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Daily Planet
Thailand bans caffeine
No more coffee or tea in the country's northern provinces, in an attempt to curb methamphetamine manufacturers.
By J.A. Getzlaff
[03/15/00]

Bird's-eye view
On the way to film school, I spent a week in the former Yugoslavia. Amid the rubble, I found that movies provide a strange entree to real-life devastation.
By José Klein
[03/15/00]

Vagabonding
Uncovering Cairo
In which our correspondent makes rabbit stew, views an Egyptian film comedy about America and sees the pyramids in a new light.
By Rolf Potts
[03/15/00]

Vagabonding
Backpackers' ball at the Sultan Hotel
With Flaubert's 1850 letters as a guide, our correspondent explores the enduring allure of opera, orgasm, belly-dancing and other Cairo clichés.
By Rolf Potts
[03/14/00]

Daily Planet
New York will shock pigeons
The dirty birds are to receive non-lethal electric treatment.
By J.A. Getzlaff
[03/14/00]

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By Donald D. Groff

March 16, 2000 | My husband and I are looking for some cruise information and wonder if you can point us toward Web sites, travel agencies and the like. We have in mind a 10-day eastern Mediterranean cruise including ancient sites -- Turkey, Greece and the Greek isles. We'd prefer a smaller ship.

Many Web sites and guidebooks examine cruises and cruise ships, but one of the best places to start is Fielding's Cruisefinder, which describes the cruise lines and directs you to those operating in certain regions, including the Greek islands and Turkey.

There you'll find more than two dozen ships operated by more than a dozen cruise lines that ply those waters. Links take you to each ship's itinerary, details on number of cabins and other statistics and tips on value for money.

The site also has a Crowsnest forum, in which readers can share information on ships and itineraries.   America Online users also can get help via the service's  Cruise Critic site; use keyword "Cruise Critic," where you also can find a cruise selector engine. It, too, has a forum where many readers have filed their opinions and advice on Greek-island cruising. Nonsubscribers can find cruise information through  AOL's Cruise Critic site.

To check out the full range of smaller ships in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, drop your anchor at the Small Ship Cruises site. There you'll find links to specialists on small cruise ships and theme cruises, including some in Greece.

Another excellent site for browsing for cruises is Cruise Ship Center & Cabin Exchange. Among many other features, it points toward cruise discounts in specific regions. Check Mediterranean Current Discounts.

Visit  any store with a big travel book section and you'll probably find half a dozen or more cruise titles, including "Fielding's Worldwide Cruises," "Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships" and "100 Best Cruise Vacations" (Globe Pequot, 2000), which includes a section on the Royal Olympic Cruises' Stella Oceanis and Windstar Cruises' Wind Spirit, both of which sail the Greek islands and Turkish coast.  

A number of companies offer white-water tours through the Grand Canyon. Since they're all approved operators from the National Park Service, can you pick any of them and be assured a quality trip?

Those white-water companies operate under license and the business is competitive enough that standards are generally high. But there are differences in craft -- oar-powered rafts, motorized rafts, dories, kayaks and so forth -- and it's worth examining several companies to see what would appeal most to you. The companies also may have trips that vary in length, cost and amenities.  It's also worth asking a few questions about the experience of the crews.

Safety is a big consideration, of course, and experience can be a reflection of how safe an operation is. Ask how long employees have been on the river and how long they have been employed by the company. River men and river women tend to stick with companies that are well run and treat them right.

If you call individual companies and casually ask about their competitors, you can sometimes get candid appraisals -- particularly after it's established that you won't be able to go with the company you've called because of timing, price or some other reason.

A general description of the different trips available is at the Grand Canyon National Park page. Click on "River Trips" in the upper-right menu.

A good source for tracking down river trips is the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association, phone (520) 556-0669. At the site you'll find 17 companies listed, most of them with links.

An unusually authoritative source for checking out river-running outfitters is a book called "Top Rated River Adventures: Canoeing, Kayaking & Rafting in North America" by Maurizio Valerio (Picked-By-You Guides, 1999). This series asks outfitters to supply client lists, then surveys the clients. The first edition includes only two Grand Canyon outfitters, but it's likely others will be included in later editions. Look for the guide in stores, or visit the Top Rated  site.  

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