It seems the culprit was indeed an inexcusable lapse of standard maritime procedure by none other than the ship’s Captain. An anomaly for sure, but what about the lack of crew training and leadership apparent during the evacuation? That will be changing, along with a renewed adherence to basic maritime procedures.

The ships are safe, but when I board a cruise ship, I locate my muster station and my assigned life boat. I put valuables (i.e., passport, cash, credit cards, daily meds, etc.) into the room safe so I know where they are for quick retrieval. I note where my stateroom is relative to nearest stairwells and I carry a Xerox copy of my passport’s picture page with my ship’s ID card. Our plan, in an emergency, is to quickly return to the cabin, retrieve valuables, get warm clothes, life jackets, and proceed to the muster station.

Will I set sail again! You bet!

April 30, 2012 – May 12, 2012, I am hosting a group on Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam for 12 days, roundtrip from Venice to Istanbul…and you are invited!

And just remember, the biggest risk to cruising is forgetting to pay attention to curbs and cobblestones to avoid a tumble when walking around exotic ports of call!

Experts say that most thefts are “crimes of opportunity”, so the best way to prevent automobile burglaries is to think ahead and take some simple steps so you don’t give the thieves that opportunity.

The most basic tip is don’t leave the keys in the car. You wouldn’t think we should have to mention that would you? We DO mention it because people do this… at home more than on the road, but you should never, ever leave your keys in the car.

If you want to reduce the chance of vehicle break-ins and theft when you are parking the car, the next most basic tip is to make sure that the doors are all locked and the windows are rolled up.

Don’t leave personal or valuable items in plain view where they might be a temptation. It’s better if you don’t leave any items inside the passenger compartment of your vehicle. Lock all valuables inside the trunk.

Lock them in the trunk when you are packing so you don’t have to lock them in the truck when you get to your destination. An opportunistic thief might be on the lookout for you packing your valuables in the trunk… and they can break into your car the minute you’re out of sight.

Take the rental car agreement with you… don’t leave it in the car. Place maps and guidebooks and anything that will mark you as a tourist inside the glovebox, in your bag, or under the seat. Tourists are favored targets because they are usually carrying valuables with them.

If you have a windshield or dash mounted GPS system, it should never be left inside the vehicle. You can rent these along with your rental cars in most places now, but take care of them as you would your own. If you have a removable stereo system, remove it before you leave… this will probably not be an issue with a rental car…. unless you take your own system!

For your personal safety, always have your car keys in your hands before heading out to your car… and try to remember where you parked the car so you can walk directly to it. Have the key ready so you don’t have to fumble with it to unlock the car.

Personal safety experts say to check around and inside the car before you climb in… this goes for men or women and especially if you are traveling along.

Try to park in busy well-lighted areas. This will help to prevent automobile burglaries because thieves don’t like the light and the public attention. It’s also a good idea for personal safety.

If there is an alarm, set it. You may think that those alarms go off and people ignore them, but thieves are looking for the easy target, and it might help. If there is an anti-theft device like “The Club”… use it.

Just a few minutes spent to prevent automobile burglaries will help keep your trip safe and fun.

You may have hotel reservations, museum reservations and even rental car reservations…. but before you leave on your trip, you have to get to the airport, and when you arrive in your destination, you have to get from the airport to the city…. but HOW?

You can research this in advance if you like. Put “getting to and from the airport” into your search engine, and you’ll find pages telling you the options for getting to and from almost any airport in the world.

Most major airports offer several options. There will be taxis and private limos. Usually there will be buses, sometimes special “airporter” buses that take you to a downtown central location, sometimes hotel buses that will drop you off right at your hotel. You may be able to take a train or a subway into town.

Almost all airports will tell you to beware of “unofficial” taxis. Official taxis may use meters or they may have a fixed rate for airport runs. Check to see what you should be paying before you jump into any vehicle. At some airports, there may be a counter where you pre-pay for a taxi.

Buses may require tickets purchased at a desk inside the airport… others may let you pay the driver.

If you have made a hotel reservation, check to see if they have a free or inexpensive courtesy shuttle for getting to and from the airport.

If you haven’t researched this ahead of time on the internet… or even if you’ve done a little research…. you can always ask at the tourist help desk you will find in most major airports. The staff there can generally tell you the cheapest and/or fastest way to get into town.

Keep in mind what is most important to you. Buses are cheap, but can get stuck in traffic. The subway will whisk you to town, but may require a walk to your hotel. A taxi might seem like the most expensive choice, but a shared taxi may not be as expensive as you think and can whisk you right to the front door.

Then there are the fun ways of getting to and from the airport… in exceptional cases. In Venice, you can take a water bus or water taxi from the airport. There is even a water shuttle or water taxi to take you to the airport in Boston!

I think the most exotic transportation we had getting to and from the airport was when we flew into Tiger Tops in Nepal… and saw elephants waiting to take us to the lodge!

Of course if you are on a tour, you don’t have to worry about this… your tour company should have your guide or a representative at the airport to meet you.

If this all sounds confusing… it’s not. Just look around and ask questions at the airport or at your hotel desk. There will always be a concierge or an information desk to help you.

The list for gestures that you should be careful of is a pretty long one. It’s a good idea to do an internet search and find out which hand gestures might be considered insulting, rude, or crude in the country you are visiting.

Let’s look at some of the most common ones…. some gestures that you wouldn’t think twice about using at home should just never be used when you travel!

The “thumbs up” sign that is used in the U.S. to show approval is insulting and crude in other countries and shouldn’t be used at all. It’s interpreted something like using your middle finger in the U.S.

What does making a circle with your thumb and index finger mean? It can mean zero or OK… or… something like “up yours” or that someone is a homosexual.

Don’t try to call someone to you by motioning with your index finger. It may mean “come here” in the U.S. but it is an obscene or insulting hand gesture in much of the world. There are places where this could even get you arrested!

Even something as simple as pointing can get you into trouble. Pointing with the index finger extended is considered impolite in many cultures. You’re safer pointing with your whole hand. In Madagascar, there are some “sacred” things that you shouldn’t ever point at with an extended finger. When we were there, we found that there were so many things we shouldn’t point at that we took to pointing at everything with our finger curled… just pointing with the knuckle.

You have to worry about the “V” for victory sign…. be sure if you use it you keep your palm facing away from you. If you mistakenly turn your palm toward you, you’ll be saying something rude.

Don’t pass a business card or a gift with only one hand in Japan… and don’t use your left hand to pass anything in many countries… the left hand is considered “unclean”. If you’re eating with you hands anywhere… just try to use your right hand… that’ll save you lots of embarrassment.

Don’t pat children on the head especially in Asia… it is rude and upsetting. In Muslim countries, men should not shake hands with women. Just to be on the safe side keep your hands to yourself.

One last thought… Let’s not forget about your feet, just because we’re talking about hand gestures. Don’t sit with the soles of you shoes or feet showing or pointing at anyone… in may cultures this is rude.

Sometimes it’s hard not to use those common hand gestures you use all the time without even thinking about it…. but when you’re traveling, those gestures can be misunderstood, and in extreme cases they could even get you in trouble. Maybe it is best to keep your hands in your pockets!

Volunteer vacations are becoming so popular, that the travel industry has coined a word for this kind of tourism. Now you can search the web for voluntourism and find hundreds of sites that provide travel with a heavy focus on volunteering.

Many of those programs have you signing up for a week or two or even a month working in your own country or abroad. But many travelers don’t have that kind of time to commit to volunteering, or they would like to volunteer to help, but they want to keep some relaxing time for themselves.

The travel industry is always looking for ways to keep you happy, so there are more and more opportunities cropping up for short-term voluntourism. Some people would argue that one week is short-term volunteering, but I’m talking about really short-term voluntourism here… as in a day or even half a day.

There are conservation organizations around the U.S. that provide opportunities to help clean up beaches or work on park trails for a day or half day at a time. Check with local tourist bureaus in the city or the country you are visiting to see if any short term opportunities exist. You can also check with your hotel or tour operator… some online travel booking sites offer volunteer trip opportunities.

Even high-end hotels and resorts are getting into the act, offering half day programs where guests assist at local food banks or pull invasive weeds in parks…. but still get to spend the rest of their stay in cushy comfort.

Some people feel that this type of short term volunteering is this just salve for a guilt trip by “wealthy” travelers. You have to evaluate that for yourself. We don’t think anyone should be discouraged from volunteering to help others. In the long run, the trend is a good one.

If you are traveling to Southeast Asia, one interesting program you can explore for short-term voluntourism is called Stay Another Day. It is run by an arm of the World Bank. Rather than sending tourists to volunteer to pick up trash or try to build schools, it provides information to steer you to participate in activities that are more like tourism, but benefit the local community.

You might, for instance, visit a community center where locals can practice their English, or you might visit a women’s center where you can purchase crafts the women make to support themselves and their families. You still are really just a tourist, but the very act of being a tourist and spending money and time with locals helps…. that sounds good to me!

Wherever you travel, you can have a more meaningful trip by connecting with locals. Support local businesses and local community projects if you can. Short-term voluntourism is just one more way to enrich your travel experience.