Vacations

[Reub]

With all of this cold weather and snow in my neck of the woods I had the opportunity to escape it for 9 days and took a cruise to the Caribbean. The total pampering (and temperatures approaching 90 degrees) didn't hurt either. Does anyone have other vacation spots that they would recommend?

[moda0306]

Maui.
Cabo.

[Mountaineer]

Philadelphia
New York
Boston

[Libertarian666]

Seattle.
Vancouver.
Antarctica, but not if you don't like cold.
Yellowstone, preferably before it blows up. 

[Reub]

I also found that tripadvisor.com was a valuable resource in choosing land excursions that were not part of the cruise line's domain.

[Lonestar]

Iran to relax visa requirements amid tourism boom:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/06/world/mea ... oom-sayah/

Enjoy the sun and fantastic food, and maybe take in a couple of public executions, while your wife does some burka shopping.

[ns3]

Living in Florida near the cruise ports, I've done about 5 Caribbean cruises so far. What I like about it is that it's cost-effective, all things considered, and it doesn't require all the planning work that comes with other vacations. You just book the cruise and you are good to go, just sit back and relax. And the food and entertainment nowadays is incredible.

What I don't like is that you don't get to spend much time in the ports so you really don't get much of a feel for the countries you are visiting. Almost every one we visit we tell ourselves we want to come back and spend more time. Might do that this year.

[clacy]

Maui
Puerto Vallarta

[dualstow]

Iran to relax visa requirements amid tourism boom:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/06/world/mea ... oom-sayah/

Enjoy the sun and fantastic food, and maybe take in a couple of public executions, while your wife does some burka shopping.

I would love to go to Iran, and I saw that Rick Steve the tv travel guy was encouraging Americans to be bold and go. I think it's a little bit easier, though, when you're a known tv personality. Maybe in 2024.

[craigr]

I've found that most people know that an individual from a country has very little control over the government decisions of that country. I've never really been to a place that people may take it out on your personally (I've never been to an active war zone or place where the US government is actively propping up a dictator though and would avoid those places myself).

Personally, I'd be much more worried about countries with high criminal kidnapping rates (like Mexico, Brazil, etc.) than a place like Iran that does not have that tradition. Kidnappers really don't care about politics and don't respond to diplomatic pressure.

Also, I make it a policy to not talk about politics in countries I visit (especially the ones where the US reception is lukewarm). Americans like talking politics more than just about anyone I've known. They have strong opinions and feel they have some First Amendment world-wide right to blab on and on about these things.  It's just a bad idea doing it in many places though, especially when you don't know the full history of US involvement with the government, etc.. It's best to just smile, act like you don't know much about whatever issue it is they want to discuss, and change the subject. With this attitude I find most people will ask me more about US life, various attractions/parks, etc. and the politics issue fades away.

[Lonestar]

Personally, I'd be much more worried about countries with high criminal kidnapping rates (like Mexico, Brazil, etc.) than a place like Iran that does not have that tradition. Kidnappers really don't care about politics and don't respond to diplomatic pressure.

Kidnapping is also my biggest concern, in fact it's one of those things I'd label a fear.  I have a friend that just did the Panama Canal cruise.  In almost all of the western Mexican ports, Costa Rica, and Guatemala the cruise line advised not wandering around in the port cities unless you were on a cruise sponsored excursion.  The ports were cordoned off from the cities using high fences.  Most had armed military guards present.

It's sad that it has come to this and must create a terrible economic burden to those small towns previously dependent on the cruise travelers.

[Reub]

Update on my "fabulous" Caribbean cruise:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wir ... p-21848833

"SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico January 26, 2014 (AP)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 281 passengers have fallen ill aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

The CDC said in a statement Friday that another 22 crew members also are ill, with people reporting vomiting and diarrhea. Authorities said it's not yet clear what is causing the illness.

The CDC said health officials will board the ship on Sunday while it's docked in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Authorities said specimens are being collected and will be tested.

A total of 3,050 passengers and 1,165 crew members are aboard the Explorer of the Seas."

I was on that same ship and disembarked this past Tuesday. The second evening after I returned home I developed the same symptoms. I literally thought that I was going to die and actually passed out and hit my head among the other gastric symptoms. I attributed my illness to something that I ate on Wednesday after I had left the ship but then I read this news story. It sure sounds like the dreaded norovirus! Anyway, I'm starting to feel better but this might make me change my future vacation plans.

[Pointedstick]

You're cursed, Reub! Wishing you a speedy recovery.

[Reub]

Sometimes I feel that way too! But not always.

[Xan]

Wow, Reub, that's terrible!  Glad you're feeling better.  And yes, this certainly would make me think twice about getting on one of those ships...

[dualstow]

Ugh, shouldn't have had the ceviche. Feel better, Reub!

[Mountaineer]

Reub,

Ugh!  What a way to end a nice trip.  Glad you are on the mend.

... Mountaineer

[ns3]

Personally, I'd be much more worried about countries with high criminal kidnapping rates (like Mexico, Brazil, etc.) than a place like Iran that does not have that tradition. Kidnappers really don't care about politics and don't respond to diplomatic pressure.

Kidnapping is also my biggest concern, in fact it's one of those things I'd label a fear.  I have a friend that just did the Panama Canal cruise.  In almost all of the western Mexican ports, Costa Rica, and Guatemala the cruise line advised not wandering around in the port cities unless you were on a cruise sponsored excursion.  The ports were cordoned off from the cities using high fences.  Most had armed military guards present.

It's sad that it has come to this and must create a terrible economic burden to those small towns previously dependent on the cruise travelers.

I observed this last year at our last stop in Grand Turk where they had cordoned off an area for the cruise ship complete with a beach, lots of duty free stores and a large pool with a Jimmy Buffet's swim-up bar. You didn't even have to leave the area and if you did there was a big sign warning you that you were on your own.

Also, I observed that the third-party shore excursions I had booked in the past were impossible to find now. Had to book them all through the cruise lines.

Personally I don't like this and it is the reason I probably won't take another Caribbean cruise.

Call me cynical but upon making these observations my first thoughts weren't that it was about protecting passengers from crime but rather cruise line profits.

[Ad Orientem]

Reub
Sorry to hear of your indisposition but glad you are on the mend. Norovirus is a constant threat on cruise ships these days. Some other places I can suggest for vacation, the Eastern Mediterranean especially around the Greek Islands and Costa Rica. I have had several recommendations for a little beach hotel called the Banana Azul on the east coast of Costa Rica. Haven't been there myself but some friends went and they never stopped talking about it. I looked them up on the web and the reviews were consistently 4-5 stars.

[blackomen]

You could come here to California..  we've been having unseasonably warm weather this month (did all the heat from the East Coast escape here?)

It's gonna cool down a bit in a week..  so check with your airlines if they have any last minute seats to California available they'd like to fill cheaply..

[dualstow]

The ship arrived in NJ with 600 ill or recently ill passengers. Maybe they should quarantine them for a while.
http://seattletimes.com/html/travel/202 ... break.html

Explorer of the Seas is on track to depart at its originally scheduled time Friday afternoon on its next cruise, a nine-night trip with port calls in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, a Royal Caribbean spokeswoman said

.

I think I'll pass.

I'd almost rather be on that ( urban marine legend ) Russian ghost ship with cannibalistic rats.

[Reub]

The ship is going out again tomorrow. Now there's some fast sanitizing!