Behind the Guides: Plan a Right Royal Trip to the UK

Behind the Guides Frommer's guidebook editors share insight into finding the best the world has to offer. Plan a Right Royal Trip to the UK 8 Apr 2011, 8:00 pm There’s a royal wedding afoot and the British tourism industry is going crazy. London Zoo is giving anyone called Will or Kate free entry over the royal wedding weekend. One Bristol hotel is offering couples called Will and Kate a free wedding venue. Meanwhile, married couples called, you guessed it, Will and Kate, can renew their love on the London Eye for free. But where can you celebrate the royal wedding on vacation in the UK if your name doesn’t have that distinctly royal ring? Here are the best places to sample that royal experience, whatever your degree of royal fervour. Photo Caption: Royal Wedding commemorative plate. Photo by KKOutlet. God Save the Queen You can bet your Charles and Diana commemorative teapot that the wedding procession route will be jam-packed with Union Jack-waving well-wishers. Conservative estimates put that number at 1.5 million so arrive early to bag a good spot along The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall or Parliament Square. The bride will travel to Westminster Abbey by car but the newlyweds will retrace the route back to Buckingham Palace in an open carriage at midday. Walking the procession route before the big day will give you the royal perspective. Start with the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace and admire the pelicans in St James Park. Move from autocracy to democracy as you wander along Whitehall, past 10 Downing Street, Big Ben and Parliament Square. Finish at Westminster Abbey, royal wedding venue and final resting place of many a monarch including Mary I, Elizabeth I and George II. Photo Caption: The Long Walk at Windsor Castle. Photo by Flickr/hmcotterill. Any excuse for a party If the thought of fighting over-excited crowds for a glimpse of freshly buffed royal flesh puts you off your bangers and mash, get your taste of royalty elsewhere. St Paul’s Cathedral survived the bombs of World War II to host the wedding of Charles to Diana, resplendent in her 25-foot wedding dress train. Practice saying “I do” in the dome’s Whispering Gallery, where a design quirk makes a whisper audible on the opposite side. The Queen’s main residence is Windsor Castle, the oldest and biggest inhabited castle in the world. If the flag is flying, the Queen is home. Travel there by train, getting off at Windsor and Eton Station where part of Oscar-winning film The King’s Speech was filmed. You can then take a stroll along The Long Walk, a tree-lined, poker-straight avenue from George IV Gateway to the 1829 Copper Horse statue on Snow Hill. Photo Caption: Boscobel House and the Royal Oak. Photo by English Heritage. Hang me for treason Not everyone in the UK adores the royal family. While many Brits relish the prospect of a royal wedding, or at the very least the prospect of an extra public holiday, it’s fair to say that there are a few among us who would, quite frankly, abolish the royal family altogether. Of course, it’s all in keeping with a strong British tradition of attempting to overthrow the monarchy. After executing Charles I in 1649, Oliver Cromwell ran England as a republic. Two years later he had to hunt down Charles’ son, Charles II, who was trying to rouse the royalists into an uprising. To cut a long story short, Cromwell’s army won and Charles II fled, finding shelter in an English oak tree in the grounds of Boscobel House, Shropshire. Timber-framed Boscobel House still stands and is open to visitors. The descendant of Charles II’s oak tree stands in its grounds – the original oak was hacked apart by souvenir hunters. Nowadays The Royal Oak is one of Britain’s most popular pub names and a very appropriate place to raise a pint to Britain’s monarchy, past, present and future. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Frommers.com Cruise Blog: Crystal Offers Discount Standby Fares on Five Early-Summer Cruises

Frommers.com Cruise Blog Coverage of the hottest trends in cruising, descriptions of major cruise ships, and tips on how to get the most out of your trip from Frommers.com's resident cruise expert. Crystal Offers Discount Standby Fares on Five Early-Summer Cruises 8 Apr 2011, 7:39 am Want a luxury cruise on the sort-of cheap? Slap your deposit down on one of the five sailings Crystal Cruises has just put on sale in a "standby" promotion. Bookings won't be confirmed until about a month and a half before the sailing date, but if you're, say, retired and have flexibility regarding your vacation plans, you could walk away with a good deal. The five sailings, with their standby fares, are: 12-day Alaska cruises, round-trip from San Francisco, departing May 9 and 21 and June 2. Per-person standby fares are $2,995 for a stateroom with picture window or $3,995 for a balcony stateroom. 11-day Scandinavia/Russia sailing, Hamburg to Stockholm, departing May 22. Per-person standby fares are $2,995 for a stateroom with picture window or $3,995 for a balcony stateroom. 14-day North Cape/Arctic Circle voyage, Copenhagen to Stockholm, departing June 13. Per-person standby fares are $4,995 for a stateroom with picture window or $5,995 for a balcony stateroom. Standby fares are based on availability, require a $500-per-guest deposit upon reservation, and will be confirmed, the line says, "on a 'first requested, first confirmed' basis no earlier than 45 days prior to departure." Final payment is due within three days of confirmation. The deal applies only to new bookings and only covers your cruise—i.e., it doesn't include airfare or port, security, or handling charges. The last time Crystal offered this kind of standby deal was in 2002, when it also applied to five Alaska and Scandinavia/Russia cruises. That deal explicitly noted that "The $500 deposit will be refunded in full if Crystal Cruises is unable to offer registered guests a confirmation." That fine print isn't in the published fine print this time, but I'm assuming it applies. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Tony Wheeler: Returning to Zimbabwe

Tony Wheeler Returning to Zimbabwe 8 Apr 2011, 5:17 am You can trash a reputation in a flash, it takes a long time to rebuild it. Robert Mugabe pretty much managed to destroy Zimbabwe’s economy and in the process chased away most of the country’s tourists. He did such a comprehensive job of wrecking things nobody has noticed that in the last couple of years things have turned around. In fact things started to get better as soon as Morgan Tsvangirai came in as half (the smaller half) of the GNU – Government of National Unity – with perennial vote-fixer Mugabe. The local joke is it’s more like the famously ungainly wildebeest than a gnu, but no question things have got much better. So Mr Mugabe can’t claim credit for the improvement – although he will certainly try to. ▲ My Zimbabwean surprise kicked off as soon as I arrived at Harare airport on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from London via Addis Ababa. Where was the chaos? Where were the desperate taxi drivers? Where were the car-swallowing potholes in the road? In fact this looked much better than a lot of African cities I’ve been to. In comparison Harare was neat and orderly, not only did traffic lights work but cars stopped at them. The shops were crowded, the shelves were full. There were even flowers on sales beside this park in central Harare. Not at all what media horror stories would have you believe. During the next two weeks I drove down to Bulawayo from where I made forays out to the Khami Ruins and into the Matobo National Park. ▲ Want the most impressive African ruins south of the Sahara? Then head for Zimbabwe where the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe gave its name to the country. They’re the best known, but the country has other ruins worth searching out like the Khami Ruins just outside Bulawayo. The western side of the Hill Complex has recently been restored with French assistance. ▲ South of Bulawayo the Matobo National Park has amazing rock formations and the grave of Cecil Rhodes, who for a spell gave his name to the country, Zimbabwe was known as South Rhodesia in the colonial era. There’s been considerable reassessment of Rhodes over the years although even when he was alive he had many question marks attached to his activities. There’s no question about the view from the hilltop where he’s buried, it’s known as World’s View. ▲ The park is also noted for its bushmen cave paintings, like these at White Rhino Cave. ▲ Trainspotters would be blissfully happy at Bulawayo’s railway museum, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a big collection of steam locomotives and other railway paraphernalia. ▲ From Bulawayo Craig Van Zyl of Classic African Safaris took me from National Park to safari camp to game lodge with stops in the Hwange, Chizarira and Matusadona National Parks. Here we are heading off to Davison’s Camp after landing at an airstrip in Hwange National Park. Some of our wildlife encounters will follow in my next blog. ▲ Back in Harare I rented another car and headed east to Mutare and on to the Bvumba Mountains near the border with Mozambique. On the way I got zapped in a radar speed trap, doing 87kph in an 80kph zone. It cost me US$10, but you couldn’t ask for a nicer bunch of speed cops, they even let me play with the radar machine and check other cars while they were writing out my ‘Admission of Guilt’ form. It’s pay on the spot and you get a receipt, so it’s straight up and down, no bribery or funny business involved. ▲ Get a hair do in Mutare? The town is the locale for The Last Resort, which I’ve just read and reviewed. Of course everything wasn't bright and wonderful in 2011 Zimbabwe, there were places I'd been to on previous visits in 1989 and 1997 which had been taken over and, as a result, were closed, others just hanging on with very few visitors and often the good places still going were the survivors when many other safari camps and lodges had laid off their employees and closed down the tent flaps. There are still very few visitors, but perhaps it's the time to start going back. I had a great time. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Arthur Frommer Online: Las Vegas on Sale: Dramatic Discounts at Luxurious Aria Hotel, from $129 Per Night in April and May

Arthur Frommer Online Comments, opinion and advice from the founder of Frommer's Travel Guides Las Vegas on Sale: Dramatic Discounts at Luxurious Aria Hotel, from $129 Per Night in April and May 7 Apr 2011, 7:00 pm Things are still looking soft at the ultra-deluxe Aria Hotel in Las Vegas. The booking charts of MGM Resorts (www.mgmresorts.com) for that elegant property still show five remaining April dates when rooms are available for only $129 a night (April 17, 18, 19, 20 and 24) and nine days in May when rooms are offered for only $129 a night (May 4, 5, 8, 15, 16, 26, 30 and 31). The stretch of rock-bottom rates from April 17-20 is particularly enticing. Note that Aria normally tries to get $300-plus for those spiffy accommodations. Considering the dramatic discounts presently offered for the luxurious Aria Hotel, there appears to be no real upturn in business for the deluxe hotels of Las Vegas. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Arthur Frommer Online: How to Book a Balcony Cabin from $799 Per Person on Royal Caribbean's "Allure" and "Oasis of the Seas"

Arthur Frommer Online Comments, opinion and advice from the founder of Frommer's Travel Guides How to Book a Balcony Cabin from $799 Per Person on Royal Caribbean's "Allure" and "Oasis of the Seas" 7 Apr 2011, 4:00 pm I recently drew attention to the heavy discounts on two gigantic ships that were supposedly (according to Royal Caribbean) the most popular vessels afloat: the 6,000-passenger Allure of the Seas and 6,000-passenger Oasis of the Seas. Both of them are currently sailing one-week cruises round-trip from Ft. Lauderdale every weekend. That something is amiss with these two theme-parks-at-sea is now further confirmed by a substantial improvement in the size of those discounts from the discount cruise broker Online Vacation Center (www.onlinevacationcenter.com). Not only has the price been lowered to $799 per person on upcoming sailings of these two ships, but payment of the $799 (which used to buy you an inside cabin, without portholes) will now get you a balcony-equipped cabin (though one gazing out at inward "neighborhoods") on both ships. Specifically, $799 per person will get you a neighborhood balcony cabin on a 7-night sailing of the eastern Caribbean aboard the Oasis of the Seas, departing round-trip from Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday, April 23. You can also pay $799 per person for a 7-night sailing of the western Caribbean, departing round-trip from Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday, April 16. Similarly, $799 per person will get you a neighborhood balcony cabin on a 7-night sailing of the western Caribbean aboard the Allure of the Seas, departing round-trip from Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, April 24, or a 7-night sailing of the eastern Caribbean departing round-trip from Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, April 17. To take advantage of deals on either ship -- at a price and for a cabin situation never before offered -- phone Online Vacation Center at tel. 800/329-9002. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Between Bites: Weekend Trips: Half Moon Bay, California

Between Bites Amy Sherman in San Francisco and Amy Zavatto in New York City examine the culinary history and trends for the world traveler. Weekend Trips: Half Moon Bay, California 3 Mar 2011, 7:15 pm If California's Half Moon Bay is good for a day, it's even better for a weekend trip from San Francisco. There are plenty of places to stay, no matter what your style or budget. Here are my picks for where to stay, what to do, and where to eat.  For Families with Kids Stay at the Half Moon Bay Lodge (www.halfmoonbaylodge.com). The rooms are big, there's a pool, and sure to make the kids happy is the free breakfast featuring "make your own waffles" in a big bright breakfast room.  During the day, plan to take the clan to Harley Farms for a tour of the goat farm. The grassy property set back from Pescadero is home to sheep, gardens, and a little shop. Hang out with the goats, see where they live and are milked, take a tour of the cheesemaking facilities, and buy some goat cheese to take home.  For Couples and Extended Families The perfect place to stay in town is the Half Moon Bay Inn (www.halfmoonbayinn.com), a boutique hotel with European style and Latin American antique furnishings and decor. Each room has its own personality. Though it's great to be able to walk to and from dinner in town, the inn also has a kitchen if you want to stay in. Park once, then settle in for eating, drinking, and shopping.  The Saturday Coastside Farmer's Market is just a few blocks away from Half Moon Bay Inn, and a must for finding fresh produce as well as gifts to bring home. Come here for fresh homemade Mexican bites, fruit, and pretty gift items.  Another great activity during the day is to visit some of the local farms, with a stop at La Nebbia winery. On the property is a glassblowing studio. Watch artist Doug Brown or take a class from him at Colquhoun Glass Works (www.colquhounglassworks.com). You will see his stunning glass pumpkins and pretty jelly fish light fixtures all around Half Moon Bay. Make a piece of fruit or heart-shaped paperweight one day and pick it up the next. Splurge If you are in serious luxury mode, the ocean views from the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Baywww.ritzcarlton.com () cannot be beat. This property is a resort and a heaven for golfers. The Ritz is famous for their extravagant brunch buffet on the weekends, but I recommend dinner at Navio. While Chef Richard Gras is passionate about the local produce and working with farmers, he's also wildly creative and inventive using modern techniques like foams, sous vide cooked meats, and herbal sorbets in savory dishes that are all beautifully plated. His menu changes frequently, so rely on the outstanding staff to help you choose something special. Wine pairings are also not to be missed.  More Restaurants I saw happy families, couples and groups at two local restaurants, Cetrella (845 Main Street, Half Moon Bay; tel. 650/726-4090; www.cetrella.com) and Cafe Gibralter (425 Avenue Alhambra, El Granada; tel. 650/560-9039; www.cafegibraltar.com). Cetrella, right in Half Moon Bay, has an open dining room where you can see into the kitchen. The food is solid, though perhaps not terribly exciting; service by contrast is definitely top-notch.  A local favorite for good reason is Cafe Gibralter. Be sure to make a reservation or risk missing out. It's located a few miles from town in El Granada. The food is big and bold with very creative vegetarian -- and even vegan --  dishes. The chef is influenced by North Africa but is really doing his own thing. This is lusty food. I found the stews and soups to be especially good and was less excited by the seafood, which in some cases could have used a lighter touch.  You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Frommers.com Cruise Blog: Disney Cruise Line Announces Sailings from New York, Seattle, and Galveston in 2012

Frommers.com Cruise Blog Coverage of the hottest trends in cruising, descriptions of major cruise ships, and tips on how to get the most out of your trip from Frommers.com's resident cruise expert. Disney Cruise Line Announces Sailings from New York, Seattle, and Galveston in 2012 6 Apr 2011, 8:33 pm With one new ship in the water and another, Disney Fantasy, set to sail her maiden voyage in just over a year, Disney Cruise Line today announced its complete four-ship lineup of cruises for 2012, sailing from new homeports and taking in new destinations. From New York: Disney Magic, the line's original ship, will offer Disney's first-ever sailings from New York, between May 25 and September 12, 2012. A total of twenty cruises are planned, including: 8-night Bahamas & Florida cruises, visiting Nassau, Port Canaveral, and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, with four days at sea. Departures are scheduled for May 25; June 2, 22, and 30; July 20 and 28; and August 17 and 25. Fares start at $1,240 per person, double occupancy, and include round-trip transportation between Port Canaveral and Disney World and a one-day Park Hopper ticket. 5-night Canada cruises, visiting Halifax and Saint John, with two days at sea. Departures are scheduled for June 10 and 17; July 8 and 15; August 5 and 12, and September 2, 7, and 12. Fares start at $715 per person, double occupancy. 2-night cruises to nowhere, sailing June 15, July 13, and August 10. Fares start at $370 per person, double occupancy. From Galveston: Following her New York season, Disney Magic will transfer to Galveston, Texas, for a series of western Caribbean cruises: 7-night Western Caribbean, visiting Grand Cayman Island and Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, with three days at sea. Fares start at $840 per person, double occupancy. From Seattle: Beginning May 28, 2012, Disney Wonder will sail her second season in Alaska, but from Seattle this time instead of Vancouver, which is the ship's homeport for its 2011 season. In all, 14 cruises planned through summer 2012: 7-night Alaska Inside Passage, visiting Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria, British Columbia, departing May 28; June 4, 11, 18, and 25; July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30; and August 6, 13, 20, and 27. Fares start at $917 per person, double occupancy. From Los Angeles: Alaska aside, Disney Wonder will spend the bulk of 2012 sailing from Los Angeles: 7-night Mexican Riviera, sailing through the winter, spring, and fall. In its just-completed season, Disney cancelled visits to Mazatlan due to drug cartel violence in the resort, but itineraries listed currently on the line's website for 2012 name Mazatlan, Puero Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas as the ports of call. Fares start at $707 per person, double occupancy. 7-night Pacific Coast cruises, visiting San Francisco, San Diego, and Ensenada, Mexico, departing September 16, 23, and 30 and October 7. Fares start at $770 per person, double occupancy. 15-night Hawaii, departing April 29, 2012, and visiting Hilo; Kahului, Maui; Honolulu, Oahu; Nawiliwili, and Kauai, plus Ensenada, Mexico. Fares start at $1,800 per person, double occupancy. From Port Canaveral: As has been true since Disney Cruise Line first began operation, the line will be offering both weeklong cruises and 3-, 4-, and 5-night cruises (paired with Disney World stays) from its homeport in Port Canaveral, Florida: 7-night Caribbean, sailing aboard the new Disney Fantasy beginning on March 31, 2012, alternating eastern and western Caribbean itineraries, the former visiting St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Castaway Cay, the latter visiting Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Castaway Cay. Two special eastern Caribbean sailings in November and December 2012 stop at St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Fares start at $959 per person, double occupancy. 3-, 4-, and 5-night Bahamas, year-round aboard Disney Dream, visiting Castaway Cay (3-nighters), Castaway Cay and Nassau (4- & 5-nighters, with 5-night cruises including two visits to the Cay). Fares start at $471 per person, double occupancy. Disney Magic will also sail out of Port Canaveral on Caribbean and Bahamian cruises until May 2012. Bookings for all 2012 cruises open April 8, 2011. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.