by John Towler; Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
My wife, Lorna, and I are especially attuned to the needs of disabled travelers, as we both have family members with special needs. My father was a diabetic for most of his life, and, as a professor of Psychology, I have frequently worked with the disabled.
An efficient and economical way to visit the South Pacific islands is by cruise ship. You unpack once, and the per-diem cost is usually less than flying to these destinations and staying in a hotel. The downside is that, generally, you have less than a day in each port.
Twice a year, major cruise lines reposition their ships from summer runs in the northern climes to the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. In 2013, I took the repositioning voyage of the MS Volendam of Holland America Line (877/932-4259).
My wife and I booked a cruise on Voyager, of the Voyages of Discovery line (866/623-2689), which would depart from the Port of Tokyo. I was told, at the time, by a rep at the cruise line’s Ft. Lauderdale office that they did not book flights or airport-port transfers.
My husband, Loren, and I had two days in Paris before setting off on a 7-night Seine River Christmas cruise with Grand Circle Cruise Line (800/221-2610), Nov. 22-30, 2013. We enjoyed the cruise, which, including air from Detroit, cost $1,800 per person.
You unpack once, sleep as you sail between cities, and when you get up in the morning you find that you are in or near the center of town. Because I think river cruises are among the best ways to travel, in 2013 I decided to take the 8-day “Parisian Winter Holiday” cruise-tour with Uniworld (Los Angeles, CA; 800/733-7820).
The cost was $2,843 (cruise, $2,424; taxes/surcharges, $140, and AAA Travel Protection, $279). There was no single-supplement charge, and I used my Delta Air Lines miles for the international airfare.
My husband, Jerry, and I used several methods to see the sights before, during and after a cruise with Windstar Cruises (Seattle, WA; 206/292-9606), Oct. 22-Nov. 8, 2013. We went from Athens to Rome, stopping at several charming Greek and Italian islands along the way, including Sicily. These places are so well known, I don’t need to describe their highlights, but here are some suggestions that, hopefully, will add value to other travelers’ trips.
Starting Dec. 1, 2014, cruise ships of 96,000 tonnes or more will no longer be allowed to enter Venice, Italy’s, Giudecca Canal to pass by sites such as St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace.
This agreement between the government of Italy and the Cruise Lines International Association comes after years of complaints from Venetians and environmentalists, who claimed that the presence of the large ships threatens the lagoons and that the high numbers of passengers overwhelm local sights.
While on a 15-day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles on the Island Princess of Princess Cruises (800/774-6237), Oct. 30-Nov. 14, 2013, I signed up for two shore excursions involving trains.
• The “Panama Canal Railway” tour ($159 per person) started at the port of Fuerte Amador, Panama, following the canal, crossing over bridges and Gatun Lake and going through tunnels and dense jungle.
Are you looking for a trip that few have taken and which includes natural splendor, archaeology, hiking, history, native culture, music and lots of laughter? My husband and I experienced such a trip, the 14-day “Greenland & Wild Labrador,” Sept. 5-18, 2013, offered by Adventure Canada (14 Front St., South Mississauga, Ont., L5H 2C4, Canada; 800/363-7566). We booked it through the travel agency Great Canadian Adventure.
