World's safest destinations

Though we specialise in finding the right cruise for each and every client - we also do plenty of general travel work so I was fascinated when a friend sent me a link to this story on the Forbes traveler website.
To establish the safest destinations the researchers analysed data from the US State Department on crime warnings for travellers (similar to Australia's DFAT warnings); looked at the latest UN survey on global crime trends and checked fear factors such as natural disasters and terrorism.
No doubt you will do what I did and try to second guess what these destinations are - and like me you will get some right and be surprised at others.
So here are some of the countries that make this list - not in any order:

• New Zealand. I love New Zealand. We spent 5 days in Wellington recently enjoying the crisp winter days, the clean fresh air and the warm hospitality of the Kiwis.

• Singapore. A regular stopover for many Aussies, but how many of us stay here for a few days - a great place to indulge in eating and shopping

• Iceland. I have yet to visit this tiny country - but it is on my list

• Switzerland. We had a wonderful time backpacking round Switzerland in the 70s. It was incredibly modern by Australian standards then.

• Bhutan. My older son, who is a great traveller, recently visited Bhutan and found the people amongst the warmest and friendliest he had ever met.

• Mauritius. Popular with honeymooners - and anyone who wants a great island holiday,.

• ABC Islands - the Dutch islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao in the Caribbean - (mental note to find out more about these).

• Dubai. Popular stopover - which I have done - but well worth a visit. If you are a keen horse race-goer Dubai will be on your list.

• Ireland - surprised? it has been found to be the least violent country in Europe.

• Cyprus - another surprise.

And the most dangerous - Afghanistan, Iraq... and the U.S.
Find out more - including why these countries are considered so safe - by clicking the link above. And if you would like to find out more about the destinations drop me a line - martin@travelchoice.com.au

Cruising around and out of Australia

Many of our clients want to cruise from Australia - the convenience of catching a taxi to the ship and unpacking only once just can't be beaten. Avoiding airports is very attractive in itself and boarding a ship is a a very different and much more leisurely experience.
So we've put together a flier on the luxury ships that will be cruising from and into Australian ports over this summer. There's still time to book and this flier will give you an outline of what is available and when. You can check it out on our website - or you can contact us - travel@travelchoice.com.au and we will send you a copy.
I took this photo of the Crystal Serenity when she was in Sydney this summer... not that you can mistake the port given the glorious coathanger in the background!

A barge holiday, Wind Star and a celebration: my week

Sometimes clients pop in to the agency because they would like to take a break, but nothing has caught their imagination. Other clients have seen an advertisement for a cruise or a holiday but when we explore we find that the dates are not suitable - or there are other conditions that are not to their liking. It can be fascinating exploring holiday options to suit individual needs.
I just love the variety that this job brings. This week's inquiries include the family who would like to take a barge holiday in Europe, complete with tandem bikes so they can take their young children to explore the surrounding countryside; the couple who are taking a Wind Star cruise in the Mediterranean; the family who would like to take a cruise together to celebrate a birthday and the retired businessman who wants to do a New Year cruise to New Zealand.
We took a barge holiday with our family when they were teenagers and cruised the Oxford canals. The weather was glorious, late September summer days with warm sunshine and long days where we could walk the canal paths, stop whenever we pleased and simply enjoy the English countryside. My sons loved working the locks and in fact took over the running of the barge which made it a truly relaxing holiday for me. We didn't have bikes but they are certainly an option on many barge holidays.
Wind Star is a four star sail-cruiser from the Windstar Cruise line. This means that she is a cruiser but she also has four giant masts fitted with computer controlled sails. Though this ship is seriously stocked with water sport equipment there are no scheduled activities and she is known for her stylish luxury and superb comfort. This ship not only sails the Mediterranean , including intimate Greek Island cruises, she also visits the Caribbean.
If spending a special occasion on board ship or taking time away for Christmas or New Year is something you would like to do there are dozens of options - you need to decide what type of cruise you would like, ask your travel agent for brochures and information to help you decide. Often folk will find something on the internet that appeals - but there may be something better or more suited that is not easily found - and that's where I love to be able to help out.
I wonder what next week will bring?

Sail the world on Cunard - and join royalty on Sydney Harbour 2011

If you scroll down the right hand side of this blog you will find the photos I took when we joined the throngs to see the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 berthed in Sydney Harbour. It was a warm summer dusk and we walked down to the ferry wharf at Kirribilli and caught the ferry across the harbour, planning when we arrived at Circular Quay to walk round to see the QM2 at Garden Island. But the crowds were too much for us. You could have walked from one side of the harbour to the other on the spectator craft around the Harbour Bridge - it was amazing that there were no serious collisions! and once we arrived at Circular Quay after our ferry inched its way past the QE2 there was no easy way through the crowds to the walk through the Botanic Gardens.
Cunard has announced that two Queens will once again arrive in Sydney when the Queen Elizabeth on her maiden visit to Australia in 2011 meets up with the QM2 in Sydney Harbour in 2011 on February 22. Queen Elizabeth will visit Fremantle on February 17 and Adelaide on February 20 on her way here.
New Yorkers will have the opportunity to see 3 Queens on these world voyages when QM2 and QE meet up with Queen Victoria on January 13, following a tandem Atlantic cross by Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.
There is a bonus for those who love to sail on Cunard. For the first time it will be possible to sail the world on the 3 Queens...

If you are interested in booking on the 2011 Cunard voyages - they go on sale on 2 July 2009 - contact us asap and let us know you are interested so we can make sure you get the booking you want. Email travel@travelchoice.com.au - or you can phone us 02 9968 1600.

Life is what happens...

On June 18th Royal Princess suffered a fire in her engine room and has now put back to Port Said, Egypt for repairs. The current cruise is terminated and the cruise scheduled for 25th June cancelled. All passengers will receive a full refund, plus a 25% future cruise credit and be flown home with all expenses paid by Princess.

Life is what happens while you're busy making plans. Reading of the fire aboard Royal Princess brought home that sea voyages carry the thrill of unpredictability: an adventure is there as a possibility every time we embark on a cruise. This mishap aboard Royal Princess is unfortunate and quite uncommon. Nevertheless it seems to have been dealt with promptly and efficiently, and happily there has been no injury, only personal inconvenience and interruption. Passengers are suffering disruption but will be generously compensated by Princess - and it's even possible some may remember their real adventure in a positive light. After all, travel is about the experience, and the enjoyment of telling the tale is part of it!

Dance hosts and cruise ships

In recent years I have taken up dancing Argentine tango in my spare time, so I am always interested when a client comes who is looking for a ship that offers dance hosts. This is on my mind because one such client did come in this week and because a friend I met at lunch said he was considering working as a dance host - he is an excellent all-round ballroom dancer. This train of thought of course led me to the Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau movie, 'Out to Sea'. An enjoyable comedy about 2 con-men who get up to all sorts of antics when they take on the jobs of dance hosts on a luxury liner! Nothing real about it, but fun.
If you like to dance it can be a great activity on a cruise ship as many of them have excellent dance floors - some bigger than others. Cruise lines that offer ballroom classes will often also have dance classes, Cunard and Regent Seven Seas being two of them. For people like me, for whom tango is The Dance, there are even cruises which offer tango festivals, included classes, dances and tango bands. We have yet to have a tango cruise call into an Australian port, but they do sail the Caribbean and Mediterranean each year, so you never know.
If you would like to dance be sure to let me know if you are asking for cruise suggestions.

Cruise terminal for Sydney

The lack of space for cruise ships to dock in Sydney Harbour is an ongoing discussion among many who are involved with the cruise industry - particularly those who live in our magnificent city.
For three to four months a year the harbour welcomes new cruise ships every day, many sailing between the Heads as the sun rises... a memorable experience for those on board.
However there is a shortage of suitable places for ships to dock. Recently the State Government announced a committee to look into the problem of cruise ship facilities in Sydney Harbour, especially east of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Many ships are too big to pass under our famous coathanger so establishing cruise terminals at Darling Harbour (Barangaroo) or White Bay Terminal (not an attractive option with its lack of public transport and industrial port look) is not the answer.
Circular Quay did the job for years but is now dwarfed by many of the visiting ships and because it has been given over to restaurants does not work as well as it should.
However a report in the Sydney Morning Herald on 25 May stated that the Defence Department, which controls Garden Bay where the Queen Victoria docked on her last visit, is planning to base additional naval vessels there and this is not an option.
I hope that the committee has some teeth and is capable of making suggestions that are workable - as the White Bay Terminal currently is not. Another possibility might be Chowder Bay with the old Georges Heights military establishment. This area has enormous historical significance as the site of one of the largest military hospitals after World War I. Would a sympathetic development with a ferry wharf taking passengers across to the city be worth considering? I often walk that way and realise I don't have any photos to illustrate this idea... must get my camera out next time!
Let's hope something happens sooner rather than later. There is tremendous competition between ports for cruise line traffic and we want the cruise lines to have an easy choice when planning to include Sydney.