Travelers' Intercom

It’s always nice to receive the kind of warm attention upon arrival that I did, as a solo traveler, at the Priestville Guest House (10 Priestfield Rd., Edinburgh, Scotland, EH16 5HJ, U.K.; phone 0131 667 2435). For my stay, April 1-10, 2013, proprietors Colin and his wife, Trina, greeted me in their beautiful lobby area.

As requested, I was given a double room with en suite facilities. It was not only spacious but extremely clean, serviced every day. My daily rate, with breakfast, was $97. (Prices vary with the rooms, with discounts for longer stays. Write to Colin at bookings...

I took the “Exotic Lands” cruise of Oceania Cruises (800/386-9283), and what an appropriate title that was!

The 12-day cruise aboard the new Riviera, Sept. 2-14, 2012, began in Barcelona and ended in Lisbon. We visited Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Granada, Seville, Santa Cruz de la Palma and Arrecife in Spain; the Canary Islands; Madeira and Lisbon, Portugal, and Agadir and Casablanca, Morocco.

This was our second sailing with Oceania and we loved it. Their restaurants and food rival any top restaurants in New York, Paris, etc. The attention to detail and service was...

I took a van tour called “Natural Wonders of Iceland” that went around the entire coast of Iceland, July 7-15, 2012. It was with Nordic Visitor (Brietartún 13, 105 Reykjavik, Iceland; phone +354 578 20 80 or, in the US, 800/490-1019), a Swedish company with an office in Reykjavik.

The land cost was $2,435, and I paid an additional single supplement of $625. This covered stays in guest houses and lodges, all excellent; breakfast and dinner each day, and site admissions. I booked my Icelandair flight for $1,114.

A few optional excursions were offered at extra charge. There...