Travel - Bad Economy, Strong USD, Good Deals

[chinaco]

DW and I will do our part for the US economy. We will take a Domestic vacation.

However, International travel is beginning to look like it will be a bargain in the near future.

• The USD has strengthened.
• The Economy will force the Leisure Industry will cut prices to entice travelers
• Oil/Fuel prices will go down (transportation expenses). Fuel surcharges will be coming off.
• Airlines are apparently no filling the reduced capacity
• Some Foreign Govs will create incentives to entice travelers.

I have noticed that cruise prices are down.

Anyone looking into international travel in the next 6-12 months?

 

[Gumby]

We are planning to go to Sicily for a week in February. I expect we will rent a car and travel on our own around the island.

 

[chinaco]

We are planning to go to Sicily for a week in February. I expect we will rent a car and travel on our own around the island.

Gumby - A few place I have been that are fantastic:

• Mount Etna (live Volcano) - Ski and/or site see
• Siracusa - Created by the Corinthians then later settled by the Greeks
• Taromina - Greek and Roman Ruins
• Palermo - OK... but would be a bit lower on my list if I revisit.

There are many more places that I did not visit.

What sites are you planning to visit?

 

[simple girl]

We got a good deal on a long weekend cruise for this Thanksgiving weekend to Cozumel. Leaving tomorrow - woo-hoo!

 

[chinaco]

We got a good deal on a long weekend cruise for this Thanksgiving weekend to Cozumel. Leaving tomorrow - woo-hoo!

Did the cruise company tack-on the fuel surcharge? The last one I looked at still included a fuel surcharge that was a sizable % of the cost of the low-cost cabins.

Still the deals were pretty good.

 

[simple girl]

Did the cruise company tack-on the fuel surcharge? The last one I looked at still included a fuel surcharge that was a sizable % of the cost of the low-cost cabins.

Still the deals were pretty good.

Yes, still had the fuel surcharge, $36 per person. All in all, though, IMO, a good deal, especially when you consider it is travel over Thanksgiving weekend. We got an oceanview cabin for $230, port tax $99, govt tax $24, fuel $36 (all per person, for a 5 night trip over the holidays). I've certainly seen cheaper, but not for a long holiday weekend.

 

[chinaco]

Yes, still had the fuel surcharge, $36 per person. All in all, though, IMO, a good deal, especially when you consider it is travel over Thanksgiving weekend. We got an oceanview cabin for $230, port tax $99, govt tax $24, fuel $36 (all per person, for a 5 night trip over the holidays). I've certainly seen cheaper, but not for a long holiday weekend.

That is a good deal. The least we have paid is $299 (several years back).

Have one of those fancy umbrella drinks at the pool.

 

[simple girl]

That is a good deal. The least we have paid is $299 (several years back).

Have one of those fancy umbrella drinks at the pool.

Will do, in fact I think we'll have a few! Yippee!

 

[dex]

I'm going to look into RVing in Europe - Italy first.

 

[freebird5825]

we will pay the full balance due in April 09 for a 12 day Mediterranean in July, planned for over a year now. this will be our pre-ceremony honeymoon while we are still young enough to do 10 ports in 12 days.
and yes, we got a balcony.

 

[FinanceDude]

we will pay the full balance due in April 09 for a 12 day Mediterranean in July, planned for over a year now. this will be our pre-ceremony honeymoon while we are still young enough to do 10 ports in 12 days.
and yes, we got a balcony.

Glad to see you are partying BEFORE marriage, sounds like the right thing to do.........

 

[FUEGO]

We recently booked a 7 night cruise to the Bahamas (sailing in 2 weeks). Something like $350-400 a person all fees included. And that is for an outside cabin (with ocean view). Fuel surcharge was still tacked on for $77 per person, but they obviously lowered their base fare significantly to ameliorate the fuel surcharge.

So we are doing our part to prop up the Bahamian economy. Those poor Bahamians...

 

[Gumby]

Gumby - A few place I have been that are fantastic:

• Mount Etna (live Volcano) - Ski and/or site see
• Siracusa - Created by the Corinthians then later settled by the Greeks
• Taromina - Greek and Roman Ruins
• Palermo - OK... but would be a bit lower on my list if I revisit.

There are many more places that I did not visit.

What sites are you planning to visit?

We are preliminarily planning on flying to Palermo, then driving to Taormina, Siracusa, Agrigento and back to Palermo, which should be a circumnavigation of the island if my map is correct. I am very much interested in the historical sites, ruins, etc. The young wife is much more into food and culture. So any suggestions in either area would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Gumby

 

[catdance62]

We are headed to Mazatlan, Mexico on Christmas Day--the exchange is 13 pesos to the dollar--the best in a long long time! Yippee!!

 

[ziggy29]

We are headed to Mazatlan, Mexico on Christmas Day--the exchange is 13 pesos to the dollar--the best in a long long time! Yippee!!

Wow. When we were there it was usually about 10 to 1.

This is a great time to travel if you have a stable, recession-proof income stream. Hopefully I'll be able to take advantage of that sort of thing some day.

 

[Achiever51]

DH and I are joining some friends on a seven night southern Caribbean cruise in February. Signed up for an oceanview cabin, got upgraded to a balcony cabin -- saved about $1000. Doing our part for the travel biz....

 

[mh]

there's a rick steves sicily episode that was interesting as i recall
that might be worth ordering the dvd for..

Gumby - A few place I have been that are fantastic:

• Mount Etna (live Volcano) - Ski and/or site see
• Siracusa - Created by the Corinthians then later settled by the Greeks
• Taromina - Greek and Roman Ruins
• Palermo - OK... but would be a bit lower on my list if I revisit.

There are many more places that I did not visit.

What sites are you planning to visit?

 

[Gumby]

there's a rick steves sicily episode that was interesting as i recall
that might be worth ordering the dvd for..

I'm not familiar with Rick Steves, but I'll try to look it up. Thanks.

 

[tinaweha]

Rick Steves has great tours. I like the one-city tours because I hate motor-coaches (bus). If you don't want to take his tours, try the guidebooks. I once gave a bunch of tourists an impromtu tour of Tallinn, Estonia. I was reading to my husband and a bunch of strangers started following me. If you are in the Seattle area the Rick Steves people will put an itinerary together for you for fifty bucks an hour, which sounds like a lot, but I don't want my ex-corporate husband to freak if things aren't all planned out like marching orders. You can also see a bit of info on his dvd's (if you are on netflix, just rent from them.)

 

[chinaco]

I am beginning to see lower cost airfares.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I bought a Rick Steves daypack from Amazon, and was impressed with the quality and price. What an empire! Although, his guides are now so ubiquitous that if you go anywhere he's recommended, there are mounds of American tourists standing around, holding his books. Pitfalls of success, and all that.

Tina, I'd die if I had to travel with someone who wanted it planned out like marching orders, I gotta say. We'd never have gone to any of the wonderful places we've been if that was a requirement. Ugh!

 

[Gumby]

There is certainly something to be said for simply wandering around and making serendipitous discoveries on your own. That's the way we like to travel.

 

[ziggy29]

Tina, I'd die if I had to travel with someone who wanted it planned out like marching orders, I gotta say. We'd never have gone to any of the wonderful places we've been if that was a requirement. Ugh!

Back in '02, we did a 12-day cruisetour of Alaska and the Yukon for our 10th anniversary. We never had a real honeymoon since we had a cheap, no-debt wedding, so we considered this a "slightly" delayed honeymoon.

The tour portion used buses, trains and even a paddleboat down the Yukon River through the interior. We loved it, except for one thing: Most days, the bus left at or before 7 AM. I get up early enough for w*rk; I don't want an alarm clock rousting me out of bed at 6 AM on my friggin' vacation. And it was early June way up north; the sun didn't set until after 11 PM but the bus was always in its destination by about 4 or 5 PM. Couldn't you schedule its activity a couple ours later?

 

[dex]

Check out Lonely Planet guides also - they have a lot of details.

 

[NW-Bound]

About Rick Steves, I was not aware that he operates tours until I went to his Web site just now. I have only watched his shows and checked out his books from the library.

I have not taken any organized tour. It's ironic that Rick shows how people to travel on their own, and yet offers motorcoach tours. Are they the same 10-cities-in-14 days like I have seen advertised, or done better? I have relatives who went on such motorcoach tours, and came back not remembering even the name of the places they had been to. And they still thought it was fun!

For me, planning for a trip is half of the fun. I read up on the places, their histories, the local culture. Then, how to get around using the local transportation, where to stay, what to see, what special food and drink they have, etc...

A trip preparation usually begins with checking out from the local libraries all the DVDs and travel guides that are available. Then, I cull down to one travel guide that I would take with me. I also supplement the above with research on the Web.

Some friends teased me that such seemingly detailed preparation take all the spontaneity out of a trip. I beg to differ! There are always plenty of surprises, as things never work out like you plan, and I have stories to tell. As for flexibility, I always try to allow myself plenty of time for sightseeing, and am willing to drop some planned stops to have more time to linger. In other words, less quantity for higher quality. No 10 cities in 14 days here.

The above said, I can see myself taking tours in places that are a bit more tourism-challenged. In fact, even some civilized nations such as Japan can be difficult to navigate on your own if the local speaks no English, and you can't even read the street signs.