iancal

We have had some great travel tips from locals and from other tourists while at laudromats. More than once when there was no wash and fold service we have bunged everything in the washer and then gone to a nearby cafe for lunc/dinner or a bit of the grape. Met quite a few Aussies that way. No point in sitting about watching it go round and round!

Always because we often do one ways. We went to Portugal in May June. Plan was to fly to LIsbon, then on to Madeira. It was $100. less expensive to fly to Madeira through Lisbon and then carry on to Lisbon on the same very same Lisbon flight/carrier we first considered. It was considerably less and much more convenient to fly home one way on a different airline from Faro that it was if we had purchased return tickets from out outbound carrier.

We each a waterproof shell with hood that we bought at Costco. Perfect for us. Crumples up to nothing in our carry on. We both have a light cotton sweater depending on our destination. We used to take a small umbrella now we do not bother. Often the hotel will supply, if not we can buy one on the street.

Absolutely. When we are shopping for attractive last minute offers we are also shopping airline prices if it is required. We also shop air for different convenient gateways.

When they have too many unsold cabins and the cruise line's revenue maximization algorithm for the particular ship/itinerary indicates to their pricing team that now is the time to drop prices (or increase them). We book most of our cruises inside the final payment window. Anywhere from 60 days out to 3 days out depending on price, available cabins, embarkation port. IF you are waiting to get the absolute lowest possible price on a cruise (or an airfare) then be prepared to spend your vacation at home. Chances are you will have waited too long. We establish a target price. When it hits we buy immediately. In our experience low prices can take a sudden turn upward the same day or overnight just as easily as high prices can drop.

I do not gnash my teeth or pull my hair out over the onboard cost of wine. I make the simple decision to buy or to abstain. No point since I do not control the pricing. Nor do I assume that the more I pay for a bottle of red the better it will be or the more I will enjoy it. More than once an MDR sommelier has recommended a less expensive red or over the more expensive one that I might have been inclined to spring for.

We have had gtys on HAL, and on other lines from time to time. Always a balcony. At least 10, probably more. Never had a bad gty. Once or twice we have been very pleasantly surprised. We were assigned one not so great gty two or three weeks prior to blast off on a Carnival cruise years ago. Our TA had us put back in the 'pool' and the second gty was much, much better. When we buy a gty cabin we make an assumption that we will get the worst possible cabin. Such has never been the case but we avoid the expectation gap.

We would never waste our time in port bothering about laundry. We sometimes combine cruise and land travel. Pre covid it was not unusual for us to pick up a last minute cruise whilst on an extended eight week land trip. When we are doing land travel we use wash and fold laundry service. When we are on a cruise we use the ships laundry service. Last time we did that was in Palermo...the day before flying to Rome to pick up a last minute Oct. Rome-BCN cruise. Cannot for the life of me think of getting off the ship on a port day with a load of laundry!

We do not have much choice when we are travelling for seven or eight weeks at a time.

Many laundromats in Europe and Asia offer the same services as on board laundry. Laundromats are often staffed during the day. Many offer 'wash and fold' service for a very slight premium. Drop your laundry off in the morning, pick it up in the afternoon.

Ditto. Stuff the bag, leave in on the bed. Next time it appears all clean and nicely folded. Have done this on HAL and on other cruise lines. Sometimes right after embarkation day and a day prior to disembarkation depending on where we have been or where we are going after the cruise. We do not care if it is full price or half price. Either is reasonable and convenient. Just about every cruise we have taken has had a similar sort of fill the bag offer.

Yesterday we purchased a travel product in Mexico from a UK travel agent. We paid 1280 GBP. Simply by selecting one our credit card with no FX fees saved us $50. over what we would pay on our regular credit card that charges the FX fee.

Our experience in some, not all, is that you the choice of a charge in your home currency or the in country currency. We ALWAYS select the in country currency because our credit card does not charge the typical 2.5-3 percent admin add on to the coversion rate. We know that if we select our home currency we will pay 5-10 percent in additional conversion fees. AKA dynamic currency conversion. This practice is becoming more and more pervasive in Europe and NA (especially in FLL and MIA) and at all sorts of retail and hospitality establishments. We travel internationally fairly frequently. We make a point of always ensuring that the charge is in local currency. Especially in hotels.

Have you checked to see if there are any VietNam consulates closer to your home? When we snowbird in Thailand we need to obtain 90 day visas. It is a three hour drive for us each way to visit the consulate office however we prefer this to sending our passports away. One thing to be very careful about when completing the visa application is indicating when you plan to enter VietNam vs the date that you are applying for the visa. BTW...my spouse was not exited about going to Vietnam at first. We spent 28 days of independent travel from south to north It was very memorable and we plan to return at some point. Such friendly people.

We arranged a 30 day visa for Vietnam while we were in Cambodia. I found out how when going thru tripadvisor forums. We were entering Vietnam by land (phu quok). We were in Siem Reap for three days. On the first day we went to a recommended travel agency. We completed the required forms for a 30 day visa. We expected to spend 29 days in Vietnam. The travel agency sent the forms and our passports to the nearest Vietnam consulate. It was in Battambang. We got our passports back 1 1/2 days later. The cost as I recall was minimal. I believe the TA charged us $15 USD over and above the cost of the visa. This was a recommended and well known (apparently) agency. They knew what they were doing. We were somewhat nervous about sending our passports off like this but it was certainly not the first time that we have had to do this. Seems to me that a $300. charge for this service verges on the criminal. Check on the travel forums, do some shopping. Or check with your nearest Viet Nam consulate or embassy. We were not in a position to do this prior to leaving home. We were on an extended snowbird trip and we not certain when we would be entering Viet Nam or for how long.

We were in Portugal for five weeks in May/June. Western Union stores and Euronet ATMs had the absolute worst FX exhange rates. Often 5 points or more higher than anyone else.

I have never been able to understand it. We use a specific card for foreign purchases. We sometimes buy Air Asia or Jetstar Australia tickets when we are snowbirding. The issue is never with any other vendor. Sometimes the on line purchase is accepted. Once in a while it is rejected. Same card, same vendor. It does not impact future purchases. After a rejection, the card still works for other vendors. I have called the card issuer on two occasions. The response was always the same. They review the card history and tell me that there is no record of a transaction being refused. Have to wonder if it is the vendor bank or whether it is coms line problem.

The cost of laundry, onboard, or on land travels is insignificant compared to the cost of travel or the convenience of travelling with less baggage. We only pack easy care (and layered) clothing that does not require dry cleaning.

The last time we redeemed our Delta points was for two one way tickets to Bangkok. We noticed two things. First, the price....points and dollars changed from week to week (we were following the pricing). Up and down. Second, there were different prices for different flights on or about the same time. Those prices also varied by carrier. We opted for a Delta points award ticket on Korean Airlines. It required less points and less dollars. About a third less points, half the price in dollars. We were unable to complete the transaction for two people on line. I assume it was a Korean AIr issue. We called the Delta line and they promptly took care of this award booking. As an aside, it was our fifth snowbird trip to Thailand. The Korean Air trip was by far the best in terms of equipment, in flight service, etc and schedule. The other bonus was Incheon Airport. So much more enjoyable than that dumpty Narita.

Very few countries have an official, prescribe exchange rate for their currency. Vendors take foreign currency as a service to customers and as a way to secure business. In reality they do not have to accept it. As such, the vendor can set any currency exchange rate that he wishes. It is not theft. Most vendors will tell their price in your currency. Restaurants are a problem. Not just in Mexico. Our advice is always to ask the second question prior to ordering....what exchange rate you give.

We typically pack for six days. Use the ship laundry service as needed. Since retiring we travel with carry on only. Does not matter if it is a 10 day cruise or a two month land trip. We returned home in June after five weeks in Portugal. At two airports we passed by 'acres' of unclaimed or lost bags. We were thankful we had our carry on.

This might be a problem with your credit card issuer rather than the vendor. From time to time, when traveling, we have had a credit card refused. The vendor is at risk for the amount if the vendor does not get authorization from the credit card issuer for the transaction. One reason why we travel with multiple credit cards. OR....the credit card terminal could be dirty or the com lines may be faulty and may need a service in which case others at the hotel would have the same issue.

We have been through Italy customs/immigration countless times. We have never been questioned about prescriptions that are not in their original container. The same goes for all our our travels to many countries on most continents. Including Japan. Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam multiple times. Our trips are usually 2 months long. So we take enough prescription product to last that long plus a week or so just in case. For the past twelve years, multiple international trips, we have traveled with carry on only. Our bags have been opened a few times by customs etc. Never, not once have either of us been queried about multiple different prescription pills on one plain container. The only fire drill ever was over a small metal nail file that slipped under the lining of a carry on.

We each rec’d a cheque for the equivalent of 600 euro this week to satisfy our compensation claim for the delayed departure.

If we flew for the food we would not be flying anywhere. Happy to pass on it-cabin or business class. The only saving grace is that it fills in some time. Especially that more often than not stale breakfast that shows up in hour 11 of a 12-13 hour flight. I will, however, happily accept a few thimblefuls of good red wine in lieu of a very mediocre in flight meal. I was on one flight where I mentioned to the steward that I would skip the food, just bring me a glass of wine. When he refilled my glass a half hour or so later he winked and whispered 'good choice'!