off culinary programs in a variety of destinations. They do work with travel agents so an agent commission is included their pricing.

The two best ways to see Cuba right now are via Tauck Tours or Abercrombie & Kent. They have the best local guides and governmental relationships. But with that said, I am really impressed with the specific itinerary you are considering. It is unique and, we think, extremely well planned out. Other tour operators have been anxious to do culinary and lifestyle touring in Cuba but they tell us  that they still feel that the tourism infrastructure in the country is not stable and sophisticated enough to provide the kinds of quality land experiences promised in the Access itinerary. So, I suppose, the question would be “How is a small company like Access able to pull this off successfully?”. You can also plan a trip to Perth city. Perth is the capital of Western Australia, which is Australia’s biggest state. Strikingly, Perth is geologically nearer to East Timor and Jakarta, Indonesia, than to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Perth is settled in the Swan River, which streams back to the Indian sea. Perth has the most enamoring seashores in Australia. As you land in one of the three air terminal terminals, we can comprehend the tourist(s) tingle you should have on your feet to investigate and get a vibe of this wonderful Australian city. You will be promptly searching for a contract vehicle to cross the length and broadness of this Australian city. Loosen up we are here to meet your necessity for a contract vehicle in Perth simpler. If you are searching for a vehicle rental incentive for your cash, at that point Hire maxiportbees is the thing that will suit you. You can likewise get an online moment to quote for vehicle procures by picking the date of your necessity of the vehicle and referencing the driver’s age.

If you want a culinary-oriented experience we would say you should look at this program closely. If, on the other hand, you want the very best Cuba experience that is not culinary in nature, we would look, instead, at Tauck or A&K. They will have a choice of dates. Meanwhile, we hope this brief “Guide to Cuba” is helpful:

• Fidel Castro first grew a beard because the US embargo cut off all shipments of razors to the island.
• The CIA made at least eight attempts to kill or capture Castro. These actions were dubbed “Operation Castration” at the Agency.
• There is a John Lennon Park in Havana with a bronze statue of John seated on a bench. He’s not doing much – just sitting there. Don’t try to steal his glasses – it’s been attempted before and it will get you prison time.
• Only 5% of Cubans currently have access too the internet.
• Be careful – Cross-dressing is illegal on the island but Ballerina’s are more respected than doctors.

Q –  My husband and I usually go on tours with Tauck.  We have really enjoyed all our trips.   This particular trip we are going on is to Peru.   Our travel agent has set us up with Sita Tours.   I am questioning them because my search has not showed that name at all.  My search keeps coming up with Ambercrombie & Kent, Kensington.

Can you please let me know if we should be leaning torward A&K instead.  (or someone else that you recommend) We are going to Peru(LIMA) and we want to go to Cuzco, Arequipa, Machu Picchu, (walk the 8 mile inca trail)  and Valley of the Condor.   The quote we are getting is $5,000 per person, plus internal airfare $610 per person (for flights Lima-Cuzco-Arequipa-Lima)  Of course, insurance will be approx. $500 each  for my husband & I.  

As we have stated we have traveled with Tauck.   You definitely pay for what you get.  However, we are a concerned. My question is that first and foremost, we are not sure about this Sita tour.   We cannot find any reviews on it.  Should we look elsewhere?  We are hoping you can give us any feedback as soon as possible.   Thank you in advance for your recommendations to us for our Bucket List trip!!!

A –  There are dozens of so-called “Worldwide” tour operators and SITA is one of them. They started out in 1933 in California doing student bicycle tours and were purchased by Roger Mahal an accomplished engineer from India in 1982. They have added many destinations since Roger took the helm but their primary strength remains travel to India where they are well-connected to the government and have won numerous awards. Your travel agent has recommended a well-regarded company with a long history of serving the needs of its clients. No fault there.

That said, we would not use SITA for travel within South America. Things can and do go wrong in South America and we prefer to work with top-tier firms in that part of the world who are truly connected on the ground. SITA would, however, offer better pricing than, say, an A&K, a Cox & Kings, or  a top consortium On-Site office.

One of the key questions to ask when you see a company that claims to have worldwide tours is “Exactly where do you have fully-staffed on-site offices and full-time guides?”  There are part sof the world where we would not recommend even the top-rated tour operators because they are just not equally good everywhere in the world. If you get seriously hurt while traveling, we want to be certain that the company in charge of your welfare is fully equipped to handle any emergency.

So our bottom line is that if you are seeking a moderately-priced experience, your travel agent’s recommendation strikes us as fine. SITA is a reputable company. But if you are seeking a more upscale and truly memorable experience, you might want to consider alternatives. We say this because you have mentioned several upscale firms in your question and you don’t seem to be fazed by the high likelihood of significant cost increases to “Do South America Right”. There are three continents where we strongly urge travelers to travel with the very best operators on the ground. South America is one of them.

Given your background with Tauck and your complete satisfaction, we would not take your money for any tour operator we feel may not be able to meet their standards. We have to wonder why this did not occur to your agent unless you indicated budgetary restrictions.

Q – We had friends in town visiting who have been to Italy a number of times. They were quite surprised that we were visiting Italy on a tour that has us  going to Venice in late September. They said that visiting Venice at that time is the worst in terms of water levels? And they said the weather wasn’t the best.

We are sure that our agent and the tour company checks on all of this but was wondering if you  have any thoughts on that?

A  – Although  weather patterns in Europe are going through some serious changes, May and September are generally regarded as the very best months to visit. Personally, we like the first two weeks in October. Venice is best enjoyed when most of the tourists have gone and the temps. have cooled off.

Several years ago, the Italian police set up roadblocks at the train station and the airport to prevent tourists from coming into the city in July and August because of severe overcrowding.

Last year, Italy had its hottest summer since records were kept.

Rains can produce flooding in portions of Venice at any time so it is not easy to predict although we try to stay away from bookings guests there from November through February when flooding is most serious.

Many great writers have commented on the fact that Venice is best appreciated in the rain. That is when we like it best because the streets are less crowded in the off season.

The truth is that if we were just going to Venice instead of a comprehensive Italy tour, we would almost  want to push it back a few weeks. The incredible crowds, now including huge numbers of Russian, Chinese, and Indian visitors, makes navigating difficult in the so-called “prime season months” of June, July, and August.

You have not made a mistake. The summer heat is brutal when combined with the crowds.

We have always hoped to be in Venice during a period of major flooding but we’ve not yet achieved that. If we did, we would send the same postcard to all of our friends that the humorist Robert Benchley sent many years ago:

“In Venice. City Sinking. Please Advise.”

“The quality of Venice that accomplishes what religion so often cannot is that Venice has made peace with the waters. It is not merely pleasant that the sea flows through, grasping the city like tendrils of vine, and, depending upon the light, making alleys and avenues of emerald and sapphire, Citi s a brave acceptance of dissolution and an unflinching settlement with death. Though in Venice you may sit in courtyards of stone, and your heels may click up marble stairs, you cannot move without riding upon or crossing the waters that someday will carry you in dissolution to the sea.”
― Mark Helprin, The Pacific and Other Stories

Q –  My daughter travels to northern Thailand in January, then back to the states in May. The bulk of her flights are on Turkish Airlines; you report them to be improved. She has two stops along the way: Istanbul and Bangkok. I see a wide variety of experiences online including the past couple months, that reflect highly negative experiences, the worst of which indicate a pattern of not communicating a change in flight–at the airport or late in the game, so I’m looking for a good gift for her, so I went online for a list of his and hers travel gifts to find something good for her. Flyers find out the change too late, when attempting to board where they checked in, then have to buy another ticket to actually get a flight out. This would be a disaster for a young woman by herself in a strange airport–and you say communication isn’t good (while online reviewers say English is weak among Turkish Airlines employees). While you’re at it, Thai Airlines looks a touch better–are they? That’s her second airline to northern Thailand.

A –  We would like to help you but without knowing the age of your daughter and a bit about her, specific advice is difficult. We are going to assume she is a well-traveled adult given her itinerary.

Here are the things you can do to assist her – here is what we would do to assist her:

01 – Upgrade her to Business Class. She will then receive transfer preferences and assistance. It will make a nice gift.

02 – Have your travel agent sign you up for comprehensive flight monitoring. They will watch all of your daughter’s flights, communicating with her directly by cell phone. Make certain, by the way, that she has a phone that will definitely work in both Thailand and Turkey. It is important that she is familiar with the details of working the phone. If there is a cancellation, the flight monitoring service will handle the situation, making alternative reservations such as the popular san diego whale watching experience. She will not have to stand in lines or panic.

3 – Have your agent schedule a meet and greet VIP service at all transfer points.

4 – You might want to stop reading online airline reviews. They are only indicative of one single flight experience on one route with one crew. Any single flight is a statistical anomaly. We are not fans of Turkish Airlines economy service/food etc. But their Business Class does win industry awards from time to time. Their long-haul service to and from the U.S. is significantly better than their services within Asia and Europe on shorter flight segments. To put things in perspective, the world’s best regarded airline ratings service gives Turkish a four-star rating. Delta, American, and United are three-star airlines.

Thai Airways is considered one of the world’s top-tier airlines. They do rank above Turkish.

The situations you describe as happening, as reported by self-appointed online critics, sounds to us as though several of the instances have to do with non-transferable internet tickets or a lack of authentic airline ticket stock representing universally accepted tickets. Tickets purchased from the airline directly or an agency representative, rarely have the kinds of difficulties you seem to have uncovered. But that is just our guess. Always remember that there are tickets and there are Online tickets. They are often quite different as are their terms and transfer/change stipulations.

Finally a personal note. If your daughter is as helpless as you are making her seem, why is she alone for several months in a third world country?

Q – Like most of the folks on this site, we’re extremely well -traveled and we tend to stay in one of the three best hotels in every city we visit. I love the treatment we receive and the benefits we get from our agent’s consortium group. But one thing just drives me crazy  and it just happened again. We like to take an afternoon nap and we keep getting awakened by calls and knocks on the door (the last time they ignored the “Do Not Disturb Light”) by some knucklehead who wants to “check the mini-bar.” 

When I am spending over $1,000 a night for room, taxes, and incidentals, I hate being ripped off by a refrigerator stocked with overpriced stuff I would never buy on principle. My partner and I both work very long hours and we like to just relax at a really nice hotel. The last two stays, we had to argue with the front desk about the damn mini-bar charges. We never, ever use the mini-bar but we were told “the sensor said you opened the door and took something” For $1,000 + a night shouldn’t we get some privacy and trust that we are not stealing their precious little bottles of booze? 

A – Yes. And it doesn’t really surprise us that five-star hotels are treating you this way. They seem to have a blind-eye when it comes to mini-bar annoyances and we receive numerous complaints about this topic.

The first thing to do is insist that your travel agent require that the mini-bar be emptied at every hotel in the future. This will give you the use of a refrigerator which in many situations, comes in extremely handy. You are entitled to the choice: Their rip-off “we have you captive” pricing for sundries or a nice cold, clean refrigerator to keep whatever you like in your room. Savvy travelers in growing numbers are now demanding that the mini-bar be emptied before arrival. Your agent can handle this for you.

If you are ever interrupted when you have a “Do Not Disturb” sign or light on, immediately ask to speak to the manager on duty. This is a serious breach of hotel manners and etiquette and some adjustment should be made to your bill.

Finally, if the mini-bar doesn’t bother you but the expensive booze it contains does, have your profile updated to say you are recovering from alcohol-related issues and no liquor or beer can be present in your room.

Thanks very much for helping us bring this to everyone’s attention. No one should accept a stocked mini-bar unless they really want one.

Q – We have heard that the Four Seasons in central Istanbul is small and quite nice and we’re ready to book. Thought we should run this past you first. We’re from New York, fashionionable and style-minded, we like to explore the latest hotels and restaurants when we travel and we blog for friends only. A sense of authenticity is important and we always like to be centrally located. Should we pull the trigger on the Four Seasons? I will say that my incredible girlfriend is worried about bad dreams at the FS given that the rooms were once prison cells. Looooove the site! 

A – We’re wondering what you were wearing when you sent this e-mail? Trust you are color-coordinated. We are not in the Four Seasons bashing business as they are a brand that always seems to exceed expectations. For this trip, however, we’d suggest you head, instead, to the new Solo House Hotel, sitting handsomely in the Beyoglu section of the city. Instead of a “prison cell” you will be sleeping in the former American Embassy. This small masterpiece feels very much like a private club – we think you will looooooove it! By the way, you are not actually sleeping in a prison cell at the Four Seasons. They did some renovation before they opened.

Q – My work will be taking me to Germany at least six or seven times in the next year. I missed my connecting flight last time because my nothing on Expedia seems to tell you that the lines for security can be long and that even passengers in transit may have to clear security in Frankfurt or Munich. Any advice would be appreciated as I know there are many business travelers who share my concerns. I had booked a “legal” connection.

A –  This is a bit of a scam that affects thousands of travelers to Europe. When you book off a computer screen, as corporate agents and Online Travel Agencies do, as well as the airlines when you call them directly, they are looking at a computer screen that tells them what they can book for you as a “legal” connection. That means that, assuming your original flight is on time, you should, under normal conditions, be able to make your connecting flight. They want to sell you a connecting flight because you will be happy that you did not have to waste hour in an airport terminal. Many passengers demand the earliest connecting flight.

The problem is that no human is actually involved in this conversation. The headset making your booking is likely not at all well-traveled and is probably unaware of the current levels of security as German airports including  Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, and Munich. The current security level often requires in-transit passengers to go through additional security lines that may include passport scans.

Cruise passengers frequently miss their assigned “legal” connections because the cruise line’s air department was unaware that their guests are subject to long security lines even when they are in transit.

Here is what we advise you do:

01 – Never book an airline ticket with an online agency. Book with airline directly as you will have direct contact with them should there be a problem. Many online air tickets are non-transferable to other airlines.

02 – Never simply accept a “legal connection”. Discuss it was a knowledgeable travel consultant or research it yourself. Always try to allow at least two-hours between connecting flights at major airports with in-transit security and passport lines.

03 – Think about your luggage. Yes, you will make a tight connection if you do an OJ through the airport (he’s slower now that he has to wear manacles) but your luggage won’t run as fast. Plan your connection time to ensure that your luggage wil join you on the second leg of your trip.

04 – Finally, specific to Germany, get an Easypass, which allows you to skip immigration booths at all major German airports in the future. You apply at  the office of the German Federal Police located in both the Frankfurt and Munich terminals.

Oh, one more thing: German Federal Police Officers and Army Personnel on security duty at Germany’s major airports do not generally possess a well-developed comedic style. Act seriously when interacting with them.