Hitting high waters on a Danube River cruise
by Larry Taylor; Fullerton, California. Photos by Gail Taylor
Cruise
Orangs with Orion
Along with primatologist Dr. Biruté Galdikas, up-close interactions with orangutans in Borneo are featured with three sailings to Indonesia by Orion Expedition Cruises (New York, NY; 877/674-6687).
Dr. Galdikas, who founded the Orangutan Foundation 40 years ago, is guest lecturer, and passengers may spend two days at her base in Tanjung Puting National Park.
Cruising Ukraine’s Dnieper River
Lynn Remly; Hudson, OH
Most travelers head for foreign parts to explore and learn things they didn’t know before. Those of us who joined Viking River Cruises’ “Footsteps of the Cossacks” river trip from Odessa to Kiev (Oct. 6-17, 2010) learned a great deal about a country that is relatively little visited: Ukraine.
Oceania’s Regatta
I took a 12-day Caribbean cruise, “Sun-Splashed Holiday,” on the Regatta of Oceania Cruises (Miami, FL; 800/531-5619), Dec. 22, 2010-Jan. 2, 2011. Sailing out of Miami, the ship called at Turks & Caicos, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands (Tortola), Antigua (St. John’s), Martinique and St. Croix. We didn’t get into St. Barts because the seas were too rough.
Focuses on ships’ informality, food
My cruises are portions of longer trips, up to two months in duration, and because this octogenarian doesn’t want to struggle with luggage or porters, he travels light — an old nylon garment bag with big zippered pockets slung on one shoulder and a carry-on nylon shoulder bag on the other.
Touring tips from a world cruise
My husband, Bob, and I took the trip of a lifetime around the world, November 2010-January 2011, by combining two Oceania Cruises voyages. Here are a few helpful hints for others who’d like to circumnavigate the globe.
We found that most of the world accepts US currency. Take lots of one-dollar bills and other small denominations. Bargain; most of the world does.
English truly is spoken — at least a little bit — almost everywhere.
Hiring a taxi is generally a great way to get a tour of an area, but make sure the driver speaks at least some English.
Unsatisfactory trip-itinerary changes
by Wayne Wirtanen (See this month's Boarding Pass and Barbara Porter's letter.)
Tour’s cruise itinerary switched
My husband, Neal, and I booked a trip with Elderhostel that was to begin in Berlin. Following a few days of touring there, the group would be bused to Potsdam, then board the Peter Deilmann Cruises ship Katharina von Bora for a cruise through Saxony to Prague.
We arrived in Berlin on Sept. 22, 2009. At the end of our four days there, our tour leader called the group together late at night and told us that the Elbe River was low and so our cruise had to be rerouted north to the Oder River.
Somali pirate attacks. Also, river levels affecting river cruises.
Dear Globetrotter:
Welcome to the 422nd issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine.
Assigned cabin too small
My wife, Shirley, and I have been vacationing in Norway for many years. We have friends in the Lofoten Islands and stay with them or in a rental owned by their son.