I visited Petra, Jordan, while on a cruise ship in 2000. You can travel through the Siq on foot or in a horse-drawn cart. Note the number of your cart to insure a return trip. If you choose to walk down the Siq and through Petra, then return to the Siq and walk back out, understand that it is a trip of four or five miles. You’d better be in excellent condition. — LESLIE STEVENS, Raleigh, NC
by Lew Toulmin
What factors do I consider when choosing a cruise?
Time of year and itinerary are on top of the list. I go between September and May (no holidays). Prices are lower and there are fewer families.
ITN asked readers how they go about selecting a cruise (Oct. ’04, pg. 4). When choosing a cruise, my wife and I start with the ports of call. If we haven’t been there as yet and desire to go, we book the cruise.
If it is on a ship line where we are past passengers, it is an added bonus.
If the cruise contains a port of call previously visited but at which we missed some of the excursions, we will add that as a bonus.
Dining is another category we consider. Great cuisine is a good incentive.
Booking a cabin within our budget is a must.
Wanting to take a 2-week trip into lesser-known territory of the U.K., in September ’04 I covered a lot of ground, first visiting London, the Isle of Man and western Scotland (April ’05, pg. 16 & May ’05, pg. 79). At long last, I was leaving by ship for the Orkney and Shetland islands.
by Larry Taylor, Fullerton, CA
Our 12-day cruise/tour “Holland and Belgium in Springtime,” March 27-April 7, ’04, was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken. Grand Circle Travel (347 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210; phone 800/221-2610 or visit www.gct.com) has many repeat travelers; we now understand why.
M.S. River Harmony was a clean, classy, well-maintained ship carrying 140 passengers in roomy outside cabins. Our meals were excellent on board, and wine was included with dinner. The entire crew went out of their way to make our stay a memorable one.
To celebrate our 60th Anniversary, my wife, June, and I decided to “live it up” by taking a cruise on the 6-star Silversea ship Silver Shadow, Oct. 7-19, ’04. We left from Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, and sailed to Ecuador and Peru and back.
Our plans called for us to fly on United Airlines from Boston to San José, Costa Rica, with a change in Washington. All went well until our arrival in San José, where we discovered that our two pieces of luggage did not arrive with us.
ITN was mailed a copy of the following letter, sent by a reader to Holland America Line.
(First of two parts)
“How can I possibly get our passports back in time?” l said to my wife, Flory.
“What is the problem?” she asked.