Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

For any cruise passenger, onboard credits (or OBCs) are wonderful things. In simplest terms, they are currency you can use to pay for a variety of goods and services onboard. How can you get OBCs? There are several ways, which include: Cruise promotions. Some cruise lines offer OBCs instead of, or along with, fare discounts. And, cruise lines often give professional travel advisors onboard credits to pass on to their clients. Loyalty and referrals. A cruise line you’ve sailed with before may offer OBCs as an incentive for a future cruise, or as a reward when a friend books a cruise on your recommendation. Credit cards. You may receive OBCs when you sign up for your favorite cruise line’s branded credit card. Shareholder benefits. If you own enough shares of a cruise line’s stock, you may receive OBCs whenever you take a cruise on that line. Complaint compensation. It’s not a very fun way to get OBCs, but if you have a complaint, OBCs may be part of any compensation the c...

Any cruise can be a wonderful and carefree vacation, but not all cruises are alike. There’s a wide variety of cruise experiences available to you; and, much of what you experience on a cruise depends on the size of the ship. Today’s largest cruise ships have lots of incredible features. Along with room for thousands of passengers, they have space for an amazing variety of dining and entertainment venues. Plus, they sail to some of the world’s most popular ports. Butthere are advantages to cruising on a smaller ship – say, up to 1,500 passengers – as well. One is the ability to visit smaller ports that are a little off the usual cruise routes because they can’t accommodate larger ships. Here are a few examples. Quepos, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, is a stop for some smaller cruise ships that pass through the Panama Canal. It’s near Manuel Antonio National Park, which is known for wildlife –iguanas, capuchin, and howler monkeys, and two types of sloth – and beautiful beaches...

Now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships Operating in U.S. Waters, the U.S. doesn’t have any federal requirements for cruise passenger vaccination, testing or masking. But, that doesn’t mean that all such requirements have disappeared. Because COVID and its variants can spread between people in close quarters, including cruise ships, cruise lines have their own requirements and protocols, which continue to evolve. So, what does this mean for you the next time you cruise? First, keep in mind that cruise lines’ COVID-related requirements for vaccination, testing, and masking can change at any time in response to COVID developments. And, the CDC still provides COVID management guidance and recommendations to cruise lines. Regarding vaccination, some cruise lines continue to require all passengers to be fully vaccinated (although some of them make exceptions for children). Some cruise lines accept a limited number o...

Why Use a Travel Advisor Relationships with suppliers – you know when you’re visiting your neighborhood restaurant where the servers are familiar and give you a new dessert to try with your meal sometimes? Companies and people love to reward loyalty and the same is true about travel providers. Travel advisors have relationships with these companies and their staff and want to keep that relationship mutually beneficial! The suppliers know that if they can keep their travel advisors’ clients happy, they’ll be more likely to send more people their way. Sometimes this can translate into extra attention, free upgrades, or even things like chocolate-covered strawberries in your room! Knowledge about products – what’s the best travel insurance and should you get it? If something were to go wrong or there were any last-minute changes, which suppliers have the best cancellation policies? Ask your advisor! They treat knowledge about travel like it’s their job (because it is!) Bett...

Must-Try Foods in Paris Paris is known for many things, like the Eiffel Tower, romance, and cafes. But it’s also known for its food. Here are a few bites you shouldn’t pass up on your trip to Paris. Macarons Macarons (also called French macaroons, not to be confused with coconut macaroons) are a convection created with meringue cookies that sandwich a flavored filling. These cookie sandwiches showed up in Paris in the 1830s from Parisian confectioners and were made popular by Laduree, a famous French bakery. It wasn’t long until the macaron became famous world-wide. It even has its very own day to celebrate! But even though these tasty treats are accessible just about everywhere these days, there’s something about trying them in the country they originated. Croissants These are a staple in Paris. They are convenient, easy to eat on the go, and can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways, including on their own or as part of a sandwich. The croissant became popular in Fra...