Travelers' Intercom

For a world cruise on Holland America’s Rotterdam, I packed just two suitcases for the 99-day trip. Here’s what I included: five pairs of shorts, 21 tops, 10 pairs of slacks, four formal outfits (for the 33 formal evenings), six pairs of shoes (two of which were sneakers), one hooded nylon jacket, one skirt, two bathing suits, a backpack, four disposable cameras and an empty duffel bag for carrying gifts home.

I took no shampoo, conditioner or body lotion because of the weight they add and because I knew there’d be an endless supply of free little bottles in my cabin. There was dry...

The guidebooks say that when visiting Morocco, you should spend a night in Marzouga so as to witness the sunrise the next day. You could do that via camel or Land Rover, and on a trip my daughter Heather and I took one July, we decided to use camels.

Before dawn, we were awakened and led out to where a camel driver and camels awaited. Our guide, Hamid, accompanied us, walking with the driver.

We rode for about 45 minutes among the dunes until finally we dismounted and walked up a particularly high one, part of a ridge of high dunes. We began to notice many other people...

I am writing because, although Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in Ipswich was given the opportunity to reply to the specific complaints of one couple (“Black Watch Cruise Appraisal,” Jan. ’06, pg. 73), we, the North American representatives — and closest to the rest of the customers — were never given a chance to provide input. If we had, we would have pointed out the following.

The Black Watch had a thorough overhaul in June 2005, including brand-new (very quiet — nice and fast — ecologically friendly) engines. I had the privilege of sailing on her in October and found the ship to be a...