In This Quarterly:

Useful Travel Apps for Smartphones

The 411 on Electronic Cruise Documents

3 Ways to Use Social Media to Travel Better

7 Intriguing Travel Gadgets

Useful Travel Apps for Smartphones

Mobile phone applications, called apps, are quickly becoming an everyday necessity for smartphone users everywhere. Now millions of travelers are beginning to rely more on these portable programs than guidebooks, because guidebooks can’t send postcards of you standing before the Parthenon to your friends or give you precise directions to the nearest restroom. 

Here’s a list of quality travel apps for both Apple’s iPhones (the most popular smartphone) and Google Android system phones (the fastest growing smartphones). Remember: our travel agency is all of these apps combined into one, so be sure to have our phone number and email address in your phone!

Top Travel Apps: iPhone

Packing – You’ll never forget the camera again! Packing helps you create lists of necessary items for your next vacation that you can check off as you pack.

HearPlanet – Consider this your pocket tour guide. HearPlanet tells you what attractions are nearby and then plays the Wikipedia description of that attraction aloud.

Lonely Planet Phrasebook – There are many language convertor apps, but this one speaks the translated phrase aloud so that the listener can determine what you need.

Toilet – For those times when you really need to go in a foreign land, tap the Toilet icon, pick the local language, and show it to a kind stranger who can point you to the right direction.

Postino – We all take pictures with our phones. Now Postino gives you the ability to turn those pictures into real postcards you can send to friends, complete with a handwritten message and virtual stamp, right from your phone.

Top Travel Apps: Android

Nru (Near You) – A virtual compass created by Zagat that literally points you to nearby Zagat-rated restaurants. Also includes reviews, menus and prices.

ConvertMe – This nifty little app not only converts currency, but also shoe and clothes sizes, measures, distances and more.

WikiPock – Now you can carry an encyclopedia in your pocket. WikiPock allows you to access all three million Wikipedia articles on your phone without an internet connection!

Compass – Never get lost again. Compass uses the accelerometer in your phone to keep you going in the right direction.

Aldiko Book Reader – Now you can catch up on your reading at the airport. Aldiko lets you download and read thousands of books (many of the classic titles are free!) right on your phone.

The 411 on Electronic Cruise Documents

Several major cruise lines—including Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean—are no longer sending passengers their physical ticket and travel details before the voyage, turning instead to electronic cruise documents called eDocs.

eDocs are personalized electronic documents featuring a detailed summary of your cruise vacation that also acts as your boarding pass. These interactive, Web-based documents include important pre-cruise information, such as embarkation details, your day-by-day itinerary, our agency’s contact details, your flight details and much more.

The beauty of eDocs—besides their positive environmental impact and 24/7 accessibility—is their interactivity. They contain links that you can click on to quickly and easily discover more information about onboard programs, destinations and spa services. Also, eDocs make it a breeze to share your cruise information, such as your exciting itinerary, to your friends and family with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Once your booking with one of these cruise lines has been finalized, your eDoc will be emailed to you as early as 49 days prior to sailing. The eDoc will contain precise directions on which pages to print out for your boarding pass. If you do not have access to a printer, you have the option to have your cruise documents mailed to you (though some cruise lines charge a small fee for this service).

Another new convenience that will save you time at the departure pier is the eDocs luggage tag system. Through this new program, you will be mailed up to eight pre-printed, color-coded, self-adhesive luggage tags that, once affixed to your pieces, will streamline the onboard luggage sorting and delivery process.

If you have any further questions about eDocs, please give our agency a call!

3 Ways to Use Social Media to Travel Better

To receive personalized and detailed information about your destination, such as restaurant recommendations near your hotel and tips for navigating an airport, you used to turn to one reliable source: travel agents like us. Now travelers have a new option that’s growing exponentially: social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and personal blogs.

Sites like these let travelers share information directly with one another on every topic under the sun. The information you receive may not be as dependable, or as customized for your individual trip, as what our agency provides; however, social media sites do provide around-the-clock access to a wide range of reviews and advice.

Here are three ways to use social media outlets as valuable research tools for your next vacation.

Ask the World Wide Web Any Question
You’ll never know the answer to something unless you ask, right? With social media sites on your side, you have hundreds, even thousands of people (depending on your friends and networks) ready to answer any question you post in your status. Want to know where to catch the ferry in Hong Kong? Which bar in Sydney has the best view of the harbor? Simply ask, and you’ll be surprised by the answers you receive.

Contact a Local Blogger
There’s a blogger in every major city who prides him or herself in knowing more about the upcoming events and restaurant openings than anyone else. Use Google’s blog search to find that proud blogger (there’s usually a dozen or so in each city) and contact them for personal recommendations. They started their blog to divvy out advice, so they are generally more than happy to answer personal requests, especially if you start your question with, “Your blog is the best!” 

Use User Reviews
When you buy a book from Amazon, you look at the reviews first. You should do the same for any hotel or restaurant around the world. You’ll find plenty of reviews on user-generated sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor, filled with the details you need to know before making your next decision.

7 Intriguing Travel Gadgets

Ferdinand Magellan relied on a compass. Christopher Columbus turned to the quadrant. Sir Edmund Hillary depended on an oxygen mask. The world’s greatest explorers all used gadgets of one type or another to traverse this wondrous world of ours, and the tradition lives on today.

Here’s list of seven gadgets that can enhance your next holiday.

Slingbox Pro-HD
If you’ve ever sat in a hotel, bored with the limited cable channels your room receives, and wanted to watch something you DVR’d the week before, you now can. The SlingBox Pro-HD lets you remotely control and watch your cable box, DVR and DVD players at home from the comfort of your laptop computer or smartphone.

Novatel MiFi
Your days of searching for a Wi-Fi connection are over. MiFi—a wireless card sold through Sprint and Verizon—combines Wi-Fi and 3G access into one device. You have to sign up for a two-year data plan to use it, but it’s worth it to never hunt for a hotspot again.

Franklin's TGA-490 12-Language Speaking Global Translator
Many travelers use a pocket translator, but accurately pronouncing those foreign words that pop up on the screen can be a challenge. The TGA-490 digs into its database of more than 450,000 words and actually speaks them aloud in a human voice.

Kensington ComboSaver Portable Notebook Lock
For many travelers, their laptop is more important than their wallet or purse. They’d be crazy to leave it on a coffee shop table in Rome for a few minutes to get a second latte, but they often do, and too often they return to find their computer stolen. The Kensington lock quickly secures your laptop to the table, helping you protect your computer and all the sensitive data inside.

Flip UltraHD Camcorder
The days of lugging around 20 pounds of video equipment are over. The portable Flip is the size of a pack of cigarettes and so easy to operate that everyone in your family can film your great traveling adventures.

The 150-Country Auto-Detecting Travel Adapter and Converter
A lightweight, compact, all-in-one device that converts almost any voltage into 120-volt AC power. Works in more than 150 countries (just like the snazzy title says) and even includes a built-in USB port that allows you to charge other gadgets.

Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP
Some of our best vacations involve getting wet. Whether it’s snorkeling with stingrays in the Caribbean or splashing around the resort pool, you’re going to need this 10-megapixal camera that’s waterproof up to 10 feet, automatically tags your subjects and has an in-camera tool for uploading images to the internet.