River Cruising in Europe - an Awesome Experience!

Cochem, Germany

We're back from our first ever river cruise (as I described in my last post) and it was an awesome trip. As I said earlier, we were unsure as to how it would compare with our many luxury ocean cruises. Reflecting back, I would say that it generally exceeded our expectations. There were some things that clearly did not measure up to those ocean cruises and some things that were better. More on that in my next post.
We boarded our AMA Waterways ship, the Amadagio, in Amsterdam and enjoyed the first night in our floating hotel before sailing the next afternoon. That allowed us to see the city before moving on. Most of our itinerary, after sailing down a canal to the Rhine, was in Germany. We stopped at Cologne, Heidelberg and several small German towns that you have never heard of. After 3 days on the Rhine, we "took a right turn" onto the Mosel River. The scenery on the Rhine was spectacular - and, on the Mosel, it was even better. Absolutely stunning!!!! At a couple stops, we were able to take bikes on long rides to burn off some of the luscious food we were treated to. That helped!
On the seventh day, we ended the cruise in Luxembourg (a very aesthetic city) and took the TGV (bullet train) to Paris for a 3-day stay. In Luxembourg, we visited the American Cemetery and General Patton's grave. In Paris, we just enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere of one of the World's greatest (and most expensive) cities. While there we did make it out to Fountainbleu, the "hunting shack" of many Kings. More on Paris later.
One of the things making this a very easy trip was the joy of having no air connections... non-stop to Amsterdam and non-stop home from Paris.


Cheers,


Dick 

River Cruising in Europe - On the Road Again!

Well, after a nice summer dangling my feet off the end of the dock (when not working of course!) it's time again to break out the Tumi luggage and hit the road!

Those who know me or follow this blog know that we head for Europe this time each year. For 8 or 9 years, we have cruised the Mediterranean, Adriatic & Aegean Seas. This year we are following the hot trend toward river cruising with a 7 day trip on the Rhine and Mosel rivers from Amsterdam to Luxembourg followed by 3 days in Paris.

My travel company, Gateway Express Travel, has seen incredible growth in this type of vacation... and we seem to be the perfect client for river cruises - people who love the ease and pampering of life on a cruise ship - but who have run out of itineraries and need a change of pace. 

We love ocean cruising and are wondering if we'll like the river cruises as much. I'll let you know along the way! 

Cheers,

Dick

Good Deals on Cruises!

Anyone concerned with "truth in advertising" should have a ball with the cruise industry.
My travel agency, Gateway Express, sells a lot of cruise vacations - and, I personally, "heart" cruising. BUT! Although the value of cruise vacations is awesome, the pricing policies are very dishonest.
Gateway Express gets "sale bulletins" almost hourly pitching the unbelievable deals. Just taking one example, I just saw a number of 7-night Caribbean sailings through the winter where the "advertised" price for an Oceanview cabin ranges from $699 to $749 per person. Good deal, eh?
Well, the whole industry conveniently excludes taxes and port usage costs from their advertised prices. Those items can add up to almost as much as the advertised price. So, your $749 cruise is really $1,294.  
For comparison, suppose the airlines (who have their own set of issues) deducted all their airport usage costs and the myriad of taxes they must pay from the published fares. The $478 fare includes all this although the fine print on your ticket does break out the taxes. So you are well aware that the actual fare on that $478 was $392 and the rest was tax. But, suppose they excluded all their airport usage costs and advertised an airfare of $310.
So, if they advertised like the cruise industry does, you would see a fare of $310 when the actual price of your ticket will be $478. Totally dishonest.
Don't get me wrong... $1,294 for the afore-mentioned cruise is a terrific value. I just wish they could be honest about it!


Cheers,
Dick

Travel Writers are Dinks (part 4)

Occasionally, I read one of those ubiquitous "Travel Tips" articles that pop up on a daily basis - just to get a few laughs.

Most of them belabor the obvious and seem to show that they think their readers are about 4 years old! Today's case in point: "Ten Tips for Smoother Trips" imparts such wisdom as:

• Park with your car's nose out.
• Don't pack urgent items in your checked luggage.
• Have your hotel contact information with you.
• If you travel to a given foreign country frequently, keep your leftover currency on hand for future visits.
• Don't forget to tip Skycaps. They depend on tips to make their living.
• Remember your flight number.

Think I'm making this up or embellishing it? Well, I'm not - sadly!

These people actually get paid for writing this crap!

Happy Traveling!

Dick

Mexico: A Great Vacation Choice!

At my travel agency, we have been alarmed by the number of clients who are telling us that they don't want to consider a Mexican vacation because of the reports of violence.

There are many valid personal reasons for a specific client to not care for Mexico, but concern over the reports of violence should not be one of them - unless you're thinking of those wonderful vacation spots such as Juarez or Tijuana. The drug wars along the U.S. border are thousands of miles from the popular beach resort areas of Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. It's sort of like avoiding Vail or Big Sky because of border violence around Tucson or El Paso!

My agency, Gateway Express Travel, doesn't particularly "push" Mexico, but it is a fine option for beach vacations. Our two most popular destinations in Mexico (by far) are Cabo and the Riviera Maya. Both are at the tips of thousand mile long peninsulas - far from the crossroads of Mexico and even further from the U.S. border. Both present dozens of great resorts with outstanding service and dining. And the values are terrific! Your vacation dollar goes further in Mexico than any place else.

Actually, my personal favorite is, and will always be, Hawaii. But I often recommend Mexico to certain people depending upon their interests for a specific outing... It's a great value and, with a lot of non-stop flight options, it's easy to get to.

Happy Traveling,

Dick

Note: The owner of another travel agency reported that she had a client cancel a Puerto Vallarta vacation because of a recent incident there. Where did they go instead? Phoenix... one of the most troubled cities in the country because of the drug violence. Go figure!!!!

Traveling Happy

It's all about the "expectations"!

Those of you who know me are aware that we focus on quality experiences rather than numerous experiences. We don't travel very often, but when we do go, we go "in style".

As veterans of about 10 luxury cruises on Silversea, Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas as well as numerous stays at Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton resorts & hotels one might say that we're horribly spoiled. And one might be right.

But this is a story of a short 5 night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean Lines' Radiance of the Seas. We did this trip with friends on a bit of a lark back in March. I must admit that, although I was greatly looking forward to spending time traveling with people we enjoy, my expectations were fairly low. Traveling with 3,000 people didn't sound like our cup of tea. And, we knew that the food would be far below that to which we have been accustomed.

But, I'm happy to report that we came home with a fond memory of a great trip. Dollar for dollar, it could not have been better!

The key, of course, is to have realistic expectations. Even with the "high-end" products, you are well-guided to understand that perfection is not typically part of the world we live in. Bumps in the road are to be expected - and if that is your attitude you will rarely be disappointed with the experience. Travel Happy; Be Happy!

Cheers,

Dick

Random Rantings on Travel & Life

Life can be a real riot! Here are a few experiences and observations that (mostly) give me a chuckle:

In choosing my next leased car, I'm looking to downsize slightly. The sales guy warned me that the shoulder space and leg room -especially in the back seat- is a little less... 1" to 2" to be exact. He laughed when I said, "Anyone that rides in my back seat is doing so for 15 minutes on average - and every one of them spends at least 10 hours per month in a cramped airline seat."

A person I had just met, not knowing that I own a travel agency, was bragging about the kick-ass air fare she and her mother found on line for a trip to Europe. She said that the fact that they had a quadruple connection (Minneapolis, Chicago, JFK, Madrid, Rome) didn't bother them because they were in no hurry and it would be a fun adventure. (To each their own, eh?) Knowing their exact routing and dates, I had someone in our office check fares. Well, they DID save money... we found Minneapolis/Atlanta/Rome but it was $144 higher per person, round trip.

A client who works in our building booked a trip to London for herself and an old college sorority sister. She called back a half hour later and said, "I don't know if this makes a difference, but Ann lives in Indianapolis."

If you insist upon booking your own vacations on-line look back to my March 9 post which offers some free advice to help you avoid the pitfalls.

Travel Well!

Dick

Vacation Tips: Why Won't They Listen?

A good client of our agency just returned from Mexico and reported that, although there were a lot of good things, the experience was poor - and they won't go back to Mexico.

Turns out, they ignored almost everything we advised. First off, we urged them to book a resort that we have had great "happy traveler" results but they opted for a lesser (cheaper) property. Then, because they were staying during the very, very busy spring break period, we urged them to book the premium section of the resort which would allow them special privileges including better access to the specialty restaurants. They "passed". Then, they did not heed our advice about eating at restaurants away from the resorts, staying in the mid-day sun too long, etc.

It's quite sad... their $2,800 vacation was largely ruined... and they have a negative view of a very nice sun destination.

Why don't people listen to us?

Journey Well,

Dick

Where to Go on Vacation

Just a quick follow-up to the last post...

Several people were surprised by my "where to go" thoughts. Many thought that knowing where they want to go is a no-brainer. But, it isn't!

Here's the problem: You see the TV ads; you see the beautiful beach depictions on the web sites. They leave one with the perception that tropical beach locations are just heavenly - and most are. But some are not. And, even with those that are wonderful, there are good areas and not-so-good areas. (TV ads can even make North Dakota look interesting!)

I remember several years back when a young couple asked specifically for a honeymoon on Waikiki Beach. They wanted a relaxing, romantic atmosphere. As you all know there is nothing relaxing or romantic about Waikiki Beach. We tried to talk them out of it.... to no avail.

Journey On!

Dick

Booking Your Vacation On-Line

Here's some free advice for those who enjoy combing the websites for their vacation package...

There are many perils to on-line booking unless you absolutely know the destination and the resort from from personal RECENT experience. So, if you are going to shop for yourself, here are some things be mindful of:

First, do you know WHERE you want to go? We've seen so many instances of people going to an absolutely wrong destination for their personal interests and lifestyle.

Second, (assuming you have chosen the right destination) different resorts (or cruise lines) may "look" similar on the websites but there are distinct differences in their ambiance, their quality and their clientele. These can make or break your vacation experience!

Third, trusting the pictures and information found on web sites can be a fatal mistake. Photoshopped pictures, very old pictures, bogus testimonials on Trip Advisor and other such sites and deceptive pricing are the major areas of concern.

For more detail, here is a paper I wrote on this subject.

Go ahead and have fun searching... but then, why not enlist a travel professional to review your selection before you hit the "Buy" button. 99% of the time, they will be able to book the very same vacation for you at the same price - and no additional charges. Some agencies now provide a "Trip Validation Service". For a nominal Advisory Fee (my agency charges $75), they will "validate" that you have made a correct choice - and that the price shown is valid (no tricks or hidden charges). With a professional opinion supporting your selection, you can go ahead and "Buy" with confidence.

Cheers,

Dick

Riviera Maya - Know Before You Go!

Sharing a Martini with a new acquaintance recently, the subject of vacations in Mexico came up. He had just come back from Mazatlan (not one of my favorites) and I asked if they had ever been to the Riviera Maya, south of Cancun.

He said they had been there once and didn't like it. "The Riv" is one of my travel company's most popular destinations so, needless to say, I was surprised!

They didn't like that they were in the middle of nowhere and couldn't do a thing without taking taxis. It turns out that they found a resort that "looked nice on-line" and booked it without giving any thought to details other than pictures, descriptions and prices.

We know the resort where they stayed - and it is a very nice resort that we have sent clients to for the 7 years since it was built. But, we would have never recommended it to these folks! They were interested in "seeing & doing". We would have recommended one of several great resorts within easy walking distance to downtown Playa del Carmen.

The place where they stayed is perfect for people (like us) who are going for "resort living"... to enjoy the pool, the beach, the spa, the fine dining and the cocktail lounges... and a couple books. But, it wasn't right for these people!

That's why a good travel counselor is worth their weight in gold! If you don't have one, find one! Dispelling the myth, a travel agent will usually save you money... and will always assure the right situation for you!

Cheers,

Dick

No Snow in the Sunny Virgin Islands!

We just returned from managing a Corporate Incentive Meeting in sunny St. Thomas. (Nice duty, eh?)

The massive snowstorms that blew through Georgia and the Carolinas, then up through the Northeast on the day before the group (people coming from 24 states) was to fly caused quite a mess... and that is putting it mildly!

We needed to be on site at least one day before the group was to arrive. Since we were connecting in Charlotte, we thought we had better get out while we could. It took us 26 hours and two stops to get there, but we did get there. From then, it was up to our great travel staff back at the office to find ways to get the other 110 people there - a task that they accomplished in stunning fashion!

Arrivals ranged from being on-time to being 10 hours late - with multiple connections and geographic routes that would otherwise be ridiculous. Here's one: Portland to San Francisco to Dallas to San Juan to St. Thomas. Another: Boston to Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to Miami to St. Thomas.

To be honest, I don't know how our crew pulled it off! Kudos to them all!

Cheers,

Dick