Travel Tips from Cruising Review for the Travel Industry

TEL: +1 608-238-6001 Email: greg@cruisingreview.com

New Health Series An important part of traveling is maintaining proper health. This series dives deep into help making good food choices and techniques that reduce the effects of long flights and other travel struggles. More Info

Bemer PEMF Device Review and Experience New as of April 2024, I just received the Bemer Therapy System Evo to see if it helps after long flights, post covid, and circulation. More Info

DIY Skin Cream Make skin cream at home using natural products. More Info

Travel Tips The quintessential travel packing and luggage methodology is constantly evolving as you travel. Gone are the days when you had to check large suitcases, filled to the brim with large sized toiletries, lotions, and unneeded clothes and gear. Todays sophisticated traveler goes for function over form, and travels with what is needed and trims the unnecessary. Less is more. Over the years, I have developed the following guidelines for what to pack, how to pack, and how to travel. Many concepts have evolved over time focussing on streamlining the travel experience and reducing time packing/unpacking so you can enjoy more of the experience. Time is your most valuable asset.

One Bag Rule: For trips less than four days, I only bring a backpack. For more than four days, or when there is the possibility of getting stuck somewhere (i.e. Covid) and you need to bring a computer, then I bring two pieces of luggage (backpack and roll aboard). Two Bags Rule: I usually travel with a roll aboard wheeled luggage and a backpack.

Digital Nomads Travel with the smallest drone you can find. Try to standardize batteries (see below). Carry at least one extra cable for every device you are using. I only travel with two iPhones (no huge DLSR cameras). The camera quality is so good, that iPhone can handle 99 percent of all imaging. I also bring a lightweight travel tripod when I'll be doing time-lapse photography. For more than a week, I bring my M1 MacBookPro (13 inch to save space). Try to use Cloud backup if available. Keep important work files remotely and skinny versions on your phone. I use Filemaker Go for my databases, which are password protected and allow me to work from anywhere.

On the Flight: The best above your airline seat is on, and moving air. Ventilation is the key to reduce viral exposure. Wipe down your armrests, seat belt buckle, and tray table (the things you normally touch). Only consume drinks you can open (i.e. from a container that is sealed). Ice is probably one of the easiest contaminated things in the galley. No alcohol (reduces your immunity and makes you more chatty, which means more exposure to viral load if you're sitting next to somebody). I recommend compression socks for all flights. Also use low tech ear plugs to reduce noise. It’s surprising how the low hum of the engines can give you a headache especially after a 8 hour long haul flight. Drink bottled water (i.e. any water from a sealed container). For those long haul flights, get up at least once per hour and walk around (even if it’s just to the bathroom).

Long Haul Flights: One of the longest flights I’ve been on was from Dubai (DXB) to Chicago (ORD) on a Emirates 787. It was 15 hours. Even in business class, it’s a long flight. We started late morning, flew through sunset, night, and then into morning, and afternoon arriving in Chicago. My biggest complaint (airlines are you listening?) for these flights are: flight attendants who wear hard sole or hard heeled shoes (they clank around the aisles and thump while walking, and wake you up if sleeping or simply create thumping sound and vibrations), and the auto dimming cabin shades (you can’t adjust for day and night circadian rhythms when the cabin is dark the entire flight). Plus I like to look out the window when flying. You have the best view on the planet, why not enjoy it ? The concept of cocooning in a dark cabin for 8 to 15 hours is awful during the day. For a overnight flight it's not an issue (i.e. Chicago or NY to Europe). Sleep: Related to jetlag, quality sleep can make or break travel. Here is some research I've done on sleep (see link). Long Haul Flight Activities: I log or journal the trip, or just log everything I can think of. It’s the only time I can sit down and do this, and it’s fun to look back to see how and what I was strategizing on a particular trip. Of course you can watch movies, or get caught up on work, but try to use the time to keep with your time zones. If you can computer code, these long haul flights are perfect for getting work done where you need to focus on a particular project. Time Zone Adjusting: Jet lag is a real problem. Flying backwards seems the most difficult for me (i.e. flying west). Flying east seems to be ok. The best advice is to follow the Sun. Wake up at sunrise, and don’t stay up too late after sunset. If you follow that simple rule, you’ll adjust faster. Skip breakfast. If you get a free (included) breakfast, get a to-go box and save some goodies for after lunch or a snack.

Sit Next to Door Exit For long haul flights, sit nearer towards the exit, as far from the serving area in Business Class. • If you sit near the server and food preparation area, the flight staff will be constantly walking by your seat (at night this is really annoying - since heels clung on the floor). • If you sit near an exit, getting off the flight to a connecting flight is more efficient, and may allow you to catch the next flight prior to everyone else exiting the aircraft (may take up to 30 minutes)

Summary: Those are a few of my most cherished travel strategies which have evolved over the past decades of travel. The methodology of travel is constantly evolving, which makes it always a fun challenge. If you have any tips you want to share, please comment below.

Rechargeable Lithium Ion Batteries: I make sure my devices are all AA battery compatible. That way I only need to charge one type of battery, and one type fits all devices. Standardize any items you can, which make them interchangeable and good backup.

No Spinners: While spinners (four wheeled and castered luggage the move any direction) are fun to push around and look cool, they are completely useless for uneven surfaces (cobblestone or ramps) and the extra wheels are more moving things that break. When I was in Venice with Maura, I was waiting for the InstaGram moment when her spinner was going to roll into a canal (it almost happened a few times).

Ultimate Luggage: The other day I saw somebody riding their roll aboard through the airport as a cart. It looked fun, but again, pretty useless other than the novelty. Why ? Because more moving parts means something will break. All that extra room needed for motors and batteries is taking away valuable packing space. The best piece of luggage I own is a smaller (fits in both overhead bin and below the seat) roll aboard. It has one large main compartment that I can lock. Do I need to ride through an airport ? No. In fact, after a long flight I cherish walking and stretching out. When you're doing a eight (or more) hour flight, you want time standing up and walking. I rarely sit down in airport lounges, since I'll be sitting for hours on end in a flight.

Covid Prevention and Mitigation: I take D3 daily and a teaspoon of Black Seed with honey. Both are clinically proven to boost your immune system and mitigate Covid. The science is pretty dramatic in how both can effect Covid and its symptoms.

Label Printer: It never ceases to amazing me how useful a simple label printer is. I now have three. For traveling, they are great for organizing making labels and to-do lists.