Bob’s View of Travel

I know the Blog is focused on travel. However when something gets me I have to pass it on. New Mexico is home. Its a great state, climate, people and all those other things that go along with a nice place to live.

Our former State Treasurer was recently convicted of corruption. Now the former Senate President Pro Tem and others have been indicted of an alleged scheme to siphon some $4.2 million from an Albuquerque courthouse construction project. Our legislature just adjourned without passing any meaningful ethics reform.

However the State Legislature had time to pass a law making the Bolo Tie the official tie of New Mexico. I wonder who’s watching the cash register at the tie store.

Cunard Lines and Princess Cruises are having their annual thank you and meet the executives cruise on the Queen Mary 2 sailing April 10 from New York. I’m looking forward to my first cruise with Cunard, not so much about bringing the tuxedo for the formal nights. Since I don’t wish to look out of place the tuxedo will included. The cruise includes the top 150 sellers of both these first class cruise companies. It’s a great opportunity to discuss issues first hand with the Presidents of both companies. I’ll post a review upon my return. If you have any topics you would like me to bring up, list them under comments on this blog and I’ll take some of them to their Senior Management.

I’ve never seen one cruise line with 3 ships become such a success for destination cruisinng in Europe. Perhaps its their program of more overnight port stays so travelers have more opportunity to immerse themselves in the history, culture and cuisine of Europes more alluring cities. Combining the finest cuisine at sea, exceptional personalized service, luxurious accommodations and extraordinary value, Oceania Cruises is setting a new, worldwide standard for luxury cruising. Oceania has become one of our best selling European Cruise lines and word has it that 90% of their 2007 cruises are already sold out.

Oceania Cruises has added several new and exciting ports for 2008 to its already stellar line up of boutique and marquee ports, Haifa, Israel; Pula, Croatia; Alghero, Italy; Tangier, Morocco; and Hamilton, Bermuda. Oceania Cruises’ intimate and mid-sized enable guests to experience smaller ports that many larger ships simply cannot access, such as Monte Carlo, Saint Tropez, Sarande, Portofino and Kotor. These are in addition to Oceania Cruises’ perennial favorites like St. Petersburg, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Venice and Rome. For brochures and further information 800-704-0385.

Hop into Starbucks or an airport terminal and you may find yourself tempted by the inexpensive Wi-Fi service offered. Fire up your computer, browse the wireless networks available, and maybe you’ll jump on a network named “tmobile” or “wayport” or some other common name among Wi-Fi service providers. Sure enough, your browser pulls up a page asking for your credit card information… or maybe you’ll find yourself with “free” access to the internet. Surprise: You might have just been punk’d by a hacker. Christopher Null at Yahoo has a great article on this Wi-Fi topic. Here’s the Yahoo link.

I know some in my audience may not think this is a travel friendly article, but I think its better you know about what can be done to your computer while on vacation sipping that double mocha with nutmeg essence. Me I still love the instant Sanka with Cremora.

You’re going to thank me Bob the Travel Agent for this suggestion. I was reading the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday and saw the price of a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in the coffee shop of luxury hotels around the world.

Brussels $3.67
Bangkok $6.27
London $8.11
Hong Kong $9.15
New York $9.84
Tokyo $11.33
Paris $12.00
Seoul $15.65
North Korea No Oranges. No Coffee Shops.

You could probably pay for your vacation by taking a couple of bushels of oranges with you and setting up a lemonade and orange juice stand in the country of your choice. Bring a bottle of Tang with you on your trip.