Thursday, August 28, 2008

The View From Here

Once upon a time I concluded I would not like cruiseship holidays because I might be too confined.

Well I guess if spending time with new people you like and seeing something new in a different destination is confining I suppose I was right but we are having a ball. The leaning Tower of Pisa is overrated but still worth the trip. Although the sight of dozens of grown people trying to capture the identical look as every camera along side them really looks silly.

They can spend all kinds of time taking and retaking the same photgraph until they get something that looks like they are propping up the Leaning Tower.

Lucca nearby is worth the visit even though fewer tourists end there. No leaning tower but the walled city has neat squares with lots of shops and their famous Gelato bars. Ice cream should taste like this.

We were in Monaco yesterday and chose the tour that takes in nearby Nice and the city of Eze. Nice and Ezey....get it?I wish we would have taken the longer tour instead of the panoramic one. But there sure were a lot of panoramic views.

After booking our tour for Tunisia we are told on the cruise ship video that for much of the time the tour guides are relatives of the shopkeepers and try to take you to their shops where the aggressive sales pitches are unending.

Think before booking this one.

Meals have been great on Holland America so far. Braised veal shank was really good.

Be up early the morning after you leave Monaco because the scenery is said to be absolutely spectacular. I slept in and have heard nothing but what I missed.

Tomorrow we go on a Barcelona excursion which is included on this cruise which I am hosting. I am embarassed to acknowledge that I have never heard of the works of Gaudi but many on the tour have and are excited to go on this partly architectual tour. Gaudi, apparently it is true got killed when he stepped back to admire his work and got hit by a car.

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posted by That Travel Guy @ 10:33 AM  |  0 Comments

Friday, August 22, 2008

Mediterranean Here I Come

Tomorrow I leave for a 10 day cruise of the Mediterranean out of Rome followed by a few days in Italy after we disembark.

While I have been fortunate to have visited Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, and Naples in the past, I am excited about adding Mallorca, Palermo, and Tunisia to my travel experiences.

What is really satisfying is that my return to Italy is after many, many years during a time when I and my hitchhiking travel buddy would walk for an hour to find the cheapest restaurant, or more appropriately cafeteria.

What is not so comforting is to read about how the big cities in Italy have become havens for thieves and scam artists who prey almost exclusively on tourists.

I have purchased more security apparatuses than I ever have to travel, even though I recognize London, where I have travelled often, can be bad also. So far I have never been scammed or pick pocketed yet have taken on a precautionary style which is a massive jump from my more freewheeling spirit.

Perhaps I should turn the internet off completely because reading some of the reports would be enough to cause anyone to encase themselves inside a protective shield.

Perhaps it is because I am no longer in my 20's or 30's when I believed I was invincible. I still find it frustrating to think the greatest industry and pastime in the world can by clouded by those who seem to get away with taking advantage of the trusting and foreign traveller.

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posted by That Travel Guy @ 4:02 PM  |  0 Comments

Sunday, August 17, 2008

The Cell Phone Battle in the Air May Be Over

As the cell phone debate in the United States went on with the FCC first saying they would not allow them on aircraft, the Europeon Union was quietly moving to approve their usage.

While still not allowed it now seems clear that there are no roadblocks; notwithstanding the 70% of consumers surveyed who oppose them.

Now even the FCC seems to agree they are ok from a safety perspective and have concluded technology can not be halted at the door of the aircraft.

So airlines will have to make some decisions. Are they enough of a nuisance factor to make airlines say no to their customers who demand them? And unfortunately it is usually the high paying corporate ticket holders who feel they need them most.

Stand by for gossip in the sky.

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posted by That Travel Guy @ 9:43 AM  |  0 Comments

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Will there be a Tour Operator Bloodbath this year

The signs are there.

At first it looked like it was going to be a glorious season for winter travel from Canada to our favourite southern destinations. Wedding and corporate groups were booking early, as they must if they want to secure seats on the same flights for their guests. And a small sigh of relief was heaved from the collective chests of the heads of the major tour companies.

With the Canadian dollar strong prices in the system were not higher in most cases than last year. Even the high fuel prices and the attendant surcharges still kept the end price reasonable.

But the problem, if it emerges, started with the belief that it would be a good year so flights and seats were added to the inventory of many of the destinations they serve.

Then, with rising fuel prices and a crumbling U.S. economy, came fears for our own economy which is so interlaced with that of our southern neighbours.

Bookings have slowed but it will not be until October that we will know if there is a problem. Signature Vacations may have beat everyone to the punch with a unique program that essentially offers sale pricing at the start of the season with a promise that if that specific property goes on sale for less you can get your money back to equal the sale price.

It is not on all their product but it does cover a significant number of properties at most of their destinations. The properties themselves tend to be of the three and four star categories but they are excellent choices nevertheless.

As the weeks progress I will report how the year is filling and what we as consumers can expect.

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posted by That Travel Guy @ 2:56 PM  |  0 Comments

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Rembember when water was free?

It had to happen didn't it?


U.S. Air has now taken the expression 'there's no free lunch' to the absolute extreme. There has not been free food for any meal for economy passengers on an airline for a long time.


Then came the airline rush to charge for the second bag, the first bag, the increase in price for the second bag and the first bag before many were even aware the charges were in place as they went to book their first flights since the fee eruption took place.


We couldn't very well know what the new fees were because airlines were falling over each other doing internal research to see what portions of the old fare they could piece off into a separate charge to make the base fare look less intimidating.


As the old Chinese proverb goes it appears the airlines prefer the 'death of a thousand cuts' approach.


But now, even as medical experts warn us that airline travel can have a dehydrating effect, U.S. Air will start charging for water onboard their aircraft. And if you are expecting that little bag of pretzels, forget it.

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posted by That Travel Guy @ 9:41 AM  |  0 Comments