Travel Blog

Check here for the latest travel alerts and useful tips for vacationers.

 


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Buzz Alert

How to Prevent Lost Luggage and Pack Wisely

PREVENTING LOST LUGGAGE

Put your name both outside and inside your bag in case your luggage tags fall off in transit; also, a copy of your itinerary inside will make it easier for an airline employee to find you if it becomes lost.
Take a picture of your bags before you travel.  You'll find having a photo of your lost luggage will be much easier than describing what your bag looks like at the claims desk.
Pack a day's worth of clothes in your carry on--especially undergarments--so if your bags ever become lost you're not running around an unknown city looking for the essentials.
Avoid short layovers: If you must connect through a second airport, be sure to leave enough time for you and  your bags to make the next flight.

 

 

June 6, 2010

Buzz on ships

Another Carnival cruise ship gets an 'extreme makeover'

Add the Carnival Senation to the list of aging Carnival ships that have gotten an "extreme makeover."
Carnival says the popular vessel, which sails to the Bahamas out of Port Canaveral, has emerged from an extended dry dock that brough a new deck top water park, a new adults only pool area and a redesigned main pool area.
The overhaul of the 15-year-old ship also brought the addition of balconies to 98 staterooms that formerly just had windows--a major structural change. The ship is the fourth of Carnival eight Fantasy Class vessels to get such a makeover. The Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination underwent a similar overhaul in 2007, and the Carnival Fantasy was upgraded last fall.
As on the other ships getting face lifts, the Sensation's new water park area, dubbed WaterWorks, features a four-deck-high, 300-foot-long spiral water slide--the longest at sea. It also has an 82-foot-long, dual-lane racing slide.

The first of Celebrity's new class of ships is drawing rave reviews

Celebrity Solstice has been one of the most eagerly awaited vessels at sea as Celebrity Cruises' first new ship since 2003. Solstice is the first of five similar ships in a new class of the same name, with Equinox due in August 2009, Eclipse due in June 2010, and two other vessels set to debut in 2011 and 2012.

the fairest princess of all?

THE NEW RUBY PRINCESS COMBINES THE LINE'S MOST POPULAR FEATURES

 Ruby Princess, the 17th ship in the Princess fleet, is the younger, identical sister to the recently introduced and extremely well-received Crown Princess and Emerald Princess. 

Royal Caribbean gives West Coast its largest cruise ship ever

Cruise fans on the West Coast finally have something that East Coasters have had for years: A mega-ship to call their own.
Royal Caribbean"s 142,00-ton Mariner of the Seas--one of the line's much-ballyhooed, super-sized Voyager class vessels--debuted Thursday in Los Angeles.
By far the largest cruise ship ever to offer regular sailings out of a West Coast port, the 3,114-passenger Mariner of the Seas will sail seven-night cruises to the Mexican Riviera through at least 2010. It's more than 50% larger than the largest vessels currently based on the West Coast.
This is the first time Royal Caribbean has deployed on of the next-generation Voyager class ships west of Texas, and it brings such Voyager class innvocations as an ice skating rink and an interior Royal Promenade to the West Coast drive-in market for the first time.
Royal Caribbean also has announced plans to move another ship, the 90,000-ton Radiance of the Seas, to the West Coast this fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 6, 2010

Pack Wisely

PACKING TIPS

  • All the airlines have cut back on weight allowances if you check more than 50 pounds in a bag, you'll have to pay a fee, so pack light!
  • Pack chronologically. If you know you're going to be golfing on your last day, pack it at the bottom. 
  • Put at least one outfit or more of yours in your companion's bag, and that way, if the airline loses your bag (or your companion's), you each at least have some clothes to wear. 
  • Share the luggage load in general. When you travel with a group, decide ahead of time who's going to bring what. If you're sharing a suite or have adjoining rooms, you don't need multiple hair dryers and umpteen bottles of shampoo.
  • Dry-cleaning bags stop clothes from wrinkling. Slide each garment into its own bag (leave the hangers at home) and place them flat on your bed, one on top of another. Then carefully fold the entire stack to fit it in your suitcase. Once you get to your hotel or cruise ship, hang everything up as soon as you reasonably can. If clothes do wrinkle, hang them in the bathroom while taking a shower.
  • Put shoes inside those plastic bags that the newspapers are delivered in. They are sturdy, just the right shape (long and thin), and at the end of the trip you can just throw the bags away.
  • Place heavy items at the end of the suitcase that will be at the bottom when the suitcase is standing on end. This wa the weight will hold the bage upright and it won't tip over.
  • Ziploc bags are great! You can use them for everything. To hold toiletries prone to ooze, to hold cell phones and wallets when you're on water rides at amusements parks, to hold unbrellas when they're wet and you don't want to carry them.
  • Pack items inside of other items. Socks inside of a pair of shoes, a camera in a pair of shoes, etc.
  • Consider shipping stuff ahead, especially baby supplies. You can order them from a company called Babiestravellite.com and they'll be delivered to your hotel.
  • Universal Adapter: When traveling internationally, bring an adapter and converter for your small appliances.
  • Day Bag: Bring a day bag to hold your umbrella, camera, guidebook, souvenirs, and other incidentals.
  • Carry on Essentials: Pack prescriptions drugs (in original containers), toiletries, your passport, important documents, jewelry, cameras, and your laptop in carry-on. Pack a swimsuit in your carry on. If you're going on a cruise, you will be able to hit the pool when everybody else is waiting for their baggage to be delivered to their staterooms. If your luggage is lost, you will at least be able to swim or sun bathe.
  • Single Dollars: American currency is widely regarded and accepted throughout the world. Having ten or twenty single dollar bills with you will be invaluable if you arrive at a destination without local currency, banks are closed and there isn't an ATM in sight. They also make great tips for services and can be used to bring the price down when bargaining in market.
  • Safety Pins: Pack safety pins in your checked luggage to use in an emergency if a button falls off in a strategic location. They also come in handy if you keep valuables in your pocket – pin your pocket closed from the inside of your pants/shirt and would be picket – pocketers will not stand a chance.
  • Photocopies of Documentation: Make photocopies of your important documents including your credit cards. Keep the copies in a separate place than the originals. In the unfortunate event of theft, you will have a back up of all your documents for temporary proof of identification.

June 6, 2010

Are You Shocked?

Question: Are you shocked by what you see in the dining rooms and buffet lines of cruise ships?

Oh, my goodness, I, and my husband, are frequently shocked to see the quantities of food that people pile on their plates

and feel obligated to try to eat. The mentality behind it may be that they paid for it, so go for it.  

  

Question: What is the biggest mistake you see people making, health-wise, on ships?

Overeating is the No.1 mistake. For example, who goes to a restaurant (on land) and eats two or maybe three desserts: I've

witnessed this over-the-top behavior manu times. What do these people think is going to happen to their bodies after consuming

30 to 40 servings of pie or cake during a single week?   

 

Question: What are your top tips for a healthy cruise experience?

First, revel in the trip itself, marvel at the natural world that's all around your sea-going vessel, and wring out of your vacation as much

for fun and relaxation as you can. Of course, most will want to try new culinary delights, but you are under no obligation to all of them

or finish  all that you try.

 

Question: What else?

Remember to chew your food extraoridinarily well; that, alone, goes a long way to help curb over-eating. Vow to use the stairs as much

as poosible; by doing so, all your organs especially your heart, brain and disgestive system - will thank you for being a seafaring mountain

goat.  Hit the gym. Walk briskly. Run around the ship's perimeter or do laps in its pool. At ports, walk about and take a hike where possible.

on or off the ship, banish sunburns; an unprotected day in strong sun can ruin your entire vacation.

 

Question: What would you like to see cruise lines do differently?

I would like to see cruise line offer fresh vegetables and whole grains to everyone. I am amazed at how little thought goes into providing fresh

ingredients. Healty foods and fun do not have to be exclusive of one another aboard these ships.

JUST AN OPINION!!

 

June 6, 2010

Security Concerns

When travelling to foreign countries it’s important to understand the conversion rates and security concerns when it comes to your money. Here are a few useful tips that will keep you safe and protected when you travel to exotic places.

  • Exchange your currency in advance at a major bank.  Ask what the transaction fee is for exchanging.
  • Best rate of exchange abroad is with your credit card.
  • Wear a security pouch under your clothing to safeguard your money, travelers check, passport and other valuables.
  • Double-check your itinerary and make sure your airline tickets, vouchers (hotel, car rental, sightseeing, etc.), and other documents are in order.  Have your hotel voucher(s) readily available to present at the hotel registration desk upon arrival.
  • Leave a copy of your flight times, your itinerary, the name and phone number of the hotel and a copy of your passport or birth certificate, and photo ID with a friend or family member.
  • It is always a good idea to leave your credit card numbers with a family member in case they are lost or stolen.
  • Tip! Before you go, stop mail and newspaper delivery, or arrange for a neighbor or friends to pick it up for you.  Pick up your dry cleaning, pay upcoming bills, and arrange for the care of your pets. Inform your credit card company that you will be out of the county.  Unverifiable out-of-county charges could cause your credit card company to put a hold on your card.