Ol’ Man River

I have never cared for cruises!  I consider them too confining and not conducive to experiencing a country, its culture, and its people.  When I decide on a place to experience, I want to go there and, well, experience it.  I want to spend time wandering the streets, reaching the summits of mountain ranges, awing the art and architecture, interacting with locals, and utilizing the transportation system.  I love it!  For the past two years, however, I have been challenged with physical injuries.

I have been temporarily unable to climb stairs, walk the narrowing cobblestone streets, spend hours admiring expansive museums, and veer in and out of the local haunts.  It’s been a real drag and drain on my raison d’etre. 

One day my daughter suggested a river cruise down the Rhine River.  She thought that I should consider it, in light of my physical condition.  After much refusal, I agreed that it might be the only way to enjoy my holiday.  And so, for the first time, I went on a cruise.

The riverboat was small, approximately 80 state rooms equipped with balconies.  There were two restaurants, a lounge with a bar, a spa, and a beautiful setting.  The most important aspects of the cruise were not only that our hotel travelled with us, but that at each of the stops, there were various levels of exploration.  Because of my physical limitations, I selected the “Gentle Walkers” group. 

Although this was quite a different travel experience for me, it turns out that not only was my river cruise the best decision, it was a pleasure.

To read more about it, check out the following sites:

Trip Advisor Traveller's Forum

Independent Traveller

Cruise Critic

Hotel Heaven or Hell?

Deciding on a place to stay for your travels, can be hit-or-miss.  Throughout the years, I have had several misses.  I recall a trip to Paris in 1999, when the hotel I reserved was made up of three oddly-connected buildings, with a hodge-podge of rooms. Our first room had a kitchen (which we didn’t like at all), and shag carpet (which we also didn’t like).  We were placed in another room, with a queen bed, and two sets of bunk beds.  My husband, daughter, and I spent our first day in Paris looking for another hotel!  How could I have been so mistaken about the images, and features listed for this hotel? 

The hotel industry is just that, an industry, and travelers should beware of the content, including professional images, listed on a hotel’s website.  A hotel may stage one room, the lobby, and a portion of the exterior; they may exaggerate the features and amenities, to many unsuspecting travellers.  However, throughout the years, travellers have provided comments to sites, expressing their experiences at various properties, and often include images.  This is invaluable! 

Trip Advisor is my main go-to site for hotel reviews, by travellers.  I’ve relied on its user-driven content since its inception, in 2001.  However, in the 15 years that I’ve used TripAdvisor, I have seen it become more corporate driven.  The travellers’ reviews are structured differently, and travellers’ photos are less prominent, and require a little more effort to access.  I’ve noticed that many of these sites, such as VirtualTourist, SeatGuru, Oyster, and Viator, are now owned by TripAdvisor, Inc.  Still, these sites are worth the effort.

A final note of caution: because travellers are using travellers’ reviews to make informed decisions, there are bogus reviews to decipher.  I tend to discount travellers who’ve recently joined and made one contribution, which is either extremely good or bad.  I do tend to consider travellers who are long-time members, who’ve made a number of contributions, pointing out pros and cons in their reviews.  So, now I have to research the reviewer, but better safe than sorry.

To check out these sites before traveling:

Trip Advisor

Oyster

Virtual Tourist

Is This Seat Taken?

I don’t fly frequently, but when I do, it’s for long distances.  Because of this, I’m always interested and concerned about my seat on an aircraft.  We’re familiar with the cramped seating on aircraft these days, and for an 11-15 hour flight, a seat can make a real difference in a vacation, or holiday. 

I believe that a vacation begins the moment you walk out the front door.  It helps when you know that you’ve secured a decent seat on a flight.  Sometimes you’re able to select a seat on an airline, during the reservation process, other times you must wait until a day or two of your flight.  Loyal flyers, eligible for upgrades, may have to wait until check-in at the airport for notification of a better seat, and other times you have to wait until boarding. I’ve actually been seated on the aircraft, when informed that I’ve been upgraded.  I’ve experienced it all!  With the advent of airline mergers, it’s become increasingly difficult for loyal airline members to get seat upgrades.

Increasingly, airlines charge for highly desirable seats, such as aisle, window, seats closer to the front of the aircraft, exit rows and premium, which offers more legroom.  Flying has certainly become a daunting, and much more costly experience.  So how to navigate your upcoming journey of flight?

For years now, I’ve referred to Seat Guru, a site that not only provides maps containing seating configurations for an airline’s aircraft, but also rates each seat on the plane, including details on pros and cons.  I love it, and depend on it heavily for all of my flights.  Another site that I find particularly helpful is Flyer Talk, which provides airline reviews, ratings, and images on specific seats, class categories, service, food, entertainment, and overall flying experience, on named airlines. 

I don’t always get the seat that I want, but I always know which seats to request, as well as those to stay away from.

To find out more about it, check out the following links:

Seat Guru  http://www.seatguru.com/

Seat Expert  http://seatexpert.com/

Flyer Talk  http://www.flyertalk.com/

The Problem with Pre-Check

When traveling through an airport, and waiting in long queues at TSA, the Pre-check advantage can certainly make for a more pleasant travel experience.  So, for nine months now, I've been part of the Happy Traveler's Club (i.e. Pre-check), but I have not been able to use it once!  Why? It turns out that not all airports provide this accommodation; also, the Pre-check access line is not available 24 hours.

Recently, when I was at LAX for a 1:00am flight, I discovered that Pre-check closes at 11:00pm, (this was at 11:15pm). So, I had to queue up with the rest of the crowd. As a consolation, TSA simply called out for Pre-check travellers (you don't have to remove anything, but if you set off detectors, you have to go through a thorough wand search). Of course, this happened to me. And for reasons unknown, perhaps a piece of metal on my clothing, the length of time I spent with TSA was extended.

I suppose that Pre-check can be beneficial, it certainly seemed that way, whenever I watched other passengers breeze through TSA.  I'm not a frequent flyer, but I travel often enough to want to get through the crowd as smoothly as possible.

To qualify for Pre-check, through the Global Entry program, you must submit an application, detailing personal and professional information, as well as your travel history.  There’s also a fee, and an interview with a federal Customs agent at either LAX, or the Port Authority, in Long Beach. 

As you can see, my commitment to being part of the Global Entry program, which includes Pre-check, is greater than its commitment to me. 

To learn more about these programs, check out the following links:

TSA PreCheck  https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck
Global Entry  https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/how-apply
TSA Blog  http://tsa.eyestreet.com/aggregator/sources/1