The rest of Q&A

Q – (5.14.24) I won’t bore you with my medical history. I am going to be 79 and I have type-2 Diabetes along with several other maladies – some related, some not. We are going to be going on a 54-day sailing on Seabourn in Asia that combines several shorter sailings. Can you confirm that should my wife or I need the on-board doc’s services they are included in the fare. I seem to have read that on so-called Grand Voyages” and the Around-the-World’s” the physician’s services are all included. Can you verify? 

A  –  No verification here. This must be explored with your travel advisor and Seabourn management. Here is what you need to know and what you need to do:

• Have your physician prepare a detailed list of your current medical concerns and a full list of your medications. Have your travel advisor submit that list to Seabourn or do it directly for reasons of privacy. The on-board physician will need your medical summary information.
• Your assumption was, at one time, correct. But cruise lines have been getting away from unrestricted commitments to include medical services on any length of voyage. There are just too many insurance issues. It is more likely that your initial consultation will be included in your fare but additional services will not be complimentary. You need to get this policy in writing. You need to know exactly what will be included in onboard medical services and what won’t be. Your advisor can assist with this.
• We want you to understand that the ship’s onboard physician does not work for Seabourn. They are independent contractors. Seabourn insurance will not, generally, cover interactions with the shipboard physician. 
• You need to investigate the potential of a huge medical bill should something unexpected happen. Will Medicare or your private insurance cover you? To what extent? Have you taken out medical insurance? What are its provisions? Have you taken our advice to never take out travel insurance unless it specificifically provides at least $500,000 in medical evacuation coverage?

Going on a cruise with Diabetes is not unusual. But going away, anywhere, out-of-country for two months and traveling to areas where the local hospital situation may not be up to US standards, is something we would urge you to consider carefully. Your medical; health issues and paperwork must be in order and you need to know who to notify if you encounter unexpected issues. Your Advisor should be discussing all of this with you in some detail. As you have not mentioned that a professional advisor is involved, the possibility exists that you are not using one or that you are making your arrangements online or directly with the cruise line. Don’t.

You are going to be paying many thousands of dollars in travel agent’s services even if you don’t use an agent. It makes sense to share your concerns with a specialist who will adviuse you on the above. In your case, you might want to contact someone locally so you can sit down face-to-face to discuss these medical concerns in person.

Wishing you a smooth, healthy 54 Days seeing some of this planet of ours. 

Q – (5.12.24) We can’t wait to sail the AMA Spirit to Vietnam and Cambodia. But a friend who follows social media more closely than I ever will, just advised us that AMA has been sold and that it is no longer an American company. We’ve sailed with them twice before, once on the Duoro in Portugal and once for the Christmas markets along the Rhine. We love the line and the people it attracts. We know that you rate them highly but we now have some worries that the AMA we know will not be what we have experienced in the past. Any advice you can offer?

A – Yes, we suppose AMA Wasterways will change – for the better!  After all, the founders remain very much in charge but the line now has an infusion of cash that is the envy of  other companies that compete in the “river trade”.  

The  French investment firm, L. Catterton, has acquired a significant stake in AMA. The founding owners, Rudi Schreiner, Kristin Karst, and the Murphy Family are part of a consortium of investors. Centares is the travel and hospitality branch of  L. Catterton,. The investment group has $9.6 billion under management and the company is a part of the family of funds owned by Bernard Arnault in France. Mr. Arnault is said to be the world’s richest man.  Under the Arnault umbrella, AMA will now share ownership with many familiar brands including:

Tiffany & Company – Louis Vuitton – Christian Dior – Moet & Chandon – Fendi – Bulgari – Givenchy

Many of the friends of AMA, including those of us who know Rudi, Kristin, and Garry Murphy as three of the most approachable, intelligent and down-to-earth executives in the industry, are thrilled that this group now has the funding to accompany their vision to create products in the river cruise market that will operate in new markets and at the highest possible levels. AMA will remain a product specifically suited for a majority of American guests although the European market will continue to be an important part of their overall demographics.

You can now tell your friends to stop believing what they read on social media. You can also tell them that your personal riverboat company has “more money behind it” than any of its competitors. You will love your Mekong River Cruise and when you go to bed at night know that Mr. Arnault will make certain that you continue to have the very best experiences on AMA.

Q – (5.13.24) My partner and I enjoy your fresh take on the waves of travel nonsense that is produced by social media each day. And that, sort of compliment is coming from a team that produces some of that noise for a wide variety of corporate clients. We are, in fact, off next week to Buenos Aires to work with one of those clients in a mid-city high-rise. But we will have some free time and we were wondering where you might suggest we rent a bike and do some neighborhood exploring in safety and with a stop for some great Argentinian coffee every hour or so. I suppose we are interested in seeing the kinds of neighborhoods where successful folks in our business might reside in a nearby suburb. We will get more than ouir fill of city life, food, and entertainment. But we want to explore on our own and sort of get an insider’s view of where locals like us, who do what we do, live and enjoy their weekends. We are thinking upscale housing, parks, and plenty of restaurants and cafes that can be explored on a bike. Thanks very much for your response.

A –  There are several great residential neighborhoods surrounding the core of Buenos Aires but we would first suggest that you head to Palermo, just northwest of the city center.  This is the neighborhood where BA’s young professionals and media types are all moving. You will fiund upscale shops and restaurants and sidewalk cafes galore. The neighborhood is admired for jogging and biking and it is considered safe. There are public bike racks available or shops that rent bikes. But don’t stay too long – you may be tempted to put down an apartment deposit. Palermo is that much fun and largely undiscovered by tourists.

Q –   We had a long weekend, so my wife and I planned out a cruise we will be booking on Celebrity Cruises to Europe next summer, which we will follow with a Backroads Walking Tour of Spain. We spoke to our travel agent who knows that we always fly American out of Charlotte. I do love collecting those Advantage Miles and have saved enough in the past for some nice weekend getaways. But my agent told me she does not think I will get mileage credit from the cruise line or the hiking company if I purchase the air through them. Does this sound like it could be true? How can I be sure to fly American while still earning my full mileage credits? PS – we always fly Business Class. 

A – Your travel agent is absolutely correct. This is all a bit technical but let us simplify it a bit. American became the first major airline to say that if you book your air through a third party vendor, like a cruise line or a tour operator, you will no longer be able to earn miles on those flights. This policy went into effect on May 1st, 2024.

Of course, the math is fairly simple. American has to give out contracted rates and pay commission when a third party sells their tickets. They have made a business decision to, essentially, only grant miles when the customer books directly with American either online on the American App. or using the American reservation system. 

Many travel advisors are waiting to see if the other shoe drops and other airlines match this policy.

Your alternative is easy – book the air with American yourself directly. And be prepared to relinquish the airport to hotel and hotel to ship transfers that your cruise line would have included in the air package. 

This is just one more example of why so many millions of folks are wearing those red baseball caps that read “Make American Airlines Great Again”. They even hold their own anti-American Airline rallies. 

Q— (5.5.24) Our friends recently returned from a Regent Cruise sailing out of Athens. They were booked on a pre-cruise program. Their flight out of New York was canceled, and they ended up with a new schedule that required several flight changes. They arrived in Athens after 38 hours of flying. According to the Apple Air Tag, their luggage was still at Charles DeGaulle. No one from Regent or the Regent-booked hotel could help them. They finally sent an e-mail directly to the CEO of Delta and received word two days later that their luggage would be sent home as they had requested.  Thjey did the cruise with clothing and accessories they had purchased in Athens. 

We have a cruise planned on Silversea in two months and we are wondering what to do to prepare for such a situation. They told me that the travel agent could not do much because the agent had not done the ticketing. Any advise for those of us who might be worried about a similar experience regarding lost luggage would be appreciated.

A – As the rate of flight cancellations keeps creeping up, stranded pre-cruise and pre-tour baggage is a growing problem. It is a rather complicated problem to fix when it occurs because the airlines generally refuse to talk to anyone but the booking agent or the customer directly. Most airlines outsource their lost baggage departments these days so formal claims must be filed before departing the airport at one’s final destination. Although cruise lines provide air as a “convenience” to their guests, they are generally unwilling to assume responsibility for lost baggage. They will claim that it is the airline’s responsibility.

Here are Some Suggestions to Both Prepare and Cope with Lost Luggage During an International Trip: 

• Use the Apple Air Tags or a similar tracking device so you always know where your bags are at any moment
• Do not travel without emergency numbers, including the number of your airline’s lost baggage department. Ask for this number when you check in for your first flight.
• If your bags are lost, you should send a specific email to the lost baggage address. Always include the baggage claim number, the lost baggage report number, and a full description, including size, brand, and color, of your missing luggage. 
• Try using large baggage tags, including where you are staying and the dates on the back of the tag. That could prove helpful. 
• Always pack two nights of fresh clothing in your carry-on. 
• If you are not assigned non-stop flights abroad, seriously consider having your bags shipped directly to your hotel by one of the better luggage shipping services such as “Luggage-Free” (It isn’t) 
• Forget arriving at your pre-cruise destination one night before boarding the ship. To help avoid boarding without your possessions, start planning three-night pre-cruise stays wherever you are traveling. That extra day and night will help increase the odds that you will receive your bags before boarding your ship. 
• If you check in to a quality hotel without your luggage, tip the team at the Concierge Desk and nicely solicit their aid. They will often have contacts within the airport. Don’t forget that once your luggage arrives at your destination airport, it still has to be sent to your hotel. There are instances where you would go with a courier from the hotel to secure your luggage from customs personally.
• Keep a notebook with the dates/times of all conversations and details associated with your lost luggage. Keep all receipts and copies of paperwork in an envelope for easy access. This will be extremely helpful should you decide to file an insurance claim using your “lost luggage” or “trip delay” provisions. 
• If you have not received your bags do not immediately go on a wild shopping spree as insurance companies have very limited coverage of expenditures for replacement clothing. 
• Your travel advisor will, hopefully,  be tirelessly working on your behalf. Make certain that you send your advisor a daily status update. It helps if you work with an advisor who has a personal relationship with your cruise line’s management. Because cruise lines do not take responsibility for lost baggage, and the airlines will only deal with the entity that issued the tickets (The Cruise Line or Tour Company Air Departments), your travel advisor will likely be rather restricted in what they can do to help you. If your travel agency personally issued your tickets, they will/should get involved with their airline representatives.
• One or two of the better air ticketing specialists include assistance with lost baggage in their services. If you use one of these Flight Monitoring Services, such as Cranky Concierge, you will have an advantage as they can deal directly with the airlines and their baggage departments.
• Always pack anything that is truly important to you and all documentation in your carry-on. 
• Please try to stay calm. In the vast majority of cases, well over 90% of the time, passengers flying internationally, particularly those in Business or First Class, are eventually reunited with their lost luggage.

Q – As my wife and I work, almost continuously, on our Five-Year Travel Planning, we find ourselves drawn to the list you published several months ago of the World’s Top Fifty restaurants. Fine dining seems as good a reason to visit a country as anything else, so we are trying to use two or three in-country firm reservations to guide us in our planning. The question is how to best secure a reservation at one of the restaurants on the list.  Do you recommend that we call or, perhaps, put our request in an e-mail? Should it be addressed to the Head Chef or the owner? We would love to lock several places in Brazil and Japan in for 2026. Is there anything we should tell the restaurant about ourselves to make this all go smoothly?

A –  Good idea but, perhaps, wrong approach. The last thing a world-class restauant wants to do is try to figure out what a US caller is talking about. You have no clout with a foreeign restaurant unless you get screamed ast easch evening by someone named “Gordon”.

The last thing the really top restaurants overseas  want is a reputation for catering to tourists from the USA. It would help kill their local business. We would leave the restaurant reservation portion of your trip-planning to the overseas office used by your travel advisor to do the rest of the tyrip. The owners of your on-site offices live in-country and if the restaurant is on the “Top-Fifty” List it ios likely they have a relationship with management. Leave it to your local contact to fill the restauant in on juist how very important you are. Unless you are a blood relative of Anthony Bourdain  however, they may remain unimpressed. They hear from true VRVIP’s each and every afternoon seeking tables. 

The rule here is that any reservation needs to be made by a local, fluent speaker of the language or, in the case of the British Isles, by someone with the proper pronunciation.

There is one exception – if you are a return VIP Guest at one of the very best hotels in town, it is likely that the Lead Concierge at your hotel would also be a good source to score a hard-to-get reservation. 

May we say that being led on your travels by a desire to dine really well is an idea with a great deal of merit. But beware that that approach may keep you isolated int he more affluent, sophisticated portions of your destination. We would suggest a fifty-fifty mix of fine-dining and dining “a la local” in the countryside.

Q – It would appear that The Goring in London meets with your approval. We work with a TA and she is a member of one of the major consortium groups. However, I was able to call the hotel directly and get an extremely competitive rate with no hassles. We are collecting countries, 73 to date, and there will be many hotel nights to book as we are in our early fifties. So I suppose I want to ask, on behalf of others who visit this insider site, how do we really know when we are getting the very best hotel rate?  Do I book through my agent, the hotel directly, one of the mega-online agencies, or do I spend my time on Expedia and Priceline? Is there clear advice you can share. It really isn’t the money. It’s more about the principle – if we are spending, on average, in excess of $1,000 per night, how can we be certain that we have been given the best price?

A – This is, as you realize, a somewhat complex question. But you raise several excellent points and we feel that we want to try to achieve some clarity in our response. So allow us to address your questions with bullet points:

• The best hotel rates are normally going to be offered by the hotel property, not by some third-party 800-number online entity. One would have to assume that Hotel Owners are idiots were they to allow internet-based sites to beat the pricing they have in their own hotel database. We know what the ads say – but booking anything with a 1-800 Call Center is just a sucker move – yet – seven of the ten largest travel agencies sell online strangers. They are there to sell you a hotel room but, as importantly, they are there to gather your identity and your credit card information which can then be sold several times. The proceeds from the sale of your private information is generally greater than the profit on a hotel room booking – even one at a deluxe property.
• But you only represent a single booking. your agent may book the Goring several times a year and her consortium may do six figures or more in total annual bookings. So normally, (and believe us the phrase “there are always exceptions” was created by the hotel gods for their profession, the best consortium members receive similar pricing plus a package of amenities. This may include complimentary breakfast, airport transfers, a dinner voucher for the hotel restaurant etc. In other words you agent would not be undercutting the hotel’s direct price but they may have negotiated volume amenities and upgrade offers that are not available to the general public or those who book their accommodations directly. 
• So – the bottom line:
  • Only book a hotel with an advisor who has a consortium certified contract arrangement with your hotel. That is how you get the best rate – ask if the hotel “Is a Preferred Supplier of your consortium”?
  • If not, your second best option is to book directly with the hotel – not a service desk or a rep firm – the hotel itself

Q—I have a guidebook that says Sunday is the best day of the week to book a flight within the USA. Prices seem to go up on Monday. This sort of makes sense but it also seems too simple to be true.

Is there a time of day when the average air ticket is lower? We are now at the point where we will be doing more domestic travel to visit kids and grandkids and I am trying to figure out a simple strategy. Thanks very much.

A – Airline strategies are fun to write about but much of what is written is old by the time it reaches print. You want to book domestic flights between 30-60 days before departure. But there is no one day when rates are lower. The new breed of computer algorithms is changing fares constantly based on availability and sales data streaming in by the millions. There is no way a human can try to predict or even keep up with those changes.

Wednesday and Thursday may be the best days but that is really hard to certify. We do know that flights that leave between 6:00 and 8:00 am and flights that depart in the evening between 10 PM-1:00 AM tend to have better pricing and better on-time records than mid-day departures. 

Q – We are three friends – all in our thirties, all financially comfortable, and all working for West Coast architectural firms. We ski and take lots of photos, but we travel primarily to be stimulated by new ideas in urban planning, architectural design, and lifestyle planning. We like to go where the world’s happiest people live to try to gain an understanding of how buildings and design can make city living fun again.

We are now planning a November getaway – possibly to Stockholm. We have already traveled to Copenhagen. We are wondering if you would agree that Stockholm is the obvious choice? Love the site and the lack of ads. 

A – We would make a strong base for Oslo at the moment. A surplus of  Norwegian oil money has allowed the city mothers and fathers to devote considerable energy to take stodgy Oslo and turn it into a cultural colassus that admirably competes with Stockholm. You will actually see locals enjoy winter sports as you walk downtown in November.Walk to the top floor of the Oslo Opera House where you can climb promenades that slope toward the roof. The public library is not to be believed – they have craft stations with 3-D Printers and home-made crafting, high quality music studios, and movie theaters that are, of course, complimentary. The National Museum is spectacular and is larger than any other museum in Scandinavia.

Then there’s the Bjorvika District and the new performance center, SALT. But to see the locals enjoying one another’s company, you might want to book a short sail on a small Sauna boat that will drop you off in a relatively isolated portion of the fjord. You jump into the frigid water and then soon come back aboard warming up on the boat’s large sauna.

Sorry Stockholm – the newest hot major Scandinavian city of the moment is Oslo. But not literally “hot” in November. 

Q – I travel for business and my husband and I travel as much as possible overseas for pleasure. Inb our early forties, we are somewhere in the world about 60% of any year. But trying to really figure out flight schedules is terribly frustrating. Just wondering if there is a website or specific source you would recommend to help us figure out which airports have non-stop flights to cities where we need to go overseas. I have, of course, fooled around with the Expedia and Kayaks of the world. Simplicity of use is not one of their attributes. Sorry for the bother, buit we just feel we are missing something.

A – You are certainly not alone. Flight search sites are predicated on the belief that price rather than non-stop flights is the major motivation for visitors. Fortunately, there is “work-around” for this problem. Virtually every major airport in the United States now has a page on Wikipedia. Go on the site and scroll down to the section called “Airlines and Destinations.” Under this subject you will find clear listings of which routes from the airport have non-stop service and which airline(s) provide it.  This is a simple fix but it works.