Holiday destinations

[PrivatePilot]

Stay off the main hwy. You missed most the the good rds.

It was basically a 3.5 day trip, home to the cabot and back, basically a long weekend. There was unfortunately only so much time.

 

[Mad Mike]

I guess Ecuador is off the list for a bit.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/09/americas/armed-men-interrupt-live-tv-ecuador-intl/index.html

I know things have been a bit iffy in several Latin/South American countries for a while but it seems like they are getting worse, not better.

How do you solve the cartel problems in these places when they are so entrenched in society?

Start by cutting the heads off the snakes.

 

[MacDoc]

The 3 year cruise deal may have failed but then there is this ....
and it has been around for a while

‘Scandals and secrets’: On board the world’s most exclusive private residential ship​

By Francesca Street, CNN
11 minute read
Published 3:00 AM EST, Sat February 24, 2024

The World is an exclusive private residential ship that circumnavigates the world’s oceans.
Peter Antonucci

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/what-its-like-on-board-the-world-cruise-ship/index.html?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc

 

[MacDoc]

I guess Ecuador is off the list for a bit.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/09/americas/armed-men-interrupt-live-tv-ecuador-intl/index.html

I know things have been a bit iffy in several Latin/South American countries for a while but it seems like they are getting worse, not better.

How do you solve the cartel problems in these places when they are so entrenched in society?

Legalize cocaine?

 

[Torren]

What site are you using to look these up? Do you have to go to each individual cruise line to get prices or is there a similar search engine to google flights that lets you see everything. The cheap 1k ones sound tempting just to get away for a week with good food.

Sorry for the late reply,

I always look directly at the cruise line website and book from there. NCL is my favourite.

www.ncl.com


Do the advanced search when looking for a cruise. I just use the dates I want to travel and then sort by price low to high. There are some amazing deals to be had on cruises that for one reason or another are not selling out.

After booking, I watch the site for pricing updates. Cruise prices move almost as much as the stock market. If the cruise is selling well, the prices go up. If it's not, they drop. If the price drops and it's before final payment (120 days out) I just call and get it adjusted.

If the price drops after final payment, you can't just cancel and rebook without incurring a stiff fee, but you can always upgrade with no charge. Each cabin categorie has 4 or 5 sub levels depending on the location on the ship and configuration. Take balconies for an example. Lowest level balcony cabin B5 may have an oddly shaped balcony or obscured view due to ship design or lifeboats. The best balcony B1 rooms will be mid ship, best views and close to the elevators. Going from a B5 to a B4 is an upgrade, so no cancelation fee for "upgrading"

You won't get a refund if your new higher category cabin is actually less than you have already paid for a lower cabin after final payment. Instead they give you the difference back in non-refundable onboard credit. You're supposed to use that buying extra services on board, but I just take it out as a cash advance from the Casino. Comes right out of the non-refundable credit until its gone.

If you can be flexible with your dates, you can get a really good deal. Thankfully my work and schedule is very flexible so it works for us.