Category Archives: Travel

Six Rules for Traveling in Retirement

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We have found that travel can be satisfying without being exhausting. But it has helped to follow these guidelines.

By Robbie Shell
Wall Street Journal, Aug. 20, 2024

Six guidelines that have made our travel a lot more fulfilling—and a lot less exhausting.

1. Travel offseason
Everyone knows that peak seasons aren’t ideal for traveling. But retirees have more of a commodity that working people lack—time for offseason trips. After all, you have flexibility for perhaps the first time in your life. Take advantage of it.

2. Choose ‘secondary destinations’
As retirees, we have found it easier to adopt a slower, more relaxed pace by focusing on destinations that aren’t always on the usual tourist grid.

3. Don’t be shy with strangers
One of the joys of traveling in retirement is unstructured time to enjoy casual, spontaneous conversations with people we happen to meet. Indeed, I find that impromptu connections with guides, drivers and even guards are often as memorable as the settings in which they occur.

4. Focus on just a few things
This might seem an obvious strategy for seasoned travelers, but it’s easy to slip, especially when enthusiasm for the day ahead is high after (in our case a substantial) breakfast. More can definitely be less when you’re traveling.

5. Stay at least three nights in each location
Packing and unpacking is a waste of energy. Cruises have the problem solved, but one way to approximate their advantage is to spend more nights in fewer places. By the second night, a hotel room or Airbnb is a moved-in place to rest. By the third night, it can become a familiar home-away-from-home.

6. Be prepared to improvise
When you travel in a la carte style, you are free to change the plans you made the day before for no particular reason. Maybe it’s the weather. Or perhaps you have a feeling that yesterday’s pace was too challenging or not challenging enough. Start the day whenever you want, and be open to impulsive detours to areas that aren’t on tourist bureau maps.

The travel experiences are a la carte approach which beats the prix fixe one. You are free to make tour own choices and find your own adventures as you look forward to where the next day will take you.

Southwest Airline’s Operational Meltdown During the Holidays

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“We are past the point where they [Southwest Airline] could say that this is a weather-driven issue. What this indicates is a system failure, and they need to make sure that these stranded passengers get to where they need to go and that they are provided adequate compensation.”  ~ U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

Southwest Airlines has cancelled thousands of commercial flights during the Christmas holiday period after a severe winter storm created an operational crisis that left passengers stranded during the Christmas holiday travel season, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

While all U.S. airlines experienced flight cancellations en masse due to extreme winter weather, most other airlines were able to resume normal flight operations after the conditions cleared up ― while Southwest’s cancellation rate got worse, all during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year when people fly around the country to be with family for the winter holidays.

The Texas-based airline’s troubles appear to be tied to its uncommon operational configuration, The New York Times reported.

While most airlines have their planes return to a “hub” airport after flying out to other cities, Southwest typically has its planes fly from city to city without returning to a hub ― making it difficult to strategize and arrange plane availability after weather causes mass delays.

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan commented that his company is in the process of regrouping and he hopes operations will resume normally before the week’s end.

“Our plan for the next few days is to fly a reduced schedule and reposition our people and planes,” Jordan said. “We’re making headway, and we’re optimistic to be back on track before next week.”
But that does little for stranded Southwest passengers who’ve had to drop large amounts of money booking new flights with other airlines and paying for lodging while they wait for Southwest to rebook them.

On Southwest’s website, the company posted the following “under” statement:

“We are currently experiencing operational disruptions and are working diligently and safely to restore normal flight schedules as quickly as possible.”

According to aviation experts, the Southwest Airlines meltdown has its root in outdated technology that analysts and its unions have warned about for years. The carrier’s operations created chaos at airports across the nation. And the ripple effects for travelers could last for some time.

References:

  1. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/buttigieg-southwest-airlines_n_63ac8dc3e4b0b2e1505d973a/amp
  2. https://www.southwest.com/traveldisruption/?clk=TA-IRREGULAR-OPERATIONS-MWEB&channel=mweb&pageId=home-mobile-index&datachannel=mobile

Baha Mar Resort, Nassau, The Bahamas

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Baha Mar resort, Nassau, The Bahamas is the newest family vacation destination in the Caribbean.

This blog post on travel and experiences deviates from typical posts that appear on this site. Typically, past blog posts have covered pertinent topics dealing with building wealth, healthy aging, well-being and finding life’s purpose.

However, this blog post provides details of a recent March 2022, five night, six day trip and experiences of vacationing at the SLS Baha Mar Resort located in Nassau, New Providience, The Bahamas.

Baha Mar is an integrated resort, casino, and residential development perched on Nassau’s storied Cable Beach. The destination features three renowned hotel brands and a variety of luxurious amenities including the largest casino in The Bahamas, a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, a convention center, and a diverse collection of dining, nightlife, and retail outlets.

Travel and Experiences

New Providence, The Bahamas, is a 35 to 55-minute flight from most of Florida to Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport. Baha Mar resort is approximately a 10-minute drive from the airport. Lynden Pindling International Airport offers U.S. Customs and Immigration pre-clearance in Nassau upon your return to the U.S.

Traveling to The Bahamas during COVID-19 pandemic requires a little advance planning. U.S. citizens traveling to The Bahamas are required to be vaccinated and to have a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test within three days of arrival. Additionally, The Bahamas Travel Health Visa (BTHV) ($40 cost) is required by international travelers over the age of 2 in order to enter the island country.

According to available government literature regarding travel to The Bahamas during COVID-19, individuals are required to wear a mask while indoors on the island. Although that is the stated policy of the island, what I observed was significantly different. Instead of people donning masks while indoors, I would estimate that less than one percent of the hotel guests actually wore masks indoor. In contrast, every Baha Mar associate worn their masks continuously, even outdoors.

Additionally, the Baha Mar Resorts purports to operate their hotels during COVID-19 pandemic far less than their maximum occupancy for guest comfort and safety. However, the resort was at 99% occupancy during our stay. Thus, they’re effectively operating the resort occupancy-wise as if the pandemic is no longer a concern. However, they are still going through the motions of disinfecting high touch surfaces.

Baha Mar Resort

Baha Mar Resort is located on Cable Beach, which occupies the northwest part of New Providence Island. Within the massive resort, there are three hotel brands that share the property — The Grand Hyatt, SLS Baha Mar, and Rosewood. Many resort rooms provide spectacular views of Cable Beach from balconies and permit access to the experiences of Baha Mar, such as Baha Bay water park and the white sand of Cable Beach.

We stayed at the considerably upscale SLS Baha Mar, which is advertised as “a new era of stylish, playfully sophisticated, luxe, high-design accommodations”. The hotel offers “sleek, well appointed rooms”. Also located on the property are Baha Bay water park and the casino.

During your stay at Baha Mar, you learn quickly about the burdensome Resort’s service charge of 15% and The Bahamas’ value added tax (VAT) of 10%. Added together, the combined resort’s service charge plus VAT adds 25% of additional charges to every already premium priced purchase. For example, a $16 glass of red wine would lighten your wallet an additional $4 for a total of $20 after adding the service charge and VAT. A simple Resort cheese burger starts at $26 which inflates to $32.50 after service charge and VAT are included.

Overall, the Baha Mar Resort has a plethora of amenities and activities to keep even the most acquiring guest interested. Starting with Baha Bay water park, there are death defying water slides named the “Devil’s Backbone”, which the floor drop out from under you before blasting through looping and twisting tunnels, and “Thunderball”, which is a freefall, straight-down slide that delivers an unforgettable experience. Both of these slides invoked fear into a few guests, who chose to walk back down the several flights of stairs instead of taking the faster water slide route down to ground level. Also, the water park contained The River, a typical lazy river with several interesting enhancements such as rapids and high waves. There are bail out points along The River before the rapids and several tubers did choose to abandon their tubes before making the turn to enter the rapids.

Other water activities include kayaking, paddle board and snorkeling the man made reefs a short swimming distance from the Baha Mar white sand beaches.

Dining

Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House is a celebration of Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s food and beverage creations. At the restaurant, the 8 ounce ground beef brisket and beef short rib sandwich, and Chef Yes cocktail were a favorite. Additionally, T2 Cigar Bar was a great place to relax and watch the fire fountain display during evening hours.

Resort guests are advised to make dinner reservations one week to ten days early at the most popular Baha Mar Resort restaurants like Shuang Ba haute Chinese and Fi’lia Italian restaurants. If you wait until after arrive on the Baha Mar property, it may be too late to attain dinner reservations.

Off the resort, Twin Brothers restaurant located at Fish Fry is recommended for those interested in trying local dishes prepared by local chefs. One appetizer that stands out is the Tropical Conch Salad. The salad is served in a large plastic container and it was by far one of the best dishes on the island. But, avoid the mac and cheese at Twin Brothers.

A local off-the-beaten path restaurant that is worth a visit is Sea Shell. The restaurant serves local Bahamian dishes prepared and served cafeteria style. It is well known and frequented by locals and taxi cab drivers, but it is located in an area of town few tourist would likely venture. Nevertheless, the Habanero Chicken Wings with sides of mac and cheese, and plantains, were truly memorable and well worth the short cab ride from the resort.

Casino

The Baha Mar Casino is the largest casino in the Caribbean. It was designed to remove money from every level of gambler, from casual players to high-stakes rollers, according to its literature. The casino offer several different types of gaming tables, a plethora of slot machines, live sports betting, and one of the Nassau’s top dining and nightlife scene.

For resort guest, the casino offers a $25 free play card for the slot machines. The cards must be used by guests within twenty-four hours of activation or the cards will expire.

References:

  1. https://www.onlinevisa.com/bahamas-visa/
  2. https://bahabay.bahamar.com/
  3. https://d3py87e0zuixsk.cloudfront.net/production/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/09122331/BHM_FACTBOOK_20211025_CB.pdf

Dr. Fauci Advises Staying Home for the Holidays

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Traveling and congregating together is unsafe this holiday season according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

It’s clear that “even modest size gatherings of family and friends in a home” are contributing to spread, Fauci said. “We’re starting to see infections that are emerging from what otherwise seemed like benign settings, namely a typical gathering of 10 or so people in a social setting,” he said.

But in addition to the number of guests, it’s important to consider where people are traveling from, and the infection rates in their areas, Fauci said. Travel increases your chances of spreading or getting Covid, according to the CDC.

Expected COVID-19 infection spikes due to Christmas and Hanukkah will likely be more severe than the levels experienced following Thanksgiving, because people are typically together for longer, often indoors and sharing food and drinks, Fauci said.

Fauci has warned that the U.S. could see a “surge upon a surge” of Covid-19 cases following Thanksgiving and heading into Christmas. The month of December could be a time of “precarious risk” as people begin shopping for Christmas gifts in stores and host parties for New Year’s Eve, he said.

Staying home during the holidays, wearing a mask whenever you’re around people from outside your household and maintaining proper hand hygiene are the best ways to protect yourself and reduce the community spread of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

References:

  1. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/09/dr-fauci-skipping-christmas-gathering-with-family-amid-covid-pandemic.html?__source=twitter%7Cmakeit+
  2. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/08/us-hasnt-seen-full-covid-brunt-from-thanksgiving-fauci-warns-.html

Holiday Season Health and Safety Precautions

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U.S. states grapples with a resurgence of coronavirus infections and new lockdowns on local economies

As Americans prepare to celebrate the holidays with family and friends, it’s important to take precautions to keep everyone safe. As you prepare for your Thanksgiving, it is also important that family and friends should consider their local numbers and rates of COVID-19 cases when deciding to host or attend a holiday celebration.

Americans should consider safe alternatives to the traditional ways of celebrating. COVID-19 can easily pass from person to person through close contact and it is difficult to maintain a safe distance with high volume holiday season activities.

During this holiday season, public health experts offer the following health and safety recommendations:

Protecting Yourself from COVID-19 During Gatherings and Celebrations

  • Do not host or participate in any festivities if you have been diagnosed, exposed to, or awaiting results from a COVID-19 viral test.
  • Limit the number of attendees as much as possible.
  • Provide or encourage attendees to bring supplies to help you and others stay healthy (i.e. extra masks, hand sanitizer, and tissues).
  • All individuals should wash their hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer frequently.
  • If someone feels ill during the holiday season, get tested for COVID-19 and avoid going out in public or being around at-risk individuals.
  • Older adults or persons with certain underlying medical conditions who are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, or live or work with someone at increased risk of severe illness, should avoid in-person gatherings with people who do not live in their household.
  • Consider hosting an outdoor gathering rather than an indoor gathering.
  • Guests who have traveled from other areas or towns should distance themselves from people who are 65 or older and people of any age who have underlying health issues such as lung or heart disease.
  • Hosts entertaining at home should make sure frequently touched surfaces are cleaned and disinfected before and after gatherings.

Holiday Travel

  • People who are sick should not travel—even if symptoms are mild, infection can spread to others.
  • When traveling always wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when in public places.
  • Avoid busy eating areas, such as restaurants during high volume mealtimes, if you plan to eat out at a restaurant.
  • If serving any food, consider having one person serve all the food so that multiple people are not handling the serving utensils.
  • If you are traveling to another state on a commercial flight, wear a mask and social distance as much as possible. If you feel ill upon return, get tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible.

STAY SAFE!!!

References:

  1. http://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2020/11/111920-safe-and-healthy-holiday-season.pr.html

CDC Recommends Avoiding Traveling over Thanksgiving

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “strongly” recommends that Americans avoid traveling to see family members and friends over Thanksgiving. With the spread of the disease exploding in the U.S. and with several dozen states shattering records for daily new confirmed cases in the past week alone, the virus appears to be exponentially spreading across the country with records for new cases per capita being set in midwestern states.

“As we’re seeing exponential growth in cases, and the opportunity to translocate disease, or infection from one part of the country to another leads to our recommendation to, to avoid travel at this time,” said Dr. Henry Walke, CDC’s Covid-19 incident manager commented.

As of Wednesday, 11/18/2029, more than 250,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. And, roughly 1 million new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the U.S. in the past week.

Risk comes not just from the mode of travel, but from transportation hubs that can make physical distancing more difficult.

Holidays typically attract large gatherings, which tend to be associated with higher COVID-19 transmission levels. As a result, you want fewer people gathering than usual, and it’s even better if they’re people already in your “bubble.”

Risk factors to consider before attending a gathering include community spread of COVID-19, both where the gathering is held and attendees are coming from; exposure during travel; the location and duration of the gathering; the number of attendees and capacity for physical distancing; and attendees’ preventive behaviors before and during the gathering, according to broader CDC advice on how to navigate holiday celebrations and gatherings.

The risk level also depends on attendees’ social contacts and exposures over the preceding couple of weeks, M. Kit Delgado, an assistant professor of emergency medicine and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania explained. Sitting out this year’s big family gathering can help keep everyone safe — especially vulnerable family members — and avoid overburdening hospitals during flu season.

“Unfortunately, the merriment we crave — eating, drinking and singing together in a cozy room — are among the highest-risk scenarios for transmitting COVID-19,” Delgado said.

The dire COVID-19 infection numbers already had people reconsidering their Thanksgiving plans. AAA estimated that fewer Americans will travel for the holiday than last year — though this year’s number still hovers around 50 million people.

References:

  1. https://on.mktw.net/3pGIPEF
  2. https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/11/19/936715870/dont-travel-for-thanksgiving-cdc-warns

NCL Norwegian Dawn in Harvest Caye, Belize

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Harvest Caye is Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Private Island nestled off the coast of Belize. The private island has amazing white sand beaches and a large pool.

Although the island of Harvest Caye is apparently exclusive to Norwegian Cruise Line, many first time NCL Cruise ship passengers were surprised to discover that ship board beverage packages and complimentary food privileges did not extend to the island. Instead, cruise ship passengers were required to pullout cash ($USD) and credit cards to purchase high priced, limited selection of food and a vast variety of overly priced cold beverages.

One casual observation, the poolside bar service on the island was glacially slow and inefficient. At the Harvest Caye Bar and Grille, there were four gents crowded behind the bar to fulfill drink orders of the thirsty horde. Yet, it took too long for the gents to complete each beverage transaction.

For whatever reason, it took this quartet of bartenders more than five minutes to fulfill each beverage transaction. How do I know…because I took the opportunity to time two of the bartenders’ transactions from the moment they took a guest’s order to the time that guest walked away with their ordered beverage in hand.

In my attempt to order a beverage, I waited in the relatively short queue more than fifteen minutes, before I decided to abandon my quest for a beverage from the bar. And, I was not the only making the decision to forego a beverage because of the bars‘s inefficiencies.

NCL is leaving quite a bit of money on the table due lack of customer service and bar service training provided to the four gents. From my observations, it should not take a bartender, if properly trained and managed, five to eight minutes to fulfill a simple drink order like pouring a beer or a making a margarita.

The island’s pool area was large and well laid out with ample number of chairs and umbrellas available, if there was only a single NCL cruise ship present. Unfortunately, multiple ships were concurrently visiting the island. And, as a result, I did have a challenge locating an available chair and umbrella combo that would provide shade and cover from the blistering heat of the this early March day.

Many of the poolside chairs were apparently reserved by cruise ships’ guests who left behind towels or other personal belongings to indicate there unavailability. This was truly a case of the early birds getting the worm. And in this case, the worm were the pool side and beach chairs and umbrellas.

Thankfully, the crystal clear aqua blue water surrounding the island was relatively mild temperature-wise. I did take advantage of the opportunity to wade shoulder deep into the surf to swim and view the ocean bottom. The experience floating with the Caribbean surf proved quite memorable and relaxing.

Overall, it was a pleasurable visit to Harvest Caye and I look forward to returning to picturesque Harvest Caye island in the near future.

Travelzoo: 20 Amazing Places You Can Visit Without Leaving Home

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Travelzoo, a travel publisher, provide these 20 absolutely stunning virtual travel experiences you can have without leaving your home. These places belong on any traveler’s bucket list — some of the world’s finest museums, natural wonders and architecture; they’re among the most enduring reasons we get up and go. And they’ve been captured here in digital forms that retain their magic while making them infinitely more accessible.

If this is the first time you’ve been to some of these places, you’ll find some of earth’s most impressive treasures: natural wonders; works of art; architectural miracles and much more. They belong on any traveler’s bucket list.

They hope you’ll find joy exploring them from afar.  Go to virtual tour:  Travelzoo: 20 Amazing Places you can visit without leaving home