Category: Travel Enlightenment (Page 2 of 3)

by Chris Owen

Even if you’ve never been on a cruise, chances are, you have heard stories about never-ending buffets, complimentary, 24-hour room-service and all kinds of gaudy bells and whistles. The common misconception among “non-cruisers” is that the culinary experience is reminiscent of an 80’s Vegas-buffet. The problem with this visual is that unless you happen to really love Elvis impersonators and scrambled eggs that are rapidly drying-out under heat-lamps, it doesn’t make onboard dining seem all that appealing. (Cue super-hero music) But that’s where I come in!

 In this series, I will give you frank, up-to-date information about what you will and won’t find on modern cruise vacations. I’ll start by addressing some general misconceptions about cruising, and of course, move on to discuss the “all-important” dining situation, which indeed has a significant influence on your level of satisfaction with your vacation.

The Rocking and Rolling of the Ship

One of the biggest worries I had before my first cruise had to do with the motion of the ship on the water.  I thought it would be rocking and rolling like the Mayflower, causing hoards of people to lose their lunch…and dinner…and breakfast…

Not so.

Cruise ships are like moving islands with giant stabilizer arms that are designed to minimize the “motion in the ocean” you are bound to feel. These arms extend from the hull of the ship, much like wings on an airplane.  If Christopher Columbus had a set of these babies, he’d have touched base in America and swung right on down to the Caribbean for sure.

Will I get sick?

Not likely. 

If you occasionally got car-sick as a child, the rocking and rolling of the ship will probably not have a serious effect on you. However, if you find that your sensitivity to motion is such that you have to close your eyes during some movie scenes because the action depicted makes you ill, this can be a deal-breaker. Fortunately, there are some precautions you can take.

The fact is, you will feel some movement—you are on a boat after all.  This feeling should pass as you become accustomed to it and get your “sea legs”. On the flip-side, don’t panic if your sea legs don’t disappear right away. The condition usually lasts for a short time after you return to dry-land as your body adjusts to its stagnant surroundings once more.  I personally think it might be a dirty trick the cruise lines play to get you to think about booking your next cruise as soon as you get home…

If you are prone to motion sickness, the best advice I can give you is to avoid it in the first place.  Once “sea-sickness” sets in, it’s too late.  You’ll have to take a trip to the ship’s medical center, get a shot, and spend the next 24 to 48 hours in misery getting over it.   An over-the-counter medication called “Bonine” does the trick for just about everyone.  If you have questions about it, give your doctor or pharmacist a call!  I have heard that if you begin taking it the day before sailing and then once a day throughout the course of your trip, it is highly successful in eliminating potential problems.

Just a bunch of old-timers?

In a word—NO.

That may very well have been the case in the early 1970s, but Carnival, always at the top of its game, recognized the deterioration of the industry and responded with a fleet of “Fun Ships” that forever changed the nature of cruise vacations.  They turned a sleepy crawl across the Atlantic or around the Caribbean into an action-packed getaway that allowed travelers to leave all their cares behind and truly unwind. Other cruise lines got on board with Carnival’s new concept of cruising and revamped their own offerings.

Older people often do enjoy the variety of amenities that a cruise offers, but so do families, couples, singles, and groups. The point is, cruises offer such an impressive assortment of activities, that people of all ages, ethnicities, and lifestyles can spend their vacations doing (or not doing) whatever they please.

“A cruise is all-inclusive”

Nothing is “all-inclusive” these days. While your onboard activities, entertainment, and even standard-fare meals are generally covered on a cruise, there are plenty of opportunities to spend more.  Soft-drinks, and cocktails add-up quickly! Throw a spa treatment, shore excursion, some casino action, and a souvenir or five, into the mix and you can be well on your way to paying as much for the extras as you did for the whole cruise package. Consider yourself forewarned.

Nevertheless, it’s still a great value if you restrict your little splurges.  I recently compared an average cruise with an average stay in Vegas and the ship came out way ahead financially.  I might be a tad biased though.

How big is the pool?

You will NOT be swimming laps here. 

Though there are usually several pools and whirlpools onboard—maybe even a huge water slide or attraction, they are not “swimming” pools.  They are more like “gathering and games” pools.  They also tend to be centrally located so they get crowded. Another interesting quirk is that many of them contain filtered sea-water. This is good to know before you take a plunge with your mouth open. In short, I suggest that you save the real swimming for home or one of your excursions to the shore.

So what about the food then?

For those of you who were really looking forward to that 80s Vegas-style buffet, the likelihood of you being able to fulfill your “all-you-can-eat” dreams is very high. Most ships have at least one buffet. Depending on the cruise line though, you may find that your dining choices are much more extensive.

Most recently, I was on the Norwegian Epic, a new ship that features “Freestyle Dining.” In addition to a main dining room and buffet that are available during certain hours, Epic hosts a variety of trendy dining venues.  Cirque Dreams and Dinner is a night-time dining experience with a prix-fixe menu that revolves around a Cirque du Soleil-style show.  As I recall, a tapas bar, a steak house, and a home-style restaurant were just a few of the other restaurants present on the Epic.

Celebrity Cruises adds flavor to an already robust onboard experience with special interest cruises. Some of these cruises are geared to those with an appreciation for fine food and wine. Celebrity Cruises arranges for a renowned chef or wine-maker to design menus and lead participants through wonderful eating and drinking experiences. Can you think of a better way to unwind after a busy day of ship activities or excursions than with a truly great meal? Neither can I.

We have only just scratched the surface of the cruise-experience, but I can assure you that by the end of this series, you will have all the information you need to decide whether or not a cruise is in your future vacation plans.   Along the way when you have questions, please don’t hesitate to write me.   As a travel writer, blogger and agent, answering questions is what I do.  See my blog at ChrisCruises.net for more and email me with your specific questions about cruise vacations

About Chris Owen

Chris Owen is a travel writer, blogger and agent from Orlando Florida charged with sharing frank, inside information on cruise vacations with travelers.  A graduate of Washburn University in Topeka Kansas, Chris moved to Florida after successful careers in the restaurant and newspaper business to focus singly on travel with a concentration on cruise vacations.  Certified a Master Cruise Counselor by the Cruise Lines International Association, Chris can be found via his popular cruise vacations column on Examiner.com, through his blog, ChrisCruises.net and on his long-running cruise information website, YourCruiseDream.com. 

by Peggy Markel

A woman soaks shark fins to place between bamboo mats. She can sell them to restaurants at $25 a pop. She wouldn’t if she knew better. A coconut shredder shreds coconuts continuously. The first press offers cream, the second press, milk. No green curry worth its ‘milk’ would be made with anything other than fresh. The next stand is heaped with unidentifiable greens. Many are from the basil family, holy and hairy. They are bunched up near their root companions, ginger, galangal, lemongrass and shallot. Flat baskets of chilis add spice to the view, while kafir limes and leaves give you a clue. Where am I?

An outdoor market in Thailand. With tasty ingredients like these, I can see why they call it the ‘land of smiles.’

There are five components to a dish; sweet, sour, salty, pungent (spicy), and bitter. They say if you eat all five in the same meal, your organs will be balanced and your senses too. Asian flavors zing and play merrily on the palate. They compliment each other well. What grows together goes together, and the list is long. Seemingly complex flavors come from very few ingredients. It’s quick and dirty–or rather, clean. Most dishes come together in a matter of minutes. Chopping and pounding are the real time consuming tasks here.

Arriving in Thailand was like being launched into sudden summer; the cooler season was lost somewhere over the international dateline. I found it straightaway in Bangkok in a refreshing spicy soup; Tom Yam Goong, with shrimp, lemongrass, ginger and kafir lime. Sour is the taste of spring in Thailand and deliciously medicinal. I loved exploring the cuisine from the base of fresh ingredients first, not from the familiar dishes themselves. The key players quickly made themselves known. Numero uno: Lemongrass.

Whether finely chopped or left in pieces, lemongrass is king. It marinates fish, flavors broths, and it’s the backbone of green curry. The long grassy leaves are a stomach tonic and can make a pleasurable tea. Dress it up with honey or a little sugar syrup, it becomes a sophisticated beverage to sip in the day. Add vodka and lime juice and call it ‘Thai Noon’at night. A thick layered stalk, lemongrass grows long and tall. The word alone conjures the sensation of a soft breeze from the Orient.

I found the mixture of lemongrass, ginger or galangal, shallot and chili to be the “mirepoix” of Thai cuisine. These base notes form the body of a dish, just like the holy trinity of carrot, onion and celery.

Fish sauce (a slow sun-baked elixir that drips from dried anchovies) is used for salt (make sure it’s at least 60%), and balances lime juice and stock (chicken or fish) which gives all those flavors a home. A touch of palm sugar balances certain dishes with a deep note that doesn’t say ‘sweet’. It says ‘peace’~ lets get together and create harmony. It can also mellow an over-the-top spiciness, so that the chili doesn’t dominate, but delights. Coriander root, seeds, and leaves, scallions, garlic, mint and tamarind take the dishes in various directions. It all makes sense once you start cooking, kind of like life.

Noodle pots are common on the street. It is often the cheapest and healthiest way to eat. Thai people will use chopsticks with noodles but prefer the fork and spoon for rice and accompanying dishes. Rice is a long discourse. But for the most part, they eat more glutinous ‘sticky’ rice in the north, and black, red, white, and mostly steamed white in the south. Older rice is preferable over new as they feel it has more flavor and depth.

Various forms of eggplant play an important role. The tiny pea eggplant cute, crunchy and bitter is used most often in a green curry with chicken. Ping pong eggplant, quick to cook, is sliced and added to various dishes and soups.

Thai basil, hot basil, and sweet basil are hardly anything like the basil we know and love, but it is a superhero in its own right. Pea vines and morning glory vines are actually a delicacy, sautéed with garlic and oyster sauce.

These rather exotic flavors reflect an exotic land. Thailand was never colonized and has the longest ruling Monarch. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) has ruled Thailand in a democracy since 1946. He is now 83 years old. The Royal family is well-loved and highly-respected. Worries abound that his passing could be the death of democracy in Thailand.

The elephant is the symbol of Thailand and a sign of strength and good luck (when the trunk is turned up). Elephant symbols are everywhere, which didn’t surprise me, but when I sat down for a three dollar foot massage one evening on the streets of Chang Mai, I didn’t expect to see one’s snout sniffing around me catching me unaware. A ‘mahout’ (elephant trainer) who had been quietly walking behind me (is there an elephant in the room?) shoved sugar cane into my hand. ‘Feed my elephant, feed my elephant, she’s hungry!’

I fed the very agile and nibbly snout a midnight snack, to which she promptly pooed and peed large amounts right in front of the ‘Heaven Hut’. Fifty cents went his way and I had a special moment right there, eye-to-eye with the elephant on the street and so did she. I considered it a good omen.

A longboat trip up the Mekong the next day took us to Chang Rai to a jungle retreat, complete with an elephant camp. We were able to spend more time with elephants and their babies, feeding the mothers green bananas. I learned that the previous evening’s entertainment was actually a common problem. Now that the logging industry has banned the use of elephants, mahouts are desperate to keep their elephants fed and working, so they hit the streets. At the Elephant Camp, they are developing a program where mahouts can actually come and be with their elephants instead of selling them to invest in more; thus, keeping mahouts and elephants off the street. I had no idea I was supporting abuse. I was appreciative of the lesson and now plan to donate in honor of their well-being.

Thailand has changed radically from my first visit twenty years ago. Old Bangkok is hidden amongst the lower level high rises, and the night bazaars are full of cheap nothings. I no longer saw street carts of deep fried beetles and tarantula. A tuk tuk (three wheeled motorcyle taxi) is more expensive than a taxi, and a night’s stay in a good hotel could seriously dip into a college fund. The floating market, one of Bangkok’s best, is more like a floating 7-11. People in the outlying areas seem to be more interested in goods, rather than fresh food. I made an assumption that this had to do with the addition of unsightly satellite dishes.

However, one tradition remains firm and that is giving alms. Up at dawn one morning in Luang Probang, in the neighboring country of Laos, a group of us gathered our sticky rice baskets and waited for the monks to proceed. The longest practicing monk is first in his monastery, not the eldest, and at the bottom of this hierarchy is the novice. Silently they approach in single file, their alms buckets slung across their shoulders. There are no words, only the sound of the lid as it slides off the bucket, as they go one by one, making room for a pinch of rice. The long road lined with devoted alms givers, fills their buckets. They do not grasp, they do not beg. The act of kindness and the opportunity to offer a gesture of generosity fills my own soul as the saffron procession fades into the distance.

In an ever-changing world, finding what still remains to be true is getting more difficult. Going straight to the market is the best place to start. A nation’s identity often lies in the gut of its people. Climate and location dictates what will grow in their soil, and the people choose what to harvest, cook, and eat.

Protecting a culture from losing its traditions is the very solution to a sustainable future, for them–and for us. Sticking with our true nature, one of kindness and generosity, and living with what comes naturally, will keep us in the flow of nature. Respecting simple ways and values will give us tools for living in a modern world and strength to face the changes.

Read more of our Travel Journals by Clicking here.

About Peggy Markel

Peggy Markel is the Owner and Operator of Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures. In 1993, she started The Ligurian School of Poetic Cooking (1993–2000), with Angelo Cabani, master chef and proprietor of Locanda Miranda in Tellaro, a small village on the Italian Riviera. For the past 17 years Peggy has traversed the Mediterranean and North Africa, from Elban fishing villages and Moroccan markets to the homes of Tuscan artisans and chefs, furthering her own exploration of culture and cuisine. “For me, a connection to real food is a connection to life.” Peggy’s journeys help people explore the cuisines of Tuscany, Sicily, Morocco, Almafi, and India.

words and photos by Melissa Muller Daka

In the fertile, tree-lined hills that surround Zemer, an Arab village in Israel, an aging Palestinian matriarch, Fataheyya Qaedan, has foraged for wild herbs with her female relatives since her youth. Among the edible delicacies that grow in the Levant, one aromatic shrub, called “za’atar” in Arabic, occupies a special place in her heart. But every time this grandmother treks up the hills to collect this coveted herb, she is breaking Israeli law, as she was unpleasantly reminded recently when bundles of za’atar were seized from her car by the police. She was fined 500 shekels, nearly $135.

Za’atar is a shrubby plant of the Labiate family, with soft, fuzzy leaves that have a pungent, earthy flavor; it is described interchangeably as a type of wild oregano, thyme or marjoram.  It is also the name of a spice mixture made from its dry leaves mixed with a variable mixture of salt, sumac and toasted sesame seeds. Throughout the Arab Levant and in some areas of North Africa, it is renowned for its distinctive taste and, according to folklore, is a strong memory booster.

A Palestinian woman in Israel gathers za’atar from her orchard

In Israel and the West Bank, za’atar also has a sociopolitical resonance far beyond culinary and nutritive realms. It has been a protected plant since 1977, when Israeli legislation made it illegal to pick it in the wild. Environmentalists claim that overharvesting has nearly denuded Israel of wild za’atar, and offenders risk fines of up to $4,000 or six months imprisonment for picking commercial quantities.

In the U.S., the popularity of za’atar is on the rise, and the spice is being revered for its distinctive taste. Little by little, za’atar is going mainstream. But in Middle Eastern homes, za’atar has a political significance that doesn’t cross borders.

Prior to the ban, za’atar already played an important symbolic role in Palestinian identity. Za’atar has been celebrated in the poems of the late Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish and has been equated to “a symbol of the lost Palestinian homeland,” according to Omar Khalifah, a Palestinian-Jordanian Ph.D. candidate in Middle Eastern Studies at Columbia University.

Palestinians still forage for the herb in the wild because it remains an important symbolic role in their identity, said anthropologist Nasser Farraj, director of Palestinian Fair Trade, a company based in the West Bank that exports za’atar spice mixture. Farraj says the ban is a form of discrimination against Palestinians that has nothing to do with protecting the plant.  “It is a political issue, definitely not an environmental one,” he says. The ban is a “land control and land access issue,” that has transformed the traditional foraging and consuming the iconic herb into an act of resistance against Israeli authority.

Since the prohibition was imposed, the za’atar spice mixture has found its way into the Israeli marketplace, where it is sold to a Jewish clientele under the name “holy hyssop,” which appears repeatedly in the Hebrew Bible, most importantly in Exodus and the Psalms. Za’atar is now an integral part of Israel’s own culinary culture and is used by Israeli chefs and matriarchs alike.

Spice mixture “dukkah” with Za’tar, toasted sesame seeds, & sea salt.

Israeli native Snir Eng-Sela, chef-de-cuisine of Commerce Restaurant in New York City, uses fresh za’atar in everything from ceviche to marinades for lamb and fish to salads with parsley, lemon and pomegranate. He considers za’atar an “integral part” of the region’s food culture “in both Israeli and Arabic cuisines.”

Among Palestinians, though, little is taken at face value and even the consumption of food can be politicized. Farraj contends that occupation can take place even  “through our symbols,” and can be considered part of a “semiotic war” against Palestinians.

Elsewhere in the world, the political or cultural significance of za’atar simply doesn’t translate, even as it gains popularity among celebrity chefs and on the Food Network.  Andrew F. Smith, author of the books “Eating History” and “The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America,” notes that while every food item is entwined with culture, ethnic foods transported to a new environment tend to lose their original symbolism. He points to turkey, which in the U.S. has long been associated with our forefathers and national identity. Everywhere else in the world, it is “just another kind of meat to use for cooking,” he said.

While celebrity chefs across the nation from Emeril Lagasse to Jean-Georges Vongerichten now incorporate za’atar into their dishes, Smith points out that chefs are  usually “not interested in culture and politics,” they merely want to discover “new and unique” ingredients.

And za’atar fits that bill as a hitherto little-known Middle Eastern spice. Food trends in the U.S. result from a “culture of experimentation” and a “hunger among foodies” for “innovation and authenticity,” says Louise Kramer, communications director of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, the non-profit that runs the biannual “Fancy Food” trade shows. Za’atar, she posits, has all those ingredients.

Palestinian Bread Loaves topped with Za’atar and olive oil

But with za’atar, even its authenticity can be subjective. In Los Alamitos, Calif., Alicja Lombard runs a spice business called Awaken Savor. She produced her own mixtures after interviewing “what seems like hundreds” of Levantine matriarchs, but quickly discovered that “every grandmother has their own secret recipe, which they claim is the only real way to make the mixture.” As a result, she has five mixes: Syrian, Israeli, Jordanian, Turkish, North African and Lebanese, each tweaked a bit differently.

But no matter the recipe, Lombard learned that the dry spice is consumed daily in most homes of these regions and usually in the same way: It is served at breakfast in a small sharing dish, alongside some olive oil, with warm bread; it is also mixed directly with olive oil and rubbed onto small rounds of dough, then baked in wood burning ovens, resulting in a savory bread called manakeesh. Fresh za’atar leaves also are used as a stuffing for flat bread and also in salads.

Soufiane Lailani, a New York-based producer and importer of Moroccan food products, is in the beginning stages of bringing za’atar to the U.S. and expects that his firm, Alili Morocco, will carry the spice later this year. He is confident that za’atar is a “winner” not just because of its unforgettable taste, but because of the buzz over this new Middle Eastern spice, even on the Food Network. Within five years, he predicts, za’atar will “without a doubt” be a staple in “supermarket spice shelves around the country.”

For more on how spices have driven major events in history, check out The Spice Route, A History by John Keay by clicking here.

About Melissa

Melissa Muller Daka is a professional cook, writer and gastronomist who specializes in the diverse cuisines of the Mediterranean region. She holds a B.A. in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures from Columbia University and a degree in Culinary Arts and International Breadmaking from the French Culinary Institute. At the age of 23, Melissa designed and developed “Osteria del Gallo Nero,” a Tuscan country-style restaurant in Greenwich Village, which she successfully owned & operated for the duration of the restaurant’s lease. Melissa and her husband, a CPA and fellow food lover, currently operate a private chef/catering business and are anticipating the opening of their new restaurant in Chelsea, New York City in the fall of 2010. In addition, Melissa is completing a Master’s degree at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she is focusing on the craft of writing about food and its relation to culture. To learn more about Melissa visit her website by clicking here.

by Peggy Markel

On a rainy day in May,
I stepped into Cibreo Café
after eating at the Teatro
with friends from Santa Fe.

There was nothing more for me to eat and nothing more that I could drink. But I could not pass by Cibreo without un salutino. The café is a world of its own, a vortex that draws me like a favorite chair.

I come home to myself just by stepping in the door.

The barman and waiter are standing in the doorway discussing politics, something close to religion here. They greet me kindly to come in.

“Un caffe? Un te? Cosa voi?” Isidoro asks.
“Niente. Grazie,” I say.

I’m too full to consume anything. I just want to stand here for a minute, soaking up its familiarity. I often visit in the afternoon, when there are hardly any customers, to sit and write, read or talk to a friend. But today I am simply passing.

Isidoro says, “Questo posto e un usho-bottega.” Usho-Bottega, a Florentine expression for “home away from home.” E come casa: like home, but also a place of business. He says cafés were originally conceived as places where people could relax, read the paper, drink a coffee and have a taste of something. They were made to be places of belonging outside of the house, in community, where passing a few hours, conversations about politics, children, the weather, was the norm.

“Now,” he says, “people hardly have time to stop. They are in a rush. No time to stop and talk, much less savor a taste.” Dreadful, I think. Surely it’s our (fast-paced American) fault.

Do we all want such a place to go? Or just certain types of people?

by Peggy Markel

Colors can be seen at night by a full Amalfitana moon. Off to the nearby village of Praiano, suspended between the mountains and the sea, our mouths water as we approach a dimly lit piazza by the small sea port surrounded by cliffs. Colored boats and nets line the shore as old men, looking more like crustaceans than humans, sit around tables playing cards, listening to the sea. They are waiting for calm when they will jump in their boats and paddle out for the catch.

A boy of about eight rides his bicycle, a bit too big for him, around and around the piazza dodging everything in sight. It’s a night for cats. Some friends and I thought we would prowl around as well, for che c’e c’e. “What there is, there is.”

Before we sit down, we talk with Armandino, a serious man, a bit shy, but ‘molto simpatico.’ He owns one of only two small trattorias in the square. From behind the bar, he tells us that he has just prepared an excellent squid sauce–very fresh–and that we should take a walk and come back in 10 minutes.

We decided to follow a railed walkway around the rocky coast of the village. It leads to an African style disco-tech that has a plexiglass dance floor, through which one can see fish swimming around below. Unfortunately, it is the “off-season” so we did not have the opportunity to dance the evening away, suspended over the ocean. It was just as well since my companions, Laura, Sergio, Giocondo, and I were ready for dinner.

Back at Armandino’s, we sat down outside to a very simple table he had just covered in crisp white linen, set with glasses and a bottle of local wine. It was Furore, named for and produced from the next village. It was a light, dry, fruity wine–perfect for our meal. It was a treat courtesy of Giocondo, our host, who was born there.

While we feasted on coral-colored squid in a tasty stew of its own juice over tubetti, Giocondo told us a story from when he was a little boy. Furore is a vertical village, where the home-life is nestled safely between the bustling shore line below and the vineyards above. Everyday, his father and brothers went out in the boats to fish. He would cry, “Let me go!” and his father would say, “No Giocondo, not today.” But Giocondo would cry and cry until his mother finally said, “Let him go.” So, off he would go.

Inevitably, the lull of the boat would put him to sleep. This was not so bad, but the problem was that once he fell asleep his brothers would have to carry him up 200 stairs to the house! Everyday he cried, “Let me go!” and his father would say, “No Giocondo, not today,” but somehow, his mother found a way to convince her husband to let Giocondo go. Everyday Giocondo was lulled to sleep by the rocking of the boat and had to be carried up the 200 steps to the house by one of his brothers.

We laughed about many things between sips of Furore, and bites of our second plate of freshly grilled anchovies and more squid. The night was magic, the waves and moon setting the ambiance of the piazza. We ate the acciughe with our hands, eating their flesh right off the small bones and tossing them to the cats, which held court around our table just waiting for something to drop. Perhaps some boney morsel would fall their way. Something had happened to one of the cats and her top lip was missing, which gave her the strangest, almost Cheshire-like expression.

Armandino fed us fresh melon and torta for dessert, which was an experience equal to the magic of the night. It was moist, flavorful and so deliciously honest that I asked for the recipe. Armadino’s wife, Filomina, humbly came to the door and told us, blushing, in a soft voice, how she had done it. It was Pasticciotto; a traditional dessert of the region (borrowed from the Pugliese) with black cherries and custard.

Recipe for Pasticciotto Napoletano: Pastry Cream Pie with Black Cherries

As if dessert wasn’t enough, Armandino gave us a special digestivo made from wild laurel. Its herbaceous quality was subtle, yet soulfully satisfying, enough depth to cap off a somewhat rustic night in the open air.

Another walk in the moonlight. We were so sated, we had no need for conversation. We listened to the sound of the sea and gazed at the moon’s reflection on the water.

I couldn’t help but picture Giocondo, this content little boy, slung over his brother’s shoulder, dreaming of fishing on his father’s boat.

About Peggy Markel

Peggy Markel is the Owner and Operator of Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures. In 1993, she started The Ligurian School of Poetic Cooking (1993–2000), with Angelo Cabani, master chef and proprietor of Locanda Miranda in Tellaro, a small village on the Italian Riviera. For the past 17 years Peggy has traversed the Mediterranean and North Africa, from Elban fishing villages and Moroccan markets to the homes of Tuscan artisans and chefs, furthering her own exploration of culture and cuisine. “For me, a connection to real food is a connection to life.” Peggy’s journeys help people explore the cuisines of Tuscany, Sicily, Morocco, Almafi, and India.

by Robert Cole

You may have seen the classic commercials where Captain Kirk (William Shatner) is running around daring everyone to save money on Priceline. I have to agree that Priceline is the best place for those of us who are obsessively trying to find cheapest hotel deal to achieve our goal. Like defeating the Kobyashi Maru no win scenario, though, it requires patience, some cunning use of math skills and a clever strategy. So, if you don’t have the nerves of a Vulcan, I would make maximum warp speed back to the easier Hotwire Hedge strategy. If you are game, boldly read on.

Priceline is a reverse-auction. You must enter your name, address and credit card information before you bid. You will not see the name of the hotel until after your bid is accepted. All you have to go on are the city, neighborhood and hotel category (star-rating). If your bid is accepted, your credit card is charged and the purchase is non-refundable.

My Priceline deal-finding philosophy is simple – “Re-bid and prosper.” 

Before you start, one important consideration; Priceline only books rooms with a maximum double occupancy using the “Name Your Own Price” option. Priceline is not a good solution for traveling families booking a single room.

Priceline aggressively promotes its “Name Your Own Price” product, but provided with that liberty, what makes you think your bid is the lowest price the hotel is willing to accept? 

Priceline has established some rules to avoid bottom-feeder bidders from continuously testing for the lowest price. Priceline policy prohibits re-bidding for the same itinerary within 24-hours of a rejected bid. Priceline does, however, allow immediate re-bids if the date, city, hotel category (star-rating), or neighborhood is changed from the original bid. 

This is important.

The trick to triggering immediate re-bids is that Priceline allows re-bidding when an additional neighborhood is added but that zone does not offer any new candidate hotels for consideration based on the previous bid… huh? In essence, you can re-bid a slightly higher price for the exact same target group of hotels. Pure genius! 

The key to getting the lowest possible hotel rate on Priceline is understanding how many immediate re-bid opportunities you have so you can know where to start bidding and when to stop. This will be a three step process.

Step A: Calculate the number of available bids (initial bid + any rebids) re-bids and maximum bid.

1. Focus your sights on the zones and hotel category that you desire. In this example, I will be looking for a 4-star property in three New York City neighborhoods – ideally, Midtown East, but also Midtown West, or Times Square. By selecting 3 acceptable neighborhoods, I have 1 initial bid and 2 free re-bids (3 all together).
2. Next, determine how many additional re-bid opportunities you have under the same parameters. Over the dates I am searching, there are no 4-star hotels in the Brooklyn, Chelsea, Long Island City, Madison Square Garden, or Upper East Side zones. This should provide at least 5 additional free re-bids after the initial three bids (8 total – remember this number.)
3. By the way, if you are traveling with a spouse or friend, you can also effectively double your number of bids by having them log in separately by using their name, address and credit card.

Step B: Determine your starting and maximum bids.

1. Check Expedia for the lowest available retail rate for a 4-star hotel in the Midtown East, Midtown West, or Times Square zones. For the example, The Barclay Intercontinental is $229/night. Depending on the number of re-bids available, you can start at 50% to 70% off this price as your initial bid. Because I have 8 rebids available, I will start bidding at 70% off the $229 rate, or $69.
2. Now check the lowest 4-star, Midtown East, Midtown West and Times Square hotel price on Hotwire. I found $179/night. You do not want to bid more than this price.
3. Now a little math… Yes, it’s OK to round to the nearest dollar. As most people want to re-bid with the same value increase between bids, let’s take that approach. First, subtract your opening bid from the Hotwire price $179 – $69 = $110. Now, take that result and divide by your total number of bids $110 / 8 = $14. That’s your bidding increment.
4. Make a little table – In this example, Bid 1 = $69, Bid 2 = $83, Bid 3 = $97, …, Bid 8 = $167.  $167 will be your maximum bid. 

Step C: Complete your table & Engage by writing down the exact zones and star-ratings for the initial bid and each re-bid next to the dollar amount. You will want to carefully prepare and follow this sequence. May the force be with you (oops – wrong sci-fi movie reference).

1. In our example, the first bid is $69 for a 4-star hotel in Midtown East. Priceline may respond to this bid by gently saying that you are nuts, the price is too cheap and show you an unrealistically high typical price. They are playing Klingon mind games. Ignore the advice and stick to your strategy.
2. Assuming the first bid was rejected, take advantage of the free re-bid by adding Midtown West zone and raising the price to $83.
3. Patiently repeat the process adding zones until you reach your maximum bid. Hopefully, you will be rewarded for your efforts by beating the Hotwire price.

What was the best deal I ever found on Priceline?  Last summer, I paid $39 per night for a five night stay at a 4-star Sheraton Suites in suburban Chicago using Priceline. Over the same dates, the hotel was charging $130 on its website.  I recall being quite pleased that I used the 70% discount level for my starting bid.

So there you have it, by employing this strategy, faster than Tribbles can multiply, you’ll be using multiple re-bids to get the lowest possible price out of Priceline. Be careful not to stun yourself with the savings. Make it so.

About Robert Cole

The Founder of Rock Cheetah LLC, Robert’s role in the travel industry is to help companies bridge the chasms separating marketing, technology and operations to create best practices and process improvements that benefit the consumer and drive profit. Robert has worked at the VP of Destination Experience for Mark Travel; VP of Hotel & Car for Cendant Corporation; VP of Business Development and Marketing Services for Anasazi Inc.; Director of Electronic Distribution for Budget Group; and Director of Hotel Distribution for Sabre Holdings. Robert is also active in many Travel Industry groups including the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association, the Hospitality Technology & Financial Professionals, Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International and the Open Travel Alliance. Follow Robert on Twitter at @RobertKCole and for total travel industry geeks he also author the Views from a Corner Suite blog where he talks shop for industry insiders. Click here to read.