Traditional cruising today, nuclear yachts tomorrow?

If you’ve cruised the Mediterranean, you’ve probably seen them tied up at the port: the superyacht. We saw one when we came ashore on Malta during our family Med cruise last month. A quick Google search revealed that this one was owned by the family of a late Mexican industrialist. Some years ago, Dave and I saw one at an Italian port that was reportedly owned by Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

            Superyachts are more than just plain old yachts, of course. They’re big (78 feet or more long), with professional crews and high-end amenities, such as state-of-the-art technology, opulent interiors and extensive recreational facilities. As you might guess, they’re not cheap: Boat International’s website has several for sale, with prices starting around $8 million.

            These are not like the pontoons we see cruising the lakes of northwest Wisconsin, for sure.

            There have been some interesting developments in superyacht technology, relating to their engines. For a hundred years or so, yachts were powered by oil-fired engines, like larger passenger ships. Recent decades have seen the increased use of hydrogen fuel-cells, which are cleaner and more efficient than traditional diesel engines. But designers aren’t stopping there. The first nuclear-powered superyacht will be sailing over the horizon soon.

            The first nuclear-powered vessel was a U.S. Navy submarine, USS Nautilus, launched in 1954. It became the first vessel to sail under the Arctic ice cap over the North Pole a few years later. Decommissioned in 1980, Nautilus—named after the fictional submarine in Jules Verne’s 1870 novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea—paved the way for nuclear-powered warships. Today, our Navy has more than 80 such vessels, including 11 aircraft carriers. But the use of nuclear power on civilian ships has so far been limited to a handful of research vessels. High costs, tight regulations and safety fears have scared away potential investors and shipbuilders…until now.

            The Dutch superyacht builder Feadship has joined the Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization (NEMO), a consortium of companies “dedicated to advancing fair and effective regulations for the deployment, operation and decommissioning of floating nuclear power.” (In the Verne novel, the inventor and captain of the electric-powered submarine was named Nemo.) Feadship announced in 2020 that it was exploring technology that would lead to “carbon-neutral yachting” and has now revealed a concept for a nuclear-powered ship called Relativity.

            The company has been on the cutting edge of yacht tech for a while. Last year, it designed and built a 390-foot yacht named Breakthrough, the first superyacht to be powered entirely by hydrogen. The original owner was billionaire Bill Gates, who never took possession; he has it on the market for $645 million.

            The technology is certainly ready to go, considering that the Navy has been sailing nuclear vessels for more than 70 years. What’s holding everything up? Lloyd’s Register says it comes down to “public perception and politics.” Issues like robust safeguards and disposal of spent fuel, acceptable radiation dose limits for crew and environmental issues are challenges, too. “Will countries allow nuclear-powered yachts into their territorial waters, allow them to berth in their marinas, allow them to be serviced and refueled?” While these are legitimate concerns, it’s not hard to imagine protestors lining the docks holding signs that reference Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.

            Despite those obstacles, work is proceeding on nuclear propulsion systems for yachts, and potential buyers are lining up. These would have to be large ships, 350-footers or longer, but we should see them sailing by 2030. The fact that these are zero-emission propulsion systems means that shipbuilders are taking a “when, not if” attitude toward nuclear power. The Lloyd’s report put it this way: “The potential benefits of extended range, high power output, environmental sustainability, and technological prestige make nuclear-powered yachts an intriguing and possibly transformative project. The maritime industry may very well enter a new era where yachts are powered by the boundless energy of the atom.”

            It’s always a “wow” moment when science fiction becomes reality. While you might be able to sail on a nuclear yacht soon (if you know the right people), conventional cruise ships are waiting for you right now. We’re already making reservations for 2027 sailings, so don’t wait to book yours. Give us a call!

Sue Tindell

Pack smart, Travel happy 

You’ve met with us at our office, finalized your itinerary, verified all your documents, reserved your dog at the kennel, confirmed that your neighbor will water your flowers. You’re all set for vacation, except for the one chore everybody dreads:

Packing.

Maybe it’s a short trip and you might get by with a carryon. Or a carryon and one checked bag will do. That’s usually the case, but not always; on our recent family cruise of the Mediterranean, my sister-in-law brought along two checked bags and one carryon that was almost as large as she was. (She’s a petite lady.) Regardless of where we’re going, packing is always a challenge. Travel writer Hayley Spencer of The Guardian recently wrote about 12 travel packing “hacks” that can save us space and money.

· Ziplock bags. Cheap and flexible, Ziplock bags have different sizes so you can find one (or more) that’ll do the job. They’ll adapt to whatever space you have available: they can be rolled, squished and used inside one another to save space.

· Waterproof tote. For the beach or the pool, one of these is indispensable. It’ll keep everything dry and sand-free, but they’re also handy if you’re going someplace where liquids could get spilled, such as a coffee shop. On a flight, it’s a nifty carryon that can be stored under the seat.

· Packable yoga mat. If you like to practice yoga, you’ll want to do it on your trip, but you’re not quite sure about the mats in the studio at the resort or on the ship. Yoga Design Lab has a game-changing packable yoga mat. Made from recycled plastic bottles, it can be folded like a towel for easier packing.

· Thin layers. If it’s cold where you’re going, technical coats and jackets do the job without taking up much space. Some are made from down, which flattens and is very lightweight. You can wear it on the plane comfortably, allowing extra space in your bag or carryon.

· Roll your clothes and use a backpack. A backpack can be very convenient if you’re visiting an urban area where you will be hopping on and off public transit. Rolling and separating clothing into fabric tote bags can save a lot of space in your suitcase.

· Color code your clothes. Pack colors and tones that pair well together, so you can mix and match while sometimes wearing the same pair of jeans or shorts on multiple occasions. Also, buy toiletries at your destination.

· Wear sports gear on the plane. Heading somewhere for a ski weekend? It’s possible to pack what you’ll need within your cabin allowance. Wear your ski jacket and beanie, along with waterproof shoes with good grip. Rent your skis and boots at the site rather than packing them. Clip your helmet to your carryon.

· Travel-sized beauty. Buying toiletries at your destination saves packing space at the front end, although it might not for your return. If you do bring your toiletries, streamline them. Use products that double up and skip some products like blush and concealer. If you’re traveling to a hot destination, you’ll use less makeup anyway. Decant as much of your skincare liquids as you can into reusable 100ml bottles that you can bring onboard in your carryon.

· Minimize the tech. If you’re traveling with the family these days, it means everybody wants to bring their own devices, sometimes two or even three apiece (phone, tablet, laptop). Try to limit everyone to one device and share charging cables. Yes, cables don’t take up a lot of room, but they can get in the way.

· Clothes that look good crinkled. Two words: linen separates. A shirt and trousers in the same color are lightweight, pack well and can be styled in multiple ways. Pair them with classic foundational pieces, like a tee, white shirt, jeans, Birkenstock clogs and a cardigan, and you’re set for the trip.

· The wear-everywhere shoe. Footwear can be a real challenge, both because they take up a lot of room in the suitcase and we want to take more than we really need. (And yes, this includes men!) A single comfortable, neutral pair should do the job and will definitely save a lot of space. Okay, if you need casual shoes and also something for formal wear, that’s two pair. Three, if you insist.

· Travel-friendly formal wear. Attending a wedding, a black-tie dinner, or a visit to a luxury restaurant? Men should pay special attention here. Pack items that can fit the bill for your event but can easily pack, such as foldable sunglasses, travel-friendly shirts (stretch- and wrinkle-resistant), and pack them with wire hangers to keep their shape. Avoid using garment bags for your suits, even if it’s a tuxedo. And if you need a tux, why not rent one at the destination?

Packing can be an annoying necessity, but why not make it a challenge? And remember, the more space you have on the outbound flight, the more space you’ll have for things to bring home! Give us a call, and we’ll send you packing!

Sue Tindell

 Beyond the Video: The Crew’s Job

    

As we settled into our seats on our Delta flight home from Amsterdam a few weeks ago, our TV screens showed the mandatory safety video. Remember the days when flight attendants would stand throughout the cabin and demonstrate the safety regulations personally? Now, it’s all on video, except for smaller, regional flights.

            Every airline tries to make their safety video a little different from their competitors’. Delta, which is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year, does it nicely, with flight attendants and passengers dressed in the uniforms and clothing styles of various eras, from the 1920s to the ‘90s. (We got a kick out of the 10-year-old kid impersonating Michael Jackson, moonwalking down the aisle.) A few months ago, we were impressed by Air New Zealand’s video, with Hollywood-level production values and celebrity guests. British Airways uses videos that cleverly parody popular UK period dramas. You can see some of the best here: Best Airline Safety Videos.

            Air New Zealand started this creative trend about 16 years ago, with its video featuring cabin crew and flight attendants who were wearing uniforms—but not! They were all body-painted. (You’ll have to look that one up yourself.)

            The flight attendants in these videos all seem to be having a great time, and we have to say that on all the flights we’ve been on, it’s hard to remember an instance of rudeness or incompetence by a flight attendant. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t widely held misconceptions about the profession. Yes, they travel all over the world, visiting the best beaches and exotic night spots (sometimes), but it’s not an easy job by any means. The travel site islands.com recently listed the 11 biggest misconceptions about the flight attendant profession:

·         It’s easy to get hired. All you need are good people skills, right? Not really. Fewer than 5% of applicants get hired. It’s tougher to get one of these jobs at a major airline than it is to get into an Ivy League college. There are physical requirements (and they have nothing to do with personal beauty). Height is one of them; KLM requires applicants to be between 5’2” and 6’2” tall. Applicants must pass a rigorous interview process and then undergo weeks of training once they’re hired.

·         Their primary job is to serve passengers. In the post-WW2 commercial air travel boom, the term “trolley dolly” was applied to flight attendants, because all they seemed to do was push the “trolleys” down the aisle to serve drinks and meals. Actually, the primary job of a flight attendant is safety, the passengers’ and the crew’s. They’re trained to open doors and understand the layouts of aircraft so they can execute evacuations in under 90 seconds. Those are worst-case scenarios and very rare, of course, but there are more common safety issues like medical emergencies, fires and, yes, unruly passengers.

·         They’re paid during delays. They don’t punch a time clock, and their hours can vary wildly based on the flight’s itinerary. Flight attendants have pay rates that vary based on whether or not the flight is on schedule. If the plane is grounded for whatever reason, they still get paid, but at a much lower rate.

·         They’re paid for boarding and deplaning. Flight attendants are paid their full rate only when the plane door closes and everyone is on board. So, for all the time they spend helping you to your seat, stowing your carryon overhead and otherwise making sure you and your companions are comfortable, they’re being paid less than their prime rate. Airlines have started to re-examine this arrangement; in 2022, Delta began awarding boarding pay, although it’s still less than the full rate.

·         They’re required to help with your bags. Flight attendants are required to help passengers organize their bags but not lift them into the overhead bins. It’s assumed that passengers will not bring bags aboard that are too heavy for them to handle—but of course, many do. Attendants might work as many as four flights a day, which is four sessions of helping boarding passengers with their bags, and that’s a lot of bags. The risk of injury is high. Many airlines won’t offer paid leave if an attendant is injured lifting a bag.

·         They all make the same amount of money. Like almost every profession, flight attendant pay varies, based on seniority and the size of the airline. Entry-level attendants at smaller airlines can make as low as $25,000/year, while a senior attendant at a major carrier can earn a salary into six figures. United reportedly starts its attendants at about $29/hour. If your flight has four attendants, chances are each of them are making a different level of salary.

·         They fly only on specific routes. Unlike crews on trains, airline flight attendants are always working different routes. “What route do you fly?” is the most common question they ask each other when they meet at airports. Every day is different. Speakers of a second language are likely to be assigned to certain sectors where those skills can be useful. Seniority plays a role; those who’ve been with the airline the longest get their first pick of available trips. Attendants will fly only on planes they’ve been trained on, so this necessarily limits routes for less experienced crew.

·         Layovers are always exciting. International routes, which most travelers would presume include the types of layovers we see in the movies, aren’t as glamorous as we might think. Attendants will use layovers for rest and recuperation. They might have flown across multiple time zones, worked throughout the night, and might be headed home in a day or two. They need to be fully recharged for the return flight, so late-night clubbing and long days at the beach are rare.

·         They’re all single women without children. In the early years of commercial flights, attendants, known as “stewards,” were all men. The first woman wasn’t hired until 1930. She was Ellen Church, 25, a registered nurse and pilot from Iowa, hired by Boeing Air Transport, which called her and the women who followed “sky girls.” They had to be single, 25 or younger, weight less than 115 pounds and be no taller than 5’4”. They might have to assist in fueling the aircraft and pushing it into the hangar. Church’s first flight was San Francisco to Chicago, a 20-hour haul with 13 stops, for 14 passengers. Today, about 85% of flight attendants are women, and many of them have children.

·         They aren’t well-educated. On the contrary: CareerExplorer data shows that 70% of flight attendants have some post-secondary education. Degrees in hospitality, nursing, business and even the law are common.

·         They can call ahead to hold a plane for your connection. No, they can’t keep a plane waiting at the gate if you’re late. The most they can do is help you look up your connecting flight to see how far away your gate will be or find out if it’s delayed. There’s a reason they’re called flight attendants; their purview is the flight on which they’re working.

So, the world of flight attendants isn’t quite what we have typically seen from the movies and TV, is it? Well, the movies tend to glamorize just about every profession…although I’m still waiting for a film featuring a travel agent as the star! Ready to see your next airline safety video? Give us a call!

Sun, Sand & Service -- Winter 2026 Awaits

            It’s still August, but the cooler weather lately has gotten all of us thinking about autumn, and what comes after that: winter. And when our clients start thinking about winter, they start calling us. Now’s the time to plan your winter 2026 getaway, and that usually means someplace with sun, a beach and somebody else to do the cooking and cleaning for a few days.

            If you’re looking for an all-inclusive, no-kids-allowed resort, the Caribbean has plenty to choose from. FamilyVacationist.com travel writer Caroline Teel recently put together a list of the ten best:

·         Sandals Royal Caribbean, Montego Bay, Jamaica. The first vacation my husband-to-be and I went on was to a Sandals near Ocho Rios, and this one sounds even better. The resort’s offshore private island features over-the-water bungalows and villas, complete with a Balinese-style pool, swim-up bar and Sandals’ renowned Red Lane Spa. More than two dozen types of rooms allow for amenities like private plunge pools, in-room jacuzzis, and over-water hammocks-for-two. And did we mention the resort’s nine restaurants?

·         Cocos Hotel Antigua, Jolly Harbour, Antigua. Nestled against one of Antigua’s most beautiful white-sand beaches, this is a boutique all-inclusive resort where you can choose from 34 cliff-top cottages, all equipped with hammocks, Adirondack chairs and outdoor showers. You can take in the sunset while sipping champagne in your private cliffside infinity pool.

·         Stolen Time, Castries, St. Lucia. We got married on this island, and if we ever go back, this is the resort for us: an island escape with a focus on wellness. Within a seven-acre tropical garden on the island’s northwest coast, this resort is along a golden-sand beach and offers 100 guest rooms (including 43 suites), three restaurants and three bars. Enjoy holistic spa treatments along with yoga, meditation, archery and art classes. The resort’s philosophy: “It’s about time you introduced your body to your mind.”

·         Serenity at Coconut Bay, Vieux Fort, St. Lucia. Or maybe we’ll go to this one. Three dozen luxurious suites await the visitor, each with a four-poster mahogany bed looking out through a glass wall to a private patio with a personal plunge pool and waterfall, hammock for two and a fully stocked wet bar. Inside, there’s a walk-in rain shower, soaking tub, espresso machine and Bose entertainment system. All reservations include butler service, unlimited gourmet dining, premium spirits and craft cocktails, private airport transfers and romantic activities like a Jazz Sunset Cruise.

·         Sandals Grenada, St. George’s, Grenada. Sandals scores again with 22 room types, but for a truly romantic vacation, book the SkyPool Butler Suite. You’ll find a private infinity pool cantilevered over the beach for incredible ocean views. The resort also has ten gourmet restaurants, a swim-up bar on the beach and PADI-certified scuba diving, just one of the standard amenities.

·         Couples Tower Isle, Ocho Rios, Jamaica. This is one we have visited, and I’m not surprised it’s on this list. The five-star property is perched on one of Jamaica’s best white-sand beaches. There are eight Oasis Spa Villas, offering guests unlimited spa treatments during their stay. Dave and I still talk about the couples massage we indulged in. Other amenities include unlimited gourmet dining, premium spirits, scuba diving, golf, tennis and off-site excursions. And if you dare, there’s also a clothing-optional beach on an offshore island.

·         The Caves, Negril, Jamaica. If you’re looking for an intimate resort experience, here it is. The Caves has only 12 rooms, all custom-designed cliffside cottages with luxurious interiors, and many have outdoor showers and private patios. Within the resort are private caves, a saltwater swimming pool, a spa featuring the trademark Jamaican brown sugar body scrub, and local nightlife.

·         Hermitage Bay, St. Mary’s, Antigua. A recent multimillion-dollar renovation has made this resort on the island’s west coast better than ever. It now has 30 fully redesigned guest villa suites, many with their own pools and outdoor showers, a refreshed spa and a new beach club concept and bar. Nestled within 140 acres of tropical gardens, activities include guided farm tours, weekly cooking classes, sunset cruises and snorkeling trips. Helicopter and boat rides are also available to the nearby island of Barbuda, where guests can visit a sister resort.

·         Sandals Barbados, St. Lawrence Gap, Barbados. This resort offers 280 suites in 14 categories, so you’re bound to find something that fits your tastes and desires. With swim-up rooms that allow you to walk right out into the island’s longest lazy-river pool to suites that include butler service, the resort is comprised of three unique villages, so you can experience something new without leaving the property. There are 11 different restaurants and eight intimate lounges and bars, too. And if you want to get married here, wedding services are free.

·         Pineapple Beach Club Antigua, Long Bay, St. Philips North, Antigua. This resort is the picture of island perfection, nestled between a powdery white beach and a lush green forest. You can frolic in the three on-site pools, play pickleball, sample traditional Caribbean cuisine, sail, snorkel—it’s all included. The resort’s Tranquility Body and Soul Spa welcomes you with a variety of relaxation and wellness offerings. Each of the club’s 180 rooms has a balcony or patio that offers views of the beach, garden or pool.

Wow! I’ll have to tell my husband that our beach getaways are already set for the next decade! Ready to explore one of them yourself? Give us a call!

Sue Tindell

 

 Cruising the Med — Family Edition

 
What’s better than spending a week on a luxury cruise liner in the Mediterranean? Spending it with family! That’s what my husband Dave and I did this past week, and while it was hot and at times a little too busy, we had a wonderful time.

            Dave’s late parents had taken their kids and grandkids on two family cruises back in the 2000s, and they were surely looking down on us last week as a dozen family members gathered in Barcelona, Spain, to board the Ascent, one of the newest ships in the Celebrity fleet. We set sail on August 2 and headed east.

            Day 1 – Celebrity’s boarding procedure is almost entirely online, thanks to its app, and went very smoothly. We had cabins in the concierge class, with virtual balconies in each and easy access by elevator or stairs to the rest of the ship. Our service throughout the cruise was first-rate.

            Day 2 – At sea, we explored the ship and had the first of many excellent meals. The Ascent has four main dining rooms and some smaller, specialty restaurants that are an extra charge, but worth it, from what we were told—we typically dined as a family, so it was more convenient to stick to the larger rooms. And the food…well, as any veteran cruiser will tell you, good food is an absolute must, and the Ascent came through. Its Oceanside Café provided a well-stocked buffet that didn’t feel like one. We had breakfast there every day and one or two evening meals as well.

            The large outdoor pool was crowded but lively, so we preferred the smaller, indoor solarium pool with its gentler ambience. Our 7-year-old grandson, Pax, was a big-pool guy, though, and also made use of the special kids’ room with video games and foosball. Dave and his brother Alan made sure to visit the ping-pong tables.

            Day 3 – Our first shore excursion was on the central Mediterranean island of Malta. The island has been an important place for centuries, thanks to its strategic location in the middle of the Med, only about 90 miles south of Sicily and almost as close to North Africa. We went ashore and boarded small boats for a tour of the renowned coastal blue grottos, and then explored the capital city of Valletta, with its fortresses, museums and churches.

            Day 4 – Another day at sea as we sailed east. Dave and I visited the spa on Monday, and on this day, I took our daughter Kim for a treatment as a birthday gift. Indulging yourself in the ship’s spa can be a little pricey, but it’s well worth it. Our attendants were highly skilled, and we left feeling refreshed and invigorated.

            There’s plenty to do on a ship during sea days. The casino is open and always busy, and the shops offer items ranging from jewelry and wristwatches to clothing and souvenirs. There’s an art gallery, and photographers are everywhere, providing plenty of opportunities for family photos.

            The entertainment on board was first-rate, too. We caught the comedy show by English comic Tom Deacon and a dazzling hour-plus of music from another Brit, singer-pianist Claire Maidin. Shipboard shows have come a long way in the time since we started cruising in the mid-90s, with lavish productions, often involving visual effects and Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics. We didn’t make the magic show on our last night aboard, but Pax said he really enjoyed it.

            Day 5 – We came ashore on the Greek island of Mykonos and took a smaller boat over to the nearby island of Delos, once home to a thriving commercial town in ancient times. The ruins and museum were fascinating, and when we returned to Mykonos, we spent time wandering through its charming alleyways, enjoying a near-overdose of window shopping. Greek shops will take euros for cash but credit cards are always welcome.

            Day 6 – Today we arrived in Turkey, boarding our tour bus in the port city of Kusadasi and heading to ancient Ephesus. We visited the Basilica of St. John, where the Apostle John is entombed, followed by a journey up into the nearby hills for an emotional visit to the final home of Mary, mother of Jesus. Then we explored the ancient city of Ephesus, which housed over 100,000 people during its peak years some 2,000 years ago. This is where the Apostle Paul lived and preached, and the ruins are spectacular. It was hot, about 100 degrees, but we made liberal use of sunscreen, kept our hats on and water bottles handy, and we were fine.

            Day 7 – Back to the Greek islands, this time to Santorini, one of the most charming of the 270 or so that are inhabited. Our daughter had invited us to join her family in a photo shoot, which produced some great results with the stunning vistas of the village of Oia and the Aegean as a backdrop. We had a nice lunch and then a wine-tasting at a charming tavern before heading back to the ship, stopping in the village of Fira and then walking the twisting, turning Karavolades Stairs (all 588 of them) down to the Old Port, where we boarded the tender for a welcome return to the ship for our final night aboard.

            Day 8 – Disembarkation was just as smooth as boarding the ship had been. We’d arranged a small tour bus for our group to pick us up at the port of Piraeus and take us into the sprawling Greek capital of Athens for our tour of the ancient Acropolis. Our guide there did a fine job telling us about the history, art and architecture of the place that was the center of the ancient Greek world. We were a little bit weary when we finally checked into our hotel, not too far from the Hellenic Parliament, but we had a great view that night of the moon over the Parthenon.

            Day 9 – We’d decided to extend our stay in Greece to include a day trip to two famous sites of antiquity, the Oracle at Dephi and the Thermopylae battlefield. We engaged a luxury tour bus and enjoyed the drive out of the city and into the countryside. Mountains cover about 80% of Greece, providing some truly spectacular scenery. The Oracle site is easy to access with a self-guided tour, and we learned a lot about this place that was such an important part of ancient Greece. Then, we stopped at Thermopylae, visiting the monument to Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, who confronted invading Persians at this then-narrow pass in 480BC and fought to the last man, helping to save Greece from conquest.

            Day 10 – Our visit had finally ended, and after a long day of travel, starting with a 6am flight from Athens to Amsterdam, we finally arrived home some 23 hours after a groggy middle-of-the-night wakeup call. We had a wonderful time with our family and saw some of the most spectacular sights of two worlds, the ancient and the modern. Our kids are already talking about our next family cruise!

            Vacationing with the family, no matter where you might want to go, can produce memories that will last for generations. How about getting one organized for yours? Give us a call!

Sue Tindell

            

 🚢 Setting Sail in Style: Our Cruise Aboard Celebrity Ascent!

My husband Dave and I are cruising the Mediterranean this week, aboard the Celebrity Ascent, the newest cruise ship in the Celebrity fleet. It’s 1,073 feet long, has 17 decks and we sailed with close to a full load of 3,260 guests. (By comparison, the most famous cruise liner in history, the RMS Titanic, was 882.5 feet long, had 9 decks and set sail on its only voyage in 1912 with space for 2,453 passengers, although only 1,317 were on board.)

            Cruise ships have come a long way in the last 113 years, and one major area is entertainment. Titanic had its own orchestra which performed daily, but that was it. No Broadway-style shows, or night-club acts like we’re familiar with today. (It would’ve been vaudeville in those days.) Recently, Condé Nast Traveler took a close look at the entertainment offered by NCL’s Norwegian Aqua, a ship slightly larger than our Ascent.

            The main show featured on the Aqua is a revue, Revolution, a Celebration of Prince, the late Minnesota-born guitarist and singer. Guests have a choice of how to view the show. The first is in a traditional theater setting with the curtain going up at 7:30pm. The second, two hours later, also takes place in the theater, but converted to a nightclub. As is commonplace on larger ships these days, entertainment can be found throughout the ship: in the atrium, on the pool deck, and just about any public place where passengers might be getting bored. Following current trends, NCL’s shows are going for less tradition and more “flash.” The company’s VP of entertainment production told the Traveler, “Our guests want three things: music they know, visual spectacle and narratives that are easy to follow.”

            “Easy to follow” doesn’t mean “easy to produce.” Aqua has more than 40 performers on board, who are expected to perform for 3-4 hours per day. In the Revolution show, there are 98 distinct costumes composed of 384 total pieces and 48 quick changes, 5 of which happen onstage. Every piece is washed and dried in the ship’s laundry every night. The troupe includes 10 dancers, 6 vocalists and 2 aerialists, all of whom also perform in the ship’s other show, a Cirque du Soleil-style production titled Elements: The World Expanded, on the same stage, which also features a magician.

Performers spend up to 6 weeks at the cruise line’s Shows and Experiences Creative Studios learning everything they’ll need for the productions. The studio outside Tampa covers 112,000 square feet. It’s where the line’s 70,000 costumes are sewn, fitted and stored, and where 7,000 pairs of Capezio dance shoes are inventoried. Materials for set pieces are also sent here to be constructed and sent out to shipyards for installation.

These mammoth facilities are common among the cruise lines. Royal Caribbean has a 130,000-square-foot space in Biscayne Bay on the campus of Florida International University. RCL has recently produced shows like Grease and Mamma Mia! and employs athletes like high divers, figure skaters and even skateboarders. Most lines employ their entertainers on six-month contracts, and the work is popular: at NCL, about 75% return for a second gig. Many of the executives in charge of entertainment on the lines started out as cast members.

Two of the aerialists in the Revolution show, Monique Colondres and Nazar Bondarchuk, developed their act together after meeting and falling in love on a previous contract. “Performing while traveling by ship means constantly adapting,” Colondres said, and her partner added, “That’s what keeps the work alive.”

Our ship, the Celebrity Ascent, isn’t taking a back seat to any other ship when it comes to entertainment. We’ll be seeing shows that were months in the making, with 17 choreographers, 500 costumes, a production team of more than 100 people, performances of more than 80 songs and a troupe of 7 world-class acrobats, including the Bilak Brothers, a pair of Ukrainian aerialists who have performed all over Europe and on international TV.

As on every cruise ship these days, especially those in the mid-sized (like Ascent) and large ships, there’s something going on all the time. It can be overwhelming, but the ships do a good job of providing quiet spaces for relaxation, lounging around a pool or reading in an atrium. And, of course, conversation with your fellow passengers. As for us this week, we’re thinking that we’ll be kept busy with our 7-year-old grandson!

Ready to set sail? We’re already booking cruise vacations into 2027, and space is filling up fast. Give us a call!

Baggage Blues? Here’s How to Handle Lost Bags Like a Pro 🧳

In terms of “worst nightmares” for travelers, losing your bag isn’t the absolute “worst,” but it’s close.

            Maybe you know the feeling. You’ve arrived at your destination, anticipating the fun that is to come on the ship or at the resort, the sights that you’ll see. You might be in a country you’ve never visited before, and that in itself could be a source of unease. Or maybe you’ve just arrived home, and you’re tired and looking forward to your own bed just a few hours from now. You find the proper baggage carousel at the airport, and you wait. Eventually, the belt starts moving, bags tumble down from the chute or come out from the wall. It was a full flight, so it might take a while for yours to appear…but they never do.

            Time to panic, right?

            Not quite, says Zach Wichter, travel writer for USA Today. In a recent column, Wichter talked about that dreaded feeling of realizing that your bag isn’t where it should be, on the carousel waiting for you to scoop it up. Your bag has been lost, or maybe just delayed. (There’s an important difference.) Wichter advises staying calm and taking action.

·         Don’t panic. Not seeing your bag is frustrating and maybe a little scary, especially if you kept valuables inside. (You shouldn’t, of course; that’s what carry-ons are for.) Don’t yell at any airline employees. None of the people you are about to interact with are directly at fault, so be polite.

·         Notify the airline. Every airport has a baggage-claim desk for this very purpose. They’ll advise you on what to do next. It might be possible for them to locate your bag right away. It might have been routed to the wrong carousel and be patiently cruising along the belt just a few yards away. Or, it might’ve been inadvertently left back at your departure airport, in which case it can be put on the next flight to where you are now.

·         Make sure your flight’s bags have been completely off-loaded and sent to the proper carousel. You’ll look more than a little foolish if the airline tells you that the bags from the plane are still being loaded onto the proper carousel, or that you were at the wrong one to begin with.

·         Start the claims process. If you’re sure that your bag didn’t make it, you’ll need to file a report. Make sure you keep all your paperwork with you. Have everything handy as the baggage claim person takes your information. The more info you can provide, the better.

·         Keep your receipts. The Department of Transportation requires airlines to reimburse passengers for “reasonable, verifiable and actual incidental expenses” that you incur as a result of an airline losing your bag. Typically, these are essentials like toiletries and basic clothing. This doesn’t mean you can go to the luxury shops in the airport and buy the latest designer outfit, but when the time comes to get reimbursed, you’ll need proper receipts for your purchases.

·         Make sure your baggage fees are refunded. If you spent extra money on your bags for this flight, that has to be paid back to you.

·         Stay in touch with the airline. You’ll receive updates from the airline as they search for your bag, and they’ll tell you what you’ll need for expense reimbursement once your bags are found and returned to you. Each airline has its own process for this, and while they’re similar to each other, they do vary somewhat by airline, so make sure you know what yours is.

·         Use technology to help. Many U.S. airlines now have “Apple Find My” capabilities integrated into their apps, allowing passengers to link AirTags with their reservations to help keep track of their bags. Delta, which serves most of our clients out of MSP, is one of them.

·         Reach out to your insurance company. Once your bags have been returned or officially declared lost, get in touch with your insurance company. Your belongings, if lost or damaged, could be covered by your policy. Travel insurance might also provide coverage. Most companies will only cover expenses over and above what the airline covers, so file all your expenses with the airline first.

Remember, there’s a difference between bags that are “lost” and those that are only “delayed.” The DOT and international regulations draw a clear line between the two. According to the DOT, airlines are allowed to set their own policies on when a bag can be considered lost, typically 5-14 days after the flight.

Once a bag is officially declared lost, airlines are required to reimburse passengers up to $4,700 for domestic flights and up to about $1,700 for international flights. The amount will depend on the value of the items lost, though carriers can reimburse at higher amounts.

It’s also possible that your bags were taken from the carousel by someone else who mistook them for their own bags. This happened to me and my husband once. The people who took the wrong bags reached out to the other party once they got home, opened the bags and said, “What’s all this stuff?” Now, I’m not going to say which of the parties we happened to be, but it had a happy ending!

Ready to get your own bags in the air? Give us a call!

 

 Travel to Italy, Explore Sambuca’s €1 Homes, and Find Your Retirement Dream!

My husband and I were recently watching a Hallmark movie—yes, he indulges me occasionally—in which an American woman, visiting the Italian town where her parents met and married, decides to buy the abandoned villa the newlyweds had briefly lived in. The price: one euro.

            It just so happens that there’s a ruggedly handsome handyman who lives nearby, and who also happens to be an American (his grandmother runs the coffee shop in town), and he helps the overwhelmed new home buyer renovate the property. Romance, of course, ensues, and everybody lives happily ever after. (Except for the woman’s former fiancé, who shows up unannounced to reclaim his bride-to-be and is rebuffed, with the handyman lurking in the background.)

            This is a fictional story, but can the buy-a-home-for-a-euro thing possibly be true? One euro is worth $1.17US. The answer: yes.

            CNN Travel first reported the trend back in 2019. The small town of Sambuca, located on a hilltop on the island of Sicily, had put dozens of dwellings on the market for just one euro apiece. The idea was to lure Italians and foreign expats to the village in order to help reverse a depopulation trend, which was seeing young Italians leaving their small hometowns and moving to big cities. The city fathers of Sambuca were scrapping red tape to make sure anyone interested could make their purchase right away.

            There was a catch, of course: the new owners had to commit to refurbishing their new digs within three years, at a cost starting from about $17,000. They also had to pay a security deposit of 5,000 euros, which would be refunded when the work was done. The dwellings ranged from about 400 square feet up to 1,600, so they were on the small side, compared to typical American homes.

            Sambuca focused its marketing efforts on non-Italians, and it worked. Over a dozen homes were sold within a few weeks of the deal hitting the internet. New residents were drawn by the region’s natural beauty and Moorish culture. Soon, the one-euro-home trend spread throughout Italy. Sambuca, though, is still a hot spot, known as “Italy’s Little America.”

            Many Americans are choosing Italy as a retirement destination, even if the homes they buy aren’t that cheap. Tony and Francine Smarrelli, from Syracuse, N.Y., were visiting Venice for their 50^th wedding anniversary two summers ago when they decided to leave the States and move to a coastal town in the Calabria district of southern Italy. The retired elementary school teachers are both of Italian descent. They bought a 1,500-square-foot property in the village of Scalea for about $162,000 and wound up plowing half again as much into renovating the three-bedroom home. They lived in a nearby apartment during the four-month project. They say they enjoy the quality of life, views of the Mediterranean and slow-paced vibe, not to mention great restaurants. And, it’s cheaper; the Smarrellis have reduced their monthly expenses by about $3,000, to about $1,200 per month. Back in the U.S., their monthly mortgage alone was $1,500.

            What was the toughest thing about moving to Italy? Tony says it was giving up golf. He and Francine had moved from Syracuse to Pinehurst, N.C., in 2006 for the warmer weather, and Tony won the local country club’s senior championship 11 times. But in Scalea, he’s found other activities, such as painting and mosaic wall art. He and Francine start every morning with coffee on their balcony and enjoy evenings there with a glass of wine.

            Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? If you’re contemplating retirement abroad, it pays to check it out thoroughly first. That’s where we come in. Give us a call! 

Sue Tindell

✈️ Travel Confidently: Summer 2025 Tips & Insights with Travel Designers

  Depending on how you want to look at it, the summer of 2025 is already one-third gone. That’s if you think summer started on Memorial Day weekend. Or, if you go with the summer solstice viewpoint, it’s barely begun.

            Either way, people are traveling this summer, with weekend getaways, long road trips or flights around the country and abroad. A survey by Bankrate found that 46% of Americans plan to go somewhere this summer, an increase of only 1% from last year, signaling a possible slowdown in travel after the post-pandemic boom. Popular overseas destinations include Europe (the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Greece top the list), Mexico, and Canada. As always, we tell our clients to make sure they have a Real ID, required now for domestic air travel, and if going abroad, renew their passports if they’re less than 6 months away from expiration.

            It seems that Americans who plan to travel this summer are worried. USA Today travel writer Christopher Elliott noted recently that they’re worried about a lot of things. A survey by Aon Affinity Travel Practice found more than a quarter of travelers (28%) are concerned about illness preventing a trip, and almost as many (26%) are worried about cancellations or delays due to bad weather or a natural disaster. Nineteen percent say they’re fearful of global conflicts. Half of respondents have purchased travel insurance to protect their trips.

            It’s not unreasonable to be concerned about problems impacting your travel plans. AXA Partners found that 7 in 10 Americans experienced travel mishaps in the past year. Some of these undoubtedly were caused by the travelers themselves, through unavoidable situations like sudden medical problems or simply poor planning. Others were out of their control, like bad weather, flight cancellations or delays, or issues at their destination.

            It’s possible to worry too much, though. Elliott cites the case of a woman from Spokane, Washington, who months ago had booked a cruise on the Danube for this summer. She grew concerned that water levels on the European river might be too low to accommodate the cruise ship. When river levels are low, cruise lines sometimes substitute bus tours for that part of the itinerary impacted by low water. I just checked, and the Danube is currently experiencing fluctuations in its water levels, showing lower than normal levels due to a dry spring and warm temperatures. Particularly impacted are the upper regions of the river near Passau, Germany, where most upriver cruises disembark, and along the Hungarian section; our cruise back in 2012 departed from Budapest. We also went in October, when river levels are more stable and robust, rather than in summertime.

            The Spokane woman dealt with her anxieties by booking everything herself through her credit card, which offered cancellation insurance, and she also made sure her US-based health insurance would cover her in Europe. Just to be on the super-safe side, she purchased a medical evacuation policy through Medjet. (Undoubtedly, this was a lot of work for her. We do that work on behalf of our clients, saving them the trouble and making sure all their bases are covered.)

            Elliott advises his readers to do exactly what we tell our clients:

• Book tickets that offer flexible change policies, along with travel insurance that covers long delays and cancellations.
• Work with your travel advisor (that’s us) to avoid the most disaster-prone areas, like the Caribbean during hurricane season.
• Many US travelers are concerned about the political climate they’ll encounter overseas. Some who spoke with Elliott said they’ll pretend to be Canadians, just to avoid any issues. We always advise our clients to just be themselves, be polite and respectful of local customs, and express an interest in learning about the culture of the places they’re visiting.
• Health concerns can certainly be valid, but if your doctor clears you to travel, there’s no reason not to. Just take sensible precautions and make sure you have medical insurance that will cover you outside the country.

Elliott says that what travelers should really worry about is lack of preparation. Buying non-refundable tickets, ignoring insurance, or booking online through a third-party site without checking their policies are common mistakes. One of his strongest recommendations: “Book through a reliable agent.”

That sounds like pretty good advice to us. Give us a call, and we’ll help you get where you’re going, as worry-free as possible!

  Sue Tindell

 

✈️ Best Airlines + Best Eats = Unforgettable Journeys

If you’d like to eat a meal at the best restaurant in the world, you might as well fly there on the world’s best airline. But if you’re thinking of flying on Delta or American or United to dine in Paris or Rome or New York, think again.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, made up of more than 1,100 international restaurant industry experts, including food writers and chefs, recently announced its annual list of the world’s top 50 restaurants. Here are the top five:

* Maido, Lima, Peru. Moving up from 5th a year ago, Maido is owned and run by chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, and serves Nikkei cuisine, “blending meticulous Japanese techniques with vibrant Peruvian ingredients to create a dining experience that is both culturally rich and innovatively modern,” according to the 50 Best organization.

* Asador Extebarri, Atxondo, Spain

* Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico

* Diverxo, Madrid, Spain

* Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark

Paris has been known as the home of fine cuisine for centuries, but the French capital’s best showing is 8th place for Bruno Verjus. Lima actually has two restaurants in the top 10, with Kjolle at number nine, giving Lima more restaurants in the top 10 than Paris. What city had the most dining establishments on the list? That would be Bangkok, capital of Thailand, with six, led by Gaggan in 6th place.

The only American restaurant to make the top 50 was New York City’s Atomix, at number 12. Atomix did get the award for “Outstanding Hospitality” at the recent James Beard Awards. A London restaurant, Ikoyi, was the highest climber from last year, moving up 27 spots to number 15, featuring what 50 Best calls “category free cuisine.”

Speaking of the Beard Awards, which are reserved for American restaurants and chefs, a Minneapolis restaurant that serves French and American cuisine, Bûcheron, was named best new restaurant. You can see its simple but elegant dining room above. The Beard Award for best restaurant in the country went to Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado, specializing in flavors from northeastern Italy through a Colorado lens. The outstanding chef award went to Jungsik Yim, whose New York City restaurant, Jungsik, also holds three Michelin stars for his “New Korean” cuisine.

How to get to Lima? Many airlines fly there; my husband and I flew Delta when we visited the country in 2017 to hike the Salkantay Trail to the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. We only had a pair of short layovers in Lima, without an opportunity to sample the city’s dining scene. But if we were to go again, we might just fly with the best airline in the world.

At the Paris Air Show last week, the Skyfax World Airline Awards were announced, and the top spot goes to Qatar Airways. In the 26-year history of the award, the Middle Eastern airline has now won the top spot nine times. It was also named World’s Best Business Class and Best Business Class Airline Lounge. Here are the top five, with the cities in which they’re based:

* Qatar Airways, Doha, Qatar

* Singapore Airlines, Singapore

* Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong, China

* Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

* ANA All-Nippon Airways, Tokyo, Japan

Singapore Airlines, a five-time winner of the Best Airline award, consoled itself with its runner-up finish by snagging the awards for World’s Best Cabin Crew and World’s Best First Class.

The best North American airline in the competition was Air Canada, finishing 19th overall. No U.S.-based airline landed in the top 20. Other categories included World’s Best Low-Cost Airline (AirAsia, based in Malaysia), Best Regional Airline (Bangkok Airways, Thailand) and Cleanest Airline (EVA Air, Taiwan).

Wherever you want to go, there will be an airline to get you there, and quite likely more than one or two nice restaurants at your destination. Give us a call!

Sue Tindell