I’ve seen as many travel-tips websites as I’ve had hot English breakfasts. Most of them cover the same ground – about insurance, how to pack (roll your clothes, don’t fold them), how to get a cheap airfare or an upgrade, and so on – but I’ve been searching for those that are a little left-field.
Here’s a taster:
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Why does it sometimes cost more to fly return from Sydney to Dubai than it does to fly from Sydney to London via Dubai? Especially if both trips involve the same airline and even the same aircraft?
I once asked this question of Qantas and was told that it was to do with “capacity”. Continue reading Airfares aren’t always fair
Photo or it didn’t happen.
That’s a common cry from friends, followers and/or trolls when anybody makes an extraordinary claim on social media.
I am certain that I am not alone among travellers — even frequent travellers — in saying that I almost always take too much luggage with me.
Although I try to pack sensibly, there are always items that are never used. And, if you’re dragging your suitcase around with you, they seem to get heavier and heavier the longer you’re away.
"Well, hello there, handsome ..."So, I’m travelling on my own, and I’m sitting at a bar and this beautiful young woman comes up and starts chatting to me. After some small talk, she suggest we have a drink. Should I be suspicious? Continue reading Hot or not?
One of the things I do when I travel is take pictures of cats and kittens I encounter along the way.
I didn’t have to go far to find these cuties. They were about a block away from where I live in Abu Dhabi, on a site being prepared for demolition.
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What does an airline do when it wants to encourage its passengers to get healthy through simple physical fitness? It enlists actor Christopher Walken, of course.
Walken walking. Get it?
Before I took my first Costa cruise, I researched the company’s vessels on the usual review sites and discovered that they tended to rank lower than the British and American ships.
Delving a bit deeper, I noticed that the criticism was coming mostly from Britons and Americans whose main complaint seemed to be the “Italianness” of the Costa offering.
Basically, some people didn’t like the fact that ships flying the Italian flag catered largely for Italians. They didn’t like the fact that English was demoted in onboard annoucements and during entertainment programs to a second, third or even fourth language. And they didn’t like the food, especially the authentic pizza (presumably because it wasn’t like the pizza they had delivered back home.)
I’m glad I dismissed this for what it was — let’s call it xenophobia — and decided to give Costa a try. Continue reading Review: Costa Diadema
It’s often been said that the world is getting smaller. Thanks to affordable and efficient travel, especially air travel, it is now possible for many of us to visit places of which we could once only dream.
But it’s also the case that, for reasons of personal safety, there are now many places that we have to strike off our itineraries. Continue reading To go or not to go?
First up: a disclosure. I have an issue with Munich Airport. It’s a bit boring, so it’s at the end of this review, but I thought I best declare it in case it somehow influenced this review. I don’t think it did.
Those fortunate enough to have the use of premium lounges at airports know that the quality of these places can vary enormously. Continue reading Review: Atlantic Lounge, Munich
As I’ve noted in recent posts, I’ve been spoiled with upgrades recently, with five business-class tickets in a row being converted into first-class seats.
Well, the spell broke and on my last trip, business class really meant business class. But there is no way I’m complaining. Continue reading Review: Etihad business class
The day the Costa Diadema sailed into La Spezia, I was feeling decidedly unwell. I went ashore – via a short bus trip through a commercial port that seemed to be trying to out-ugly Genoa’s equivalent – in an attempt to find a pharmacy.
Instead of a shop selling Immodium, I found a circular cathedral (Cattedrale di Cristo Re) concealed by freight containers, and a fun fair. Then I raced back to the boat to make an appointment with the doctor. The less said about the ensuing 24 hours, the better. Continue reading La Spezia in pictures
I’ve written before that I think the internet offering will be the next big battleground in the war between cruise operators.
When I first started sailing in earnest nearly four years ago, the internet plans on most ships were appalling. Some of them still are. Continue reading The best connection
I’m on my second trip to Palma, Mallorca (or Majorca, if you like) on a cruise. The first time, I did an organised tour. This time I took myself to the highlights for some photo opportunities. Continue reading Palma in pictures
Pay careful attention, because I am about to teach you a valuable life skill: how to use an elevator (a.k.a. lift) on a cruise ship.
You may think you already know this, but I’m pretty sure that you don’t. Continue reading Going up (or down)
I have written about Barcelona in the past, and I will do so again, as part of my occasional Must-See Cities series.
For now, though, I’m sharing some pictures I took around the harbour and the bustling main street, La Rambla, during my stopover on the Costa Diadema.
The problem with people tasked with putting up signs is that they already know where they are going.
That means they are not approaching the job from an end-user’s point of view. And that’s why a lot of people get lost and frustrated.
So it was for me today as I tried to negotiate my way off the Costa Diadema and on to a shuttle bus to Barcelona. Continue reading Rant: sign of the times
Marseille is magnificent, but if you’re arriving by cruise ship, you’ll need to negotiate, by vehicle, through a huge industrial pot complex before you get to the heart of this city.
The city embraces a smaller harbour, where pleasure craft mingle with fishing vessels, and anglers bring in their catch for direct sale. Continue reading Marseille? Magnifique!
