Q OK, we re going to trust you with the most important portion of our October trip to Italy. On the

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Cruise lines are generally bullish when it comes to potential berth capacity going into the 20 teens. Or at least they were three or four years ago, when cruise line execs signed on to launch six new ships this year One of the primary hotels orlando airport reasons that seasoned cruise line execs and their investors are mildly optimistic about growth is the general feeling that the industry is maturing as it has come to realize the vast potential in on board amenities that are sold to guests rather than given away. Guests on some ships will pay more for the better cabin locations in a category, all sorts of inducements to get guests to spend more on dining are planned, and entertainment venues will now be more specialized with additional fees as part of the plan. The biggest single goal of many lines is an increase in direct bookings. Since consumers are paying for the built-in travel agent commissions, cruise lines can simply pocket these fees and it goes directly to the bottom line.  One of the most troubling aspects of cost management for a new cruise hotels orlando airport product is the free air program. With many airlines cutting capacity, securing the number of seats to get passengers to port on a 3,000 vessel is getting more and more challenging. But most of the leading lines are showing hotels orlando airport tidy profits and the notion that, from a yield management standpoint, bigger is better , cruise lines are proceeding with their current growth in new berth plans. This year s new crop of cruise ship infants, hotels orlando airport  with a total capacity of 16,958 guests, include:
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Q There is all this media coverage of dirty hotel rooms, bed bugs, lousy security etc. But I am most concerned about touching something in my hotel room that will make me sick. Yuck. What do I Purell first and how do you know which hotels are the cleanest?
A Start with the light switches and the Television remote. Then wash the water glasses you will be using in very hot water. Other than that, just know that there is a strong correlation between the average room rate and carefully monitored health and safety matters. You would be correct in assuming that a five-star hotel is going to spend more on room cleanliness and on hotel security. They are also going to be able to provide more savvy, better trained staff. The average travel consumer still thinks that, somehow, hotel rates and cruise prices are exempt from the general rule that you usually get what you pay for. We think that room cleanliness and security issues, as well as guest demographics, are all reasons to use a top-rated property rather than a three or four-star deal.
Q I know you are going to say it is extremely expensive, but my wife and I have decided that we are not going to be traveling with luggage when we connect with our Absolute Asia itinerary in Hong Kong. Could you give us the one or two best luggage firms to contact? Thanks so much awesome site! If you were on Facebook we d give you twenty likes .
A Well we re not, so save your thumbs. We prefer talking to human beings instead of clicking like apes in a language lab at MIT. Luggage forward services are fairly new so these firms do not have extensive track records and, yes, the marketshare hotels orlando airport is still so low that prices haven;t hotels orlando airport come down vcry much. That said, the two best firms seem to be Luggage Forward and Luggage Free .
Q Just can t fathom hotels orlando airport the way these cruise lines give and then take away. For the past year we ve been getting mailers from Regent Seven Seas offering a Free Hotel Night before each of their cruises. Now, our agent tells us that she can t get us the free night for our planned cruise on the Navigator to Alaska this July. Should we work with someone else like your firm?
A No, stick with your agent. She is giving you the correct information. Regent has had a change of heart and the Free Hotel night offer ends prior to the summer cruise season. The new policy is that only guests booked in Concierge level cabins and suites will continue to receive a complimentary pre-cruise stay. The changeover policy  takes effect on the following start dates:
On all sailings prior to those dates, the old program, meaning Free Hotel night in all categories, will still apply. You should, however, be aware that this program was never really Free . Regent guests have the option of taking hotels orlando airport a $500 credit off the price of their cruise if they do not use the Free Hotel night. Do factor in that the hotel night was a package that included baggage handling, transfers, breakfast, and all taxes so, in most of the areas where Regent sails, it was and remains a good value.
In Europe, particularly, simply securing the hotel space would be challenging for any cruise line. A little more than 50% of Regent guests have been using the program which means a minimum of accommodations for 350 guests per ship in the same property. This is a logistical nightmare that has kept other lines from imitating this extremely popular Regent hotels orlando airport innovation.
Q We have have heard that people who travel out of the United States should carry clean, or fresh money. A friend of mine in Concord, says she literally irons her larger bills before going to Europe so they look more legitimate. This just sounds crazy to us. What s the truth?
A This is far less an issue in Europe than it is in Japan, China, and other parts of Asia. It isn t that a rumpled twenty is not worth twenty dollars, it is more an issue of pride and cleanliness. Money that has been handled by many people is germ-ridden and it is never, ever cleaned.  In fact, dollar hotels orlando airport bills are generally the most toxic thing you will touch all day unless you work in the septic business or the state legislature.
The real issue is that paper bills that are soiled, tattered-looking, or just dirty, cannot be given as change to other customers in many parts of Asia. So they do not like to accept it. If you are running off to Europe for a week or two, we wouldn t worry about it. But for longer trips, particularly those to the Middle East or Asia, we do advise our clients to request new bills from your bank when taking out cash for a trip abroad. Your bank will be happy to comply and, shockingly, they have not yet figured out a way to charge for this extra service.
Q -  My husband just retired three weeks ago and I can already hotels orlando airport tell you, I want out of this house. Wer re going to start doing some long term travel planning and we are wondering if you are talking on new clients or if  you would be willing to recommend someone in the Little Rock area?  My first question has to do with China. What is the best way to see the most for the least amount of money. We want to tale it all in in about two or three weeks at the most. But we don t want to travel deluxe, just moderately with nice, clean hotels. We re in good health I know you will ask about our health.,  I am a little hard of hearing. You ll like us if you give us a try. We need some hand holding cause we don t have passports yet and have never been out of the good old USA.
A -  You have to be careful in China because there is not much in the mid-range category that we can recommend. Local tour guides are often not paid anything, living on kickbacks from local stores they include in their touring. In the mid-price range we would suggest Pacific Delight hotels orlando airport Tours as a place to begin. hotels orlando airport But our response to your question is that we would strongly urge you to avoid a group bus tour in China in favor of a land cruise combination of the type offered by Viking River Cruises in China.
hotels orlando airport Viking s China product rates higher than its European fleet and they have created a series of excellent land and Yangtze River cruise tours that will enable you to see and experience all of the major sites plus many along the river that will provide insight into rural life. The down side is that that  comprehensive sightseeing in included and you will be exhausted at the end of the trip.  In terms of your hearing, it is important to inquire as to whether or not the tour guides used by the company you are booking use individual hotels orlando airport headphone amplification. Many firms now do so that everyone in a group can hear what the tour guide is saying. Some of them have volume adjustments. We don t mean that the guide speaks through an amplification system. We want you in a group where every tour member has their own headset with volume adjustments.
We have had a full house for the past decade, generally accepting new clients exclusively by referral from our nationwide roster of current clients. hotels orlando airport But we really want to help you start off on the best foot so we ve forwarded a New Client Application for your use. If you prefer hotels orlando airport walking in to sit down with someone locally, we will be pleased hotels orlando airport to recommend the best person to help you in Little Rock. Tell your hubby we said Congratulations on retirement. We ll figure out the best way to get you both out of the house from time to time.
Q OK, we re going to trust you with the most important portion of our October trip to Italy. On the last night of the trip, we are going to be staying in Verona, after a few days in Venice. This is a honeymoon of sorts and, if all goes well, we may actually consider getting married next year. White tablecloths and violins hotels orlando airport are not necessarily our thing. We re all about the food. We will have a car. Where in Verona should we dine? Please help us with this. We will do whatever you recommend.
A Thank you, we think, for the responsibility. We don;t want you to stay in Verona. Just about a half