Articles

Arthur Frommer

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Some Reflections—Both Hopeful and Dismal—on the Current State of the Cruise Industry

On Quantum of the SeasIn the cruise ship world, January, February, and March are "wave season", the period of their heaviest advance sales when phones are ringing…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Does the Recent Outbreak of Measles Mean that Enlightened Americans Should Cancel Travel Plans, and Thus Avoid Exposure to the Malady in Crowds?

When a traveler with measles paid a visit recently to Disneyland in southern California, he/she not only set off a rather small epidemic of the disease in the United…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Companies Have Emerged that Claim to Double or Triple the Value of the Mileage or Points You Earn on Airline and Credit Card Programs

Its name is AwardMagic.com, and it's potentially the most useful travel service of which you've never heard.  It is not alone in what it does--ThePointsGuy.com,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Planning a Quick Trip to Havana? The "Casa Particular" May be the Answer to Your Housing Needs

The new and greatly broadened rules that permit Americans to make trips to Cuba have just gone into effect, and a great many of our fellow citizens are now…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

In a Momentous Development, Regulations Have Just Been Announced That Will Greatly Expand the Number of Americans Able to Visit Cuba

The floodgates have opened.  Starting now, any determined American will be able to travel, without hindrance, to Cuba.  That’s the meaning of the regulations just…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Last Weekend's Street Demonstrations by a Million Parisians Have Served to Remind Us of Our High Regard for France and the French

Thomas Jefferson is supposed to have said (though some scholars deny he did) that “Every man has two countries--his own and France”.I thought of that famous…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Decisions, Decisions: Here Are Some That Will Confront You As You Plan Your Forthcoming Vacation Trip

In travel, there’s always an alternative to consider when you plan your next vacation.  Here are some of them:(1)  Cruises vs. all-inclusive resort hotels:…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Growing Strength of the U.S. Dollar May Turn 2015 Into a Halcyon Period for American Tourists

Although the remarkable recent rise in the value  of the U.S. Dollar has made headlines, hardly anyone has commented on the impact of that development on international…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Here's an Attempted Explanation for the Surging Popularity of River Cruises

The recemt and extraordinary popularity of river cruises--especially those of European rivers--is one of the great mysteries of travel.  River cruises have been…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

In Sharp Contrast to the Thoughtless Acceptance of TripAdvisor in the U.S., the Europeans are Fining It Big Bucks for Allegedly Failing to Police the Posting of Fake Reviews

Five hundred thousand euros (or $610,000).  That's the fine recently levied on TripAdvisor.com by a regulatory commission in Italy. The famous website's violation? The…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Some End-of-the-Year Musings on Current Developments—And Bitter Controversies—in Travel

As we move into 2015, a number of important travel issues seem unresolved and the subject of fierce controversy. Since both travelers and legislators are being asked to resolve…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Arthur Frommer's Reaction to the President's Announcement Regarding the Travel Embargo Against Cuba

"Although it will make headlines, the announcement of these embargo modifications is of far less substance than meets the eye."

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is It Still Possible to Find Vacation Space at Christmas? In Certain Limited Instances, The Answer Seems to be Yes

Barbados: You could be here this Christmas"I know I should have planned this months ago, but I was just too busy at the time. But now, we simply, desperately, want…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

120 to the Dollar. That, Believe It or Not, is the Current Exchange Value of the Japanese Yen!

When the Japanese Yen fell to a rate of 100 to the dollar some months ago, one particular financial observer predicted it would eventually fall to a level of 125 to the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

We Visited an American Theme Park that Vanquishes Disney and Universal

Pauline and I, and our respective families, spent the Thanksgiving holidays at Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia.  And because CW doesn't enjoy anywhere near the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Severe Drop in the Value of the Japanese Currency Has Made That Country a Highly Desirable Low-Cost Destination for American Travelers

Several weeks ago, when the value of the Japanese Yen plummeted to a rate of 100 to the U.S. dollar, people in the travel industry awoke to the emergence of a new…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Winter Europe on $75 a Day per Person, Including Quality Accommodations and Three Tasty Meals

This coming winter, hundreds of thousands of Americans from the northeast or midwest will compete with one another for the few low-cost or moderately-priced condos or…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Despite an Almost Universal Criticism of My Viewpoints About the Latest Trends in Cruising, I Remain Unmoved

If you are dismayed by the decision of cruiselines to place bumper cars and basketball courts on their top decks, does that make you an "elitist" or a spoil-sport?  If…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

River Cruises are the Hottest Current Product in Travel, Selling Like Proverbial Hotcakes, But for an Experience that Scarcely Differs from One Cruiseline to the Other

Probably the most unusual recent event in travel was the announcement by the well-known Celebrity Cruises that it will soon add a river cruise to one of its familiar ocean…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Winter's Coming and a Record-Breaking Number of Residents in the North Are Looking to Spend Several Weeks in Warmer Places. What are the Options?

With memories still fresh of an unusually frigid December through March of 2013-14, a larger than normal number of Americans in the northeastern and Midwestern states…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Fresh Look at Some 15 Frequently-Posed Travel Questions, And Our Sometimes Infuriating Responses to Them

While most of the questions posed to this blog are quite unique. an almost equal number fall into several recognized and familiar categories--and these tend, on occasion, to be…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Vancouver, Canada, Has Become a Popular Destination, A Multi-Ethnic City of Great Appeal, With Pleasures and Attractions That Well Deserve a Visit

Ever since passports were required of most U.S. citizens arriving in Canada by plane (that edict went into full effect in 2009), the experience of getting there has…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is Airbnb Good for America? Or Does it Worsen the Housing Shortage? New York's Attorney General Takes the Negative View—And May Prevent You from Using Airbnb

In a thick and detailed report given considerable publicity last month, the Attorney-General of New York State has declared war on the popular website service that…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Though Domestic Tourism Remains Placid at Home, Several Foreign Locations—Morocco, Thailand, The Philippines, Hong Kong Among Them—Are Presenting Real Problems

This past week has been a rather slow time for travel within the U.S.  We've had no really major events, no new fees and charges from greedy airlines and hotels, no…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The World of Travel is Erupting with Totally Unexpected Developments, Both Mechanical and Policy-Oriented

Who would have thought we would someday find robots doing the work of hotel bellmen?  Or wristwatches supplying us with travel directions?  At Starwood Hotels, a…