Richard's Travel World Blog
Expedia challenged by a small B.C. inn
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World Ag News - China is quickly taking advantage of the "Donald" situation in the USA - watch out, US Isolationism is going to set them back years if they don't doing something fast!
Travel Advice on cruising, things you should know before choosing a cruise company.
December 2016
My first recommendation if you have never cruised before is to contact a licensed travel agency or cruise specialty company. This will provide you with a couple of key elements in your travel planning that will help you select an appropriate cruise and prepare you for the things you need to do before cruising, while you are cruising and when you finish your cruise.
If you have cruised before, you know that booking with an experienced agent can help you find the best deals through the CRT booking systems available only to travel agencies. If you are new to cruising, this use of expertise from a travel agency can help you avoid some unknown pitfalls, and help insure that your first cruise will not be your last cruise. Booking direct is your other option and for the cruise component, this can also have some advantages you can take advantage of before you travel.
Remember that when you are cruising, there are several departure points in North America and the world, where the majority of cruise companies depart from. Getting to and from those ports, is a very important stage and should be planned with the help of a professional to avoid situations, which might ruin your vacation. Youi might even decide to plan a mini-vacation on the way to and from the departure port, by planning a driving tour to and from that port, which can make the holiday a new adventure, filled with other new and exciting places that you have never been to before - in addition to those places you visit on the cruise itself.
Travel Advice on booking hotels and flights - on-line versus using a Travel Agent or a Tour Operator
December 2015
Over the years more and more "on-line" companies invent new ways to go around travel agents and tour operators - all to take advantage of unused or over-supplies of hotel and flights, and to make those companies big money. Many of these methods work very well and you get what you want or at least something that works for what you are willing to pay. If that works for you then continue on using them, but many are fraught with traps, tricks, hidden conditions, locked in bookings and many other issues that can end up being horror stories if one does not read the fine print and the details. Here are some tips and information about what to expect when booking your trips and what potential issues might exist or be avoided, depending on how you book or who you book with. There are reasons why Travel Agencies still exist and in fact why more and more people are returning to the fold, so to speak, and using travel agents for booking most if not all of their travel requirements. Read the article at the end of the following link to learn more about this trend in the travel industry. http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/10-Reasons-Travelers-Still-Need-a-Travel-Agent
Further to that, there are other factors that have been the cause or reasons for the dramatic rise in travel agencies becoming the "go-to" place for reliable and customer supported places to book travel - read on if you are interested in why this is happening.