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Cruising is today's way to travel With more vacationers than ever heading for the high seas, cruise holidays are now the fastest-growing segment of the travel market, experts say. '""The biggest changes in cruis- ing over the past decade have in- volved the lifestyle aboard ship," says Hal Burns, Travel Registrar with the Ontario Ministry of Con- sumer and Commercial Relations (MCCR). "Cruises are far more varied, convenient and affordable than they used to be." Once vacationers decide on a cruise holiday, they should plan the trip carefully. A few precaus- tions now can help set the path for smooth sailing when the holiday begins, says Burns. Travellers should be sure to book their cruises through an agent registered in Ontario. It's usually easier to iron out pro- blems when dealing with a local company than it would be with an agent operating outside the pro- vince, Burns says. All Ontario travel agencies must be registered with MCCR. . This ensures they follow the regulations and practices set out in the Ontario Travel Industry Act. It also provides their customers with some financial protection through the Travel Compensation Fund. According to Burns, travellers should think carefully about book- ing trips directly with a cruise line using a toll-free number for an out-of-province office. This is a popular marketing tool in the in- dustry, the registrar says. "While it's an efficient way of making a booking and is usually legitimate, consumers should remember that if anything hap- The Environment by Janet Banting For the past three weeks I've tried to fire up readers of this column by offering tales of how very bad the earth's environmen- tal situation is, and suggesting attitude changes that need to be made. This week I want to pass along a little good news about the work that some individuals and groups are doing. When you read about what some of them are up to, you may be inspired into a little action of your own! Faithful readers of David Suzuki's column in the Toronto Star will have heard about the W.H.E.N. group (Worldwide Home Environmentalists Network) that started up in Vancouver on the inspiration of one homemaker who became increasingly concerned about a broad range of environmental issues. The group now has members all over Canada, as well as in a number of other countries. They hold "environmental coffee parties" in people's homes and send speakers to hospitals, businesses, en- vironmental conferences, schools, political groups, and so on. They take part in Vancouver-area activities like the Peace Walk and Earth Day celebrations, and last year held a garbage-free Mother's Day picnic. W.H.E.N. members advocate massive reduction of garbage and the pick-up of "source separated" recyclables from homes, rather than continued reliance on huge landfills or incinerators. Some W.H.E.N. members have learn- ed to reduce their individual garbage output to under a bag a month! They meet with politicians at all levels of government and hold monthly open meetings in Vancouver at which people can take part in discussions on a wide range of topics related to the environment. When asked why they bother becoming in- volved, a W.H.E.N. member might reply "If not I, who? If not now, WHEN?" They believe that "the key to the transforma- tion of the world will be through the kitchens, not the boar- drooms." If you would like to learn more about this group, write to W.H.E.N. at 1910 27th St., West Vancouver, B.C. V7V4L2. I'm a member, and have received lots of inspiration and useful in- formation from the group. In Toronto, a neighbourhood group called Grassroots Albany was formed when the residents of one street got together and decided to stop just complaining and start acting. They meet once a month and are committed to leading more environmen- tally aware lives, pursuing correspondence with politicians at all levels of government, and tackling small projects such as rid- ding a workplace of disposable cups or setting up a recycling program. You can write to this group c/o Amanda McConnell, 211 Albany St., Toronto, M5R 3C7. They include sample letters with the information they send, in order to help you with the ones you will want to write to business people and/or politicians about the issues of concern to you. It's Not Garbage is a Toronto-area coalition of groups work- ing on "an action agenda for waste reduction." They believe that our society can learn to reduce by up to 70 percent the amount of "garbage" we send to landfill by placing more emphasis on "source separation" and storage of materials until markets can be developed for them. Metro Toronto Council has agreed to fund this group so that it can form a task force and report back to the Works Committee on how to implement their recommenda- tions. The group is located at 517 College St.. Suite 401, Toronto, Ont. M6G 4A2, Phone: 960-2284. If you've been wondering where to buy a sturdy canvas bag or pick up some recycled paper, earthdance is the name of a new store at 67 King St. in Oshawa that sells a wide range of books and magazines on environmental subjects for both adults and children, as well as Unicef and Bridgehead products, an assort- ment of recycled paper products, and T-shirts with environmen- tal messages. The store is also a good place to pick up free pam- phlets on a variety of topics related to the environment. Locally, the Scugog Memorial Library has: a lot of environment-related material that you can borrow if you don't want to buy the many books and magazines that are now available. Free copies of Environment Canada's new booklet "What We Can Do For Our Environment... Hundreds of things to do now" are also available there. Whether we decide to work quietly within our homes, or to become more active and start or join a group, is something we all have to decide for ourselves. Each one of us CAN do as ear- thdance owner Karen Giles suggests and "choose to make a difference." CT SS == EE = PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, July 17, 1990 -- 25 pens to the cruise line, their funds aren't protected," he warns. Air/sea combination packages, which provide for connecting flights to the appropriate port, are usually less expensive than book- ing each portion of the trip separately. Off-peak bargains, early-bird specials and last- minute discounts can also provide savings, but be certain to research these packages careful- ly. Price should not be the only factor considered, Burns says. Cost will also be affected by choice of accommodations. Air conditioning and modern stabiliz- ing systems make room location less important to comfort than it once was, Burns says. So, when choosing a room, don't just look at location. Compare size, layout and any special features, he suggests. Should travellers have pro- blems despite careful planning, they should try to resolve them on board. According to the registrar, the best person to see is the purser, one of the ship's ad- ministrative officers. For information about the Travel Compensation Fund, con- tact MCCR's Consumer Informa- tion Centre at 555 Young Street, Toronto, Ontario M7A 2H6 or toll free at 1-800-286-1142. Ontario residents with an 807 area code may call the 416 number collect. The TDD/TTY line for the hear- ing/speech impaired is (416) 326-8566. Every clown loves to smile and this fellow was no excep- tion to the rule. He handed out free balloons to the kiddies at the International Rainbow Camp on Queen Street. 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