Archive for ADVICES FOR YOUR TRIPS
Making a Road Trip Go Smoothly
“Are we there yet?” These are the dreaded words that anyone who is driving with small children or even older adults dread hearing. Nowadays, you don t typically see too many people driving around or prepping their vehicles for road trips. Not only are road trips costly with such expenses as food, fuel, lodging and the unexpected emergencies that crop up, but road trips also put a lot of wear and tear on whatever vehicle is being used.
My vehicle is only two years old and has well over forty five thousand miles on it all because of the fact that I do a lot of long distance driving to visit family who live out of state or across the state. And while I typically enjoy the occasional long drive, lately I’ve been considering the fact that I may need to significantly scale back the amount of driving that I do because it is simply beginning to cost too much money. Just the other day, I had to bring my vehicle in to be serviced because the battery had corroded and on top of that, the air conditioning quit on me. Ironically enough, when did I choose to have my air conditioning fixed but on a day when it was supposed to be 97 degrees outside! »» Making a Road Trip Go Smoothly
Top 10 Reasons To Take A Cruise
Every year more and more people are discovering the all inclusive pleasures of a cruise vacation. Last year alone, more than 12 million people took a cruise. So, what s the big attraction? Here are the top 10 reasons that make cruising such an attractive vacation.
Make new friends
Today, cruise travel is no longer exclusively for retired seniors, but is becoming populated by young singles, couples, honeymooners and families. Because you are on the same ship for so many days, you can really become good friends with your fellow passengers. In fact, many people have made life long friendships on cruise ships.
See the world
Cruising the high seas is one of the most relaxing ways to explore the world and every destination imaginable. Cruise lines echo the fact that one of the key attractions is that you can visit the globe s most famous destinations including intriguing world capitals and exotic tropical ports of call like Tahiti. Traveling on a cruise ship also provides for a stress free experience since you don t have to worry about oddities and discrepancies with foreign hotel rooms and food.
You only unpack once »» Top 10 Reasons To Take A Cruise
Passport Requirements For Your Cruise Vacation
Do I need a passport to go on a cruise vacation? It s a big question for many cruise travelers and there s been plenty of confusion regarding the U.S. State Department s new guidelines. Here s what you need to know when you cruise and how the new passport rules launching June 1, 2009 could affect you.
Documentation requirements
Currently, U.S. citizens need a passport for cruises that stop at ports in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. However, U.S. citizens cruising roundtrip from a U.S. port to Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, and Mexico do not need a passport under the U.S. State Department s Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). These itineraries are called closed loop voyages. A closed loop voyage or itinerary occurs when a vessel departs from a U.S. port or place and returns to the same U.S. port upon completion of the voyage. Per the WHTI Land and Sea Final Rule, travelers on closed loop voyages are not subject to the same documentary requirements for entry to the United States as other travelers.
If your voyage falls under the closed loop rule you only need to carry a government issued photo ID (such as a driver s license) and a certified birth certificate (children traveling with an adult are also required to carry a birth certificate). A certified birth certificate has a registrar s raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar s signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar s office, which must be within one year of your birth.
Keep in mind this rule is for U.S. citizens cruising from a U.S. port. If you are taking one way itineraries you will have to have a passport. For example, if you start a cruise in Vancouver and end in Seward or Whittier, Alaska you must have a passport. The same is true for cruises starting in Los Angeles and ending in Acapulco, cruises starting in Miami and ending in Barbados, or cruises starting in Quebec and ending in New York City. »» Passport Requirements For Your Cruise Vacation