Yesterday I blogged about some of the efforts that have been directed towards Haiti and relief for the survivors of the January 12 quake. As mentioned there and in GT’s January 21 edition of the eFlyer newsletter, a number of businesses in the travel industry have stepped up to offer large donations of supplies, money and aid. One company, Royal Caribbean International, has received a lot of attention over the past week for the decision it has made to continue port calls of its cruise ships at the line’s private resort in Haiti.

The company’s CEO, Richard D. Fain, in a letter on RCCL’s website, explained why they decided to continue to bring cruise guests to Labadee, located some 60 miles from Port au Prince and undamaged by the quake. He outlined the company’s ties to Haiti: a relationship that dates back over 20 years, hundreds of Haitians employed on the ships and at the resort, previous and future plans to provide humanitarian aid to the people. He noted that a broad spectrum of people, from taxi drivers to the U.N. Special Envoy of the Government of Haiti, had asked that Royal Caribbean continue to provide its vital revenue stream to the country in the form of tourist dollars. The website also notes the many ways that RCCL is providing aid beyond those dollars: a pledge of at least $1 million, supplies delivered with every ship docking, a promise that 100 percent of the net revenues from those port calls goes to relief efforts, and providing guests the opportunity to make donations directly by putting a charge on their onboard accounts.

In scanning through the comments to this letter and to the blog of Adam Goldstein, Royal Caribbean International’s CEO, I see that the majority of respondents are in favor of the company’s decision to continue its cruise visits to Labadee and praise the aid being provided. There are some sharp objections as well, though. One writer asks why at least one of the ships isn’t offered for use as a safe haven for Haitians and/or rescue workers. Another asks why Royal Caribbean places guests in proximity to “the Horror” and doesn’t simply provide monetary compensation to the vendors who would be impacted by the ships going elsewhere. One woman who is booked on a February cruise firmly states that she does not wish to go to Haiti but cannot get a refund from either the cruise line or her travel insurance if she cancels. I have to admit that I agree with her when she writes: “To vacation in such proximity to a disaster zone of this magnitude is disgusting. It’s not a zoo . . . .” Others express security concerns and worry about the spread of infectious diseases. Bizarrely, one man suggested that the company  organize special shore excursions which would allow cruise guests to tote backbacks loaded with relief supplies to areas in need!! (For a wise discussion of “Voluntourism,” see Richard Newton’s article on the subject in the January 2009 issue of Global Traveler.)

I’m curious what our educated and well-traveled readers think about this controversy. Do you think Royal Caribbean has made a wise decision in continuing its port calls to its resort on Haiti at this time? If you were booked on such a cruise, how would you feel about that part of the itinerary? Would you cancel the cruise? Go, but stay on the ship, or go ashore and spend liberally and donate heavily? What say you?

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

One of my favorite movie quotes comes from the 1984 John Carpenter film Starman. The film starred Jeff Bridges (who’s getting a lot of positive buzz over his role in the new film Crazy Heart) as an alien crashlanded on Earth who takes on the form of a human. He says that what he finds most beautiful about human beings is ”You are at your best when things are worst.” As I’ve watched the coverage of the horrific events unfolding in Haiti in the aftermath of last week’s earthquake, those words keep coming back to me.

One could make the argument that humans can be at their worst in the midst of the kind of chaos we’ve seen and heard about in that poor country (looting, armed men trying to break into orphanages where they believe there is food and water to be stolen). While it is true that despair and desperation might lead some to act purely in their own interests, the majority of reports indicate that individuals there have behaved heroically in digging out survivors and tending to the injured, homeless and shell-shocked.

Clearly, the desire to help has been felt by people all over the world who are far removed from the situation. Surely if the physical barriers that have prevented supplies and aid workers from getting to those who need help the most could have been dissolved by the prayers and good wishes of all of us watching the tragedy from afar, Haiti and her people would already be far on the road to recovery. However, the reality of a country with little infrastructure and resources before the earthquake and now decimated in its aftermath means that we must watch as help trickles in in the face of frustrating delays.

It is clear, though, that many are reaching out to help in ways large and small. Last night I watched some of the Hope for Haiti Now telethon, which is expected to bring in millions of dollars to several of the aid organizations leading the charge. The night before, on a local level, several bands from our area held a benefit concert and requested a minimum donation of $10. Even on a weeknight on short notice and in an area which has experienced steep job losses in the last year, they raised between 14 and 15 thousand dollars for the American Red Cross.  

Global Traveler’s current issue of our online newsletter, eFlyer, leads with a story detailing a number of travel industry companies who are donating supplies, cargo delivery, flights, miles and corporate matching funds of employee and customer cash donations (click here to read the story and find a list of organizations ready to accept your donation). The Carnival Corporation (encompassing cruise lines such as Holland America Line, Princess, Carnival, Cunard, Costa and Seabourn) has pledged a minimum donation of 5 million dollars to a collection of international aid organizations, but I am equally impressed by the generosity of the students who attend Green Lake Elementary School in Seattle, where my niece teaches second grade. In five days the 264 students there raised over $2,000 for UNICEF and Americares in a penny drive. That kind of response has been repeated all over the country — and the world — in schools and churches and businesses large and small. 

Yes, it would be easy enough to ignore the unbelievable suffering and need in a place far from our own comfortable lives — if we were less than the kind of human beings which the alien creature in Starman admired. Thankfully, most of us (and especially those, like most GT readers, who have traveled and experienced how bound and alike we are to each other) respond with open and generous hearts when things are at their worst, no matter how distant the pain and suffering may be.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

I don’t recall when or why the game we unimaginatively call “The Ornament Game” began, but I suspect it was created to distract our young daughters from grabbing ornaments on our Christmas tree while still encouraging them to enjoy its beauty. It’s basically an “I Spy” sort of game, where the person who is “It” gazes at one particular item on the tree, and the other tries to figure out exactly which ornament that is. Sounds fairly simple, but if you know that our trees for the last dozen or more years have all been 10 to 12 feet tall and that I have a ton of ornaments, then you realize that it can be challenging (at least enough so to occupy two girls who are impatient for Santa to arrive). “It” must never waver from her focus on the chosen ornament and must honestly answer a limited number of questions from the inquisitor: “Is it white?” “Is it an angel?” “Can you see all of it or just a part of it from where you are?” Once the right ornament is identified, the roles are reversed and the game continues until they tire of it.

I enjoy my own perusal of the tree and its decorations in my own way. As my eyes scan over the branches, I pick out first one and then another bauble and recall when and where I found it. It’s a pleasant way to review some of my travels, and I like the fact that my favorite holiday provides such a great way to bring together so many of my favorite memories.

There are a few that survive from my childhood, and others that I purchased back in college when I first had my own tree in my first apartment. Most, however, have come into my life since my marriage and are a chronicle of trips near and far that Harry and I and the girls have shared together or taken separately. The red basket-weave baby carriage came from a trip to Seaside, Oregon, when I was pregnant with Jenny. The wooden moose came from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on a summer family road trip that took us to Yellowstone and Glacier national parks, too. More recent journeys are chronicled as well: a ceramic Celtic knot from Edinburgh, Scotland, and brightly painted tin ornaments from our New Year’s trip to Rosarito Beach, Mexico, just last year.

There are a few decorations from destinations I have not visited but that family members have contributed. Sarah gave me a fleur-de-lis from her visit to New Orleans with then-fiance (now husband) Dan, and my brother-in-law’s family has sent us a few from their home in Texas. Rounding out the collection are the newest additions from travels this year. Over there is a tiny wooden Pinocchio from Capri, Italy, I picked up during the cruise with my sisters, whose jointed limbs jump and dance when you pull his string. And here is that lovely cloisonne articulated koi that we picked up at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago when we visited the girls just this October.

I look forward to adding to my store of memories and ornaments on my travels in the coming year. I wish you safe and fascinating journeys wherever in the world life takes you in 2010 as well.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

A great organization, A Girl’s Gotta Go, was recently brought to my attention. The company specializes in vacation packages for women and by women. The website features a ton of great vacation packages for girlfriend getaways or other trips for women. There is also a tool to request a customized vacation package from the organization.

But, what truly impressed me about A Girl’s Gotta Go is the charitable nature of the organization. A portion of each vacation package purchased through the company is donated to breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment. A Girl’s Gotta Go is truly dedicated not only to women, but to women’s issues. The approach of October is the perfect time to get involved, as October marks Breast Cancer Awareness month.

A perfect way to get involved is to join the A Girl’s Gotta Go Team for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The company is involved in the Boston, Mass., race taking place Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Seaport World Trade Center.

Another great offering from the company is the Girlfriend Cruise4Cause. The package provides a supportive, stress-free vacation getaway for females battling any kind of cancer. Every reservation equals a $25 donation to the American Cancer Society. The goal is to raise $2,500 for the organization. The cruise is a four-night getaway to Fort Lauderdale, Key West and Cozumel aboard Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas, from Oct. 22-26. For more information, visit www.agirlsgottago.com/charitable-giving.

Help support a great cause and enjoy a great getaway with A Girl’s Gotta Go. Female travelers may also be interested in participating in Global Traveler’s Female Global Traveler of the Year contest. Enter the contest here.

–Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

Our full day in Barcelona began with the fairly smooth disembarkation process from our ship. I did learn, however, that it would have been wise (and time-saving) to have booked transportation from the port to our hotel well in advance. It seemed that the majority of the passengers on our cruise were also staying at least one extra day in the city, and the queue for the taxis was very long. Our party of six at last made it to the front of the line and piled luggage and ourselves into two vehicles to take us to our night’s accomodation:  the NH Constanza Barcelona.We had received good general advice about what part of the city to stay in from a professional photographer friend of my sister Ann’s who travels extensively. It was sister-in-law Barb, though, who actually pinpointed the Constanza and found us some very good rates. The hotel’s location is ideal for visitors, as it is in the Barri Gotic – Gothic Quarter — only a few blocks east of Las Ramblas and a few blocks south of the central Placa Catalunya. We were within an easy stroll of either spot but just far enough away to not be affected by street noise or traffic. In fact, I noted that many of the streets in the area, most quite narrow, had limited vehicular traffic, regulated by large metal pillars that could be raised and lowered by a keypad or remote control. It seemed that only some delivery vehicles, cabs and perhaps some local residents could negotiate past these barriers, and it certainly made the streets pleasing and safe to travel on foot.We arrived at the hotel well before noon and merely hoped to store our luggage until our rooms were ready, so that we could get started on our explorations. To our delight, two of the three rooms were available immediately. We stashed all the luggage in those two and took a quick survey of our accomodations. Julie and I shared a twin-bedded room of a comfortable size, with generous desk space, lamp and wireless Internet available (for a daily fee). The roomy closet also held an electronic safe, but most impressive was the very ample marble bathroom. Good lighting, large mirrors and plenty of counter space were much appreciated, and the sizable tub/shower combination was a nice upgrade from our telephone-booth-sized shower stall in Venice. The room also featured both a commode and bidet and plenty of soft, thick towels.Another feature that I admired (once I figured it out) was one I had not encountered before. Perhaps those of you who travel more extensively than I are well-acquainted with it: as one enters the room, there is slot into which the room keycard is inserted. This provides a sort of master switch which then allows the lights in the room to be turned on. When the key is not in the slot, only one small lamp may function. I grasped the beauty of this device immediately: First, it ensures that one doesn’t leave the room with lights blazing, wasting energy. Secondly, it’s much harder to misplace your key (did I leave it in a pocket, on the desk, by the bed, in my purse?) and saves you the scramble of trying to locate it when you’re jet-lagged or bleary-eyed . . . it’s always right there by the door. Brilliant!We didn’t have cause to use the Constanza’s other facilities, but I noted that there is an onsite restaurant and some limited meeting rooms. The front desk staff was extremely helpful with everything from directions to providing change for large-denomination bills to arranging airport transfers early the next morning. The free-of-charge lobby computer also allowed us to print up our boarding passes for the next day, eliminating a step at the airport.As we came and went over the next twelve hours, the hotel’s ideal location became more obvious. It is about equidistant from two stops on Barcelona’s highly efficient Metro. The Green Line L-3 trains stop near the Liceu, the city’s acclaimed opera house on Los Ramblas, and beneath the Placa Catalunya, where there is also a large, well-staffed tourist information center. We found we could stroll just a few blocks over to Avenida Diagonal and follow it up to the Placa, with large stores such as El Corte Ingles and H & M located for our shopping pleasure along the way. Catalunya is an enormous hub where several major avenues come together, and a host of large banks (with convenient ATMs), corporate offices, restaurants and shops surround it. From here one can easily hail a taxi, hop a bus or ride the Metro (or walk) to any of the city’s famous sites.Yes, I could not have been more pleased with our find for our stay in Barcelona, and I would stay there again in a heartbeat. It would seem I will need to return just so I can see more of what that great city has to offer. Next week I’ll share with you what we did enjoy on our all-too-short day there.–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreaderGlobal Traveler has joined the world of social marketing. For breaking news, special offers and much more, fan us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @Gtmag!