Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

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...

Part 1 The night before our cruise, we flew into San Diego. We found good weather, what a great way to begin our winter vacation, thirteen nights on the Azamara Quest, round-trip San Diego.   We picked this cruise for the remote ports of call: Guaymas, Loreto , and La Paz. We hadn’t been to this airport (SAN) in a few years and were surprised by the recent airport improvements.   The airport offers a positive first impression of the city.   No issue with our arrival or picking up our luggage at baggage claim.   Since we were staying in a downtown hotel near the airport, we caught a taxi to the Hampton Inn on Pacific Hwy.   We were surprised by the amount of traffic between the airport and the hotel, but it was still an interesting ride near the waterfront: I suspect our taxi driver took us via the “tourist shortcut.”   The hotel is a block off the waterfront. The Hampton Inn more than met our expectations for a cruise hotel.   The h...