Checkout these eco-friendly, organic durable utensils which are portable and a great addition to your suitcase when going away. Read about their advantages to your health.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Site Review: Cruise Direct for mind boggling choice!
The landing page of Cruisedirect.co.uk is a cacophony of cruise deals and specials and although I personally prefer a cleaner and simpler webpage you can understand from one look at the Cruisedirect.co.uk landing page that they offer every imaginable cruise worldwide. In fact they also offer specialty cruises (a Christmas cruise for example) including river cruises and the ultimate luxury cruise.
Value for your money
On Cruisedirect.co.uk you can also find "Value Added Cruise Deals", this means that included in your cruise price will be a bonus such as free onboard credits or a free cabin upgrade and even on some cruises you can get free flights!
If you are from the UK the advantage of booking a cruise through Cruisedirect.co.uk is that you can call the UK number for any inquiries you may have. Also the prices are all in GBP.
Service
One of the interesting features on Cruisedirect.co.uk is that you can request a personalized cruise quote to fit your need, this is as good as the service high street travel agents used to offer in the days when service was everything. As well as this personalized cruise quote you can call Cruisedirect.co.uk's customer service on a freephone number 7 days a week. The site is definitely geared towards the UK market and would be most convenient and useful to European travelers although travelers from anywhere in the world can book a cruise on Cruisedirect.co.uk with no problem.
A site with all the cruise info
If you simply want to book a cruise you can do that here but if you also want to browse the various cruise lines or check out what each ship has to offer you can do that on Cruisedirect.co.uk as well. The list of cruise liners which this site covers is really impressive it even includes the Norwegian Hurtigruten, and the Star Clipper vessels which are not cruise ships but enormous sailing ships which give you the experience of a private yacht.
Once you have selected your cruise you are given all the relevant information such as cabins, deck plans, and facilities onboard. It is also possible to read guest reviews on each ship and cruise.
This site comes out tops for the variety of cruises they cover worldwide, it's really mind boggling the choices they offer! If I were to suggest any improvement in the site it would be to offer the prices in a number of currencies (they appear only in GBP) and perhaps a live customer chat. There could also be the addition of travel articles about the various ports of call. However when all is said and done, whatever cruise you are looking for, no matter in what part of the world, and no matter what your budget you will find it on Cruisedirect.co.uk!
Value for your money
On Cruisedirect.co.uk you can also find "Value Added Cruise Deals", this means that included in your cruise price will be a bonus such as free onboard credits or a free cabin upgrade and even on some cruises you can get free flights!
If you are from the UK the advantage of booking a cruise through Cruisedirect.co.uk is that you can call the UK number for any inquiries you may have. Also the prices are all in GBP.
Service
One of the interesting features on Cruisedirect.co.uk is that you can request a personalized cruise quote to fit your need, this is as good as the service high street travel agents used to offer in the days when service was everything. As well as this personalized cruise quote you can call Cruisedirect.co.uk's customer service on a freephone number 7 days a week. The site is definitely geared towards the UK market and would be most convenient and useful to European travelers although travelers from anywhere in the world can book a cruise on Cruisedirect.co.uk with no problem.
A site with all the cruise info
If you simply want to book a cruise you can do that here but if you also want to browse the various cruise lines or check out what each ship has to offer you can do that on Cruisedirect.co.uk as well. The list of cruise liners which this site covers is really impressive it even includes the Norwegian Hurtigruten, and the Star Clipper vessels which are not cruise ships but enormous sailing ships which give you the experience of a private yacht.
Once you have selected your cruise you are given all the relevant information such as cabins, deck plans, and facilities onboard. It is also possible to read guest reviews on each ship and cruise.
This site comes out tops for the variety of cruises they cover worldwide, it's really mind boggling the choices they offer! If I were to suggest any improvement in the site it would be to offer the prices in a number of currencies (they appear only in GBP) and perhaps a live customer chat. There could also be the addition of travel articles about the various ports of call. However when all is said and done, whatever cruise you are looking for, no matter in what part of the world, and no matter what your budget you will find it on Cruisedirect.co.uk!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Site Review: Searchflightshotels.com-A travel google!
The Searchflightshotels.com first page is colorful and simple and this is where you choose what you will be searching for on the site. Imagine a Google which only searches for flights or hotels leading you to the relevant hotel or flight booking sites with the lowest rates, well that's what Searchflightshotels.com does. It is a search engine for flights and hotels, Searchflightshotels.com is not a travel booking site but a search tool to find you the best place to book.
Searching for hotels on Searchflightshotels.com
This site lists 2,5000,000 hotels and highlights the most popular tourist destinations offering discounts and deals for these locations. To search for a hotel simply type in the essential details on a no-nonsense form and the search results appear. Although the hotel search results appear as on all hotel booking sites, with Searchflightshotels.com you can choose to see the prices in any currency which is not always an option on other travel sites.
Once you have selected your hotel you are shown a list of the hotel booking sites offering that hotel, on your dates. The Hotel booking sites are listed in descending order from the cheapest to the more expensive. From here you click through to the hotel booking site and make your order.
In addition to showing the hotel location on a map, the hotel's star rate and a guest rate the hotel search results give you the rate including the tax and fees so that you don't have to go through half the booking process before being told the final price.
Searching for flights on Searchflightshotels.com
I found the flight search on Searchflightshotels.com less appealing than the hotel search, from the initial entering of the country of origination to the destination which appears on a map (unnecessary) to the prices which are given in one currency. The search filter does offer you several useful options like selecting to exclude or include red-eye flights and overnight stays.
You also have the option of making multiple bookings. Still this site is useful in giving you a good overview of what is available online. In comparison with other similar sites the flight prices compare favorably, although the initial search results are not as detailed.
Save Time using Searchflightshotels.com
The alternative to using Searchflightshotels.com is to spend hours doing individual searches on all the well known hotel and flight booking sites to find the best rates. This not only would take you a lot of time, confusion and anxiety but would not always result in you finding the lowest rates or best deal.
Save Money using Searchflightshotels.com
Even if you had the time and patience to spend hours searching each booking site it doesn't mean that you would manage to cover EVERY site and so you could miss that one special deal. On Searchflightshotels.com the work is done for you in seconds so there is no chance of not "finding" the lowest or best deal.
In the site's About Us section they mention that they also travel and have experience as travelers, this is not usually mentioned on travel sites and I agree with them that it is an important asset to actually have experience as a traveler and not just a booking agent.
Check out Searchflightshotels.com
Searching for hotels on Searchflightshotels.com
This site lists 2,5000,000 hotels and highlights the most popular tourist destinations offering discounts and deals for these locations. To search for a hotel simply type in the essential details on a no-nonsense form and the search results appear. Although the hotel search results appear as on all hotel booking sites, with Searchflightshotels.com you can choose to see the prices in any currency which is not always an option on other travel sites.
Once you have selected your hotel you are shown a list of the hotel booking sites offering that hotel, on your dates. The Hotel booking sites are listed in descending order from the cheapest to the more expensive. From here you click through to the hotel booking site and make your order.
In addition to showing the hotel location on a map, the hotel's star rate and a guest rate the hotel search results give you the rate including the tax and fees so that you don't have to go through half the booking process before being told the final price.
Searching for flights on Searchflightshotels.com
I found the flight search on Searchflightshotels.com less appealing than the hotel search, from the initial entering of the country of origination to the destination which appears on a map (unnecessary) to the prices which are given in one currency. The search filter does offer you several useful options like selecting to exclude or include red-eye flights and overnight stays.
You also have the option of making multiple bookings. Still this site is useful in giving you a good overview of what is available online. In comparison with other similar sites the flight prices compare favorably, although the initial search results are not as detailed.
Save Time using Searchflightshotels.com
The alternative to using Searchflightshotels.com is to spend hours doing individual searches on all the well known hotel and flight booking sites to find the best rates. This not only would take you a lot of time, confusion and anxiety but would not always result in you finding the lowest rates or best deal.
Save Money using Searchflightshotels.com
Even if you had the time and patience to spend hours searching each booking site it doesn't mean that you would manage to cover EVERY site and so you could miss that one special deal. On Searchflightshotels.com the work is done for you in seconds so there is no chance of not "finding" the lowest or best deal.
In the site's About Us section they mention that they also travel and have experience as travelers, this is not usually mentioned on travel sites and I agree with them that it is an important asset to actually have experience as a traveler and not just a booking agent.
Check out Searchflightshotels.com
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Berlin Holiday Rental Apartments
CheckinBerlin.com is a vacation rental apartment site which deals only with holiday apartments in and around Berlin, Germany. Although you could search for a rental apartment in Berlin on a general rental site why not deal with a site specifically aimed at Berlin. There are several features of Checkinberlin.com which make it easy to navigate and informative:
Search for a Berlin Rental Apartment
When you use Checkinberlin.com to find a Berlin apartment you can search by the apartment room size; Berlin area or nearby areas, you can also search by using a map; only special offers or for group bookings. The group booking feature is quite a unique feature on rental apartment sites and one that could be very useful to group organizers. You can also search for a vacation apartment in Berlin by specific dates.
Customer Service
One of my favorite features on any travel site is the Live Chat and Checkinberlin.com has this feature as well as a contact email address, fax number and phone number.
Currency Conversion
To see the rental apartment price in your currency on Checkinberlin.com you simply have to hover the mouse over the Euro amount to see a list of already converted currency conversions. This is a nice feature I haven't seen before on travel sites.
Languages
On Checkinberlin.com you can choose from 5 languages!
Berlin Events
Although Checkinberlin.com has pages for car rental, flights and Berlin guide these services are not as unique as the Berlin only rental apartment part of the site. However the "Berlin Events" section listing upcoming events in Berlin and also a rundown of Berlin venues can be useful.
Guest Ratings
Checkinberlin.com has a guest rating system but I prefer to use independent guest reviews on sites like TripAdvisor.com or VirtualTourist.com.
Details
It is always important to get as much information about your vacation rental apartment as you can and Checkinberlin.com supplies you with ample photos; transport details of how to reach the apartment and distances to various Berlin landmarks as well as letting you know who the apartment is best suited to.
Booking on Checkinberlin.com
You can use checkinberlin.com with confidence; the vacation rental apartments are booked online but only paid for on arrival. You will get a great variety of Berlin apartment choices and good customer service.
Search for a Berlin Rental Apartment
When you use Checkinberlin.com to find a Berlin apartment you can search by the apartment room size; Berlin area or nearby areas, you can also search by using a map; only special offers or for group bookings. The group booking feature is quite a unique feature on rental apartment sites and one that could be very useful to group organizers. You can also search for a vacation apartment in Berlin by specific dates.
Customer Service
One of my favorite features on any travel site is the Live Chat and Checkinberlin.com has this feature as well as a contact email address, fax number and phone number.
Currency Conversion
To see the rental apartment price in your currency on Checkinberlin.com you simply have to hover the mouse over the Euro amount to see a list of already converted currency conversions. This is a nice feature I haven't seen before on travel sites.
Languages
On Checkinberlin.com you can choose from 5 languages!
Berlin Events
Although Checkinberlin.com has pages for car rental, flights and Berlin guide these services are not as unique as the Berlin only rental apartment part of the site. However the "Berlin Events" section listing upcoming events in Berlin and also a rundown of Berlin venues can be useful.
Guest Ratings
Checkinberlin.com has a guest rating system but I prefer to use independent guest reviews on sites like TripAdvisor.com or VirtualTourist.com.
Details
It is always important to get as much information about your vacation rental apartment as you can and Checkinberlin.com supplies you with ample photos; transport details of how to reach the apartment and distances to various Berlin landmarks as well as letting you know who the apartment is best suited to.
Booking on Checkinberlin.com
You can use checkinberlin.com with confidence; the vacation rental apartments are booked online but only paid for on arrival. You will get a great variety of Berlin apartment choices and good customer service.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Holidaygo Vacation Rental and more...
Holidaygo.com has some serious advantages over it's competitors, Holidaygo offers several travel planning tools and services which the leading vacation rentals sites don't.
On Holidaygo you get:
A choice of 9 languages to view the site in.
A forum where you can discuss travel and rental home related issues with other customers and even the home owners themselves.
If you are not sure where you would like to take your holiday you can use their "Trip Ideas" page and even narrow down the search results by refining your preferences in the sidebar.
If you decide not to go for a rental home holiday Holidaygo provides a link to the reputable hotel booking site Booking.com.
If you want to save yourself the time of wading through all of the available offers of holiday homes then you can send Holidaygo a vacation request. Let them know what you are looking for and they will send you a list of suitable options.
Budding travel bloggers can offer ideas for trips and recommendations to those visiting the site.
A choice of 9 languages to view the site in.
A forum where you can discuss travel and rental home related issues with other customers and even the home owners themselves.
If you are not sure where you would like to take your holiday you can use their "Trip Ideas" page and even narrow down the search results by refining your preferences in the sidebar.
If you decide not to go for a rental home holiday Holidaygo provides a link to the reputable hotel booking site Booking.com.
If you want to save yourself the time of wading through all of the available offers of holiday homes then you can send Holidaygo a vacation request. Let them know what you are looking for and they will send you a list of suitable options.
Budding travel bloggers can offer ideas for trips and recommendations to those visiting the site.
The most significant difference between Holidaygo.com and other vacation rental sites is that although they are also only a portal or platform to bring together vacationers and home owners the site also takes on more of a role in the management of the information which is displayed on the site. If you take a look at this site and other vacation rental sites you will immediately notice the attention to detail and thought that has been put into not only setting up a website for users but in providing a service. The service that Holidaygo.com provides is a directory of vacation rental homes to choose from and numerous travel planning tools.
The prices on Holidaygo.com are displayed in Euros and along with the choice of languages it would have been convenient to view the prices in various currencies. For the home owners and the vacationers the use of the site is free.
If you are looking for a holiday rental home then Holidaygo.com lists all forms of accommodation from tents to palaces as they say and everything in between. Together with the useful travel information they provide, focused search tools and the clear photos of each property you are sure to find the holiday rental you are looking for.
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