How to Travel Peacefully with Your Family & Friends

We usually spend time with friends and family in three or four hour blocks, going to dinner and the movies or watching a football game.  So, when friends and family decide to travel together, they’re suddenly faced with each other’s whims, needs and preferences 24/7, which sometimes causes enough friction to sabotage the vacation.  Here are some tips on how to make sure that family and friends remain friendly while traveling.

Establish Ground Rules

When my dad took our family of 13 on a cruise a number of years ago, one of the first things we discussed was that we needed to establish some ground rules.  We had ages 6 to 66 going on this trip with two of them college-age students. My dad was one to call everyone early in the morning and wake them up.  This was a big no-no.  We had some who wanted to sleep in and some who were early risers.  The first ground rule was no one was to call anyone in the mornings.  We had a place on the ship where we would meet in the mornings after you got up.  On port days, we set a time and meeting place so we would all leave the ship at the same time.  Now, we take family radios with us and the rule is to turn them on when you wake up and ask if anyone is up yet. RULE # 1:  If your traveling companions’ style differs from yours, find an amicable compromise in the planning stages in order to prevent any conflicts while on your vacation.

Separate and Share

Plan to do separate activities once or twice during the trip, promising to meet up for dinner to share your experiences.  The second ground rule on our family cruise was ALL of us would have dinner together every night.  RULE # 2:  The perfect time to play apart is during the daytime when each couple/person/family might choose a different excursion or sightseeing tour.  Come nighttime, you’ll be trading wild tales over cocktails and dinner about your divergent adventures.

Leave Emotions at Home

If you know your friends well enough to plan an international trip with them, then you should have a pretty good idea about their likes and dislikes.  We travel with two couples who are our best friends.  We have some

shoppers and some sightseers in this group.  If one couple wants to do something different than the rest, no one gets their feelings hurt. RULE # 3: Don’t feel like you have to be joined at the hip every minute of every day. A little wiggle room for everyone is good.

Agree on the Budget

RULE # 4:  Have a frank talk before you go about how much you intend to spend, how frequently you want to eat at fancy restaurants and other activities that will cost money.

Keep Talking

Always express your opinions and ask for your traveling companions opinions in return.  Only by knowing what both parties like and dislike will you be able to find a common ground.  RULE # 5:  The key to peacefully traveling with your friends and family is keeping the lines of communication open. 

By following these simple tips, you can have a stress-free, fun-filled vacation with those friends and family you cherish most. 

Five Things We Love About River Cruising

My husband, Charlie, and I have been on four river cruises – three in Europe and one in the U.S.  We’ve sailed from Burgundy to Provence in France on the Soane and Rhone Rivers, from Prague to Budapest on the Danube River, and from Amsterdam to Basel on the Rhine River.  We’ve also sailed from St. Louis to Louisville on the American Queen steamboat.  All four of these cruises have been unique.  The scenery on each was extraordinary.  The ships had their own personalities in their layout and design.  The itineraries, needless to say, cannot be compared, as each was so different.  From the vineyards, lavender and sunflower fields in France, to the castles along the Rhine, to the history of World War II along the Danube, to the flavors of the small cities of the U.S., we found that there were similarities on all of them.

River cruising is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry.  We are booking more and more of these types of vacations weekly.  A number of the river cruises in Europe, especially, are already booking up quickly for 2013.  China, Vietnam, Egypt and the Nile and the Zambizi in Africa, as well as the Po River in Portugal are fast becoming exciting river cruise destinations.

Why is this form of cruising becoming so popular?  Here are five things we love about river cruising:

1.       All-inclusive Value – River cruises typically include shore excursions in the cost of the cruise.  This is a tremendous value.  And, most of the river cruise operators (Avalon Waterways, Viking River, Tauck River Cruising, and American Queen Steamboat Company, to name a few) include wine and beer with lunch and dinner.  Many river cruise lines even offer complimentary Internet access as well.

2.       Easy to Go on Your Own – River cruises typically dock within walking distance of a city or town along the river.  This makes it very convenient if you want to explore on your own, or enjoy a lunch or dinner in town.

3.       Smooth Sailing – There is no motion on a river cruise, and for one who has an issue with motion sickness, this is a major plus.  So, if you are sensitive to motion, a river cruise is definitely something to consider.

4.       Relaxed Liquor Policy – River cruise lines are much more accommodating when it comes to consuming alcohol that you bring onboard.  If you purchase a bottle of wine in port, you can bring it back onboard and enjoy it up on the sun deck or in your cabin.

5.       Casual Dress Code – There are typically no “formal” nights on a river cruise.  The atmosphere is classy or “Country Club Casual”.  This makes it much easier to pack for your vacation.

If you haven’t tried a river cruise, now is the time to look at 2014 and a new adventure. 

A Taste of the Good Life

Cruising grows in popularity every year, as more and more travelers discover the flexibility and value a cruise vacation provides. Once onboard, there is a wealth of intriguing activities from which to choose.

A culinary cruise is the perfect way to combine ones love for travel and fine food into one incredible cruise experience. For those with the love of cooking and dining, a big part of the cruise experience is to sample local dishes and taste local wines.  River cruising, especially in Europe, has gained in popularity in the past few years, and the culinary experience on these ships is everything one would expect in the finest restaurants across the continent.  The cuisine and wines served onboard are indigenous to the country visited, whether sailing in the south of France, on the Danube in Eastern Europe, or the Rhine in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. 

A Culinary Cruise offers both the love of cooking, fine dining and so much more. Often on a Culinary Cruise celebrity chefs demonstrate their techniques, share their menus and let you participate in the process. Imagine taking a tour of a local market with a culinary expert! Culinary cruises take immersion into a local destination to a new level.

Here are five of the best ocean-going cruise lines to cook up your culinary education:

Crystal Cruises – In addition to hands-on instruction, days at sea feature chefs’ demos, wine tastings, pairing sessions and lessons in the art of the perfect cocktail.

Holland America Line - The Culinary Arts Center, a first-class “show-kitchen at sea” presented by Food & Wine magazine, integrates your love for fine food and wine with a unique and entertaining experience.

Oceania Cruises - Aboard the fleet’s newest ships, the Marina and Riviera, you can become immersed in the joy of cooking gourmet cuisine at the Bon Appétit Culinary Center, a hands-on culinary studio featuring 24 individual cooking stations.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises - At Regent’s Le Cordon Bleu Workshops, celebrated chefs provide a hands-on introduction to the art of French cooking.

Silversea Cruises - This luxury cruise line offers a broad curriculum of tantalizing culinary events designed exclusively for the first Relais & Châteaux L’École des Chefs at sea.

Isn’t it time that you had a “taste” of the good life?