Blog

HI everyone

Hi Everyone,

What a crazy week!  We spent much of our time glued to the TV to watch the progress of Hurricane Milton.  Both of my brothers live in Venice, Florida and while they have been through hurricanes in the past, this one looked a bit different to them and they evacuated, along with my nephew and his family.   They were more fortunate then most. They had some minor damage but they found their homes intact when they returned.  Others were not so fortunate.  Florida and the Carolinas have been and remain in our prayers.  Unbelievably, we were scheduled to fly down to Florida to visit last Monday.  We were able to cancel all of our arrangements. Continued prayers for the people of Florida and N. Carolina.

If you are thinking of flying this holiday season keep a few things in mind:   Avoid flying on the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Also, the Sunday after Thanksgiving tends to be the busiest travel day of the year. If it’s possible, consider flying on the actual holidays. You could save a lot of money and it will not be as busy. -Travel and Leisure

A week or two ago I mentioned that Mexico was going to limit the amount of electronics you could take through customs.  Apparently, there has been a lot of pushback. Officials  in Cancun have done away with the controversial rule plaguing unsuspecting visitors.-Travel Pulse.  

Also,  a few week ago the European Union introduced the EES, a process that is supposed to speed up lines in Immigration.  It was scheduled to go into effect on November 10.  That is not going to happen as some countries are not ready.   There is no word on when it will actually roll out.

2025-26  Tours and Sailings

May 30-June 7, 2025 Columbia & Snake Rivers   Board your river cruise ship in Portland, Oregon and cruise to  Clarkston, Idaho on a 9 day, 8night  journey.  On your journey you will  visit Ft. Clapstop, Mt St. Helens,  Cross the “Bridge of the Gods” and admire Nulnomah Falls. You’ll end your cruise in Clarkston to fly home from Lewiston Idaho.- American Cruise Lines  

 May 20, 2026.  Empires of the Mediterranean. 

Join us on this spectacular cruise with Viking Cruises.  This 10 day, 9 night cruise will cruise the Adriatic and Aegean taking in all the riches of this fables region.  On an exploration bookended by Venice and Athens, discover the ancient ruins of Olympia, and the Acropolis. Explore the medieval warrens of Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Kotor. Delight in the beauty of Corfu and for the first time, Viking will take us to Koper for an in-depth exploration of picturesque Slovenia.   Deposit now.

Coming September, 2026.  Sicily and Southern Italy.  

Have a great week!

Lynn

Fuller Travel Service hours:  9am-6pm Monday-Saturday.  Closed on Sunday.

Hi Everyone,

If you sail Norwegian Cruise Line you will find a new program on January 1.  Their Free at Sea promos are going away.   They are introducing More at Sea, an inclusive package that offers more premium-brand alcohol, more specialty dining meals, and more minutes to use the ship’s WiFi.

If you have to renew your passport sthis will be good news.  Passport processing times have decreased to 4-6 weeks.  That is down from 6-8 weeks.   That updated processing time applies to applications submitted on paper or online.

When going through TSA the last thing you want is to have your bag pulled aside for secondary inspection.   Smarte Travel published a list of  common things that might trigger a closer inspection by TSA officers. Although all of these items are legal, they could look suspicious:

• Food   Items like blocks of cheese, sausage, bread, peanut butter are dense and can look like explosives.
• Powders Large amounts of items like protein powder, baby powder, certain spices. At the very least pack them at the op of our bag for easy access.
• Books and Magazines At the very least pack them at the top of your bag for easy access.
• Cords and Chargers  Many people travel with cords for their electronics. Do yourself a favor and  neatly pack your cords and charges separately.
• Large quantities of gels and liquids  Bringing large amounts of things like sunscreen , toothpaste or lotions in your carry on  will increase your chances of a secondary screening and remember that there is a limit on liquids and gels. They must follow the 3-1-1 rule that mandates 3-4 ounces or less and must fit in one quart size ziplock bag.-Smarter Travel 9/17/24 

2025-26  Tours and Sailings

May 30-June 7, 2025 Columbia & Snake Rivers   Board your river cruise ship in Portland, Oregon and cruise to  Clarkston, Idaho on a 9 day, 8night  journey.  On your journey you will  visit Ft. Clapstop, Mt St. Helens,  Cross the “Bridge of the Gods” and admire Nulnomah Falls. You’ll end your cruise in Clarkston to fly home from Lewiston Idaho.- American Cruise Lines  

 May 20, 2026.  Empires of the Mediterranean. 

Join us on this spectacular cruise with Viking Cruises.  This 10 day, 9 night cruise will cruise the Adriatic and Aegean taking in all the riches of this fables region.  On an exploration bookended by Venice and Athens, discover the ancient ruins of Olympia, and the Acropolis. Explore the medieval warrens of Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Kotor. Delight in the beauty of Corfu and for the first time, Viking will take us to Koper for an in-depth exploration of picturesque Slovenia.   Deposit now.

Coming September, 2026.  Sicily and Southern Italy.  

Have a great week!

Lynn

Fuller Travel Service hours:  9am-6pm Monday-Saturday.  Closed on Sunday.

Hi Everyone,

You may remember that the TSA ran a test this past spring to evaluate online passport applications.  The program was for a limited amount of time and limited participation.  They have now made the decision to continue this method of online application and it is available  for everyone. If you have a U.S. address you can do everything you need to do to renew your passport online: apply, pay the renewal fee and upload a photo.   It will still take 6-8 weeks to receive the new passport.

If you have a frequent flyer account with the major US airlines and sometimes have difficulty navigating the ever changing rules, the government is questioning those rules as well.  The Biden Administration is examining the four largest US airline frequent flyer programs and how they devalue points that customers have already earned or frequently change the number of miles or points needed to book flights. Stay tuned.

One of the things that many people forget about is cleaning their suitcases when they get home.   Bedbugs can be picked up anywhere.  To help insure that they don’t infest your house, leave your suitcase in the garage or on a hard surface.   Unpack and take clothes right to the laundry room, hopefully also on a hard surface.  Use a disinfectant like Lysol to disinfect both the inside and outside of your suitcase(remember handles and wheels.)  Let dry before you take them to your storage.  Your suitcase will be all set for your next adventure.

I didn’t make this up:  I just read a story on a travel website that a Scandinavian Airlines bound for  Malaga, Spain from Oslo, Norway had to make an emergency landing because when a passenger opened a box of food, a mouse jumped out!  The plane landed without incident and the mouse was escorted off the plane.

2025-26  Tours and Sailings

May 30-June 7, 2025 Columbia & Snake Rivers   Board your river cruise ship in Portland, Oregon and cruise to  Clarkston, Idaho on a 9 day, 8night  journey.  On your journey you will  visit Ft. Clapstop, Mt St. Helens,  Cross the “Bridge of the Gods and admire Nulnomah Falls. You’ll end your cruise in Clarkston,  to fly home from Lewiston Idaho.- American Cruise Lines   Deposit now.

 May 20, 2026.  Empires of the Mediterranean. 

Join us on this spectacular cruise with Viking Cruises.  This 10 day, 9 night cruise will cruise the Adriatic and Aegean taking in all the riches of this fables region.  On an exploration bookended by Venice and Athens, discover the ancient ruins of Olympia, and the Acropolis. Explore the medieval warrens of Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Kotor. Delight in the beauty of Corfu and for the first time, Viking will take us to Koper for an in-depth exploration of picturesque Slovenia.   Deposit now.

Coming September, 2026.  Sicily and Southern Italy.  Not ready for deposits but call  to be put on the interest list.

T

Hi everyone,

Five years ago, the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris suffered a tragic fire that collapsed its roof and spire. At the time, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that Notre Dame would be rebuilt in five years.  In February, scaffolding was removed to unveil the cathedral’s new spire, adorned with a golden rooster and a cross.  This week, eight bells for the North Belfry arrived in Paris.  The reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral is slated for December 8 but the surrounding area will still be under construction until 2028–New York Post from Fox News.

We have been waiting for the implementation of Real ID  and it is now  scheduled for May 7, but the Transportation Security Administration is considering a phase in  for the implementation of this program.  Stay tuned.

The Department of Transportation is opening an investigation into Airline frequent flyer programs, accusing airlines of potentially illegal points devaluation and other accounting techniques that it is says are not consumer friendly.

2025-26  Tours and Sailings

May 30-June 7, 2025 Columbia & Snake Rivers   Board your river cruise ship in Portland, Oregon and cruise to  Clarkston, Idaho on a 9 day, 8night  journey.  On your journey you will  visit Ft. Clapstop, Mt St. Helens,  Cross the “Bridge of the Gods and admire Nulnomah Falls. You’ll end your cruise in Clarkston,  to fly home from Lewiston Idaho.- American Cruise Lines

Hi Everyone,

Rome is the latest city to begin limiting access to some of the tourist attractions. They are contemplating limiting access to the historic Trevi Fountain.  It is not just a historic fountain, but a baroque masterpiece. Unfortunately it is also a magnet for hordes of travelers, Instagram influencers, TikTokers and more.  Various proposals have been put forth including timed entry.-TravelPulse, 9/5/24

Reminders about items allowed by TSA:

• Medication in liquid form is allowed in carry-on bags in  containers more than 3.4 ounces in reasonable amounts for the flights. However, you must tell the officer that you have medically necessary liquids at the start of the screening process and they may be subject to additional screening. It is not necessary to place medically required liquids in ziploc bags but you may want to for protection against leaks.
• is not necessary to present your medication to, or notify an officer about any medication you are traveling with unless it is in liquid form
• You can bring your medications in pill or solid form in unlimited amounts as long as it is screened.
• You can travel with your medication in both carry-on and checked baggage. It’s highly recommended you place these items in your carry-on in the event that you need immediate access.
• TSA does not require passengers to have medications in prescription bottles, but states have individual laws regarding the labeling of prescription medication with which passengers need to comply.
• Medication is usually screened by X-ray.
• Nitroglycerin tablets and spray used to treat angina are permitted.
• If you are traveling overseas, you will want to check to see if the medication needs to be in its original container.  Also, many countries have different rules about what medication is allowed.  It is strongly encouraged to check on that country’s website to see what is allowed.
• Most of us know that liquids have to be less than 3.4 ounces and put in a 1 quart ziplock but some may not know what “liquid” means to the TSA:  Liquids including the obvious but also toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash. Less obvious liquids include gels, creams, paste or aerosols such as creamy dips, and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.) Jams, Salad dressing.

Exempt: Infant formula

As the TSA gets new technology, we will see the end to this rule, probably in the near future, but as of this writing, the above is in effect.

2025-26  Tours and Sailings

May 30-June 7, 2025 Columbia & Snake Rivers   Board your river cruise ship in Portland, Oregon and cruise to  Clarkston, Idaho on a 9 day, 8night  journey.  On your journey you will  visit Ft. Clapstop, Mt St. Helens,  Cross the “Bridge of the Gods and admire Nulnomah Falls. You’ll end your cruise in Clarkston,  to fly home from Lewiston Idaho.- American Cruise Lines

Hi Everyone,

I hope that you are having a great Labor Day weekend and are doing something fun.

If you are traveling and see that your flight is delayed or cancelled, you will want to do  what everyone else is doing by getting in line, and also getting on your phone to the airline, but you may want to pull up the website, Flight Aware.   You can plug in your flight info and this site will tell you where your current flight is.  If it is still sitting somewhere, it will be a while. This website can let you know if there is a ground stop on wherever your flight is. If it is on it’s way, you ‘ll be able to see the new time of arrival.  It is one of the industry’s best flight tracking websites.

Going to Europe?   There will be a little work to do.   Visitors to the 20 countries of the European Union Schengen Area will need to comply with the new automated Entry/Exit System  (EES) scheduled to begin on November 10.  There is nothing to be done ahead of time but you will need to comply with a new procedure  (EES)when you go through customs in Europe. It is an automated IT system for registering non EU travelers for short stays each time they cross the external borders of a most of the Schengen Area countries. There is nothing to do beforehand and there is no charge.  It is going to make the customs lines longer though, at least at the beginning. It is scheduled to start this year.

This procedure is different than the the EITAS which is scheduled to begin in 2025.   ETIAS travel authorization is an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals traveling to any of 30 European countries. It is linked to a traveler’s passport and is valid up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you’ll need to get a new ETIAS authorization.  This is scheduled to begin next year and you’ll be able to get it online for approximately 7 euro.  This is supposed to be a fairly easy process.

2025-26  Tours and Sailings

May 30-June 7, 2025 Columbia & Snake Rivers   Board your river cruise ship in Portland, Oregon and cruise to  Clarkston, Idaho on a 9 day, 8night  journey.  On your journey you will  visit Ft. Clapstop, Mt St. Helens,  Cross the “Bridge of the Gods and admire Nulnomah Falls. You’ll end your cruise in Clarkston,  to Fly home from Lewiston Idaho.- American Cruise Lines

Hi Everyone,

I read an article this week about the proliferation of airline customer service scammers.  There has been an explosion of these scammers who pretend to be an airline customer service center agent.   Many people reach these fake numbers through  Google searches.  Sometimes the number to these fake agencies are just one digit away from the airlines so one mistake can cost dearly.  Many times this happens when you are trying to get seats, or change your flights.  Be very careful as this mistake can cost you.  If you ask them if they are with the airline, they will usually say something like, “Yes” we work with  the airlines.  They don’t say they work for the airlines.  Changing your seats with these criminals can cost a great deal of money.  Changing a flight that may have been cancelled or delayed can cost a great deal more.   Make sure that if you call the airline, you are actually using the airline’s real customer service number  from their website, not a number from a search engine.   The entire article can be found on Fodor’s Travel, July 16.

If you love watching things like solar eclipses then you may want to book a cabin on Holland America in July or August, 2026, as three of their ships will afford excellent views of the eclipse from the Mediterranean or the west coast of Iceland.  Book early if interested.

Have a great week,

Lynn

2025-26  Tours and Sailings

May 30-June 7, 2025 Columbia & Snake Rivers   Board your river cruise ship in Portland, Oregon and cruise to  Clarkston, Idaho on a 9 day, 8night  journey.  On your journey you will  visit Ft. Clapstop, Mt St. Helens,  Cross the “Bridge of the Gods and admire Nulnomah Falls. You’ll end your cruise in Clarkston,  to Fly home from Lewiston Idaho.- American Cruise Lines