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Conrad, Publisher/EditorMESSAGE

FROM

THE EDITOR

d the sounds will rise: the party Dear Mr. Stoltz,

This week's cruise newsletter begins with a recap of how tourists have been affected by recent events in Egypt. Please scroll down for this week's cruise deals.

On January 25, thousands of Egyptians converged on Cairo's Tahrir Square in what started as peaceful protests calling for the resignation of the country's president, Hosni Mubarak, who had reigned for 30 years.

As the crowds grew, they clashed with police and Mubarak supporters. On January 28, anti-government protesters fought with stones and fire bombs, and police responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons. Internet and cell phone services were largely cut off in an attempt to hamper the organization of protests.

The Egyptian Museum, which houses some of the country's most precious artifacts, was targeted by looters who reportedly entered from the roof through a glass-paneled ceiling. According to Egypt's Antiquities Minister, Zahi Hawass, the looters were after gold and a fictitious substance called "red mercury" that is said to have magical powers and is found in the throats of ancient mummies. Around 70 items were damaged and 18 objects were taken (two have since been recovered). Fortunately, the looters did not access the padlocked room containing the gold burial mask of Tutankhamun and other priceless treasures.

There were attempted break-ins at several other museums around the country, but most were unsuccessful.

As the situation worsened, governments around the world issued travel advisories for Egypt. Advisories were soon changed to warnings, urging non-essential personnel to leave the country immediately.

It's unclear as to how long it took for all tourists to leave the country, or if all of them did leave, but all Vacations To Go customers who were in Egypt when the warnings were issued were out of the country by February 10.

Most of our customers departed on scheduled airlines, though some left on flights chartered by Viking River Cruises or the US government. Thankfully, there have been no reports of tourists being harmed throughout this period of unrest.

On February 11, after 18 days of protests, Mubarak stepped down and handed authority to the military. Protests turned into celebrations, and leaders of the revolutionary movement are meeting with military leaders to discuss the transition to a new government.

Here's a look at how tour companies, river cruise lines and ocean-going cruise lines have responded to the crisis...

Nile cruises that were in progress during the protests continued on to their scheduled destinations, and all passengers on those trips were safely transported home.

In general, escorted tour companies and river cruise lines have cancelled all Egypt itineraries through the end of March. Customers booked on cancelled departures may opt for a full refund, in most cases, or can apply their funds to an alternate vacation with the same operator. A few operators are offering additional discounts for those who choose to rebook.

Most companies have not cancelled April or May departures at this time, but some are allowing customers who hold bookings for those months to cancel and apply the money paid to another trip.

For a company-by-company listing of how tour and river cruise companies are handling cancellations and re-bookings, click here.

Ocean-going cruise lines that visit Egypt typically call on Alexandria, and all such port calls scheduled in February have been cancelled and replaced with visits to Israel, Turkey or Greece. Most lines with sailings that are scheduled to visit Egypt in March and beyond say that they are closely monitoring the situation, but have not yet made any changes.

For a line-by-line listing of how cruise lines are handling future port calls in Egypt, click here.

In a country where 13% of jobs and 11% of the gross domestic product comes from tourism, the impact of these events is severe. According to the Egypt Tourist Authority in New York, 14.7 million tourists visited Egypt last year, generating $11 billion in revenue. Even if the transition to a new government goes smoothly, it will likely be a year or more before Egypt's tourism industry recovers.

As of this writing, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo remains closed and heavily guarded. The country's most popular tourist attractions, the Pyramids of Giza, have reopened to tourists, as have the temples in Luxor and Aswan.

We've already been asked if it's now safe to book an Egyptian vacation this year, and our advice is to hold off for a few weeks. Though the protests have ended, there is still potential for unrest if the transition to a new government hits a snag.

When the time comes to resume booking trips to this amazing country, Egypt will need tourism more than ever.


...Laura VanLoon, Troy Bringle and Alan Fox

Vacations to Go


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If you are considering a Celebrity cruise this year, now is a great time to make your reservation. In addition to the lowest Celebrity prices you'll find anywhere, we have just arranged an exclusive deal for Vacations To Go customers -- shipboard credits of $50 to $425 per stateroom -- on a wide variety of cruises and cruise tours departing in 2011.

Shipboard credits are like cash onboard and can be used to purchase just about anything, from shore excursions to spa treatments to wine and cocktails. Click here for dates and prices.


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Here's a list of specialty cruises, discounts and resources we offer. Some are available only to certain types of travelers, and others are available to all Vacations To Go customers. Click the links below for more information:

Age 55+ Rates
EMT Discounts
Firefighter Discounts
Grand Voyages
Hosted Singles Cruises
Interline Rates
Military Rates (U.

horns,A fireworks and shouts of "Happy New "Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and days of auld lang syne?"

It is a poem in Scots dialect, set to a Scots folk tune, and an unscientific survey says that a lot of us don't think much about the words, or even know them. The great film director Mike Nichols came to America from Germany as a child, when his family fled Hitler. He had to learn a lot of English quickly and never got around to "Auld Lang Syne": "I was too busy with words like 'emergency exit' on the school bus," he told me. "As a result, I find myself weeping at gibberish on New Year's Eve. I enjoy that."

The screen and television writer Aaron Sorkin, who this year, with "The Social Network," gives Paddy Chayefsky a run for his money, says that every year he means to learn the words. "Then someone tells me that's not a good enough New Year's resolution and I really need to quit smoking."

"Auld Lang Syne"—the phrase can be translated as "long, long ago," or "old long since," but I like "old times past"—is a song that asks a question, a tender little question that has to do with the nature of being alive, of being a person on a journey in the world. It not only asks, it gives an answer.

It was written, or written down, by Robert Burns, lyric poet and Bard of Scotland. In 1788 he sent a copy of the poem to the Scots Musical Museum, with the words: "The following song, an old song, of the olden times, has never been in print." Burns was interested in the culture of Scotland, and collected old folk tales and poems. He said he got this one "from an old man"—no one knows who—and wrote it down. Being a writer, Burns revised and compressed. He found the phrase auld lang syne "exceedingly expressive" and thought whoever first wrote the poem "heaven inspired." The song spread throughout Scotland, where it was sung to mark the end of the old year, and soon to the English-speaking world, where it's sung to mark the new.

The question it asks is clear: Should those we knew and loved be forgotten and never thought of? Should old times past be forgotten? No, says the song, they shouldn't be. We'll remember those times and those people, we'll toast them now and always, we'll keep them close. "We'll take a cup of kindness yet."

"The phrase old acquaintance is important," says my friend John Whitehead, fabled figure of the old Goldman Sachs, the Reagan State Department, and D-Day. "It's not only your close friends and people you love, it's people you knew even casually, and you think of them and it brings tears to my eyes." For him, acquaintance includes, "your heroes, my heroes—the Winston Churchills of life, the ones you admire. They're old acquaintances too."

But "the interesting, more serious message in the song is that the past is important, we mustn't forget it, the old has something for us."

So does the present, as the last stanza makes clear. The song is not only about those who were in your life, but those who are in your life. "And there's a hand, my trusty friend, and give a hand of thine, We'll take a right good-will draught for auld lang syne."

To Tom Coburn, a U.S. senator from Oklahoma, the song is about friendship: "I think it's a description of the things we lose in our hurry to do things. We forget to be a friend. We have to take the time to make friends and be friends, to sit and tell stories and listen to those of others."
More Peggy Noonan

Read Peggy Noonan's previous columns

click here to order her book, Patriotic Grace

Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana said he always experienced the song as celebratory and joyful until something happened in 2004. Mr. Daniels was running for office, and it became a new bonding experience for him and his father, who followed the campaign closely: "He loved my stories from the road." The elder Daniels died unexpectedly in August, "50 days short of my election as governor." At a New Year's party, the governor-elect heard the song in a new way. Ever since, "I hear its wistfulness."

Lesley Stahl of "60 Minutes," enjoying one of the great careers in the history of broadcast news, thinks of childhood when she thinks of "Auld Lang Syne": "I see New Year's Eve parties going way back, all the way back to when we were little kids and you had to kiss someone at midnight and you had to sing that song." She interviewed Mark Zuckerberg recently. "Maybe in the age of Facebook you don't lose old friends," she says. "Maybe it's obsolete." Maybe "they'll have to change the song."

For the journalist and author Marie Brenner, the song didn't come alive until she moved from her native Texas to New York City, in the 1970s. That first New Year's in town, "Auld Lang Syne was a revelation to me. . . . I thought, this is beautiful and maybe written by a Broadway composer, by Rodgers and Hammerstein." She saw people singing it "on the street, and at a party in a bar downtown." There was "this gorgeous moment when everyone seemed to know the words, and people looked teary and, yes, drunk." They played the song back in San Antonio, "but it took me coming to New York to really hear it."

The song is a staple in movies, but when I asked people to think of the greatest "Auld Lang Syne scene," every one of them had the same answer. Not "When Harry Met Sally," not "Out of Africa," not, for film buffs, Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush." The great "Auld Lang Syne" scene in cinematic history is from "It's a Wonderful Life," which Mr. Sorkin puckishly describes as "Frank Capra's classic tale of an angel who takes up the cause of a progressive in order to defeat a heartless conservative. It's possible I'm misinterpreting the movie, but the song still works."

The scene comes at the end of the film. Friends surround George Bailey, recently rescued by an angel. Someone bumps against the Christmas tree and a bell ornament makes a sound. George's daughter says, "Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings," and George looks up and winks. "Thanks, Clarence," he says, as the music swells. God bless the baby boomers who discovered that film on TV after their elders dismissed it as Capra-corn.

Tonight I'll be at Suzie and Joe's, with whom I worked at CBS News in auld lang syne. I'll think of some who won't be entering the new year with us—big, sweet-hearted dynamo Richard Holbrooke, and Ted Sorensen, counselor to presidents, whose pen was a terrible swift sword. I'll take a cup of kindness yet for them, for all the old acquaintances in this piece, and for the readers, for 10 years now, of this column. We mark an anniversary. Thank you for being in my life. Happy New Year.

Copyright 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit

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Bon voyage

Remember at LiquidHorizons cruising is a way of life!

Conrad

Conrad Stoltz
Publisher/Editor
stoltz@liquidhorizons.com

Updated April 5, 2011

 

Holland-America - Zaandam

 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Mr. Stoltz,

Every NEW cruiser should read this!

I believe cruising is the easiest way to see the world, but there is one part of the cruise experience that can cause anxiety for otherwise carefree passengers -- tipping. Here's a look at how tipping is handled by each of the world's major cruise lines.

On most cruise lines, but not all, gratuities are expected and encouraged. The traditional tipping procedure is to hand cash gratuities to the service staff on the last full day or evening of the cruise. For longer itineraries, tipping on a weekly basis may be the norm. The cruise lines that follow this tipping procedure are Crystal, Disney, Fred. Olsen, Hurtigruten, P&O, Royal Caribbean, Star Clippers, Uniworld and Viking River Cruises.

Passengers on most of these lines are encouraged to tip their cabin steward and dining room waiter $3.50 to $5.00 per passenger, per day, and their assistant waiter/busboy should be tipped $2.00 to $3.00 per passenger, per day. On most ships, tip the maitre d' or dining room captain about $5 to $10 (total) only if you ask for special favors or tableside service.

It is customary to tip bartenders and wine stewards 15%, and many cruise lines automatically add this gratuity to the bar or beverage bill. Gratuities for special services such as spa treatments are left to the discretion of the guest, but 15% is considered typical.

The growth of freestyle dining and alternative restaurants put pressure on this system. Because passengers on many ships now dine when and where they wish and do not return night-after-night to the same table, they may rightfully resist handing a week's worth of tips to the waiter and assistant waiter they happen to end up with on the last night of the cruise.

That's why many cruise lines opt to automatically charge tips, usually $10 to $12 per person, per day, to shipboard accounts and divide the total among all dining room personnel, cabin stewards and others who are involved in serving passengers. These lines include Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, MSC, Norwegian, Oceania, Princess and Windstar.

If a passenger feels that the amount automatically charged to his or her account should be adjusted higher or lower based on the service received, the cruise line will make that adjustment when the bill is settled at the end of the cruise. These amounts do not cover tips for bartenders and wine stewards, which are generally 15% added to the beverage bill at the time of service.

A few cruise lines specifically state that gratuities are included in the cruise fare and that tips are neither expected nor encouraged. Azamara, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Regent, Seabourn, SeaDream and Silversea fall into this category. Even on these lines, some passengers still tip for outstanding service or special favors.

Does any one tipping policy tend to encourage better service than the others? Even seasoned cruisers disagree on this one, but most letters I receive are in favor of the traditional method of rewarding individuals directly or rolling all gratuities into the upfront price.

For more information about the specific tipping guidelines for any ship we offer, please click here and click on any ship name.
Q: We cruise all the time. If tips are added automatically to your bill rather than handed personally to individuals at the end of the cruise, the service is not as good. Do you agree?

A: If all other variables were the same, I would agree, but that is rarely the case in the cruise industry. Many factors impact service levels, including crew-to-passenger ratios, age and condition of the ship, ratio of new-to-experienced crew members, nationality of crew, the priorities and effectiveness of the captain and hotel director, the financial stability and target audience of the cruise line, etc. There are exceptions but for the most part, the lines that can charge more are able to do so because they deliver better service, regardless of tipping policy. The ship ratings on our site reflect what we expect price -- and service levels -- to be. Click here to see our ratings of all ships.


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Q: I received an invitation from a company I had never heard of (name withheld) to buy a plan at a cost of $1500 that allows me to book several future vacations at no additional cost. Could you confirm for me if this company truly provides what it offers?

A: I am not familiar with the company you mentioned but in general, I don't believe it is a good idea to buy an expensive plan or membership that purports to give you the right to claim trips at some time in the future. I like to know exactly what I am getting and when, at the time I pay for my vacation.


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Q: What is your favorite cruise destination that a "regular" person could afford? I dream of a cruise on the Baltic or Mediterranean or one of the river cruises through Europe and Russia, but the cost of all of those are out of my league.

A: There are many affordable cruises, especially at this time of year, and the key is to stay closer to home, in areas where heavy competition between many ships keeps the price down. Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico cruises are at or near all-time lows right now when adjusted for inflation, with inside cabins almost as cheap as staying home. You can see the latest deals in these and other regions on our 90-Day Ticker. Please click here to view the Ticker.


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Q: We would very much like to book another cruise for this spring. However, I have a medical condition and won't be sure I will be able to travel until a week before departure. Do you know of any cancellation insurance plan that offers a significant refund for cancellation due to a pre-existing condition? If so, can you advise any details?

A: You'll be pleased to know that we offer travel insurance through a company called CSA Travel Protection that covers our customers for cancellations, even when the cancellation is due to a pre-existing medical condition, as long as the insurance is purchased at the time of booking and you are medically able to travel at the time of purchase. For more information about the coverage provided by CSA, please click here.


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Q: I am trying to gather information about Mississippi river cruises for a possible Navy reunion for our group. This would take place in 2013, but I plan far in advance. What kind of information can you provide?

A: Since the company operating the Delta Queen steamboats shut down two years ago, no one has offered multi-day Mississippi River cruises, though one company (Blount) offers sailings on tributaries and canals with a few hours spent on the Mississippi. (Click here to see these sailings.)


 

However, I am delighted to tell you that an all-new riverboat is under construction and will begin sailing on the Mississippi in 2012, in time for your reunion. I expect prices and itineraries will be released in the first half of 2011, and we will post them on our site, MississippiRiverCruises.com, as soon as they are available.


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Q: If the cruises could make fewer stops and then a lengthier stay at those stops it would be much nicer. I don't know what influence you have on the cruises but maybe put a word in. I think it would really go over well.

A: Most cruise lovers want to see as many new places as possible on their voyage but you're definitely not the first customer I've heard from who would like to see fewer, longer port calls on cruise itineraries. The cruise lines try to accommodate all types of passengers and several now offer itineraries with at least one overnight stay in one or more ports. It took a little work but I have compiled a list of the Top 10 ports worldwide in number of overnight port calls hosted, and they are listed below. Click any port name for a complete list of all cruises that overnight in that port. (Courtesy-Vacations to Go)

Thanks Alan, great information.

See Alan's Site VACATIONS TO GO forpricing and booking information

- Editor
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BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Here's what is consumed every 7 days at sea

:234,000 appetizers; 105,000 meals and 300,680 desserts
20,000 lbs. of beef, including 69,000 steaks
12,000 lbs. of chicken
4,000 lbs. of se
afood; 2,500 lbs. of salmon and 1,400 lbs. of lobster
65,000 lbs. of fresh vegetables and 35,000 lbs. of fresh fruits
5,800 lbs. of cheese
28,000 fresh eggs
18,000 slices of pizza
8,000 gallons of ice cream 1,500 lbs. of coffee and 1,500 gallons of milk
11,500 cans of soda; 19,200 bottles and cans of beer and 2,900 bottles of wine111500 lbs. of coffee and 1,500 gallons of milk
11,500 cans of soda; 19,200 bottles and cans of beer and 2,900 bottles of wine
Weighing in at 158,000 tons, the 5-star Freedom of the Seas currently offers alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries out of Miami.
Weighing in at 158,000 tons, the 5-star Freedom of the Seas currently offers alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries out of Miami. For more information on upcoming Freedom of the Seas cruises, contact Freedom Cruises or see your Travel Agent


 

   

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