Q and A
LEAD:
Cherry Blossom Time
Cherry Blossom Time
Q. This is our year for a Washington, D.C., weekend - as close to cherry blossom time as possible. Can you suggest a weekend or two? - P. S., Lawrenceville, N.J.
A. The 3,900 trees surrounding the Tidal Basin usually begin blossoming the last week in March and reach their peak by the first weekend in April, so March 30 to April 2 and April 6 to 8 seem like the best bets, but the peak dates depend on rainfall and temperature in March.
This year's Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled from April 1 to 8 and include a parade down Constitution Avenue. For more information, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the National Cherry Blossom Committee, Post Office Box 33324, Washington, D.C. 20033; telephone recording: 202-737-2599.
For information on hotel accommodations and other events in Washington, write to the Washington Convention and Visitors Association, 1212 New York Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005; 202-789-7000.
Getting Luggage to Newark
Q. Is there a service which will pick up baggage from a midtown hotel and take it directly to Newark Airport? After the Big East basketball tournament in March, we would like to leave directly for the airport from Madison Square Garden instead of going back to the hotel to collect our luggage. - M. G., Auburn, N.Y.
A. Unique Delivery Service (201-961-2250), which operates out of Newark Airport, will pick up your luggage from a midtown hotel and transport it to a holding area at central storage at the airport. When you arrive at the airport after the game, you can contact the service and, a spokesman said, it will deliver your bags to the check-in counter or departure gate within 10 to 15 minutes.
The service, which is licensed by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, charges $15 to pick up as many as three suitcases from midtown Manhattan ($1 per additional bag) and $3 more for delivery to the counter or gate. Payment, in cash or traveler's checks only, is collected when the bags are claimed. The company also charges a $1 storage fee a piece for each calendar day.
The owner, Jim Battle, said the service was available throughout New Jersey and in parts of New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The rates depend on distance from Newark Airport. For example, the rate from Stamford is $30.50, from Brooklyn $21, from Philadelphia $60, and from Fort Lee, N.J., $10.
In addition to luggage, the company can store skis, backpacks, trunks, baby carriages, musical instruments, and military duffle bags. There is a $1.50 surcharge to the pickup fee for each such item (a pair of skis counts as one item). For any item of 50 pounds or more, including bicycles, the surcharge is $3.50.
For arriving travelers who want to go unencumbered to a business meeting or sporting event, the company will deliver luggage to hotels or residences from the airport on a C.O.D. basis. There is a $10 surcharge for C.O.D. deliveries.
Winter Olympics in France
Q. We are interested in taking our family - five children, plus five spouses, plus several grandchildren - to the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, in 1992. Please advise how we can make reservations. - E. K. P., Charleroi, Pa.
A. Americans can book tickets for the '92 Winter Olympics in the French Alps through Olson-Travelworld, an American agency with exclusive U.S. distribution rights here. For tickets write to: Jane Katzoff, Olson-Travelworld, 100 North Sepulveda Boulevard, El Segundo, Calif. 90245; 213- 615-0711. For hotel reservations and information about Albertville, write to the Office du Tourisme, Place de la Gare, 73200 Albertville, France; telephone (33)-79-32-04-22.
Residents of France can write directly to the Albertville Winter Olympics Committee: at C.O.J.O., Chem. Charrette, 73200 Albertville; telephone 79-45-19-92 or, for information in English, 79-46-19-92.
Radios for European Trips
Q. Please identify a lightweight, battery-powered radio that tunes in European stations, the model number, price and where it can be purchased. - J. C. H., Lexington, Va.
A. Most commercial European stations broadcast on AM and FM bands, so you can use a standard portable radio. For shortwave broadcasts, such as Voice of America, the BBC and Voice of Moscow, several portable models are available. Sony offers two - the ICF 2010 ($360), which weighs less than four pounds, and the ICF 2003 ($240), which weighs only a pound and a half.
Radio Shack, which has many national outlets, offers shortwave receivers, the DX 360 ($89) and the DX 440 ($189). Other manufacturers include Panasonic, Kenwood and Japan Radio Corporation. Most electronics stores will carry a brand and model that suits your taste and budget.
For information on stations abroad, two books might be helpful. '1990 World Radio and Television Handbook' (Billboard; $19.95) lists radio and television stations by frequency from around the world. 'Password to World Band Radios' (International Broadcast Services, Ltd.; $14.95) covers shortwave.
Tipping on Cruise Ships
Q. What kind of tips are expected on a cruise ship and how does one give them? I am going on a short, inexpensive cruise, if that makes a difference. - R. C., Fresno, Calif.
A. On some ships, cruise directors announce tipping policy; others have cards in the cabins suggesting proper levels, and still others give you the information in a brochure. Some lines, notably with Greek-registered ships, pool tips and recommend a flat $6 to $8 per day.
The service personnel such as waiters and stewards are tipped, but not the ship's officers.
Here are commonly accepted guidelines: For a cabin steward, $2 to $3 a passenger a day. For a dining room waiter, $2 to $4 a passenger a day. For an assistant waiter, $1.50 to $2 a passenger a day. For a bar waiter, bartender, deck steward or wine steward, 15 percent of the check. For the headwaiter or maitre d'hotel who has provided unusual service or helped accommodate a request for a change in tables, $5 at the end of the voyage is appropriate.
Seasoned cruise travelers tip discreetly at the last meal of the cruise, and use an envelope for each person. As a rule of thumb, the less expensive the cruise, the more the staff is likely to count on tips to augment income. So you might consider tipping slightly higher than the guidelines suggest.