Travel Tidbits--How to Pick the Right Cruise Cabin

I love cruises! Love them! You spend a day sightseeing, have a five-course meal, and wake up to a new destination. Then you repeat this cycle throughout the length of your vacation, going place to place without maps, without headaches, without lugging a suitcase, and without packing and unpacking. Can life get any better?

If you love cruising as much as I do, you'll appreciate this information on picking the best cabin:
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2009/07/10/AR2009071001919.html?wpisrc=newsletter

Another tip for a seasoned traveller--some of the interior cabins at the front and back of the ship are larger than the rest, but at the same prices. Just beware--the ride is a bit bumpier at the front of the ship!

Enjoy, and bon voyage!

Travel Humor--Luggage

Over the years, I have had my share of luggage ordeals. Remember, the old fashion suitcases with the tiny wheels that always managed to break off, and if they weren't hard shell, those pesky suitcases kept the contents about as well-protected as packing in a plastic sack and hoping for the best? And if they were hardshell, they already exceeded the baggage weight limit empty? I do.

While I consider myself infinitely blessed for having the opportunity to do several study abroad trips, totalling six months of my life out of the U.S., I have had my fair share of what I would call "luggage malfunctions."

Malfunction 1: I arrived home from two months in Spain to some airport in the Northeast US. (I can't remember where, but the horrifying events that are about to be described were more memorable than the exact airport). I am standing at the baggage claim watching luggage come down this very tall slide above onto the conveyor belt. It is a quite dramatic, viewable-to-everyone sort of baggage claim. First, I see my lime green "Universidad de Salamanca" t-shirt making its way down the slide. I think, that's not good. Then, I see my bikini top. Then, I become quite concerned for the rest of the contents of my luggage. Then, I see in full view for all, my bright blue bra, coming down the slide between everyone else's fully intact suitcases. Full panic! Fortunately, I am not easily embarassed. I walked straight up to that conveyor belt, claimed my shirt and unmentionables, and acted like that's what all the cool kids do. Soon after comes that completely opened suitcase. My friend Emily and I die laughing and then are introduced to a machine that I hope most people do not have to encounter at the airport (but you will be comforted to know exists)--the giant plastic wrapper. Imagine a machine that entirely wraps your what is left of your luggage in heavy duty saran wrap. Actually, quite a smart idea. Your saran-wrapped bag then arrives at your final destination, in my case, Atlanta. You know you've had quite a trip when this is what's yours to claim. Surprisingly, I think everything made it home except the matching bikini bottom, which must be somewhere between Georgia and Madrid.

Malfunction 2: I arrive home from Italy. I put my suitcase in the back of the car but am eager to get a few souvenirs out for my family that picked me up. I reach for the locked-together zippers (back in the day when you could lock your suitcases), and notice no zippers exist on my suitcase. So I simply peel the suitcase top back like a banana, zipper easily coming apart with no effort at all, thinking that at any time if anything had caught onto the top of this suitcase, everything inside would be sprinkled from here to Milan. That, or I would have had to made visit Number 2 to the saran-wrapper.

I pause to quickly note how amazed I am that I made it home with the contents of my luggage on both of these occasions. During this pause, I also want to note one even more miraculous accomplishment to do with luggage. I did manage to bring home three fully intact painted egg shells (they're a local favorite) from PRAGUE, totally unharmed. They have moved with me from Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis too. I'm very proud of that.

Ok, pause complete. My meandering about luggage stories good and bad finally brings me to my point. I'm always looking for nice, new updated luggage, because luggage is made so well now that I feel certain none of these malfunctions could occur. But of course I love my bargains as well. I've been perusing T.J. Maxx, Marshall's, and other discount stores for some time looking for my dream suitcase:


The latest model ebony black 29" Samsonite spinner! Isn't it beautiful?

Well, friends, this week my dream came true. I finally found the suitcase of my dreams, at T.J. Maxx, for $99! (It retails for $480!) Yes!

I cannot wait to fill it full and hope that with this sleek updated model, none of my undergarments will appear at baggage claim.

The ABCs of Airport Codes

Ever wonder where those three-letter codes come from on your airport reservations? Why TYS is Knoxville, or BNA Nashville? CHA is Chattanooga, not Charlotte, although my baggage almost made an errant trip to North Carolina once. Well, here's the story and the information behind the rules and some of the rule-breakers!

http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html

Flower-Art of the World

I've always loved flowers and art, so what sounds better than travelling and seeing flowers and art? Here are a few examples that I would love to see:

1) Brussels Flower Carpet:

Every two years in the Grand Place of Brussels, a massive carpet of flowers is created for a brief three-day display. Combine that with the home of chocolate and waffles, and you've got one amazing trip.

For more information on this, check out http://www.flowercarpet.be/

2) The Good 'Ole American Rose Bowl Parade

I won't get into the fact that I had booked a room in Pasadena in 2002 when my beloved University of Tennessee Volunteers appeared bound for the Rose Bowl National Championship after an unbelievable victory over Florida at the end of the season to clinch the SEC-East, only to lose to the LSU Tigers in the SEC Championship. I already had my orange rose ready! Hopefully both my team and I will make it to this unbelievable show one of these days. Here's a few up-close shots of the amazing floats:

3) Tulip Fields of Amsterdam

And finally, although this isn't quite man-made art in the same sense, I couldn't discuss my love of flowers around the world without mentioning the tulip fields of Amsterdam. Who wouldn't want to skip through these fields under a windmill? NWA flies direct from Memphis...

Travel Tips--World's Greatest Flea Markets

If you're searching for bargains, local wares, or unique treasures, here is the recent list of the world's best flea markets! They did not, however, mention the World's Longest Yardsale, which goes through my hometown of Chattanooga, TN. I think it deserves to be on the list, so I included a link below!

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/worlds-greatest-flea-markets/1
http://www.127sale.com/

Travel Tips--World's Scariest Runways

If you're heading to any of these destinations (including Reagan National in D.C. or JFK in NYC), make sure to pack the dramamine! And maybe close your eyes! Yikes!

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/the-worlds-scariest-runways/9

Also, remind me to always go to St. Maarten by cruise ship and not airplane, for reasons demonstrated by the photo below:

Also remind me not to stay at the hotel associated with this beach. I don't care to see the faces of airline passengers from my beach chair.

Travel Tidbits--50 Best Romantic Getaways

Planning a honeymoon, anniversary, or other getaway with that special someone? Here is Travel & Leisure's guide to the 50 Best Romantic Getaways! They suggest some stunning U.S. and international destinations, including my #1 dream destination--Bora Bora!!! Might as well just add all of these to my dream vacation wishlist . . .

One particular idea that caught my attention is the Navutu Stars resort of Fiji. I have admittedly spent much time researching South Pacific dream destinations and daydreaming of dangling my toes in the ocean from my own overwater bungalow. Unfortunately, most bungalows starting price-per-night is approximately $1000. Not quite a budget-friendly vacation! And although the bungalows (bures) at this resort are not over-water, they still look absolutely stunning and start at $325 a night! Certainly not peanuts, but a 66% discount makes my dream seem a little more possible!!! And one of those "garden bures" at the low rate has an ocean view for guests seeking an economical option--sign me up!

Travel Tidbits-- Email Postcards from Kiwi Collection

I recently posted information about Hazel Mail, an online service that will print and sent postcards to your loved ones while you're on the go! I also found Kiwi Collection, an internet site with photos of many destinations and hotels that allows you to send a personalized e-postcard! Now you've just got to find an internet cafe to send a personal note home!

Travel Tidbits-- DK Guides, Compass Pop-up Maps

Most travellers invest in a guide book before travelling to a new destination. I've spent hours in bookstores trying to pick the very best guide, and I have found my personal favorite-- DK Guides! These guide books never let me down, with wonderful maps and lots of photos! I never leave home without one! Often I can find my destination because the photo is right in my book, and it has succinct bits of information that are interesting on a bus or subway trip to the place!

Even though I always travel with my trusty DK Guide book, I also never leave home without a pocket version--a Pop-Up Map from Compass Maps! This is perfect if you're trying to lighten the load to go sightseeing because you may not want to carry your full guidebook everywhere, like say a dinner trip with a cute purse. I always put this in the zipper pocket of my travel bag-- it has a popup map and also lists the key sites, transportation, and other essential info! Best part--they fold up easily, so you won't look like that straggling tourist trying to fold up your big map on the side of the road!

I know I'm ready to go when I have my DK Guide and my pop-up map!

Travel Tidbits-- Staying in Touch On the Road

Also from Budget Travel, some great websites and ideas for keeping in touch with loved ones while on the road:

Mapness Although it's ostensibly designed for travel journaling, this clickable atlas can also help with planning by letting you create custom maps of your travels. Adding a waypoint or something of interest—a hotel, a landmark, a train station—is as easy as double clicking. Mapness will automatically plot routes between your various stops, and store your map online so that you can pull it up on the go. Even better, you can share your map with others via an e-mailed link, or export them to Google Earth so that everyone in your party can find their way to the chalet. Finally, once you've arrived, you can also add photos and videos to document your trip for posterity. mapness.net.

HazelMail Everyone loves to get postcards, but actually messing with the mail while on vacation can make you go, well, postal. (And in any case, do you really want a cheesy image from the hotel gift shop to stand as the definitive shot of your journey?) Roll your own postcards instead. At HazelMail, named for its founder's mom, you can upload your photographs and then enter a message and an address. The website takes care of the rest, printing out and mailing a freshly minted postcard (and saving you from having to track down stamps). The flat fee of $1.50 includes postage to anywhere. hazelmail.com.

Eye-Fi Explore There's no reason to wait until you get home to upload your photos from your trip, thanks to this camera memory card that gives your camera Wi-Fi connectivity. When it's paired with a free online account at a photo-sharing service such as Picasa or Flickr, you can set the card to upload on the fly, letting your friends tag along on your journeys with every snap you take. The Eye-Fi works with open wireless networks, and you can set it to automatically join them once you come into range. The purchase of the card also gives you the ability to use any Wayport hotspot for a year (there are more than 10,000 of such spots nationwide). If you're not near a free open source and you're in the U.S., chances are still good that you'll be able to find a Wayport spot to upload your photos. Also fun: The Eye-Fi uses Wi-Fi signals to store location data with every photos that's taken. When you upload shots to geo-enabled photo-sharing services (including Flickr and Picasa), the photos can be automatically added to a map that notes where they were taken—and which also has links to photos that other photographers have taken nearby. eye.fi/cards/explore/.

Twitter Even if you're not using the micro-blogging site Twitter to update the world with your own comings and goings, you can still use it to bring the wisdom of a savvy, global crowd to the palm of your hand. Use your free acount to ask those following you a question ("Where can I find the best grits in Atlanta?") to tap into a trove of native knowledge in real time. For better luck use a "hashtag" (a keyword preceded by the pound symbol, such as #Atlanta) that will help people find your query. Or perhaps your question has already been answered: Try Twitter's dedicated search page. If you have an iPhone, you may also want to give the applications Tweetie and Twinkle a try. These can filter Twitter's tweets by location to help you listen in on locals. twitter.com.

TripIt Have trouble keeping track of your travel plans? Help is here. Once you are registered with TripIt, you can forward to the site all of your confirmation e-mails for flights, hotels, and rental cars. TripIt takes those pesky details and automatically organizes them into a sorted itinerary you can access from any computer. Thanks to its stripped-down website design, you can pull up your confirmation codes at the ticket counter on your phone, rather than printing everything up in advance. Social features help you create a network of friends and share itineraries, and also add badges to your website to show where you are and what you're doing. In addition, you can export your trips to a calendar program such as Google Calendar or iCal. tripit.com.

Google Voice With this phone manager, you can keep the calls coming through while you roam. Open at the moment only to existing users of a Google-owned service called GrandCentral but soon to be available for everyone, Google Voice gives you a phone number which you can set to ring any phone in the United States (Google plans to expand this ability worldwide). Even more usefully, it can be set to let only some numbers through—for instance, maybe you want your friends but not your boss to be able to call you on that beach in Miami. Because you can set it to ring more than one number, Google Voice can direct the same call to your cell phone as well as the line in your vacation home. You can also use it to check your voice mail from any computer. google.com/voice/about.

Travel Tidbits-- Social Networking Sites for Travelers

From the February 2009 issue of Budget Travel-- various social networking sites for travelers!

MATADOR Sign on, and become a travel writer overnight. You can blog about a trip, create a guide to a city, or deem yourself an "expert" on a place and advise others on their vacations. Best of all, Matador pays members to contribute short articles on destinations. Assignments up for grabs are listed on the site's Bounty Board. The money won't exactly finance a trip to Fiji—most stories net $25—but it'll cover dinner at the airport. matadortravel.com.

GECKOGO This one's about where to set your travel sights: A color-coded map on the home page pinpoints which countries are good to visit each month depending on what you want to do. For example, Chile, Australia, and Tanzania are ideal places to camp in February, according to tallied member reviews. Have a question about a certain destination? Post it under the Answers tab and other travelers will weigh in with their ideas. geckogo.com.

TRIPIT TripIt's community is big on sharing—users log on to arrange airport carpools and to volunteer as guides for people traveling to their cities. The site itself lends a helping hand with its impressive itinerary builder: Send your e-mail confirmations from airlines, hotels, and travel agents to plans@tripit.com, and it will compile them into a trip schedule, complete with weather forecasts, maps, and restaurant ideas. tripit.com.

Travel Site of the Day: ITASoftware.com

Looking for a comprehensive way to search for the lowest fares for a plane ticket? Don't make your reservation until you check ITA Software (itasoftware.com)! This site has remarkably low ticket prices and has many other helpful features, including calendar views to search for the cheapest fare if your dates are flexible.

Travel Tips: Round-the-World Plane Tickets

The words that make any traveller swoon-- "round-the-world." I recently came across a blog post on just how exactly booking such an around the world plane ticket works. As he notes, you can't pick "everywhere" as a destination. Here are all the ins-and-outs of this dream adventure!

http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/round-the-world-plane-ticket/

Now this is my idea of a retirement plan!

Travel Tidbit

Little known travel fact: Around the world, people currently hold over 8 TRILLION miles in their frequent flyer accounts, many earned from the rapid growth in non-flying earning opportunities. If everyone in the world cashed in their frequent flyer miles at one time, they'd have enough free tickets to fly for free on every flight in the world for three straight years. How much do you think an airline would charge for a soda if that happened?