Arthur Frommer's Blog, page 39

How to Get Passes to the National 911 Memorial This Fall

Admission to the National 911 Memorial at Ground Zero in New York City (which you likely saw on television yesterday when Presidents Obama and Bush formally opened the new site) is free of charge. But only 1,500 people can visit the memorial at any one time. That limited capacity has caused officials of the Memorial to announce, on numerous media appearances, that all such visits (via passes issued online) have been reserved  for several months to come.

They are obviously taking a conservative approach, to avoid their system being totally overwhelmed during these first weeks of the Memorial's opening. Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Memorial's website ( www.911memorial.org ) and easily obtained two passes for an afternoon visit (visits are timed, and you select a precise quarter-hour for entering the grounds) in late September. It would appear that numerous late-afternoon passes for October are also available now, too.

It's Now Easier to Find the Right Volunteer Vacation Online

Persons looking for volunteer vacations have often had a hard time sorting out the various opportunities. Go to the standard search engines, and you'll find the presentation of tours involving voluntary work projects to be especially diffuse, almost hit-or-miss, neglecting to mention a great many such trips, and naming some that aren't really worth the effort.

That situation may -- I stress "may" -- have come to an end this week, when a new website carefully devoted to volunteer vacations has gone live. In the words of the press release for GoVoluntouring ( www.govoluntouring.com ):

Users of GoVoluntouring will be able to search through a massive directory of programs and projects. They can customize their responses through search filters such as; destination, age range and fitness level. Users will have direct and transparent access to the projects and programs that fit their unique needs and interests... For non-profits and charities it's the chance to speak with would-be volunteers at no cost and vice versa.

Sample entries in GoVoluntouring:
Be an "agent of change" for women in Tanzania: Help local women make crafts and develop marketing plans as part of the Masaai program located in Arusha, Tanzania, near the base of Kilimanjaro.Go on a Sea Turtle Adventure in El Salvador: Explore El Salvador's best wildlife hotspots with famed ocean explorer Fabien Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau.Build Solar Power Systems in Nicaragua with Power to the People: Work on bringing solar electricity to community buildings in rural areas of the developing world.Join a research team in the Cost Rican Rainforest: monitor turtle population and jaguar predation surveys as you become part of a valued research team. So now, with the launch of GoVoluntouring.com (on first glance, it appears impressive), you can be among the earliest to take advantage of its listings of new volunteering opportunities.
 

I've Been Persuaded by Numerous People That an American with Parents Born in Ireland is Entitled to an Irish Passport

We live and learn. When a caller to last Sunday's Travel Show requested information about how to obtain a "European passport" (she meant an Irish passport entitling the bearer to all the privileges of the European Union), I casually responded that this was impossible, it couldn't be; I was certain that an American could not enjoy dual citizenship.

I've since been inundated with calls telling me I am wrong, and information appearing on the Internet also seems to indicate I am wrong. Ask online about "Irish citizenship for Americans," and you will see the flat assertion that if one of your parents was born in Ireland, though you were born in the U.S., you are automatically an Irish citizen entitled to apply for an Irish passport. What's more, if one of your grandparents was born in Ireland, you can apply for Irish citizenship (supplying proof of your grandparent's place of birth), and upon obtaining such citizenship will then be entitled to obtain an Irish passport (in addition to your American passport).

And why is possession of such a passport helpful? Well, mainly because as a citizen of the E.U., you will be entitled to work in any member nation of the E.U., without permission of anyone and without obtaining work papers. And secondly, you will find it much easier crossing E.U. borders with an E.U. (Irish) passport than with a non-E.U. passport.

There have even been hints to me that Italian or German citizenship -- meaning a dual citizenship -- can be obtained by Americans, although here the proof seems much murkier, even dubious. And frankly, I continue to be puzzled as to how an American can claim to have dual citizenship, a proposition that violates everything I've heard on the subject.

But maybe I'm wrong (in fact I'm probably wrong). Have any readers of this blog any substantiating evidence? I'd be grateful if you'd append a comment to this Blog, either pro or con. And do you know of any other countries whose citizenship can be enjoyed by an American, without losing your American citizenship (or passport)?

Super-Luxurious Seabourn Ships Are Discounting up to 83% for Impending Departures

Probably the most luxurious and expensive of all cruiseships are those of Seabourn Cruises, a six-ship fleet of which three ships (the Spirit, Pride, and Legend ) carry only 208 passengers apiece, while three newer ones (the Sojourn, Quest, and Odyssey ) carry 450 passengers apiece. Everyone is housed in oceanview suites, and there's one member in staff for every passenger. Caviar with meals? Of course. Champagne? Naturally. Prices averaging $1,500 per person per day.

To the amazement of many observers, Seabourn is permitting Vacations To Go ( www.vacationstogo.com ) to discount many of their close-in sailings by as much as 83%, an unprecedented show of distress by a line that rates itself as six stars.

And thus, some sailings that would normally go for $12,250 per person are being sold for $2,299. One epic itinerary of 32 days, normally priced at $44,270 per person, is being offered for $8,999. Though you'll still pay a hefty price, you'll find offers that are within human means.

Not in every area of the world -- the Caribbean and Mediterranean, for instance, are being discounted by no more than 55%, let's say, or $60%. But in numerous other exotic oceans and seas, if you'll scroll down the list, especially for dates in October and November of this year, you'll find those 80% bargains. Go to Vacations To Go, insert the geographical area, specify ships of Seabourn, and there they are -- the plainest indication of how some wealthy people are encountering difficulties in these economic times, making it difficult for them to pay the ordinary tabs of the elegant Seabourn.

Royal Caribbean Reverses Course, Offers Compensation to Passengers it Left Stranded

When Hurrricane Irene caused Royal Caribbean to speed up the departure from San Juan of its ship the Serenade of the Seas , it stranded close to 150 passengers who had arrived on time in Puerto Rico, only to learn that the ship had earlier sailed without them several hours ahead of its scheduled departure. Incredibly, Royal Caribbean then denied these passengers' any compensation, even a refund of the unexpected hotel charges they were forced to incur, in sharp contrast to the actions of Carnival Cruises which did the right thing and reimbursed the expenses of passengers that its own early departure of one of its ships had caused.

A public uproar and the criticism of many cruise websites has now caused Royal Caribbean to reverse its policy. Although it won't publicly disclose the amount of compensation it is paying, it is apparently doing something -- even, possibly, simply providing those passengers with a voucher for a partially free Royal Caribbean cruise in the future. Such is the power of public criticism. It emboldens me to suggest some fairly drastic action to friends of mine who showed up on time for an Icelandair flight from Paris to Boston (via Reykjavik), only to learn that Hurricane Irene had caused the cancellation of that flight. They returned to their hotel in Paris, and only later learned that the airline had later reversed its earlier cancellation and permitted that flight to depart. They have now contacted me and asked me to suggest what they might do.

I advised them that they were dependent on the good will of the airline, and should simply phone and write the airline, requesting some compensation for the financial damages they sustained. And if that action failed to bring results, I advised, they would have no further recourse other than to launch a time-consuming, painful suit in small claims court against the airline. But I also advised that I doubted they would win.

I now feel that the example of Royal Caribbean's reversal may assist them. I am recommending that they bring that reversal to the attention of Icelandair and push it for all it's worth. The same in small claims court, it the matter should lead to one of those small lawsuits.

If You're Willing to Spend $5,500 You Can Go to Cuba with National Geographic for 10 Days

Things are moving from bad to worse in American travel to Cuba. Last week, Abercrombie & Kent cancelled its program there after it had received word from the Treasury Department that such tours had to consist of continual, never-stopping activity, a jam-packed schedule of meetings and dialogues with Cubans. Some bureaucrat at the Treasury Department has apparently concluded that the exemption from the travel embargo had to defined in the most narrow sense imaginable. Travel will only be authorized for educational, cultural or religious purposes pursued with an almost ridiculous intensity requiring expenditures by the tour operator of unprecedented efforts and money.

One week after news of Abercrombie & Kent's decision, National Geographic Society announced that it will operate such 10 day tours of Cuba, starting in November. And are you ready for the price? In order to comply with the Treasury Department's strictures, the price will be $4,995 per person for those 10 days (based on double occupancy; single persons will pay more), plus a round-trip charter flight between Miami and Havana costing $500 per person. A one-hour flight between Miami and Havana will be priced at the level that some charter operators charge to cross the Atlantic Ocean!

So the news isn't good. And the only tour operator to announce a less expensive (but still costly) tour of Cuba is Insight Cuba ( www.insightcuba.com ), charging a recently-revised $2,495 (off-season), $2,795 (winter) per person for its least-expensive 7-nighter ("Havana plus Pinar del Rio;" other itineraries are $300 and $500 more), plus what it hoped to be an affordable round-trip air price between Miami and Havana (not yet announced). It's apparent that Insight Cuba has also greatly increased the cost of its program (it earlier announced a starting price of $1,550, subsequently abandoned), now that the Treasury Department has announced unusually onerous rules for the continuous, expensive, heavily-escorted activity that must be built into the tour. U.S. programs to Cuba will, for the time being, be exceptionally pricey, as compared with the far less expensive tours available to Canadian citizens from Montreal and Toronto.

Are You Ready for a Charge of $4 to $39 for the Right to Occupy an Aisle or Window Seat on American Airlines?

Now we've seen everything. In what seems like a parody of what you'd expect from Spirit Airline or other such types, one of the most respected of all U.S. carriers -- none other than American Airlines -- has just announced that starting now, it will charge $4 to $39 for the right to request an aisle or window seat in the front half of its economy class sections.

Note that American Airlines is already charging extra for the right to specify a seat in the first several rows of its economy section ("Express Seats"). But now, it will place far more seats (half of the economy class allotment) into a preferred category ("Preferred Seats"). Those will be automatically assigned to persons who are either frequent flyers on American or have paid full, non-discounted prices for their tickets. But if you're a cost-conscious type who has paid less, you'll get such seats only if they haven't been fully requested by your superior fellow passengers. To assure yourself of an aisle or window seat in the front half, regardless of what those other plutocrats do, you have to pay the extra charge listed above.

In announcing the new fee, it's been pointed out that other airlines already charge extra for exit-row seats or for seats enjoying extra legroom. And one airline -- U.S. Airways -- already charges extra for some aisle and window seats. The decision by American Airlines to do so will undoubtedly set off a bandwagon rush to do the same by all the others.

We used to joke when Ryanair or Spirit Airlines pulled off such stunts. It used to be funny. It no longer is.

Here Is Perhaps the Finest Re-Positioning Cruise of the Season

Perhaps the finest re-positioning cruise of all was omitted from my yesterday's list of re-positionings scheduled for departure from Europe in October and early November. It's an 11-night sailing from Rome (Civitavecchia) on October 22, of the brand-new Celebrity Silhouette, the last of the four ships designed to duplicate the spacious elegance of the Celebrity Solstice and known as Solstice-class ships. Although it carries as many as 2,900 passengers, it feels like only 1,000 passengers are aboard -- as I can confirm from personal experience.

Two summers ago, I sailed on a Mediterranean cruise of this ship's forerunner, the Celebrity Solstice, and was tremendously impressed by the comfort of the experience. To me, the Solstice-class ships are the near-equivalent of upscale, premium-class ships costing far more than Celebrity charges. From all early reports, the Silhouette is an even better-equipped version of the Solstice, and carries such touches as a large lawn of green grass on its upper deck (the Solstice had a much smaller lawn), on which passengers can barbecue their own steaks, using grills and charcoal supplied by the cruiseline.

As advised to me by a mailing from Celebrity Cruises which I received yesterday afternoon, the sailing of the Celebrity Silhouette will cost as little as $899 for an 11-night cruise starting on October 22. From Rome, the ship will go to Cagliari (in Sardinia), then to Palma de Mallorca, then to Lisbon, and finally across the Atlantic for six days at sea to Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey. $899 per person is the starting price for inside cabins. Oceanview and balcony cabins start at only $999 per person, an extraordinary value. You book by either going to Celebrity's website (www.celebritycruises.com) or by phoning tel. 888/305-9153.

"The Help" Has Created a New Itinerary for Visiting Notable Sites from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s

In addition to being a major hit of the movie season, the film The Help, based on the 2009 novel by Kathryn Stockett, is rapidly becoming a reason for travel, as I'll explain further on.

But as for the film itself: this story of a Mississippi community in the 1960s, tells of the relationship between the black women who worked for affluent southern families, cleaning their homes and bringing up their children, and the well-off wives who hired them. It is certainly the first film I have ever seen that portrays the life of working women rather than that of the persons for whom they worked.

The relationship to travel? Actual settings depicted in the film, in Greenwood, Mississippi, are currently being sought out by tourists driving through the South in their automobiles, who immediately recognize the homes and neighborhoods that were featured at dramatic moments. Some perceptive tourists go even further to Jackson, Mississippi, an hour and a half away, which was the actual setting for the events pictured in the novel as opposed to the film.

But it is almost wholly in Greenwood that you'll see the residential neighborhoods where characters in the film lived. It's there, as well, that you'll find the downtown bookshop where copies of The Help were sold, much to the consternation of the persons described in it. It is also in downtown Greenwood that you'll see the drugstore/coffee shop whose soda fountain counter and café tables were also depicted in the film.

In addition to reflecting scenes from the film, both Greenwood and Jackson are the sites of important events in the civil rights movement. You will find a detailed listing and description of those sites at CivilRightsTravel.com ( www.civilrightstravel.com ), which is maintained by travel writer Larry Bleiberg, who believes that places important to the civil rights movement should be visited by all Americans.

He has a great deal to say about Greenwood and Jackson, Mississippi, and especially about plaques in Greenwood that identify locations of, and commemorate, the Freedom Rides of 1961, when interracial ministers, among others interracial groups, rode interstate buses into Mississippi and Alabama to test the efficacy of a Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation on such buses (the Freedom Riders were viciously beaten by mobs that descended upon those buses). He describes sites in Greenwood and Jackson associated with the murders of teenager Emmet Till and civil rights leader Medgar Evers. And he describes a succession of buildings and centers that were filmed in The Help.

Bleiberg's website deserves to be studied by all of us, and it adds additional depth to the themes treated in the movie of The Help. It also provides itineraries for illuminating travel through all the southern states. Other prominent locations that CivilRightsTravel.com regards as important to visit include, of course, the new Martin Luther King Memorial in West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. And in the southern states: the Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina, with its reproduction of the Woolworth lunch counter where civil rights activists conducted their famous sit-in; the cell in Birmingham, Alabama, where Martin Luther King composed his "Letter from Birmingham Jail"; a statue of James Meredith on the state university campus in Oxford, Mississippi, where he exercised his right to enroll as a student; the "schoolhouse door" where the late Gov. George Wallace blocked entrance to federal officials seeking desegregation of the University of Alabama; and many others, all enumerated state-by-state in CivilRightsTourism.com.

These remarkable locations need to be visited by all of us.

Want a $60 a-Day Cruise? Fall Is the Peak Time for Re-Positioning Across the Atlantic

Sixty dollars a day, per person. That's the average price of a great many re-positioning cruises of two to three and four weeks' duration in the months of October and early November, leaving either London (Southampton) or ports in the Mediterranean and sailing to Florida. You can find the details in, among other websites, Vacations To Go ( www.vacationstogo.com ), but I've set forth a condensed summary of some of the top bargains immediately below:
October 15, a 27-day sailing aboard Holland America's Noordam, from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale, $1,499 per person ($56 a day)October 15, a 29-day sailing aboard Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam, Venice to Ft. Lauderdale, $1,899 per person ($65 a day)October 19, an 18-day sailing aboard the Ruby Princess, of Princess Cruises, Venice to Ft. Lauderdale, $1,345 per person ($75 a day)October 24, a 34-day sailing aboard Holland America's Prinsendam, Rome to Ft. Lauderdale, $2,499 per person ($74 a day)October 25, a 27-day sailing aboard Holland America's Rotterdam, Athens to Ft. Lauderdale, $1,599 per person ($59 a day)November 3, a 17-day sailing aboard Holland America's Ryndam, Barcelona to Tampa, Florida, $899 per person ($53 a day)November 4, a 16-day sailing aboard the Grand Princess, of Princess Cruises, London (Southampton) to Ft. Lauderdale, $1,120 per personNovember 6, a 14-day sailing aboard the Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas, Rome to Ft. Lauderdale, $799 per personDo the division, and you'll quickly see that some of these cruises cost one or two dollars less than $60 a day per person. And there are many more, apart from those I've cited. You can get these rates by phoning any of the discount cruise brokers, or by going direct to the cruiseline (Holland America, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, in the case of the above examples).

Note, of course, that you will need first to fly to Mediterranean ports from the U.S. to board such re-positionings, and that one-way cost will come to about a thousand dollars. But note, too, that several of the cruise brokers -- like Online Vacation Center ( www.onlinevacationcenter.com ) and Travel Themes And Dreams ( www.travelthemesanddreams.com ) -- are combining the one-way airfare with the cruise cost into one package, using specially-negotiated low rates from the airlines. By scanning the websites of several cruise brokers (they also include Cruises Only, iCruise.com, Cruise Brothers.), you should come up with a total price that is more than affordable for cruise vacations that sometimes run a full month in duration.