July 2006

My husband, Ed, and I took a trip to the Galápagos in April ’05 aboard the 96-passenger Celebrity Xpedition (Celebrity Cruises, Miami, FL; 866/973-8466 or www.celebrity xpeditions.com).

My partner and I took a one-week cruise from Panama City to Los Sueños, Costa Rica, on Windjammer Barefoot Cruises’ Amazing Grace, July 30-Aug. 6, ’05. The price was $982 per person, double occupancy.

Since my partner and I have traveled previously on Windjammer cruises and had a delightful time, we recommended the company to my sister and her husband and planned a vacation together. Unfortunately, we had a horrible experience this time.

The crew was grumpy and constantly complaining about their pay, working conditions, long hours, etc.

There is nothing like the excitement and romance of a cruise. If it’s a long cruise, like a Grand Voyage (50-plus days) or a World Cruise (105 days), so much the better. But think twice. I wish I had known about the following before we spent $30K.

We took the Grand Voyage “Orient Explorer 2005” on the ms Amsterdam, Holland America’s 1,300-passenger flagship, Oct. 6-Dec. 7. Over 62 days we sailed from Seattle to Russia, Japan, Korea, China (including Hong Kong), Singapore, Australia, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii and then San Diego.

by Esther Perica, Arlington Heights, IL

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. There are no restrictions on length. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.) The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is GLENDA McMURRAY of Georgetown, IL:

The April ’06 issue carried a very well done, highly informative report (pages 65-68) by a La Jolla reader who enjoyed a 5-day “Flanders Fields” tour by a British company. American visitors to this area should include a visit to Flanders Field Cemetery, one of the many cemeteries in Europe that are maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).

My husband, Michael, and I had a wonderful time in Italy for the recent Winter Olympic Games. For those interested in attending the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, I have a few tips.

Based on my April ’06 trip to Iran, I’d like to share three practical tips with ITN readers who are thinking of going there.

Driving oneself is one option for experiencing New Zealand’s scenic diversity. However, I want to describe an encounter my wife and I had with police on the South Island so that future drivers can at least be forewarned.