Taking off Travel blog

So you’ve finally scheduled that trip to the foreign country you promised yourself you’d visit years ago. You updated your passport, mapped out your routes and destinations, booked your flights to other nearby cities, and think you’re done. Relaxing by the computer, you’re browsing sites suggesting what you should pack for your trip for reassurance, and you see something about ‘plug adapters’ and ‘travel converters’ and investigate.

Unfortunately, googling ‘what is a travel adapter’ is like Goldilocks trying out the three chairs, except even the third one isn’t right. This, my friends, could be considered a travel nightmare. Don’t worry, with this guide you’ll figure out exactly which travel plug adapter you need in about two minutes. Then you can go back to dreaming about what a fabulous vacation you’re about to enjoy!

Travel Plug Adapters

Different countries outside of the USA use different shaped outlets. So as you’d guess, your laptop plug won’t fit into Italy or England’s plugs. To fix this, you’d need an Italy plug adapter that fits into Italy’s outlets, and then has openings on the other side made for American plugs.

Grounded adapters are for three-prong plugs typically on metal-cased electronics for added shock protection. Ungrounded adapters are for your standard two prong plugs.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that some countries like India use two different outlet shapes. Instead of bringing two adapters, a universal travel adapter that works in over 150 countries might be a safer bet.

Travel Voltage Converters

Here’s where people can get lost because thinking about travel voltage converters means learning about electricity. But don’t worry, it’s simple!

All you need to know is the United States and Canada power electronics with 110volts of electricity, while some countries use 220volts. A converter switches the voltage from 110volts to 220volts so your electronic device doesn’t short out or explode from too much electricity at one time.

Oh, and some converters have “high” and “low” settings because as you would guess, some appliances use more electricity than others. For example, your hair dryer should use the “high” setting, and an electric shaver should use a “low” setting. Again, the easiest solution is an auto-switching voltage converter that figures it out for you.

Other Life-Saving Tips:

-Don’t leave your electronics plugged in for too long. Sometimes they can overheat.

-Some devices like your laptop and iPod are “dual voltage,” which means they work for both 110volts and 220volts of electricity and do not require a converter.

When he finished studying abroad in Rome of 2008, Nate Schrader uses his experiences to help troubled travelers by writing for TravelProducts.com. He also enjoys road tripping to see friends and trail running in his free time.

(Image: Keith Williamson)

For the last couple of months we’ve been running a series of travel blogger profiles here on the Taking Off Travel Blog. It’s been fascinating to find out more about the travel bloggers we meet online. I asked them to complete this sentence: ‘I never travel without …’ Here’s what they said:

One of the questions I’ve asked them is ‘what don’t you travel without?’ Here’s what they said.

Some travel bloggers are snap happy.

• I never travel without a good book, a diary and my camera because you’ll never be bored if you’ve got them to entertain you and you’ll go home with some great stories and photos too. – Annabel Candy
• I never travel without my camera because you just never know when you’ll snap that once in a lifetime moment. – Lola Akerstrom
• I never travel without a digital camera which is obviously used for travel photos but also because it’s useful to keep digital copies of important documents with you. – Lea Woodward
• I never travel without  my camera and pashmina. I am a total shutterbug snapping picture all the time. Photography of beautiful places, architecture, nature, and scenery inspire my heart to dream and just thank God for His goodness. My pashmina is so light and comfortable it comes in handy on a chilly plane ride and also as a stylish around the shoulders wrap. – Angela Pettit

Others need to stay connected.

• I never travel without my laptop! Unfortunately and actually very fortunately, my business is 100% location independent, so I can work from anywhere. But that also means not going anywhere without my computer. – Marina Villatoro
• I never travel without my Mac laptop because it’s the key to our travel lifestyle that allows me to stay in touch with family, blog, school, etc where ever we are in the world. – Soultravelers3

Fitness is important for some.

• I never travel without my running shoes, because fitness is so important to me.  (Plus it’s a great way to fight fatigue and jet lag.) – Andy Hayes
• I never travel without my Yoga mat because practicing Yoga keeps me flexible and healthy. – Barbara Weibel

And this one’s my favorite response to date:

• I never travel without an open mind, because you can miss so much if you visit a place with a preconceived mind set. – Brian of Discovering Puerto Rico

You can read all the travel blogger profiles so far here:

• Featured Travel Blogger: Annabel Candy
• Featured Travel Blogger: Lea Woodward
• Featured Travel Blogger: Marina Villatoro
• Featured Travel Blogger: Andy Hayes
• Travel Blogger Profile: Soultravelers3
• Featured Travel Blogger: Barbara Weibel
• Featured Travel Blogger: Brian of Discovering Puerto Rico
• Featured Travel Blogger: Lola A. Akerstrom
• Featured Travel Blogger: Angela Petitt

Get in touch via this post (Travel Blogger Profiles – Want To Be Featured?) or the contact form if you want be be featured in our Tuesday travel blogger profile slot.

When we’re not giving travel advice here on the blog, we also get around elsewhere on the web. Here are some of the places where you can find our travel tips:

• Business Travel Etiquette on Squidoo (we also have lenses on off airport parking and handling a layover in LAX)
• 8 Online Lists to Help You Get Packing Under Control
• How To Move Abroad
• How To Plan A Green Vacation
• How to Travel Cheaper This Summer
• 5 Ways to Get the Best Deals on Airport Parking
• Tips for Healthy Airline Travel
• 5 Ways to Make Your Airport Experience Better
• Top Five Ways to Lower Your Hotel Bill
• Solo Travel: Staying Safe on Your Leisure or Business Trip
• Haunted Destinations for Halloween Travel

In the next month, we’ve got guest posts coming up on Successful Blogging and Hospitality Writers.

I’d  be happy to write a quality travel guest post for your blog – contact me to discuss topics and deadlines.

And remember, watch this space on Monday for details of how you can get a free $25 Restaurant.com voucher by booking 4 days or more of off airport parking via Park Ride Fly USA. We’ll also update you via Twitter and Facebook.

After my recent trip to Jamaica, I’ve been fascinated by the island’s pirate history, but, as Chris Hoole points out, there are other ways to experience the oceans.

You don’t have to be a pirate these days to sample the treasures that world’s oceans have to offer. Nor do you need to be press-ganged into a life of semi-slavery; quite the opposite in fact. Cruises, be it in the exotic Caribbean or the more familiar, yet still surprising, Mediterranean seas remain popular despite the economic downturn. If anything, a life on the ocean waves is proving to be more popular than ever. Whether it is rip-roaring adventure or quiet relaxing days away from it all that you are looking for – a life on the ocean wave has it all.

Cheap Caribbean Cruises

Cruising the high seas has, in the past, been considered the preserve of the rich and famous. The high life and the high seas went hand in hand. With the advent of air travel the majority of those seeking the sun, the sand and the other “s” words that exotic holidays have to offer, took advantage of cut price deals to cut price locations. The rich, the retired, the internationally famous, took to the seas to avoid the crowds. Today, cruise holidays are no longer the preserve of the rich. The range of ‘budget’ holidays available in the form of Mediterranean cruises is surprising – even more so those in the tropical climes of the Caribbean. The cost of cruises varies, but actually compared to the deals on offer from some resorts, a cruise can be surprisingly competitive.

Culture confusion

The farther afield you are planning to travel, the more attractive the cruise option can be – for families or couples alike. The cheap Caribbean cruise offers a range of advantages over a resort holiday in the region. Firstly, the Caribbean is a vast, dotted with islands, ranging in size from the likes of Cuba to small, uninhabited islands. The cultural variations in the region are also incredible. Partly because of its climate but mainly because of its strategic position, the sea, islands and surrounding continental regions have been colonised by just about everybody who could gather enough money to buy a ship and hire a small army of mercenaries. The Dutch, British, French, Spanish all established colonies in the region at one time or another (although not necessarily in that order). Add to this the African slave population that they brought with them and, of course, the somewhat overlooked native races – ranging from the Carib tribes to the highly evolved civilisations of the Incas, Aztecs and Mayans – and you have a mix of cultures that is enough to make your average conquistador dizzy.

The resort with everything – and some

This incredible range of culture and history is present in many individual locations, but cruising the Caribbean offers you the best of all worlds. Cruise ships today are less ship and more luxury resort in their own right, allowing you all the comfort of returning to your own bed at night, but the advantage of exploring the wealth of experiences the Caribbean ports, islands and mainland have to offer. On-board facilities meet and often beat those in more static resorts. Entertainment complexes, shopping streets and relaxed boulevards or parks – yes the biggest do have parks – combine to make the on-board experience a rival to any luxury land-lubber hotel. Eateries, restaurants and bars alongside pools, health clubs, saunas and childcare facilities – all a stones throw from quiet, remote sandy beaches and bustling cities and towns, close to mountainous interiors and completely away from it all. When it comes to the perfect holiday base – could you really ask for more?

While splicing the “mainbrace” is still perfectly acceptable the opportunities to take a cheap Caribbean cruise no longer need to involve stealing ships. With cruise lines offering some of their best recession busting deals in years, the price of a cruise in the Caribbean is no longer daylight robbery!

Image: Bret Arnett

Hurricane season is still with us, so these tips from Chris Hoole will come in handy.

You may wonder why anyone would want to go on a cruise during hurricane season, but nevertheless many of us do. Cruise holidays can be as much as 50% cheaper during this season and not surprisingly they tend to be emptier too but the chance of actually encountering any problems is minimal. Hurricane season runs from:

• 15^th May – 30th November in the Eastern Pacific.
• 1^st June – 30^th November in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
• Peak Hurricane Season (when you will find the cheapest cruises) starts in the middle of August and ends at the beginning of November.

So what can you expect if you opt to cruise during the hurricane season? Read on and I’ll tell you more!

The Risks

Before I start talking about what could happen to you if you decide to take a cruise holiday during hurricane season, let me first point out that the chances of a hurricane disrupting your holiday are minimal and most cruises taken during this time are in beautiful weather. However if bad weather is expected your captain will divert your ship away from the danger. Here are some of the disruptions that could occur:

• Your ship may have to leave earlier than you expect – make sure you check the weather so that if this is the case you still manage to board in time.
• Your cruise could end later than you had initially planned – it is a good idea to plan to stay in your destination location for a few nights before and after your cruise leaves and departs just in case this happens.
• You could be sailing in stormy weather and rough seas – if you suffer from sea sickness, cruising during hurricane season may not be such a good idea.
• Your cruise itinerary may be disrupted.
• The city you return to could have been hit by a storm. If this is the case you may return to a city with floods and a loss of power – it is a good idea to make sure you have some cash handy just in case this does happen.

Handy Tips

Most trips do go as planned but just in case your cruise does get interrupted you may want to have prepared for a few things. Below are a few handy tips that may come in useful.

• Buy Travel Insurance – trip protection is not good enough, you need to make sure you buy a complete travel insurance package. If your trip is interrupted you may have to rebook flights or in the worst case, pay for medical issues. Your travel insurance policy should cover both.
• Book any shore excursions through the cruise company – Although it is often cheaper to book these independently, if something does happen leaving your ship unable to dock at a certain port, it is down to the discretion of the excursion company as to whether you will get your money back. If you book through the cruise company and this happens you WILL get your money back.
• Pack some extra supplies of prescription medicine just in case the cruise does take longer to return to port. You might also want to pack a raincoat, some extra warm clothes, an extra battery for your mobile phone and important telephone numbers, including that of your travel agent.
• Plan to arrive at your cruise destination city early and leave late so that if there are disruptions to the cruise schedule you can still board the ship/catch your flights.
• Pack some ginger candy – it is great for sea sickness although no-one seems to know why!

Hurricane season can be an extremely cheap time to take that cruise holiday that you have always dreamed of. Be prepared for the unexpected though, and understand that if there are disruptions to the schedule they are happening to keep you safe. I’m sure you will have a fantastic adventure either way!

If you want to book a cheap Caribbean cruise during hurricane season, you can compare the prices of a number of different cruise companies with Major Cruise. They do all the hard work so you can spend more time planning for your adventure!

Image: born1945