Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

Just about everyone who has been on a cruise can give you advice about seasickness, whether they have suffered from it or not. But, how do you know which advice is good advice? Read on as we deal with some myths and realities about seasickness and how you can cope if it visits you. Seasickness is a type of motion sickness, caused by conflicting signals from different senses. Your eyes tell you that your surroundings are still, but the equilibrium sensors in your ears say your surroundings are moving. For some people, the brain and body try to deal with this conflict by shutting down some activities – like digestion, which leads to nausea. History is full of creative solutions for seasickness, such as: 1.       Gently slap the face of the captain with a flounder (do this three times) 2.       Drink a glass of ice water while standing on one leg 3.       Down a shot of rum before bed on the night...

New York, New York, is the city so nice they named it twice – and gave it three cruise ship ports. The Manhattan Cruise Terminal, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and the Cape Liberty Cruise Port ensure that there are lots of choices for cruises that sail from this vibrant city. You can catch a ship to the Caribbean at any time of year; there are also seasonal cruises to the Bahamas, Bermuda, New England and Canada. The Manhattan Cruise Terminal, located in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, used to be the only port in the New York area where ocean-going cruise ships could dock. Three ships at a time can dock in the piers on the Hudson River, just steps from Hell’s Kitchen and close to all the attractions of Manhattan. Ships from Cunard Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruises, Oceania Cruises, and more dock here. The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at Red Hook, located on the Buttermilk Channel, is a former freight terminal re-opened in 2006 to provide more dock space for large cru...

The cruise industry is always evolving to meet the needs and interests of loyal passengers and attract new ones. What can you look forward to in cruising during 2017? Expect to hear more about river cruising, expedition cruising and themed cruising. River cruising, already a major trend, looks like it will continue to be the big story in 2017. European river cruising is now a regular feature on lists of “top five” cruise destinations; and, river cruise operators are set to expand their list of destinations. Soon, it will be possible to sail a river cruise ship into the heart of Borneo’s rainforest, along Africa’s Chobe and Zambezi rivers, and to the Delta of the Danube (south of Budapest, Hungary). In addition, river cruises are offering more active options for days in port. In addition to walking and coach tours, passengers on more ships will be able to borrow bikes for touring or kayaks for exploring the riverbanks. Avalon Waterways already offers an itinerary on the Danub...

East or West: when you cruise in the Caribbean, which is best? The Eastern and Western portions of the Caribbean Sea have lots of similarities, but also distinctive characteristics that might influence your choice of Caribbean cruise itinerary. Don’t stress over choosing either East or West, because both will deliver a lovely cruise experience. Still, it’s good to make an informed choice. So, here’s a quick comparison: Islands . First, let’s define the East and the West. Eastern Caribbean itineraries may include Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, The Dominican Republic and the French West Indies, Turks and Caicos, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua and St. Lucia. Western itineraries may include Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cozumel and Roatan, plus coastal ports in Mexico and Belize. Itineraries . Seven-day itineraries are common for both Eastern and Western sailings. However, Eastern itineraries tend to include more ports, because the islands are closer together. The...

First things first: before you travel, call the bank that issued your credit cards! That’s rule number one and will make your trip so much easier.   If you are not a frequent traveler, your bank knows your travel history and may believe the foreign charges are fake.   If so, they will block the card and deny the charges.   Also, some banks will not allow their credit cards to be used in countries where fraud is a known problem. It’s best to know if your bank has these restrictions in place before you travel.    Example, you can’t use a credit card in Cuba.   One of our credit cards was issued by our credit union.   When we notified our credit union we were traveling to Southeast Asia, we were told any charges in China, Viet Nam, and Cambodia would be denied.   While on the trip, we attempted to use this card in China and the charge was denied -- I wanted to “test” their system.   Fortunately, we had other credit cards with us on ou...

What is the best way to convert cash when you travel?   Ask a dozen people that question and you can expect almost as many answers.   Since we were recently asked this question, I thought it was time for us to offer our thoughts on the subject.   Caveat: currency conversion in Cuba is different – and it may be changing.   Get an update on Cuba before you go… You need to answer one question before you make cash conversion plans. Do you want “easy” or do you want to lower your conversion cost?   If you live on the “easy” side of the question, then we have a quick answer: before you leave on your trip, call your bank.   Many banks will offer currency exchange, for a fee.   Reach out to your bank and ask if they can exchange dollars for whatever currency you need.   Once you have arrived at your destination, visit a local ATM if you need more cash. Cash from an ATM in Budapest Last year, we converted $400 to Euro with Chase bank and the ...

Part 2 If you missed part 1, go to this link for the first half of our report:   blog.attheta.com/2017/03/cruise-report-february-2016-azamara.html After two days at sea, we arrived at our first port, Mazatlán .   This was not a new port for us to explore: we have visited this city before.   A great place to spend spring break, but not a destination for older travelers.    We didn’t want to shop or see the folkloric shows so we went to the beach -- we booked a tour with Azamara.   The tour took us to a clean hotel on the beach that served a nice buffet.   We enjoyed our time sitting on the beach, in the shade, reading, and watching the world go by.   I walked out into the water, but it was too cool to swim.   After a few hours, we took an “open roof” taxi back to the ship.   It was a relaxing day and that’s what vacations are for. Beach in Mazalan Taxi back to the Celebrity Quest The next day, our ship doc...