The rest of Q&A

Q – Really grateful for this site and your willingness to help. We are about to plunk down a fistful of cash to see Antarctica, the trip of our dreams. We don’t necessarily care about having the largest cabin etc., but we want to see as much as possible. Our agent is saying Le Boreal is the way to go. I know you have had some nice things to say about it and was wondering if I should pull the trigger? Anything I should bring with me?

A – Le Boreal is the newest yacht-like vessel built by a French company with a French crew. (more…)

Q – We are currently booked on a Greek Islands cruise on Seabourn this summer. We just read about the changes at the line on traveltruth and we’re concerned. Should we change our plans given that the ship is now going to be run by Carnival Cruises? We booked directly with Seabourn so they are not going to be very forthcoming with advice.

A – The Carnival Corporation owns many cruise lines. (more…)

Q – We are making a return trip to Venice before embarking on a cruise. We have one night to spend before the cruise and we are looking at Ca’ Segredo, the Hotel Cipriani, or the Hilton Stuckey. We like our comfort and appreciate hotels that have safety procedures in place and no bed bugs. Where should we stay?

A – In order to answer you properly we would need some particulars. (more…)

Q – We are going to be flying to Hong Kong in May to begin a lovely trip to China. How many nights should we stay in Hong Kong and should we do it before or after the trip? Also, I went online and it looks like I can fly American or Cathay. Which one has a better business class?

A – We think that Hong Kong is a three-night minimum city with an extra night for time zone change adaptation. We’d like to see you do one night on arrival before flying out to China and then three nights at the end of your trip before flying home. Hong Kong is an extremely rewarding city on many levels. There are great hotels, both Kowloon and Central to explore, shopping, world class dining, not to mention sunset cruises through a waterway that intersects one of the world’s most beautiful skylines.

The American flight you are looking at is a code share with Cathay. Cathay is one of the top-rated international airlines and their Business Class is highly recommended. Flight 883/884 are normally 777 equipment.

Q – Don’ know if you can answer this – wondering if I can win anything for stumping you. The wifey and I are off to Monte Carlo for a nine-night First Class cruise on one of the best lines out there. She is looking forward to dressing up and showing off her jewelry. She wants to put it in our luggage since “we’re insured” if the airlines lose her bag. If she looses the family jewels, will I actually be able to get replacement value when I file a claim?

A – Packing expensive jewelry in your luggage is a dumb idea. “Wifey” will just have to pack it in her carry on. You are bound by each airline’s “Contract of Carriage.” In the United States, airlines have a maximum total liability, seldom utilized, of $3,300. But the contract of carriage always states that the airline does not accept any liability for lost luggage. Here’s a wild idea – when visiting other countries and trying to fit in with their culture and customs, showing off one’s acquisitions is not the best way to be seen in a positive light.

Q – My family is booked on a Holland America cruise to the Caribbean in January. We’ve sailed with them before and we have not yet made final payment. How are we notified if the price goes down? I’ve booked with some travel agents where cruise pricing was automatically adjusted. How does the system really work?

A – Like most policies in Travelworld, it really depends on the supplier. When it comes to cruise pricing stability, the bottom line is that the larger, mass market lines have none. They want to train consumers to use their web sites so they will often suggest that booked guests check “for lowered prices.”. In reality, most consumers are now aware that those who book the first half of almost any ship get the best pricing offer. The primary difference between cruise lines is really the difference between the top-ten rated lines on traveltruth and the lines that are not in this category such as Holland America. Princess, Holland America, Costa, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean do not offer full price protection. The cost could go down and neither you or your travel agent would ever know it. These lines place the onus on the consumer to constantly check for lowered rates. However, even if you found a lower rate, you might discover that it is only available for new bookings. That would mean that you have to cancel your reservation and then re-book. When cancellations are made, someone else could easily be assigned the cabin you intend to re-book. The computer system fills cabins automatically off a wait-list. So canceling a reservation to get a lower rate is a tad risky and not advised.

The luxury lines do not treat their guests in this manner. Normally, the agent is advised if there is a rate decrease and most of the better lines will protect their guests. There are, of course, exceptions to nearly every travel generalization but you should proceed on the basis that a ship with over 1,000 guests assumes that guest A will not run into Guest B who got a better rate. So rates do vary based on a number of circumstances. But the quality lines with fewer than 1,000 guests make the opposite assumption. They assume that guests will meet and talk to one another and they are increasingly cautious about offending anyone who has paid a premium to sail their line – particularly the suite dwellers.

So how do you know what’s really going on and how do you protect yourself? Read the ads in the Sunday Travel Section and work with an agency that automatically does a “final price review” before calling in your final payment. A good cruise consultant will have special VIP access to reservations inventory and will be able to give you the current state of reservations and pricing on any specific sailing. Always ask your consultant “if the price goes down, am I going to be protected?”

Q – We are pretty much convinced that guides can make or break a trip. We are planning a 20th Anniversary with a vacation taking in Florence, Assisi, Bologna and Rome. We are staving at really nice hotels with amenities provided by our travel agent but we haven’t pulled the trigger yet on guide services for a September trip. We do not want a guide who is simply cheap. Can you give us some guidelines as to what a guide in these Italian cities should cost if we give the agent the go-ahead.

A – We really agree that the guides you select will largely influence the experiences you have in these cities. Prices will be less in Assisi and Bologna, but not by much. Here is what a really excellent guide and a certified and safe driver will cost in Florence and Rome:

Guide for Half-Day Walking Tour: 300 – 350 Euros.

Guide and Driver for Half Day Touring 550 – 650 Euros

Guide and Driver for a full Eight-Hour Day – 1100-1300 Euros (as of this writing, Euro = $1.23)

The prices above are based on 2010/2011 tariffs and are per couple – not per person.

Remember, that the better drivers must pass rigorous tests, along with their vehicle. Guides are registered professionals with advanced degrees in history and or art. The best guides book up months in advance and if you book last-minute, you could get the guide that no one else wants to use. Guides charge for their time. The guide must earn about the same to escort two people as he/she would earnfor a group of forty. That is one reason that the better escorted tour programs in Europe are relative values. It might also be helpful to note that official guides in Italy must reside in the city where they lead tours and they are not permitted to lead tours within most other locations in Italy. In the interest of safe driving practices, most of the better Italian tour firms require a separate guide and driver. Drivers who do narration are not always paying attention to the road. Despite stereotypes to the contrary, Italians are among the best drivers in Europe, far more skilled and less likely to kill you then their American taxi driving counterparts. You will rarely see a traffic accident during your travels in Italy.

Finally, a personal note. We want to congratulate you for including Bologna in your travels. It is an often-missed gem and is considered by many to have Italy’s best pasta. Among the better restaurants

are Pappagallo, Biagi alla Grada, and Gianni. But if you really want to know the Bolognese secret head to the Gelateria Da Gianni. This gelato emporium justifies, on its own, a visit to Bologna. One of the exotic flavors is called “Purgatorio”.

Q – I have one, hopefully, simple question. How are people supposed to keep up with events in a country abroad they are going to be visiting in the near future? Sure there is lots of info on the internet but it all seems uneducated or anecdotal. Travel agents don;t seem very good at describing current conditions and, according to CNN and FOX, every country on earth is in turmoil. We depart for Ankara and Istanbul in two weeks. How should we prep?

A – Fair enough. First, consider using one of the better security sites.The one we like is ASIgroup.com These folks are in the business of analyzing security threats for prominent individuals and corporations. They will send you a summary report that will cover Turkey and it will be up-to-date. But the best thing you can do is scan the local papers in English before you travel abroad. Just go to ipresscenter.com for a list of worldwide newspapers in English. They will link you to the site and you’re off. You will know more about the current situation in Turkey then some of the licensed guides.

Q – We just saved about $400 by paying no attention to what a US Air agent told us on the phone and doing our own online research. It turns out that we were able to save considerably by departing Philly for the West coast on the early morning flight and leaving LA around dinner time. Just wondering if this was a fluke and why we weren’t told this by airline reservations. Our departure and return flights were pretty close to the ones they quoted so why didn’t they tell us about the lower fares if we just changed our times?

A – Thanks for a great question because you have put your finger on a pricing anomaly that makes the airlines millions upon millions of additional dollars per year. If you give them your desired flight times, they will, most often, not go the extra step to inform you that you could have saved $200 each by coming home later or departing LA earlier. The fact is that the first flight out, the 6:00 am or so departure, is usually the lowest priced flight of the day because it means that business people would have to awaken at three or four in the morning to make it to the airport on time. No one wants to do business in that condition. Coming back from LA, to use your example, you lose hours so a flight that leaves around 5:00 pm. will not get you into Philly much before Midnight. No business person wants to arrive home that late. So that’s the trick. Choose the flights you would never select if you were flying on business and had to put in a full day at work soon after your arrival. Work around those times demanded by business travelers. That is the best way to secure the lowest fares on domestic flights.

Q – Thanks to Japan Airlines mileage desk, and a business trip, my wife and I are headed to Tokyo for two weeks on the company. But, unfortunately, that does not extend to the six days we are on our own for a short vacation. We live in Denver where there is some good Japanese food but we are anxious, really anxious to try the real thing. Where should we splurge and how can we learn the most while dining well for the few days we have in the city?

A – We never minimize the challenges of Tokyo. But the rewards are beyond measure as the starting point for everything is so different. Two approaches we recommend. Find someone at your company based in Tokyo who is willing to take you to one or two food markets. Have them explain what is being sold and how it is used in traditional Japanese dishes. Along with this experience, try to hit some of the better restaurants for lunch instead of dinner. You will have fewer courses and prices will be half of what you pay in the evening. Finally, for a splurge, we would recommend the chef of the moment, Yoshihiro Narisawa who is making culinary history at Les Creations de Narisawa. Figure dinner at between $225-$250 per person with wine.