The rest of Q&A

Q – Will the hotel rates we are seeing, many over $2000 per night at five-star properties, stay steady in 2024?

A – No – nothing in this current environment will be steady. Hotels will be charging as much as they can given the losses still being felt during the pandemic. The new Aman Hotel in Venice, for example, has starting prices that are approaching $3000 per night. Hotel rates, much like cruise pricing, are not normally controlled by humans. There are algorithms that control pricing increases once a certain occupancy rate is achieved. Price increases are slow and steady and the one rule of thumb is that the first 25% of guests to book a property tend to get the best rate. Occupancy in Europe is now running 37% ahead of its peak in 2019 in terms of American visitors. But that is also true of Indian visitors, visitors from all over Europe and the South Pacific. Records are being broken and that is slowing down getting firm rates for better properties in 2024 and 2025. Many of the hotels we work with along the Amalfi Coast, for instance, are delaying price quotes because truth be told, they just don’t know how much they can charge and operate at 100%.

Given current demand, no one is predicting a rapid decrease in room pricing. The industry still has to compensate for two years of closed properties and staff depletion. 

Q – Any guesses as to what impact the 2024 election will have on international travel? Is there any evidence that travel will slow down in the months up to and after the election because people will want to stick around to see if we still have a democracy in place? Will this result in more availability and lower pricing? We will be doing a highly anticipated Rhine River Cruise on Scenic and we are wondering if we will see far fewer Americans traveling abroad in the weeks leading up to our so-called election?

A – The election cycle theory holds that the number of Americans traveling overseas declines by 15-20% in the months preceding and following a national election. But we’ve seen very little empirical evidence of a slowdown during the Presidential election cycle. Yes, there are folks who will want to stick close to their TVs and computer screens, but there may be an equal number that just wants to get away from the “noise” for a while. It is good to remember that the average high school student in Italy has been to far more countries abroad than the average adult American. Our election travel trends will not have a major impact on pricing or availability overseas. The topic might be brought up more often but we don’t foresee any major impact on your travel plans. 

Q – My husband and I are soooo tired of reading online reviews. We don’t know how people in your profession do it. We want to spend about a week in Venice next year, staying at the very best property in a junior suite. We realize from our readings that Venice doesn’t require a week but we’ll use it as a base and take some day trips to Verona and elsewhere. Our questions just boils down to which is the best hotel. And if we didn’t know about you, how would we go about getting the answer from a travel agent here in Austin? 

A – A really good consultant has access to certified hotel inspection reports written by industry professionals after a series of undercover visits. This is not available. Generally speaking, when you look at three or four of these reviews, ad-free and hype-free, you will know which hotel seems right for you.

That said, there are two properties that now dominate the upper echelon of Venetian hotels.

Occupying its own out-island, about 20 minutes from San Marco Square, the Cipriani has always been regarded as the very best place to stay in Venice.  The food and service are exquisite. This is a Belmond property and insiders love the wooden terrace at Cip’s Club that faces the Doge’s Palace.  For Michilin-starred dining, you would want to try the Oro Restaurant. There is an Olympic-size pool and the highly-regarded Casanova Wellness Center.

Then there is the newcomer – arriving with sparkling credentials belonging to the Traveltruth top-ranked hotel group in the world. The Aman Venice has just opened and it features 24 rooms and suites. You will feel that you are staying in a museum in this centrally-located 16th-century palazzo. 

If you want the best in Venice, we would suggest you have just completed your search.

Q – Discovered you about eight hours ago while looking for a travel site that had anything at all to do with the word “truth”. I work in financial planning here in Santa Monica and I am, fortunately, in a position where I can take off with my wife any month to go virtually anywhere. I am wondering how you are now advising your clients when it comes to 2024/2025 and beyond travel planning to Europe and the Orient given the likely scenarios of declining windows of satisfactory touring weather and conditions. When we are on vacation we try not to pass out en route to major sites and getting dizzy from the heat and not knowing where I am only makes sense to me if I am near my home in the parking lot of an In-N-Out Burger. Thanks. Short answer is fine, we’ll talk soon.

A – Good question – one that we are being asked often in a variety of ways. Let’s start with the Orient. Japan and South Korea have longer seasons but we are now recommending that destinations including Vietnam and Cambodia are best visited in the winter months from November through the first week in March, And even then, the humidity and the heat will require careful pacing. 

June through August has always been the prime season in Europe. Then word started seeking out that the French, followed closely by the Italians like to take off almost the entire month of August. Many store owners and restaurateurs own summer getaways and despite the potential for significant lost income, they are still willing to close their shutters to fully utilize scheduled vacation time. 

Given the decline of many services due to labor shortfalls in August, September has become the best month to enjoy southern Europe. But given the last two summers, September splendor is giving way to more heat, humidity, and growing crowds including large numbers of visitors from India, Russia, and Scandinavia. So we now have some key weeks that look best for travelers with the kinds of options you enjoy. For travel within southern Europe this is what we are currently recommending for those whose schedules have flexibility without the need to adhere to school schedules:

• April 20 – May 20
• September 20 – October 20

We stopped predicting the weather as though we knew what we are talking about several years ago. But our best guess is that, given current weather patterns, these are the premier times to plan future travels within southern Europe. Thanks for finding us. We’ll try not to let you down.

Q – My long-time travel agent in Alexandria, Va. is, unfortunately, retiring. In a recent conversation, she mentioned something about our being her “favorite FIT Lovers”. She seemed to think we knew what that meant – but we didn’t. Did not want to show our ignorance but as we have been traveling with her counsel for more than fifteen years, I wonder if you might know what she meant. 

A – The term stands for “Foreign Independent Tour” and it is shorthand in the industry for travelers who prefer a personally-curated private journey instead of a set group tour. Travel agents who do FIT’s well are fairly rare. It involves utilizing hundreds of contacts abroad and designing complete itineraries on a custom basis. Agents who do FIT’s sometimes charge by the hour, but many do FIT’s on a flat-rate basis. Once a program is completed and the final itinerary is presented to the guests the final price reflects a mark-up of from 15-30% depending on complexity. These days, many FIT specialists charge a flat rate of $500-$1000 per person. 

To put the charges in perspective, when a major group tour supplier sets out to design a new group tour it takes a team working two to three years to complete the project. When you ask a travel advisor to create the same thing just for you the process can truly be time-consuming. 

Your agent was complimenting you. She was saying that you prefer to go your own way rather than going along with a set group program. Nothing wrong with being a FIT “Lover” but it can, over the course of several years, get expensive. 

Q – (8.6.23) – We took a Sea Dream Cruise last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. We live in Seattle and we try to take advantage of the local dining scene, particularly seafood, at every opportunity. Sea Dream was wonderful. Only 68 guests on a 100-Guest ship. And the food was quite good. We particularly liked the fact that we could dine outdoors while cruising the Greek Islands. But now, we are ready for something more immersive with a choice of excellent restaurants. I know that your firm created an impressive list of cruise industry awards for excellence in specific areas a few years ago. I would really appreciate knowing which cruise line is currently at the top of your rankings for overall food quality. I understand you may not wish to address this as it might not go over well with the many cruise lines you support and who support you. 

A  –  No worries at all. Please know that our Media Group is operated independently of our travel consultancy and we do not accept any financial aid or supplier input connected to our consumer online sites. Your timing is good because we are in the process of finalizing our 2023-2024 Cruise Industry Awards. They will be sent to all media representatives in the next 30 days and they will then appear on our newest consumer website under development. This new site will be totally devoted to unbiased ratings and ranking of travel products across-the-board so you can easily look up the kind of information you are seeking. It will also appear on our www.cruisetruth.com website, the home of our comprehensive reviews and rankings of the World’s Top Cruise Lines. 

But the data is completed for this year’s award categories and we are pleased to respond to you with specifics. 

• BEST DINING AT SEA OVERALL  – HAPAG-LLOYD
• BEST DINING RUNNER-UP           – SILVERSEA

We really hope this is helpful. Please note:

• Hapag-Lloyd appeals to a German-speaking clientele.
• If you are sailing Silversea try to book one of their vessels where the S.A.L.T. Program is operating.

Q – One question that I don’t recall seeing addressed: The little lady and I are starting to do some nice trips now that the kids are grown and one of them is attending law school. (He’s been cut off). We enjoy escorted tours led by knowledgeable guides that use some of the better hotels around the world. We have booked a program to Morocco using a US-based company and a tour of Portugal planned by a Lisbon-based firm. We couldn’t see many real quality differences. But from a consumer view, shall we, going forward, stick with US-based firms for the protections offered to American travelers abroad? In reading your site I realize that, in travel, assumptions are not always correct. Love the site – don’t stop what you’re doing.

A – Actually, this is one of those times where assumptions are incorrect. We will only discuss Europe for now, because travel within Europe would be the exception to the rule you are trying to establish. Respected travel attorney Mark Peskroink recently addressed this topic in response to a question from a travel agent in Travel Weekly. He pointed out that European nations tend to have much stricter consumer protection laws when it comes to travel. In the States, for example, we often see that suppliers have surety bonds, or trust accounts as “protection” against default. But these protections are filled with exceptions and, most importantly, US laws allow Tour Operators to avoid liability when their suppliers are guilty of non-performance.

Under European laws, the tour operator is basically liable to the client for anything that goes wrong during a trip. This, importantly, includes subcontractor performance if the tour operator chose them. Every major European tourist nation has a government-sponsored insolvency plan that makes good on defaults by a supplier who goes out of business.

It is very important to note that these consumer travel protection laws in Europe apply to private travel arrangements as well as group tours. Stranded passengers who had air arranged as part of a tour also receive a remedy in the form of accommodations and new flights.

The bottom line, sadly, is that the average American traveling to Europe has better legal protection if they use a European-based company than they would if they worked exclusively with American firms.

By the way – are you cutting your son off because he is financially independent – or because he decided to become a lawyer?

Q – (8.4.23) –  As you are aware, my wife and I always purchase comprehensive travel insurance when we travel overseas. Last week, however, we had dinner with friends who are really well-traveled and who will soon be using your travel services. They mentioned that they depend on their Chase Sapphire Reserve card in lieu of separate or independent insurance. I’ve since looked over the coverage and it looks pretty good including 100K in emergency evacuation coverage.

We’re considering upgrading our credit card portfolio but wanted to get your thoughts before we do, Apologies if you have already covered this topic and warmest regards.

A – Thanks so much for your question, one that is on the minds of many travelers. And please no worry about the question possibly being asked previously. Insurance can be a confusing game and it is always good to have the opportunity to update information. Unfortunately, the consumer travel media does not cover this subject in great detail because of the travel advertising clout of credit card companies, banks, and insurance companies.        

No need to mince words – we never suggest that travelers rely on a credit card company for coverage. They outsource coverage and there is no one in the transaction to seriously represent your interests.

Our Senior Editor, for instance, carries the Chase Preferred Sapphire card. It is a lovely little card but we think the coverage is inadequate although it does improve with the highest levels of upgraded cards. These days, we think that $100,000 is an inadequate amount for emergency evacuation, the most critical component of any credit card used for travel purposes. An emergency helicopter evacuation can cost close to the maximum amount covered and that would not cover hospitalization or medical care. We are now recommending a minimum of $500,000 in emergency evacuation coverage.

Here is the problem: When the media tries to analyze the cost/benefits of several policies, they rarely speak to those who sell those policies on a regular basis. That means that the two most critical questions are rarely if ever, asked:

01 – How do you determine the financial standing of the insurance provider?

02 – When you purchase a travel insurance policy for a trip from a travel advisor, to what degree have they and will they become your advocates should a claim initially be denied?

Suppose, for instance, you have what seems to be a valid claim. But, for whatever technical reasons, your claim is denied by the insurance company’s underwriters. Is your consultant in a position to personally intervene with the possibility of getting your insurer to reopen the case? Will your travel advisor be your advocate?

This is the real secret of purchasing travel insurance and, for some rather obvious reasons, travel insurers never bring it up. Sorry for the long answer but hope this is helpful.

Q –  This is all great information but, as a frequent business and soon-to-be-retired leisure traveler, I’d love to have access to some of the industry materials that you are featuring on this site. I hope you will consider making a suggestion or two to a wanna-be travel nerd”. I would love to be able to discuss your industry intelligently with friends.

A –  There are any number of excellent consumer mileage and air-centric sites such as “View from the Wing” and “The Points Guy”. You might also want to follow travel via the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, The Washington Post, and, for the most truthful expertise, the New York Times. But to follow true industry stories that consumer sources usually overlook we would suggest a subscription to Travel Weekly (note that our Editor is the Senior Contributing Editor at TW) and Travel Pulse which offers a good news digest on a weekly basis. But put your quest in perspective. 99% of all articles about our industry are written by writers who have never worked in travel. Always be skeptical about what you read in a travel-advertising-heavy consumer publication. If you want to test this theory, Google back articles that explain why consumers who book hotels and other services directly are entitled to a refund of the built-in travel agent commission. See how many articles you can find that even touch on this subject. Crickets.  

And always remember “traveltruth law # 17”: Anything you ever read in any consumer or industry publication has likely (over 90-% of the time) been written by a travel writer who owes payback for a complimentary or reduced-rate trip. There is only one publication we are aware of that does not accept comp travel for its journalists and you can probably figure out who it is. 

Q – We are thinking about a Danube River Cruise on Uniworld that will sail from Budapest this August. In sort of preparing for this journey I see that Hungary is ruled by Victor Orban, a rather right-wing, authoritarian ruler. We are in our late sixties and not all that much traveled. Not sure I want to go anywhere where there could be dangerous street demonstrations. If Orbin caused some commotions would I be able to get my money back? Is this a trip you would do? Is August the right time to do it?

A –  If you don’t wish to travel in Europe in countries led by, more or less, authoritarian leaders, you might try skipping Italy as well. If the idea of very strong right-wing opposition parties frightens you, add France and Spain to the list. We have spoken to Victor and he assures us that Budapest and the waters of the beautiful Danube will be safe to cruise when you are there.

You would not get a refund for civil disturbances unless Uniworld determined that it was not safe to cruise there. That would be their decision – not yours.

Sadly, you have chosen a month to cruise the Danube that we are encouraging travelers from the States to avoid. The heat issues and the crowds do not bode well for a stress-free journey. Add the heat to the possibility of Orbin’s friends tossing rocks at you as you sail by their villages, makes us think that you should re-schedule your plans. For the Danube, the ideal months are May, September and the first three weeks in October.