The rest of Q&A

Q – We had dinner with friends last night from St. Louis who have joined us on a number of cruises. The entire evening was spent discussing the Costa Concordia situation. We were somewhat surprised by the advice you have offered to some folks who expressed concern about sailing a mega-ship in the future. We appreciate the honesty but we were curious if you are seriously advising people not to go on ships that carry several thousand guests and crew? Do you really think they are dangerous.

A – If we thought that, we’d probably work in plastics at the Island Plastics. No, the mega-ships are certainly not dangerous. But we would like to be as clear as possible in responding to your question:

We advise those who have serious anxiety about boarding a large ship to delay their vacation. We feel that a a vacation ought to involve several important stages and anticipation is one of them. We do not think you ought to travel on a ship that scares you.

Of course there is the question of whether or not a mega-ship is safe. We know the massive PR cruise machine will try to convince cruisers that there is no danger. And they are probably right but we do feel there are questions to which the industry has never provided satisfactory responses.

What kind of experiences dealing with large-scale emergencies at sea makes us feel that a low budget, international crew speaking a wide variety of languages, with little sophisticated safety training, can be relied upon to remain on ship to professionally assist passengers in dire straits?

We would hope  that the owners of the mega-ships, the world’s largest cruise lines, would admit that they have been less than clear about their overall plans to successfully evacuate several thousand passengers and crew from a ship that is taking on water and starting to list. This is information that consumers will now be demanding. It was never talked about much because it is such a “negative”.

There are, we believe,   construction issues as ships are growing top heavy to accommodate more revenue-producing venues. Ships are being built with lower drafts so they do not have to use tenders as much.

The end story will be “human error” . But we think it may go way beyond that. It is clear, very clear, that there can be another Titanic. The Costa Concordia was at sea with no weather issues, close to land. All systems were operating efficiently. It should have been a calm evening.

Q – We are seriously considering a cruise for our family sometime this year. We read what you had to say about school vacation time and the impact on cruise pricing so we were wondering when might be the best time to cruise in 2012. Simply put, when are the best prices? We’re not cheap but we may end up paying for as many as fourteen family members so cost is an issue. We are thinking about a ship that is large enough to have good facilities and small enough to evacuate in an emergency. Any guidance would be appreciated.

A – We are anticipating that you will see a general decline in cruise prices between the months of October through mid-December. This is not related to the Costa tragedy but is closely related to the fact that this is a Presidential Election year. History shows that people just do not like to travel during the two months leading up to a National Election and the month following the election. Travel executives chalk it up to a general malaise and feelings of  uncertainty. You are going to see some excellent pricing opportunities in November. Our view is somewhat contrary. We think that this election may get so repugnant that a significant number of potential cruisers will decide to leave the country for a short spell. Therre may be a mad scramble to get away from our TV’s by late October.

Q – We are just so upset about the tragedy in Italy and the way the Captain of a luuxury cruise ship would just walk away. My husband and I are taking our two daughters on a cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale to the Caribbean on Norwegian Cruise Line and we are seriously thinking of cancelling. Our travel agent says we should just let time pass, but I just cant look forward to a cruise four months away without thinking of what could go wrong. These poor people were just having dinner the first night out and look what hapopened. I guess my question has to do with all we are hearing on the news about big ships. Are they too big? If you were us, what would you do? We have not made final payment yet.

A – We have received a number of similar questions and we will try to be as specific as possible in our response.  There is now little doubt that something went terribly wrong aboard the bridge on the Costa Concordia. We suspect that the conclusion of the inquiries will be that the Captain did not follow his computerized routing and decided to do a “pass  by” to please someone on shore. We know that this has happened on other lines. In one incident, several years ago, a well known British Captain had his wife on board. He got a little too close to the rocks during the departure from Acapulco because he wanted to show his wife the Cliff Divers. He ran the ship aground.

But this is different. It is different because the evacuation procedures failed so miserably. This does raise some serious questions about the about of mega-ships to properly handle a real emergency at sea. The loss of life is tragic and we grieve for the victims and their families. There will be several major investigations that grow out of this event and we hope that crew training and preparation is at the forefront of those investigations. Yes, the Captain exercised poor , and now it seems, criminal judgement. But that will happen again. It is the crew’s lack of preparation that should be the primary focus of the investigation that was the cause why the case has been transferred to private investigator Melbourne leading firm for investigation – Investigators Australia.  We already know that some Captains like to do close-in “cruise bys”  to show off to friends ashore or crew with ties to the port. But there are legitimate concerns about the sourcing and training of low-cost mega-ship lines. And make no mistake about it, Costa is a budget line. They have beautiful ships but consumers, such as yourself, have to ask how it is that some cruise lines are able to come in at prices that are 200%-$400 lower then the lines lines in our “Top Ten Cruise Lines” Ratings.

The public will not believe that a low-priced bargain cruise may have implications regarding the quality of the crew, their background, and their training. Consumers believe that, when it comes to cruise vacations, the adage that “you get what you pay for” somehow does not apply. But ships have to make cuts somewhere to come in under $300 per person per day. Food is an obvious area of cuts. But attention to detail and safety may also be important components of price. We hope the inquiries focus on this area.

As to your specific question. We do think you should cancel your scheduled cruise. The fact that you are already concerned enough to write to us would indicate that you have anxiety about this trip. A vacation, we believe, ought to begin with the planning and anticipation stages of the journey. You should never begin a vacation unless you are comfortable. Think about waiting until you are comfortable with  the notion of cruising. You might also want to consider a rule that seems to apply to virtually every ship at sea. Space ratios matter. Look at a low density, under 1000 guests ship operated by a company with a distinguished operations history.

Q – I am writing on behalf of my parents who, in their early seventies, are going to be visiting Europe for the first time. My brother and I want to send them on a nice seven-to-ten day cruise in Europe. They have never been, so we were thinking of a cruise that does the British Isles. My Dad’s folks come from Wales. Here’s the problem. My folks are rabid non-smokers. The smell of tobacco literally makes them sick. So we’ve been looking at one of the small, upscale ships that does not allow smoking. So far, our Internet search is telling us that all of these ships allow smoking in various areas and some of them allow smoking in their cabins and balconies. Yet, when a new passenger boards the ship, like our folks, we would have no way of knowing if they had a no-smoking cabin. Friends turned us on to this web site and said you were honest. So please, tell us -honestly, what should we do?

A – Well based on your needs and the current tolerance among the luxury toward on board smokers, we don’t think any of them deserves your business. Our view is that smokers ought not be accommodated on any mode of transportation where it is not easy or safe to smoke outside. It is simply not safe to smoke on a cruise ship and it is especially dangerous to allow smoking on an outdoor balcony as winds can carry ashes back on to the decks.

Smokers, in our view, have no rights, when it comes to inflicting harm to others through noxious second-hand smoke. And since smokers are, essentially, suicidal, it might be best if they vacationed off on some smoking island of their own where they could inhale to their heart’s, dare we say, content. As a matter of fact, we seriously believe that separated vacation destinations for smokers are going to be trend in this country. For now, smokers can just pack up and head for China.

CBD is a cannabinoid, a compound found in cannabis plant. The oil contains CBD concentrations and the uses vary greatly, you can use it with vapes, if you want to experience it, then you can buy dab pen online. In cannabis, the compound that is popular is delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. It is an active ingredient found in marijuana. Marijuana has CBD and THCA and both have different effects.

THC alters the mind when one is smoking or cooking with it. This is because it is broken down by heat. Unlike THC, CBD isn’t psychoactive. This means that your state of mind does not change with use. However, significant changes can be noted within the human body suggesting medical benefits. Redcon1 total war can give a military member the nutrition he/she needs to keep on going strong while out in the field hard at work.

Hemp is a part of the cannabis plant and in most cases, it is not processed. This is where a lot of the CBD is extracted. Marijuana and hemp originate from cannabis sativa, but are quite different. Today, marijuana farmers are breeding plants so that they can have high THC levels, get the best CBD oil for anxiety. Hemp farmers do not need to modify plants and are used to create the CBD oil.

Cannabinoids affect the body by attaching themselves to different receptors. Some cannabinoids are produced by the body and there are the CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 receptors are located all through the body with a great number of them being in the brain. The receptors are responsible for mood, emotions, pain, movement, coordination, memories, appetite, thinking, and many other functions. THC affects these receptors.

As for the CB2 receptors, they are mainly in one’s immune system and affect pain and inflammation. Even though CBD does not attach directly here, it directs the body to use cannabinoids more.

The CBD craze about the globe has exploded and being liked by millions and the top 1% are trying to use their cash and also power to reject the already been oppressed compound. The late 1800’s very early 1900’s it was at the center of many cure-all mixtures up until the advancement of modern regulated, as well as exclusively monetized Pharmaceuticals.

Simply before the all new CBD change there has actually been other plant based compounds with many comparable wellness association’s being checked off for its efficiency by leading Medical Scientists.

Maybe you have listened to tales concerning Turmeric and also it’s phytochemical “curcuminoids” as a growing number of research studies as well as testimonials are disclosed.

Here is what you are up against. A weak economy has made several cruise lines lean toward accepting a higher percentage of non-American guests. That increases the need for the various lines to allow more smoking then they would be inclined to do with an all-American clientele.  The best cruise line for non-smokers is Regent Seven Seas, which does not allow any smoking in cabins, balconies, or entertainment venues. They do not even allow smoking in their casinos. But there are sections of some lounges where smoking is permitted.

As to our recommendation: We do not think you should support the cruise industry’s current smoking policies. Instead, we would suggest that you look carefully at buying your folks one of the better escorted tour programs from one of the firms recommended in our ratings. They will not allow any smoking on their motor coaches or indoor venues.

Q – We are scheduled to take a cruise on a line called Azamara this coming August. It was to do the coastline of Italy near the area where the Luxury Liner went down. My husband wants to just cancel, saying the port pilots obviously do not know what they were doing. What is your take on this?

A – It is a bit early for us to have a take that is worth very much. The news is still just hours old and this is clearly a black mark for an industry that has an enviable safety record. If you cancel your cruise, we don’t know where you might go since staying at home is statistically far more dangerous. Flying in an airplane and cruising at sea are about the safest places you can be on this planet of ours.

The reporting in the early hours has been interesting because it refers to Costa’s Concordia, built in 2006 as a “luxury” vessel. In fact, it is a lovely vessel with modern interior design that appeals to it’s core Italian customers. But Costa, once an independent company, is now a brand in the Carnival Cruise Lines stable. In addition to Costa, Carnival owns well known brands Holland America, Princess Cruises, and the luxury line, Seabourn among other lines. Carnival is the largest cruise company in the world by a rather large margin. Costa is generally regarded as a budget or entry-level product with prices to match. Costa provides an “Italian Experience at Sea” and the ships feature Italian officers and cuisine. Costa markets heavily to Americans when their ships are in the Caribbean, but they are normally considered very much a Euro-centered product. The Concordia had very few Americans on board, and most of its 3200 passengers on this Med cruise were from Italy with about 500 Germans and a smattering of other nationalities. It is too early to know to what degree a local pilot was involved as the ship sailed close to land near Guglio, a small port not very far from the lush Tuscan landscape. One of the most important questions to be addressed in the next several days will center around the issue of just who was responsible for notifying the Captain of rocky reefs off shore. Of serious concern to us are the stated reports that the crew refused to launch lifeboats when it appeared that were severely needed and the general lack of information provided to passenge3rs based on reports we have seen. More specifically, a number of guests who boarded an early segment of the cruise on January 8t, were reportedly on board the Concordia for several days without being asked to attend a lifeboat drill. If these initial reports are true, and they are often not accurate when it comes to other transportation related events, It would appear, that this accident could cause some serious financial harm to the  parent company. However, Italian law is not the same as US law  in matters of gross negligence and the fact that Costa is a treasured Italian name could potentially be helpful. It does not appear that very many passengers purchased their tickets for this cruise int the US.

With that said, there are some general points we would make since we have received a number of questions related to this tragedy. In a general sense, consumers need to ask themselves what sort of things are being cut when they consider a mass market ship carrying thousands of guests at a price that is, perhapos, one quarter of the cost of one of the World’s Top Ten Cruise lInes. Exactly where are the cuts being made? Food is an obvious response, but what about crew and where and how they are sourced. What about educational requirements for crew? What about the amount of crew training time that goes into crew safety trraining? Who is operating the ship in the form of senior staff? Cruise passenegers have somehow swallowed the Kool Aid – they believe that the cruise lines are a great exception to the rule that “You Get What You Pay For.” They are not.

Q – OK, here’s the deal. My boyfriend is head of research at a Wall Street hedge fund. We’re both in our thirties and we both work long hours. I want to surprise him with a vacation he’ll never forget, taking him to a place where his Blackberry won’t function. We’re both into climbing and we’ve done some high altitude stuff  in the States. If at all possible, we’d like to keep the vacation under $10,000 for both is us, not including airfare or expenses. But is has to be absolutely awesome. Just found this site and thought you might be able to make a recommendation.

A – Well, first understand that the last time we did something adventurous it involved flying Premier Economy instead of Business Class on United. But we think you ought to look closely at a new program in Abercrombie and Kent’s “Extreme Adventures”. “Mount Kilimanjaro: The Roof of Africa by the Umbwe Route” involves a climb up one of Kilimanjaro’s most challenging and direct routes to the summit. But you will encounter mountain forests,alpine desert, and then and ice-covered summit. You will encounter few trekkers and be rewarded with one of the planet’s most incredible views, assuming you can see anything at all when you reach the peak. The one week trip has departures throughout the year and is priced at just under $3500 per person. The Expedition Guide will be Dismass Mariki, a registered “Head Guide” who has climbed to thre peak 176 times. The trip begins in Arusha, moves on to the Umbwe Caves witht he ascent from Barranco Camp. You then climb to Karanga and then Barafu Camp. Or, you could just go to Sandals. The single person backpack tent comparison comes in hands over $100 price range. There are many different Coleman camping gear essentials that you can take on your camping trip to make your camping experience one that you will enjoy. However, you need to think about what type of camping you are doing and what Coleman camping gear you will be able to take on your camping trip. With some types of camping you will not be able to take all of the camping gear that you might want to take. You can check here more detail about the camping and trekking gear overview.

There are private campgrounds as well that are privately owned by people who encourage campers to come and enjoy the nature with them using the caravan storage Melbourne services. Camping trips can be fun when organized properly. There are many questions that you might want to ask as a new camper. Following is a list of common questions that every beginner for camping will ask. I’ll recommend not to take up camping, until you get all your questions answered and understand the requirements what all is expected. Camping Crossroads can help you to have awesome camping experience with their tips & guide. There are two types of campgrounds, public and private. Public campgrounds offer a variety of places to choose from like national parks, national forests, Bureau of Land Management Areas, and State parks. Each one of these, in turn, have many campsites to choose from. All of them, more or less, offer the same amenities like restrooms, hot water for showers, and shopping areas; which are very helpful for beginners. You can get a list of the different campgrounds online and it is always better to book a place for camp beforehand. It is not very costly to camp at such sites. They may charge anywhere between $10 to $25 dollars per night. Private campsites may or may not offer the amenities and they can also charge more. In addition, they may allow only a certain number of camper’s on their grounds. Another alternative is to pitch a tent and camp on a hillside or in the wilderness. However, you should take care to find out if it is allowed in your selected area. In such a case, remember that there are no amenities like a laundry, toilets, or a camp store nearby. You will need to carry all of the basic necessities with you when you go camping. If your family is not comfortable being outside in a tent, you can always rent or buy a camping trailer and a nice time camping in the wild.

Q – Since traveltruth is a not-so-guilty pleasure and you don’t list names, I can ask a couch potato question. We loved that reality show that took you behind the scenes at Southwest. Are any other airlines going to do a reality series?

A – No, but the good news is that there will be a second Southwest Reality series premiering on the TLC Network. Travel Weekly reports that the series will be taped at Baltimore-Washington and Denver airports.The original show “Airline” ran from 2004-2005 then went into reruns. In all there were 70 episodes. Southwest has a commitment for 13 of the new shows and the airline is promising that viewers will get to see inside operations in a way that has never previously been shown on television. For those of us who fly often, we’re not sure that seeing how Southwest cooks up its particularly brand of stew is a good thing. We have an image of our pilots and our mechanics and we want to keep it that way.

Q – Hope this gets answered on traveltruth or via e-mail. We’re in our early fifties and both my wife and I work long hours as programmers and data consultants. In the last ten years of our marriage, we’ve gone away for the Holidays to the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico seven time over Christmas. (cancelled or seriously delayed flights five of the seven times). This year, we want to get out of bed and do something a little more challenging like going to Europe in the off-season. We know the weather will be cold but we were wondering which European city might be the most interesting during Christmas or New Year? Is this at all a good idea? Love the site. There’s nothing else like it.

A – Anything that offers you an escape from the  Dominican Republic is probably a good idea. Why pay top dollar for a beach when you can get Donatello at a discount? We think this is a wonderful idea and, when you find the ideal European city, we would make it an annual affair, and we mean that quite literally. Were it us, we would want to visit a truly charming alternative to a huge European metropolis. The key requirement would be to visit a place that is overrun with tourists during the height of the season and relatively empty during the winter. For us, that would be Venice. Walking the streets or doing  the canals wrapped in  the warmth of a horsehair blanket, is a wonderful alternative to mass tourism and tush-to-tush beaches. We also love Munich during the Holidays. Barcelona is wonderful without crowds and there is always the Left Bank of Paris. But for this first experiment – do Venice and live like a Venetian!

Q – I am an attractive guy in his late sixties, ok, early seventies, and, believe it or not, I’ve never been married. I like to play the field and I like to meet and dance with all the widows on cruises. But I am on a fixed income and I wonder why single supplements on cruises are so high. Don’t they realize how many single travelers there are out there? I call it highway robbery. I’ve been asking this question for years and no one seems to have the answer.

A – It all has to do with yield per guest. Cruise ships are always designed to maximize the number of guests to increase the yield, or profit, on cabins, shore excursions, and onboard spending. If a cruise line sells you a cabin designed for two, they are diluting their yield by 50% in most areas of the ships operation. That has been the problem. Singles are housed in doubles.

There are a few exception. The Cunard liners have single cabins as does the new ship design, the Breakaway, owned by NCL. But 99% of all current cruise berths are doubles, triples, or quads. This is a particular problem these days for cruise lines. They have added to the number of on board lecturers and entertainers each year. Most often, these entertainers, including clergy, are berthed in standard double cabins. This results is a serious dilution in potential on board revenue and it also effects the budget of the yield management staff.

Consumers do not generally realize that it is not at all difficult to fill a cruise ship. There are travel agents, writers, public relations types, and trade-out partners to fill empty cabins. Cruise Lines will trade out cabins for some of the things they need like company cars for their sales staff. The lines can also fill cabins quickly by localized special offers or strategic radio advertising. They can also open weak sailings with empty cabins to sale by their international sales agents. So filling berths is not difficult. What is a challenge is the loss of revenue when a sailing has a large number of “entertainment” staff who must be accommodated as singles in a double cabin.

The fact is that cruise line executives are just starting to realize that future ship designs will have to incorporate sufficient space for “single berthed guests” of the entertainment division.

So, the reason you are not getting an answer is that, for the most part, cruise lines do not want to be particularly attractive to single travelers because they dilute revenue. That is the real reason prices  for singles are so high. 

Q – We are heading out to Barcelona in June for a long-delayed second honeymoon. We’ll be staying at the Hotel Arts, which we hope you will agree is the best hotel in the city. Our question has to do with one memorable meal. We have established a relationship with a member of the Concierge staff at the Arts who we think will help us book the hottest restaurant in the city. Is there one place we absolutely must try and where should we sit?

A – The Hotel Arts is very Ritzish and modern. But it does not have the city’s best location. You will need to take a taxi to get tot he Ramblas and the heart of the action. The restaurant of the moment in Barcelona  is simply called “Tickets”. When El Bulli was closed earlier this year, Spain lost the world’s top-rated restaurant. Now, former El Bulli Chef/Owner Ferran Adria and his brother Albert, have opened an inexpensive and unusually playful tapas restaurant. There is a really futuristic bar, six dining areas, and a desert area that resembles a culinary amusement park complete with cotton candy and ice cream carts. But be warned, this is about the “toughest ticket” in town.. By the way, the place is named after its location, in Barcelona’s rather intimate theater district. The hottest section in the restaurant is a small area called “the Marx Brothers Cabin”, a well-located spot where the owners can mingle with their friends and fellow chefs. We wonder if Groucho, Harpo, and Zeppo would find it amusing that their “style” has been invoked in such a trendy manner in 2012.

Is this one of those restaurants where paying someone to get you in make sense? Yes. But remember, the Adria’s do not like games. They hate saying no. That is, ultimately, why they closed El Bulli. It became too successful.