Q My daughter, my only daughter, has come to me asking permission to join two girlfriends on a cruis

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Q My daughter, my only daughter, has come to me asking permission to join two girlfriends on a cruise aboard Royal Caribbean next Spring. There may be an older sister on board who is twenty-two if the line requires it. Her girlfriend s parents have given their consent, feeling that a cruise ship is as safe a place as our kids can be during Spring Break. We are being told that they have good security aboard. The kids will want to enjoy the ports, particularly those in Mexico and they ve promised us they won t be drinking. Just thought we would run this past you before giving the go ahead. Are we being naive?
A Naive doesn t even cover it.   This is just irresponsible on your part. Here are a few facts and observations that might help you and other parents of potential unaccompanied, youthful Caribbean cruisers viking river cruises in russia understand the risks:
02 There are no police aboard these cruise ships. They have their own security personnel on board because they are needed. Why do some cruise viking river cruises in russia lines cost a lot less than others? Do you think it could, in part, have something to do with who is employed aboard the ships, what they are paid, and the degrees to which they are subjected to background checks?
05 The number of alleged cruise passenger  rape victims on certain islands in the Caribbean is alarming. Cozumel has one of the worst records in this regard. A passenger was allegedly raped in an area near a recommended viking river cruises in russia shopping center downtown after disembarking the Oasis of the Seas.  Royal Caribbean argued it was not responsible since it could not document where previous rapes had taken place and thus could not warn its guests with any specificity about areas to avoid. The court in Miami agreed and tossed the case. Another Royal Caribbean passenger is alleging that she was raped at Senor s Frog s, a gathering place for young drinkers off cruise ships. The local press in Cozumel viking river cruises in russia has reported that there were seven cases of rape in the past six months involving tourists.
06 There is a State Department Advisory that refers to rape and sexual assault in Cozumel as a serious problem in resort areas. Date-rape drugs are used in bars and nightclubs throughout the Caribbean but the problem seems particularly widespread in Puerta Vallarta Mazatlan, and Cozumel.
All parents who are even considering travel on a mass market cruise line with teens to ports in the Western Caribbean and Mexico would do well to review the blog of Maritime attorney James Walker viking river cruises in russia at www.cruiselawnews.com
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A Yes, we saw it. It struck us as a combo platter viking river cruises in russia of light investigative reporting that really didn t take on the corporate entities that are selling our kids on corn syrup, salt, and chemically modified foods. But anything on this subject is helpful so we won t be too critical.
The commentary on fish reflected some information we reported here several years ago. One expert said that virtually no one who orders Red Snapper in a restaurant is eating Red Snapper. Those who order white tuna on a sushi menu should know there is no such fish. They are really being served Escobar, a fish that causes diarrhea.
The reporting viking river cruises in russia on airline food contamination viking river cruises in russia was interesting because it showed that the problem viking river cruises in russia is not ion the galley viking river cruises in russia but in the food catering kitchens viking river cruises in russia that serve the airlines. It was nice to know that First Class and Business Class passengers are just as likely to get Salmonella poisoning as coach passengers, a bit of democracy viking river cruises in russia at 30,000 feet.
Some of the blue light/bacteria smear reporting was interesting. 20-20 claims that the single most likely source of contamination in the average restaurant, the place to pick up e-coli and his cousins, is your seat. They recommend that diners get up and wash their hands after they are seated. But, then again, aren t you returning to the same seat. It turns out that restaurant viking river cruises in russia seats, in all price ranges, are rarely disinfected.
A Well it s a bit of a marketing ploy but you can actually see wildlife like the elusive narwhals and search for polar bears in their native habitat. The Arctic is big and beautiful and one of the experiences you will never forget is hot air ballooning over a massive iceberg, The company that we like for this sort of soft adventure is Arctic Kingdom. Try to plan your trip eleven months prior to your favorite departure viking river cruises in russia date as the air needs to be planned viking river cruises in russia surgically.
Q The family, six of us, are headed for two nights on Santorini as part of a Greek islands itinerary planned with Isram Travel in New York. Is there a particular restaurant viking river cruises in russia on Santorini that you think we should go out of our way to try? Will the cruise ship hordes ruin our time on the island?
A We re getting excellent reports from the Nichteri Restaurant in Kamari. viking river cruises in russia Make sure your driver waits and offer to buy him dinner. The vast majority of cruise guests will be gone before sunset. That is rather interesting since one of the primary  reasons to go to Santorini, and particularly the village of Oia, is to watch the sunset.
Q Don t know if you folks are allowed to do this but I would love your opinion on a 33-Day Voyage on the Oceania Marina in April of 2014 from Tahiti to New York via Easter island, Peru, Ecuador, the Panama Canal, some of the Caribbean and even a day in Charleston before viking river cruises in russia heading to New York. We re in our early seventies and have just started traveling seriously. I m not a jogger but we get around OK. We ve done two previous cruises on Holland America. And what cabin should we get?
A Look up and down this page. No Ads. We can do and say anything here, so no worries. We absolutely love this itinerary. You ll see the best of Polynesia, Machu Picchu, Easter island, the Pitcairn islands, and that s not even half the itinerary. We say do it and try to get a Penthouse level cabin for that number of days. You will hit a bit of rough water and the Marina, one of our favorite ships, is a bit top-heavy. One third of your cruise will be spent at sea so you don t want a ship any smaller than the Mariner. Port or Starboard is irrelevant, choose viking river cruises in russia your cabin based on the best available mid-ship location on deck 10. This is one of the very best laid out itineraries we ve ever seen and it is a steal based on current discounts. May we congratulate you on your good eye ?
Q My husband and I were planning our first cruise on a Danube viking river cruises in russia River Boat Cruise. We ve read so many wonderful things viking river cruises in russia about these cruises on this site and others. We didn t use a travel agent and tried booking the cruise ourselves viking river cruises in russia with Tauck, Viking River, and Grand Circle. I am rather shocked to say that we were turned down by each line because viking river cruises in russia my husband uses a scooter to get around in port. He has enough mobility to do some limited walking around the ship but I don t see why they would not agree to help one of their own guests on or off the boat so he could use his scooter. Any light you can shed on this will be appreciated. I really got the impression they don t want our business.
viking river cruises in russia A Well they don t. The average scooter that you are referring to weighs between 130-140 pounds. Crew cannot be held responsible to lift that much equipment, at some personal risk, on and off the boat in every port. River boats have extremely limited storage space. There is just not enough room in the average cabin to keep a piece of equipment that size. If you could make do with a collapsible wheelchair, each of the lines you mention would be happy to assist you.
We think you ought to be dealing with a travel professional who specializes in dealing with clients with disabilities. This is an important and specialized area of travel and it requires viking river cruises in russia specific training and experience. Try Flying Wheels Travel in Minnesota.
Q We ve just returned from a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas and some friends we had dinner with told us that they had gotten friendly with their cabin attendant who told them that crew is paid next to nothing and really survives on tips. In this day and age and with minimum wage laws, I wonder if this could be true? Do you have any information on this?
A -  Workers aboard cruise ships are not protected by US laws as they are classified as foreign workers aboard ships that are not registered in the United States. They lack the same Minimum Wage, Health viking river cruises in russia Care, and Working Conditions rights viking river cruises in russia that you and I enjoy as citizens. By every measure they are exploited labor. Janitorial and cleaning staff average about $500 per month. A waiter can make $1,000 per month. They usually work seven days a week. They sleep below decks in bunk bed accommodations but the major cruis elines are good advertisers so we see little int he way of investigative reporting viking river cruises in russia on this issue.
On the other side of the Atlantic, London s Channel 4 sent a reporter undercover viking river cruises in russia to work for five weeks aboard the Celebrity Eclipse. Celebrity, it should be noted, is the most upscale of the mass market lines and the Eclipse is a new generation ship, so conditions are marginally viking river cruises in russia better than what crew might face on less upscale competitors.
The on-air expose reported viking river cruises in russia that the lowest paid on board workers were receiving about $600 per month or about $2.00 per hour with no gratuities. Most crew members were working seven days a week for six or eight months. Workers are often forced, it was reported, to pay expensive fees to the recruitment agencies in their home country that allowed them to obtain their job.
Over five weeks, he earned $375 an hour and he was expected to work sixteen hours each day.