While I’m grounded at home until the world is open to Americans again, I’m revisiting my travel love life through fun posts like this.  Hope you enjoy!

“Where is Your Husband?” is a question I’ve been asked so many times over the years as I’ve traveled solo that I wrote a post about questions to stop asking solo travelers.  At first, I laughed it off and said “my parents would love to know that too so let me know when you find him” and then I went through a bit of anger phase asking myself the same “why haven’t I met that guy yet to travel and have a life with”? I even tried online dating (unsuccessfully) as no one matched my requirements of “owns passport, wants to explore the world and is open to adventure”. Now I’ve settled into a phase of contentment with myself and my solo-ness.  When someone recently asked me “aren’t you lonely traveling solo?” I replied “not at all, I’m dating the world” and each city is my “new blind date with potential”.  Snarky works to shut down people’s preconceived notions of what my life should look like.

Just like any date or relationship, there are a few places that linger as first loves, a few in the love/hate relationship, a few bad boys that still tempt me and yet a few more with the potential to be the “the one” – that long term image of walking hand in hand as we grow old together with memories (yes, too many movie moments in my head).  Of course, just like dating, there have been some duds along the way (it really was you not me) but each time I’ve learned something new about myself, my beliefs and how I need to be open to the world. I’ve had peeks at what my life should look like vs. what my life could look like.  I’ve laughed that the world is too big to keep returning to the same places and yet there are places (and people) that I keep in my heart that call me back on a regular basis (my home and heart are definitely in more than one place).

New Zealand – Pushing My Limits

Some places give you the taste of being “fearless”, some relationships are so raw that you can’t help but be afraid to be vulnerable but once you establish that trust, wow! What a feeling to discover your kick ass power and potential.  This is the guy that believes you can do anything in the world as life is an adventure every day!  The downside to the everyday adventure is wanting to just be still and enjoy the surrounding.

New Zealand is one country that wants you to experience pure adventure – it’s their marketing tagline “Pure Adventure”.  Whether in the thrill of adventure or savoring the food & wine scene, New Zealand pushes you out of your comfort zone to let you experience fun, tempt your taste buds and gasp at the incredible beauty of the landscape.  Fly in a helicopter to put on crampons and walk across the icy surfaces of the Franz Josef glacier.  Learn to kayak for the first time even if you are scared to flip over in the massive lake.  I swear the air whispers “you can do it” (ok, maybe the cute guide trying to get me to push past the fear and catch up to the group was a bit of incentive but in the movie version it was the air).

London – Friends with Benefits

London was my first international destination, the city that gave me a taste of what the world outside of Philadelphia had to offer.  With the funny accents and phrases like “the weather is pants”, London told me “to look left” and continued to offer up just enough to keep me coming back anticipating something new and left me wanting so much more.  We understood each other, it was (and still is) easy to be in London.  We shared ups and downs. With a great history of over twenty years, I tried to make it more permanent but London said “sorry Tier 2 visa hurdle, you’d actually need to meet (and marry) an actual British guy to change our status” so alas we remain friends with benefits.  We have fun, I find comfort in my visits, enjoy my favorite London chocolates and for now can’t be more than that. During the lockdown, I missed my annual transatlantic cruise to London and I’m longing to return.  I’ve not been away from the city for this long in a very long time.  I miss my friend with benefits a bit more than I thought, chances are London is my deep true love but without the opportunity to live/work there, I have to dream.

Venice & the Amalfi Coast – My First Travel Love(s)

Venice & the Amalfi Coast continue to be my first “love at first sight” cities.  Over the years, I cherish the memories and look with sadness at the changes each has gone through as we’ve aged.  They knew that they had the allure, the romance, the views – they had it all.  But everyone wanted them, to preserve their beauty and not let them change and grow – and over the years, all the beauty is still there but underneath their souls have been changed and it makes me sad.  It’s harder to find the unique experience of my youth, we are still friends and I can visit and act like a local, happy to stroll the streets (drive the roads) of my travel youth and relive the memories of the first time we locked eyes and shared the weekend. We are in the “remember when…..” stage of first love(s).

Paris – Torn between Two Lovers (Love & Hate)

Ah…..Paris.  Paris is that one city that evokes either love or hate with travelers and rarely a middle ground. For me, it was awkward at first as I wandered lost in a city of foreign language, culture and (at the time) currency.  I had to find my own way back to the flat to find my friend (before mobile phones).  On our second date, Paris loved me back but my friend hated it and she left me in the city abandoned at Valentine’s Day and I learned to be a solo traveler.  It was my third time lucky that we fell into our love/hate relationship which has matured over the years.  Yes, we still have differences but it’s those differences that make it such a strong, passionate, relationship.  I’ve reignited my love of the city the past few years with visits for Paris at Thanksgiving (when Mom boycotted the holiday) on the way home from my Round the World trip, Paris with my niece (the 11 yo foodie), on my European travel sabbatical and the Paris visit with my mom.  I’ve reliving my past in the present and future with my family now. Seeing the city with fresh eyes and years of experience make it memorable again.

Bad First Travel Impressions

Budapest, I’m looking at you twenty years ago.  We started off on the wrong foot (or in my case the wrong hotel in a sketchy part of town) but found a common ground (once I moved to the five star Intercontinental Budapest Hotel) and I saw past the surface to see a great beauty of a city.  I’m hopeful to return soon to see how much you’ve changed in the years as I continue to see your photos everywhere as a travel rock star.

Gozo – The Ugly Duckling Blind Date

When I arrived from the ferry and saw the limestone sameness, the unpaved roads, the unending construction in the villages and only one traffic light, I wondered where the hell I was and why I had said yes to this island in Malta. It wasn’t pretty…at first.  The island of Gozo would slowly reveal all of the hidden gems on the island, it was definitely a trust issue.   We started off fumbling with “did we like each other” but after three weeks, it was a torrid love affair, one I was hesitant to leave as I was lost in a world of wonder….far away from the drama at home.  My island home became a beauty once I stopped being all judgey with it. We met locals, dined on local wine and learned to tune out the church bells that rung every fifteen minutes to tell time. We fell into a comfortable routine that I hadn’t experienced with anyone else.  The five star Kempinski Gozo helped wash away the bad start to help me hit reset and be open to discovering so much more.

Houston: We Have A Problem

Houston, Texas (USA) – At first I thought it’s me, there’s more to the city than the cold highways, megachurches and shopping malls.  I even agreed to a second date to give you another chance.  You are Oil and I’m Water there is just no future for us.  I don’t even have a photo to share!

Sydney – The Supermodel Guy Who Surfs

Sydney, Australia is the cover model who is a smart businessman by day, cultured food & wine connoisseur at night and a surfer on the weekends.  He is multi-faceted and constantly surprising you.  He won’t commit to just you because he doesn’t realize you are smitten with him (everyone is in love with him) but he’s too nice to notice.  He’s happy with his awesome life and wants you to be happy too.  He shows you the beach, pours his friend’s wine from the Hunter Valley and introduces you to his family and friends.  You feel special with him because his attention is all on your happiness.  There’s no long term to this relationship but your ego (and photos) definitely get a confident boost when you are with him.

Miami – It’s Definitely Me Not You

Miami – we are so different that even in the opposites attract category….we don’t.  You are the perennial party-er with money, you keep saying we’re all good but I don’t feel we travel in the same circle. It’s probably my insecurities but I don’t fit in your world.  I’ll still say a transient “hello” on the way to the cruise terminal and maybe meet you for a drink or two but thats all.

Solo Traveler: Independent & Brave

I’ve had many more blind dates with the cities of the world (and small towns) and I still enjoy the awkward first meeting, the getting to know you stage and then waiting to see if it will be love, lust, like or loathing.  So I’m “still single” because I’m still dating the world, Mom says “I’m too picky”.  For the rest of the world, I’m independent, bold and brave and yet missing “my husband”.  As for me?  I’m still having a good time exploring the world. What about you – what’s your travel love life look like? How would you label your dates with cities/countries? Are you dating the world too?

You might remember (Gen-X and older alert) or be surprised to learn that there was a time you could walk to the airport gate without security checks.  Saying goodbye at the airport gate isn’t just a movie trope or a funny scene in 90’s television, it was, at one point, reality before the security changes were made post 9/11.  I remember my friend meeting me at the gate after a long flight with a Pepsi and a chocolate bar (before purchase onboard).  Now we accept the security checks and deal with the dreadful (and invasive) searches as part of the airport and travel experience. I’m sure we will learn to adapt to the new ways of flying in the aftermath of this global pandemic event of Covid-19 coronavirus.

Right now you’re probably exhausted by stay at home orders and the sheer magnitude of changes in the world, your work and your life.  We boarded a roller coaster that seems never ending with twists, turns and scary freefalls. You are ready to escape to the beach, the mountains, to an island, take a cruise or go anywhere that is not your home (and has room service).  I understand – I want to be on a plane to Europe but for me (and Europe) that will be a while.

So what will the airport experience and flying look like now post lockdown from covid-19?  What can we expect and how will we navigate forward?   With the curves flattening, there could be a lull and sense that all is over so folks may go back to “what they’ve always done” but we just don’t know until there’s a vaccine and even then we won’t know effective rates.  I would love to be the optomist, but realistically it’s going to be a year or longer until we settle in. So many questions, and like others in the travel space, I can only opine on how I think the airport experience and flying will change amid and post covid-19 and plan accordingly.

Covid-19 Airline Changes

Changes are occurring daily as we take baby steps back into the world of travel.  An important liquid security change in the U.S. is allowing up to 12 oz. of hand santizer in carry on luggage which will be screened separately.

Here are a few airline updates links that list cancellation, refund, rebooking as well as other applicable policies and procedures.  Each airline is unique in how they are dealing with this – familarize yourself before you book or travel with their policies.

• American Airlines Covid-19 Update– 50% middle seats blocked out, limited capacity on planes, minimal food/drink service, clubs closed or consolidated
• Delta Airlines Covid-19 Update – all middle seats blocked, boarding by rows back to front
• Emirates Airlines Covid-19 Update – antibody fast testing at check-in and ban on carry-on luggage
• Southwest Airlines Covid-19 Update – elimination of snack/beverage service
• United Airlines Covid-19 Update – scan your own boarding pass, pre-packaged food, Polaris lounge closed
• British Airways Covid-19 Update – no special meals, limited food/beverage, no elite status extensions

Changes at Flight Check In

Check in online before you arrive at the airport (no one will want to touch screens or be within six feet of another person for a while).  However, you can’t print luggage bag tags from home.  There’s no easy way to solve this for “no touch” right now so you’ll still need to use the kiosk at the airport or have airline staff print for you.

• Biggest unknowns – crowd control, printing bag tags via kiosk and temperature or antibody checks

New Airport Security Screening

The lines at security already snake around and around the terminal – expect these to get longer as we social distance and people start to travel again. Right now only 10% of normal travel is occurring (crazy!).  Expect security to space out folks on the screening as well.  So basically expect longer waits and long lines– plan accordingly.

• Good Time to sign up for Global Entry and/or Pre-Check for shorter lines in some airports.
• TSA Covid-19 Update
• PHL (my hometown airport) – Philadelphia International Airport Covid 19 Update

Changes in the airport terminals

The airports, at least in the U.S., are not built with massive gate to wait at or large common areas to keep a good distance apart. Each airport will implement their own processes and procedures to comply with state, local and federal health & safety recommendations.

• Food Outlets – bars, food courts and restaurants will need to right size. This may mean waiting for a seat or table.  Bring some snacks with you as backup plan.
• Airport shops will resize to ensure spacing and limits inside. They may remove merchandise to provide space.
• Look to see if your airport has order and delivery by app so you can use your phone, pay online and have the food delivered to you at your gate/seat.

Airline Lounge Changes

The airline lounges have long held a capacity limit for visitors and this will most likely continue and be enforced with less space to use.  Some airlines have closed lounges right now, others have consolidated lounges – best to check before you arrival at the airport. Self service is over for the champagne, wine and other drinks.

• I suspect access by credit card lounge access and/or Priority Pass may get third class status based on capacity at many airline/airport lounges.
• Plan for prepacked food, easy to access items like fruit and an increase in disposable one use plastics.

In Philadelphia International Airport, the American Airlines lounge in PHL A-West and PHL AA Lounge B/C has the space to play with, however, the BA Lounge PHL, AMEX Centurion Lounge PHL and United Lounge PHL are small already so changes will be noticeable.

At The Gate – Prepare to Board the Plane

The gates are not large enough to adequately house all passengers even when packed inside and waiting in the hallway.  Space will be a premium and boarding will need to change.  Not sure how yet though as they don’t have space unless the airports space out planes and gates for a while so that gates across from each other are not boarding at the same time and people have space to move, wait, etc.

• Delta has begun loading planes the old fashioned way – from the back row to the front row to space out boarding and allow folks to access their seats and overhead space.

If you are old enough to remember walking to the gate with friends and family, you’ll remember the simpler time of boarding from back to front in an orderly manner.  Long before “gate lice, preference, status, credit card holders and pay for boarding early” became the norm.

Changes On the Plane

It will be hard to have a six feet distance from the next passenger, especially across aisles or even window to aisle and in front and behind you.  So for the near future, planes will fly at lower load capacity and you may be asked to move/change seats for spacing and passenger weight distribution.  Until the equipment can come online, supply/demand/pricing will look like a Jackson Pollack painting, meaning it will be all over the place. What about deplaning which is usually a free for all of folks crammed into the aisle waiting to leave? Will there finally be order to the plane process?  Time will tell.

Changes In the Air – Flying in a New World

Flight Attendants will likely wear gloves and masks and need to ensure they don’t have cross contamination during limited service periods.  There will be pre-packaged foods as well as limited or no special meals available so now is the time to bring your own snacks/foods with you.

If you need to use the bathroom just prepare to Purell the hell out of you and everything you touch (yeah new 12oz hand santizer allowance).  It’s hard to escape touching things in the bathroom. There’s various pulls, levers, handles, buttons, etc. to pull the door open and close as well as lock and unlock.  If you are lucky, you will get a new “wave your hand” to flush toilet and automatic sink.  If not, then you’ll need to press (and hold) buttons.

Airline Flying Unknowns

• Masks – Will people wear masks as they have been doing for years in Asia? Will it be mandatory or optional?
• Temperature Checks – tricky one – easier to implement on cruises than at airports or by individual airlines. So I don’t expect this to happen in U.S. airports (international may be different) right away.
• Antibody Testing – Quick results. Emirates Airlines has started using this but it’s a minefield of what happens if denied boarding?  How accurate? And a host of other things.

Business Trip and/or Vacation in New Normal

If you have made it happily through all the steps above and are feeling good at your destination upon arrival, you’ve completed Step 1 (of 5) so far.  Now you have the transportation (Step 2)  taxi, rental car, shuttle, bus, etc. to the lodging of choice (Step 3) hotel, Airbnb, corporate apartment to deal with and if you get hungry (Step 4) or want to go out for entertainment/sightseeing (Step 5) to overcome.

Final Thoughts – Travel during and after Covid-19

It’s not going to be like it was in 2019, it will likely take two years or longer to fully recover and we will lose some great travel vendors along the way. We are embarking to a new normal, one that will likely change day by day as we, the traveling public, and travel vendors and governments learn how all the moving people and pieces affect global population health. We will have growing pains but will get through this.  We will be back on the road exploring the world again and I can’t wait!

Such is the curse that is a holiday birthday or one near any holiday.  My sister might have it a bit worse with a birthday a few days after Christmas (combo presents).  So rather than be disappointed when friends and family aren’t around to share cake with me, I started traveling for my birthday a few years ago.  I started making my birthday really about me and not waiting for others to celebrate me.  Finding somewhere to travel is November is tricky though as not only is it off season but its also a bit chilly in most places.  Not that the weather will stop me, its just a consideration. I’ve traveled in November to Australia twice for a bit of spring warmth (plus lots of award space in business class!).

I recently read an interesting article “Birth Weeks” Are Not a Thing which addresses those stretching birthday celebrations into a week or even a month of celebrations.  I had to laugh when the author mentioned her November birthday and the Showtime Couples Therapy show as I felt I understood her opinion so much more.  Many folks stop celebrating their birthdays – they don’t like being center of attention or acknowledge getting older.  But for me, I really never celebrated my birthday which is why for my 40th a few years ago, I rented a bar and invited all my friends for a night out.  Nothing says love like an open bar!  It was fantastic to see friends from grade school, high school, college and work come together for a night out.  It’s so rare to get on someone’s calendar. Fast forward a few years and social media likes and comments are as close as we can get to a night together (yes, it saddens me too).

So while I should be away this year for my November birthday and Thanksgiving, unfortunately, I’m looking for a job.  The cruel irony is that I have a plethora of time to travel but not the money to spend on travel, even if I used points here and there. This year’s birthday trip was going to be EPIC – a birthday bucket list item.  If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you’ll know that I hate the “bucket list” term but it’s appropriate in this context since I was planning on an overwater bungalow in The Maldives. For years, I was saving money and points for this crazy, expensive trip.

Alone in Paradise?  No one understands how I could go away on my birthday and celebrate alone (yes, the irony) and be alone in what appears to be paradise.  That’s the thing about travel for me, it’s about resetting my mind, body and soul.  Every part of me craves travel – exploring the vast world and learning something new about other cultures and people through their foods, traditions and stories.

Each story is a collection to add to my journey.  A story of life, love and loss.  A story of hope, laughter, tears.  A story of a life lived.  Each one adding to the story of my life.  Each birthday is a new chapter in my story.  Travel provides me the words and memories to weave into my story. It seers pictures, feelings and wow moments into my memories just for me.  There are special moments not to share, just to keep and remember with a smile and a tear.

When I’m grounded and unable to travel as I am now, my story feels like I’m stuck reading the same page in the book, or feels like pausing the movie and forgetting to come back and press play.  A life on a ground stop. That’s not who I am meant to be – I’m meant to travel – to create my own story – to add a new chapter. To experience, observe and participate in the world around me.

This year, while I’m home, I’m reminded of the fun November birthday trips of the past (Facebook is torturing me daily with remember when x years you were here).  From the first trip to London during Thanksgiving break to my recent trip to London earlier in the year and the many birthday trips in between.  You can read about some of the adventures below.

• Roadtrip Utah – Red Mountain Spa in Utah and Zion National Park Solo
• Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend (Page, Arizona)
• Las Vegas Solo Birthday Trip
• Sydney, Australia – Raining on My Birthday Parade
• Hobart, Tasmania – MONA Art Musuem
• London Thanksgiving Memories
• Iceland Solo Travel 
• Paris Thanksgiving – The Year Mom Boycotted Turkey

Moving forward, I’m hopeful for a new job and to have a reason to press play again – to record the new stories and to write a new chapter. A life on pause is frankly no fun. Daily rejections feed my want to escape on the next flight. I need to travel – to be up in the air on the way to an unknown adventure and exploring different parts of me that give me perspective on what’s important. Birthdays are wonderful to mark a new year but they can’t be a reason to measure love, admiration and self-worth with likes, cards and well wishes.  For me, a better birthday measure is miles traveled, stories shared, lessons in love, life, loss and finding joy in the everyday normal pace of life. I’ve been lucky to make wishes and blow out candles in multiple time zones, to celebrate with strangers who became friends and to realize that to celebrate me is pretty awesome.  Focus me on me and be selfish with want I want and need (presents always welcome).

So for now, the bucket list birthday is deferred while I get to enjoy leftover turkey and cake.  If you are also a November holiday birthday – Happy Birthday!

I miss the brain freeze you get when eating a good pint of ice cream.  I didn’t give up ice cream voluntarily, my body decided for me when I started experiencing lactose intolerance symptoms in my early 30’s. Once I was diagnosed, I became the food buzz kill at restaurants (according to my friends) when I asked a plethora of questions “what has dairy in it and can it be made without butter or cream, etc.”   I try not to be a PIA but I don’t want to get sick and ruin the night out. Thankfully food allergy menus are available (more often online) and you can show food allergy cards in multiple languages to make eating out anywhere in the world a bit easier.

When I travel, street vendors and buffets are pretty much off limit so I go to reliable standbys albeit a bit boring (chicken and veg, meat and potatoes, over easy eggs with fruit). Traveling with Lactose Intolerance has taken some time to get used to and find a routine that works for me.  The key is finding what works for you when you travel because it’s not always as simple as “does this have dairy in it”.   Below are a few tips for traveling with lactose intolerance as well as my experiences with travel vendors that accommodate food allergies and intolerances.  Did you know more than 60% of people have a decreased ability to break down lactose and can experience symptoms? So you are not alone even though it often feels that way eating plain chicken and a dry baked potato (or French fries).

Lactose Intolerance Diagnosis

It took years of navigating the US health care system to finally get a lactose intolerance diagnosis.  My GP kept dismissing me saying “women’s issues” – ugh! (I ended up dismissing him).  I tried to self-diagnose by keeping a food journal with incidents to figure out trigger foods but I was getting sick daily even when I thought I ate no dairy that day (dairy in the frozen vegetables? Seriously?).  I finally said “no more” and booked an appointment with a gastroenterologist.  She listened to my symptoms and ordered a hydrogen breathe test to test for and measure lactose intolerance.  The test involved ingesting a medical drink high in lactose (medical drinks never taste good no matter what they tell you it tastes similar to) and then breathing into individual testing bags every ten minutes.  I would exhale into the bag and seal it.  I would do this for almost two hours.

I wasn’t surprised when the doctor called to tell me I was severely lactose intolerant which meant that my reaction would start within twenty minutes of ingesting cow’s milk foods (i.e. – ice cream, cheesecake, cheese, etc.).  I was finally happy to have a proper diagnosis but didn’t realize how my travels would change.  I was now teetering on the verge of “will this get me sick?” so avoid it and “is it worth getting sick for” let me eat it. Let’s say it’s still a learning curve many years later.

Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance

Typical symptoms of Lactose Intolerance aren’t pretty – they range from mild to severe and can include gas, bloating, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms can begin ½ hour to 2 hours after eating and vary with each person, quantity of lactose ingested and how your body reacts.  For some, it might be mild discomfort, for others it may involve multiple bathroom visits. Your body, lacking the lactase enzyme to break down the sugar (lactose) in cow’s milk can’t process the food eaten so tries to expel it (trial and error is no fun). You can try to supplement with Lactaid pills (available in the US over the counter) which replace the enzyme (take pills with food) but it doesn’t always work for some people (for me they don’t work with ice cream or cheesecake or other heavy cream based).   So when I started traveling more frequently for work and then to new countries for vacation, I had to adjust my travel research, schedules and ensure I brought a food allergy card with me.

Note that I say “food allergy card” – this also covers food intolerance and medical issues.  I do not have a dairy allergy which is a whole other ballgame.

Lactose Free Airline Special Meals

Many foreign airlines will offer you a special meal menu (request in advance) to accommodate a good number of food allergies, intolerances, religious diets and special diets (low sodium, low carb, etc.). Your travel agent can add it to your booking or you can call direct after booking to add.  British Airways (BA) allows me to choose online.   The special meal request isn’t guaranteed if you have delays, changes, etc. Of special note is that you won’t be upgraded if you have a special meal in your reservation.  For some folks, this is a big deal so they don’t book the special meal.

A special meal request is just that – “special”. This is a trial and error in my experience because frankly a rice cake as dessert doesn’t work for me (I’ll bring my own cookies), neither does a fish dinner.

• On Singapore Airlines, I used the “book the cook” feature to pre-select my food catering when traveling in Business Class from Singapore to Melbourne on an award.
• On British Airways, I’ve moved from Lactose Free to Low Calorie which is generally grilled chicken with vegetables (simple and easy).
• LAN Chile (JFK to Santiago, Chile) served one of the better special lactose free meals I’ve had in the air.
• On US Airlines, I bring my own food as it’s much safer and I won’t go hungry.

I will ask the flight attendant what’s in my “special meal” before they heat it up to serve.  If something I’m not keen on, I will order off the regular menu (usually the red meat and potato option) and eat my Lactaid pills as needed.

Travel Food Intolerance Cards Multiple Languages

When traveling on a Baltic Cruise to Russia, I wasn’t worried about the cruise ship (they are awesome to accommodate food issues – see below) but it was the two-day private guide tour in St. Petersburg that concerned me.  I ordered my lactose intolerant food card in Russian from SelectWisely.  The cards are laminated and have the language translated on one side and the photos on the other.  I showed my tour guide who was able to deal with the restaurants directly which was good.

Lactose Intolerance – Finding the Toilets

My niece laughs that I know where all the bathrooms are in every place we go.  Not unlike someone who scans for all of the exits, it’s important for me to know where to go….literally.   I carry coins for the train station (pay to pee) bathrooms and scope out the nicer hotels or restaurants in the area. It’s more peace of mind because you never know how your body will react to food and drink while traveling.  I once had orange juice and was sick, so I give up on trying to figure out what will make me sick (cow’s milk dairy is a definite, everything else questionable).

The key to using the hotel or restaurant bathrooms is to look like you belong as some cities don’t allow free access to bathrooms if not a paying guest of the hotel or restaurant.  I fly on the aisle to ensure access to airplane bathrooms and will ask bus tours if they stop along the way or have a bathroom on board.

Bathroom Apps:  SitOrSquat by Charmin and Where To Wee sponsored by Cintas.

Lactose Intolerance Adjust Your Travel Diet

To be honest, I’ve adjusted my travel diet as much as possible but also take into account the local delicacies. I travel alone so any discomfort or consequences will only affect me and not traveling companions. I’m not going to ask a French chef to hold the butter or crème – I’m going to enjoy the fresh croissants,  the steak frites with herb butter, the chocolate mousse and everything else that makes Paris (and France) wonderful.

When I’m in Europe, my symptoms seem to be less severe than at home.  In the UK, I can buy lactose free butter, cream cheese, milk and other products to cook with (sadly I don’t live in the UK).  In Italy, I will eat gelato twice a day just because I can without getting sick.  Again, each person’s tolerance level will differ depending on quality, quantity, day of week and ingredients mix in my experience.

At home, it’s much easier of course to make what you want especially with all of the cookbooks, online cooking community and recipes available.

Other Milk and Dairy Products

When I visited Barcelona and signed up for a Devour Food tour, I indicated lactose intolerance and they arranged to swap out the cow’s milk cheese sample to include sheep and goat milk cheeses.  It had been over 10 years since I ate cheese plain like that.  It allowed me to participate in the group and not exclude myself. I gotta say that it was the creamiest tastiest cheese I’ve had in a long time.  Knowing I wouldn’t get sick was awesome.

You can eat cheese again just not cow’s milk – look for goat’s milk, sheep milk, Feta (Greek), Pecorino (Italian) etc.  In Philadelphia, I go to DiBruno’s Rittenhouse to get my cheese fix. In London, Neal’s Yard Dairy is a favorite and Eataly NYC (multiple cities) also had a great cheese selection.

Times It’s Worth Getting Sick

During my travels, there have been some foods that I knew would get me sick and yet I was ok with that.  At Rudy & Paco’s in Texas, I met the owner who regaled me with tales of growing up and family recipes.  His grandmothers Cuatro Leche was a dessert drenched in four milks.  I didn’t have the heart to say I can’t eat that especially as it was complimentary as he sat to talk with me at the bar while I ate the dessert.  I’ll be honest, it was one of the best desserts I’ve eaten and worth getting sick over.  Luckily, the hotel was close to the restaurant and I dealt with the consequences later.  There have been other situations I’ve been in where I had to eat the food lest I offend someone or the culture so I did my best.

Lactose Intolerance on Cruise Ships

The cruise lines are superstars to accommodate food issues in the main dining and specialty restaurants but no so in the buffets.  Most cruise lines allow you to indicate food issue into the reservation if standard (i.e. gluten free, dairy free, etc.) but if you have a complicated diet (I’ve met some crazy folks with crazy medical diets), then let the maître d know the day of boarding.  I always go to the dining room meeting to ensure my lactose intolerance is noted.  I am then explained the procedure – usually order dinner a day in advance from the menu that your server will provide at the end of dinner.

When my family sailed on the Disney Magic Cruise Ship – my sister and niece were the gluten-free meals and I was dairy free.  To be honest, dairy free was more restrictive in my opinion on that cruise than other cruise lines I’ve sailed with (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, Norwegian (NCL) and Holland America (HAL)) – I’m not sure why – the meals were fine but nothing to be excited by.

Special kudos to Celebrity Constellation on the Turkey/Greek Isles Cruise – the staff went over and above for me.

I followed the “order the night before” procedure but one night I didn’t like the next day menu so I wasn’t sure if I would eat in the main dining room.  The next day, I saw the maître d as I was wandering around the ship on the way to lunch.  He said he didn’t see me listed in the reservations, was I ok?  I told him I didn’t like the choices that night and might try my luck at the buffet.  He didn’t like that answer and asked me what I wanted to eat.  I replied “a simple dish I make at home – pasta, red sauce and asparagus”.  He told me to come to dinner at my normal time.  Low and behold, I was able to dine that night and eat my simple dinner that was dairy free. 

Also on that cruise at the crepe restaurant for lunch (extra fee). The staff didn’t understand why I didn’t order a dessert crepe.  I explained my lactose intolerance and they said “we’ll see what we can do”.  Later that day, a  crew member called my cabin to invite me back as they had tested a dairy free crepe and were excited to show me what they devised for me.  I felt weird being the focus of so much attention but happy to eat their crepe creations.

Disney World with Food Allergies and Food Intolerances

Disney World is fantastic to accommodate food allergies, intolerance and special diets.  They add it to your profile so when you go eat at the restaurants you are given a special menu with allergy ingredients listed.  At the buffets in their hotels (usually character meals), the chef will meet you to walk you around the buffet to tell you what you can eat.  I was with my family for dinner at The Contemporary Hotel otherwise I would know better not to book a buffet as not worth the price when you have lactose intolerance.  The chef walked me through the 30+ items on the bar and told me I could eat maybe 5 of them (carved meats, bread, baked potato and one vegetable).  I thought I could eat the green beans but he pointed out that he used whey and butter in the preparation.  Glad he told me.

Lactose Free Business Conferences & Networking Events

At business conferences, it’s a mixed bag.  If they cater a sit down meal, I would usually skip it and go to a local restaurant to eat. The downside is lost networking time but the upside is you don’t need to announce to the entire table you’re lactose intolerant.  I don’t know why people care why you are/aren’t eating. A sandwich box is often a maybe after I remove the cheese and dressings so I’m left with one slice of ham or roast beef – yummy!  I pack a lot of snacks (cashews, Kind Bars, etc.) when I attend business events with food to ensure that I’m eating throughout the day.  Some event planners will ask about food allergies and intolerances, if they do be specific (i.e. – lactose intolerant – no dairy – chicken good – no fish or salad) in your request.

I often pre-eat before networking events to avoid the finger foods or buffet and ensure I don’t faint from not eating.

Final Thoughts – Traveling with Lactose Intolerance

If you have been diagnosed with lactose intolerance, it’s not the end of the world – it could be worse.  I think about those who could die from food allergies.  Lactose Intolerance is annoying and challenging with a flavor palate when you remove butter and creme but there are surprising alternative options (almond milk, cashew milk, etc.) as well as Vegan desserts. With lactose intolerance, you need to learn how to manage your body and its reaction to cow’s milk dairy. When traveling, it’s gets a bit trickier depending on what part of the world you are visiting but with the right research, food intolerance cards and a good attitude, you can enjoy traveling the world – croissants, gelato and all.

Note: the post above contains affiliate links where I may earn a small commission (a few pennies here and there) should you choose to purchase from the vendor.  I promote items that I’ve used myself and think will add value to your travels with a food intolerance or food allergy.  

Note: I don’t recommend traveling during unemployment unless you have sufficient savings to pay your day to day bills and travel expenses.  No one should go into debt to travel for any reason. 

Starting the New Year with Fireworks in London

For years, I sat alone on the couch at home watching the midnight fireworks in London (7pm EST) because I’d be fast asleep by midnight.  After years of clubs, house parties and other New Year’s Eve celebrations, I came to enjoy my solitary celebration with pizza, wine and countdown coverage.  But I wanted to be in London at some point (dare I say a bucket list item?) and I was able to do that.  Mind you, the timing wasn’t great, I booked the London NYE fireworks tickets before I was given my layoff notice.  But knowing it might be a while before my next vacation, I used my points for flights and found a great hotel deal at The Mondrian London hotel on Southbank.  I was no longer on the couch alone, I was instead surrounded by thousands of people watching the fireworks live in person in London.  It was really fantastic to see, hear and experience.  I started the New Year off in London full of potential. Full of hope.  Full of possibility.

We Think You Need To Go Away – Hitting the Job Search Wall

I started off with a crazy schedule of networking, recruiter and job interviews when I returned from London in January and by May, my family, friends and social media folks were telling me I needed a break from the madness and the wallowing in chocolate after a few tough losses (one interview process was three months – six phone interviews, two lunch interviews and a 20 minute presentation I needed to create and deliver via webinar). Everything was closing in on me.  I received rejections on a daily basis and to be honest, I felt like a failure every day I didn’t get a job.  My mom was sending me job clippings from the newspaper and then changed her tactic to daily texts of prayers. Haha, no pressure.

Sure, I had a routine to get out of the house and go to the gym but the job search was mentally exhausting to get to the final rounds of interviews only to lose to the internal person.  There is literally nothing you can do to overcome the internal candidate. With the Memorial Day holiday upcoming and knowing that everyone would be on vacation, I booked a last minute trip to Rotterdam for the Traverse travel blogger conference.  I had points for the airfare (British Airways JFK-London) which was the biggest hurdle and allowed myself a bit of spending money from my savings to take the break and see my travel friends.

Three Days in Rotterdam

Rotterdam turned out to be a lovely surprise for my three day conference visit.  With attractions such as De Markthal, the Rotterdam food market, Rotterdam Street Art and Cube Houses there was enough to keep me busy outside of the conference schedule..  The easy to navigate city was less than ½ hr. from the Amsterdam airport by train. I also added a new Rotterdam boutique hotel (Mainport) to my favorites list.

Two Days in Bruges

From Rotterdam, I boarded the train to Bruges.  Like so many, I discovered the city of Bruges via the Colin Farrell dark comedy “In Bruges”.  The old town surrounded by the canal is a lovely tourist destination during the day but it was at night that the quite magic of the city came alive for me. It helped that there were 90 chocolate shops in Bruges to keep me busy with research.  Plus the Triennial Art exhibit was fascinating with the environmental theme and displays around the city. The Bruges Whale is still, to this day, a powerful art piece that resonates with me as a sad reminder of what plastic is doing to our oceans.

Overnight in Ghent (Gent)

Boarding the train from Bruges to Ghent (Gent) was quick and easy as there are multiple trains per hour between the cities.  Gent was just an overnight stay for two days. The 1898 The Post hotel was a newly opened and award winning boutique hotel gem that I never wanted to leave.  Ghent is a city that will surprise you and you should stay for a few days – definitely start with a walking tour, I loved my guide who started his own tour company, Charlie’s Tours Ghent.

RTM to LCY – Rotterdam to London City Airport

While I could have taken the train from Rotterdam (would have been quicker that day in fact), I chose to fly to London City Airport because I needed one flight to complete my Silver Elite status with British Airways.  So my day started in Ghent where I took an early taxi to the local train to Antwerp which stopped a few stations early so I needed to get off and find the other local train to Antwerp where I would then transfer to the Eurostar to Rotterdam, chill an hour in the Marriott lobby and then take the local airport bus to The Hague Airport (Rotterdam) where I arrived two hours early only to be subjected to a two hour delay.    All in, I had more than an eight hour travel day for a 45 minute flight to London (What I don’t do to keep my elite status!). Next time, I’ll take the train.

Connection in London

Arriving in London City, presents the best views as the landing approach is over the Thames.  Always book a window view!  From London City airport, I was easily able to navigate to the tube line that was direct to Southwark and walk to The Mondrian Hotel on the Thames. This was my second stay at the hotel and in the neighborhood (Southbank and Southwark) and I was really liking it.  During the day, I ventured to Borough Market or The Tate Modern (free rooftop viewing platform) and at night I could walk along the water and over the Millennium Bridge to The City and St. Paul’s for the most glorious views of the city aglow.

First Class London to Philadelphia on the Dreamliner

Flying home in First Class on BA was crazy as the newly opened First Security at LHR was having issues and it took nearly 45 minutes to get through (normal security would have been faster) which cut down my time in the British Airways Concorde Room. While a bit frazzled because I still had to plan time to get to B Gates, I was richly rewarded onboard.  I had chosen the later flight because the Dreamliner (787-9) is back on the seasonal schedule and had the new BA First product.  Even better is that the cabin of eight had only me and another passenger so I had half of the cabin to myself with my own dedicated flight attendant.  I was unemployed and this was surreal to be flying home international first class. I kept telling the FA that I was fine and it was too much to fawn over me but she was a star!  For nearly eight hours, I forgot about everything and let someone take care of me with food, wine and chocolate.  I escaped into the movies on the entertainment system.  Thank you Avios points!

Summer of Interviews and Job Rejection

When friends and family were traveling in the summer, I was confined to my house and consumed by the job search.  I started the summer with three Fortune 500 interview processes after returning from my European escape.  I also had smaller firm interviews in process as well.  Juggling a few diverse opportunities was promising as I kept my hopes in check.

One interview process consisted of ten (yes 10!) interviews, another rejected me then changed their mind to bring me onsite to interview and then reject me again.  Each process was three to four months of interviews and waiting.  Sadly, a few days after Labor Day, all of the companies rejected me in favor of the internal candidate (I wonder if I ever had a chance?).  A summer spent scrambling to get noticed, to be heard, to be considered.  A summer spent in my interview suit (which I want to burn) meeting people, attending network events and dreaming of the beach in Gozo.  I could have spent the summer at the beach and had the same result – starting from scratch.

New York Travel Conference – SKIFT Forum

So I started over yet again in September and by chance, had an amazing opportunity present itself. There’s a fabulous travel industry conference that I’ve always wanted to attend, the Skift Forum.  I had the last minute (three days in advance notice) opportunity to attend the 1.5 day conference that’s often been called “the TED of Travel”.  Again, points saved this trip as I was able to use my Marriott (former Starwood) points to stay at The Moxy NYC.  For two days, I forgot I was (still) unemployed.  For two days, I talked about travel and felt visible again.  Watch the videos from the Skift NYC Forum to learn more about the travel industry leaders and upcoming visions.

How to Travel for Less Class

One cool thing I was able to do was teach a weekend class “How to Travel for Less” at Main Line School Night (adult enrichment classes) in October.  I was a bit apprehensive wondering if anyone would sign up (and pay) for the class but ten travel enthusiasts did.  I spent time creating a packed presentation with tips, tricks and tons of travel information. It was a fun and interactive class to make sure I addressed each person’s personal reasons for attending.  My class reviews were 5 star which made me happy and I was invited back in the spring to present the class again.

Travel in Review

Despite the open calendar and chunk of free time which had me itching to travel to escape this drama, I was grounded because I didn’t want to spend any more money from savings.  I wasn’t sure when the job search would end but knew when the money would run out. How I wanted to run away and explore the world with the free time.

So 2018, I’m glad to see you go from a personal work standpoint because you’ve tortured me (and my friends), made me feel less than and made others ask me “what’s wrong with me” (answer: nothing).  From a travel standpoint, I was able to enjoy a new country (Belgium) that had long been on my list (Belgian friets and chocolate oh my) and return to London to see friends. As I’ve often counseled people who want to travel for less, it can be done if you are strategic with points accumulation/diversification and when to redeem.  Thankfully, my points accounts, chocolate, cookies and travel saved me and helped me stay (somewhat) sane in the year of the job search.

Note: Thank you for all of the support during this tough year.  I’ve appreciated the kind words and notes.  I still have many posts to share from the travels of the year both on the blog and on PhilaTravelGirl Instagram account.  As always, if you have any questions, just contact me.

Last year, I discovered a comfortable German shoe company, Waldlaufer that you’ve probably never heard of – I hadn’t until Benjamin Lovell Shoes introduced me.  Since then, I’ve been a (super) fan of the shoe company wearing my Waldlaufer Jasmin Henni Oxford every day since my sandals were put away for the season.  The only downside to my super comfortable and stylish travel “sneaker like” shoe was that I couldn’t wear them when I needed to be a bit dressier.  So imagine my delight when contacted by Waldlaufer to review their new collection – I quickly chose the Waldlaufer Liberty Habea Black Multi Croc as it would be my dressier winter travel shoe for jeans and was an easy slip on loafer.

Waldlaufer is a family owned German company (who doesn’t love supporting small businesses?) since 1960 that sources their leathers in German and Italy and believes in being “bound to tradition” when they employ traditional craftsmanship in their shoe lines for women (and men).  The contemporary designs and lightweight construction make the shoes easy to wear, easy to pack and easy to fall in love with.  As someone with a size 11 foot (EU 42), it’s been hard to fall in love with any shoe unless I was willing to compromise with cute shoes = sore feet or cute shoes = blisters, etc.  So how lovely to find a brand that puts so much thought into comfort and style.

Review Waldlaufer Liberty Loafer – Winter Travel Shoe

The Liberty Habea is an easy slip on shoe.  In Black multi croc, there’s a bit of surprise and texture that adds fashionable to your feet.  For me, the biggest plus was when I turned the shoes over to see the ridges that function to provide a pleasant walking experience whether to the market or throughout the city on a vacation.  I’ve been wearing the shoes with jeans for my day-to-day activities which involve stairs, errands and walking in Philadelphia (easily hitting my 10k steps).  I’ve also worn them out to dinner where my sneakers are not welcome.  With the design of the Liberty there is a slight lift which gives it a bit of an advantage over the look of a flat.

What surprised me most was the number of compliments I received on the first day I wore the shoes.  I ended up slipping off my shoe to show them the layers of color, style and comfort.  The shiny black croc caught their eye originally but then up close they saw the brown leather divider between the stylish top of the shoe and the depth of the sole.  On a rainy day, the shoes were easy to wear without any worry of my feet getting wet.  At one point, at the movies with my legs crossed, I saw in the dark the bottom of my shoe and quickly forgot what I was wearing because the bottom reminds you of a hiking shoe or rugged shoe.  That’s the nice part of the Liberty Habea shoe, it’s doing double duty as a fashionable shoe and a shoe ready for anything (travel cobblestone streets, city walking, uneven surfaces at the park or field or in the rain).

Waldlaufer tagline is spot on – “hard to say, easy to wear”.  If you want to attempt to say the name, the phonetic is [valt – loy – fer] – rolls off the tongue if you are German of course, otherwise I’m sure like me you’ll say Wall – Law – Fer.  Doesn’t matter what you call them – your feet will be enveloped in comfort while you enjoy the fashionable side so be prepared to shun all of your other shoes and be ready for compliments.  The Liberty Habea is versatile enough to be casual and dressy, for me, it’s now my everyday winter travel shoe.

Shoe Fit Tips

The Liberty Habea Black Multi Croc was true to size.  I ordered size 11 (EU 42). My first wearing was with a thin sock as the shoes will stretch a bit.  Subsequent wearings (every day now), I have been using a normal sock for easy fit and could if needed go even thicker without sacrificing comfort/fit.

Waldlaufer International Shipping

For international readers, Waldlaufer ship international including APO/FPO addresses, using a third-party, International Checkout.

Thanks to Waldlaufer for letting me review the Liberty Habea this season.  As always, my opinions are uniquely mine.

I was swooning over the Spanish shoes by Jungla in a variety of colors (green, blue, red and purple) and hoping that they came in size 42 (European) because my big size 11 feet needed a bit of color for the fall/winter travel season.  My closet was full of black shoes (flats and heels), black boots, black rain boots and black snow boots.  The only shoes with a sliver of color were my workout sneakers and those were limited to the gym only because neon green has a place and that’s on the treadmill only.  So while I was mentally adding the cute comfy Spanish shoes to my shoe wish list at Benjamin Lovell Shoes in Philadelphia, I had another shoe calling out to me – the suede shoes from the newly launched women’s shoe line by Samuel Hubbard (I’ve loved the men’s collection for years).  The pale blue and crème oxford as well as the luxury look of the black suede shoes with tan shoelaces were also saying “pick me, pick me”. In the land of shoes, I was swimming in shoe brand choice – Taos boots, Fly London, Waldlaufer (last year’s winning German shoe brand), Regarde Le Ciel, Ara and Pikolinos in my search for the best winter travel shoes for women.

Visiting Benjamin Lovell Shoe Store

For a Tuesday at 3pm the store was humming, I expected the post lunch period to be slow to allow me time to luxuriate in shoes but the staff were all busy with engaged customers who were surrounded by a plethora of shoe boxes. Benjamin Lovell Shoes is not the place to ask about only one pair of shoes, it’s a shoe buying experience that introduces you to new brands, styles and comfort.

As I walked past the women’s shoe sections to the back of the store near the complimentary coffee and wine station to the men’s section which was empty, I saw a woman trying on the same Waldlaufer shoes I was wearing and I commented on how much I really enjoyed the comfort and how easy they were to travel with as I walked a lot in Europe. She told me she was off to the South of France for a month to visit friends (I was jealous that I don’t have friend who live in France to visit and stay with) so I stopped to chat for a few minutes about my two loves – travel and shoes.  She bought those shoes and I think they may owe me a commission (haha).

The best travel memories good and bad can often trace back to the shoes you are wearing.  How many of us have had to endure blisters while traveling from our shoes or lament that we brought the wrong shoes in our bag or just cry over the shoes left behind at home that didn’t fit in our carryon?

The Shoe Experience – Winter Travel Shoes for Women

So while I waited for Chris, the assistant manager, to return with a plethora of shoes in size 11 (EU 42), I closed my eyes and wished for color – glorious colors to welcome the fall and winter weather with – colorful shoes to provide a spark of personality from the ground up or from my head down.  Just color.

Chris arrived with the sad puppy dog face and I knew my world would be awash in black this season.  If only my feet were size 10, if only…..  The Spanish shoes stopped at size 10, they didn’t make anything bigger (where are my tall Spanish ladies with big feet?).  As for the Samuel Hubbard suede oxfords, a nod to my youth when I wore similar shoes?  They do make size 11 but the store didn’t have any – they might be able to order them.

I was crushed of course but then I saw the dozen (yes, a dozen boxes in size 11) and my feet were ready to be dazzled by a new winter travel shoe, a new brand to fall in love with, a new reason to have happy feet for all the walking I do on travel. To be fair, there were three options in grey-ish.  But not the red, blue, green or purple shoes that first caught my eye.

I tried on suede boots from Fly London which were quite stylish, almost a bit too fashionable for my life right now so I passed on those as I wasn’t feeling Instagram fashionable which these boots definitely were.  They were comfortable to walk in and could easily go from day to night with any outfit. Did I mention they were size 11 (42)?  Fashionable size 11 boots are like unicorns.

I would test drive the Waldlaufers loafers and sneaker like comfortable shoes.

Finding the Right Fit at Benjamin Lovell Shoes

There would be a few Cinderella moments where my big foot didn’t fit the shoes or the shoes were a bit big – those are never fun times especially when you are hoping your feet glide into the glass slipper.  I had thin socks on that day and funny enough a shoe I liked was slightly big so that when I walked my heel was lifting.  That’s when you know better but need a good salesperson to tell you the truth.  “I like this but my heel is lifting maybe a thicker sock would work” I told Chris, he replied “if it’s not a good fit, it’s not a good fit”.  Applying logic back at me definitely deflates the “I really like this shoe” moment but in the long run you don’t want a shoe that sorta fits.  You spend too much money to have good shoes and no shoe should be relegated to the back of the closet never to be worn again due to poor fit. The tagline of Benjamin Lovell Shoes is “Where Style Fits You Perfectly” and the staff definitely ensures a perfect fit.

The winning shoe this season is from another German brand, Remonte.  The Farbe style of shoe has an easy in/out feature, a zipper on the side which means you can keep the shoes laced up and just do the side zip (yes, I’m lazy most days not wanting to deal with shoelaces).  The shoes were black but with a metallic shine to them and the zipper added a creative fashion twist.  The soles are a thick rubber but with a grooved pattern that adds comfort to the steps.

Comfortable Travel Shoes for Men

Men, don’t fret, there’s a good selection for you too.  You can be as stylish too – long gone are the days of sneakers 24/7 – upgrade to these soft leather options.  The Samuel Hubbards are fantastic!

Final Thoughts – Fall Winter Travel Shoes for Women

As you can tell in this review and others of Benjamin Lovell Shoes in Philadelphia, I really love shoes especially when I get choice (even if all black) in size 11.  Since I began shopping and reviewing Benjamin Lovell Shoes, I’ve had to hide out from my Nordstrom shoe guy – he waves at me every time I walk through the store and stops me to ask me how I’m doing.  I can’t admit my feet are cheating on him but in truth, my local Nordstrom doesn’t carry the brands that Benjamin Lovell does so I’m not technically cheating. Plus Nordstrom never has my size in stock so I need to order and wait for the UPS guy.  At Benjamin Lovell, I can find a pair (or a dozen pair) of shoes ready to try on and leave with (depending on how generous my credit cards are feeling). Who doesn’t like instant shoe gratification?

So for your fall – winter travel shoes for women (and men), it’s time to get thee to Benjamin Lovell in person or online and see what shoes will make you swoon this season – maybe you’ll have pops of color for your feet.  Get the green ones!  Or purple!  Or red!  Or just one in every color…

I was on a recent twitter cruise chat and asked the cruise line representative “do you have any solo cabins or will you waive the single supplement on any sailings” and then crickets.  They go dark and no longer engage with me.  Ignoring a large part of the travel community – the solo traveler (not the single traveler because you can be a solo traveler and not be single) cruise lines continue to leave piles of money on the table in my opinion. I like to say “a cruise is a destination appetizer so you know if you want to return and explore deeper”.  Cruises have pros/cons but for the solo traveler it’s a wonderful way to travel around the world and see a good number of destinations in one trip.  Unpack once, have the safety to do as much or as little as you want.  Be social or be anti-social – there are no rules.  If you want to cruise solo, the big question is “Which Ships Have Solo Cabins”?  I’ve tried my best to put together a list of ships and current solo cabin allocations.  Note that the numbers can change but this is a starting point for your cruise research.

My Solo Cruise Vacations

While I’ve sailed solo on a few cruise lines (Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Disney, Norwegian) and had to pay the single supplement for the cabin (begrudgingly) there has been a some progress (albeit slow) in the cruise industry to add single/solo cabins to a few new ships and retrofit a few older ships when in dry dock. I’ve written my review of the NCL Studio Cabin and Norwegian EPIC Solo Lounge based on my transatlantic sailing Miami to Barcelona, I thought it might be nice to know what other options are out there to sail in a solo cabin.  Norwegian started with the solo cabins on NCL Epic in 2010 and yet eight years later, I’m still talking about changes that are needed in the cruise industry to address the solo traveler.

When I sailed on the Princess Emerald (no solo cabins) to the Baltics from Copenhagen, there was a 50% deal that made the single supplement fit my budget for an interior cabin but usually solo travelers are charged anywhere from 125-200% of the advertised per person rate. I met a couple onboard that refused to spend any money on the cruise whereas I booked a few cruise tours, wine tasting, added wine to my meal, etc.  At the end of the day, the cruise made more money from me, the solo traveler, than the couple.

Solo Cruise Observations

• I applaud Cunard for recognizing the declining need for a photo gallery and casino and reusing the space to add single cabins on the Queen Mary 2. Fifteen ocean view cabins is a wonderful start.
• I’m excited for the Celebrity EDGE Single Verandah cabins but they are so many categories above the lowest interior room that it might be priced out for me.  It will be luxury – but luxury at a price.
• You can save money with guaranteed cabin which means the cruise line will assign your cabin. You can’t choose the cabin location. If you absolutely must be mid-ship, a guaranteed room is not for you.
• Repositioning cruises can be a fantastic deal for solos – longer sea days and you go from point A to point B
• Don’t be surprised when the single solo cabins are the first to get sold out. On Norwegian Pride of America which sails the Hawaiian Islands year round, there are only 4 solo cabins.
• If this is your first time cruising solo, it might be best to connect with a cruise specialist to help match you with the right cruise line, ship and itinerary because there is so much choice it becomes paralyzing to pick
• Read my Travel Solo Tips and First Time Cruise Tips and Cruise Budget Planner

Note that the following is to the best of my knowledge and the cruise lines can change at any time.  Given the moving target of fares, promotions and such, I’ve not included pricing except for the Queen Mary 2 sailing in November since that is pretty much set.

The American Cruise Lines – Solo Cabins

Generally considered “American Cruise Lines” given the overall make up of the cruise ship passengers skews American guests except in the Asian market.  For those of us in the U.S., these are the major cruise players in advertisments, promotions and social media.

Cunard Cruise Lines Single Cabins

The luxury Cunard ship line recently added 15 single cabins to the Queen Mary 2 when the ship was renovated in dry dock.  The category code is KB and KC and located mid-ship on deck 2 and deck 3 as the area used to be the Photo Gallery and part of a casino (both going out of favor in my opinion) so the cabins have windows! The cabins have a twin bed and are between 159-162 sq. ft.  Cunard recently added solo cabins, Britannia Single Staterooms to the other ships in their fleet.  Cunard do transatlantic sailings to/from New York and Southampton, England as well as intensive itineraries that are a month or longer.  The ships are luxury, skew older demographic and have a Canyon Ranch Spa onboard.

Recent pricing for a New York to Southampton, England crossing of 7 days were $1,586 in November vs. $699 per person for inside cabin (single supplement fare is $1,398) plus taxes/fees. So you are paying a bit more for less space but for a window view of the water. If you have points for a one way flight to New York or London, this is a nice, leisurely way to return home.

• Cunard Queen Mary 2 – 15 Ocean view (twin bed) solo single cabins
• Cunard Queen Elizabeth – 8 outside / 1 interior solo cabin
• Cunard Queen Victoria – 8 outside / 1 interior solo cabin

Royal Caribbean Solo Cabins

The newest ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet, Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas offer interior (with virtual view) and ocean view options for solo cabins with space of 101-119 sq. ft. and full size beds while others offer twin bed in the smaller space on their other ships. The balcony category is the most interesting to me since the other ships are all inside cabins.  A new feature is the virtual balcony view on the interior rooms of some ships.

• Anthem of the Seas – Interior (full bed) 14 solo cabins / Ocean view 12 solo Cabins
• Adventure of the Seas – Interior (twin bed) 5 solo cabins
• Brilliance of the Seas – Interior (twin bed) 3 solo cabins
• Harmony of the Seas – Interior (full bed) 3 solo cabins / Ocean view 12 solo cabins (average 96 sq. ft.)
• Jewel of the Seas – Interior (twin bed) 3 solo cabins
• Mariner of the Seas – Interior (twin bed) 2 solo cabins
• Ovation of the Seas – Interior (full bed) 16 solo cabins / Ocean view 12 solo cabins
• Quantum of the Seas – Interior (full bed) 16 solo cabins / Ocean view 12 solo cabins
• Radiance of the Seas – Interior (twin bed) 3 solo cabins
• Serenade of the Seas – Interior (twin bed) 3 solo cabins

There are no suites for solo passengers so you would need to book that at the 200% single supplement as you would with other cabin categories of interest that provide more space.  Honestly, you need to sleep and shower in your cabin in my experience so the space doesn’t need to be that much for an added cost.  Note that single supplement payments will give you 2x Crown & Anchor loyalty points whereas booking a solo cabin will only give you 1x so if you are keen to move up in the elite levels this might be a consideration for which cabin to book.  Also, sometimes given the deals at hand, the regular room with single supplement might often cost less.  So do your research and if needed reach out to a cruise specialist if you can’t find the solo cabins online to book.  They do sell out quickly.

Celebrity Cruises Edge Solo Cabin

If there is one addition I’m excited for it’s the Celebrity Edge ship, debuting in December 2018, with 16 Edge Verandah solo cabins.  The category code is much higher than the normal inside cabin be warned as they are verandah (balcony) level.  Located on forward deck 6, there are 16 solo cabins that look fabulous (new cruise ship smell and design). With approximately 142 sq. ft. which includes balcony, these will be an indulgence for the luxury solo traveler.

Celebrity is a favorite line because of the wellness spa menus, entertainment and self-service wine kiosks – sadly they don’t offer solo cabins on their other ships.  I sailed solo on the Celebrity Constellation “Connie” from Istanbul to visit Turkey and the Greek Islands.  It was a fantastic first cruise on Celebrity.

• Celebrity Edge Single Cabin– Edge Single Verandah 16 swoon worthy single cabins

Norwegian Cruise Lines – NCL Solo Studio Cabins

Norwegian Solo Studio Cabin wins the award for innovation in the solo traveler space.  The studio cabins are inside rooms of 100 sq. ft. with a double bed! Not a twin bed.  The cabins are generally over two decks and connected with an inside stairway and solo lounge with a bar, vending machines, coffee area, televisions and living room to work or relax in.  There’s a reason these studio cabins sell out so quickly – they are really nice and provide a pleasant journey.  For the single traveler, the group traveling that each want their own cabin or for the multi-generation family that has grand mom, aunt or uncle traveling that don’t want to share a cabin (my mom snores so we each get our own cabin).

• Norwegian Epic – 128 solo studio cabins
• Norwegian Breakaway – 59 solo studio cabins
• Norwegian Getaway – 59 solo studio cabins
• Norwegian Escape – 82 solo studio cabins
• Norwegian Bliss – 82 solo studio cabins
• Norwegian Pride of America – 4 solo cabins

The category is Studio. Norwegian has even added solo cabins to their Hawaiian cruise, Pride of America, which sails year round. There are only four cabins but if you are keen to visit Hawaii and the Hawaiian islands now you can.  Note that depending on the specials and deals, the studio option might cost more than the single supplement in an interior room category.  Studio Lounge access is included in the Studio booking and those not in the Studios can visit the lounge during Solo Happy Hours.

Holland America Line Solo Cabins

The newest ship, debuting in December 2018, Nieuw Statendam solo cabins will be ocean view and artfully inspired. With only twelve single cabins, it will probably be the first to sell out.  Holland America has an older demographic sailing so it will be interesting to see how these solo cabins do with older or younger travelers especially on a cruise to Alaska. The average space is larger than most at 127-172 sq. ft. but have a twin bed. I liked that on Holland America each cabin gets a plush robe to use as well as a daily fruit basket (you can choose your fruit from the list or ask the room attendant for a fruit not on the list).

• Holland America Koningsdam – 12 Ocean view (twin bed) solo cabins
• Holland America Nieuw Statendam – 12 Ocean view (twin bed) solo cabins
• Holland America Prinsendam – 2 Ocean view / 1 interior solo cabins

The European Cruise Lines – Single Cabins

Generally these European Cruise Lines focus their itineraries on the majority of their resident passengers hailing from local European countries. That isn’t to say there aren’t Americans on board but not many as the advertising, deals and social are targeted to the EU countries.

Costa Cruises Single Cabins

Costa Cruises, the Italian ship line, owned by Carnival Cruise lines, offers roomy solo cabins of 130-160 sq. ft. on eight of its fourteen ships – the number ranges from 6 to 21 solo cabins (interior and oceanview with twin bed) depending on the ship.  The Costa Diadema has single cabins with extra perks available to guests.  I’m not that familiar with Costa as I’ve not sailed them yet but as an Italian ship, I have to think that the food onboard is amazing.

• Costa Diadema – 21 solo cabins
• Costa Fascinosa – 17 solo cabins
• Costa Favolosa – 17 solo cabins
• Costa Pacifica – 17 solo cabins
• Costa Serena – 17 solo cabins
• Costa Magica -14 solo cabins
• Costa Fortuna -14 solo cabins
• Costa neoRomantica – 6 solo cabins

P&O Cruise Line Single Cabins

P&O ships, owned by Carnival Cruise lines, of which there are about seven currently, three are adults only, are British based ships offering modern British cruises.  They offer P&O single cabins on their ships and the passengers are generally European.  Their itineraries are often longer to accommodate the holiday schedules of their guests (sadly American’s have fewer vacation days hence our 3-5-7 day sailings).

• P&O Azura – 12 outside solo cabins / 6 solo inside
• P&O Arcadia – 2 outside solo cabins / 4 inside solo
• P&O Aurora – 4 outside solo cabins
• P&O Britannia – 15 solo balcony cabins / 12 solo interior
• P&O Oriana – 2 inside solo cabins
• P&O Ventura – 12 outside solo cabins / 6 solo interior

Fred Olsen Cruise Line Single Cabins

Fred Olsen Cruise is a UK based company that has offered solo cabins since their founding in 1988. With only four ships in their fleet, they have nearly 200 solo cabins across the four ships each offering a twin bed.

• Fred Olsen Braemar 40 single-occupancy cabins
• Fred Olsen Balmoral 64 single solo cabins
• Fred Olsen Black Watch – 43 single solo cabins
• Fred Olsen Boudicca – 43 single solo cabins

Luxury and Small Ships – No Solo Cabins

Luxury & Small Ships – Single Supplements Vary

While the ships do not offer single solo cabins, they may offer lower single supplement or possibly waive the single supplement depending on the itinerary and promotion in place. These small ships are quite luxurious in the amenities offered and included features in the price.  Unlike the mass market ships, they may offer drinks, sightseeing or private restaurants included in the promotion.

• Seabourn  – generally 175%
• Crystal – varies 130-200%, offer single parties and still have gentlemen hosts (gives you an idea of the age group onboard)
• Silverseas – generally 125-175%
• Oceania (varies)
• Ponant (varies and does waive single supplement on some sailings)
• Windstar (varies)
• Azarmara (varies)

River Cruises – No Solo Cabins

River cruises are a bit of a mixed bag of ships and configurations.  A few lines will waive the single supplement on certain sailings and provide you the same size room as the basic cabin. Research accordingly depending on the itinerary, ship size and your budget.

• Regent Seven Seas
• Emerald Waterways
• Tauck River Cruises
• Uniworld
• U by Uniworld
• Avalon

No Solo Cabins  – Charging Single Supplements up to 200%

• Carnival Cruise Line – the fun cruise is no fun paying 200% solo
• Princess Cruise Lines – great itineraries, wonderful food, beverage and entertainment yet no solo cabins
• Disney Cruise Lines – its a shame that Disney doesn’t have solo cabins to recognize the multi-generational families that are sailing with them.  Solo Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents pay 200% for a cabin unless you can split the family up to save money.
• Paul Gaugin – French Polynesia in luxury

Cruise Solo Around the World

So hopefully if you were considering traveling solo on a cruise, this is a helpful list. While the cruise lines are slowing (very slowly) adding solo cabins or a bit of attention to this long neglected group, don’t expect the onboard to have more than the one or two “single meetups” which is, in my experience, a free drink with ship crew and a few other solo travelers.  Only NCL does the Solo Lounge meetups right for now. If you are keen to meet people onboard, I suggest using Cruise Critic roll call boards and cruise sailing Facebook Groups to meet ahead of time, sign up for group tours and enjoy drinks at sailaway.  On board, rather than a set dining table each night, I like to do “anytime dining” and be seated at the communal table.  Every night, you can meet a new group of people to share stories with and if lucky, like me, make new cruise friends that you’ll sail with in the future.

Let me know if you have sailed in a solo cabin with any of the above cruise lines and how it was.  Would you pay the single supplement if the cabin was larger and additional amenities (or points) were included? What is your dream sailing itinerary?

“They don’t wear sneakers except to the gym” my friend said she learned the hard way when traveling in Europe recently.  I had to laugh when she told me this – I really thought everyone knew that you DON’T WEAR SNEAKERS in Europe. Tour operators and writers really should mention this to American travelers – especially the white sneakers – NO, NO, NO!  White sneakers scream “American” and in my opinion you don’t need any added attention toward you as a tourist. Sneakers (or trainers as they are called) are strictly for the gym. Prior to my trip with my Mom to Paris & London, I had to issue the missive that no white sneaker was to be worn or packed (my sister confiscated the fanny pack to save me from that conversation).  So what are the best summer travel shoes for women when traveling to Europe this summer?  I made a trip to Philadelphia to Benjamin Lovell Shoes on Chestnut Street to find out.

For my fall trip out to West in November (Zion National Park, Antelope Canyon and Las Vegas), I found a comfortable pair of Waldlaufers, German shoes, at Benjamin Lovell Shoes, that I’ve wore practically every day since then.  The shoes are so comfy and easy to travel in that they are now my go to travel shoes (easy to remove at security if needed).  So this time for my trip to Rotterdam & London where I would be socializing and walking a lot, it was time to upgrade my footwear to cute, stylish and comfortable (with arch support and padded insoles) in size 11 (Europe 42).

I managed to peruse the store racks to tease myself but figured I’d leave it up to the universe as to what shoes would materialize for me.  As you can see, it is a shoe shopping wonderland of style, color and brands.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19ZXkFG4C_c[/embedyt]

Shoe Shopping for the Best Summer Travel Shoes for Women

When I met the assistant manager, Chris, I laughed and said “just bring me out all the size 11’s you have and hopefully there’s a few with color”.  See, for my big feet, the majority of shoes are cute but in black. When I see navy shoes I make a beeline to them as they are the unicorn of colors (in size 11) in the shoe world in my experience.

If your feet are normal size (i.e. under size 11) you have a plethora of cute shoes to choose from at Benjamin Lovell from a variety of brands you’ve likely never heard of but need to know about. Vionic are Australian, FlyLondon are UK, Earth Shoes will plant a tree for each pair of shoes sold, Waldlaufer are comfortable German shoes to name just a few brands.

Taos and Pikolinos had tables of really cute shoes in a variety of styles – sandals, flats, heels and even an oxford.

In Search of…the Best Summer Travel Shoes for Me

Chris returned with arms loaded and boxes piled above his head for the first round.  I was thrilled that there would be a second round of shoes.  Seriously what girl doesn’t love SHOES, SHOES and more SHOES to pick from?  He opened each box and removed all the packaging to present me a shoe to whet my shoe obsessed appetite. He then helped me into the shoe and let me walk around the store.  The personalized service was observed throughout the store as guests were seated with multiple boxes around them having their own bespoke shoe shopping experience.

With each new pair of shoes I tried on, I had to make the hard decision to cull a few from the “yes” pile.  There were actually a few shoes that were too big!  Yes, too big for my already big feet.  That was a surprise.  Chris was very helpful to confirm that the shoe was already a bit big and would only get bigger as the leather stretched with wearing.  There were also a few pairs that I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED but were just a tiny bit too small for my feet.  Sadly, Chris had to break the news to me that in this case with these shoes, there was no give and my foot didn’t fit properly.  It really is about proper fit and feel.

Benjamin Lovell Shoes – Summer Collection

So here’s a peek at a few more of the fabulous Spring/Summer collection that you need to know about.  These are available in store at Benjamin Lovell’s Philadelphia locations (1728 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square and 60 North 3rd Street in Old City Historic District) and at their online shop which offers free priority 2-3 day shipping.    Most of these lovely shoes will require you keep a standing pedicure appointment to ensure that your toes are ready to show off in these wonderful shoes. For additonal tempation, follow the Benjamin Lovell instagram account.

The Winning Travel Shoes for Me

Of the more than ten pair of shoes that I tried on, I managed to narrow the selection down to three contenders.  I then had to consider my travel needs for walking and with that the winner was Earth Shoes!  The black (of course) sandals had arch support that felt weird at first because my shoes I wore into the store did not have the support.  The shoes could be adjusted with the Velcro closure (always good for when your feet might swell in the heat) and had good traction on the soles plus a bit of sparkle in the top band.  As the company plants a tree which each sale, I could feel good about my shoes.

The Best Summer Travel Shoes for Women Have Been Found!

If you want to upgrade your summer styles, definitely pop into one of the two Benjamin Lovell Shoe Stores in Philadelphia (Rittenhouse Square or Old City) to find the best summer shoes for you and toss those sneakers out of your suitcase (unless you are going to the gym in Europe and let’s be honest, we never make it there – good intentions).

Thank you to the staff at Benjamin Lovell for hosting me on my Best Summer Travel Shoes for Women research trip.  I loved trying on all the shoes and will put my Earth Shoes to the test walking around Rotterdam & London soon.

If you’ve ever been whale watching you know that it can get crazy when you see a whale and then try to chase the whale (never works) hoping to see it surface again.  I tend to think the whales have too much fun with this game of hide and seek played out in the waters of Alaska.  Our boat was chasing one whale – everyone had their cameras at the ready pointed in the distance only to hear “over there” and we all shifted sides and repositioned our cameras.  It’s all part of the experience but for those Alaska whale watching tours they tend to offer a money back guarantee (not the whole tour price but a portion of it, maybe $100) if you don’t see a whale, sea otter or a bear (note they rarely give your money back as you’ll likely see one or the other).   While my other port tours were adventurous, I just wanted an easy day of Alaskan animals.  The Sitka Wildlife Tour & Nature Cruise offered three perspectives on the animals via a nature cruise followed by visits to the Raptor Center  and the Fortress of the Bear.

Sitka Nature Boat Tour

The Allen Marine tour boat loaded next to the cruise ship dock which was only a few steps from the Holland America Eurodam. I was lucky to be one of the first ones off the ship so I found a seat upstairs in the front enclosed area.  Each seat came with a map as well as binoculars. The boat left and we were back out on the water, this time though we would now be able to navigate into the inlets around Sitka to look for eagles, bears, otters and much more. Downstairs was the head (bathrooms) and snack bar with more seats.  Upstairs we had the enclosed area and then an open area in the back to get a better view.  The waters were calm and we were the only boat to explore the area which was a nice perk.

The Bald Eagles spotted on the Sitka Wildlife Tour

We would enter through a patch of trees with tiny white spots on top (those were the bald eagles often referred to as golf balls in the trees).  Once your eyes processed white spot = bald eagles, you could easily see so many more and aim the binoculars accordingly.  The boat slowed down to quietly glide on the water and inspect the trees, water and animals.  If you’ve ever been the lone boat on the water, there is something magic when the engines are turned off and the only sounds are those of nature.  Your mind get to clear the clutter and enjoy the silence and focus on the trees, looking for animals and just being one with nature.

Brown Bears on the Shoreline – Sitka Wildlife Cruise

As we past the tree lined entrance, a large spoon shaped view came into focus and the boat sailed to the left side to look along the shoreline for residents.  We were richly rewarded by brown bears – a mama bear and her cubs – this was a special treat.  The captain tried to get in a better position, still way off land for photos.  Once the bears went back into the woods, we came upon the sea otters having a lot of fun in the water.  I couldn’t get enough of these animals as I didn’t expect to see them here.  For me, Alaska is about bears and eagles and yet there are so many other animals that roam (or swim) in the state.

A Raft of Otters on the Sitka Wildlife Tour

So while the three bears were a big deal to see it was the group of otters (a raft) that made us all smile with childlike wonder.  For those with long lens they got whisker views of the playful animals, for others like me, the binoculars were really fun to use.  The captain stayed in the area for quite some time for us to enjoy the otters before sailing out of the inlet.

One Playful Whale in Sitka

As we exited the inlet into the larger water we saw a whale (or the captain and animal spotter staff member saw the whale).  For me, I always see a fin and rarely a tail and never my “free willy” or “national geographic” whale that jumps out of the water.  This day we chased both a fin and a tail (on the ship at dinner later that night we would see a whale jumping in the distance following the ship).  I’m pretty impressed that I got the tail photo without having a fancy camera lens like so many on the boat.

Sea Lions and Seals in Sitka

Not to be overlooked in the water, we had the sea lions on the buoys.  With all the excitement over the playful whale taunting us, the sea lions and seals just swam around and a few were sacked out.

Sitka Wildlife Cruise & Nature Tour

I rarely expect much on these sightseeing tours given my experiences in the past but this day was quite different.  It helped that it was sunny for some time and that the captain happened upon a good number of Alaskan residents in the water, in the trees and along the shoreline.

Rather than return to the cruise port where our tour began, we docked in town and boarded our bus out to the Raptor Center and then to the Fortress of the Bear.  For the birds and the bears that need rehabilitation, these non-profits were focused on their needs.  After a day in nature where the animals could roam freely and enjoy the land, we got to see the other side of nature – those injured or abandoned and the dedicated staff and volunteers helping visitors understand more about Alaskan animals.

Final Thoughts – Sitka Wildlife Tour & Cruise

So while my nature boat tour wasn’t as adventurous as my Taku Glacier hovercraft adventure or Ketchikan zodiac adventure, it was the perfect mixture of relaxation on the water as well as advocacy on the land.  Alaska is nature and nature includes all of the animals in land and sea.  So on your Alaskan cruise to Sitka (only accessible by boat or plane), I’d recommend this wonderful tour in Sitka to see all the animals that make up the Alaskan wilderness.