Oct 12, 2007
If you're a "Mexicophile," you'll want to consult a blog meant just for you
There's a new name in the blogosphere for anyone who loves Mexico, Mexico Premier (www.mexicopremiere.com). This is not your standard "I love [insert name of destination], don't you?" fan-boy blog. The posts on Mexico Premiere come from a group of professional, award-winning travel journalists who have long specialized in Mexico.
It's only five months old, but already packed with a little bit of everything: travel tips, tourism briefs on major cities and regions, articles on upcoming festivals and medical tourism, reports on low-cost airlines and new resort hotels, dissertations on Mexican cuisine, and the latest news on everything from hurricane damage to local politics that might affect your travel. There are also sections aimed at ex-pats (and wannabes) on politics, arts and culture, and real estate.
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It's only five months old, but already packed with a little bit of everything: travel tips, tourism briefs on major cities and regions, articles on upcoming festivals and medical tourism, reports on low-cost airlines and new resort hotels, dissertations on Mexican cuisine, and the latest news on everything from hurricane damage to local politics that might affect your travel. There are also sections aimed at ex-pats (and wannabes) on politics, arts and culture, and real estate.
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If you apply now, you can snare space at Oxford University for the coming summer
I've written before about spending a summer week at Oxford, in the adult version of a child's "let's pretend." As an adult summer student, using every facility of this hallowed British institution other than a black gown (you aren't allowed to wear one), you enjoy the fantasy of Brideshead Revisited, in the settings you've seen described in scores of famous novels, in this city (Oxford) of "dreaming spires" and in a fifteenth century Gothic hall where you take meals in a Harry Potter-like dining hall.
There are numerous programs for attending Oxford in summer, and some of them are quite rigorous, requiring advance reading and the preparation of a weekly paper that you read to your "don," a teaching master. The contrast to those intensive bouts of study is a program called "The Oxford Experience," which is all pleasure. You attend exhilarating lectures, but aren't required to take a single test or prepare a single essay. As you'd expect, applications are heavy for "The Oxford Experience," and courses are often booked out by Christmas, long before the formal April deadline for submitting applications.
The Oxford Experience for 2008 has just been scheduled and announced, and I can't think of a better way to describe it than by quoting verbatim from its press release:
A complete descriptive brochure is available online at www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/international/oxfordexperience.asp.
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There are numerous programs for attending Oxford in summer, and some of them are quite rigorous, requiring advance reading and the preparation of a weekly paper that you read to your "don," a teaching master. The contrast to those intensive bouts of study is a program called "The Oxford Experience," which is all pleasure. You attend exhilarating lectures, but aren't required to take a single test or prepare a single essay. As you'd expect, applications are heavy for "The Oxford Experience," and courses are often booked out by Christmas, long before the formal April deadline for submitting applications.
The Oxford Experience for 2008 has just been scheduled and announced, and I can't think of a better way to describe it than by quoting verbatim from its press release:
The Oxford Experience means studying, living and dining at Christ Church, one of the most prestigious and beautiful of Oxford colleges, which was founded by Cardinal Wolsey almost five centuries ago. The residential program, which takes place from June 29 to August 2, 2008, offers one-week courses designed for those who would enjoy such varied subjects as A History of the English Language, Jane Austen, Enjoying the Cotswolds, William the Conqueror, The Oxford Movement, An Introduction to Philosophy, Monasteries and Cathedrals, The Making of England and Romantic Poetry. A choice of some 50 subjects is offered during the five week program.The price of a one-week course -- including tuition, accommodations and all meals (except those on excursions) is £980, or approximately $1,960. There are additional charges for excursions and rooms with private bath. The registration deadline is April 1, 2008, but early application is recommended and even encouraged: Those who register by December 1, 2007 receive an early booking discount of £50 per week for weeks 1 to 4 and £100 per week for week 5.
Participants in The Oxford Experience stay in student accommodations -- though rooms with private bath are available -- and dine in the magnificent Hall, lined with portraits of famous figures of British history. Three meals daily are included in the cost of the program: a full English breakfast, a buffet lunch and a served three-course dinner. Once a week each student is invited to dine at the High Table and, on the final night, everyone gathers for champagne in the Cathedral Garden and a celebratory farewell dinner in the Hall.
Throughout the week there are optional daytime excursions to stately homes such as Blenheim Palace and Kelmscott Manor, tours of Christ Church, Oxford and the Bodleian Library. Evening events include pub walks, whisky tastings, Morris Dancers, croquet and wine in the Masters Garden, special lectures and Evensong in the college chapel, which is also the Oxford Cathedral.
A complete descriptive brochure is available online at www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/international/oxfordexperience.asp.
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Labels: education, england, student travel
Even for flights within the United States, a Danish-based search engine (yes, a Danish search engine!) seems to come up with the best fares
I've tried every search engine there is in the eternal search for the best airfares. And after testing the wares of the top American firms (Kayak.com, Sidestep.com, Farechase.com, and others), I recently concluded that the European website known as Mobissimo was more likely to do the best job.
But that was before I ran tests on a Danish service called Momondo.com (www.momondo.com). It claims to search more than 600 airfare sources (upstart airlines, budget airlines, big and little airlines, other airfare websites, consolidators and "aggregators"), which is two to three times the number scanned by any of its competitors.
But claims are one thing, results another, so I ran several of the best-known search engines through a series of tests of popular routes: a domestic flight (New York to Los Angeles), a transatlantic flight (New York to London), and an inter-European flight (London to Rome).
And would you believe it -- Momondo saved the most! I won't bore you with every pricing detail, but suffice to say, the little Danish-based Momondo was the clear winner every single time, finding fares that ranged from 20-40% cheaper than the next closest results.
On the domestic route, while almost all the others agreed that the lowest fare between fare New York and L.A. was $299 on American Airlines, Momondo showed me I could fly on Southwest for $182 or AirTran for $196. What's more, Momondo also found that American Airlines flight, but took its price from an Expedia.com sale: $196.
For the transatlantic flight, while the others were finding fares at $489, $497, and $655, Momondo quickly returned with a Virgin Atlantic fare of $392.
On the London-to-Rome flight, most of the others found only $141 on British Airways or $168 on Alitalia. Momondo dug up a Ryanair flight for $71. (To its credit, Skyscanner.com -- which fared most poorly in the other searches -- also found the Ryanair flight, but oddly the price was $2.31 higher).
One note: once I clicked over to Ryanair itself, I found an even better rate of €35.99 ($50.38), which means the best course of action, as always, is not just to click on that single lowest price, but to take the three or four lowest fares these aggregators find and check them all out.
To use a firm headquartered in Copenhagen may seem an odd tactic for finding air bargains between New York and California, or between Atlanta and Chicago. But there it is -- those canny Danes are something else!
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But that was before I ran tests on a Danish service called Momondo.com (www.momondo.com). It claims to search more than 600 airfare sources (upstart airlines, budget airlines, big and little airlines, other airfare websites, consolidators and "aggregators"), which is two to three times the number scanned by any of its competitors.
But claims are one thing, results another, so I ran several of the best-known search engines through a series of tests of popular routes: a domestic flight (New York to Los Angeles), a transatlantic flight (New York to London), and an inter-European flight (London to Rome).
And would you believe it -- Momondo saved the most! I won't bore you with every pricing detail, but suffice to say, the little Danish-based Momondo was the clear winner every single time, finding fares that ranged from 20-40% cheaper than the next closest results.
On the domestic route, while almost all the others agreed that the lowest fare between fare New York and L.A. was $299 on American Airlines, Momondo showed me I could fly on Southwest for $182 or AirTran for $196. What's more, Momondo also found that American Airlines flight, but took its price from an Expedia.com sale: $196.
For the transatlantic flight, while the others were finding fares at $489, $497, and $655, Momondo quickly returned with a Virgin Atlantic fare of $392.
On the London-to-Rome flight, most of the others found only $141 on British Airways or $168 on Alitalia. Momondo dug up a Ryanair flight for $71. (To its credit, Skyscanner.com -- which fared most poorly in the other searches -- also found the Ryanair flight, but oddly the price was $2.31 higher).
One note: once I clicked over to Ryanair itself, I found an even better rate of €35.99 ($50.38), which means the best course of action, as always, is not just to click on that single lowest price, but to take the three or four lowest fares these aggregators find and check them all out.
To use a firm headquartered in Copenhagen may seem an odd tactic for finding air bargains between New York and California, or between Atlanta and Chicago. But there it is -- those canny Danes are something else!
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GATE, that unusual group of travel-oriented nuns, has upped the number of its tours and added Venezuela (gulp!) to their destinations
That remarkable group of Wisconsin nuns that operate under the name GATE (Global Awareness Through Experience) have just issued their schedule for December 2007 through October of 2008 of group trips that primarily "share the reality of the poor and marginalized in Latin America." These are "reality tours," says GATE, that offer "the opportunity to learn from the poor, as well as from social analysts, teachers, theologians and economists." Though I've reported on GATE before, its extended program deserves an update. In the months ahead, GATE will be operating visits in El Salvador ($1,175 plus airfare for 10 days, starting November 24, 2007, August 1, 2008, and November 29, 2007); Guatemala ($1,175 plus airfare for 10 days, starting March 12, 2008; Venezuela -- a totally new destination (price to be advised, for 10 days starting April 14, 2008); Oaxaca, Mexico ($1,200 plus airfare, for 8 days starting February 16, 2008); Mexico City and Chiapas ($1,275 for 10 days starting May 21); and Eastern Europe ($2,100 plus airfare for 12 days, starting September 25, 2008).
For more information, contact GATE at tel. 608/791-5283, or see www.gate-travel.org.
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Labels: central america, south america, volunteer
Oct 11, 2007
We should be enthusiastic about low-cost airlines, but not entirely oblivious to the conditions they often impose
Most smart travelers know that any dirt-cheap plane ticket is going to come with some standard restrictions: no refunds or exchanges without incurring a penalty of $200 or more, requirements that you purchase the ticket two weeks in advance, your trip straddle a Saturday, and you stay a minimum of seven and maximum of thirty days. But some discounted fares come with restrictions you might not even notice until they come into play.
A friend recently reported that, after years of purchasing discounted plane tickets to Europe from the noted and excellent consolidator 1-800-FlyEurope (www.1800flyeurope.com), he ran into an unexpected snag on a recent trip to Italy. The tickets -- on which he saved nearly $100 over advertised fares by using 1800-Fly-Europe -- routed him through Amsterdam on Northwest/KLM. Weather delays caused his outgoing flight from New York to Amsterdam to be cancelled. A helpful Northwest agent at the airport obligingly rebooked him on a new flight with a partner airline that had an added benefit: it would fly direct to Rome and get him in even earlier than planned!
His relief was short-lived, however. As he walked away from the desk, the agent called him back with an apology and some bad news. His discounted fare had come with restrictions on flying any airline other than Northwest/KLM and on flying any other route than the one scheduled. In short, he had to wait to be rebooked on a KLM plane, and he had to fly via Amsterdam.
He ended up flying a ridiculous new routing via Detroit, where he had to dash through the airport, barely making a connection to Amsterdam, where again he had to run to catch the plane to Rome. He also arrived in Rome about eight hours after he was originally scheduled to do so, in effect losing an entire day of his trip to extra flight and backtracking to Detroit. In a stroke of sheer luck, his luggage actually managed to make all the connections.
The moral: the consolidators of discount fares, and the budget airlines themselves, continue to be a reliable source for discounted airfares, but be prepared to ride out any potentially bigger bumps in the road that come with the fare rules. Also, make sure you read the fine print on any discounted ticket, as the savings may come with more restrictions than you realize.
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A friend recently reported that, after years of purchasing discounted plane tickets to Europe from the noted and excellent consolidator 1-800-FlyEurope (www.1800flyeurope.com), he ran into an unexpected snag on a recent trip to Italy. The tickets -- on which he saved nearly $100 over advertised fares by using 1800-Fly-Europe -- routed him through Amsterdam on Northwest/KLM. Weather delays caused his outgoing flight from New York to Amsterdam to be cancelled. A helpful Northwest agent at the airport obligingly rebooked him on a new flight with a partner airline that had an added benefit: it would fly direct to Rome and get him in even earlier than planned!
His relief was short-lived, however. As he walked away from the desk, the agent called him back with an apology and some bad news. His discounted fare had come with restrictions on flying any airline other than Northwest/KLM and on flying any other route than the one scheduled. In short, he had to wait to be rebooked on a KLM plane, and he had to fly via Amsterdam.
He ended up flying a ridiculous new routing via Detroit, where he had to dash through the airport, barely making a connection to Amsterdam, where again he had to run to catch the plane to Rome. He also arrived in Rome about eight hours after he was originally scheduled to do so, in effect losing an entire day of his trip to extra flight and backtracking to Detroit. In a stroke of sheer luck, his luggage actually managed to make all the connections.
The moral: the consolidators of discount fares, and the budget airlines themselves, continue to be a reliable source for discounted airfares, but be prepared to ride out any potentially bigger bumps in the road that come with the fare rules. Also, make sure you read the fine print on any discounted ticket, as the savings may come with more restrictions than you realize.
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You can learn more about the great outdoors at your local retail camping store -- and usually for free
An adult scoutmaster recently told me that he frequently takes the boys to a nearby REI store for free clinics in such outdoors skills as backpacking, mountain bike maintenance, winter camping, and wilderness first aid. REI, as you may know, is a travel and outdoors cooperative with 99 stores in 27 states. Its programs, and those of other similar stores, include one- or two-day trips developing the skills of hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, fly fishing, photography, GPS navigation and geocaching.
Many of the classes are free. Others -- especially the hands-on ones where you bike or kayak for a full day -- might run anywhere from $20 to $90 (sometimes a bit more for advanced courses). Individual REI stores also post numerous opportunities to join in local walkathons, bike-athons, runs, and hikes. For more information, go to its Web site (www.rei.com) and click on "Stores & Events" -- the section labeled "REI Adventures" takes you to the company's multi-day active vacations, not the short, inexpensive-to-free classes and clinics.
Another top-rated chain, LL. Bean (www.llbean.com) -- with nine stores along the East Coast, from the famous flagship in Freeport, ME to one in Tyson's Corner, VA -- offers "Outdoor Discovery Schools" in fly fishing, kayaking, bike tours, and outdoor skills such as first aid. Most of the more involved trips take place in Maine and Maryland, though every store does offer shorter "Walk-On" adventures from May through early October. These cost $15, including round-trip shuttle bus from the store, for 1½ to 2½ hours of introductory kayaking or fly casting clinics (the Maine store also does archery and clay pigeon shooting).
EMS (www.ems.com), with 80 stores throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, conducts its programs -- kayaking, rock climbing, and winter sports (Telemark, backcountry, and ski mountaineering plus avalanche courses) -- at a dozen of its locations throughout New England and New York (plus, for climbers, Pennsylvania and New Jersey).
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Many of the classes are free. Others -- especially the hands-on ones where you bike or kayak for a full day -- might run anywhere from $20 to $90 (sometimes a bit more for advanced courses). Individual REI stores also post numerous opportunities to join in local walkathons, bike-athons, runs, and hikes. For more information, go to its Web site (www.rei.com) and click on "Stores & Events" -- the section labeled "REI Adventures" takes you to the company's multi-day active vacations, not the short, inexpensive-to-free classes and clinics.
Another top-rated chain, LL. Bean (www.llbean.com) -- with nine stores along the East Coast, from the famous flagship in Freeport, ME to one in Tyson's Corner, VA -- offers "Outdoor Discovery Schools" in fly fishing, kayaking, bike tours, and outdoor skills such as first aid. Most of the more involved trips take place in Maine and Maryland, though every store does offer shorter "Walk-On" adventures from May through early October. These cost $15, including round-trip shuttle bus from the store, for 1½ to 2½ hours of introductory kayaking or fly casting clinics (the Maine store also does archery and clay pigeon shooting).
EMS (www.ems.com), with 80 stores throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, conducts its programs -- kayaking, rock climbing, and winter sports (Telemark, backcountry, and ski mountaineering plus avalanche courses) -- at a dozen of its locations throughout New England and New York (plus, for climbers, Pennsylvania and New Jersey).
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Attention, cyclists! You can save big by booking directly with a European bike tour operator
Next time you're considering an active tour of Europe, make sure you consult Bike Tours Direct (www.biketoursdirect.com). This Tennessee-based company was founded by bicycle enthusiasts who got tired of paying the high mark-up that comes from booking via an American tour agency, started contacting European bike tour operators directly to book their trips, and turned it into a business by sharing this shortcut with others. They now represent 30 European bicycle tour companies based in ten countries (France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Romania, and the Czech Republic).
The company claims it can save you up to 70 percent over booking with some U.S.-based operators, and while it's difficult to make direct comparisons (given the infinite combinations possible of routes, tour lengths, and choices of hotels and restaurants along the way), I can confirm that the rates seem excellent, starting as low as €60 ($84) per person per night.
Since these aren't American companies (or local companies being booked en masse by an American tour operator), you're much more likely to get an eclectic mix of fellow riders from all over the world. Instead of riding with a bunch of other Americans, you'll get a multinational tour group, adding yet one more layer of cultural experience to the trip. (One downside: on some trips, the primary language of choice might not be English, so be prepared to learn a little German as you peddle.)
Since these are European companies, the trips are sold as land-only, so you'll have to find and book your own airfare. There are both traditional point-to-point tours as well as "home-base" trips where you explore a region by bike from one town or hotel, and both guided group trips and self-guided tours (minimum of two) are available. If you do go it alone, though luggage transport between hotels is included, there is typically no support van or "sag wagon" to save you from inclement weather, mechanical fiascos, or tired muscles. Also, plan to bring your own helmet.
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The company claims it can save you up to 70 percent over booking with some U.S.-based operators, and while it's difficult to make direct comparisons (given the infinite combinations possible of routes, tour lengths, and choices of hotels and restaurants along the way), I can confirm that the rates seem excellent, starting as low as €60 ($84) per person per night.
Since these aren't American companies (or local companies being booked en masse by an American tour operator), you're much more likely to get an eclectic mix of fellow riders from all over the world. Instead of riding with a bunch of other Americans, you'll get a multinational tour group, adding yet one more layer of cultural experience to the trip. (One downside: on some trips, the primary language of choice might not be English, so be prepared to learn a little German as you peddle.)
Since these are European companies, the trips are sold as land-only, so you'll have to find and book your own airfare. There are both traditional point-to-point tours as well as "home-base" trips where you explore a region by bike from one town or hotel, and both guided group trips and self-guided tours (minimum of two) are available. If you do go it alone, though luggage transport between hotels is included, there is typically no support van or "sag wagon" to save you from inclement weather, mechanical fiascos, or tired muscles. Also, plan to bring your own helmet.
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If you're willing to brave near-Arctic-like weather, Yellowstone in winter is a great thrill
I know I have sung the praises of Yellowstone in the summer, but it can be just as glorious in the winter. First of all, you'll have the park virtually to yourself. During winter, only the short road from the Montana gateway town of Gardiner to the Mammoth Hot Springs lodge is cleared for cars, but the park itself remains wide open -- and practically empty. A handful of cross-country skiers and snowshoers share this vast national treasure with just a few small groups touring by snowmobile or snowcoach (sort of a 1960s version of a public minibus crossed with a snowcat).
Secondly, with thick blankets of white snow as a backdrop, the wildlife is far easier to spot. Here a brace of elk with magnificent racks of antlers snuggle into snowy beds, there a red fox slinks through the woods by the side of the road. Trumpeter swans glide on the river, pronghorn antelope pause on their migratory routes to rest, large hares jackrabbit across the landscape, giant bison root through the snow for food, and bighorn sheep skitter up seemingly impossible cliff sides.
Yellowstone in winter does take a bit of planning. Between December 19 and March 9, only two hotels remain open in the park: the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, accessible by car, where winter rates start at $78 for a room with a shared bathroom, $105 for a room with private bath; and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, accessible only by snowcoach or snowmobile, which starts at $180 for a lodge room, from $87 for a cabin.
Xanterra, the lodging company that operates both lodges (tel. 866/439-7375; www.travelyellowstone.com), offers a series of "Winter Getaways" packages. You can get two nights lodging at either the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (from $109 per person) or the Old Faithful Snow Lodge (from $269 per person -- it includes the snowcoach ride in) in packages that also include breakfast, unlimited ice-skating (with free skates), various discounts, and a one-hour hot tub rental.
More active guests might consider a "Nordic Heaven" version that throws in a full day's ski rental starting from $159 per person (at Mammoth). If your conscience can square the use of snowmobiles in the park (which only allows operation of a limited number of the cleaner, 4-stroke snowmobiles each day) you can get a similar deal substituting for the skiing a guided snowmobile tour to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone or Old Faithful starting at $205 at Mammoth.
For longer or more in-depth educational vacations, contact the Yellowstone Association Institute (tel. 307/344-2293; www.yellowstoneassociation.org).
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Secondly, with thick blankets of white snow as a backdrop, the wildlife is far easier to spot. Here a brace of elk with magnificent racks of antlers snuggle into snowy beds, there a red fox slinks through the woods by the side of the road. Trumpeter swans glide on the river, pronghorn antelope pause on their migratory routes to rest, large hares jackrabbit across the landscape, giant bison root through the snow for food, and bighorn sheep skitter up seemingly impossible cliff sides.
Yellowstone in winter does take a bit of planning. Between December 19 and March 9, only two hotels remain open in the park: the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, accessible by car, where winter rates start at $78 for a room with a shared bathroom, $105 for a room with private bath; and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, accessible only by snowcoach or snowmobile, which starts at $180 for a lodge room, from $87 for a cabin.
Xanterra, the lodging company that operates both lodges (tel. 866/439-7375; www.travelyellowstone.com), offers a series of "Winter Getaways" packages. You can get two nights lodging at either the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (from $109 per person) or the Old Faithful Snow Lodge (from $269 per person -- it includes the snowcoach ride in) in packages that also include breakfast, unlimited ice-skating (with free skates), various discounts, and a one-hour hot tub rental.
More active guests might consider a "Nordic Heaven" version that throws in a full day's ski rental starting from $159 per person (at Mammoth). If your conscience can square the use of snowmobiles in the park (which only allows operation of a limited number of the cleaner, 4-stroke snowmobiles each day) you can get a similar deal substituting for the skiing a guided snowmobile tour to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone or Old Faithful starting at $205 at Mammoth.
For longer or more in-depth educational vacations, contact the Yellowstone Association Institute (tel. 307/344-2293; www.yellowstoneassociation.org).
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Labels: parks, yellowstone
Ever heard of Canadian Sailing Expeditions? It's apparently a viable alternative to Windjammer Barefoot Cruises
With Windjammer Barefoot Cruises in such difficulty (it has now definitively cancelled its sailings of October 14 and 21), a great many fans of these devil-may-care, passenger-carrying, large sailing ships will now be looking for tropical substitutes this winter. The single alternative I've found is a thriving firm called Canadian Sailing Expeditions, whose fleet of eight sailing ships is mainly maintained in the Canadian Atlantic or Europe, but which has assigned one of its ships -- the 245-foot, 77-passenger Caledonia -- to weekly, seven-day cruises of the French Caribbean and Dominica (Guadeloupe, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, Dominica) starting December 22 and continuing through May 3. Rates are $300 a day per person for most cabins (they have upper and lower bunks at the $300 rate), and though the clientele seems a tiny bit older and more sedate (but how serious can a sailing passenger be?) than the insouciant crowd which used to book Windjammer, its sailings seem otherwise similar to those of the troubled American line. Take a look at www.canadiansailingexpeditions.com, or phone tel. 877/429-9463 or 902/429-1474 for more information. Incidentally, in a press release just issued, the grandson of Windjammer founder captain Mike Burke, who is Danny Walsh, writes that "We are actively working with several investor groups on a viable plan to continue the Windjammer tradition." Keep watching for the (possible) reinstatement of the full-scale Windjammer website.
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Labels: cruise, windjammer
Oct 10, 2007
Fierce competition in fly-drive tours to Ireland produces the best $499 package to date -- but only if you book by October 15
As the winter approaches, we'll all be offered near-miracles in pricing for a fly-drive week to Ireland; these are among the top values in travel and they make for a really satisfying one-week break, in a fascinating country. The latest "deal" is a $499 "luxury" package from long-established Dooley Vacations, whose PR department literally reached me just a moment ago. I'm reproducing their offer verbatim, and suggest you give serious thought to booking it -- and notice, too, that it's available at no extra charge from Chicago! Here's the essence:Dooley Vacations is offering a luxury B&B package at an unprecedented price starting from $499 (based on double occupancy and out of NY, Boston or Chicago) per person for travel from November 1, 2007 through February 29, 2008, when booked by October 15th. Representing a savings of nearly 40%, this package includes roundtrip airfare; rental car with unlimited mileage; the first night at a pre-booked hotel in either the Clare Inn in Clare or Regency Hotel in Dublin; two-nights at Farmhouse B&Bs of travelers choice; and one-night at Cabra Castle, Abbeyglen Castle or Ballynahinch Castle. Upgrade to automatic car and Town & Country homes (private bath) are also available from only $49 per person.For more information or to make a reservation, call 877-331-9301 or visit http://dooleyvacations.com/vacations/luxury-bb-package. But note again the October 15 date for booking.
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A new FAA funding bill passed by the House of Representatives takes baby steps toward ensuring air passengers' rights
A passenger rights bill has now passed one house of Congress. It seeks to address the appalling incidents in which people on grounded planes have been kept virtual prisoners for hours at a stretch as food, water, and A/C runs out and the onboard toilets overflow. Problem is, it's a law without any teeth.
I waded through the text (anyone can read the resolution, H.R. 2881, at http://thomas.loc.gov), and it merely demands that large and medium hub airports, and the carriers that use them, each draw up an emergency contingency plan to "provide food, water that meets the standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act, restroom facilities, cabin ventilation, and access to medical treatment for passengers onboard an aircraft at the airport that is on the ground for an extended period of time without access to the terminal." It also contains a provision to "allow passengers to deplane following excessive delays."
Notice that it doesn't defines how long constitutes "an extended period of time" or an "excessive delay." What's more, should the airlines and airports fail to file (or, in the case of an incident, abide by) such plans, the Secretary of Transportation may simply "assess a civil penalty." That's all.
Maybe we should be happy over this slight progress. The bill also includes provisions to address noise and congestion issues as well, an amendment ordering the Secretary of Transportation to institute a consumer complaint hotline, and supposedly contains enough funding to start modernizing the antiquated air traffic control system that is contributing to air flight delays.
Meanwhile, the White House has threatened to veto the bill, and the Senate is working on its own version. Complaining about the state of air travel won't get you very far. The only chance to change the system is when the laws governing it are being written, so if any of you frequent fliers out there feel the House version isn't up to snuff, maybe now is the right time to write to your Senator.
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I waded through the text (anyone can read the resolution, H.R. 2881, at http://thomas.loc.gov), and it merely demands that large and medium hub airports, and the carriers that use them, each draw up an emergency contingency plan to "provide food, water that meets the standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act, restroom facilities, cabin ventilation, and access to medical treatment for passengers onboard an aircraft at the airport that is on the ground for an extended period of time without access to the terminal." It also contains a provision to "allow passengers to deplane following excessive delays."
Notice that it doesn't defines how long constitutes "an extended period of time" or an "excessive delay." What's more, should the airlines and airports fail to file (or, in the case of an incident, abide by) such plans, the Secretary of Transportation may simply "assess a civil penalty." That's all.
Maybe we should be happy over this slight progress. The bill also includes provisions to address noise and congestion issues as well, an amendment ordering the Secretary of Transportation to institute a consumer complaint hotline, and supposedly contains enough funding to start modernizing the antiquated air traffic control system that is contributing to air flight delays.
Meanwhile, the White House has threatened to veto the bill, and the Senate is working on its own version. Complaining about the state of air travel won't get you very far. The only chance to change the system is when the laws governing it are being written, so if any of you frequent fliers out there feel the House version isn't up to snuff, maybe now is the right time to write to your Senator.
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Book soon to sail the Delta Queen, America's last near-authentic steamboat, in her final season
I have written before on the pleasures and pitfalls of a leisurely paddleboat cruise of the Mississippi River, chugging along at a stately 4-miles-an-hour as America's heartland slips slowly past your stateroom window or balcony. It saddens me to report that the single most authentic example of this timeless American travel experience, the 80-year-old Delta Queen, is about to embark on its final sailing season.
For 80 years the Delta Queen has been elegant grand dame of a cruise boat, fitted with teak handrails, brass fittings, an ironwood deck, Tiffany-style stains glass, and that giant spinning red paddlewheel at the back. Her landings are still sounded by the very bell that was on the steamboat Mark Twain rode downriver in 1883. The Delta Queen is a true piece of American history, a registered National Historic Landmark, and the last original steamboat still offering overnight cruises in America. She was built in 1926 with a steel hull and wooden superstructure -- and therein lies the problem.
The Coast Guard has long-since prohibited ships with wood structures to sail the high seas due to fire safety issues. Six times over the past 40 years, Congress has seen fit to grant this singular ship an exemption, but lawmakers declined to extend the exemption when it came up for consideration again this summer. That means once the current exemption expires in November 2008, the ship will no longer be allowed to carry overnight passengers.
The Delta Queen staterooms are filled with handspun patchwork quilts, wood-shuttered windows, and other antique appointments that have graced the rooms since they were new. However, there are only 88 of those staterooms available -- and only 33 sailings left between now and next November. These range from 3-night roundtrip cruises along the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio to Louisville, Kentucky starting at $810 (for imminent sailings; come next May, the price is $1,499), up to a grand 14-night cruise all the way from Cincinnati to New Orleans starting at $3,999. Some sailings will be reserved for previous Delta Queen guests, so if you want to travel a piece of American history, it would be wise to make your booking soon with the Majestic America Line (tel. 800/434-1232; www.majesticamericaline.com).
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For 80 years the Delta Queen has been elegant grand dame of a cruise boat, fitted with teak handrails, brass fittings, an ironwood deck, Tiffany-style stains glass, and that giant spinning red paddlewheel at the back. Her landings are still sounded by the very bell that was on the steamboat Mark Twain rode downriver in 1883. The Delta Queen is a true piece of American history, a registered National Historic Landmark, and the last original steamboat still offering overnight cruises in America. She was built in 1926 with a steel hull and wooden superstructure -- and therein lies the problem.
The Coast Guard has long-since prohibited ships with wood structures to sail the high seas due to fire safety issues. Six times over the past 40 years, Congress has seen fit to grant this singular ship an exemption, but lawmakers declined to extend the exemption when it came up for consideration again this summer. That means once the current exemption expires in November 2008, the ship will no longer be allowed to carry overnight passengers.
The Delta Queen staterooms are filled with handspun patchwork quilts, wood-shuttered windows, and other antique appointments that have graced the rooms since they were new. However, there are only 88 of those staterooms available -- and only 33 sailings left between now and next November. These range from 3-night roundtrip cruises along the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio to Louisville, Kentucky starting at $810 (for imminent sailings; come next May, the price is $1,499), up to a grand 14-night cruise all the way from Cincinnati to New Orleans starting at $3,999. Some sailings will be reserved for previous Delta Queen guests, so if you want to travel a piece of American history, it would be wise to make your booking soon with the Majestic America Line (tel. 800/434-1232; www.majesticamericaline.com).
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Labels: cruise, mississippi river
This winter's airline price war over the Atlantic has begun, launched last week by 1800FlyEurope.com
True to the pattern of earlier years, the air consolidators have waited until now to announce their radically-reduced fares for flying the Atlantic from November through mid-March. The first to publish was 1-800/FlyEurope.com (its website address is also its phone number), which should be reached at the elongated url of www.1800flyeurope.com/winter-airfare.cfm (or by phoning tel. 800/359-3876).
The rates you'll discover are jaw-droppingly low (see the listing below). But they come with caveats: first, they are for mid-week flights only, in both directions (we'll need to wait until January for all flights to be placed on sale). And second, they are not for all flights -- when you enter a pair of dates into the company's website, a number of alternatives come up, of which only the first is usually at or below the sale price. Thus, a request for a mid-week, November, round-trip to London will be met with an offer of one pair of flights selling for $297, but all other flights will be $310, $318, $329, $333, and so on. And finally, it's preferred that you research or book these rates online, but if you choose to do so by telephone you are asked to cite a code, 6370.
Here are the fares (which will undoubtedly go lower still as we move deeper into the winter):
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The rates you'll discover are jaw-droppingly low (see the listing below). But they come with caveats: first, they are for mid-week flights only, in both directions (we'll need to wait until January for all flights to be placed on sale). And second, they are not for all flights -- when you enter a pair of dates into the company's website, a number of alternatives come up, of which only the first is usually at or below the sale price. Thus, a request for a mid-week, November, round-trip to London will be met with an offer of one pair of flights selling for $297, but all other flights will be $310, $318, $329, $333, and so on. And finally, it's preferred that you research or book these rates online, but if you choose to do so by telephone you are asked to cite a code, 6370.
Here are the fares (which will undoubtedly go lower still as we move deeper into the winter):
- Boston to: London ($299), Paris ($377), Rome ($459), Madrid ($507), and Frankfurt ($357).
- Chicago to: London ($299), Paris ($457), Rome ($497), Madrid ($499), and Frankfurt ($447).
- Dallas-Fort Worth to: London ($349), Paris ($477), Rome ($497), Madrid ($589), and Frankfurt ($479).
- Los Angeles to: London ($347), Paris ($557), Rome ($597), Madrid ($569), and Frankfurt ($517).
- Miami to: London ($337), Paris or Madrid ($507), Frankfurt or Rome ($517).
- New York to: London ($299), Paris or Frankfurt ($357), Rome or Madrid ($417).
- Washington, DC to: London ($297), Paris or Frankfurt ($367), Rome ($467), Madrid ($537).
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Labels: deals
Oct 9, 2007
You can double the room in your luggage by carrying your clothes in space-saving compression bags
I have friends who swear by these compression bags, which are essentially like giant Ziploc baggies fitted with one-way pressure valves along one edge. Once you fill the bag with all your clothes and seal the top, you squeeze all the air out of the bag by rolling it up, then unfurling it again, to reveal that your kit has been compressed into literally half its original size. These bags were originally hawked as a way of shrinking sweaters, bed comforters, and other bulky seasonal items to maximum household storage space, but they also make an excellent space-saving tool for travelers. As a bonus, they help organize the mess in your bag -- at least this way all your clothes are compartmentalized into one place. One warning: they can wreak havoc on wrinkle-prone materials, but savvy travelers know to avoid packing wrinkly clothing in the first place.
There are two main brands. The Compression Sacs from Eagle Creek (www.eaglecreek.com), sold at luggage stores and in travel gear catalogs such as Travel Smith (www.travelsmith.com) and Magellan's (www.magellans.com), are the heavier-duty option, and sized for travelers, but are also more expensive: $8 to $12 a piece, depending on size.
Less expensive, but also less sturdy, is the Space Bag (www.spacebag.com), which you may recognize from their infomercials, widely available at places like Target (www.target.com) and Walmart (www.walmart.com, which sells a set of eight travel-sized bags for around $20). If you choose the Space Bags, be sure you pick up the smaller sizes and not the Extra Large bag (or the kind that needs to be sealed by a vacuum cleaner hose) intended for household uses.
Also, pay little heed to the user reviews on some retail sites that complain about the bags' inability to stay vacuum-sealed. It's true that, if not sealed properly, the bags can slowly lose their compression over time (and, after several years of use, will start springing slow leaks even when sealed properly). However, this is only an issue if you're trying to keep a brace of sweaters compressed for six months at a stretch in your basement. The bags have no problem holding a tight, compressed vacuum seal for the brief period they'll spend in your luggage, and besides, you'll be opening and resealing it every time you switch hotels.
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There isn't a single reason that I can think of for a visit to Macao
The world's press has been full of wonder about the opening in Macao, the former Portuguese colony on the coast of China, of the largest casino in the world, the Venetian Macao. It has 3,500 slot machines, heaven knows how many roulette wheels, and 16,000 employees. Other new casinos and casino hotels are sprouting up nearby.
Any reason for you to go there, perhaps on your next trip to Hong Kong? I can't think of a single one. Though the Venetian and some of the newer casinos are belatedly scrambling to offer forms of entertainment other than gaming, nothing compelling has yet emerged. The casino industry, catering to a Chinese public in love with gambling, is obviously far more intent on cramming more players onto the seats at its tables than into seats in its auditoriums (which are few). And such entertainment as exists will obviously be directed to a Chinese-speaking audience, who make up 99% of the visitors to Macao.
When you consider the pressing needs of peoples all over the world, spending billions of dollars to erect new casinos comes as close as I can imagine to an unethical crime. Unless you're an addict of this mindless activity, I'd stay away.
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Any reason for you to go there, perhaps on your next trip to Hong Kong? I can't think of a single one. Though the Venetian and some of the newer casinos are belatedly scrambling to offer forms of entertainment other than gaming, nothing compelling has yet emerged. The casino industry, catering to a Chinese public in love with gambling, is obviously far more intent on cramming more players onto the seats at its tables than into seats in its auditoriums (which are few). And such entertainment as exists will obviously be directed to a Chinese-speaking audience, who make up 99% of the visitors to Macao.
When you consider the pressing needs of peoples all over the world, spending billions of dollars to erect new casinos comes as close as I can imagine to an unethical crime. Unless you're an addict of this mindless activity, I'd stay away.
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Here's how the Vietnamese themselves explain the (apparent) declining popularity of their country as a tourist destination
I recently wrote about the disappointment that some tour operators to Vietnam have experienced in selling their tours there. More recently, I came across an article in a Vietnamese newspaper that you might find interesting. The writing's atrocious, but it does provide an on-the-ground view of some of the reasons why, according to the piece, up to 70 percent of tourists to Vietnam vow never to return (and, one imagines, dissuades their friends from going once they're home).
There's little new in the article; essentially, it reports tourists being dissatisfied with the usual tricks and touts: enforced shopping excursions, local lack of hygiene, bait-and-switch tactics, etc. Still, given the almost inexplicable industry falloff in Vietnam bookings, it should be read.
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There's little new in the article; essentially, it reports tourists being dissatisfied with the usual tricks and touts: enforced shopping excursions, local lack of hygiene, bait-and-switch tactics, etc. Still, given the almost inexplicable industry falloff in Vietnam bookings, it should be read.
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Labels: vietnam
If you're an avid cruiser, you'll want to know about CruiseCompete
Let's say you've been attracted by a particular cruise -- a specific ship sailing on a specific date -- but you want to make sure you're buying it at the lowest possible price. That's a task for CruiseCompete (www.cruisecompete.com).
The very same cruise may be sold for anywhere from $399 to $799 depending on the booking engine, online travel agency, or cruise discounter you check. CruiseCompete does for cruises what LendingTree.com does for bank loans, letting hundreds of travel agents compete for your business.
You designate the name of the ship and sailing date you want (along with the type and number of cabins, home state, and a few other details), and CruiseCompete shops it around on your behalf to 276 major agencies and discounters. Then it's up to those companies to try to undersell one another and see who can offer you the best deal and lowest price. A quick perusal of the long list of agencies shows that it contains all the major discounters, such as iCruise.com, cruisedirect.com, cruise411.com, and others I have long recommended.
You are notified by email whenever a new price quote is available to view in your CruiseCompete account, where you can peruse them at your leisure. Once you've decided on a winning cruise broker of travel agent, you contact them directly to book the vacation.
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The very same cruise may be sold for anywhere from $399 to $799 depending on the booking engine, online travel agency, or cruise discounter you check. CruiseCompete does for cruises what LendingTree.com does for bank loans, letting hundreds of travel agents compete for your business.
You designate the name of the ship and sailing date you want (along with the type and number of cabins, home state, and a few other details), and CruiseCompete shops it around on your behalf to 276 major agencies and discounters. Then it's up to those companies to try to undersell one another and see who can offer you the best deal and lowest price. A quick perusal of the long list of agencies shows that it contains all the major discounters, such as iCruise.com, cruisedirect.com, cruise411.com, and others I have long recommended.
You are notified by email whenever a new price quote is available to view in your CruiseCompete account, where you can peruse them at your leisure. Once you've decided on a winning cruise broker of travel agent, you contact them directly to book the vacation.
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Oct 8, 2007
Singapore has suddenly surged as a destination for "medical tourism" -- and I wanted to know why
Back in May, I timidly ventured into the controversy over "medical tourism" (traveling abroad for low-cost medical or dental care), knowing that no subject on earth is more likely to generate hate mail from doctors, dentists and the U.S. insurance industry. I conducted an interview with Josef Woodman, author of "Patients Beyond Borders," and then summarized that discussion in this blog.
Woodman has now published a sequel, a special "Singapore edition" of the best-selling Patients Beyond Borders, and I was curious to know why. I dialed his cell phone number, reached him in South Korea, and asked that he send me an e-mail explaining why the sudden emphasis on Singapore. He responded as follows:
Folks may purchase the book at any Borders, B&N and other fine stores, or on Amazon and a host of other online outlets. An ebook is also available, at Lulu.com.
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Woodman has now published a sequel, a special "Singapore edition" of the best-selling Patients Beyond Borders, and I was curious to know why. I dialed his cell phone number, reached him in South Korea, and asked that he send me an e-mail explaining why the sudden emphasis on Singapore. He responded as follows:
The reason I decided to write a special Singapore Edition of Patients Beyond Borders was to inform readers who are becoming priced out of the US healthcare market about the breadth and depth of procedures offered by Singapore hospitals and clinics. In brief, Singapore has become the gold standard of global healthcare, and the list of excellent medical travel opportunities was too large to cover in the pages of our general edition; to name a few:Over the phone, Woodman emphasized that medical treatment in Singapore is often priced at 60% less than in the United States. Whatever you may think of "globalization" in other economic contexts, you might want to study the increasing "globalization" of medical care. It's a subject of special interest to those 40-some-odd million Americans who don't possess health insurance capable of paying U.S. medical bills.
1) Singapore has 13 JCI-accredited hospitals, more than any other Asian country, giving Americans comfort that the largest American hospital accreditation agency has certified so many treatment centers there;
2) 35 hospitals in Singapore serve more than 400,000 international patients each year, covering nearly every imaginable medical diagnosis and procedure;
3) Johns Hopkins has its own hospital there;
4) a full-blown women's specialty center (KK Womens and Children's Hospital) offers a host of pediatric and reproductive diagnosis and treatment;
5) Asia's largest hospital network (Parkway Health) is headquartered there, with three of Asia's finest hospitals a stone's throw from eachother;
6) Biopolis, a new $600 million life sciences and medical research institute hosts medical leaders from all over the world, and is at the forefront of several important areas of research, including stem cell and other regenerative therapies.
To top it all off, Singapore (as a former British colony) is English-speaking throughout, and the city is so squeaky clean you can eat off the sidewalks. Not to mention a host of 3- 4- and 5-star hotels, and some of Asia's best food (see Calvin Trillin's September New Yorker piece)
So, in cooperation with Singapore Medicine, we released the 356-page "Patients Beyond Borders Singapore Edition" last July, to an enthusiastic international audience. The book covers 35 hospitals in depth, featuring their specialties and sub-specialties.
Folks may purchase the book at any Borders, B&N and other fine stores, or on Amazon and a host of other online outlets. An ebook is also available, at Lulu.com.
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Labels: asia, medical travel, singapore
Do tourists have a responsibility to show respect for the city they're visiting? Venice says Yes
As reported by Reuters, the Italian city of Venice -- which struggles to handle 20 million annual visitors -- has gotten so fed up with misbehaving tourists it has instituted an Office of Decorum to oversee new rules of behavior, fielded a squad of "hostesses" to explain and enforce them, and, if necessary, call a police officer to hand out fines to offenders ranging from 50€ to 500€ ($67.50 to $675).Some of the rules follow common sense, such as no littering and no undressing in public. Other rules stem from Venice's unique nature: no riding bicycles in the city (narrow streets and countless little bridges make this impractical anyway), and no swimming or dipping of feet in the canals (which anyone who realizes that the canals double as Venice's public sewer system would never dream of doing).
But the most worrisome category of rules is the direct result of tourists who have abused the hospitality of this lovely city. There is to be no lying down in public places and no sitting or lingering on the street -- understandable in a city with streets barely a shoulder's width apart where one must frequently turn sideways to sidle past oncoming pedestrians, but still a bit draconian. What, after all, constitutes "lingering?" How long can I admire a church façade before being asked to move along?
The saddest of the new rules is: no picnicking except in designated areas. There was a time when one of the joys of Venice was to shop at the Rialto Market or floating barges for fruits and vegetables, head to little grocery stores for delicious meats and cheeses, grab a bottle of wine, and then sit on the stony edge of a quiet canal to enjoy a picnic fit for a doge. It's not the picnicking itself that the Venetians found offensive. Partly it was the fact that some picked their picnic spots poorly and became traffic hazards, but mostly it was the littering.
Enough boorish tourists have treated Venice like a Spring Break beach to ruin it for the rest of us. Now, even mindful tourists who pick up after themselves cannot enjoy a canal-side picnic, and if you choose to sit unobtrusively on the steps of a Renaissance church just to watch the carnival of Venetian life spin past, you can be asked to leave or face a fine.
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From Paris to Buenos Aires to Toronto and elsewhere, volunteer "greeters" are available to show tourists the ropes
I recently reported on so-called "greeters" programs in New York (www.bigapplegreeter.org) and Chicago (www.chicagogreeter.com) that encourage visitors to sign up for a free half-day orientation tour of the city with a volunteer local resident. Happily enough, "greeters" networks are found around the world, from France to Australia. Each works a bit differently, but the basic premise is the same. The greeters act as unofficial ambassadors of their hometowns, and the network offers to link tourists up with these local residents who will show them the ropes, teach them about the city, and perhaps even take them on a neighborhood walking tour, pointing out favorite shops, restaurants, and bars. Best of all, each and every program is completely free of charge.
Here's an initial list of "greeters" networks:
In Argentina: Buenos Aires (www.cicerones.org.ar).
In Australia: Melbourne (www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/info.cfm?top=264&pg=2318), Adelaide (www.adelaidegreeters.asn.au).
In Canada: Toronto (www.toronto.ca/tapto).
In France: Paris (www.parisgreeter.org) and Nantes (www.greeters-nantes.com).
In the U.K.: Thanet, Kent (www.thanet-greeters.org.uk)
In the U.S.: Fairbanks (www.explorefairbanks.com) and Houston (www.houstongreeters.org), in addition to New York City and Chicago, already discussed.
There are bound to be other programs out there. If you know of one, please drop me an e-mail and we'll add it to the growing list.
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Here's an initial list of "greeters" networks:
In Argentina: Buenos Aires (www.cicerones.org.ar).
In Australia: Melbourne (www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/info.cfm?top=264&pg=2318), Adelaide (www.adelaidegreeters.asn.au).
In Canada: Toronto (www.toronto.ca/tapto).
In France: Paris (www.parisgreeter.org) and Nantes (www.greeters-nantes.com).
In the U.K.: Thanet, Kent (www.thanet-greeters.org.uk)
In the U.S.: Fairbanks (www.explorefairbanks.com) and Houston (www.houstongreeters.org), in addition to New York City and Chicago, already discussed.
There are bound to be other programs out there. If you know of one, please drop me an e-mail and we'll add it to the growing list.
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Labels: locals
The latest news about Windjammer Barefoot Cruises is all bad
Because I've been "hoping against hope" that Windjammer Barefoot Cruises would overcome its financial difficulties, and perhaps conveyed a thin ray of optimism in a recent post, it's important now to report that the situation of that deeply-satisfying method of sailing the Caribbean seems beyond repair. Although the Miami Herald reported on October 4 that five employees were still at work in Windjammer's Miami office, those individuals appear (to me) to be die-hard caretakers and volunteers who themselves may be unable to face reality. The website of Windjammer is no longer operational (though the phone is answered), and more important the four sailing ships seem stuck motionless (without electricity, fuel, supplies or full crew) in various tropical ports. In Aruba, the Red Cross has apparently begun feeding those remnants of crew who continue to sleep aboard one particular full-masted vessel.
At least one lawsuit has been brought by a would-be investor who claims that the family trust which owns Windjammer had reneged on its promise to negotiate only with him. Although reports continue to surface of other white knights, it would appear that Windjammer's affairs are so tangled that even a deep-pocketed cruise company would need weeks to set them aright. You would be foolish indeed to book a future sailing at this time or embark on a flight to a particular port planning to board one of Windjammer's ships. Each and every one of last week's sailings was canceled.
I hope I'm wrong about its future prospects, but Windjammer Barefoot Cruises seems badly wounded and out of action, at least for the immediate future.
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At least one lawsuit has been brought by a would-be investor who claims that the family trust which owns Windjammer had reneged on its promise to negotiate only with him. Although reports continue to surface of other white knights, it would appear that Windjammer's affairs are so tangled that even a deep-pocketed cruise company would need weeks to set them aright. You would be foolish indeed to book a future sailing at this time or embark on a flight to a particular port planning to board one of Windjammer's ships. Each and every one of last week's sailings was canceled.
I hope I'm wrong about its future prospects, but Windjammer Barefoot Cruises seems badly wounded and out of action, at least for the immediate future.
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Labels: cruises
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the