The Intentional Travelers discovered cruising in 1999 and fell in love with it, and so did our kids. Even now, twenty five years later, we look forward to the next cruise and what it will bring. Outside of the adventure of traveling to new places it’s the people that are at the forefront of the experience.
Over a number of years we spent the first day on a ship running into old friends, both crew and passengers. Because you see, our generation, after retirement tended to become frequent cruisers and it wasn’t unusual for us to run into a number of cruising friends regularly. Unfortunately Covid seems to have put an end to cruising for too many people.
We also run into old friends in the crew. One incident is a perfect example of this. On one cruise we would go to a lounge for coffee and a pastry for breakfast and my wife would have a cappuccino. Several days into the cruise one young crew member got in the habit of having her cappuccino ready when we arrived and we spent a fair amount of time with him talking. About ten months later we were on another cruise ship and on our first morning we went down to the lounge. As we got to the door there he was waiting with her cappuccino! He said he saw us as we boarded and thought it would be fun to be ready in the lounge the next morning.
While we do enjoy the food and the dining room staff is always amazing, another part of the cruise experience we really love is the entertainment. For most of our lives we have enjoyed going out to hear live music and usually on a cruise ship the choices are always difficult to make. And the talent is almost always excellent. We’ve made friends with a number of them and one duo that we met on a ship now lives in our home town and we frequently go out to hear them.
There are often times when we know that the crew members are having as much fun as we are…
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Selecting The Best Airports For Making Connecting FlightsAnd Ones To Really AvoidCan Save Your Holiday
Calculating airport time is always a major part of travel planning. Arriving an hour before your flight can often not be nearly enough time. When booking flights that include connections what’s the minimum time you need to make it to the next departure gate? Trying to avoid a tight connection could leave you with extra hours in the airport but missing the connection can cost a whole day or more. When booking a cruise or a package tour often you are dependent on their booking office unless you’re willing to pay an up-charge and our experience would indicate that it’s money well spent*.
Welcome to Mumbai
After you’ve missed enough connections you start paying attention to which airports are the worst and which are the best for making those connections. In looking at reviews of airports there are some common threads that help define the best and worst. The better airports for connections have a high rate of on-time departures and arrivals, good layouts and modern internal transportation, well staffed security and passport checkpoints and a reputation for assisting people with tight connections. Following are the results of a 2019 study of airports and their connecting times.
Worst Airports For Making a Connecting Flight
Madrid Adolfo Suarez – Barajas Airport (MAD) +1.75 Hours
Frankfurt International (FRA): +1.5 Hours
London Heathrow (LHR): +1.5 Hours
Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG): +1.25 Hours
Shanghai Pudong International (PVG): +1.2 Hours
Los Angeles International (LAX): +1 Hour
Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD): +1 Hour
Tokyo Narita International (NRT): +1 Hour
Boston Logan International (BOS): +1 Hour
Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) +1 Hou
Best Airports for Making a Connecting Flight
Zurich Airport (ZRH): <10 minutes
Salt Lake City International (SLC): <15 minutes
Tampa International (TPA): <15 minutes
Orlando International (MCO): <15 minutes
Charlotte Douglas International (CLT): <20 minutes
Denver International (DEN): <20 minutes
London Stansted (STN): <20 minutes
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL): <25 minutes
Dubai International (DXB): <25 minutes
Hong Kong International (HKG): <25 minutes
This won’t guarantee you can avoid missing connections but it can go a long way when planning for that trip.
Of course there had to be an App to help. If you fly a lotFlightConnections can be a real asset. So don’t waste hours searching airports, airlines, flights and connections. Visit the website here FlightConnections! or download the app in Apple App Store or Google Play.
FLIGHTCONNECTIONS FEATURES:
Interactive Flight Route Map.
Plan a trip based on your preferred departure airport.
Find new, nearby airports on the map.
Filter by airline or travel alliance.
Discover airline routes and flight schedules / timetables.
Compare direct flights or connecting flights.
Show connecting flights with one or two stops.
Show connecting flights with different airlines, or the same airline only.
Find cheap flights and book flight tickets for the best price available.
SINGAPORE – 18 NOV, 2016: Travelers enter immigration control at Changi International Airport in Singapore.
*Often it is difficult to take control of your flight bookings if you’re using a cruise line or tour company to include flights. Let’s face it their first priority is profit and the truth is that you are much more concerned about the potential for missing flights than those agents. Our experience tells us when it’s important to pay the additional charge to avoid too short connections. Also we’ve found that if you argue with them and provide a strong case you can often get better connections.
We’ve also found a number of travel companies that are famous for booking connections that are either too short or have excessive layovers (8 plus hours) and most often they are travel itineraries that include flights. Land tours and river cruises are usually the worst.
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If you’re like us we love to talk about our travelsand isn’t that one of the reason we buy all those souvenir tee shirts? Our tees often start a conversation about where we’ve been?Also like most families our house is full of family photos but a close second is our travel images. Every trip adds to our travel decor.
MakeTravel Books
DecoratingWith TravelMemories
Make Tee Shirts
You’ve got hundreds of great travel photos – why not show them off?
Our living room bragging wall
Decorating Accents That Celebrate Your Travels
Revisit those amazing places and remembered adventures by adding travel print accents to your home decorating. One of the joys of travel is the memories it creates and adding travel photos to your decorating brings those memories back every day.
Even if you don’t have a home printer you can easily order prints at dozens of convenient and inexpensive locations. You can get photos printed at drugstores (Walgreens, CVS) for fast, same-day pickup, major retailers like Walmart, online specialists like Shutterfly & Snapfish, office supply stores (Staples, Office Depot), or local professional photo labs for higher quality, in sizes that range from quick 4×6 prints to large formats and even online services that produce framed and ready to hang prints like Frameology and keepsake Frames.
Travel Themed Tee Shirts Are Easier Than You Think
Tell The World About Your Travels
Your image collection of iconic and stunning photographs from around the world can easily be used to create amazing tee shirts for very little cost or effort.
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list”
Susan Sontag
One of our hobbies is creating tee shirts for sale in local stores and selling online and we’ve learned a bit about what works and what doesn’t.
Our favorite isvinyltransfers. All you need to create spectacular tees is a photograph, an inkjet printer and an iron. For less than US$1.75 you can print on a sheet of transfer vinyl and transfer it by dry ironing onto any tee shirt.As simple as 1,2,3.
We recommend a material from Avery that you can order from AmazonHERE*. There are a number of similar items but we’ve been very happy with this product. Print on this opaque vinyl with any inkjet printer and it can be transferred to any tee, even dark colors, using a dry iron. The resulting shirt is guaranteed to last through 20 washings without any fading or cracking.
“What a great idea. We love the idea of decorating with travel memories. Picked out several of our travel pictures and had them printed locally (Walmart). The prints were beautiful and really look great on our wall. Liked the idea that each print was from our travels.” Sue M
“We’re interior decorators specializing in offices and these prints seemed a great idea for clients spaces!” William & Megan James
Start A Travel Library Of Your Trips
While we’re on the subject of travel photographs we should mention our travel books. For over fifteen years we’ve been in the habit of recording our trips in custom printed, hardback books. We use Shutterfly, but there are a number of other options (Some computer photo applications often offer this in the app). It only takes a couple of hours to organize our photographs and design a book. Costs can actually be as inexpensive as US$24.00.
In our books we don’t just add photos but also record information on hotels, restaurants and tours. Our library includes over 30 books and we have neighbors that often borrow them to help in planning their travels. I even find them a great reference when working on this website.
* We currently earn no commission or advertising payments from any companies mentioned here including Amazon for references or links to products.
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Greccio is a historic Italian village renowned for its deep connection to St. Francis of Assisi, particularly as the site of the very first Living Nativity scene, which he created in the early 13th century which marked a pivotal moment in Christian tradition, emphasizing the nativity of Christ in a tangible and immersive way.
Origin In 1223, St. Francis of Assisi wanted to bring the Christmas story to life for the people of Greccio, an Italian village, as many would never have the chance to visit Bethlehem. He arranged for a cave to be prepared with a manger filled with hay and live animals like an ox and a donkey to create a real live reenactment of the birth of Jesus. Today in Greccio reenactments take place in the same cave where St. Francis staged the original event.
As they celebrate this remarkable event, Greccio continues to attract pilgrims and visitors who seek to connect with the rich history and traditions that St. Francis fostered. Greccio stands as a testament to St. Francis’s impactful role in shaping Christian practices, particularly during the Christmas season.
Additionally the Sanctuary of Greccio, located just 1.5 kilometers from the village center, serves as a prominent site of meditation and worship established by St. Francis himself. This hermitage is one of four shrines he founded in the Sacred Valley, further solidifying Greccio’s importance in Franciscan history. Throughout his life, St. Francis frequently visited Greccio while preaching across Italy, leaving a lasting spiritual legacy in the region.
Saint Francis of Assisi The tomb of St. Francis located in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, in Assisi, Italy. The remains are housed in a simple stone sarcophagus within a crypt beneath the Lower Basilica, a site that was intentionally hidden for centuries before its rediscovery in 1818. The crypt was later built around the tomb so that pilgrims could visit.
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Cruising is a fantastic way to travel and see the world and one of the biggest advantage is you don’t have to keep packing and unpacking.Just unpack once and settle into you home away from home stateroom. Every year sees newer designed cruise ships being launched and each new generation comes with a collection of improvements and that includes cabin upgrades.
After twenty-five years of cruising and international travel we’ve learned that every cruise cabin or hotel room is usually missing something we consider essential and we now travel with our own collection of room upgrades. No more stumbling around in the dark looking for a bathroom or light switch and no more wondered what’s in those pump top containers in the shower?What ever happened with those travel size shampoos and bars of soap?
Here’s our collection of cruise and hotel room upgrades…
Not always, but often, we wish there was more bathroom counter space. Well this handy carry-along doesn’t take up more room in your suitcase than a tee shirt and hangs conveniently inside the bathroom on the door.Perfect for getting larger items out of the way but still easy to reach.
HANGING ORGANIZER
Over A Narrow Door Shoe Organizer With 6 Large Fabric Pockets. Shoe Holder And More With 2 Hooks
Many of the newer cruise ships now equip their showers with a foot step to help ladies shave their legs, but not all. Such a simple addition and a serious aggravation if it’s not there. Highly recommended if cruising on an older ship especially on a longer cruise.
ATTACHABLE SHOWER STEP
Shower Foot Rest for Shaving Legs, No-Hole Design, Strong Suction Cup, Non-Slip Bathroom Foot Pedal for Inside Shower Shaving Legs
As mentioned, what do we know about what’s in those shower pump dispensers? There are a number of highly recommended shampoo bars on the market and you’d be surprised at the results.
SHAMPOO BAR
LIYALAN Shampoo Bar for Hair Solid Soap (2 Pack) Rosemary and Jasmine Shampoo Bar, Deep Cleansing Hair Shampoo
Travel power strips come in an assortment of sizes with a range of port configurations and we’ve used a number of different ones. While this particular one is slightly bigger than most it actually is easier to pack. Many of the newer designs are much thicker and seem more awkward to stow.
TRAVEL POWER STRIP
Power Strip with 2 Outlets and 3 USB ports.Portable Desktop Charging Station, 15 inches Short Extension Cord, Compact for Cruise Ship, Nightstand…
Please Note: There is a lot of confusion about using extension cords and power strips on cruise ships. Often you’ll get notices that the ship doesn’t allow them while some power strips are approved by the Cruise Association Approved. If you’re concerned we would recommend at least carrying a multi-USB plug in.
This is our absolutely “must carry” item. Even on newer ships that have added a night light to the staterooms these still come in handy. Think about adding one on the floor on each side of the bed or in the bathroom.
TRAVEL NIGHT LIGHT
Rechargeable Night Light, Small, Motion Sensor Travel Nightlight
We did to carry three or four 3M Command hooks when cruising but have reduced that to one now that we have these magnetic hooks. All stateroom walls and doors are metal and these particular hooks hold on tight. For some reason cruise cabins never have enough hooks?
MAGNATIC HOOKS
DIYMAG Magnetic Hooks, Holds 30 lbs+ Magnet Hook 2025 Cruise Cabin Ship Essentials Heavy Duty Strong Magnets
Explore a few of our favorite UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Perhaps one of the United Nations greatest accomplishments is it’s organized program to protect our world’s wonders.UNESCO World Heritage Sites are major historical landmarks or locations receiving legal protections under international conventions by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). They’ve been stablished to safeguard some of the world’s most extraordinary and unique places for all humanity as well as future generations.
Acropolis of Athens designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon.
Hội An was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Hội An is a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals. The former port city’s melting-pot history is reflected in its architecture, a mix of eras and styles from wooden Chinese shophouses and temples to colorful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda.
Iguazú Falls was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984 Iguazú National Park covers an area of subtropical rainforest in Argentina’s Misiones province, on the border with Brazil. Within the park on the Iguazú River, the renowned Iguazú Falls encompasses many separate cascades, including the iconic Garganta del Diablo or “Devil’s Throat.” The surrounding park features diverse wildlife including coatis, jaguars and toucans, plus trails and viewing platforms.
Galapagos Islands, were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The Galápagos Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 km (600 mi) off the coast of Ecuador, remained a hidden natural wonder for millions of years. Today, this archipelago and its vast marine reserve are celebrated as a unique “living museum and showcase of evolution.” Positioned at the meeting point of three ocean currents, the islands boast one of the richest marine ecosystems on Earth. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity continues to shape the landscape, mirroring the same processes that originally formed the islands. Combined with their extreme isolation, these conditions gave rise to extraordinary plant and animal life—including marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, giant tortoises, towering cacti, endemic trees, and the many subspecies of mockingbirds and finches. It was this remarkable biodiversity that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection after his visit in 1835.
The historic center of Prague designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Prague, the Czech capital, is often called “the city of a thousand spires” thanks to its wealth of beautifully preserved historical monuments spanning nearly every era of history. From the 11th to the 18th centuries, the Old Town, Lesser Town, and New Town were built, reflecting the city’s immense architectural and cultural influence since the Middle Ages. Among Prague’s most iconic landmarks are the bridges crossing the Vltava River, with the elegant Charles Bridge standing as the most famous. Yet the breathtaking Old Town Square and the majestic Prague Castle are equally unforgettable. Add to this the cobblestone streets and atmospheric alleyways that wind through the city, and it becomes clear why Prague is considered one of Europe’s most enchanting destinations. Even the most seasoned traveler would find it hard to resist the charm of this vibrant, bustling, and picturesque city.
Valletta, Malta designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980. Valletta is the tiny capital of the Mediterranean island nation of Malta. The walled city was established in the 1500s on a peninsula by the Knights of St. John, a Roman Catholic order. It’s known for museums, palaces and grand churches. Baroque landmarks include St. John’s Co-Cathedral, whose opulent interior is home to the Caravaggio masterpiece “The Beheading of Saint John.”
Old Faithful
Yellowstone National Park designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Established in 1872, Yellowstone was designated as one of the first national parks — an idea that spread across the globe. Its creation aimed to protect the majority of the planet’s geysers along with countless other thermal wonders, forming an otherworldly landscape of steam, bubbling pools, and boiling mud. Over a century later, in 1978, Yellowstone was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming the United States’ first UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
Cusco designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983 is a city in the Peruvian Andes, and was once capital of the Inca Empire, and is now known for its archaeological remains and Spanish colonial architecture. Plaza de Armas is the central square in the old city, with arcades, carved wooden balconies and Incan wall ruins. The baroque Santo Domingo Convent was built on top of the Incan Temple of the Sun (Qoricancha), and has archaeological remains of Inca stonework.
Machu Picchu, Peru designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Perched atop a mountain, Machu Picchu in Peru is an imposing citadel built from enormous stone blocks joined without mortar, forming one of the most significant religious, political, and cultural centers of the Inca Empire. Rediscovered for the modern world in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, the city is divided into two main sectors: the agricultural area, featuring an extensive network of terraces, and the urban sector, which includes remarkable structures such as the Sun Temple.
Dubrovnik Old City was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Dubrovnik is a city in southern Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It’s known for its distinctive Old Town, encircled with massive stone walls completed in the 16th century. Its well-preserved buildings range from baroque St. Blaise Church to Renaissance Sponza Palace and Gothic Rector’s Palace, now a history museum. Paved with limestone, the pedestrianized Stradun (or Placa) is lined with shops and restaurants.
Greater Blue Mountains Area declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 2000. The Greater Blue Mountains Area is a World Heritage Site located in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. The 1,032,649-hectare area was placed on the World Heritage List at the 24th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Cairns in 2000.
Do you have a favorite UNESCO World Heritage Site? Please share with us in the comment section below.
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