Cruises

You may remember that I wrote about WH Smith’s decision to only stock Penguin travel guide books in UK airports, and well that seemed to annoy quite a few people. Many of you asked why travellers would pay for a guide book when they can download guides online for free. Fair point.

Pay for travel content

Recently I have been carrying out some research on destination websites for my latest project My Life in Leeds and tonight I stumbled upon two websites called Globalista and Hg2. What surprised me is that on both of these sites you have to pay for the content.

Surely no one is going to pay for the content when it can be obtained for free online?

Paid content model doesn’t work online

I do not think I would pay for travel guide content, no matter who has written it, or how professional it might be. For me to purchase one of these guides then I would have to see value for money and I do not see that in destination content.

I remember watching Dragon’s Den a few years ago and one of the people wanting funding had this idea of creating a paid membership travel guide, and the Dragon’s laughed them out of the room, simply because travellers could find this information online just as quick, and for free.

Why pay when it’s free

When you search around the web you will find tons of trip planning sites like Travelmuse and Tripwolf, all of them have a mixture of user generate content and online tools. While I think they are too many of these types of sites, I do find some of them helpful for researching my next holiday destination.

I cannot see the pay-for-guides model working in travel online.

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants Blog.

All travel content should be available free online

I’m catching up on posts this week that I wanted to write a while ago, but never got around to. Here’s another related to our Alaska cruise.

If you’ve ever been on a cruise, like our Ryndam Holland America Inside Passage Cruise, you know that there are countless cruise excursion options for each stop and they all cost a fortune. After scouring the excursion offerings for Alaska, we decided on the White Pass Train and Bike excursion as the one cruise excursion we would take.

Some of the other Alaska cruise excursions that we considered were whale watching and glacier trekking. Whale watching sounded appealing, but we could do that elsewhere. And we were very torn about taking a helicopter ride and glacier trekking excursion — but decided that the 0+ per person was too much money. So the only excursion we took was the White Pass Train and Biking excursion.

The White Pass and Yukon Railroad was built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush. It’s a narrow gage train now serves tourists with gorgeous views and a history of Skagway, Alaska.

We took the train one-way and from there continued on our biking excursion.

We weren’t sure what to expect from the biking excursion. But it was pretty much entirely down hill. There were several stops for scenic outlooks. We stopped at one point to see the White Pass Train go back down to Skagway

and stopped again for freshly melted glacier water. (The water was incredibly refreshing.)   

If you’re looking for an Alaska cruise excursion that is a little less touristy than some of the bus tours, I would recommend seeing if your cruise ship offers a White Pass Train and Biking excursion.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

White Pass Train and Biking in Skagway: Alaska Cruise Excursion

I’m catching up on posts this week that I wanted to write a while ago, but never got around to.

Last summer, as you may recall from a few posts (Tall Tale Taxidermy/USPS, Vancouver: First Impressions, Banff National Park Photos), we took a family cruise on the Ryndam Holland America ship. Specifically we took the Alaska Inside Passage Cruise which started and ended in Vancouver and stopped in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Glacier Bay National Park.

Ryndam Entering Glacier Bay National Park

Overall, it was a phenomenal trip. The highlights of the Ryndam Holland America ship (which, from what I’ve been told, are true of all Holland America ships) included:

Staff: The ship staff were incredibly friendly. They were always smiling and willing to answer any questions we had. They seemed to genuinely care that we had a good cruise, and because of them, we did.

Food: I was expecting mediocre food based on what I had previously heard about cruises. Luckily, the food was amazing. Had it not been for our wedding immediately following the cruise, I would have likely eaten enough to gain 10 pounds in a week.

On-Ship Activities: I brought several books on our Alaska cruise — expecting to be bored during the days at-sea. However, there were so many on-board activities that I didn’t even get one of my books finished. Plus, it turned out I didn’t need to bring books because the on-ship library stocked more bestsellers than my local library. Some of the best activities included a tour of the ships kitchen and a mixology class.

My only suggestion when it comes to booking a Holland America cruise is that if it’s not too much more money, to book a room with a window (or even a veranda if you find a good price). I didn’t spend much time in my room, but had I wanted to, it would have been a little claustrophobic.

Environmental Officer:

Before we took our Alaska Inside Passage cruise, we contacted a Holland America PR rep who arranged for us to get a behind the scenes tour with the ship’s Environmental Officer. On each of Holland America’s ships, there is an Environmental Officer who is responsible for ensuring that the ship follows all applicable environmental laws as well as promoting overall environmental stewardship. We met with the Ryndam Holland America Environmental Officer for about an hour and learned about what cruise ships are doing to be more environmentally friendly. Here are a couple of snapshots from the tour:

Staff Bulletin Board with Environmental Goals (Including reducing waste and conserving fuel)

Recycling Containers for Passengers

Trash Room where all trash is stored until it can be off-loaded

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Ryndam Holland America: Alaska Inside Passage Cruise Review and Photos

I struggled with writers block , so much to rant about, I couldn’t decide what to write about, but, at lunch I was reading an article and it was littered with words like Staycation. I really really dislike that word, and I am unsure who first wrote it, but whoever did should be made never to travel again.

Ban silly travel terms

On Twitter I had a rant, that it should be banned, then other words started popping up like Nano break, so this got me thinking about other words that are used in travel articles to make it sound cooler. I’m a simple guy, and I don’t like using jargon, and tourism and travel articles are littered with it.

More travel jargon

Flashpacker – someone who doesn’t wear clothes when backpacking
Boutique – a hotel that’s trying to be cool because it has wallpaper on its walls
Luxe – it’s a holiday that includes free soap
Paliday – a holiday with your best friend, but you fall out and never speak again
Nano break – a holiday where you set off, but do not get there because the flight is cancelled

Travel is full of jargon

A lot of these types of words are used in articles and they do not really mean anything. It just makes the article sound a little different. There’s enough jargon in the travel industry, never mind the media creating more. Now it is your turn, what terms, jargon and buzzwords do you dislike, and why.

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants blog. Signup for the free Travel Newsletter or subscribe to the Travel RSS feed for regular updates like this.

Annoying jargon and buzzwords in travel content

Luggage scales seem to be all the rage these days. Well, at least that’s what the ads I’ve seen have led me to believe. And with the increased airline baggage fees for pretty much every single U.S. airline, and stricter weight policies — “You’re 3 ounces over, that’s ″ — perhaps it’s time to invest in a luggage scale.

Personally, on the occasions I’ve needed to weigh my luggage, I always used a bathroom scale. And I’ve never given any thought to buying a special suitcase scale since my bathroom scale works fine. But, when stumbling upon some luggage scale reviews I realized that there are plenty of reasons why a portable luggage scale might be a good choice:

• If you’re likely to have more stuff when returning home. If you are going somewhere (e.g., a trade show or winery tour) and are planning on bringing a lot more home with you a portable luggage scale would making packing a lot easier.
• If you frequently pack bulky or heavy items. For instance, in one review I read, a scuba diver commented on how much easier it was to pack his scuba gear for the return trip. Photographers or others carrying a lot of equipment might benefit from a luggage scale.
• If you attend cruises, weddings, polar expeditions, or other events that require a lot of clothing options. When you’re backpacking around the world and your packing list includes only 3 shirts, you probably don’t need a luggage scale. But if you are retired or are attending events several times a year that require a lot of changes of clothing, I can see how a luggage scale would be a good choice.

The luggage scale reviews pointed towards the following three luggage scales as the best:

Best Luggage Scales

Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale

Based on reviews , the Balanzza ergonomic digital compact luggage scale is one of the best luggage scales. It’s supposed to be an “ergonomic digital luggage scale” due to the design of the scale. It weighs luggage up to 100 pounds. You can buy it through Amazon for about .

Here’s a further description from Balanzza:

The Balanzza Ergo is a step forward in digital scales design, with no handles, the scale itself is the grip. Is the first scale that is horizontally positioned instead of vertically in regards to the floor, offering the most natural way to lift heavy objects. The screen is located on the upper side of the scale so the user can see the weight while lifting it with one hand; it can also wait for the beep to set it down if lifted with 2 hands.

Its ergonomic shape lets you lift the objects easy and with less stress to your hands, its patent pending process of lift, wait for the beep, and set it down, makes it the most easy to use scale in the world. Use it at home to weigh your children backpack, or the holidays gifts you are planning to ship, or that occasional parcel that need to be sent. Make sure to bring it with you on your trips so you are safe from the overweight luggage fees, even use it for the office for those small and medium size packages that need to be weigh before shipping.

In addition to these differences, the Balanzza Ergo has the same durability, strength and features as its original predecessor the Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale.

Taylor Digital Luggage Scale

This suitcase scale is little more professional looking that the Balanzza as it’s silver (not green). It gets equally good reviews, costs , and ships from Amazon for free. Some features of the Taylor include:

• Compact modern design with easy-to-read 1.3″ LCD with a .6″ readout
• Weighs up to 88 pounds/40kg
• Durable clasp and rugged web material
• Weighs less then a .5 pound

Travel Lite Luggage Scale

With a LED Flashlight, the Travel Lite is slightly more practical than either the Taylor or the Balanzza, but it’s newer and has fewer reviews. You can buy it from Amazon for about . Some features include:

• Lightest available Digital Luggage Scale at only 7 oz.
• 100lb/44kg capacity
• 5 Year Unconditional Guarantee
• Exclusive EZ-Weigh indicator instantly shows over/under 50 lb weight limit
• Integrated 12 LED flashlight

I think luggage scales are a good choice for people who will save money and pack less because they buy them. For people who won’t use them frequently or will pack more because of it, don’t waste your money and add electronics trash to the landfills.

The environment benefits because you’ll be packing light and thus less fuel will be used when transporting your luggage. So for green travelers who are looking to constantly reduce their luggage weight, it would be a good purchase — comparable to buying a Kill-A-Watt energy monitor.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Luggage Scales: Can a Luggage Scale Save You Money (and Save the Environment?)

Tonight I read an excellent post on Tripso titled “9 ways to avoid being a travel agent’s Client from Hell” and it made me think that while I like to have a rant at the travel industry, especially travel agents, I suppose they have to occasionally contend with some nightmare consumers.

Of course, none of us are perfect.

Consumers that timewaste

Of the rants that agents have left in the past the popular one seems to be time wasting consumers who only come into the shop to pick the brain of the travel agent, but then book the holiday online. I suppose that’s to be expected though.

Travel agents leave your tips and rants

So, today I thought I would leave this post open to travel agents and companies, let me know what really gripes you about travel consumers, or what tips would you offer. Don’t be shy; you do not have to mention the company you work for, but get it off your chest, it’s good to rant.

Maybe, consumers reading this will be a little more understanding.

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants blog. Signup for the free Travel Newsletter or subscribe to the Travel RSS feed for regular updates like this.

Travel agents what annoys you about consumers

Travel agents what annoys you about consumers

I’ve read a few blog posts recently about hotel reviews and a lot of discussion seems to be around Trip Advisor’s decision to add warning notices to some of their hotel listings. Basically, if it is found that the hotel has left fake reviews then a notice warning consumers is left on the hotel listing.

Personally, I am glad that those unethical hotel owners and managers are being shamed.

Reviews by your network

Guillaume at Hotel Blogs raised some good points about the Hotelicopter review system where users could read reviews from friends within their network on the site and on social networking sites like Facebook. Personally, I would trust people I knew more than random strangers.

I wonder though if consumers will continue to use reviews as part of the decision making process.

Future of reviews

Then they are sites like Trivago who integrate reviews from a number of different sites, so that you can get a cross section of reviews for the hotel. Hotel video review sites could work well, but way too many of them are professionally created and don’t offer an impartial view of the hotel.

On my last few trips, with the exception of my B&B in Berlin, all of the hotels had negative reviews and when I arrived at the hotel, none of the problems existed. The problem with reviews is that it could be a one off issue that may never exist again. Everyone has different perceptions of a hotel.

Your thoughts on the future of travel reviews

What was interesting during the week of travel tips, a number of people said to take reviews with a pinch of salt and this got me wondering if the trust in holiday and hotel reviews is waning. Will we see less consumers using review sites as part of the decision making process?

Feel free to discuss

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants blog. Signup for the free Travel Newsletter or subscribe to the Travel RSS feed for regular updates like this.

Your thoughts on the future of hotel reviews

Your thoughts on the future of hotel reviews

Lately, I’ve noticed a number of city or state specific green tourism sites popping up. For instance, Wisconsin has a green tourism site.

Boston has a green site.
San Franscico has an excellent site.
Minnesota (through the University of Minnesota) has launched a site.
Virginia was one of the first states I saw with a green tourism site.
Even a city in Vietnam has put forth a green tourism initiative.

photo credit: Yodel Anecdotal

I’m curious about what others think about these sites and promotions. Is it just tourism hype? Or a good conscious effort to make a city green? Or somewhere in between?

Personally, I think the green tourism trend seems to be a good thing. The tourism sites I’ve seen are (for the most part) really well put together with useful information. Even with the economy as it is, green tourism is growing. And it’s nice to see that cities are still pushing green travel.

What do you think?

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Green Tourism: A PR Trend or Something More?

Sat watching the news and the H1N1 swine flu virus seems to be taking up most of the airtime and with the school holidays now here, millions will be heading off on their holiday. So the Department of Health are advising people with symptoms of the virus to delay their holidays until they have gone.

Department of Health advice

Further travel advice includes; expect to receive strict screening procedures, take paracetamols with you and avoid public places if you fall ill. Holidaymakers travelling to Europe should carry a European Health Insurance Card and make sure that adequate travel insurance is purchased.

Check travel insurance policies

The piece of advice that I was surprised at was, if you catch swine flu while abroad, then holidaymakers should not travel home until recovered. So my advice would be to check your travel insurance to make sure you are covered, you should be, but, best to check in my opinion.

Concerns on treatment of holidaymakers

My concern is about how holidaymakers are going to be treated, especially if you sneeze or show signs of any of the symptoms. You might have read my airline passenger swine flu experiences post earlier this month and it was terrible some of the experiences people have already gone through.

Media panic but travel safe

I know some people think that the media has blown up the H1N1 swine flu virus out of proportion and to some degree I agree, but, when it comes to your health, especially when in another country, I think it’s best to take all precautions necessary to protect yourself or your family.

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants blog. Signup for the free Travel Newsletter or subscribe to the Travel RSS feed for regular updates like this.

Swine flu warning for summer holidaymakers

From October 2009 consumers will find that the ATOL protection contribution will increase to £2.50 per person, you should find this on your holiday price breakdown. The rate at the moment is £1 and is put into the air travel trust fund, so that if the airline or travel company goes bust, you’ll be protected.

Clarification on booked holidays

At the moment I am not sure how you pay the additional £1.50 if you have booked a holiday already for travel after the 1 October, or if, it is for bookings after this date. I could not find this information available looking on the ATOL website, so if you know, please leave a comment.

ATOL protection contribution confusion

I am assuming that this contribution is only for consumers that have booked a flight with an ATOL bonded agent. The Daily Mail reported that the charge is for holidaymakers travelling by air, but surely if you book direct with a low cost flight then you do not pay the ATOL protection contribution.

Maybe someone could confirm because I didn’t find the Daily Mail article that helpful.

Feel safer booking with ATOL bonded agent

As a consumer I do not mind paying a few pounds if it means I am protected when booking a holiday with an ATOL bonded agent, but what I would not want to see is this contribution rate increasing year after year if more companies and airlines go into administration.

Your thoughts on the ATOL increase

At the moment the £2.50 ATOL protection contribution is cheaper than taking out scheduled air failure insurance so for consumers I do not think it is an issue. I am interested to hear your responses to the news, either as a consumer or someone from the travel industry.

This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants blog. Signup for the free Travel Newsletter or subscribe to the Travel RSS feed for regular updates like this.

ATOL protection contribution to increase