No Solo supplements? Solo Travelers Club newsletter

The solo Traveler  Club  just sent out a newsletter......   solo travelers tell me if  $250 to $400+ per day in your budget?

Thank you Solo Travelers Club for this email:   now I need to call for the solo fares....

Message from  Linda Carella Solo Specialist River Cruising in Europe Travel through the interior of Europe on one of its glorious rivers that flows past castles, medieval towns and romantic cities like Paris, Vienna and Budapest. With 150 or fewer passengers on these beautiful river boats, you'll meet lots of possible companions on your very first day… and with most excursions  and all your wine at meals included, it's one of the best values in cruising.  Call me for details on dates and itineraries with the best deals for solo travelers! 800-787-1871

Deals for Solo Travelers Azamara Club Cruises 9-Night Northern Europe Oceanview on the Azamara Quest Aug 7, 2013 from $4049 13-Night Ocean Crossing Oceanview on the Azamara Quest November 13, 2013 from $3129 14-Night Asia Oceanview on the Azamara Journey December 9, 2013 from $4521 Call For More Info: 800-787-1871 Holland America Line Special Offers Western Caribbean Cruise 7 Nights Roundtrip Fort Lauderdale on ms Eurodam Verandah from $1398 Suite from $1798 Sailing: Oct 27, Nov 10*, 24, 2013 and Jan 5, 2014 Eastern Caribbean Itinerary on Nov 17, 2013 Eastern Caribbean Cruise 7 Nights Roundtrip Fort Lauderdale on ms Westerdam Verandah from $1398 Suite from $1798 Sailing: Nov 9, 16*, 23 and Dec 14, 2013 and January 4, 2014 AmaWaterways Special Solo Offers The Enchanting Rhine 7 Nights Between Amsterdam & Basel Call for Solo Pricing!Including $500 Off Per Stateroom, $100 Onboard Credit, Free Upgrade Sailing: Oct 29, Nov 5, 22 and Dec 2013 Vietnam, Cambodia & the Riches of the Mekong 7 Nights Between Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City Call for Solo Pricing!Single Supplement Waived! Sailing: August 19, 26 and October 7, 28, 2013

	s on these beautiful river boats, you'll meet lots of possible companions on your very first day…           and with most excursions   and all your wine at meals included, it's one of the best values in cruising. Call me for details on dates and itineraries with the best deals for solo travelers! 800-787-1871
	Deals for Solo Travelers Azamara Club Cruises 9-Night Northern Europe Oceanview on the Azamara Quest Aug 7, 2013 from $4049 13-Night Ocean Crossing Oceanview on the Azamara Quest November 13, 2013 from $3129 14-Night Asia Oceanview on the Azamara Journey December 9, 2013 from $4521 Call For More Info: 800-787-1871 Holland America Line Special Offers Western Caribbean Cruise 7 Nights Roundtrip Fort Lauderdale on ms Eurodam Verandah from $1398 Suite from $1798 Sailing: Oct 27, Nov 10*, 24, 2013 and Jan 5, 2014 Eastern Caribbean Itinerary on Nov 17, 2013 Eastern Caribbean Cruise 7 Nights Roundtrip Fort Lauderdale on ms Westerdam Verandah from $1398 Suite from $1798 Sailing: Nov 9, 16*, 23 and Dec 14, 2013 and January 4, 2014 AmaWaterways Special Solo Offers The Enchanting Rhine 7 Nights Between Amsterdam & Basel Call for Solo Pricing!Including $500 Off Per Stateroom, $100 Onboard Credit, Free Upgrade Sailing: Oct 29, Nov 5, 22 and Dec 2013 Vietnam, Cambodia & the Riches of the Mekong 7 Nights Between Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City Call for Solo Pricing!Single Supplement Waived! Sailing: August 19, 26 and October 7, 28, 2013

A visit to Canterbury: Canterbury, UK

The Canterbury Tales: *    If you read this classic in high school than you may expect a stream of pilgrims walking on the ancient walls towards Canterbury cathedral.   You will find local citizens using the walls as a very easy route without cars and stop lights, day travelers coming from the train station or the occasional runner and bike riders.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canterbury_Tales

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An enormous structure but with perfect scale

More than 25 years ago I visited Canterbury for the first time.       My memories were of a town that made me fill as if I stepped back in time 500 years and a vesta box.    I am sorry to say I did not remember the cathedral but I did remember and still have the unusual silver box a man would have worn on a chain to carry small matches in.

So a second visit the Canterbury had the goal of seeing the cathedral and the town.
S
When the opportunity to overnight in Canterbury on my was to Dover arose, I decided to stay overnight on the cathedral  grounds at the Cathedral Lodge.
.   I think I expected monks or brothers to be in residence as they are during my stays in convent hotels in Italy where I have met travelers and nuns from all over the world.     http://hometoitaly.blogspot.com/2013/03/italy-try-convent-instead-of-hotel.html         But this is not the case at the Cathedral nor the lodge on the grounds.  The hotel is a professionally run conference center and hotel.    http://www.canterburycathedrallodge.org/?gclid=CKnF2P6Zl7gCFc0WMgodRiIABA

A short walk from the train station atop the city wall or you can leave your car in the car park outside the main door.   The friendly staff quickly checked me in and even helped me with my bags to my room since I was in the older building without an elevator:     A nice large room with windows overlooking the town.  
A full breakfast as only the English can do, is included with your room.   Wifi is available in most rooms and in the library on the first floor.   A truly lovely stay.

Since I had returned to Canterbury to see the town and the church, I started with the high (main) street that was busy with shoppers and the weekly market.   I am a travel shopper.  I shop stores, markets and particularly grocery stores to see what local life is like.  



Because I was staying at ‘the Lodge’ I had full access to the Cathedral for my entire stay.     There was no choir practice that evening so I sat in on the organ practice.   The deep sounds resonated off the walls and the soaring ceiling.   Walking in the main nave I tried to imagine a service here hundreds of years ago.      Living in a country that only goes back a few hundred years,  I enjoy visiting towns and buildings that whisper me.  All the footsteps of the generations that walked in the streets and lived their lives….. 
One overnight was NOT ENOUGH time to experience the town, meet some of the locals or enjoy all the English culinary treats:   a Sunday roast, pub grub and high tea.
I shall just plan to return.

All solo travelers are not 20 somethings:  
I met India at the check in counter at the Lodge and she kindly agreed to a short video to explain why she would not consider traveling solo……I found this interesting since everything you read is that solo travel is for backpacking, hostel stays, young travelers who want to go around the world.

Since I research and write about mature solo travel I thought this was enlightening.

http://www.canterburycathedrallodge.org/?gclid=CKnF2P6Zl7gCFc0WMgodRiIABA

Value vs price 3 weeks on Holland American

Sea Travel out on the deck

Value vs Price is one way I evaluate which long term trips I will take each year.  
Not having the resources of other travelers I consider all my options before I select 
where I will travel on 30 day trip.     My preference is to travel for long periods even if it is only one trip a year.  

To be a traveler not a tourist  I approach itineraries and locations differently than most other vacationers.       In addition to the cost of a trip, the return I receive from visiting a new country, staying in a small town, learning a skill or meeting the locals is part of the equation. 

In  place of my usual 6 weeks in Italy each year I opted to explore Northern Europe, the Baltic, an area I had never visited.    Traveling by ship  to visit 7 countries in 3 weeks was a good use of time if not the most economically way to travel.  
   

Holland America’s Baltic cruise from Dover, UK to Norway, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Denmark and Sweden gave me a small overview of countries I might wish to return to.      But did this sailing offer Value for the Price?

Although solo travelers did not seem to be the target market for this company, I did find some surprises that my other trans Atlantic crossings did not offer.    And in future posts I shall share the single feature HA has that other ships may not be able to compete with:   the incredible crew and staff on the Ryndam.

     There was limited information, before sailing, about what classes would be offered, so it was a pleasant surprise to find Microsoft based programs would be taught.   Each day, even port days,  four or more classes were taught in the Digital Workshop by Craig Lewes, the ships’ Techspert.

   Computer Classes: 

Craig Louis, Techspert

Meet Craig Louis the Techspert teaching Microsoft on the Ryndam.     With a high level of  energy.                                                                 
 Craig taught more than 70 classes during the time I was aboard.   

For an hour every day he offered an ‘ask Craig’ event where passengers asked questions on cameras,
Microsoft programs or solutions to some of their computer problems.    

Many of his classes were standing room only.   He presented each program with a clear and concise outline.    I particularly enjoyed his dry sense of humor ‘deadpan’ response to some questions.*  I asked Craig if I could do a short profile on this blog and he sent me the following:

“ I  started with HAL back in June 2003.  So this year is my ten-year anniversary!     I originally  started with Club HAL doing the kids programming and then, because that job was only seasonal back then, I switched to doing administrative work for the Entertainment Department.

That position was abolished and replaced with new ones shortly after.            I became a Senior Assistant Cruise Director (doing a lot of stage and mic work, theme nights, bingo, supervising the Cruise Staff.   

That job lasted me about two and a half years before I went back to doing administrative work for the Entertainment Department on Grand Voyages, which I ended up doing for four years. I then took a hiatus from the company to finish my university degree (Bachelor is Sociology and Economics) and was asked to come back to HAL as a Techspert.”                                                                                                  

                                                                                                

“I started in August of 2010. I can honestly say that I think it's the best job on the entire ship!

I just get paid to travel around the world and geek out a bit every day.         I find the greatest thing about this job is that everyone who walks through the Digital Workshop doors is there to learn. I think because of that, and because the workshops are complimentary, everyone is just in a good mood.

It's a different environment than other places on the ship where people may complain about one thing or another. On top of that, I really love how our older generations are getting into technology and really embracing it.

It's always great to see the faces of the guests light up when we do something like panoramic pictures of photo fusing. There are no negatives that I have found with my actual job. The only negative of the lifestyle is being away from my friends and family for extended periods of time.

Oh! My other favorite part would be all the funny questions guests ask me; granted, they're just funny to me because they'll use awkward terminology or have very irrational fears - does that make me sound mean?      There are just those funny moments, like when a guest starts talking to the computer instead of using the mouse or touching the screen... “*

Solo Lunch

All solo travelers on this trip were invited to meet for lunch one day for a meet and greet.   This was a great way to find the other solo travelers among the 2000+ passengers.  However, nothing additional was planed during the 21 days.   HA could consider offering designated tables for solo travelers for the entire trip.    It would be optional for travelers. 
Port tours for solo travelers could also be offered.    

Next,  Food on Holland America 

Morris dancing in London

My At Home In London  location in Hampstead was only a few blocks from the river walk.   This pedestrian path went from my Hampstead location east towards central London and West.     I hiked parts of the path on both days I stayed at property #305.   Had I stayed longer at this location I would have spent far more time on the ‘walk’ even trying to take the route to Richmond.     There were pubs along the route that were full of locals every night, spilling onto the lawn.  
As I walked the 1 or 2 miles from Hammersmith town center I heard music, not bag pipes but something I recognized and singing.   Then I saw men dancing……  something like a skipping  version of the American square dance.  

My host suggested it could be Morris dancing……..have you heard about Morris dancing?

From Wikipedia I found the history of Morris dancing:

today, there are six predominant styles of Morris dancing, and different dances or traditions within each style named after their region of orign. 

• North West morris: more military in style and often processional, that developed out of the mills in the North-West of England in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Border Morris from the English-Welsh border: a simpler, looser, more vigorous style, traditionally danced with blackened faces.
• Longsword dancing from Yorkshire and south Durham, danced with long, rigid metal or wooden swords for, usually, 6 or 8 dancers.
• Rapper from Northumberland and Co. Durham, danced with short flexible sprung steel swords, usually for 5 dancers.
• Molly Dancing from Cambridgeshire. Traditionally danced on Plough Monday, they were Feast dances that were danced to collect money during harsh winters. One of the dancers would be dressed as a woman, hence the name.
• Cotswold morris: dances from an area mostly in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire; an established misnomer, since the Cotswolds overlap this region only partially. Normally danced with handkerchiefs or sticks to accompany the hand movements. Dances are usually for 6 or 8 dancers, but solo and duo dances (known as single or double jigs) also occur

Royal Baby contest at Krispy Kreme in London

London:  



Voting about the Royal Baby
At Krispy Kreme

While looking for the Spitsfield market on my May trip to London and beyond, I was arrested by the Krispy Kreme shop at the exit from the train station...

Apparently this is a BIG campaign in the UK  http://www.krispykreme.co.uk/hot-now/

At home the Krispy Kreme is the 24 hour   'Hot Donut" sign store.   For those deprived of donuts on demand, the sign goes on when fresh, HOT donuts come off the assembly line.

but what stopped me at this store was the contest they are running to guess if Kate and Will's baby will be a girl or a boy!

                                                                                                                                                                                                You buy the pink or blue donut to vote your choice........wow......

Near Dover: tea room you MUST visit

High Tea and CAKE,  my favorite 

    How fortunate to have 6 days here to sample Tea in a number of places.  And tea must come with cake.

    I have to admire a people who take the time to sit, relax and sip their national hot beverage while EATING CAKE!  It has been perfected to an art of "temperature, origin of the tea leaves and presentation". 

Coffee in Italy is a staple but una café is bolted not sipped.   The idea of sitting at a table drinking coffee for an hour is somewhat foreign to the Italians.

Discovering The Lavender Tea House in the south of the UK

          When i asked a greeter at the Dover dock where I was catching a ship,  "Is there a famous cake baked in this area" I had no idea she would suggest a new tea room in the next town that her daughter just opened and I would have an opportunity to visit the Lavender Tea House the following week.

           I had just been in Canterbury and found their 'special cake' (unfortunately they were sold out) and thought this would be an interesting theme.   Tea and cake throughout the UK, a perfect topic for my blog or a great excuse to eat cake several times a day!

A motto I can follow

The opportunity to visit the Lavender Tea Room in Folkestone, UK was too good to pass.     A call from her mother and a few emails had me taking the train the following week to Folkestone, a short distance from Dover, UK.     

Natalie Chessman is the owner of this charming tea room on a pedestrian street not far from the sea.   Visiting on a Saturday, the busiest day of the week, limited my time with Natalie but she was very generous to share her ideas about enjoying tea.   See the video interview below 

On a pedestrian street not far from the sea (and the train station)  the Lavender Tea Room has an outdoor patio

Your cake selection is served on English china  

How to choose what cake to try?   I selected 3 to take with me 'so that my story would be from a personal viewpoint".     What an enjoyable task I had in front of me....

Some of the amazing cakes, baked that morning, are on display.  

1.

2

3

The  three cakes that are most popular.    I could have sampled any of the selection.  The scones were incredible and they even had a glutton free cake!

The LTR was busy when I arrived about 11 am just before the midday rush.  The pedestrian street was busy with Saturday shoppers and a small festival in one of the streets.     As soon as I entered the shop I was greeted by one of the staff members who knew I was coming and sat me down with a pot of tea!.    A lovely welcome while I waited for Natale to finish in the kitchen.

Natalie had arrived very early to mix and bake all the wonderful cakes I saw in front of me but still she gave me some time to explain the philosophy behind opening the Lavender Tea room.   

Some of topics we covered in our chat:  (If I have omitted any facts, I shall ask the owner to correct me and correct the post)

Q.   How did your interest in baking, get started, did you bake as a child?

A.  I have always enjoyed being in the kitchen and  have always cooked.                                                   My father is a very good chef and I have grown up around ‘food’

Q.   How did you decide to open a tea room

a.      A.         There was a gap in the market, I picked Folkstone because  there are a

lack of tea rooms, lots of coffee bars.... 

(A tea room) harps back to the days, I think we have forgotten , what having tea is all about.

about the ritual of having tea, spending the

time,  sharing it with friends, having a chat,

I wanted to create an atmosphere

Q.  Did you grow up with the ritual of tea in the afternoon?

a.       A.   I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and she would always have tea around 4 o’clock with a piece of cake, buttered toast and a nice pot of tea   

The shop attracts many locals for tea, lunch and even parties.  While I was there several 'regulars' stopped in and were greeted by first names and a cheery hello.

  Q.  Do you bake all the cakes by hand or are they done 'commercially?

   A.  Natalie bakes all the cakes very early in the mornings….  home made cakes have no preservatives and           do not have the same texture as a 'box mix".   This feature makes her cakes like a treat you would have at a friends home.    

And she bakes with a Kitchen aid mixer the same one we would use in the USA.

The variety of cakes will change during the week but she told me her most popular treats are: 

Scones

Carrot cake

Lemon drizzle cake

 What might be in the future for The Lavender Tea Room?

  A signature cake for the area?   Currently they make Lavender cupcakes but were sold out this morning

  Lessons to teach others how to bake these marvelous cakes?   I would sign up for a class

  Shipping cakes as special orders?

  A cook book?

Natalie reminded me they have only been open a year, and many options are open for the future. 

 A British tour group may have some interest in adding  a stop at the Lavender Tea Room to a future tour schedule.

Today most of her customers are locals and myself the sole tourist.  If I lived in the area I would also become a regular, trying a different treat on each visit.

                   When you visit the Lavender Tea House in Kent, be sure to tell Natalie you saw her article on

                                                           MatureSoloTravel



 Click below to see their web site.
http://www.thelavenderteahouse.com/

The Lavender Tea House

Homemade Cakes, Fine Teas, Freshly Ground Coffee and Light Lunches in the Heart of Folkestone's Old Town.

Now Open in Church Street, Folkestone . . . 
The Lavender Tea House is the destination in Kent for fine teas, home made cakes and light lunches. The perfect place to relax after a shopping trip, during your lunch break or just to treat yourself to some calm, indulgent ‘me’ time!
Sit back, relax and enjoy a pot of fine tea served with a delicious slice of home made cake. Perfect!
 
Natalie Cheeseman
The Lavender Tea House
5, Church Street, Folkestone
01303 2545215

Do Solo Travelers pay Double the cost on Cruises?

If you prefer to travel solo, should you be charged double?           



         Although cruise lines do not avidly search for solo travelers, they will 'allow' solo travelers to join the ARK at up to 200% more than other passengers are paying.      Cunard has recently and in the past few years offered attractive rates for solo travelers and after taking one of their Atlantic crossings, I can say they are everything you imagine an elegant British ship to be.
The pricing policy for solo travelers has become a ‘movement’ in the ever growing solo traveler market.
If you choose to travel solo or because of circumstances you are traveling solo, why should solo travelers be further restricted by price?    There are wonderful trips advertised every day and if they are listed as ‘packages  or vacations’ the price is always higher when you select your travel dates and hotels.  If you double the price of even the discounted cruises they often are $300 a day and the dream of an around the world cruise equals the price of a high end automobile!
Air travel, although increasingly  uncomfortable and expensive, still charges passengers by the seat.  Even the airlines offer promotions for your ‘companion to fly free’ or the dreaded 2 for 1 pricing.      Travel providers should be challenged on their misleading 2 for 1 advertising…..  try to buy this promotion for a cruise as a solo and you are told you will be denied travel if you arrive solo. 

What other travel services charge solo travelers more:
As far as I know rental cars do not charge solo travelers any ‘supplements’.    Hotels in the USA charge by the room but often do NOT offer single room rates.    Some hotels in Europe offer single rooms that are usually very small and not always the best the hotel has to offer.   At other times I have received a standard double room, there does not seem to be any standard.   When I travel off season I can often book 4 star hotels in Italy for the price of a single room at other times during the year.  

The cruise industry continues to charge solo travelers for enjoying the special pleasure of traveling solo. 
Alan Fox, the president of Vacations to Go, has one of the few web sites that lists cruises with low or no solo supplement. www.vacationstogo.com/    Recently he posted an answer to this question on his web page.    With his earlier permission to share solo cruise information, I am posting his response here.
on line question:
Q: When a cruise ship has less than a full capacity of passengers, why do they not permit someone to travel solo and not pay double occupancy? I would think that since they have to keep a full crew, even one person in a room makes more sense than having the cabin empty for the cruise.
A: Except for 6-star ships, cruise ships generally sail full year-round because cruise lines drop the rate to whatever it takes to sell out. They prefer to fill those empty cabins with two people to maximize their onboard sales and gratuities. However, lines sometimes slash the single supplement for a limited time, and we list every one of these opportunities on our site.
Alan Fox,   Chairman & CEO, Vacations To Go,  5851 San Felipe Street, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77057

Why don’t cruise lines charge solo clients double the mandatory gratuities fees and allow solo’s to travel?    The staff would not suffer financially.   And there are no guarantees two passengers in a room will spend more money on drinks, tours, the casino, alternative restaurants or shopping, other profit areas of the ship.  

I troll the cruise web sites months before I begin to plan a trip.   Vacationstogo.com will list solo supplement trips but this list does NOT include every sailing.    I have tried 4 cruise ‘agents’ with varying results.   I have never found any cruise or travel agent who is excited about working with solo travelers.   Or perhaps it is just how I travel.  I was told off by one specialty agent when I mentioned I would be traveling throughout Italy for a month before the trip and would not be able to bring ‘dress’ clothes with me. Her response was something to “Well you can’t go around the ship in sloppy pants”.       A new division of an established cruise booking site opened a ‘solo travel division’ but found the sales after I did!

So now I search any sailing to a location on my ‘bucket list’ with a posted price of $100 a day or less.   This may insure a solo price of under $200.00 a day……beyond that price you  may be able to fly business class!      If you see a great price on a solo cruise let me know at www.maturesolotravel.com

What is your philosophy on travel?

    Travel Philosophy, what is yours?  

When travel is no longer the 1 or 2 weeks your don’t work every year but part of your life just as integral as the need that may come over you to see the sea or the view from a mountain………one that expands your    viewpoint.                                                                                
                                                                                         
  I didn’t think I had a philosophy about travel until I finally decided to have adventures not vacations.

When I travel I try to keep this mantra in mind: Be a Traveler not a Tourist Learn Something New find a New Adventure Experience the Local Life  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Last night I read on Budget Travel Adventures the following:   To be a better traveler, you can't just visit a place.
You have to experience it with your emotions and soul.
Only when we go beyond what we see can we tell a travel story (through words or photos) that's worth sharing.

I love it when a simple sentence or statement will arrest my thinking or stop the project I am working on.  
Too often we don’t take time to think.  Until I stopped working a 24/7 job I had no idea there was such an exciting ‘box of chocolates’ (from Forest Gump) out there and I will keep sampling….…..

I asked the author of Budget Travel Adventue, if I could use his motto for his blog:
http://www.budgettraveladventures.com/
Travel passionately, budget wisely, and experience more - that's the motto of the new blog, Budget Travel Adventures.

Budget Travel Adventures wants to help you experience more when you travel and inspire you to be a better person.
read more about JereBranham on the above web site.                                                                                                                                                      
What is your Philosophy?