Travels With Jane

Liberal cancellation policies make travel easier

Depending on your personal situation, the economy may not be all that dire ... but it sure feels that way.

Travel suppliers are trying to woo you back on the road by liberalizing cancellation policies. Some companies are allowing travelers at cancel up to 45 days in advance of departure without penalty. Others are even allowing you to cancel last minute.

Case in point: SeaDream Yacht Club, which is allowing travelers to cancel or postpone their trips for up to 18 months for full credit if they cancel at least 48 hours prior to departure. That doesn't mean you get your money back -- but it does mean you can reschedule your trip. (SeaDream is one of the best experiences I've ever had in a vacation, and though not cheap, in my view they're well worth the splurge. Its yacht-style ships take only 100 people at a time on seven-day itineraries.)

The moral here: If you're thinking about a cruise or package, especially a high-priced one, ask the travel supplier or your travel agent about cancellation policies.

And always, always, always consider travel insurance if you're making a big cash outlay. You'll want to look at policies carefully to be sure your concerns are addressed...but the right policy can save your wallet if you have a medical emergency or certain other problems.

Looking for a hotel bargain in NYC?

Good luck this fall; rates are monstrous...unless you're interested in going Sunday-Wednesday pre-Thanksgiving, when you can actually snag a good hotel for $200.

But we are starting to see sales for travel January and February. If you're interested, now is the time to book. Expect rates around $200 per night, which isn't exactly cheap but is a heck of a lot better than the $350-$400 per night rooms that abound this fall.

Just pack your woolies.

Are Christmas holiday cruise deals real?

Yes. But they may not be as big a "bargain'' as they claim, says a recent article in the Sunday Times of London.

Still, value is in the wallet of the cruiser, and this year, we're seeing record bargains from South Florida ports. At least two lines, MSC Cruises (7-night sailing, Dec. 20, from $699) and Costa, (7-night sailing, Dec. 21, from $699) are offering kids-sail-free options over the holidays. And nearly all other lines are offering discounts valid over the holidays -- deals that haven't been seen since 2001.

Here are a few deals we found online at www.cruises.com, an online cruise specialist travel agency. Prices do not include fuel surcharges and port taxes, which can add from $50 to $200.

• Dec. 26, NCL: 9-night Caribbean cruise, from $389 inside cabin, $649 oceanview.
• Dec. 22, Celebrity: 11-night Caribbean cruise, from $949 oceanview.
• Dec. 22, Carnival, 4-night Caribbean cruise, from $159 inside, $219 oceanview.
• Dec. 22, Royal Caribbean, 4-night Caribbean cruise, from $299 inside, $329 oceanview.

Fab Florida consignment shops

In these $$-starved times, consignment shops are one option for quality clothes at discounted prices. As I've traveled around the state, I've found the best resale boutiques in snowbird communities. Tops in my book are Palm Beach and Naples.

In Palm Beach, consignment shops are clustered along Sunset Avenue, Sunrise Avenue and North County Road (though there's at least one, Deja Vu, on Royal Poinciana Way), not far from the famed Breakers Hotel. The clothes here tend to be designer duds (think Chanel), which means they often aren't cheap. But they are a good value relatively speaking, and a friend recently landed a great-looking red skirt suitable for her executive job for $50.

For cheaper options, hit Palm Beach's charity resale shops, including Church Mouse (374 S County Rd.) and the Goodwill Industries shop (210 Sunset Ave.) Hospice also has several shops around the county, though none is in Palm Beach proper.

If you're thinking of staying overnight, note that lodging rates tend to be a bargain until mid-December, when they skyrocket. The county's visitor information website notes specials.

In Naples, the consignment shops stretch from downtown to Bonita Springs, and you'll need a day or more to check them out. Letting your fingers do the schlepping through the print version of the Yellow Pages is the quickest way to determine which shops might suit you best.

Unlike Palm Beach, where nearly all consignment boutiques feature still-pricey women's designer fashions, the Naples scene includes some shops featuring furniture and mid-priced labels. (Over the years, I've hit paydirt at many of them; the Michael Kors wool coat and matching skirt I'm wearing today cost me $100 a few years back.)

As in Palm Beach, you're most likely to find lodging deals before mid-December, when the snowbirds take cover from northern climes. In both towns, you'll want to call before you get in the car; the hours can vary and oddly, these places often close early on Saturdays.

One bonus to Naples is outlet shopping. Just east of town, near the Tamiami Trail, are Prime Outlets. If you're looking for women's clothing, the selection of shops is greater at the Miromar Outlets, located north of Naples about half-way to Fort Myers, just off I-95.

And don't forget the regular retail malls. This year, it seems, just about everything is on sale. A deal is a deal, wherever you find it.

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PHOTOS: The Breakers Hotel, Palm Beach, top, courtesy of the hotel. Miromar Outlets, above, by Jane Wooldridge / The Miami Herald.

Great deal on the Wynn Las Vegas

This comes via Luxury Link, one of my fave websites for dreaming....though this one is great for actually booking!

From November 14, 2008 through February 26, 2009, Wynn Las Vegas is offering a resort froom from $199 (Sun-Thurs) or $259 (Fri-Sat), as well as $100 credit toward your choice of casual dining, entertainment or free slot play. Two-night minimum required.

And you'll need these booking codes:

Click here to choose $100 in Dining Credit (code WPLED48)

Click here to choose $100 in Entertainment Credit (code WPLEE48)

Click here to choose $100 in Free Slot Play (code WPLEF48)

Escaping to and from

I'm in the village of Montecito, Calif., speaking at a travel conference (yes, another one.) It's a beautiful coastal town rimmed by mountains, and walking along the shore with the surf crashing along side, its easy to understand why millions brave earthquakes and fires to live in California.

A trio of buddies runs past, and I hear one of the women say "Everyone needs an escape.'' So true. But I find myself wondering whether its an escape from something, or to something?

I'm in a staggeringly beautiful hotel in a garden that would put Eden to shame, and yet I've been restless. Escaping "from'' is never enough for me; I need something -- museums, tribal cultures, unfamiliar people -- to fill the void of what I'm leaving behind. Otherwise, the work and troubles tend to come rushing back, at least to my head. Guess I'm just too Type A.

What are your favorite escapes, and what makes you love them? Comment and let us know.

Deals, deals, deals

I'm dashing out to another conference. (California, the Red-Eye, all that stuff. Hopefully no norovirus.)

Before I go, here are a few really cool deals that are stacked in my in-box. I haven't double-checked them yet; they come straight from the respective PR departments. But if you're interested in the Caribbean, New York City or South Africa, they may be worth checking out:

Grand Cayman, St. Maarten: From Nov. 30 to Dec. 19, enjoy your 5^th night free with a four night stay at the Westin St. Maarten or the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa, Grand Cayman. Rates start at $119. Info: 800-973-8461;  www.Westin.com/StMaarten and www.Westin.com/GrandCayman. 

HK Hotels is offering "Savvy Senior'' packages in New York City, a place where we're always looking for a deal. Here's this one:

Applicable to travelers age 60 and over at The Casablanca Hotel (just off Times Square), the Hotel Giraffe (on 26th Street and Park Avenue South), and the Hotel Elysee (on East 54th Street between Park and Madison Avenues), the package includes:

· $30 off the already reduced Sunday night Best Available Rate
· A complimentary upgrade based on availability
· A bottle of red wine
· European-style breakfast buffet
· Selection of coffee, tea, juices, cookies, and fruits available complimentary throughout the day
· Complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access throughout the hotels
· Complimentary passes to the nearby New York Sports Club

To qualify for the "Savvy Senior Sundays" promotion, travelers must be over 60 years of age and book a one-night stay only on a Sunday night. This package is based on availability and offered weekends year round. Info: The Casablanca Hotel at www.casablancahotel.com, The Hotel Giraffe at www.hotelgiraffe.com, The Hotel Elysee at www.elyseehotel.com.

Lion World Tours and South African Airways Vacations have announced a luxury 9-day trip to South Africa priced at $1,999 per person, double occupancy, including air from New York or Washington, with add-on fares available from other cities. The catch: You have to travel between Dec. 1 and Dec. 15 of this year.

The package includes:

• All regional air travel in South Africa on South African Airways
• 5 Days/4 Nights at the world-famous Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa (member Leading Small Hotels of the World)
• Breakfasts while in Cape Town
• Half-day wine estate tour and city tour of Cape Town
• 3 Days/2 Nights at the spectacular five-star Jackalberry Lodge in the Thornybush Private Game Reserve or Royal Legend Lodge in The Timbavati Reserve
• Safari game drives
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner while on safari
• Meet and greet upon arrival and ground transfers

      Info: 888-722-4872

PHOTO: Cape Town, South Africa; Photo by Jane Wooldridge

Norovirus: It happened to me

For those of you who think of norovirus as a cruise ship disease, here's a news flash: Dozens of us got it at a recent conference in Houston, and we were landbound.

First, the disclaimer: It's not 100 percent for sure that it was norovirus, 'cause tests are still being run. But the Houston health experts think that's the culprit.

At first, many of us thought we'd gotten food poisoning. The good news is that the lovely chefs at the tent tasting at our Society of American Travel Writers conference are in the clear. The bad news: Norovirus is not fun.

Norovirus didn't leap immediately to mind because in most of the stories I've read -- even written -- the symptoms come up as vomitting and other forms of gastric distress. In my own case, there was plenty of gastric distress -- I'm still on rice and noodles -- but not much nausea.

This, perhaps, is more info than you ever wanted to know, but it is could be useful and save you a round of antibiotics if your doctor is the kind of person who will prescribe without seeing you first. (Mine isn't. I've been tested and food-poisoning it isn't.)

So how do you avoid norovirus? Wash those hands! I did, about a grillion times a day it seemed, but it wasn't enough.

But...maybe it was better than it might otherwise have been. Who knows? Still, I'm in for all the hand-washing I can do. Norovirus is an ailment I can live without.

Flying to Africa now easier

Flying to Africa's most tourist-friendly cities is fairly easy from the U.S. (South African Airways is a good bet.)

But try to get any place even vaguely off beat, and you're in for some serious scheduling. Best case scenario, you'll be flying through Europe on British Airways or Air France. Worst-case, you'll be routed through a handful of countries on airlines with uneven safety records.

So Delta's announcement that it will now offer direct service from Atlanta to Liberia, in West Africa, is good news. Delta also offers direct service from JFK to Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal; Cairo, Egypt, and Cape Town, South Africa (via Dakar); and from Atlanta to Lagos, Nigeria, and Johannesburg, South Africa (via Dakar).

Now, if you haven't been to Africa, you might be wondering why anyone would go someplace that's far from the tourist hubs there. I can tell you one of my favorite all-time trips was to Mali, and one of my most memorable was to Cameroon (though not always in a  cheery way.) My advice: Stick to the paved roads. The potholes are truly epic.

-- PHOTO: Crossing the river to Djenne, Mali. PHOTO COPYRIGHT JANE WOOLDRIDGE.

Abundantly cool travel web tool

Brent O., one of our loyal blog readers, has turned me on to something I've totally missed (and fie on me!) It's the website Dopplr, which allows you to plot your trips and possibly meet up with other people there or get their recommendations.

I'm trying it out, but two things already strike me.

One is the stalker/house-robber potential. The protection against this is that you decide who gets to see your travel plans...and who doesn't. Still, it gives a bit of pause.

The second thing: The site doesn't recognize the town (Lexington, N.C.,  home to 20-odd barbecue restaurants) where my mother lives! I tried to put it in today and no luck.

Check Dopplr  out and let us know what you think; just click to comment below.