India Travel Forums - The Traveler's Delight

We have all heard the word "forum" and the present world, fast transcending into an "e-world" has umpteen umber of such forums. A web forum can be simply defined as an online message board or a bulletin board for endless and detailed discussions on various issues. One of the most upcoming forums in India is the "India Travel Forum".
As the word suggests, India travel forums provide a hands-on experience on travel within India. Such discussion forums also guide travelers visiting India to make their travel a pleasurable one.
Indian travel forums have certainly become a useful tool for all the vacation lovers who wish to explore the natural wonders of India. The members of forums can share their pictures, suggestions, and first-hand experiences on several destinations. Technology features like "chatting" enable the forum members to get swift responses to all their travel related queries. The personal travel experiences shared by the members give an honest review of the place visited. From the route to be taken, the tips to be followed, the places to be visited to the money you need to expend, you can actually get all the required information as to everything that a traveler can think of. Indian travel industry is expanding rapidly as every other Indian is eagerly looking forward to a getaway within India to discover the mystique landscape and the breathtaking water bodies. As they say: "Better late than never", India has finally struck on the right keys with several Indian travel communities being set up to make travel as easy as it can get.
The Indian travel discussion forums have eventually made their mark and have come a long way from taking advice from a few friends before heading for a vacation to sharing it on a much larger platform with thousands of real-time travelers. Travel forums are not only for people seeking answers to their travel related queries, but also for people who have immense knowledge about the Indian hotspots or frequent travelers as they can share or guide the other members. There are countless advantages of being a member of the India travel forums as listed above but a fairly important one is being saved from the exaggerated views of the Indian travel agents about any destination, which may land you in a highly praised location but does not suit your interests. Most of all, if you pay a hefty amount and do not get the worth then all that remains is an unhappy traveler-the basic purpose of travel being defeated. You are no more rejuvenated but remorseful after your trip, this is where the forums step in with the genuine common people (travelers) ready to lend a helping hand. To the contrary, the forums might just suggest a travel agent or a tour operator who turns out to be a blessing for your vacation offering cost-effective packages.
The picture-sharing feature of the forums help you to get a look and feel of the place you wish to visit. Thus, Indian travel forums can save your time, money and offer you an expert opinion by the travelers themselves. Next time when you are making your travel plans, be it a South India tour, a North India tour or any corner of the Indian subcontinent, you know where to find the travel gurus. Be a part of the change, be a member of the Indian Travel forums. Happy traveling!!

Travel Tips For a Wise Traveler Like You

Traveling has always been one of the most fun-filled, exciting, entertaining and most of the time informative activity that you can totally enjoy by yourself or with your family and friends. With the help on the internet you can easily find travel agents online that can assist you in getting affordable discount air travels or any other budget travel promos and travel packages that their online travel agency offers.
It doesn't matter if you already have pre-arranged travel deals or just last minute travel arrangements because there are a lot of best travel websites to choose from that can accommodate your needs. As a traveler, you should also need to make preparations yourself and not purely rely on your travel agent. These are some basic travel tips for you to take into account to experience a hassle free travel and vacation.
As much as possible, plan your trip early. If you're traveling during holidays, it is best to look for online travel deals at least a couple of months before the season starts. This way you can even have a chance to book under discount travel promos which travel agencies usually offer in advance.
Another good tip is to maximize your budget. Make a list of your proposed budget in advance and try to follow your budget list at least up to the degree that you can. Make food your number priority followed by your lodging necessities. Take also into consideration the age bracket of your group. If you're going to travel with kids, their needs and safety should be on the top list of priorities.
Next of the travel tips you need to take into account is to familiarize yourself with your travel destinations. If you still don't have a place in mind you can easily choose from the top ten travel destinations online. If you and your company want to have a beach get-away then you might want to check websites about the famous and wonderful South Miami Beach or the magnificent coast of Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta Mexico. If your budget and time permits it, you can even try checking out the wonders of Asian beaches like the renowned Boracay in the Philippines. Ultimately, wherever you plan to go, you must have an overview of the place and its surroundings to avoid difficulties and disturbances.
Another important tip, and a very sound advice, is to take care of your belongings. You read this tip online, see the sign at every airport and subconsciously know that this is significant, however, with all the fuss there is during travel plus the excitement you feel, there will be moments that your belongings will slip into your mind. And this moment of yours becomes the shining time for thieves to take advantage and stole your possessions.
And aside from your budget list, make one checklist that enumerates everything you need to do and to accomplish before, during and after your vacation. You may be teased by your family and friends as having an obsessive-compulsive disorder but shrugged it off. Remember, being prepared is a lot better that being sorry.
And lastly, enjoy every minute of your travel preparation. It is as important as the actual vacation so take your time and have a blast.

Travel Magazine And How To Pick Up A Good Copy

Many people enjoy reading magazines. They are a quick read and can be picked up in many locations. Most people will choose one that shares a common interest. These short reads will contain many articles and pictures on the favorite subject. These magazines make sense for anyone who commutes on a train or bus, flies on planes, or just likes to read a Travel Magazine and relax. This form of literature can be entertaining as well as informative.
The way to find a good magazine, is to explore the venues that sell them. These places would include; airports, convenience stores and book stores. Some of these places will contain more of a selection than others. When someone enters a store they will search for the one that looks the most appealing. Some readers may be into a Sports Magazine, while others prefer more of a Mens Magazine.
The beauty of shopping for the right one, is that a reader can pick up the print and flip through it to see if it of interest. Usually just by a quick browse, many people will know if it seems interesting enough. They may be able to tell based on the title of the literature, or the pictures and articles inside.
These magazines will range in price. Some will be fairly cheap, while others are expensive. The price and quality of magazine could be connected, however some prints are only published a few times a year and could determine the higher price.
When someone does get hooked onto a Toronto Magazine or another niche, they may be inclined to find it every month or each time that it comes out. Some publications only print copies a few times a year, while others are each and every month. A customer may pick one of these prints up off the stand, or they could have it delivered to their home or office.
Some people will collect their magazines after they are done reading them, while others will simply give them away. There are prints that are photo detailed such as ones that talk about animals and exploring the earth. These magazines may entice someone to keep them. However an entertainment or celebrity one may be passed around among friends and coworkers.
The articles that are printed in various magazines are informative and interesting. Many writers will combine their artist abilities to capture the attention of their readers and provide a story that is reflective of their interests and informative to what they don't already know. Bright pictures and captivating ads, may be just the kind of read that someone was after.
A Travel Magazine can provide lots of information about travel news. It may have pictures advertising some new hotels and resorts. It could also feature some interesting articles about what to do when you are traveling to certain places. Information may contain advice and some useful tips. The information may be shared with family or friends when a trip is being planned. Pictures could be helpful in assisting someone with their destination planning. Useful tips and advice are always handy to read and learn about.

Do not readily believe something new on the Internet

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Watch out for scams low amount payday loans online

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An aggregation that has been accurate to be able and again ask friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers.

If you acquisition yourself consistently axis to payday loans to ensure that every month, allocation about a debt adviser about the growing debt. Payday loans are an above antecedent of abatement in the abbreviate term, but they are absolutely not an abiding problem.

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Tips For Living In Knoxville

If you live in the Knoxville area, there may be options that are open to you that you had never considered before. This is especially the case if you have lived the majority of your life in the area and have not really familiarized yourself with all of the stores and businesses that may be in your neighborhood. For example, you will likely have a Knoxville auto repair service that you already use. They may take care of everything for you, from doing an oil change, to changing a transmission when necessary (Source: Oil Change by Knoxville Transmissions). While it certainly can be beneficial to have a Knoxville car service that you use on a regular basis, but there may also be times when you will want to look to another service to provide you with what you need. Why would that be the case?
First of all, all of us want to be comfortable with the garage that we use, regardless of what they are doing to our automobiles. For many of us, the automobile is an extension of our home, and we would want to ensure that it was comfortable and working properly. If you’ve ever had problem with a garage in the area at anytime in the past, you will likely know how much of a problem this can actually be. At times, it may end up costing you more than what is necessary, and at other times, you may find that you are in a position where the car is not working, even after it has been fixed. By going to a different service station from time to time, it will help to keep everybody working hard for your patronage.

Travel Tips For Consultants

Travel is a fact of life for most consultants. Many spend 45 weeks on the road every year, and some say they wouldn't want it any other way.

We know one married couple where both are traveling consultants. They often joke that they should write a book called "Marriage on Three Days a Week" because they only see each other from Thursday night to Sunday night most weeks. Of course, they take great vacations with all the frequent flier miles and hotel points, and neither one is left at home to manage the household while the other dines in restaurants every night and comes home expecting all the chores to be done.

Like many others, they have learned how to be comfortable on the road so that their travel schedules are a source of new experiences and great stories instead of a hardship. If you learn how to be comfortable in your environment, you'll do better work and last longer in this demanding field.

There are two types of consulting roles, from a travel schedule perspective. One type of consultant is the real Road Warrior who is in a different city each week, often visiting two or three different clients and staying only a couple of days each place. The other type travels to the same destination every week to work on a long-term engagement over several months. Which type of travel schedule you end up with depends as much on your personality as on your skill set.

No matter which type of travel schedule you have, there are some seemingly small things you can do to make yourself significantly more comfortable on the road.

Enroll in every frequent flier and hotel points program you can. The biggest perks in business travel come when you get a free family vacation later. All those trips to Pittsburgh might buy you a trip to Honolulu or Prague or wherever your heart leads you.

Whenever possible, use the same airline and hotel chain for every city. This helps you rack up the points faster, and it also establishes a level of comfort and familiarity for you from the moment you arrive in the city. Not every Marriott is exactly like every other Marriott, but there are enough similarities between them that you will begin to feel at home quickly.

Packing for Travel

Develop a routine for packing. Make a checklist that includes everything that you know you'll need for any trip, including items like toothbrush and cell-phone charger. Go over the checklist every single time you pack a suitcase.

If you don't follow this advice, you will eventually end up spending $200 on a "charge everything" device and using a hotel toothbrush that will rip your gums out.

1. Always assume you will have to carry your luggage yourself. If you aren't sure you will need it, don't take it. You can always buy one there. (Don't accept engagements in locations that don't have stores.)
2. Pack something comfortable to wear in your hotel room and clothes you can wear to work out.
3. Plan to sleep in something you don't mind being seen wearing in public. In the event of a fire, hotels will evacuate two floors above and two floors below, even if it's just a small fire in a trash basket. That's what that loudspeaker above the bed is for.
4. All luggage looks alike. Make your bag easy to spot on the carousel and less likely to be stolen with a few strategically placed strips of duct tape or a big pink bow.
5. The military knows that rolled clothing does not wrinkle. Don't fold it, roll it. Turn jackets inside out, fold the collar up and press one shoulder inside the other.
6. Think about what you pack from the perspective of Customs and Airport Security. For example, many airlines will not allow you to carry steel-tipped darts in your carry-on luggage. (Yes, one of us learned this the hard way. Not the one you think.) Carry all medication in the original packages, particularly prescription medication.
7. Purchase two of everything you use daily, like cosmetics, razors, toothbrush, etc. Leave one set at home. Pack toiletries once and leave them packed. This way, you don't have to worry that you forgot something essential and will not notice until the middle of the night in a strange hotel room. When you run out of something on the road, replace it. (This is easier if you use common brands that are sold nationally.)

After only a few weeks of travel, you'll know exactly what you need to pack and what you don't.

Hotel Living

If you are traveling to the same city every week, pick a hotel that you are comfortable in and make friends with the people at the front desk and in Housekeeping. If you can commit to a certain number of weeks, they might even give you a break on the room rate, which is also good for your customer.

Once you've tried two or three different rooms in different parts of the hotel, you'll begin to identify specific things you like or dislike. Within a few weeks, you'll probably have a favorite room. Don't be afraid to ask for it every week. Staying in the same room every week can increase your sense of comfort and it's easier to remember what room you are in. Every one of us has been frustrated at least once by trying to open a hotel room door, only to realize that the key doesn't work because this is the room we were in last week, and we have no idea what room we have been assigned this week.

If you followed our instructions for packing and bought duplicates of all your toiletries and travel needs, you can check a suitcase with the bellman over the weekend instead of carrying it home with you. Leave your laundry with a dry cleaner over the weekend and come back on Monday to a fresh wardrobe without carrying a bag with you to the airport. That's freedom!

Make friends with the people who have control of the food. If you are eating all your meals off the Room Service menu, you will soon get bored with the choices. Encourage the person who answers the Room Service line to give you suggestions.

When Christine was working in one city where it wasn't considered safe to leave the hotel and wander around at night, she called the Room Service number one night and said, in the most pitiful voice she could muster, "I'm hungry and nothing on the menu looks good tonight. Help me!"

The Room Service voice laughed and said, "Miss Lambden, don't you worry. After all these months, I know what you like. Let me surprise you."

In addition to the best steak and the freshest salad ever served by Room Service, the waiter brought a glass of red wine and said, "The chef said to tell you that he knows you don't like red wine, but this is special. Try it with the steak. Alternate one bite of steak with one sip of wine."

She still talks about that steak. After that night, she never had to look at the Room Service menu again. When she called, she would say, "Maybe a fish tonight?" or "I'm in the mood for something chocolate."

Remember, if you are tired of the hotel menu, just imagine how the chef feels.

Since you can't eat all the time, here are some other ways to fill an evening in a hotel room:

1. Call your mother.
2. Read.
3. Go to a movie.
4. College libraries are often open late. Learn something.
5. Work out. Remember the Freshman Fifteen in college? The life of a consultant includes too many meals in restaurants and too few long walks in the park.

If you exercise at home, try to exercise the same way when you are traveling. Find out if it's safe to walk/run outside near the hotel. This is also a great way to find the neighborhood restaurants and pubs that the travel books don't know about.

If you exercise in a gym at home, stay in a hotel with a gym and use it. If there is no gym available in the hotel, remember that many national chains have memberships that allow you to work out in any city. Like national hotel and restaurant chains, gyms are a great way to find familiar surroundings in an unfamiliar place.

Exploring new cities is a great way to get exercise and enjoy your time on the road. See the sights. Shop. Ask the people at the hotel and at work what you should be sure to see while you are in town.

We know one consultant who managed, in one year, to see Niagara Falls (working in Buffalo), the Arch in St. Louis, the Napa Valley wine country, six shows on Broadway, and Fort Lauderdale during Spring Break.

Did you know that Kansas City is the City of Fountains? In the winter, the city slowly freezes some of the fountains so you see frozen ice where water flows in the summer. Just beautiful.

Did you know that you can visit the Budweiser Clydesdales at Grant's Farm in St. Louis? If you think they are fun to watch on Super Bowl commercials, just imagine how magnificent they are up close.

These opportunities may not present themselves again. Don't spend every evening in your hotel room.

Every city has something unique to offer and the people who live there will be happy to help you discover what is wonderful about their hometown.

Single Life on the Road

The constant-travel lifestyle is often more appealing to single people who do not have a family at home waiting for them each week. For these consultants, the only challenge is finding a way to maintain a home when you aren't there during the week.

Here are some tips:

1. Ask a friend or neighbor to pick up your mail once or twice during the week.
2. Install automatic light timers in your house. Install motion sensor lights outside. This makes it look like someone is home and protects your stuff. (It also makes bats and possums find another yard to live in, but that might just be an Austin thing.)
3. Hide valuables. Burglars know all about looking in the freezer for your jewelry, but would they think to look in that bag of potting soil in the garage? Hint: Tell someone you trust where you hid them...you'll remember all the great spots you considered, and you'll forget the one you picked.
4. Splurge a little with all that money you are making as a consultant and hire a maid service to come in and clean your house while you are gone. If you have a lawn, hire a yard service, too. The last thing you are going to feel like doing when you finally get home is housework, and you'll be happier in this job if you don't feel that you are neglecting chores.
5. If possible, have a trusted house-sitter stay in your house. Then you won't have to worry at all.

In addition to maintaining your house, a single person on the road has to maintain a social life. When you are out of town all week, it's easy to find yourself excluded from your friends' conversations about plans for the weekend. You have to work harder to maintain those friendships at home, especially if you are also forming new friendships in the city where you are working.

It's not totally unheard of for consultants assigned to the same client week after week to form friendships, or even romantic attachments, in the city where they work. Having bonds with people all over the country can be a huge advantage professionally because your network is expanded to include all of their colleagues, as well.

Don't date someone in the client company. This can get messy. (Yeah, we know. Your situation is different. You'll handle it like grownups. We'd like to believe this, but in our experience it rarely works out that way. Even so, this is still good advice for everyone else.)

Married With Children

Life on the road is harder for those who have a family at home. You miss them and you feel guilty about leaving them behind, and even more guilty when you're having fun without them.

The same tourist attractions that enliven a single person's travel can make you miss your family even more. You find yourself thinking, "The kids would love this," or "Niagara Falls by myself? I don't think so!"

Here are some tips for making travel easier when you miss your family:

1. Write long letters saying all the stuff you would have said if you were at home. Buy a fax machine for the house so you can send them before you go to bed and the family can read them with breakfast. (We know. Email works just as well. Except it doesn't. Handwritten letters mean more. They just do.)
2. Give the hotel's fax number to your family or set up a personal e-fax number. Encourage letters from home. Also drawings and report cards and anything else that will make you feel closer. Almost all children could benefit from the occasional writing exercise, and most of them already know how to operate a computer.
3. Buy a small digital camera or use your cell phone to take pictures and make a "Day in the Life" slide show for the kids. Take pictures of your day from the time you wake up to the time you prepare for bed - pictures of your hotel room, your breakfast plate, your cubicle and co-workers, the bookstore you stop at after work, the restaurants you like - everything! (Trust us, they'll love it.)

Driving in Strange (translation: "New To You") Places

Weather conditions and driver courtesy rules vary from city to city. In some cities, driving is a brutal competition, and it's considered rude or suicidal to slow down for a yellow light. Someone will honk at you or run into you. In others, you'll get dirty looks if you don't yield and let a waiting car merge in front of you. On most country roads, failure to wave at passing drivers marks you as an outsider.

No matter where you are, these tips will help lessen the impact of driving during your travels:

1. Get a map when you arrive. If you know where you are going, you are much less likely to end up in the wrong place.
2. If you rear-end a car on the freeway, your first move should be to hang up the phone. Better yet, go hands-free when you are driving. Best of all, hang up and drive.
3. Rent your car from the same agency every week and be extra nice. Usually, the same agents are on duty every Monday morning, so eventually they'll know you and may offer you the cool convertible or the Jag for a week at no extra charge.
4. Not every state or city has a "right on red" law. Check with the car rental agency or look for a "No right on red" sign before you assume it's legal in any intersection where you are.
5. If you are stopped for speeding, running a red light, driving the wrong way, or, worst of all, hitting something, be very polite to everyone involved. Of course, this is true when you aren't traveling, too, but you have a better chance of making your meeting or flight if you deal with the situation nicely.

In New York or Boston (or London or Beijing), take a cab or public transportation. Some warnings say "Don't try this at home." With regard to driving in these places, the rule is "Don't try this on the road." In other words, ask someone at your destination or consult a travel guide to find out whether it's advisable to drive yourself around.

If you are facing your first winter in a snowy climate, ask someone to teach you how to drive in icy conditions before the first blizzard. You may feel foolish, and they will definitely laugh at you, but the first time you feel your car start to slide, you'll be glad you did.

For us, just saying "I'm from Texas" is often enough to have our clients offer free driving lessons, icy conditions or not.

Air Travel Tips

Since 9/11, keeping track of the rules for air travel and getting through Security checkpoints has become more of a challenge, but the airlines have made a sincere effort to help.

Every airline and airport website has information about security requirements and how much time will be required to get to your gate. Experienced travelers quickly learn to avoid the busiest times of the day and week. In fact, we don't know a single traveling consulting who would consider flying on the day before Thanksgiving under any circumstances.

Airport websites will also give you information about other amenities that are available in the terminals. For instance, did you know that the Hong Kong airport has showers and rooms where you can take a nap? After a long flight across the Pacific ocean, a shower is a wonderful way to spend your three-hour layover between connecting flights.

The airport in Portland, Oregon, has a great mall. You can get all your Christmas shopping done between flights and have the items you bought shipped home. Oh, and did we mention that Oregon doesn't have sales tax?

The San Francisco airport has twenty different museum galleries that rotate art, culture and science exhibitions on a regular schedule. At SFO, you can't avoid being entertained and educated while you travel.

Here are some other tips for making air travel easier:

1. When you make your reservations, ask for a seat near the front of the plane. Airlines assign seats back-to-front and families traveling with children tend to plan further ahead than business travelers, so the shrieking three year-olds are usually in the back of the plane.
2. Always request the Exit Row. Children aren't permitted, and you get more legroom.
3. Wear earplugs or invest in some good noise-canceling headphones if you plan to sleep. People talk louder on airplanes.
4. Planes have only 3% humidity, so you get dehydrated quickly. Carry a bottle of water on board. (This will also keep your feet from swelling.) To keep costs and carryon weight low, carry an empty bottle and ask the flight attendant to fill it for you. On international flights, there is usually a water fountain available for passengers to serve themselves.
5. When they say, "Limit two carry-on bags," assume they really mean it and be prepared to check everything but your purse, briefcase and laptop. A good alternative if you are in a hurry is to "gate check" your bags. Especially with smaller commuter flights, this means you get your bags immediately when you get off the plane with no stop at baggage claim.
6. Pay attention to the safety speech every once in a while. Like washing your car to make it rain, it's just good karma. We've asked, and yes, most flight attendants feel just as silly giving the speech as you do listening to it, but the fact that no one is listening just makes their job harder.
7. To prevent a stiff neck from sleeping on a plane, ask the flight attendant for a blanket, roll it up and wrap it around your neck before you fall asleep. Your head won't roll from side-to-side, you won't snore and you won't look nearly as ridiculous as those people drooling on their neighbor's shoulder. They make C-shaped pillows that do this, but that's just one more thing to carry with you. We prefer to travel light.

While you are traveling, do everything you can to make your life easier. When you are enjoying yourself, you are better prepared to perform at work, and you'll be more successful.

Cubicles and conference rooms are the same everywhere. The work won't change, but taking the time to make friends with the people around you, at work and at the hotel, will make all the difference in the world to how well you do it.

A website like http://www.exploretraveler.com will provide you with the highest quality in the industry.

Travel Tips You Never Heard Before

The vast majority of travel advice usually centers around flying, airports and airlines, hotels, budgets, various destinations, etc. This article is intent on exposing some tips that most people would never think of - housekeeping items mainly. They may not save you a lot of money as most travel tips seem to do but they are invaluable when you are traveling. Especially if you have a business presentation or meeting to go to the following day.

Gum - you perhaps already know this trick. To get gum out of hair (beside cutting it), off a garment or a shoe, you ice it with ice cubes and then break it off when it hardens. Do you know how to get ring around the collar stains out though? Put hair shampoo on it and spread it around the collar. Shampoos are designed to remove oils from hair so they are a natural for skin oil as well.

Need to wash some clothes in the sink but the hotel doesn't have a laundry to dry them? Try hanging them in the bathroom with the light on. They will be dry by morning. For faster drying turn on the heat lamp (but don't put the clothes under it or too near it!). Want to rid your room of flies but you have no bug spray? Use hair spray instead. And if you really think ahead, take some laundry detergent with you in a plastic sandwich bag (NOT in your carry-on however) and a small spray bottle. If your clothes need 'freshening' , you can spray the detergent in the obvious places (underarms, down the front, etc) and then rinse them off and dry them as directed here.

If you are suspicious about a hotel room or cruise cabin having Legionnaires disease spores, immediately run a hot shower (with the bathroom door open) for 5 minutes and leave the room. It will dissipate any possible spores. A money saving tip: most people know if you forget a toothbrush or need any assorted toiletries, ask the front desk before venturing off to buy anything. Many hotels have toothpaste, deodorant, combs, razors, etc for free. One final tip that MIGHT save you money. Buy a collapsible cooler and pack it in your suitcase. When you arrive at your hotel, if it doesn't have a fridge in the room (or they charge extra for them), fill it with ice and you can keep food and drinks for days. Really helps cut down on the bar and restaurant tab when you can buy a beer for less than $1 in a 6-pack versus $2.75 (plus tip) at a lounge.

These tips are valuable when you need them but are not ones you would normally think of so re-read this article several times. One day when you need some help along these lines, you will probably remember them by accident.

Cruise Travel Tips For First Timers

Cruise travel has got to be the most pampered way to see the world, one cocktail at a time. While hard core backpackers are out climbing mountains and fighting third world bus systems, many people prefer to lounge on the main deck, get a tan, and get in early for the dinner buffet. I've worked closely with several cruise specialists in my career as a travel agent, and would like to offer the following cruise travel tips:

Pack plenty of clean napkins. Those hand sanitation napkins are the swiss army knife of cruising. You can use them to remove stains, rather than dealing with laundry services. Also, if used before every meal, they may help prevent you from catching a bug.

Prepare for more sun you ever thought possible. Think about it, most of the activities on a cruise involve exposure to the sun. Protect yourself by bringing a wide brimmed hat, sunscreen (at least SPF 15) and shades that provide 100% UV protection.

Avoid purses and large day packs. If you spend the day at port, try not to brandish your brand new camera or moneybelt. This makes you a target for local pickpockets.

Pack precisely. The key to good packing is to strike a balance between loose and too tight; either extreme will leave you with a wardrobe full of wrinkles. Here's a bit of advice: pack a dryer sheet in with your clothes.

Post-Its. One of my more obscure cruise travel tips. Post-Its allow to communicate with other passengers, housekeeping, and other guest services. Leave a message inside your room to let your shipmates know where and when to meet.

Extra bags. These are right up there with the hand napkins in terms of usability. They are great for storing wet shoes, dirty clothes, and provide added protection for packing valuables.

Travel Tips and Advice - Getting the Most From Your Overseas Travels

It might not be possible to know everything that overseas citizens find offensive but the first bit of advice I'd offer is that IF you were only going to one or maybe two countries and staying for any reasonable length of time, get etiquette guidelines for that country. Especially for business travelers or those staying or meeting with home dwellers. In some Asian countries, not eating all the food prepared is an insult to the host - in others you are supposed to always LEAVE a small portion on your plate to indicate a hosts generosity. For reasons like this, travel etiquette is a minefield and the more you know, the better off you will be.

To avoid the "U.A." tag, learn some of the local language. Don't insist on everyone else understanding English. They may well know English yet not tell you if they sense you expect them to know your language but you can't even say "merci" back to them. Toward that end, don't always converse in English if you know any of the local language. Learn how to say: "I speak very little...." in whatever language is the norm for that country. If you were in a local cafe or pub/bar and made any friends, ask them "How do you say...?" and I suspect you will be a star since it shows a willingness to 'do as the romans do'. Practice learned phrases and words - it will help you down the road. People love to help others but they don't like being taken for granted.

To really get a flavor for local culture, avoid the Burger King/McDonalds routine. You can eat there when you go home. Go to local cafes and pubs, even if you can't speak the language. But don't sit down and ask them to make a Manhattan or Cosmopolitan unless you are in a fancy restaurant or bar. Get a beer (or a 'pint') or a 'scotch over' (preferably in their language) or something otherwise simple. They'll love you if you make it easy on them at least for the first order. After they see your tip, I'm sure they will be glad to make the fancier drinks. Learn the local 'bar games' like darts. If you ask them to show you 'how it's done', you'll probably have a friend forever. And if they invite you to play first, don't be an 'U.A.' - just get up and throw the dart through the window if you must but don't be rude and wave them off. Show the host country you are a sport and they will make your trip a memorable one.