The rest of Q&A

Q – Where will soon be leaving for Europe. At the end of our trip, we have two full days in Lisbon. We’re walkers, we love to go where the tourists don’t, we love discovering where the people live and play. We have little interest in museums or historic sites. Where would you head if you had two days to explore the real Lisbon on foot?

A – You might want to start out with three neighborhoods, Baixa, Chiado, and Alcantara. This will get you into the oldest, the hippest, the most stylish, and the most recently discovered sections of this difficult to know, but totally rewarding city. Use the trams, go to a real deal Fado Club at least once, and do seafood along the waterfront.

Q – Greetings from Cape Town where Traveltruth is not yet a household word. But my husband and I love you so that’s all that matters. We’ve just read somewhere that it is now possible to sleep in Harrod’s Department Store in London. We’re headed back to London soon after the Olympics and we were wondering how you would book this sort of overnight?  I would be quite tickled to spend the night camped out in Harrod’s Food Hall, particularly that area of the Hall devoted to fine wines and cheeses. Any truth to this or are we starting a rumor?

A – Well of course you are but it is a rather intriguing concept and one that probably could be arranged by our contacts in London for a phenomenal price.

But we think we have this one figured out. It is true that the Qatari owners of Harrod’s under the name Qatar Holding, has announced plans to build Harrod’s hotels in London, New York, Paris and Kuala Lumpur. You may be aware that the former owner of Harrod’s, Mohamed Al Fayed, sold Harrod’s two years ago for somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.2 billion USD. We have to assume that the sale price included the store’s stash of wines and cheeses. Sorry.

Q – The wife and I are seriously considering a Seabourn Cruise that will explore Japan and some of Korea next year. We’ve been on one cruise, a Windstar, which we enjoyed. There is lots on the internet about Seabourn but the criticisms you always read are that they are way too formal and they are owned by Carnival, not a very good line from what we hear. What do your editors think about these criticisms?

A – Not much. This is kind of typical of the cruise prattle that litters the internet.

Let’s look at dress first. There is only one dress up night aboard Seabourn on a one week cruise and even that event does not require any more than a sports jacket. There are alternative restaurants that are always country club casual. There is absolutely no reason to pack a suit, sports jacket, or ties unless you want to in preparation for a Seabourn cruise.

We think that Carnival’s ownership of Seabourn is a net plus. Carnival has extremely deep pockets and is committed to the Seabourn brand. Five years from today, Seabourn will still be sailing and our guess is that you will see a new fleet comprised entirely of Odyssey-Class new builds. Seabourn’s competitors, meanwhile, may be wondering where their next ship is coming from. There are no new ship builds announced for Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, or Silverseas at the present time. 

We think you should ignore the prattle and proceed.

Q –  My husband will be annoyed that I wrote to you. First, feel free not to print this but, if you do, I trust you will not use my name. My husband and I have traveled on ten or eleven tours and about twelve cruises. Over the years we have been struck by how unpleasant an experience it can be finding oneself stuck on a bus or aboard a ship with a herd of New Yorkers. People are people, but I find the New York travelers, or at least a certain class of them, to be rude and obnoxious to the point of really impacting our vacation. I don’t expect you to agree with this, but I was wondering if there are cruise lines that carry a nice mix of people from all over the country as opposed to being “New York centric.” Am I the only one who has ever raised this point?

A – Actually, yours is a question that, in one form or another, is posed quite frequently. Each sailing seems to have its own personality and that is dictated, in part, by the geographic mix of guests aboard the ship.

If you feel like giving in to your bias, you might want to look at sailings that depart from Hawaii, Mexico, or Los Angeles as well as those that sail in the Orient. Ships that sail from ports in the south like Galveston, have a high proportion of car-drive guests who hail from local areas.

The press has generally not dealt with this topic but we’ve been  surprised by the relatively  high proportion of cruisers who wish to know how many New Yorkers are likely to be on a sailing they are considering.

You might find it of interest that while consumers from various parts of the country seem intrigued by the “NewYorkishness” of certain travel products, most industry executives see New Yorkers as preferred customers who know quality and know what they like. Off the record, many hoteliers will tell you that their most challenging guests tend to come from southern California. This has a great deal to do with concerns about “positioning”.

Q – We will be visiting Rome in the Fall and we were wondering of there is a really nice, really well-located, hotel you might recommend that will cost less than the Excelsior or the Eden? We like to avoid hotels that are small and so hip and modern that it requires an engineering degree to control the lights.

A – We think you might like the rather low-key and largely unknown Rome Garden Palace, which is just around the corner from the Excelsior. If it is booked, and we do our best to fill it, try The Fortyseven or Capo d’ Africa, both are well regarded four-star properties of modest proportions.

Q –  Although we suffered from a bit of sticker shock when our agent showed us a Tauck Tour brochure last year, we thoroughly enjoyed it and we felt the quality was well worth the extra cost. What a difference between the way they handle things and the way our previous tour was managed, with all of the “up charges” and shop visits etc. So now we want nothing less than Tauck quality but we were wondering what other companies we should look at in that price range. Is there any other company as good?

A – Only a few birds soar in the upper reaches of the tour stratosphere. We would rank both Abercrombioe and Kent as well as Travcoa above Tauck in terms of quality. But companies are truly upper-end deluxe. Many consumers are unaware that Abercrombie and Kent offers tours in their brochure that are generally priced in line with Tauck. But Tauck may put as many as 38-40 guests on a motorcoach while A&K limits group size in its “Discovery Series” to just 24 guests. A and K’s more expensive programs are limited to just 16 guests. The more affordable Discovery series uses 5-Star grade hotels but guests are assigned standard rooms rather than the top end deluxe or junior suites that are featured in the company’s more expensive tour series. We think you would be wise to compare Tauck with the A&K Discovery Tour Programs.

Q – We were scheduled to fly out of Jacksonville to connect to a flight to Europe on United’s partner, Lufthansa. There was one United employee working the desk at the airport when our flight out was cancelled and she could do little to help us with our missed connections. After hours of work and hold time, we finally got it sorted out but who knows how many years we’ve lost because of the aggravation. Is there a strategy we can use next time to make sure this doesn;t happen again?

A – The best strategy for international travelers these days is to have all of your flights professionally monitored by people who do nothing but watch over you and your needs. The cost is minimal based on the peace of mind you get in return. No travel agent really has the time or means to do this properly. There are firms that specialize in getting you where you need to go when there are problems related to cancellations. The best of these is a company called Cranky Concierge.

Q – We will be leaving in two weeks for Barcelona, where we intend to spend three days before joining a cruise. We really appreciate great  food and were wondering if you have any tips?

A – You will be visiting one of the world’s most vital and important restaurant cities. Barcelona’s culinary influences have not spread worldwide, so we are taking your question quite seriously. No one should visit Barcelona without first laying out a culinary map with most meals planned in advance. The world’s most important food movement led by the world’s most respected chef are all centered in Barcelona and Madrid. To go to Barcelona and not dine well would be like going to India and failing to see the Taj Mahal. And now that the dollar has recovered nicely against the Euro, all the more reason to splurge.

You should definitely make a reservation at Cinc Sentits, the best restaurant currently for Catalan cuisine. It is in the Eixample neighborhood. Order the Tasting Menu.

Another fine restaurant, more experimental, in the same neighborhood is Restaurant Embat. This is a where the best chefs in the world try to have lunch.

The hottest restaurant, this week, is Dos Plillos in the off-center Ravel neighborhood. You walk in through a Tapas bar where patrons have thrown napkins on the floor, along wioth toothpicks, as is the custom. But walk through tot he back where El Bulli’s former chef du cuisine Albert Raurich is in charge, and you will be offered the kinds of contemporary gastronomic fare that made El Bulli the “World’s Best Restaurant: four years running. (It has since closed because the Chef/Owner Ferran Adria got tired of turning friends away).

Only rank tourists fail to eat at least once perched atop a stool at Barcelona’s famed Boqueria Market. The stalls here are filled with some of the world’s finest produce and locals know that there is nothing fresher than dining at one of the stalls for as drink and some small plates. Do try the Serrano ham. There are several great food stalls but we are partial to Pinoxto. True Foodies head to Laurene Petras’ mushroom stall in the back of the market.

Another “insiders only” must do stop is Cal Pep in El Born. This is the freshest Mediterranean seafood tapas available anywhere and it is also an authentic Catalon experience. Sit at the long counter with the locals.

Gersca in L’Eixample, is a great choice for lunch because the menu is entirely based on what looked best in the market that morning.

We love Fonda, a new French Brasserie from chef of the moment,Carles Gaig. This is modern Catalan cuisine and it is rather approachable for Americans. Highly recommended.

Arola in the Hotel Arts us run by Adria disciple Sergio Arola and, despite its high cost, diners love the incredible tapas served in a sophisticated and beautiful setting by a superb staff. If you are staying at the Hotel Arts this is a no-brainer.

Comerc 24 is a winner in the Born-Ribera neighborhood. Another famed Adria disciple, Carles Abellan, creates molecular miracles and amazing tapas in a modern setting.

That should be sufficient for three days.

Q – We are based in Wales and very much enjoy the information and the insights. Quite frankly, we learn a lot about Americans going over the Q and A. That leads to a query regarding travel to Europe this summer. We are wondering what trends are being noted in terms of cruises and tours. What appears to be hot and what areas are suffering as a result of Euro-zone challenges?

A – Welcome. We are, quite frankly, rather surprised at the scope of our international readership, and we especially welcome visitors from abroad.

Virtually every major five-star cruise line and tour operator is reporting that sales to the Mediterranean countries, particularly Spain, Greece, and even Italy are down by anywhere from 5-30%.  In contrast, Baltic Cruises and tours to Great Britain and Scandinavia, along with the Alpine Region, are up substantially. Several lines wish they had reassigned an additional vessel to the North of Europe to handle the demand.

There are some notable exceptions to these trends. European River Cruises are still on a growth spurt with no sign of ending. Cruises to Croatia, if you can find one, are extremely popular.

It is not that Americans do not want to cruise the Med. In fact, there is little evidence that potential cruise travelers are concerned about ports in Italy, Greece or Spain. The problems have more to do with pre/post cruise extensions and the feeling, among a significant number of Americans, that the streets of Madrid, Barcelona, Athens, or even, Venice, may be filled with rioters ‘as a result of government-imposed austerity programs. But Greece is the primary recipient of negative press in the States and pre/post programs in Athens are becoming problematical for many Americans.

It would be easy to exaggerate American concerns about the future of the Euro and the impact it might have on public behavior as they tour Europe. We think that a more plausible explanation for the slowdown in bookings to southern Europe this summer has to do with a “been there done that” trend. Most cruise itineraries in the Med haven’t really changed in the past two decades. Americans with the means to travel are seeking more exotic less touristy destinations.

Perhaps some would like to visit you in Wales.