Travel

The way to see any city is via a walking tour if you are able to stroll. Amsterdam’s Walking Tour includes the home of Anne Frank and the fascinating Red Light District called de Wallen (with women offering themselves via window displays . . . leave the kids at home for this one!), winding canals.

Tours begin with a stroll around the historical center with its peaceful, tree-lined canals, inviting side-streets and perfectly preserved 17th century houses; your experienced guide brings to life over 800 years of Amsterdam culture.

From tales of the city’s humble beginnings on the river Amstel to its glorious “Golden Age,” you’ll get to know Amsterdam in a personal way and you will surely find locations you wish to revisit. Be sure to attend a recital at one of the city’s fine old churches.

Amsterdam’s Walking Tour includes:

• Amsterdam’s Royal Palace and Dam Square
• The “de Wallen” Red Light district of Amsterdam
• Munt Tower
• The House of Anne Frank and Descartes
• Rembrandt’s Home
• Old city gates of Amsterdam
• The south and western churches
• 17th and 18th century architecture: Some of the old buildings (such as that on the right) are now used as lodging for travelers. While they are basic, and bathrooms are often down the hall, they are inexpensive and in the heart of the city. These give a flavor of life in old Amsterdam in a most unique way.
• Rembrandtplein
• The famous Spinhuis
• Flower market
• Historic Museum
• Kalverstraat and the Rokin
• Convents and hidden churches
• Jordaan Neigborhood

Book Your Tour Before Leaving Home: Amsterdam’s Walking Tour

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Stuck at an Airport?

For the first time ever, I was stuck at an airport when US Airlines missed connections by ten minutes, did not hold up the outgoing flight (which was one of their own connecting flights), and make no accommodations for travellers other than to offer a 50% discount on local hotels as we landed at 10 p.m. Because of hour, everything at the airport was closing.

(Note: I’ll never fly them again as a result of the way they treated their own passengers and as a result of them blaming everything on everyone else. The weather was excellent, so that had nothing to do with their missed connections. (The creative person on the right "barricaded" himself in, along with the flowers he was bringing home as we were told the airport wasn’t necessarily safe for sleeping.)

As a result of never being stuck, I didn’t have back-up ideas other than reading, browing through airport shops, or seeing about a local tour. However, it was 10 p.m., airport shops were closed, local tours were out of the questions, and the budget was too tight for lodging. CheapOAir has a list of ideas for stuck travelers, listed below. Some of their suggestions are on my list, but, again, it all depends on timing.

Things To Do When Stuck At An Airport: Ideas from CheapOAir

Increased tourism means more inbound and outbound flights. Some airlines think delays are a part of the “travel experience,” whereas it seems that they need to schedule more appropriately unless impossible due to weather. Due to security measures, especially on international flights, travelers need to check-in 2-3 hours prior to departure. In this instance, layovers and delays aren’t always avoidable. Even though you plan everything down to the last detail, you can’t control the weather, routine inspections and other delays that come up. Essentially, you might find yourself stuck at the airport.

Shop at the Airport: Yes, you read it right, shop! This is probably one of the best ways to kill time. If you’re at an international airport, explore duty free shops. Check-out the various things on display. These shops offer great stuff at reasonable prices. My daughter does her holiday shopping while on vacation. Layovers provide excellent opportunities to buy gifts for your friends and relatives. Additionally, buying from duty free shops is a safe bet that you’re purchasing quality products.

Explore the City: This is my favorite . . . At times, the layover timing is sufficient to allow time for a local tour. (ALWAYS be aware of traffic and traffic patterns so you don’t get stuck in rush-hour traffic if you decide to leave the aiport to see surrounding sights!) Major airports have helpdesks who can give you ideas. Again, be mindful of the time. If your flight leaves in 3-hours, you probably shouldn’t leave the airport. However, if you’re set to take-off in 5 or more hours, that might be time to get out and do some sightseeing or walking.

Always Have a Camera With You for those “A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words” moments: Wandering airports provides excellent opportunity for self-amusement if have any proclivity photography. Airport shop windows are quite colorful (such as the one above right which was in an airport in Jamaica). Or you can take shots such as this thing on the right . . . do you know what that is? Because of today’s small, excellent cameras such as the Nikon COOLPIX 14 MP Digital, the Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR with 18-55mm Lens or, my current favorite, the 16.1 megapixel Panasonic DMC-FH25K 16.1MP Digital Camera with 8x Wide Angle Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Black). These are all great cameras. The Nikon and the Panasonic are small enough to fit in a pocket or purse. Also, I’m now interested in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 12.1 MP Rugged/Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Orange)

Surf the Net to Check Email: If you’re behind on emails and to let family and friends know of your changing arrival time, this is a great time to catch up. During your travel you might miss important e-mails, so it’s a good time to catch up. Many airports have free WIFI and if you’ve got your laptop, why not? In case you don’t have one, some airport bars and restaurants have computers for your use. Nothing passes time faster than surfing the net and playing online games.

Hungry? Snacks, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: Many airports offer selections from noted chain restaurants, regional cuisines and local fare. When travelling from home abroad or from abroad back to home, you can take this opportunity to indulge in regional delicacies.

Reading, Books and Magazines: Always bring reading material with you. It’s a great time to download Best Sellers for your Kindle Fire or carry a few books. If there’s time, browse airport bookstores and other kiosks offering reading material. Check the bestseller lists. Buy a book that looks engaging. A few pages in, you’ll be so engrossed, you’ll wonder where the time went when you’re called to board your plane. Pick up your favorite newspaper or magazines.

Take a Shower: Most air terminals now offer shower facilities. With increased air travel, airports offer so many modern amenities.

Listen to music: Sure it might sound obvious, but it’s definitely worth mentioning. While waiting, you can divert your mind from the frenetic pace at the airport by listening to your favorite songs on your iPod shuffle or MP4 player, or on your cell phone.

Frequent Flyer Clubs:Before leaving home, join any airline clubs you’re eligible for when booking flights. Most of the airlines these days have lounges at all major airports. Access to a lounge means sitting in comfort, sipping coffee and reading your favorite sections from the newspaper. It’s always a better choice than waiting for the plane at the gate. Again, timing can be an issue. Be prepared to have such clubs closed if you are stuck after 10 p.m.

Sleep: Many airports have hotels adjacent to them. If you know your flight is going to be delayed for 12-24 hours, check-in at an airport hotel. Relax and go to sleep. Wake up fresh and ready to board your flight.

Even the savviest traveler can’t control an airport delay. We hope that the tips from CheapOAir experts go a long way in helping you spend your time stuck at the airport more relaxing, enjoyable and fun.

Never had a botched flight. Ever. And this in good weather from San Antonio, Texas to Phoenix after a superb time in San Antonio.

Travellers’ Caution

We’ve been on overseas flights roughly 70 times and around the U.S. dozens of times during all seasons in all types of weather. We’ve never had a glitch with an airline until January 2012. Lucky with our flights through the years? Perhaps. However, the handling of a schedule glitch by US Airways seems inexcusable.

US Airlines captains and in-flight crew are fabulous.

However, the ground service is a nightmare. NEVER have we missed connections due to an airline’s scheduling. US Airlines knew for two weeks that Phoenix runways have been a nightmare due to construction, yet no warnings were presented so that people could change travel plans if need be and no arrangements were made for managing to get people from an incoming flight to an outgoing flight.

Dozens of people missed connections from Phoenix to other cities; we flew in late from San Antonio and missed the last flights of the night by 10-20 minutes. Through the years, airlines such as American or United held connecting flights to enable passengers to make connections.

There were no weather problems – clear skies all the way across the U.S.

No accommodations were provided for stranded passengers. 50% discount vouchers were given, but the missed connections were the airlines’ problem, NOT the passengers, so accommodations should have been covered by US Airways. Many passengers were on tight budgets who could not afford another $50 or $100 plus meals. Dozens of us slept in the airport, including this young man who was bringing flowers home.

We have NEVER slept at an airport all night. US Airways made excuses as to why it wasn’t their fault, including blaming their late arrival on the Federal Government.

Several passengers were seniors on tight budgets. Even if we had funds, the problem emanated from the airlines, NOT the passengers. One senior was trying to get to his ill 90+ year old father in British Columbia. Because of US Airways’ unreliability, he opted to go home saying that he would never fly again. A woman traveling with a small child was stranded (although I believe US Airways finally funded her room . . . one can only hope). Another young man said this was the first time he’d flown in years and adamantly said he would never do so again.

Ground personnel made excuses: NOTHING was the fault of US Airways. Really?

US Airways’ ground staff, with the exception of one man/manager, was uncaring and babbling excuses. In their defense, I’m sure they were tired as this had been going on for two weeks and your ground crew’s hands are tied. We asked the airport police if they could do anything. Civil rights? Senior rights? Anything? The response was “no,” but they said that US Airways received many complaints and suggested safe places to sleep in the airport. Other personnel in the terminal indicated that US Airways has a poor reputation with workers at Phoenix Airport; they indicated that there are many complaints about US Airlines’ service, more than any other airline.

Around 7 a.m. Saturday, one ground crew blithely explained away US Airways customer service glitches. She became overwrought as we indicated that we don’t buy it. She went to a supervisor crying while saying that the planes were threatened. That is ludicrous. What was said is that US Airways’ operations were so sloppy and penny-pinching that the safety of the planes themselves became a concern. When she was asked, “Where else is US Airlines cutting costs? Are the planes safe? Is there a danger that one will go down?” She stormed off. A supervisor came over and threatened to call airport security. Because complaints had already been offered to airport police regarding US Airways lack of concern for their passengers, she was encouraged to call them again.

This was a first trip on US Airways and will probably be the last unless someone can convince us otherwise. Again, US Airways captains and in-flight crew were wonderful. Other than that, again, it seems personnel needs help on how to run an airline starting with advising passengers to avoid Phoenix (or wherever) because of construction (or whatever).

If anyone out there — other than US Airways personnel — has a positive experience with that airline, PLEASE include it here. We appreciate balanced views.

February 1, 2012: A note from US Airways Customer Relations suggests that the late flight was out of the control of US Airways and that no compensation would be offered. However, they are escalating the issue to management so the jury is still out. Interesting. As mentioned, US Airways has had flight problems for two weeks so wouldn’t it be logical to warn passengers, or recommend going through another city, or accept responsibility and cover lodging and food for the night?

If you’re going through the “eat, pray, love” part of your life, or whether you need change for economic or reasons of maintaining sanity, join the millions of Americans considering an overseas retirement.

In How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad, Kathleen Peddicord shows how living in an unconventional retirement destination can cost less than a traditional home in Florida, Arizona or most other places in the U.S. Peddicord addresses death, taxes, health care, bank accounts and covers the upside and downside of various countries around the world.

Of her book, The Wall Street Journal reported: “If you’re thinking about living abroad in retirement, this book is essential reading . . .

World and market events are generally beyond our control. Perhaps you are frozen while hoping for the best. While it may not seem so, the situation is far less desperate than you may fear. Economies collapse and then recover . . . values–of real estate, of stocks fall and rise, financial meltdowns come and go. However, there’s always somewhere where the living is good or even better, and there’s always some place where your dollars (or euro or pounds) go much, much further. Kathleen Peddicord also sends weekly newsletters (if you sign up at the link below) to keep you up-to-date on the latest retirement hot spots and expat living.

Live and Invest Overseas

Kathleen is part of Live and Invest Overseas. Not only does she keep up with happenings around the world, she invites you to do so through weekly updates in your eMail, through her Live and Invest Overseas website, or through publications, including free reports and photographs of locations around the world.
Examples:

• Panama for $820 a month
• Belize for $1245 a month
• France — The Basque Region for $1320 a month
• Mexico, including Puerto Bahia, Puerto Vallarta, Morelia (in the mountains), for $407/month
• Live and Invest Overseas reports also cover China, Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, etc.

Living overseas has always been a great desire of ours. But it’s also mind-boggling when you begin dealing with the ins and outs of America’s federal system for receiving benefits that you’ve worked for in the U.S.

That said, even though some aspects are daunting, absolutely everyone we know that has moved to live and work in another country values that experience. Some have never returned; we have friends who ultimately moved lock, stock and barrel to France, Spain, various countries in South America, China, Thailand, India, Japan . . . one newspaper reporter left San Francisco for the South Pacific; we’ve never seen him again. He hated shoes and wanted to live where they didn’t matter. Truly!

We feel it’s important to hold onto your ties in America in the event you do want to return. When people do return to the U.S. they are often stunned by the ever-climbing expense of living in the U.S. and, currently, the challenging job market. We’ve also seen people without the funds to get away from whatever country they’ve moved to at a moment’s notice . . . you never know! Always have a Plan B, no matter where you are in the world.

Personal Finance for Overseas Americans

How to Direct Your Own Financial Future While Living Abroad is for Americans living overseas, or planning to. The basics of financial planning and money management are included, but so are many little known and little understood aspects of financial life for Americans living outside of North America.

As an Expat, your finances are complicated by U.S. and foreign laws and practices that affect everything from buying insurance to buying mutual funds. To make the financial choices that are best for you, you need information pertinent to your life style. Personal Finance for Overseas Americans provides that information along with sound financial strategies and methods that work for the long term. This work covers those topics that most affect the financial lives of Americans living overseas. Part 1, Financial Planning, helps you understand the tradeoffs involved in setting and achieving your goals, near term and long term. Part 2, Money Management, gives you detailed information on managing cash, debt, financial risk, investments, and taxes.

Overseas Americans: The Essential Guide To Living And Working Abroad contains vital information and actual documents from all the government agencies that you as an expatriate will have to deal with, including the IRS, State Department, Customs, and Social Security Administration. Find answers to all your questions about living or working abroad before you go: must I pay U.S. taxes? What travel documents, visas or work permits will I need? Is my destination safe for Americans? What should I do if I’m arrested in a foreign country? Can I lose my U.S. citizenship by living overseas? Will my health insurance be good? Can I vote in U.S. elections while living abroad? This guide also provides a list of helpful Web sites for Americans abroad, as well as the password to a site for readers of Overseas Americans.

New American Expat

Thriving and Surviving Overseas in the Post-9/11 World People are taking jobs abroad more than ever, yet overseas employment has seldom been more complicated or risky. New markets and new opportunities draw professionals overseas as our world changes; for the American expat, this change is striking. Americans abroad are often faced with shifting and sometimes hostile attitudes, depending on what the U.S. government is or isn’t doing and who is in office.

Of course, the point of travel is to see things you’ve never seen and to learn about other people and countries, including politics. While we prefer to avoid politics while on the road, people in other countries seem to be more politically aware than many Americans, so we advise staying up on what the U.S. is or isn’t doing.

While sitting at that pool bar in Phuket (right, taken prior to the Tsunami in 2004), an Aussie cautiously said something about then-President Bush. We noted the not-very-well concealed dislike in his voice and said something like “that crook . . . we didn’t vote for him.” We became fast friends as he brought the next round of drinks as we discussed world politics.

Americans have never been able to relocate expecting a warm welcome and an easy transition. Without preparation, working and living overseas can be an overwhelming proposition. New American Expat: Thriving and Surviving Overseas in the Post-9/11 World is an essential guide that shows Americans how to be safe and secure, as well as successful, in their overseas assignments. The New American Expat provides a clear plan for thriving in the experience, with tips on how to find a job, negotiate a compensation package and set up a new home base. In addition, this is the only book to address how to be a good American while living and working abroad, highlighting the fact that we are all ambassadors for our culture and home countries. Brimming with checklists and practical advice, The New American Expat will be useful to anyone looking to turn an overseas assignment into both a career opportunity and a rich, fulfilling experience. This book will be valuable to any American considering an overseas assignment or just traveling around the world with an American passport. It includes a focus on safety, security and topics such as “how to be an American” while living and working abroad.

Before going anywhere, pick up Language Phrase Guides for any/every country you are visiting. One very simple “rule” is to learn to say “thank you” and “excuse me” in every language. You will be amazed at how much mileage that will buy you. Of course, there’s an app for that also. Languages: Kindle Editions

Other selections to help you find your job overseas:

• The Big Guide To Living And Working Overseas: 3,045 Career Building Resources (Fourth Edition with CD-ROM)
• Work Overseas: How to Find a High-Paying, Tax-Free Job
• Opportunities in Overseas Careers

Cruise Direct sends along their top six most popular cruises and their last minute cruises every month or so. Here are their current listings.

We’ve been on a two-week Caribbean cruise and a 14-day Mediterranean cruise and would do them again in a heartbeat. We’re now thinking about cruises in Northern Europe and Asia. Also we’re really interested in some of the smaller ships that navigate rivers and are checking out those travel specials also.

CruiseDirect is featuring:

• 7 Night Bahamas Cruise on the Norwegian Jewel from $429. Beautiful ships. This cruise is round-trip from New York and includes Port Canaveral, Great Stirrup Cay, Nassau and a couple of days at sea.
  

  In the event you’ve never sailed, be assured that you can choose to do absolutely nothing but enjoy the silence; we have never heard our on-board neighbors! Or join in on parties, dancing, dining, visit the gym, spas, or library. Or gamble. Also, take advantage of land tours for days in port. We’ve met people who travel by ship so much that they don’t even get off when the ship is docked. They like the sense of effortlessly going from port to port, obviously.




• 7 Night Alaska Cruise on Holland America’s Alaskan Explorer. Round-trip from Seattle through Puget Sound and Tracy Arm. In port at Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Alaska and Victoria, British Columbia. Oceanview rooms start at $949 per person.
• 7 Night Europe Cruise on MSC, a well-regarded, popular Italian shipping company which covers the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Atlantic, Caribbean, South America, the Indian Ocean and South and West Africa.
• 6 Night Caribbean Cruise on Carnival’s Valor. Round trip from Miami with stops at Key West, Georgetown in the Grand Cayman’s, Ocho Rios in Jamaica. If you have the time and the funds, we highly recommend a 14-day cruise such as this on Princess Cruises. While we prefer smaller vessels, the large ships can travel through rough seas without you even noticing. We followed Hurricane Richard around the Caribbean during this cruise and weren’t aware of any inconvenience. (Of course, a great captain and crew helps.)
• 7 Night Mediterranean Cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas. Round-trip from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Genoa, Ajaccio in Corsica, Spain (Barceona, Palma De Mallorca and Valencia)

Also, they generally have last minute cruises which can save you quite a bit. Again, unless you are fond of sleeping in closets, stay away from booking inside rooms. The rate is somewhat lower, but we’ve never heard anyone say the savings were worth it.

If you really want to spoil yourself, book an Asian Cruise. Friends went last year, loved it, and came home with dozens of stories and hundreds of photos of exotic people, places and things.

Cruising up the Yangtze River is on our Must Do list.

I just realized that I am a “baby boomer” (denial, you know) AND an avid international traveler. This came from a conversation last night with four 65+ year olds who just returned from 15 months in Chiang Mai, Thailand AND in looking up stats about traveling and travelers. I seldom think about my age; I’m too concerned about comfortably covering all expenses AND having sufficient funds to continue wandering our globe. I’m up to about 35 countries and several states in the U.S.

An estimated 78 million babies were born during the baby boomer years between 1946 and 1964, and an estimated 50% of those people took at least one adventure trip in the United States.

In spite of America’s economic strife, millions of those individuals are still traveling. We see them around the world in active travel adventures, on cruise ships, in beach-front restaurants and bars, swimming with pink reef sharks in Bora Bora . . . Major changes have taken place to accommodate for our needs, including books that focus on Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures that You Absolutely Can’t Get Unless You’re Over 50 (2009-2010), Travel Unlimited: Uncommon Adventures for the Mature Traveler and The Red Hat Society Travel Guide: Hitting the Road with Confidence, Class, and Style

An aging travel market has changed the travel industry forever and its still changing because older individuals travel more for pleasure than for business; their destinations and requirements are vastly different than those of the business traveler.

My generation seems to feel that traveling is a necessity: My family certainly does. If we have to, we will give up “luxuries” so that we can travel and we figure out ways to travel for a little money as possible — sometimes by selling photographs of our trips when we arrive home, sometimes through publishing stories, sometimes just by cutting out something. I no longer buy dozens of pairs of shoes each year — don’t need them. Years ago, in order to get to Amsterdam, I stopped buying magazines for several months; at that time, that added up to enough money for a round-trip ticket to Europe. One family member quit drinking wine at dinner in order to save a couple of thousand of dollars each year to put towards airfare to somewhere around the globe.

While we don’t advise charging anything for any reason because that is what sinks too many families, we have charged trips to a credit card and paid it off when we returned home. Now, we highly advise saving in advance for travel and ALWAYS having enough in the bank for a trip to somewhere. Traveling at a moment’s notice is one of the great benefits of being retired. I once had less than 48 hours to get ready for a week in Costa Rica. Not a problem as I’m always partially packed and all my clothes will go anywhere.

Having traveled to many of the “expected” cities, i.e. London, Paris, New York, San Francisco, when we travel now we want to experience exotic scenery, exotic people, and “world-heritage” sites. My family feels if we can “speak the language,” we are not traveling. And since we speak only smatterings of French, Spanish and a little Japanese, that opens up much of the world.

A major difference in our travel is that, as seniors, we will no longer sleep in broom closets (did that in England one week), or sleep on top of picnic tables (at Lake Tahoe in Northern California when we didn’t plan ahead and couldn’t find lodging), or with cockroaches skittering about (Texas!).

Traveling shoulder-season takes care of much of our financial considerations and travel needs in that off-season is less expensive AND less crowded so it is much easier to find superior accommodations and much lower prices and view exotic places without standing in line.

According to the “2005 Travel and Adventure Report, AARP,” following are the top ten adventure activities for baby boomers (although we do not include RV camping or guided tours in our list of “adventure travel,” unless it’s a guided trip up the side of, say, Machu Pichu, or zip-cording through the jungles of Costa Rica, or swimming with reef sharks such as those guys above off a reef in Bora Bora or with rays in Moorea):

1. Fresh or saltwater fishing
2. Escorted or guided tours
3. Biking
4. Hiking/backpacking/rock and mountain climbing
5. Camping (tent)
6. RV camping
7. Motorcycling
8. Horseback riding
9. Snorkeling
10. Whitewaer rafting/kayaking

From Time Magazine, May 16, 2005, p53- 63; “Mid-Life Crisis? Bring It On!” . . . women over 40 are seizing that stressful, pivotal moment in their lives to reinvent themselves. The piece highlights adventure travel experiences: “When women find a key to solving their own midlife mysteries, they often want nothing more that to help other women do the same. That typically involves some kind of journey, often a literal one. The notion that the way to launch a spiritual journey is to take an actual trip is fueling the adventure-travel market, especially since many adventure travelers are women in their 40s.”

A superb New Years message to add to your New Year’s resolutions.

Sevren Suzuki from the Environmental Children’s Organization, which is a group of 12 and 13-year olds trying to make a difference.

This is an extraordinary message for all the people of the world.

Back to dreams of travel. Just came across a maritime museum new to me: Aegean Maritime Museum in Mykonos, Greece, which is a place I’d like to revisit . . . especially to stay in one of the classic white Cycladic houses like this one in Thira’s Imerovigli neighborhood: Heliotopos.

CruiseDirect features online cruise exclusives and sailings to world ports, including Europe along the Mediterranean on the Italian Costa Concordia to ports such as Santorini (right), the Bahamas on the Disney Magic, to Asia, for Honeymoons . . .

For our family and many of our friends, one of the best gifts anyone could be given is a vacation and during this time of year, cruises to tropical places are high on the list of vacations that people desire.

If you are considering giving the gift of an exceptional vacation and aren’t sure what to choose, following are popular cruise deals and highly regarded cruise lines such as the Norwegian Pearl in the picture above.The Norwegian Pearl is an exquisite new ship, built to impress with 10 different restaurants, 14 bars and lounges, three swimming pools, the exclusive new Courtyard Villas and the very first bowling alley to hit the high seas.

Important: Unless you really like sleeping in dark closets, inside cabins are dreadful and not worth a couple of hundred dollars in savings. Our most budget-conscious friends finally agree on this and now book outside cabins!

Also, when to travel? If possible, avoid peak seasons when crowds are excessive and prices higher. We’d rather risk dealing with questionable weather than navigating around too many people. This has served us well for years in that we have never had a problem with travel arrangements or weather and we can travel with a tighter budget!

• 7 Night Bahamas Cruise $599 Oceanview on Norwegian Cruise Line: From New York to Orlando, Great Stirrup Cay, Nassau, At Sea and back to New York.
• 1 Night Bahamas Cruise $128 on Celebrity: From Miami and Nassau and return. Great outing if you are in Miami anyway and interested in seeing if you even like cruising or if you wish to check out a particular cruise line.
• 3 Night Bahamas $219 on Carnival: From Miami with two days in Nassau, a day at sea and back to Miami
• 3 Nights Bahamas $199 on Norwegian: Miami to Great Stirrup Cay to Nassau and back to Miami
• 7 Night Alaska Cruise. These cruises are popular gifts; the sailings are in June and July (Cruise ships do not sail into these waters in December; way too cold.) From Seattle to Juneau, Skagway, Kitchikan, Victoria and back to Seattle. This is a fabulous trip. Never heard one negative comment about cruising Alaska.

Ever kayaked? Ever thought of padding San Francisco Bay (or the San Juans, Sea of Cortez, various fjords)? Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking in Sausalito just sent the following eMail:
What could be a better gift for friends or family than some peaceful paddling time and healthy exercise?

An additional benefit: Water imparts negative ions, which are an automatic stress reducer.

True story: Years ago we invited a divorced couple to paddle with us (they were still friends). We went on a full moon kayak tour from Sausalito to Tiburon for dinner, then back to Sausalito. The bay at night is SO romantic. This couple re-married some months later and have been married ever since!

Purchase a Sea Trek Gift Certificate and as a thank-you Sea Trek will give you a certificate for 2 hours of free rental (for kayak or stand up paddleboard). Use it as a stocking stuffer or enjoy it yourself. It’s a win for everyone!

Some great gift ideas from Sea Trek. (Any amount is transferable to any other program.)

• 2 hours of Rental Time for kayak or SUP: $40
• Discounted Book of Rental Hours. 15 hrs of Kayaking: $150 ($10/hr.)
• Introductory SUP class: $60
• Introductory Kayaking Class: $110
• Full Moon Paddle: $75
• Paddle the Gate: $80
• Angel Island Crossing: $85
• FREE $150 Book of Rental Time with 7 Days of Kayaking and SUPing in the Sea of Cortes: $1195 Kayaking the Sea of Cortez is one of the better ways to unwind and experience some of nature’s miracles . . . such as a phosphorescent sea. The technical explanation from Encyclopedia Britannica follows. Until you see this amazing glow while kayaking, nothing will prepare you for its drama and beauty.
  

  Marine phosphorescence is heatless light generated chemically by marine plants and animals. Bioluminescence is exhibited by a wide variety of oceanic organisms, from bacteria to large squids and fish. (The chemical system is like that of fireflies). The light produced is usually blue-green, near the point in the spectrum of maximum transmission for seawater and most visible for many deep-sea organisms. Most of the homogeneous phosphorescence of the sea, the glowing wakes, is caused by the presence of blooming phytoplankton, notably the microscopic dinoflagellate Noctiluca miliaris, as well as some jellyfish.

Recommendation: Opt for Paddle the Gate — that is a tremendous experience and easily puts the world into a proper perspective.

Or join a full moon paddle. Few things are more beautiful than San Francisco Bay during a full moon. You can literally paddle through the reflection of stars in the water. It’s like paddling through the Milky Way.

Oh, actually, opt for any of the kayaking sessions. Every outing has its own magic because water is magic.