The most important thing to keep in mind is Caribbean hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1st to November 30th. October has the most frequent occurrence of hurricanes and June is second. Of course, this doesn’t mean that a hurricane won’t hit outside of these dates but it’s much more likely to occur within these dates. It also doesn’t mean you shouldn’t travel to the Caribbean during this time period but if you do, make sure you have good travel insurance. Learn more about hurricane season in the Caribbean.

Chris hates hot weather so he wants us to avoid the hottest months. This is a great web site that shows the Average Weather in Caribbean by Month for the Caribbean’s most popular cities so you can look up the cruise ports you’ll be visiting and what the weather will be like. It turns out the hottest months are summer, which overlaps with hurricane season.

Finally, even if you don’t have kids like us, knowing the school holidays is important. Caribbean cruises tend to cost more when kids are out of school: holidays, summer vacation, and March because of spring break. Cruises during these times will also have more families onboard so I’ve officially made a mental note to avoid Caribbean cruises during the summer.

• Friday night (Maui): Costco & Walmart shopping
• Saturday (Maui): Kapalua Beach, snorkel Black Rock (Kaanapali Beach), dinner at David Paul’s
• Sunday (Maui): Lahaina, checked into POA, unpacked, dinner at Mama’s Fish House
• Monday (Maui): Waterfalls & Rainforest Hike with Hike Maui
• Tuesday (Hilo): Mauna Loa Mac Nut Factory, Puna area (Lava Tree Park, Champagne Pond, Kapoho Tidepools, Ahalanui Park)
• Wednesday (Kona): Snorkel Two Step / Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau (aka Place of Refuse), walk around Snorkel Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau and Kona
• Thursday (Kauai): Wailua Falls, Lydgate Beach Park, Poliahu Heiau, ‘Opaeka’a Falls, Queen’s Bath, Hanalei Overlook, Wishing Well Shave Ice, Ha’ena Beach & Dry Cave, Waikanaloa Wet Caves, Ke’e Beach, dinner at Hukilau Lanai
• Friday (Kauai): (originally booked Tubing Adventure but it got cancelled) slept in, Anchor Cove Mall shopping, lunch at Cadillac Diner, Napali Coast sailby
• Saturday (Oahu): North Shore – LOST Other’s Camp / YMCA Camp, Haleiwa, Matsumoto’s Shave Ice, Papa’iloa Beach (also from LOST), Turtle Beach, Shark’s Cove, Dole Pineapple Plantation, dinner at Sushi Sasabune (DH demanded we go back!)
• Sunday (Oahu): Hiked Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor – private tours of Ford Island & Hickman Air Force Base by our friend stationed there, small museum at Pearl Harbor that opened in December

I’ll be uploading photos from the trip and writing a full report later but in the meantime, feel free to comment or contact me if you have specific questions about the trip.

• Street Sensation: Great shop-by-shop outline of London’s most popular shopping streets
• Official London Theatre: Find out what is showing in London theatres
• Theatre Monkey: Theatre floor plans & seat reviews
• tkts: The famous half-price “tkts” booth at Leicester Square sells tickets for 25-50% off on day of performance. Web site tells you what tickets they have for sale today.

View Photo Book

Our Asia cruise was from March 29-April 12, 2011. We began our trip by spending 3 nights in Hong Kong before sailing away on Princess Cruises’ Ocean Princess for our 12 night cruise to Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Here is our itinerary:

March 30-April 2: Hong Kong
April 3: At Sea
April 4: Keelung, Taiwan
April 5-6: At Sea
April 7: Incheon, South Korea
April 8: At Sea
April 9: Tianjin (Beijing), China
April 10: Dalian, China
April 11: At Sea
April 12-13: Shanghai, China

See all the photos

• NabeWise
• Trazzler
• CitySeekr

• Cruise Critic: Their Ports of Call section is a great start in planning your port days but their Forums are essential for getting your cruise questions answered and meeting others on your cruise
• Frommer’s Cruises Guide Books: My favorite travel guide book series Frommer’s has several guide books writted specifically for cruisers and the unique situation they face with limited time and land transportation. They have an overall guide book, Frommer’s Cruises & Ports of Call, as well as cruise destination specific books: Frommer’s Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call, Frommer’s European Cruises & Ports of Call, Frommer’s Caribbean Cruises & Ports of Call
• Warm Weather Cruise Packing List
• Cold Weather Cruise Packing List
• Cruise Budget Calculator
• Cruise Tip Calculator
• Cruise Emergency Contact e-cards

Now I’m more savvy about how — and when — to pack or ship wine and liquor. I’ve managed to get Spanish cavas, Mendoza Malbecs, and Tequila tequila home without destroying any more clothing (remember that the TSA — and security in many countries — forbid you to carry liquids greater than 3 oz. on the plane, unless you buy from a duty-free store). If touring wineries is on your travel agenda, here are a few tips on how to get your vintage back intact:

Buy a wineskin. These protective holders, available in wine stores, wineries, and many online retailers, are the cheapest way to protect your purchase. The skin sheaths your bottle in plastic with an interior bubble wrap, so you can pack it in your suitcase without fear. Make sure your skin that has a double seal to prevent spillage, in case the worst does happen.

Note: Although some skins claim they are reusable, the seal usually doesn’t close as firmly the second time around. You’re better off buying another. Wineskins typically cost under $15.

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#6: Rome, Italy

While other cities try to entice you with the whole pie, Rome’s claim to fame is offering pizza al taglio, or “by the cut.” This variety has a thin crust and is normally baked on rectangular trays in a wood-burning oven. Tasty toppers include prosciutto, asparagus, zucchini, eggplant and potato, but when in doubt, you can also order a traditional margherita with just tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. Vendors will allow you to determine just how big a slice you want (you’ll be charged based on its weight), after which they’ll cut your slice, fold it and wrap it in paper to go.

Where to Taste: Pizza al taglio is a convenient snack to have while sightseeing. You could order from Da Michele by the Trevi Fountain (opt for the kosher aliciotti e indivia with anchovies and endives), or at Da Remo by the Pantheon (try the zucca pizza with pumpkin).

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With all those recent mergers, airlines will usually combine the mileage of both airlines to help frequent fliers grow their balance. Still, there is no guarantee, and airline mergers can put frequent travelers’ status in jeopardy.

History has been on our side in the past decade. American Airlines (www.aa.com) took the status and mileage balances of TWA fliers into account when it acquired the carrier. Delta Air Lines (www.delta.com) did the same with Northwest combining the miles earned with Northwest and Delta for Million Miler status. Continental (www.continental.com) and United (www.united.com) will follow suit. Any smart airline would do that lest they foment a revolt among their most loyal customers.

Airlines recognize that there is value in maintaining the loyalty of passengers and as baby boomers pursue their love of travel, the ranks of million miler fliers continue to swell.

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Crystal chandeliers, stalls with multiple heads, glass walls and even hammocks are starting to appear, it says.

Wyndham Gettysburg in Pennsylvania features a 43-square-foot shower with five shower heads – two on opposing walls at thigh level, two more heads at chest level and a fifth overhead.

The upper floor rooms of Mondrian SoHo in New York City have showers featuring 66-inch-high windows that provide views of Manhattan, it says. Mondrian South Beach in Miami has shower heads that protrude from a crystal chandelier.

Several hotels, including some W properties and the Andaz in San Diego, have a glass wall between the shower and the guest room, allowing more light into the bathroom. “That’s not everyone’s cup of tea, however,” Matthew Richardson, chief of architecture, design and construction for Hilton Worldwide, told the paper. “You can give people the option of privacy by having curtains or shutters.”

The report also notes that hotels are increasingly replacing tubs with shower stalls. Holiday Inn put tubs in 95% of rooms ten years ago, but only 55% of rooms in newly built hotels have them. Business travelers are less likely to lounge in a tub, it says.

Source: USA Today

And even though the recession is technically over, the trend toward all-inclusive options has not abated. The luxury line Crystal Cruises announced last month that they will be going all-inclusive in 2012, putting an end to “sign it to your room” bar tabs and shipboard credits.

“It’s the way the market is going,” said Kate Stingley of Alice Marsall Public Relations, which represents Crystal Cruises. Competitors in the luxury cruise market, such as Silversea, Seabourn, and Regent Seven Seas already include all drinks and tips in their pricing.

The resort chain Sandals, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, is upping the all-inclusive ante with the Caribbean’s first over-the-water bungalows, opening at properties in St. Lucia and Jamaica next year.

“We have never had a customer ask for less luxury and services,” said Adam Stewart, Sandals’ CEO. “You have to do more than anyone else. If the resort down the road has two restaurants, you have to open three.”

If you are considering an all-inclusive resort or cruise for your vacation, here are a few things to think about before you book:

1. Run the numbers. Think about what services the resort or cruise line provides — and then ask yourself if you’ll actually use them. Unlimited alcohol isn’t a bargain if you don’t drink, for example, and a full slate of Broadway-style shows doesn’t mean much if you’d rather curl up with a book.

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Bahamas
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a man of many travels, but it wasn’t all work and no play. In fact, the 32nd President traveled south to the Bahamas on fishing expeditions several times during his presidency. It’s no wonder FDR made the trek – besides its crystal-clear water and soft, sandy beaches, the Bahamas are known for excellent deep-sea and bonefishing. With near-constant fishing events and competitions, as well as experienced guides, fishing lodges, and charter boats on nearly every Bahamian shore, there’s no shortage of ways and places to cast a line in the Bahamas. You might have a real “fish story” to tell once you’ve vacationed in this premier sportfishing spot – the presidential vacation-worthy islands claim more than 50 record catches.

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Paris
Inception

Though production for this sci-fi thriller, noted for its physics-defying visual effects, occurred in six countries and on four continents (from Tangiers to Tokyo and beyond), Paris is the film location of some of Inception’s most pivotal mind-bending scenes. First, grab a panini at Da Stuzzi, the Italian café in the 15th arrondissement where characters Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Ariadne (Ellen Page) sit during an incredible explosive sequence in which the city appears to fold in on itself (the corner café had a fake awning added in order to portray a Parisian bistro onscreen). A short walk away, traverse the vaulted Bir-Hakeim bridge near the elevated Passy metro station that is reported to have housed Cobb’s dream training facility and where Ariadne first tests her subconscious’ architectural skills. Next, visit the post-modernist Parc de la Villette, a conceptually experimental complex with roots in architectural deconstructivism, and ponder its 26 “follies” – seemingly unfinished red metal buildings (they serve as park offices and activity venues) that evoke the impossible objects created in the film’s lucid dream worlds (remember those endless stairs?). The city’s largest park, Villette also lays claim to one of the biggest science museums in Europe and offers a continuous calendar of activities for adults and kids, including circus arts workshops, gypsy dancing lessons, plays, and musical performances. In the evening, get gussied up to see a French flick at the Cinéma Gaumont Champs-Elysées Marignan, where the stars gathered for Inception’s Paris premiere.

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Perhaps you’re like me and start filling your suitcase a week (or more) before your cruise, armed with a packing list and smart space-saving techniques, like rolling up socks and stuffing them in your shoes. Or maybe you’re like my husband, who throws a bunch of clothes into a carry-on at midnight before a morning flight and always packs the right things.

There’s no right or wrong way to pack (ok, that’s debatable), but after racking up many weeks at sea, Cruise Critic’s editors and members can offer some great advice about what to bring onboard and how best to squeeze it into a suitcase without incurring excess baggage fees — not to mention the wrath of the person who has to help lug it.

If you’d like to become a packing perfectionist, or at least feel more confident in your skills, check out our package of packing stories, recently tweaked and perfected to offer even more great advice:

Cruise Packing 101, which gives you all the basics, including wardrobe choices.
Top 10 Cruise Packing Tips, a collection of must-remembers that’ll save you valuable time (and space in your luggage) the next time you head to the port.
Ten Must-Pack Items for New Cruisers, which, surprise, is a slideshow detailing 10 things you really shouldn’t leave home without, as chosen by our readers.

Source: Cruise Critic

On one end of the spectrum is Royal Caribbean, which announced in March 2009 that Diamond members (those who have been on 10 to 24 cruises with RCI) would no longer have special access to the concierge lounge and its affiliated concierge services or the previously offered nightly happy hour with free cocktails. Instead of thanking these frequent cruisers (Diamond members have attained the second-highest loyalty tier in RCI’s program) with extra perks, Royal Caribbean took away a privilege that these travelers held dear. Members were outraged, and though Royal Caribbean offered a compromise (including a private party in a designated lounge with some free booze and a special continental breakfast for Diamond Members), once-loyal cruisers have posted on Cruise Critic’s message boards and elsewhere that they are now rethinking their loyalty.

On the other side are cruise lines that have recently expanded the perks of their programs or are making it easier for cruise travelers to attain upper-tier status. Princess is rewarding big spenders (namely suite guests and solo travelers who may have to pay twice regular rates to get a cabin to themselves) with a faster track to the upper echelons of its past-passenger program. Celebrity announced in July 2009 that it was adding benefits to its program, including free or discounted laundry service, complimentary Internet packages, and new parties for all Captain’s Club members. Oceania has added a wealth of new perks, including free cruise fares, $900 onboard credit and a leather luggage set — but these benefits are only available to frequent cruisers who have sailed between 21 and 100 times with the deluxe cruise line.

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Is bigger better?

While the range of facilities and choice of accommodation is excellent aboard the large resort ships, no one on one of those will know my name or remember my favourite drink unless I make a habit of visiting the same bar (and am served by the same barman). It’s a production-line holiday – well packaged, but it becomes more impersonal as the ships grow larger, more efficient and more profitable.

While exclusive accommodation can be booked aboard the large resort ships, you still have to go through the same security lines as up to 5,000 other passengers in ports of call. Luxury needs to be first-class all the way – from getting to and from your ship to enjoying an escape from the mundane.

When well-travelled people are asked which size of ship they prefer, the answer is almost always small (up to 600 passengers) or mid-sized (600 to 1,600 passengers). On such ships you are more likely to enjoy personal service (attention to detail is all-important in the delivery of luxury) and easier access (smaller ships can enter smaller, more exclusive ports).

Elements of luxury can also be found by booking a top-grade suite in the exclusive areas aboard even large ships such as Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, or aboard a mid-sized ship such as Oceania Cruises’ recently launched Marina.

Smaller ships offer other perks. Those of SeaDream Yacht Cruises and Seabourn have watersports toys and an aft marina platform that’s opened in warm-weather areas. Europa has a Zodiac inflatable rubber craft for shore expeditions, while the three smaller Seabourn ships have a Venetian-style mahogany tender boat.

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The publication reports Malaysia Airlines CEO Tengku Azmil says the carrier is responding to complaints from first-class passengers about crying infants.

Azmil, who conducted a back-and-forth with an Australian Business Traveller reporter via Twitter, says the first-class passenger complaints center on the fact that they “spend money on 1st class and can’t sleep due to crying infants.” Read more…

It’s up to Port Adventures managers, like Anthony YoungBlut on the Disney Wonder, to make sure the guests have as much fun in ports throughout Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Alaska as they do onboard. Many guests opt for their own shore excursions. Keep in mind, however, that if you are on your own and miss the ship, you are responsible for getting back to the ship! — whereas if you book through the cruise line and something happens to delay your return to the ship, they will either wait, or handle the arrangements for you to re-join the ship at the next port — at their expense.

The wide range of activities caters to any guest: There are some just for adults and some even just for teens. Of course, since Disney is in the family business, many of the adventures are geared toward those with kids.

The Disney Cruise Line Website lets guests filter through pages of activities by port, age range, activity level and activity type. They also have some Adventures that are part of the “Signature Collection” — excursions exclusive to the line. Like the Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp and Salmon Bake, where kids can go gold panning with some of the Disney characters, or the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, for just Disney Cruise Line passengers.

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On your first cruise, you pack the obvious items, but it’s not until your second — or maybe your third, fifth or tenth — cruise that you discover all those useful things that make life onboard and onshore so much easier. Perhaps that’s bringing small bills for tips or small purchases in foreign countries, or a roll of duct tape to fix whatever breaks. Maybe it’s a highlighter marker to circle not-to-be-missed activities in the daily schedule, or bubbles to entertain the kids during sailaway.

That’s why it’s always good advice to ask an experienced cruiser what you’ve forgotten to pack before you embark on your very first sailing. Don’t know any? Do like we did and go to the Cruise Critic message boards, where you’ll find plenty of knowledgeable frequent cruise travelers. There, we found tons of great packing tips for the uninitiated and compiled our favorites into a slideshow of must-read advice. Before you check your bags, check this out!

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