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Originally posted by Missie:

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Originally posted by spooky walnut:

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Originally posted by Missie:

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Originally posted by spooky walnut:
As we lined up to check in on our return, they made an announcement that if anyone had made their booking after a certain date they would be charged $13 per kilo of checked or hand luggage. Lucky us with our $10 fare we had $15 kilos each to use & use then we did.They did allow 7 kilos for hand luggage. $13 per kilo shocked me.

Spooky ~ Was the $13 per kilo for excess weight on checked luggage, or for each kilo of checked luggage.

Both, when I booked they included 15kgs each but now it's hand luggage only of 7kgs & no more. They weigh the hand luggage & you pay for any extra. If you check out the bookings online, most have it as hand luggage only now. When you book with Tiger, Jetstar etc you have the option to purchase kgs this can be the cheaper option. One of the ladies I work with did this with Jetstar, he prepurchased 15kgs for $15 when she booked online.

Virgin is charging $8 for a 23kg checked bag but only if you pre purchase the voucher online, otherwise you have to pay $20 at the airport as you check in.

Just what I have been saying, if you prepurchase it's much cheaper then when you come time to check in & had a fantastic time shopping. Those little bargains are no longer a bargain. Tiger will charge $13 per kilo over, no ifs or buts.

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Originally posted by spooky walnut:
Dimpz it's happening with all the cheap flights, hand luggage only.

Spooks ~ The day of the cheap flight is fast becoming a distant memory!

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Originally posted by Dimpz:

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Originally posted by spooky walnut:
Dimpz it's happening with all the cheap flights, hand luggage only.

Spooks ~ The day of the cheap flight is fast becoming a distant memory!

LOL cheap flight without clothing LOL!!! fine if you want to live in the same cloths for a week Ohh the thought of it burns my eyes LOL

I'm not coming out in favour of increased airline costs by any means but boy! there are a lot of people out there who seem to want to take everything but the kitchen sink with them on flights.
Everytime I fly (and I fly quite a lot) you just look down the check-in line and see so many people with mountains of stuff that I would never try and travel with.

I flew Sydney to Melbourne a few months ago and when I got to the boarding gate there were two young women in front of me with 4 big plastic bags bigger than pillow cases which were absolutely stuffed to the max., plus they had 3 large carry-ons between them.
The Stewardess taking the boarding passes stopped them and said that they could not bring all that stuff onboard, and they replied that they always do it. I could see that the Stewardess was quite annoyed, and she made them go back and check the stuff in.
When it came my turn to go through I mentioned the matter and she said that people leave all their numerous bags/carryon stuff with someone watching it, check-in the main bag, then collect the other stuff and go through security etc and then take it on board. She said most of the staff at the departure gate hated it but generally couldn't be bothered with the hastle of sending people away.

Even on international trips, there are always many people at the check-in with huge bundles and boxes of stuff as well as their suitcases.

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Originally posted by Colleen Anne2:
I'm not coming out in favour of increased airline costs by any means but boy! there are a lot of people out there who seem to want to take everything but the kitchen sink with them on flights.
Everytime I fly (and I fly quite a lot) you just look down the check-in line and see so many people with mountains of stuff that I would never try and travel with.

I flew Sydney to Melbourne a few months ago and when I got to the boarding gate there were two young women in front of me with 4 big plastic bags bigger than pillow cases which were absolutely stuffed to the max., plus they had 3 large carry-ons between them.
The Stewardess taking the boarding passes stopped them and said that they could not bring all that stuff onboard, and they replied that they always do it. I could see that the Stewardess was quite annoyed, and she made them go back and check the stuff in.
When it came my turn to go through I mentioned the matter and she said that people leave all their numerous bags/carryon stuff with someone watching it, check-in the main bag, then collect the other stuff and go through security etc and then take it on board. She said most of the staff at the departure gate hated it but generally couldn't be bothered with the hastle of sending people away.

Even on international trips, there are always many people at the check-in with huge bundles and boxes of stuff as well as their suitcases.

Don't you love that line "That they always do it"? I work in a travel industry & hear this time & time again. Yes when told the correct thing they question you as if you don't know your job. Yes I stood there too watching them take way to much with them. Then on the other hand some taking just carry on. I look at them & think why am I not able to do that.

I normally only take a carry-on unless I am away for more than 3 days Spooks (or unless I have a huge amount of documentation to take with me for meetings).

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Originally posted by dragons:
I normally only take a carry-on unless I am away for more than 3 days Spooks (or unless I have a huge amount of documentation to take with me for meetings).

Puff with your complexion I can tell it's natural beauty. I have to take all my spackle & all my buffing off machines & it weighs a ton LOL!!!!!!

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Originally posted by spooky walnut:

Puff with your complexion I can tell it's natural beauty. I have to take all my spackle & all my buffing off machines & it weighs a ton LOL!!!!!!

But dahhhhling they are soooo working. You always look beautiful when I see you.

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Originally posted by spooky walnut:
Puff with your complexion I can tell it's natural beauty. I have to take all my spackle & all my buffing off machines & it weighs a ton LOL!!!!!!

Gee Spooks I would never have guessed. You always look like a young catwalk model.

Even my avatar is green with envy.

See it is working LOL!!!!! so I must always take it with me hence the suitcase & not carry on

River Cruises: Getting back to the main subject can anyone tell me if singles go on these types of holidays. I will be going on my 6th bus tour (Trafalgar) this fall and am finding it harder and harder to get organized in the mornings. I usually have the front desk call me at 5:30am just so that I don't hold up the rest of the group as at my age (73) it does take a little longer to shower, dress, pack luggage and get it out in the hall by 7-7:15am. I think a cruise would be great but have held off taking one as a single. Any info on this would be appreciated. Purvis

Purvis, I also would love to go on a River Cruise but it appears they don't have a single supplement. Apparently, you have to pay almost double if you want to go solo and have your own room.

There have been lots of singles on cruises that we have done and on some of the boats there have been single cabins.

Normally cruise companies don't offer room sharing, or should that be cabin sharing, and the single supplement can be very high. However, I believe that some companies will waive the single supplement charge for last minute bookings if the boat is not full. Of course this means that you have to be flexible and able to travel at short notice.

Tangata, do you have a idea on what would be considered "short notice"...30 days? or does it have to be like 5 days?

On my tour last week to Scandanavia, I overnight ferried from Denmark to Norway and the cabin was "cozy", had a sofa (really a bunk), separated by a night table and then my twin lower bunk bed, plus 2 overhead pull down bunks (they were left closed - technically it could sleep 4). As a solo, my tour included the single accommodation, but had the same cabin others had. The window was sizeable maybe 3ft x 2-1/2 feet. These over night ferries are quite nice and huge. I liked it.

I suppose on a river cruise, the cabin would be a little larger - certainly there was no room for luggage; it would have to be emptied and stowed away.

Roxy,

I don’t really know how short short is, but I would think closer to 30 than 5 days. I do know that Chris has some companies that email him offers. He appears to have slipped off the BB again, but I think he would answer a personal message.

There are always special offers available for cruises; I have just been on a site, which I cannot mention here, offering a 24% discount for a cruise starting on August 31st and a 31% discount for a cruise starting on the 6th October. These are on a twin share basis and have to be treated with some caution as they include an air segment from the United Kingdom.

On the Uniworld (a sister company of Trafalgar's) web site there is a statement “A limited number of singles may be available in certain categories on certain vessels for an additional supplement. Please inquire.”

On three of our Asian cruises we had a number of singles whom, I believe, had asked for a quote and had been offered the standard rate as there were empty cabins available.

Like the Asian ships we have cruised on, all of the Uniworld ships in western Europe have only double cabins. The Litvinov, which cruises from St Petersburg to Moscow, has 8 single cabins. The Taras Shevchenko, which cruises in the Black Sea, has 10 singles. It also appears that the Mirium in Egypt may have two singles as the description says 118 passengers 60 cabins. Trafalgar don’t 1 highlight this option.

The cost of the Imperial Russia cruise ranges from $2,999 to $4,599 per person on a sharing basis (There is also a suite option at $5,699). The single cabins are $4,299 but are all on the top deck and prices for doubles increase as you go higher.

In Russia we had a four berth cabin for the two of us, the top two bunks being folded away. It was long and narrow and would have been very crowded with four people. Compared to the Gazelle in Egypt or our five Asian cruises it was minute, but it was the cheapest and only cabin available.

The typical cabin for an Asia river cruise is similar to what you describe, two beds with a desk in between, a wardrobe and a bathroom. By comparison the cabin on the Gazelle was huge. The big difference is that whilst the Uniworld ships typically take around 200 passengers the Asian ships generally have a maximum of 50 passengers or fewer, although we have never had more than 20 on board.

In Russia they collected our suitcases and stored them, in Asia the luggage goes into the cupboards under the beds – that are higher than usual. I think that in Egypt the luggage just sat in a corner.

In 77 hours we shall be in Stateroom 202 on the River Baroness moored in the centre of Paris; not that I’m getting excited about it! When we get home in September I shall be able to report on the River Baroness and on the River Royale and I shall take particular note of any singles we encounter.