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SouthWest To Donate Unclaimed Baggage
2008-02-10 18:53:00
A recent announcement by Southwest Airlines states that they are going to donate unclaimed baggage to the Salvation Army. I think it’s a great idea, but it brings up an interesting question. Where is the unclaimed baggage coming from? Dumb question if you think about it, but take a step back for a second. Is unclaimed baggage from someone that jumped off the plane and said to them self that they don't need their stuff anymore or is it really lost luggage that after being lost (leave it to you to think about who loses luggage) it then goes unclaimed? I can only guess at the amount of money that airlines spend tracking down people to return lost luggage. I just hope that they still put in the effort before donating it.
More About: Donate , Baggage

Jones Act Starting To Draw More Attention
2008-02-09 05:33:00
I have to say that this may become one of the biggest topics in 2008 in cruising. Suggested changes or interpretation changes in the Jones Act, a 120 plus year old law, would have a major impact on the U.S. economy well beyond cruise passengers just not getting to visit Alaska or Hawaii. I just read that Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles takes in about $119,000 each time a cruise ship is in, bringing in millions of dollars a year. That would all go by the waste side. If you are not familiar with what is going on. There is a proposal that would cause any cruise ship that visits 2 or more U.S. ports to spend a specific amount of time in a foriegn port. That time could be required to be as long as 48 hours. For ships that tend to spend no more than 8 to 1o hours in a port, this would cause major hiccups. Small towns in Alaska, Catalina Island, Hawaii, and some Eastern U.S. cities would be affected with loss of taxes, port fees, hotel revenue etc... With cruising in...
More About: Draw , Attention

FLA Attorney General Looking at Legality of Cruise Fuel Charge
2008-02-06 03:10:00
Looks like a good number of people have complained about the fuel charge that has started officially on most cruise lines cruises this month. Enough to get the Florida Attorney General to look into it. While I do not think that much will be done about the charge itself, it will be interesting to see if anything happens with anyone that booked their cruise prior to the anouncement. Cruise lines gave booked guests a chance to cancel if they booked prior, or pay the fuel charge. I talked about this in November and December when all this was going down. Cruise lines were even sharing a portion of the fuel charge with travel agents that got their booked passengers to pay. If they are sharing the money then it did not go towards fuel. We will have to keep an eye on this one and see what happens.
More About: Fuel , Charge , Attorney General

Yet Another Stick It To Ya By United
2008-02-05 01:32:00
United Airlines has anounced that they are going to start charging $25 for the second checked bag of passengers. Well, they are for passengers that are not part of their frequent flyer club programs that is. Just another stick it to the passenger in what is becoming a trend with airlines and one that I don't see changing any time soon. Its getting so that when you go to search for flights you will have to not only look at the price of the flight but see how much its going to set you back to take your clothes with you.
More About: United , Stick

Will Economy Keep Vacationers Closer To Home
2008-02-03 01:48:00
South America is supposed to be a popular destination this year. But with the way things are going, longer trips may be on hold for some if only for cost reasons. Because of this, trips to South America which add time to cruises may suffer a little. While this may be true for some, the avid cruiser is probably not going to let the economy get in the way of visiting new ports. While only time will tell how well the cruise lines will do, it looks like the economy is not going to slow them down that much. As I mentioned in a previous post the cruise lines have strong bookings so far this year, but many of the bookings were made prior to the recent changes of fuel charges. We don't plan to make any South American tips this year either, but Europe is on our radar, so I have to say from a personal standpoint that the economy has not affected our vacation plans YET.
More About: Economy , Home , Closer

Cruise Bookings Looking Good In 2008
2008-01-31 02:22:00
There has been a lot of talk about the direction of the economy and this blog has been no different. So, when I read in USA Today that cruise bookings are strong so far this year, I thought it was note worthy. The cost of cruising is higher this year with the new fuel charges alone. What this says is the economy can't keep a cruiser down. I know its not going to keep us from planning our next cruise for later this year.
More About: Good , Cruise , 2008

Gratuity On Norwegian No Longer Adjustable?
2008-01-28 05:27:00
According to an article on the Orlando Sentinel web page, Norwegian Cruise Lines have put into their contracts that the gratuity of $10 per day is no longer adjustable at the passengers discretion. While I find this to be a bad move on the cruise lines part in the realm of public relations, I wonder how much it helps or hurts the employees on board. According to the article, the amount can be changed but only after a specific complaint, and giving them a chance to rectify whatever caused you to want to change the amount. This move will not have much of an affect on our personal cruising experience because we have never changed the amount on a cruise, and just tip extra for those who go over and beyond our expectations during the cruise. And really, mandatory gratuity is nothing new anyway. there is already the tip added to all bar tabs on board, and in the restaurant industry most places auto add a gratuity to parties of 8 or more. Gotten caught on that one a couple of times w...
More About: Gratuity

Looking for a Music Themed Cruise?
2008-01-27 03:59:00
Themed cruises are a hot topic with everything from comedians to Nascar having cruises. But the most popular have to be the music themed cruises and every style of music is accounted for. Whats better than just a music theme cruise? A cruise with your favorite musician or band. It is a amazing how many acts actually have done theme cruises. The Bare Naked Ladies had such a blast that they do the same cruise every year. Sammy Hagar does the same with a cruise every October down to Cabo where he owns the famous CaboWabo bar. The problem is most people don't know where to find these cruises. Personally we have been on a couple of cruises only to find out after we boarded that there was a theme cruise going on because many times the themes do not fill the entire ship and share the cruise with other passengers. Well, I stumbled across a website that to check out when looking for a cruise with musicians or just to see if a musical themed cruise may be planed for the same cruise ...
More About: Music , Cruise

Why Cell Service Should Not Be Allowed on Airlines
2008-01-24 02:31:00
For now, its a pointless point in the U.S. on cell phones and Airlines but eventually it will be here but at a cost. That cost? Noise pollution. We all have been on flights where a person on board does not know how to use their "inside voice" when having a conversation with the person next to them and all we can do is shake our heads and hope for a quick flight. Now take that and compound it because many people seem to think that when on a cell phone they have to yell loud enough for the person on the other side of the country to hear them without the phone. Its a problem that is coming but hopefully not for a long while. Some airlines have heard the cries of people like me and have no plans to allow cell service in the foreseeable future because of it. But when there is money involved, the airlines will listen and that's why its inevitable that this will happen for most if not all airlines. The use of the service is not free to the cell phone user. Because of this there a...
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Could New Regulations Force Cruise Lines to Move On?
2008-01-23 02:38:00
With the new and not so new rules that look to have an affect on the cruise industry staring this year in the U.S. it makes me wonder what options the cruise lines have. They will probably deal with it for the short term while trying to fight. But assuming that its a losing battle and Non U.S. flagged ships are forced to spend time in dock, places they don't want to be if traveling between U.S. ports, then they may just change where they go. Right now, we have choices in cruise lines just like choices in airlines. What could happen, especially in the Hawaii and Alaska markets could become a monopoly for Norwegian Cruise Line not just at the expense of the other cruise lines but also the passengers and the ports visited. Its probably way to early yet to know what is going to happen, but it is something to keep an eye on especially if you plan on taking a cruise to Alaska or Hawaii in the future.
More About: Force , Regulations , Move , Lines

I'm Getting Mixed Reviews on Freestyle Dining
2008-01-20 17:32:00
Its been announced recently that Norwegian has won major kudos again for the freestyle dining options on board its ships. On many of the Norwegian ships there are as many as 12 to 14 restaurants to choose from. A recent radio add mentioned that some even have outside seating as well. So I have asked a handful of passengers on a recent Norwegian cruise about their experience with freestyle dining. As far as food quality goes, the responses were no different than I get when talking to people on any cruise. Most thought the food was exceptional while there is always one or two that were not happy. I usually attribute it to personal taste and people that will give a bad review based on one bad meal for the entire week. That aside, the surprising response that I received from many passengers was that they thought the word "freestyle" is not the right word for the dining arrangements. While it is true that there are many restaurants to choose from, they complained that some of the...
More About: Reviews , Freestyle , Dining , Mixed

Planning A Vacation Around Oil Price?
2008-01-16 02:56:00
As absurd as it sounds, we may just have to do that soon. When the price of oil goes up, so does everything else. Latest news is that some airlines are considering changing how they price fares so that the price of fuel is figured separately. If this happens it will be interesting to see just how it will be done. It sounds like it can be compared to how some travel agencies advertise cruise prices where they neglect to show the port charges and tipping amounts. A price that looks to good to be true almost always is. It would be interesting to see what airfare would be minus the fuel cost but all I see is confusion if this happens. Smart companies buy forward on oil, but very few of the airlines do this, and fewer yet do it well. Southwest is the best of all airlines at hedging on oil prices. If they all followed Southwest lead, it would decrease the turmoil that a sudden jump in oil prices causes. The problem is that most airlines, unlike Southwest, are hurting and cant af...
More About: Planning , Vacation , Price

Tell Carnival About your Valentine, Win a Cruise
2008-01-15 03:49:00
Carnival Cruise lines is having a little contest. Write a 1000 character (not word, so that means keep it short) story about your romantic encounter and have a chance to win a 4 day cruise on in the Presidential suite on either the Carnival Imagination or Carnival Inspiration. All entries will be posted on carnival.com/love for readers to vote on between February 8th and 13th. The winner, which will be the one that receives the most votes will be announced on February 14th. From the looks of it, the prize does not include airfare and usually does not include port charges and fees (common with most cruises as prizes). In all our cruises, we have never had the luxury of traveling in the Presidential suite. I may have to enter myself just for that.
More About: Carnival , Valentine

NCL Could End Up With Monopoly on Hawaii
2008-01-13 03:50:00
I mentioned a 120+ year old law that is causing trouble for Alaska on a previous post. Well it looks like that similar law could cause trouble for cruise ships with Hawaii as a destination as well. According to the San Diego Union Tribune, the new law, would be used to force cruise ships that sail under non U.S. flags to spend a minimum of 2 days in a foreign port when taking tourists between 2 different U.S. ports. Right now, ships like the Carnival Spirit spend a few hours in Ensenada Mexico or Vancouver Canada to comply with the current laws when sailing to Hawaii. Norwegian Cruise Line which sails its ships under U.S. flags would not be forced to make changes thus giving them a monopoly on Hawaii. This is just another thing to think about when booking your vacation. It will be interesting to see what comes of this, because the U.S. ports will lose a lot of money is the ships change itineraries. Another type of cruising that this could affect will be repositioning cruises. Which ...
More About: Monopoly

Even More Costs to Think About
2008-01-10 02:37:00
It seems like every week there is a new way to see our money disappear on vacation. The newest one is from Southwest Airline. They are now adding a $25 fee for any bags checked over the first 2. Southwest estimates that the fee will only affect about 2 percent of their passengers but pretty much all of the 2 percent will be people on vacation. The nice thing is for families traveling together that they can share ownership of bags. So little Jimmy who only has one bag can also be the name on moms bag filled with her shoes. It is not uncommon for a couple on a week long cruise vacation to have 7 or more bags with them. What all they have in those bags, I don't know, but I have been in line behind these people both at the airport and the cruise terminal. I guess they wont be flying Southwest if they can help it then. This change is one of many that has been happening with the airline that many believe is a push to make the airline more attractive to business travelers.
More About: Costs

Carnival's Multi Millon Dollar Branding Campaign
2008-01-08 04:11:00
Well its a new year, and time for a new Carnival commercial I guess. A press release just announced a multi-million dollar campaign with three new commercials featuring "Your My Best Friend" by Queen. Commercials are to have started today. Also look for a new print campaign and promotional items to pop up at a travel agent near you according to the press release. With a marketing budget like that, I would hope that none of the new fuel charges are being used to promote the company. It never ceases to amaze how much money companies will put toward their advertising budget. I guess it works otherwise they would not do it right? Its not like any cruise I have been on has been empty by any means. And with new commercials means I will hopefully get last years song out of my head.
More About: Branding , Dollar , Multi , Campaign

No Shocker Increase for Flying Blamed on Fuel Costs
2008-01-05 15:38:00
Just a few days into 2008 the price of oil jumped the magical $100 a barrel number if only for a short time. Some experts predict that the next time that the price goes above $100 that it will probably stay there. So like the fuel surcharges that became the norm across the cruising industry over the last two months, the airlines have started to increase fairs by $10-$20 round trip. There were multiple fair increases in 2007 but none stayed permanent as the price of oil fluctuated. So look for either the same thing this year or worst case, the increases are going to be around for a while and may even grow. Unlike a fuel surcharge, building the cost into the price makes it harder for the average person to tell what is going really going on. This is going to have an impact on many cruisers that have already booked the cruise but have been waiting to get the best price they can on airfare. The increase can add $40-80 to a family of four's total cost of vacation which may not seem...
More About: Fuel , Flying , Costs

Rule Interpretation Could Hurt Alaskan Cruises
2008-01-04 02:21:00
According to the Kodiak Daily Mirror, a 120 year old maritime law by the U.S. Bureau of Customs may be interpreted differently than it has for years. The new interpretation would have a major impact on tourism from cruise ships visiting Alaska. In short the way that they want to read the law would limit the time that a cruise ship can stay in Alaskan ports if foreign owned. Most cruise ships are registered in foreign countries. The ships would have to spend at least half as much time in a foreign port as in U.S. ports. If enforced, the law will affect cruises already booked for 2008 and 2009 and seriously affect revenues for the ports.
More About: Cruises , Hurt , Interpretation , Rule

Ipods Become A Part of Cruising
2008-01-03 13:02:00
When it comes to mp3 players, the Ipod is the king and you probably have an Ipod or an Iphone or are just tired of hearing about it. Well they are now becoming a part of cruising. Of course we all know that we can bring our little portable devices with us on vacation for personal enjoyment but now cruise lines are renting them too. On some Princess ships you can rent an Ipod to enjoy in the adults only area of the ship for around $10 a day. For some this is a small price to pay to not have to lug their own Ipod with them along with all the other luggage that is brought on a cruise. Cunard's Queen Victoria, has Ipods available for use in a self guided tour of the artwork on board which allows passengers interested in the tour to go along at their own pace. And it will come as no surprise that you will see plenty of people, kids and adults alike walking along or sunbathing by the pools this year with the signature white headphones dangling from the ears.
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Queen Victoria Considered Cursed
2008-01-02 01:39:00
This is a story for the superstitious out there. When the Queen Victoria was launched in December Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall did the customary christening of the ship by hitting it with a bottle of champagne. Well the bottle did not break. Less than a month after launch less than 100 of the 2000+ passengers on board came down with the norovirus bug. While many frequent cruisers are familiar with what norovirus is and how it can spread on a ship, this is the first incident on the Queen Victoria that is already being attributed to the curse. The champagne curse goes back quite a ways in ship launching history but now the Queen Victoria will have the added curse of Camilla. All the other Cunard ships were christened by the Queen until now adding to the lore of having a curse. To make matters worse, the Aurora, a ship that was launched in 2000 by Princess Anne who failed to have the bottle break, was in the harbour on the day of the launch. Aurora broke down on its maiden ...

Travel Outlook for 2008
2007-12-29 16:03:00
Look for vacation travel to be up in 2008 . It may be hard to believe, with the down economy, but people are going to be wanting to get away. The housing market being down could leave some people with funds they are not willing to sink into a new house that they are willing to put elsewhere such as a little get away. The cruise lines are ready and waiting. Holland America, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean all have new ships. Airlines are gearing up for a heavy year as well with flights from U.S. to over seas markets looking to be strong. Flights from the U.S. to China alone are expected to double over the next five years according to experts. Boeing, maker of the 787, has over 790 of the new planes on order already with that number expected to increase as well as the new Airbus 380. In all, there will be plenty of vacation options and ways to get there in 2008 and the expectations are high that the demand for it all will be there.
More About: Travel , Outlook

Holiday Flying Blues
2007-12-27 02:42:00
Weather has caused some holiday travel blues for many people over the last few days. United Airlines had to cancel almost ten percent of flights from Monday through earlier today due to bad storms in the Midwest and a shortage of pilots. Mechanical problems among other things caused Skybus, a newcomer to the industry, to cancel flights. Metro Detroit was inundated with fog that caused outbound delays, and Huston and Dallas had problems with rain. Delays were not just for the U.S. either. Fog also held up many flights in London England which affected travelers as far away as India. As the week moves on, travel is supposed to ease up which should hopefully give the airlines time to rebound.
More About: Holiday , Blues , Flying

Cruising for the Pet Lover
2007-12-23 04:44:00
We just got a new puppy this week and it brought up an age old question. How does one cope when on vacation away from their pets. For many (read that as my wife) its can be difficult. Unlike some land vacations, cruising does not allow you to just bring your pets with you. If you plan ahead, there are some pet spa's that will pamper your four legged loved one sometimes better than you may receive while on your vacation. But before putting your dog or cat in just any kennel, you really should do some research. Check the Better Business Bureau web page and even ask for references. The time when you are away can be a traumatizing experience for pets if not handled correctly. Taking care of what may seem like the small things can make your vacation just that much better knowing that you will come home to a pet just as happy to see you as you are to see them.
More About: Lover

Delta Shows Travelers How to Annoy
2007-12-21 03:34:00
I was reading an article about some new short films that Delta Airlines created to show on flights. They show many of the ways passengers act on a plane that are annoying to other passengers. I guess the goal is to show people the error of their ways so they can see how it affects others. The problem is the little films never show how it is wrong. So instead they are more like little training videos for people who never thought to do these things themselves. Harriet Baskas' article over at MSNBC.com goes into detail on the videos and if you are like me will remind you why we hate to fly.

Girls Appendectomy Shows Why Insurance Is Important
2007-12-19 02:16:00
It's not everyday that a helicopter drops a basket on the back of a cruise ship, but for a teenage girl on vacation on the Dawn Princess, it saved her life. She was airlifted to the USS Ronald Regan where she had to have an appendectomy. If you have heard or read about this in the news, its a heart warming story but does not go into any detail about who pays for things like this. While I have no information on this case, its common for the family to get billed for the emergency evacuation along with the surgical bill. This is where trip insurance kicks in. Many people think that getting the extra insurance is only needed if they may have to cancel the trip or cut it short for some reason but many forget to think about medical emergencies and the prices they can carry when in a foreign country or in this case out to sea. The doctor's on board a cruise ship are not equipped to handle major situations, and even for the minor ones, even this has a price. Cruise lines contract w...
More About: Girls , Insurance

Parent Company of Norwegian Growing its Stable
2007-12-16 20:49:00
It looks like Apollo Management is going to buy Regent Seven Seas with the purchase to take place some time in the first quarter of 2008. Apollo is already a 50% owner in Norwegian and has ownership of Oceania. This type of consolidation is not uncommon in the cruise industry. Carnival Corporation owns many of the the big name brands that most are familiar with in cruising, including but not limited to Holland America, Princess, and Cunard Line. Royal Caribbean also owns Celebrity and the new Azmara Cruise Line. The nice thing about the cruise industry is that consolidation like this has not meant changes to the performance or expectations of the individual cruise lines. Within the Carnival collection of cruise lines, each has held its own on the type of product they deliver so well that many people don't even know that they are all owned by the same company. I think this is a good thing unlike in other industries when a buyout happens the bought out company ends up re brand...
More About: Company , Growing , Parent , Pare

Need a Vacation After The Vacation
2007-12-15 06:53:00
Cruising is a great vacation, but when it comes to relaxing, its one thing that we find hard to do especially on a short cruise like the 4 day we just got off of on Monday. Its not like we couldn't relax, its just that there are so many things to do that trying to fit in as much as possible can make down time a difficult commodity. On this last cruise we were up by 7 am every morning because with our normal lives that is sleeping in, but were not in bed until 2 am. Even with that we did not outlast other people on board. Activities go on late into the night with karaoke, disco, casino and other nightlife not to mention the late night buffets. We tend to find more down time on 6 day or longer cruises. That's when taking a book and just relaxing on a balcony or out by the pool can break up the fast paced day on board ship. Because shorter cruises tend to be action packed, we like to recommend for those that can, to take an extra day whether in the port city or at home to just...
More About: Vacation

Football Fans Enjoy Their Cruise Too!
2007-12-12 04:12:00
Just because your miles out to sea does not mean that you can't get some weekend football in. The bars and lounges on board the Carnival Elation were packed this past Saturday and Sunday with fans rooting on their favorite teams. Saturday was a great day to catch some college action on one of the many TVs in the lounges and bars. And on Sunday the two TVs at the bar at the back of Tiffany's, the buffet restaurant, each had a different game on and there was not an open seat nearby. I mention this because one of the many questions I hear all the time is about catching the big game while on a cruise. When it comes to football the answer is yes you can. We happened to be on a cruise this past February on the Carnival Spirit during the Super Bowl and it was a major event on board as I guess it should be. The theater was turned into a giant living room with couches and a 25 foot screen on stage. Even Football snack foods like wings and subs were set out, like one needs even more ...
More About: Fans , Enjoy , Cruise , Football Fans

Great Five Day Weekend On The Carnival Elation
2007-12-11 00:03:00
We just arrived home from our cruise on the Carnival Elation. The 5 day cruise left on Thursday afternoon from San Diego going to Cabo San Lucas and Returned this morning. I will have some individual posts to come in the next few days on specific areas but for now, I just wanted to give a run down of the cruise. We had 7 people in our group taking up 4 cabins on board. To get the best pricing for the cruise past guests and non past guests were paired up for booking. Once on board the ship we had the room keys re coded and everyone ended up in the rooms they belonged in with no problems. There were 4 members of our group that had never cruised before, so everything going smoothly was a nice plus. Weather in San Diego was a bit on the chilly side both on Thursday and today, but Cabo more than made up for it. As per every past cruise, the food was excellent and never disappointed. I hate to cut this post short, but I need a vacation from my vacation and need some sleep before ...
More About: Great , Weekend

Could Cruise Lines Sink the Frills?
2007-12-06 05:13:00
I was just reading about EasyCruise which has been around for just a couple of years. The small cruise line operating in Europe is currently the only no-frill cruise operator that I know of. The cost of the cruise only includes the cabin and port charges. Everything else is extra. The ships stay longer in port so passengers can enjoy dinner on shore. The large cruise lines never thought that this would work, but not only has EasyCruise done well, they plan on adding a ship in 2008 which will triple the capacity of the entire line. As of right now, they are only operating in Europe, but with the recent industry news and cost saving tactics that have been floating around the industry, it can cause one to wonder if this could become the norm? It was not that long ago when the airlines all offered amenities as part of the fare that are now extra. While I don't think EasyCruise will take over the industry, it is only a matter of time before we see either EasyCruise or some other...
More About: Lines