Travelers' Intercom
MSC’s Status Match program
Most cruise lines and hotels offer loyalty programs, but with MSC Cruises (Fort Lauderdale, FL; 877/665-4655), you can register the status you have with a competitor's loyalty program, and they'll match it with an equivalent of their own.
Caravan Tours’ ‘icing on the cake’
Dismay and disappointment were what my wife, Fyllis, and I experienced when the call came that our Jan. 20-27, 2019, tour to Panama had been canceled. "Panama Canal Cruise, Rainforests & Beaches" was to be our first tour with Caravan Tours (Chicago, IL; 800/227-2826, www.caravan.com).
New Puerto Vallarta sculpture tour
My companion, George, and I visited Puerto Vallarta again, Nov. 28-Dec. 16, 2018, and I wanted to offer an update on the Malecón (boardwalk) sculpture tour that I mentioned in my 2015 article, "Enjoying the Food, Art and Celebrations of Mexico's Puerto Vallarta" (Dec. '15, pg. 40).
Tips on booking hotels and on insurance
I am a volunteer advocate for Chris Elliott's travel help forum, Elliott Advocacy (www.elliott.org). I travel often but have never worked for a travel provider.
Cosmopolitan Casablanca
Casablanca is probably the first city that comes to mind when thinking of Morocco. There's the movie, of course, and the city's name conjures up the exoticism of North Africa.
Car and driver replaced on Caucasus tour
I took a unique new tour from Spiekermann Travel, "Wild Frontiers of North Caucasus," May 5-22, 2018.
Taxi driver in Beirut
Before my 11-day trip to Jordan and Lebanon in October 2018, I watched a few videos of people driving in Beirut. That's when I decided against renting a car in Lebanon.
Heathrow-to-London options
Getting into central London from Heathrow Airport with bags is usually an expensive and tedious process. Having stayed at a hotel in London's Marble Arch area, Jan. 8-15, 2019, I wanted to share my experience.
Semi-independent with JayWay
Those hesitant to travel independently in Central Europe might enjoy the kind of semi-independent tour that my husband and I took in June 2015.
A senior self-drive in Greece
I have been reading ITN for many years, learning many things, and felt that I should finally contribute. On Nov. 1, 2018, I returned from an 8-week stay in Greece, where, as a 77-year-old woman traveling alone, I traveled mostly by rental car without a problem.
Cornwall guide ‘worth every cent’
Two friends and I flew on Flybe airline from Gatwick Airport to Newquay, Cornwall, southwestern England, where we took a taxi to the Atlantic Hotel (Dane Road, Newquay; phone +44 1637 872 244, atlantichotelnewquay.co.uk).
Outside of Cape Town
A longtime resident of Cape Town, South Africa, I've been providing ITN readers with suggestions for places to visit (Jan. '19, pg. 45). Here are a few places farther from town.
Parking keepers in Morocco
I cannot verify any of the following from another source (not even Google). My only evidence is what I observed during a May 2018 trip to Morocco and what our private guide told my wife, Paula, and me.
Praise for Wilderness Travel
Over the years, I have traveled to more than 100 countries. In 2018, I decided to visit Bolivia and Lake Titicaca for the first time. I chose to go with Wilderness Travel (Berkeley, CA; 800/368-2794, www.wildernesstravel.com).
Airport security Down Under
I traveled to Australia in November 2018 and encountered a new airport security procedure. In Adelaide, passengers were required to remove umbrellas from their carry-on luggage before the parcels were x-rayed. Umbrellas in carry-on luggage were legal but had to be removed for screening.
Churchill Northern Studies Centre and polar bears
I read with interest the subscriber's article about Churchill, Canada, and the polar bears that she and her husband were able to see there (Nov. '18, pg. 42).