Cruising offers such variety it is difficult to know where to begin to find the right cruise for you. The best advice experts offer is to create an inventory of what you want to get out of this trip.
Here are some good questions to yourselves before deciding on your cruise.
1. Are you looking for rest and relaxation or lots of activity and/or adventure?
2. Is this a romantic getaway? Are you celebrating a special occasion?
3. Do you want to see as many different sights as possible or just a few indepth?
4. What do you want to do when you are on the ship and not sight seeing?
5. Do you prefer dressy or causal?
6. Do you want to meet new people?
7. Do you want to be pampered?
8. How long would you like to be on your trip?
9. What type of cabin would you prefer- suite, balcony, oceanview or interior?
10. Do you have a budget in mind?
Once you have given some thought to all of these questions, I can help your dream cruise become reality.
Contact me at 732-418-0819 or mindy@myvacationlady.com
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Sydney Australia Part 3
This is the last part of a great article found at the Independent Traveler.
"Where to Eat
There are so many -- and so many kinds of -- restaurants, pubs and cafes in Sydney that it's hard to go wrong. Here's a guide to neighborhoods (or, as Australians say, "eat streets") where there is a fun variety of restaurants for the choosing:
Fashionable and trendy cafes and restaurants abound in Paddington and in Darlinghurst and Double Bay. Among the best options here are Tigerbakers, a cozy casual cafe that has the best breakfast in town; Gertrude and Alice, a bookstore with an attached coffee shop; and the Victoria Room, an upscale destination specializing in great tapas dishes and even better cocktails.
Head to the Rocks for elegant restaurants with historic atmosphere. Rockpool and Altitude both create superior meals prepared by chefs that have garnered considerable attention from international critics for their Australian cuisine. The fresh seafood is exceptional at both locations.
Head to Woolloomooloo Wharf for superb food and even better views. The row of restaurants along the wharf includes China Doll for Asian fusion and the Italian Otto Ristorante.
Manly and Bondi are known for fresh seafood and the many outdoor cafes that line their beachfronts. Try the fish and chips, especially at Fishmongers in Bondi, which serves the best battered barramundi in town.
Darling Harbour's King Street and Coco Bay wharves have such mind-boggling variety that there's something for everyone. The wharves' collection of restaurants and bars includes everything from the London's cheap noodle chain Wagamama to classy lounges like The Loft and Cargo.
In Sydney, Leichhardt (Norton Street) is considered a bit of "Little Italy." Grappa serves up great pasta with genuine Italian flair.
For ethnic cuisine, head to Glebe (Glebe Point Road) where there are numerous Mediterranean, Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants.
Where to Stay
Visitors have their pick of Sydney's neighborhoods, as hotels are spread throughout the city center and around the Eastern beaches. High-end properties are clustered along Circular Quay. Though there are some hotels and hostels in the King's Cross area, the neighborhood can be a bit seedy and isn't recommended.
Good deals can be difficult to find during the summer high season from November through January. Many locals have time off from work around Australia Day (January 26) and hotels sell out quickly -- so be sure to book early if you're planning on traveling during that time.
The luxurious Hilton Sydney recently underwent a flashy $200 million renovation. Its 577 rooms and suites are elegant and modern, with lots of natural light.
Feeling starstruck? Sheraton on the Park and the Park Hyatt cater to elite visitors and host most of the international celebrities who come to town.
BLUE Sydney (formerly the W) is one of the city's trendiest hotels, located on the wharf in Woolloomooloo. Russell Crowe lives in one of the apartments in the building.
Darling Harbour hotels are centrally located, on the water and generally affordable. Our favorites include the Ibis Hotel at Darling Harbour and the Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour.
Hotels right around the Rocks tend to be the most expensive, but if you're willing to venture up to the Holiday Inn Potts Point, which is located in the heart of Darlinghurst cafe society, prices drop considerably. The Mercure Sydney (818 - 820 George Street) are also reasonable and centrally located.
Some of Sydney's best hotels are outside of the central city. The beaches have particularly attractive options, with small places like Ravesi's in Bondi and larger chains such as the Crowne Plaza - Coogee Beach providing beachfront accommodation.
Where to Shop
Melbourne has long been considered Australia's premier shopping city, but in recent years Sydney's shopping scene has been quietly gaining ground. Major international labels Christian Dior and Burberry launched their first Australian locations in Sydney, not Melbourne, as did local designers Tsubi and Sass & Bide. In addition to cutting-edge fashions, Sydney is also home to some of the world's best opal jewelry, drawn from the nation's many opal mines. Local handicrafts and unique artwork are on display in open-air markets around the city.
Go beyond the kangaroo T-shirt. Visitors in search of unique souvenirs and mementoes should browse the Rocks Weekend Market, held on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The local art, handcrafted jewelry, photo albums and antiques here are distinctive and well made. More traditional souvenirs -- Aboriginal art, Australian cowboy boots, paintings of the Opera House, even didgeridoos -- can be found in neighboring shops in the Rocks.
The Queen Victoria Building and the Strand Arcade, just a block apart in Sydney's CBD, are must-see shopping. While both complexes are home to a wealth of good boutiques, the real attraction is the historic buildings themselves, which are ornately decorated and stately -- definitely the opposite of a typical mall.
While you'll find the usual international labels (Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada) in boutiques on Castlereagh Street, head to Oxford Street for a sample of Australia's own cutting-edge fashion scene. Some of the biggest names in Australian design have their flagship stores here, including Lisa Ho, Sass and Bide, Scanlan and Theodore, and Alex Perry. Another popular designer, Colette Dinnigan, is located on William Street, just off of Oxford.
For good deals and unusual merchandise, join the locals at the weekly open-air markets in Glebe, Paddington and Bondi. Vintage clothes, antiques, handmade jewelry, local art and fashions by up-and-coming designers are just a few of the unique offerings. Glebe's market is held each Saturday at the Glebe Primary School, while Paddington's is held the same day at the Paddington Uniting Church. Bondi's market is held Sundays at the Bondi Beach Public School.
There's a fierce rivalry between Australia's two biggest department stores, David Jones and Myer, both located in the CBD near Hyde Park. They literally war over who can sign Australia's top designers to exclusive contracts -- so if you see a certain label carried in one store, it's likely that you won't find it in the other. While David Jones is the older and more established of the two, we'll let you decide which store you find truly superior."
"Where to Eat
There are so many -- and so many kinds of -- restaurants, pubs and cafes in Sydney that it's hard to go wrong. Here's a guide to neighborhoods (or, as Australians say, "eat streets") where there is a fun variety of restaurants for the choosing:
Fashionable and trendy cafes and restaurants abound in Paddington and in Darlinghurst and Double Bay. Among the best options here are Tigerbakers, a cozy casual cafe that has the best breakfast in town; Gertrude and Alice, a bookstore with an attached coffee shop; and the Victoria Room, an upscale destination specializing in great tapas dishes and even better cocktails.
Head to the Rocks for elegant restaurants with historic atmosphere. Rockpool and Altitude both create superior meals prepared by chefs that have garnered considerable attention from international critics for their Australian cuisine. The fresh seafood is exceptional at both locations.
Head to Woolloomooloo Wharf for superb food and even better views. The row of restaurants along the wharf includes China Doll for Asian fusion and the Italian Otto Ristorante.
Manly and Bondi are known for fresh seafood and the many outdoor cafes that line their beachfronts. Try the fish and chips, especially at Fishmongers in Bondi, which serves the best battered barramundi in town.
Darling Harbour's King Street and Coco Bay wharves have such mind-boggling variety that there's something for everyone. The wharves' collection of restaurants and bars includes everything from the London's cheap noodle chain Wagamama to classy lounges like The Loft and Cargo.
In Sydney, Leichhardt (Norton Street) is considered a bit of "Little Italy." Grappa serves up great pasta with genuine Italian flair.
For ethnic cuisine, head to Glebe (Glebe Point Road) where there are numerous Mediterranean, Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants.
Where to Stay
Visitors have their pick of Sydney's neighborhoods, as hotels are spread throughout the city center and around the Eastern beaches. High-end properties are clustered along Circular Quay. Though there are some hotels and hostels in the King's Cross area, the neighborhood can be a bit seedy and isn't recommended.
Good deals can be difficult to find during the summer high season from November through January. Many locals have time off from work around Australia Day (January 26) and hotels sell out quickly -- so be sure to book early if you're planning on traveling during that time.
The luxurious Hilton Sydney recently underwent a flashy $200 million renovation. Its 577 rooms and suites are elegant and modern, with lots of natural light.
Feeling starstruck? Sheraton on the Park and the Park Hyatt cater to elite visitors and host most of the international celebrities who come to town.
BLUE Sydney (formerly the W) is one of the city's trendiest hotels, located on the wharf in Woolloomooloo. Russell Crowe lives in one of the apartments in the building.
Darling Harbour hotels are centrally located, on the water and generally affordable. Our favorites include the Ibis Hotel at Darling Harbour and the Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour.
Hotels right around the Rocks tend to be the most expensive, but if you're willing to venture up to the Holiday Inn Potts Point, which is located in the heart of Darlinghurst cafe society, prices drop considerably. The Mercure Sydney (818 - 820 George Street) are also reasonable and centrally located.
Some of Sydney's best hotels are outside of the central city. The beaches have particularly attractive options, with small places like Ravesi's in Bondi and larger chains such as the Crowne Plaza - Coogee Beach providing beachfront accommodation.
Where to Shop
Melbourne has long been considered Australia's premier shopping city, but in recent years Sydney's shopping scene has been quietly gaining ground. Major international labels Christian Dior and Burberry launched their first Australian locations in Sydney, not Melbourne, as did local designers Tsubi and Sass & Bide. In addition to cutting-edge fashions, Sydney is also home to some of the world's best opal jewelry, drawn from the nation's many opal mines. Local handicrafts and unique artwork are on display in open-air markets around the city.
Go beyond the kangaroo T-shirt. Visitors in search of unique souvenirs and mementoes should browse the Rocks Weekend Market, held on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The local art, handcrafted jewelry, photo albums and antiques here are distinctive and well made. More traditional souvenirs -- Aboriginal art, Australian cowboy boots, paintings of the Opera House, even didgeridoos -- can be found in neighboring shops in the Rocks.
The Queen Victoria Building and the Strand Arcade, just a block apart in Sydney's CBD, are must-see shopping. While both complexes are home to a wealth of good boutiques, the real attraction is the historic buildings themselves, which are ornately decorated and stately -- definitely the opposite of a typical mall.
While you'll find the usual international labels (Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada) in boutiques on Castlereagh Street, head to Oxford Street for a sample of Australia's own cutting-edge fashion scene. Some of the biggest names in Australian design have their flagship stores here, including Lisa Ho, Sass and Bide, Scanlan and Theodore, and Alex Perry. Another popular designer, Colette Dinnigan, is located on William Street, just off of Oxford.
For good deals and unusual merchandise, join the locals at the weekly open-air markets in Glebe, Paddington and Bondi. Vintage clothes, antiques, handmade jewelry, local art and fashions by up-and-coming designers are just a few of the unique offerings. Glebe's market is held each Saturday at the Glebe Primary School, while Paddington's is held the same day at the Paddington Uniting Church. Bondi's market is held Sundays at the Bondi Beach Public School.
There's a fierce rivalry between Australia's two biggest department stores, David Jones and Myer, both located in the CBD near Hyde Park. They literally war over who can sign Australia's top designers to exclusive contracts -- so if you see a certain label carried in one store, it's likely that you won't find it in the other. While David Jones is the older and more established of the two, we'll let you decide which store you find truly superior."
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sydney Australia- Part 2
Again, this was featured in the Independent Traveler
"What to See
Take a tour of the world-famous Sydney Opera House. There are a handful of varieties (including an intimate backstage tour), held throughout the day. Of course, schedule permitting, travelers can also take in a show.
The best way to see the harbor is to get a bird's eye view from the top of the Harbour Bridge on a Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb -- not your ordinary stroll across a bridge and not just for the young and crazy. The 3.5-hour trek up and down the famous landmark is safe, slow and suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels; you'll don a bridge suit and wear a bridge harness along the ladder-like stairways and narrow catwalks. Recently added is an Express Climb, which takes only two hours and 15 minutes.
The climbs are guided tours and are offered during the day as well as at night. There are lots of rules and regulations, including: no kids under 10 (and children aged 10 to 16 must be accompanied by an adult), no women more than 24 weeks pregnant, climbers must wear rubber soled shoes, and all climbers must pass a breath-test (for a blood alcohol limit of less than .05 percent).
From the bridge, visitors can walk around the inlet to tour the always-crowded Opera House. It is easy to continue from there through the Royal Botanical Gardens, a collection of flowers and trees overlooking the water, where it is possible to see some of Australia's unique flora without leaving the city.
Get your bearings in Sydney by taking a ride on the Sydney Explorer bus, an air-conditioned motorcoach that offers commentary (and hop-on, hop-off options). The service stops at Circular Quay daily at regular intervals, beginning at 8:40 a.m. You can also board the "Bondi Explorer," which offers the same kind of service to areas outside of the city, including Bondi Beach and the eastern suburbs. The SydneyPass Network also offers a harbour ferry ride (morning, afternoon and evening).
Take a self-guided walking tour of the historic Rocks, Sydney's birthplace (it dates back to Sydney's beginnings as a British convict colony). There are numerous historic buildings (archeological sites and the like); plus, the neighborhood is a lively one, with many shops, restaurants and bars. Today, the narrow, twisting streets are free of criminals and fun to wander through. The shops here sell every kind of Australian souvenir imaginable, but the best come from the Rocks market, which is full of handcrafted and unique mementoes.
Explore Darling Harbour. While one main attraction is Harbourside, a waterfront shopping and dining complex, Darling Harbour is also a nexus for tourist attractions such as the Sydney Aquarium, the IMAX Theatre, the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Powerhouse Museum, which focuses on "creativity," whether through art, technology or science. There are also exhibitions, displays and impromptu music performances, plus numerous restaurants grouped around King Street Wharf. Also worth a visit is the Chinese Garden of Friendship, which features winding pathways, meandering waterways, and exotic flora and fauna.
Visit Sydney Wildlife World, an exhibit of Australia's most exotic critters and plants. You may not be able to find wild koalas lounging around Sydney, but you can get up close with them at the koala sanctuary. The park includes nine sample habitats, such as the Rainforest and Wallaby Cliffs, that supply a peek into different climates and animal homes around Australia. The Sydney Aquarium is right next door, and combination ticket deals are available.
Get out on the water via Harbour Jet (departing daily from the Convention Jetty in Darling Harbour). It's not for the faint of heart -- the speedboat ride offers some commentary, but the real fun is in the 270-degree spins, wild fishtails and other boat-acrobatic maneuvers. Captain Cook Cruises offers a gentler ride.
See Sydney from above on a helicopter tour (offered by several companies, including Adrenalin). They offer views of Sydney's entire extensive coastline, as well as the harbour, the city and even the Blue Mountains out to the west.
Check out Sydney's art scene with a visit to the edgy Museum of Contemporary Art. The Art Gallery of New South Wales features a wide range of art, including Australian, Aboriginal, Western and Asian exhibits.
A slightly different kind of museum is the Powerhouse, which is devoted to celebrating outstanding technology and design. An old power station in the former industrial district of Ultimo has been converted into Australia's largest museum. Exhibitions change continuously (recent topics have ranged from the Great Wall of China to Australian pub history), but are always fascinating, interactive and well planned.
Explore King's Cross, Sydney's infamous red light district. This once-bohemian town is now in the process of gentrifying into one boasting fancy bars and upscale apartments. Take a Crimes and Passions tour to catch a glimpse of the area's seedy, sometimes sordid and always fascinating history.
Rent a car or hop on one of the bus tours that leave from Sydney and go wine tasting in Hunter Valley (a two-hour drive from Sydney), which features some 50 wineries. Boutique Wine Tours will take you from Sydney up to the Hunter in a Mercedes limo and ferry you from winery to winery.
If you have a couple of days to spare, drive out to the Blue Mountains, where draws include beautiful scenery, bushwalking, rain forests, waterfalls, a scenic railway and more. The area is an hour and a half by car from Sydney. It's also a very romantic destination with lots of intimate inns.
Hit the beach! Manly, accessible via a 30-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay, offers scenic walking, watersports ranging from windsurfing to parasailing, and numerous cafes and restaurants. Bondi Beach (reachable by bus from Circular Quay) is Australia's best known, with lots of restaurants, shops and cafes. It's also the most crowded strip of sand in Sydney. Be aware that topless sunbathing is accepted and common.
A hiking path cuts through the cliffs between Bondi and Coogee, another beach suburb several miles south. The walk can be strenuous, but the views of the seemingly endless Pacific Ocean from the top of the cliffs are unbeatable, and there are several other beaches to make rest stops at along the way for a refreshing drink or swim."
"What to See
Take a tour of the world-famous Sydney Opera House. There are a handful of varieties (including an intimate backstage tour), held throughout the day. Of course, schedule permitting, travelers can also take in a show.
The best way to see the harbor is to get a bird's eye view from the top of the Harbour Bridge on a Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb -- not your ordinary stroll across a bridge and not just for the young and crazy. The 3.5-hour trek up and down the famous landmark is safe, slow and suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels; you'll don a bridge suit and wear a bridge harness along the ladder-like stairways and narrow catwalks. Recently added is an Express Climb, which takes only two hours and 15 minutes.
The climbs are guided tours and are offered during the day as well as at night. There are lots of rules and regulations, including: no kids under 10 (and children aged 10 to 16 must be accompanied by an adult), no women more than 24 weeks pregnant, climbers must wear rubber soled shoes, and all climbers must pass a breath-test (for a blood alcohol limit of less than .05 percent).
From the bridge, visitors can walk around the inlet to tour the always-crowded Opera House. It is easy to continue from there through the Royal Botanical Gardens, a collection of flowers and trees overlooking the water, where it is possible to see some of Australia's unique flora without leaving the city.
Get your bearings in Sydney by taking a ride on the Sydney Explorer bus, an air-conditioned motorcoach that offers commentary (and hop-on, hop-off options). The service stops at Circular Quay daily at regular intervals, beginning at 8:40 a.m. You can also board the "Bondi Explorer," which offers the same kind of service to areas outside of the city, including Bondi Beach and the eastern suburbs. The SydneyPass Network also offers a harbour ferry ride (morning, afternoon and evening).
Take a self-guided walking tour of the historic Rocks, Sydney's birthplace (it dates back to Sydney's beginnings as a British convict colony). There are numerous historic buildings (archeological sites and the like); plus, the neighborhood is a lively one, with many shops, restaurants and bars. Today, the narrow, twisting streets are free of criminals and fun to wander through. The shops here sell every kind of Australian souvenir imaginable, but the best come from the Rocks market, which is full of handcrafted and unique mementoes.
Explore Darling Harbour. While one main attraction is Harbourside, a waterfront shopping and dining complex, Darling Harbour is also a nexus for tourist attractions such as the Sydney Aquarium, the IMAX Theatre, the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Powerhouse Museum, which focuses on "creativity," whether through art, technology or science. There are also exhibitions, displays and impromptu music performances, plus numerous restaurants grouped around King Street Wharf. Also worth a visit is the Chinese Garden of Friendship, which features winding pathways, meandering waterways, and exotic flora and fauna.
Visit Sydney Wildlife World, an exhibit of Australia's most exotic critters and plants. You may not be able to find wild koalas lounging around Sydney, but you can get up close with them at the koala sanctuary. The park includes nine sample habitats, such as the Rainforest and Wallaby Cliffs, that supply a peek into different climates and animal homes around Australia. The Sydney Aquarium is right next door, and combination ticket deals are available.
Get out on the water via Harbour Jet (departing daily from the Convention Jetty in Darling Harbour). It's not for the faint of heart -- the speedboat ride offers some commentary, but the real fun is in the 270-degree spins, wild fishtails and other boat-acrobatic maneuvers. Captain Cook Cruises offers a gentler ride.
See Sydney from above on a helicopter tour (offered by several companies, including Adrenalin). They offer views of Sydney's entire extensive coastline, as well as the harbour, the city and even the Blue Mountains out to the west.
Check out Sydney's art scene with a visit to the edgy Museum of Contemporary Art. The Art Gallery of New South Wales features a wide range of art, including Australian, Aboriginal, Western and Asian exhibits.
A slightly different kind of museum is the Powerhouse, which is devoted to celebrating outstanding technology and design. An old power station in the former industrial district of Ultimo has been converted into Australia's largest museum. Exhibitions change continuously (recent topics have ranged from the Great Wall of China to Australian pub history), but are always fascinating, interactive and well planned.
Explore King's Cross, Sydney's infamous red light district. This once-bohemian town is now in the process of gentrifying into one boasting fancy bars and upscale apartments. Take a Crimes and Passions tour to catch a glimpse of the area's seedy, sometimes sordid and always fascinating history.
Rent a car or hop on one of the bus tours that leave from Sydney and go wine tasting in Hunter Valley (a two-hour drive from Sydney), which features some 50 wineries. Boutique Wine Tours will take you from Sydney up to the Hunter in a Mercedes limo and ferry you from winery to winery.
If you have a couple of days to spare, drive out to the Blue Mountains, where draws include beautiful scenery, bushwalking, rain forests, waterfalls, a scenic railway and more. The area is an hour and a half by car from Sydney. It's also a very romantic destination with lots of intimate inns.
Hit the beach! Manly, accessible via a 30-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay, offers scenic walking, watersports ranging from windsurfing to parasailing, and numerous cafes and restaurants. Bondi Beach (reachable by bus from Circular Quay) is Australia's best known, with lots of restaurants, shops and cafes. It's also the most crowded strip of sand in Sydney. Be aware that topless sunbathing is accepted and common.
A hiking path cuts through the cliffs between Bondi and Coogee, another beach suburb several miles south. The walk can be strenuous, but the views of the seemingly endless Pacific Ocean from the top of the cliffs are unbeatable, and there are several other beaches to make rest stops at along the way for a refreshing drink or swim."
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sydney Australia- part 1
This article was taken from the Independent Traveler. Since it was so long, it will be posted in a couple of different blogs
Sydney Essentials
Sydney is the largest city in Australia, boasting many of the nation's cultural and financial institutions -- as well as truly dramatic natural scenery. Although it is a modern city strongly influenced by British roots and current American popular culture, Sydney's real character is derived from its exotic location and brash beauty. Walking through the glass and concrete downtown, known as the Central Business District (CBD), you could be in any other Western-culture metropolis -- until a fluorescent red and green lorikeet parrot swoops overhead or an unexpected flash of the brilliant blue harbor appears between the skyscrapers.
Any proper visit to Sydney must begin in the harbor, which is both the birthplace of the city and its current iconic centerpiece. The area is called Circular Quay (pronounced "key" by locals). It is hard to imagine a more picturesque setting for a city's heart than this, with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge displayed against the inlet's bright water.
Sydney spreads across a massive geographic area, but the majority of its most interesting areas can be found near the ocean coast, in the area known as the Eastern suburbs. Oxford Street, the main thoroughfare running east from downtown to the ocean beaches, hosts Sydney's famous gay and lesbian Mardi Gras parade each February and is popular year-round for its upscale shops and cafes.
Sydney is a well-balanced blend of a big-city lifestyle and the laid-back Australian mentality. Although Aussies who hail from other towns often disparage Sydney for its flashiness and hectic pace, urban inconveniences seem minor here compared to places like New York and London. Tourism is a huge industry around Sydney, and locals are accustomed to providing visitors with service, helpful directions and a rousing welcome to the stunning city that they call home.
Sydney Essentials
Sydney is the largest city in Australia, boasting many of the nation's cultural and financial institutions -- as well as truly dramatic natural scenery. Although it is a modern city strongly influenced by British roots and current American popular culture, Sydney's real character is derived from its exotic location and brash beauty. Walking through the glass and concrete downtown, known as the Central Business District (CBD), you could be in any other Western-culture metropolis -- until a fluorescent red and green lorikeet parrot swoops overhead or an unexpected flash of the brilliant blue harbor appears between the skyscrapers.
Any proper visit to Sydney must begin in the harbor, which is both the birthplace of the city and its current iconic centerpiece. The area is called Circular Quay (pronounced "key" by locals). It is hard to imagine a more picturesque setting for a city's heart than this, with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge displayed against the inlet's bright water.
Sydney spreads across a massive geographic area, but the majority of its most interesting areas can be found near the ocean coast, in the area known as the Eastern suburbs. Oxford Street, the main thoroughfare running east from downtown to the ocean beaches, hosts Sydney's famous gay and lesbian Mardi Gras parade each February and is popular year-round for its upscale shops and cafes.
Sydney is a well-balanced blend of a big-city lifestyle and the laid-back Australian mentality. Although Aussies who hail from other towns often disparage Sydney for its flashiness and hectic pace, urban inconveniences seem minor here compared to places like New York and London. Tourism is a huge industry around Sydney, and locals are accustomed to providing visitors with service, helpful directions and a rousing welcome to the stunning city that they call home.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Spot light on Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity is one of my favorite cruise lines. We sailed on the Constellation last November and loved the ship.
Here is a little synopsis on Celebrity:
Consistently recognized with five- and six-star rankings as the highest-rated premium cruise line, Celebrity Cruises is committed to innovative design, impeccable service, and unparalleled spa and dining offerings.
Since its inception in 1989, Celebrity has held true to its original commitment of taking the very best aspects of classic, elegant cruising and updating them to reflect current lifestyles.
What sets Celebrity apart from other vacation choices today is the cruise line's dedication to providing guests with a cruise experience that exceeds expectations.
2010 Europe Season
Celebrity Cruises in 2010 will base all three Solstice-class ships in Europe--the 2,850-guest Celebrity Solstice, which sets sail for the first time in November; the Celebrity Equinox, launching later this year; and the Celebrity Eclipse, setting sail in 2010 as Celebrity's first primarily U.K.-sourced vessel. The trip will be joined by the 2,039-guest Celebrity Constellation.
Celebrity Constellation will sail 12-night "Scandinavia and Russia" and 7-night Mediterranean sailings. Celebrity Eclipse will offer a varied lineup of new 11-night and longer cruises to the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, and the Canary Islands. Celebrity Equinox will sail 12-night voyages throughout the Mediterranean, and the Celebrity Solstice will offer 10- and 11-night Eastern Mediterranean as well as 13-night Holy Land cruises. Pre-cruise escorted land tours of three to five nights are available with each of these cruises.
The four-ship program includes 76 trans-Atlantic and Europe sailings visiting 22 countries and calling at 65 different ports. Four ports are new to Celebrity: Alicante, Spain; Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy; La Spezia, Italy; and Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Celebrity Constellation's seven-night Mediterranean sailings will call on Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Naples, Italy; and Villefranche, France. Guests can extend this vacation with pre-cruise escorted land tours, including a four-night Madrid and Barcelona tour or a three-night Paris and Amsterdam tour.
Celebrity Eclipse will offer 13 open-jaw, 12-night sailings between Barcelona and Venice from from May into October 2010, with an overnight stay in Venice included. These cruises visit Athens and Santorini, Greece; Florence, Naples, Rome and Venice, Italy; either Dubrovnik or Split in Croatia; and either Villefrance or Toulon in France.
Celebrity Solstice's 10- and 11-night Mediterranean voyages from Civitavecchia are similar to those offered in 2009. The 10-night voyages in 2010 will feature a call to Rhodes, Greece, and the 11-night cruises will include an overnight in Istanbul. Solstice's five 13-night Holy Land sailings, sailing roundtrip out of Rome from late August through mid-October, will include overnight stays in Alexandria, Egypt, and calls throughout Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Israel.
Open Seating Dining
Celebrity Cruises offers passengers the option of open seating in the main dining rooms of its ships. The offering will be in addition to -- not a replacement for -- traditional assigned early and late seating on the line's vessels. Passengers can choose which type of seating they want -- open or traditional -- at the time they book their cruise.
Contact me for information and reservations on any Celebrity cruise at mindy@myvacationlady.com
Here is a little synopsis on Celebrity:
Consistently recognized with five- and six-star rankings as the highest-rated premium cruise line, Celebrity Cruises is committed to innovative design, impeccable service, and unparalleled spa and dining offerings.
Since its inception in 1989, Celebrity has held true to its original commitment of taking the very best aspects of classic, elegant cruising and updating them to reflect current lifestyles.
What sets Celebrity apart from other vacation choices today is the cruise line's dedication to providing guests with a cruise experience that exceeds expectations.
2010 Europe Season
Celebrity Cruises in 2010 will base all three Solstice-class ships in Europe--the 2,850-guest Celebrity Solstice, which sets sail for the first time in November; the Celebrity Equinox, launching later this year; and the Celebrity Eclipse, setting sail in 2010 as Celebrity's first primarily U.K.-sourced vessel. The trip will be joined by the 2,039-guest Celebrity Constellation.
Celebrity Constellation will sail 12-night "Scandinavia and Russia" and 7-night Mediterranean sailings. Celebrity Eclipse will offer a varied lineup of new 11-night and longer cruises to the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, and the Canary Islands. Celebrity Equinox will sail 12-night voyages throughout the Mediterranean, and the Celebrity Solstice will offer 10- and 11-night Eastern Mediterranean as well as 13-night Holy Land cruises. Pre-cruise escorted land tours of three to five nights are available with each of these cruises.
The four-ship program includes 76 trans-Atlantic and Europe sailings visiting 22 countries and calling at 65 different ports. Four ports are new to Celebrity: Alicante, Spain; Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy; La Spezia, Italy; and Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Celebrity Constellation's seven-night Mediterranean sailings will call on Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Naples, Italy; and Villefranche, France. Guests can extend this vacation with pre-cruise escorted land tours, including a four-night Madrid and Barcelona tour or a three-night Paris and Amsterdam tour.
Celebrity Eclipse will offer 13 open-jaw, 12-night sailings between Barcelona and Venice from from May into October 2010, with an overnight stay in Venice included. These cruises visit Athens and Santorini, Greece; Florence, Naples, Rome and Venice, Italy; either Dubrovnik or Split in Croatia; and either Villefrance or Toulon in France.
Celebrity Solstice's 10- and 11-night Mediterranean voyages from Civitavecchia are similar to those offered in 2009. The 10-night voyages in 2010 will feature a call to Rhodes, Greece, and the 11-night cruises will include an overnight in Istanbul. Solstice's five 13-night Holy Land sailings, sailing roundtrip out of Rome from late August through mid-October, will include overnight stays in Alexandria, Egypt, and calls throughout Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Israel.
Open Seating Dining
Celebrity Cruises offers passengers the option of open seating in the main dining rooms of its ships. The offering will be in addition to -- not a replacement for -- traditional assigned early and late seating on the line's vessels. Passengers can choose which type of seating they want -- open or traditional -- at the time they book their cruise.
Contact me for information and reservations on any Celebrity cruise at mindy@myvacationlady.com
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Some Tips on Tipping
This was published by the Independent Traveler on 10/7/09 and it is worth repeating.
"Tipping requires more than cash and generosity; a modicum of research is essential for travelers to know exactly who deserves a tip and how much to give. Generous travelers shouldn't hand out gratuities like Halloween candy to cover their bases. In some countries -- like Japan, where giving someone a wad of cash is often considered rude -- tipping can be an insult. On the other side of the coin, traveling tightwads shouldn't try to save money by stiffing their service person, because millions of waiters, bellmen, tour guides and other workers in the tourist trade rely on tips to feed their families and pay the rent.
The happy medium between spendthrift and scrooge is a well-informed traveler! Below, we've listed some solid-gold tips for handling the tricky practice of tipping in a foreign country with often different and sometimes confusing customs and codes of behavior. Take our advice and tip wisely...
Know Before You Go
Here's the most important tipping tip you need: destination-specific tipping information is vital if you want to avoid an awkward or offensive encounter with a service person during your trip. Magellan's offers a useful Worldwide Tipping Guide that summarizes acceptable tips in other countries in a convenient chart.
You'll also want to pore over a good guidebook for more detailed information on local tipping practices; this way you won't be caught off guard when the colorfully dressed musicians in Marrakesh's Jemma el-Fna square want a few dirhams for letting you snap their picture, and you'll know not to leave a tip at that trendy restaurant in New Zealand.
Cover Your Bases
Whom you should tip (as well as how much you should give and how often) varies by destination. But here's a list of the types of folks you may have to present with some extra euros or pesos when you're jetsetting around the globe. Yes, the list is long, but remember that you will probably not need all of these services on a single getaway (unless you have some kind of elaborate around-the-world spa and boat trip planned -- in which case we're jealous!).
• Waitstaff
• Hotel cleaning staff
• Porter
• Bellhop
• Taxi/van driver
• Tour guide
• Concierge
• Restroom attendant
• Local who is posing for a photograph
• Bartender
• Tour boat captain and staff
• Maitre'd
• Childcare staff/day camp counselor
• Hairdresser/masseuse/manicurist
Carry Cash
If you're taking a cab or shuttle from the airport to your hotel, in most countries you'll have to tip. This means that you will need some local currency almost as soon as you get off your plane. Although some countries, like many Caribbean destinations, accept U.S. dollars in addition to their own local currency, it's important not to tip in dollars if it's not an accepted national currency.
Most airports have ATM's and exchange rate counters -- even if you're not planning on exchanging all of your money at the airport, you need to get enough local currency to cover your tips before you get in that cab. Contact your airport before you leave to find out what banking or money exchange facilities they offer.
Make sure you have plenty of small bills on hand throughout your trip, too. Use larger bills to pay for souvenirs, meals and other expenses, and keep the change to use as tips. If you run out of small bills, your hotel's front desk may be able to make change for you.
Follow the Leader
If you forget to research the acceptable tipping practices of your locale, or simply don't know what to do, look around and see what other visitors are doing. Is there money on the empty tables in your restaurant? Did everyone else on your boating excursion offer the captain and crew a few dollars? You get the idea.
If that doesn't work, here's a basic, common-sense rule of thumb: tip 5 to 10 percent, or a few dollars (in the local currency), to anyone who is providing you with a service -- like arranging an excursion with a tour company, bringing you a meal, or handing you some mints and a warm towel in the bathroom -- when you are visiting a country where tipping is generally an accepted practice.
Don't Ask
A common mistake made by travelers is asking their service person if he or she requires a tip. Not only does this present a conflict of interest to a cash-strapped service person who doesn't normally take tips, but in countries where saying what you mean is not the social norm, a clueless traveler may end up stiffing a polite waiter or bellhop. For example, in India, a service person whose income is mostly comprised of tips may say that he or she requires no gratuity out of modesty and good manners. This doesn't mean you shouldn't tip if it's the acceptable practice in your destination! Know before you go (see above) and you won't have to ask.
Beware of Service Charges
You may think that a "service charge" on your restaurant bill indicates that the tip is included. This is true for most countries; for others, not so much. In destinations such as Greece, Guatemala, Italy and Hong Kong, you should leave a tip in addition to a service charge. This is because the service charge may not necessarily go to the waiter -- and your tips make up a significant percentage of your server's salary."
"Tipping requires more than cash and generosity; a modicum of research is essential for travelers to know exactly who deserves a tip and how much to give. Generous travelers shouldn't hand out gratuities like Halloween candy to cover their bases. In some countries -- like Japan, where giving someone a wad of cash is often considered rude -- tipping can be an insult. On the other side of the coin, traveling tightwads shouldn't try to save money by stiffing their service person, because millions of waiters, bellmen, tour guides and other workers in the tourist trade rely on tips to feed their families and pay the rent.
The happy medium between spendthrift and scrooge is a well-informed traveler! Below, we've listed some solid-gold tips for handling the tricky practice of tipping in a foreign country with often different and sometimes confusing customs and codes of behavior. Take our advice and tip wisely...
Know Before You Go
Here's the most important tipping tip you need: destination-specific tipping information is vital if you want to avoid an awkward or offensive encounter with a service person during your trip. Magellan's offers a useful Worldwide Tipping Guide that summarizes acceptable tips in other countries in a convenient chart.
You'll also want to pore over a good guidebook for more detailed information on local tipping practices; this way you won't be caught off guard when the colorfully dressed musicians in Marrakesh's Jemma el-Fna square want a few dirhams for letting you snap their picture, and you'll know not to leave a tip at that trendy restaurant in New Zealand.
Cover Your Bases
Whom you should tip (as well as how much you should give and how often) varies by destination. But here's a list of the types of folks you may have to present with some extra euros or pesos when you're jetsetting around the globe. Yes, the list is long, but remember that you will probably not need all of these services on a single getaway (unless you have some kind of elaborate around-the-world spa and boat trip planned -- in which case we're jealous!).
• Waitstaff
• Hotel cleaning staff
• Porter
• Bellhop
• Taxi/van driver
• Tour guide
• Concierge
• Restroom attendant
• Local who is posing for a photograph
• Bartender
• Tour boat captain and staff
• Maitre'd
• Childcare staff/day camp counselor
• Hairdresser/masseuse/manicurist
Carry Cash
If you're taking a cab or shuttle from the airport to your hotel, in most countries you'll have to tip. This means that you will need some local currency almost as soon as you get off your plane. Although some countries, like many Caribbean destinations, accept U.S. dollars in addition to their own local currency, it's important not to tip in dollars if it's not an accepted national currency.
Most airports have ATM's and exchange rate counters -- even if you're not planning on exchanging all of your money at the airport, you need to get enough local currency to cover your tips before you get in that cab. Contact your airport before you leave to find out what banking or money exchange facilities they offer.
Make sure you have plenty of small bills on hand throughout your trip, too. Use larger bills to pay for souvenirs, meals and other expenses, and keep the change to use as tips. If you run out of small bills, your hotel's front desk may be able to make change for you.
Follow the Leader
If you forget to research the acceptable tipping practices of your locale, or simply don't know what to do, look around and see what other visitors are doing. Is there money on the empty tables in your restaurant? Did everyone else on your boating excursion offer the captain and crew a few dollars? You get the idea.
If that doesn't work, here's a basic, common-sense rule of thumb: tip 5 to 10 percent, or a few dollars (in the local currency), to anyone who is providing you with a service -- like arranging an excursion with a tour company, bringing you a meal, or handing you some mints and a warm towel in the bathroom -- when you are visiting a country where tipping is generally an accepted practice.
Don't Ask
A common mistake made by travelers is asking their service person if he or she requires a tip. Not only does this present a conflict of interest to a cash-strapped service person who doesn't normally take tips, but in countries where saying what you mean is not the social norm, a clueless traveler may end up stiffing a polite waiter or bellhop. For example, in India, a service person whose income is mostly comprised of tips may say that he or she requires no gratuity out of modesty and good manners. This doesn't mean you shouldn't tip if it's the acceptable practice in your destination! Know before you go (see above) and you won't have to ask.
Beware of Service Charges
You may think that a "service charge" on your restaurant bill indicates that the tip is included. This is true for most countries; for others, not so much. In destinations such as Greece, Guatemala, Italy and Hong Kong, you should leave a tip in addition to a service charge. This is because the service charge may not necessarily go to the waiter -- and your tips make up a significant percentage of your server's salary."
Monday, October 19, 2009
Airlines surcharging holiday travel- can you avoid it?
This article is pretty long but worth the read.
Taken from the Independent Traveler published on 10/13/09
Just when you thought the airlines had exhausted every possible surcharge, they still manage to impress with their ability to reach into our pockets. This time, it is a $10 holiday travel surcharge on all seats on peak travel dates, reaching very nearly into summer. There is both good news and bad news to be found in these latest duns, and some hints on how to save money and avoid crowds this winter and holiday travel season.
American and United first floated the surcharge a few weeks ago, focusing on three peak holiday travel dates: November 29 (the Sunday after Thanksgiving), and January 2 and 3 (the Saturday and Sunday after New Year's, when everyone is going to be traveling to get back to work and school). US Airways soon followed suit, and when they were only mildly pilloried in the press, all of the other major airlines fell into line late last week, with the complete list now comprising American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways.
In the meantime, the list of affected dates ballooned from three to 13, to include November 29 and 30; December 19, 26 and 27; January 2 and 3; March 14, 20, 21 and 28; April 11; and May 28.
Southwest and JetBlue have not adopted the surcharge, and have given indications that they will not do so.
Why Not Just Raise Fares?
These are, of course, fare increases by any other name, but the airlines greatly prefer to levy them as surcharges for a couple strategic reasons. First of all, the airlines can hide the surcharges when promoting sale fares; laws governing truth in advertising allow the airlines to bury surcharge information in the fine print. So the airlines can advertise $39 sale fares as they did last week, but they don't have to mention the date-specific $10 in their headlines.
The airlines are pretty much shameless when it comes to this kind of thing. For example, according to Tim Smith of American, the surcharges "absolutely are not a fee." Ha. Even a kindergarten kid caught red-handed sneaking treats knows he can't get away with saying "this is not candy; it is a piece of caramel wrapped in chocolate."
Perhaps more significantly, the airlines get the $10 revenue on every seat sold, whether for first class, business class, coach, discount, name your price and so on -- every person is paying the extra $10. The $10 remains the same irrespective of what the sale price or the airline's yield management pricing system says the seat is worth. So even if they are advertising seats for $39, they know they're at least going to get the extra $10, even on the (very few) seats they sell at the advertised sale price.
On a peak travel day, that is a lot of "free" income. How much income? If we use AAA's number from last year, when they estimated that 4.5 million people would fly over the Thanksgiving weekend, and make the assumption that most of those folks will be flying home on Saturday the 29th or Sunday the 30th, you're talking about upwards of $45 million dollars in just two days.
And note that the surcharge is applied to the base fare each way, so they can literally get you coming and going.
The surcharge is likely here to stay. After all, last year's fuel surcharges never really went away completely, despite gas at the pump edging down close to $2/gallon these days. These surcharges will show up again next winter holiday season, and don't be surprised when peak summer travel dates are added to the list; the inclusion of May 28, the Friday before Memorial Day, is the proof. It's going to happen, folks.
Peak Travel Days, Holiday Season 2009 - 2010
At this point, I don't have to tell you which days will be the peak travel days -- the airlines have already done that for me. From the list of dates above, I predict that January 3 will be a particularly rough day this year. When January 1 falls on a Friday, as it does this winter, almost every business and many schools in America will resume "normal" hours on the first Monday morning after New Year's. Similarly, the workers and students on furlough will try to extract every last minute from their vacation time. Add to that the potential for some travel-hostile winter weather, and you have a perfect storm of travel volume and maxxed-out airports all day long on Sunday, January 3.
True to form, the airlines added January 2 to their surcharge calendar to snag the more sensible among us who avoid that last-minute Sunday crush. No one wants to travel on January 1, so if you are in good enough shape to board a plane on Friday morning, you should be able to get low fares without surcharges, and have a pretty smooth go of it as well.
As for Thanksgiving, consistent problems over the past several years (not to mention all the resulting media attention) have actually resulted in a change of behavior among the traveling public, where many have adjusted their travel schedules to avoid the peak days. People are traveling a little earlier in the week, and heading home either a little earlier or later than usual. As a result, the overall volume is much more spread out. I have several friends who damn the torpedoes and travel each year on the day before Thanksgiving, and all have had tales of short lines and uncongested airports to tell in recent years.
Folks may leave work on Tuesday or even Monday, and the day before Thanksgiving no longer seems to be the relentlessly nastiest travel day of the year. Similarly, travelers may head home earlier as well, perhaps on Friday morning, which is traditionally one of the lighter holiday travel days.
With Christmas falling on a Friday, the Christmas travel week could be horrendous. I had been hopeful that schools might let out on the 18th, which would make it among the easiest Christmas travel years possible; a full week between the end of school and Christmas day would help to spread out the volume nicely. But then I did an informal sample of a dozen universities and school districts, and all but two set the last day of school as December 23.
When that is the case, the business world often follows suit to some extent, which means that the entire country will be getting off work at lunchtime on Wednesday, December 23 and muscling their way to airports to be home in time for the holiday. I recommend you try to avoid being in that number.
The upside potential for folks who can travel earlier in the week, or even the previous week, is obvious: lower fares and empty airports could be all yours. My advice would be to plan to travel on or about the 21st of December. That way, folks who freed up and bolted to the airports on December 19 will already be long gone, and you'll avoid the December 23 onslaught entirely.
The Silver Lining
The peak travel surcharge is targeted toward family and vacation travelers; let's face it, there's not a lot of business travel happening on January 2. So the folks who give the airlines their business and create the environment that lets them jack fares up around the holidays will be ponying up even more.
However, there may be a hidden upside for leisure travelers in the trend toward surcharges: holiday travel is expected to be down considerably this year, and fares are down as well. At present, holiday fares are down 12 - 15 percent, according to FareCompare.com, who broke the surcharge story. The airlines are terrified that they are going to have to price fares extremely low on the peak holiday travel dates, and are trying to figure out another way to dip into your pockets with the surcharge gambit.
If you're not forced to travel on the peak travel dates, the silver lining is that you may be able to find some fantastic fares, even just a day or two off the most popular travel dates. Many fare-tracking experts believe that we won't see a lot of last-minute fare sales this year, and I tend to agree; in a round of tests, I found a large selection of very low fares on popular routes on popular travel days. I suspect that folks who are searching for holiday travel now will pounce on these fares, and there won't be as many discounted seats later on in the game.
Thus, my recommendation would be to choose your travel dates well -- and well in advance -- to get the best fares and flight times. It may be more risky in 2009 - 2010 than in recent years to try to wait it out until the last minute.
Best Fares
The airlines' list of peak travel dates is useful in at least one respect: it functions as a perfect roadmap of when not to travel, as the surcharge dates are also most likely to have the highest base fares as well. And if travel is down sufficiently that fares stay low even on the busiest days, the $10 may seem like a pittance in the end. My suggested travel dates for getting the best fares, avoiding the crowds and eluding the surcharges are as follows:
• November 23
• November 26
• November 27
• December 21
• December 25
• December 28
• January 1
• January 6
• January 9
And don't be afraid to check out the surcharge dates as well; a really cheap fare with $10 tacked on is still going to be very affordable. If the airlines scare everyone away by piling up the fees, they may have to lower the fares, and the thorough consumer will win in the end.
Taken from the Independent Traveler published on 10/13/09
Just when you thought the airlines had exhausted every possible surcharge, they still manage to impress with their ability to reach into our pockets. This time, it is a $10 holiday travel surcharge on all seats on peak travel dates, reaching very nearly into summer. There is both good news and bad news to be found in these latest duns, and some hints on how to save money and avoid crowds this winter and holiday travel season.
American and United first floated the surcharge a few weeks ago, focusing on three peak holiday travel dates: November 29 (the Sunday after Thanksgiving), and January 2 and 3 (the Saturday and Sunday after New Year's, when everyone is going to be traveling to get back to work and school). US Airways soon followed suit, and when they were only mildly pilloried in the press, all of the other major airlines fell into line late last week, with the complete list now comprising American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways.
In the meantime, the list of affected dates ballooned from three to 13, to include November 29 and 30; December 19, 26 and 27; January 2 and 3; March 14, 20, 21 and 28; April 11; and May 28.
Southwest and JetBlue have not adopted the surcharge, and have given indications that they will not do so.
Why Not Just Raise Fares?
These are, of course, fare increases by any other name, but the airlines greatly prefer to levy them as surcharges for a couple strategic reasons. First of all, the airlines can hide the surcharges when promoting sale fares; laws governing truth in advertising allow the airlines to bury surcharge information in the fine print. So the airlines can advertise $39 sale fares as they did last week, but they don't have to mention the date-specific $10 in their headlines.
The airlines are pretty much shameless when it comes to this kind of thing. For example, according to Tim Smith of American, the surcharges "absolutely are not a fee." Ha. Even a kindergarten kid caught red-handed sneaking treats knows he can't get away with saying "this is not candy; it is a piece of caramel wrapped in chocolate."
Perhaps more significantly, the airlines get the $10 revenue on every seat sold, whether for first class, business class, coach, discount, name your price and so on -- every person is paying the extra $10. The $10 remains the same irrespective of what the sale price or the airline's yield management pricing system says the seat is worth. So even if they are advertising seats for $39, they know they're at least going to get the extra $10, even on the (very few) seats they sell at the advertised sale price.
On a peak travel day, that is a lot of "free" income. How much income? If we use AAA's number from last year, when they estimated that 4.5 million people would fly over the Thanksgiving weekend, and make the assumption that most of those folks will be flying home on Saturday the 29th or Sunday the 30th, you're talking about upwards of $45 million dollars in just two days.
And note that the surcharge is applied to the base fare each way, so they can literally get you coming and going.
The surcharge is likely here to stay. After all, last year's fuel surcharges never really went away completely, despite gas at the pump edging down close to $2/gallon these days. These surcharges will show up again next winter holiday season, and don't be surprised when peak summer travel dates are added to the list; the inclusion of May 28, the Friday before Memorial Day, is the proof. It's going to happen, folks.
Peak Travel Days, Holiday Season 2009 - 2010
At this point, I don't have to tell you which days will be the peak travel days -- the airlines have already done that for me. From the list of dates above, I predict that January 3 will be a particularly rough day this year. When January 1 falls on a Friday, as it does this winter, almost every business and many schools in America will resume "normal" hours on the first Monday morning after New Year's. Similarly, the workers and students on furlough will try to extract every last minute from their vacation time. Add to that the potential for some travel-hostile winter weather, and you have a perfect storm of travel volume and maxxed-out airports all day long on Sunday, January 3.
True to form, the airlines added January 2 to their surcharge calendar to snag the more sensible among us who avoid that last-minute Sunday crush. No one wants to travel on January 1, so if you are in good enough shape to board a plane on Friday morning, you should be able to get low fares without surcharges, and have a pretty smooth go of it as well.
As for Thanksgiving, consistent problems over the past several years (not to mention all the resulting media attention) have actually resulted in a change of behavior among the traveling public, where many have adjusted their travel schedules to avoid the peak days. People are traveling a little earlier in the week, and heading home either a little earlier or later than usual. As a result, the overall volume is much more spread out. I have several friends who damn the torpedoes and travel each year on the day before Thanksgiving, and all have had tales of short lines and uncongested airports to tell in recent years.
Folks may leave work on Tuesday or even Monday, and the day before Thanksgiving no longer seems to be the relentlessly nastiest travel day of the year. Similarly, travelers may head home earlier as well, perhaps on Friday morning, which is traditionally one of the lighter holiday travel days.
With Christmas falling on a Friday, the Christmas travel week could be horrendous. I had been hopeful that schools might let out on the 18th, which would make it among the easiest Christmas travel years possible; a full week between the end of school and Christmas day would help to spread out the volume nicely. But then I did an informal sample of a dozen universities and school districts, and all but two set the last day of school as December 23.
When that is the case, the business world often follows suit to some extent, which means that the entire country will be getting off work at lunchtime on Wednesday, December 23 and muscling their way to airports to be home in time for the holiday. I recommend you try to avoid being in that number.
The upside potential for folks who can travel earlier in the week, or even the previous week, is obvious: lower fares and empty airports could be all yours. My advice would be to plan to travel on or about the 21st of December. That way, folks who freed up and bolted to the airports on December 19 will already be long gone, and you'll avoid the December 23 onslaught entirely.
The Silver Lining
The peak travel surcharge is targeted toward family and vacation travelers; let's face it, there's not a lot of business travel happening on January 2. So the folks who give the airlines their business and create the environment that lets them jack fares up around the holidays will be ponying up even more.
However, there may be a hidden upside for leisure travelers in the trend toward surcharges: holiday travel is expected to be down considerably this year, and fares are down as well. At present, holiday fares are down 12 - 15 percent, according to FareCompare.com, who broke the surcharge story. The airlines are terrified that they are going to have to price fares extremely low on the peak holiday travel dates, and are trying to figure out another way to dip into your pockets with the surcharge gambit.
If you're not forced to travel on the peak travel dates, the silver lining is that you may be able to find some fantastic fares, even just a day or two off the most popular travel dates. Many fare-tracking experts believe that we won't see a lot of last-minute fare sales this year, and I tend to agree; in a round of tests, I found a large selection of very low fares on popular routes on popular travel days. I suspect that folks who are searching for holiday travel now will pounce on these fares, and there won't be as many discounted seats later on in the game.
Thus, my recommendation would be to choose your travel dates well -- and well in advance -- to get the best fares and flight times. It may be more risky in 2009 - 2010 than in recent years to try to wait it out until the last minute.
Best Fares
The airlines' list of peak travel dates is useful in at least one respect: it functions as a perfect roadmap of when not to travel, as the surcharge dates are also most likely to have the highest base fares as well. And if travel is down sufficiently that fares stay low even on the busiest days, the $10 may seem like a pittance in the end. My suggested travel dates for getting the best fares, avoiding the crowds and eluding the surcharges are as follows:
• November 23
• November 26
• November 27
• December 21
• December 25
• December 28
• January 1
• January 6
• January 9
And don't be afraid to check out the surcharge dates as well; a really cheap fare with $10 tacked on is still going to be very affordable. If the airlines scare everyone away by piling up the fees, they may have to lower the fares, and the thorough consumer will win in the end.
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