Time2Cruise

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

And The Airline Fees Continue
2008-05-22 04:53:00
American Airline s is the first of the major airlines to tack on a fee for the first checked bag, but they wont be the last. It wont be long before other airlines follow suit. No one wants to be first but following the leader is a game they are all good at for sure. Jokes have been running rampant about what will be the next thing to cost extra. Some of the funnier ones to date have been a pay toilet paper dispenser and pay to use the overhead space for carry on luggage. Even if the airlines have not been thinking about it, reading may just give them some ideas. Realistically it looks like the beverage service will no longer be complimentary in the near future. We have been paying for alcoholic drinks for a while now, but soft drinks, water, and coffee may be requiring us to have correct change soon. Will this drive people away from flying? I doubt it. Given the alternatives, people will learn to either pay for their new found luxuries or to do without in many cases. Doing...
More About: Fees

Carnival Cruise Line Follows Others in Raising Fuel Charges
2008-05-11 20:59:00
Norwegian and Royal Caribbean increased the rates on their fuel surcharges late last month. Now the Carnival collection of cruise lines have followed suite by upping the daily fee by $3 per person for the first 2 passengers. At $8 a person per day a 7 day cruise for 2 is now going to cost an extra $112. While its understandable that the cost of fuel is hurting the cruise lines, its hard to swallow the added cost for the average cruiser who is also feeling the pinch everywhere else. As with the Airline industry, there is an area where everything is going to work itself out, but its going to take time.
More About: Fuel , Line , Cruise , Carnival Cruise Line

Airline Flight Prices Returning to Pre Deregulation Numbers
2008-05-11 04:33:00
For those that remember flying back before the U.S. Government deregulated the airline industry, you may remember that there seemed to be less people flying and that for the most part it was a business thing more than a vacation mode of transportation. You may also remember that the average cross country ticket was way higher than what has been costing to travel in recent years. Now, after years of low airfare, the costs are going up. With inflation (lets not talk about the U.S. dollar being where it is right now) it is still cheaper to fly now than it was 20 plus years ago. Just like the cruising industry, where prices dropped or maintained the same level for the last two to three decades, it has become more affordable for the average Joe to fly. The question remains as to how high prices will go before planes start to fly without passengers. Supply and demand is a fragile system that works both ways and we the consumer are going to see a lot more tweaking of how airlines ope...
More About: Numbers , Flight , Airline , Prices

As Prices Rise, Thoughts of Vacations Dwindle.
2008-05-08 02:14:00
Its not a difficult observation to make. With gas rising at what feels like an exponential rate lately, the idea of a family vacation just does not seem to be as important right now. Some experts expect the cost of a barrel of oil to hit $200 by the end of the year. That cost not only has an affect on travel but puts the hurt on just about every aspect of family life. The groceries on the table are getting more expensive right along with it. Its unfortunate. However, this does not mean that you should give up the time to spend with the family. Maybe that cross country trip planned for over 2 weeks becomes an extended weekend staying closer to home and visiting attractions in your own back yard so to speak. There are many local attractions near any big city that are inexpensive and even free in some cases. We all need a chance to recharge our batteries and that's what a vacation is supposed to be for. Over the years tho vacationing has become an event that can be draining ...
More About: Thoughts , Vacations , Rise , Prices

Cruise Fuel Charges Going Up?
2008-04-26 20:26:00
For one cruise line, they have. Norwegian has raised their fuel surcharges from $7 to $9 per person per day and tacked on a $1 per person per day for additional guests in the cabin after the first and second passenger. The question now, is whether or not the other cruise lines will follow suit. Its difficult to tell. Unlike the airline industry, cruise lines are not known for playing follow the leader, but rather try to be as different as possible. That mind set was broken with the onset of the fuel charge last fall. When you take a step back, and look at things over the last eight months it is kind of funny how the cruise lines have taken on a business strategy that the airlines are known for, and now the airlines are working with what could be considered a cruise line strategy with the a la carte method of pricing. When the cruise lines introduced the fuel charges originally last October/November, it did not go over well, and even ended up causing a lawsuit and many passeng...
More About: Fuel , Cruise

Weekend Getaway Costing an Arm and Leg This Summer
2008-04-22 05:21:00
The price of gas goes up every summer so why should this summer be any different? It wont, and with the cost already at an astronomical amount, it is just going to mean a bigger hit than normal for the summer drive vacation. The cost of a barrel of oil just recently topped $117 and many experts do not see an end in site. $150 is not unforeseeable. This could mean many families may just stay closer to home, or even stay home this summer. If this happens, look for some popular destinations to offer some pretty good deals to entice you to gas and go. Some Vegas hotels are toying with the idea of offering gas and food vouchers. Living in Phoenix, we are within driving distance of Vegas and Los Angeles. I have seen more 2 for 1 coupons popping up around town for some California destinations such as Magic Mountain and Disney World. So if you are feeling the hurt of the gas prices but are still hoping to take a family vacation some time this summer, look around and see whats being...
More About: Summer , Weekend , Getaway

More A La Carte Pricing From U.S. Airways
2008-04-17 03:37:00
We are all familiar with the $25 charges popping up for second checked bags, and it has a while since we last seen a free meal included when on a flight, now U.S. Airways is going to start charging for window and isle seats. They are calling the plan "choice seating" and it is to go into affect starting in May. At this rate, it is going to cost to put bags in the over head compartment soon. I can see it now, the bins will take bills and credit cards. Want some peanuts? Might have to take out a loan to get a tiny bag. This is tough times for the airline industry, but its also a tough time for the consumer. At the rate things are going, vacations could become something that we read about in magazines rather than actually take. hopefully we wont see it get to that.

Maritime Law Problem Still Big Issue In Hawaii
2008-04-14 01:23:00
Niel Dietz, Secretary-Treasurer of the Hawaii Ports Maritime Council of the AFL-CIO, wrote a detailed article about how U.S. flagged ships are getting hurt by foreign flag ships when it comes to cruises to Hawaii. While he makes a valid argument on it hurting the U.S. flagged ships, I find it hard to believe that enforcement of the rule as planned is going to help. Reason being is that there are not a lot of U.S. flagged cruise ships to begin with. As he stated, being under U.S. flag also means following U.S. regulations in regard to hiring, wage, and tax practices. That is why the ships have trouble with competing in the Hawaiian market because their costs are so high to begin with. Removing the competition does not mean that people are just going to jump ship so to speak and move over to the U.S. flagged ships that will be raising their prices with the lack of competition. Cruising can be an inexpensive vacation, and this is why so many people try it and return many times ov...
More About: Problem , Issue

Airline Woes Driving People to Find Other Transportation
2008-04-13 06:16:00
It is safe to say that a lot of people are afraid to fly. Its not a new phobia by any means. But, the reason behind many of new adopters of the I rather stay on the ground crew is all the news about lack of maintenance and enforcement of maintaining the integrity of the planes by the FAA. With American Airline s grounding over 3000 flights in the last four days, it is easy to see why people rather drive even with the price of gas right now. My own sister in law and mother are going to make a trip to Phoenix AZ from Buffalo NY next month. After watching four airlines file bankruptcy and others ground flights over maintenance issues, they are now going to drive. What was going to be a week long vacation in Phoenix is being cut short by travel time now because of a new found fear of flying. Its really a fear of paying to fly and not doing so. American Airlines is spending countless man hours and who knows how much money in putting passengers in hotels and paying for meals and ot...
More About: People , Driving , Transportation , Find

Airline Industry In Trouble, What Does In Mean For Us?
2008-04-11 04:27:00
In the past few weeks alone, you cant open a newspaper or watch the evening news without seeing some new development in the airline industry. A few of the smaller operations have filed bankruptcy and shut their doors and many of the larger airlines are dealing with problems of their own with FAA inspections causing them to cancel flights. Of course there is the price of oil rising faster than the morning sun every day that is putting a hurt on every ones wallet in one way or another as well. So, what does this mean for Joe Passenger? I have talked previously about how many airlines are going to the "a la carte" menu of flying. This is something that a couple of the smaller (and now bankrupt) airlines were already doing. Look for more a la carte pay as you go options to pop up and the prices to increase as we become accustom to them. It is not to far off where not just a second checked bag will cost, but possible that in the future each checked bag will have a fee attached to ...
More About: Industry , Airline

Economy Doesn't Seem To Be Hurting Vegas
2008-04-11 04:12:00
We were in Las Vegas over the weekend and despite all the problems with the economy the place was packed. It was difficult to get on many table games at some of the casinos and walking down the strip was shoulder to shoulder. We did not do much gambling ourselves as this was a sight seeing tour for the group. We had someone with us that had not been to Vegas in over 15 years. In Vegas that's many lifetimes over. We were even shocked at the number of casino's on the strip that had changed names since last summer alone. The shops in the different casino's have to be one of our favorite places to go, if just to window shop. It seems like everything at many of the shops are priced as if you just hit the jackpot and are ready to spend it right back. McCarran Airport was packed as always when we left on Sunday but has to be one of the better airports for getting people through security. In all it was a good trip and we look forward to the next one hopefully soon.
More About: Economy

Don't Risk Your Big Vacation
2008-04-04 05:23:00
ATA and Aloha airlines have both shut their doors in the past week. This has left many passengers stranded or stuck at home wondering what to do about their vacation. A few will be happy that they decided to get travel insurance. Travel insurance is a smart move when you add up the cost of a vacation and the added benefits for just a small fraction of the total cost of the vacation. I have talked about travel insurance a few times before and recommend it especially when traveling over seas or out of the country in general. But you have to be careful! Not all insurance policies are the same. In some cases, there may be people that bought insurance for their vacations on ATA and Aloha that will find out that the plan they got does not cover the airline going out of business. just like any type of insurance, you have to read the fine print and not just pick one based on the price. Different plans from the same company can vary greatly over just a few dollars of cost. With the...
More About: Vacation , Risk

Cruise Ships In Cuba's Future?
2008-04-01 04:46:00
With the changes that have been happening in Cuba the question of cruise ships visiting the island country could become a matter not of if but when. A new port, especially one that has been under an American embargo for over fifty years would bring a lot of interest from the cruise going population. St. Kitts, a nearby Caribbean Island, is worried that an open Cuba could have a major impact on its tourism. I don't see the embargo lifting as fast as others but it looks like it is only a matter of time.
More About: Future , Ships , Cruise

Zip-line Accident Claims Life of Cruise Passenger
2008-03-30 04:42:00
Many of the cruise lines have zip-line tours offered at some of the ports of call. An unfortunate accident on one in Roatan lead to the death of a passenger when the line failed. You can read more about what happened at Cruise Critic. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the family. The incident is going to lead to questions on the safety of not just this one location but all zip-line tours. Don't be surprised if zip-line tours end up removed from the excursion lists in the future. Having a fear of heights, you would not catch me on a zip-line to begin with, but until they have all the information on what happened, we don't need to jump to conclusions. These are some of the most popular tours that are offered in the ports of call that have them.
More About: Life , Accident , Claims , Line

Do We Need a Passenger Bill Of Rights?
2008-03-26 01:05:00
Think about this for a minute. Do we really need a document to state what should be common sense? Is traveling on an airplane equivalent to being in a foreign country? The whole passenger bill of rights argument stems from poor judgement on the airlines part in select incidents where passengers had every right to be angry and complain. But the number of times this happens compared to the number of flights that happen makes it such a small percentage that its easier to deal with each case of poor judgement as it happens. Enacting a law could actually be detrimental simply by people interpreting how they see fit. It can easily get out of hand and people try to use it to their advantage to get compensated for things that are out the control of the airlines. Take for example the flight that was stranded last February for 10 hours. Yes the airline was wrong to force the people to sit on the plane the entire time, but the reason for the delay could be used against airlines even i...
More About: Rights , Bill of Rights , Bill

Say Aloha To Aloha?
2008-03-24 00:24:00
Aloha Airlines has filed bankruptcy for the second time in as many years. This may be bad news for the company. In filing, they are asking court permission to continue operations however it will be interesting to see what happens. There is a good chance that this may be the end of the airline. They could be forced to sell off some of their planes or even be sold to another airline. Aloha's claim for its problems is that Mesa Air is participating is "predatory pricing" forcing Aloha to lower prices and not generate enough revenue to operate properly. If, the company cannot compete with other airlines, how can a bankruptcy court see it being any different on the other side of a chapter 11 filing? Either way, we will be saying aloha to the old Aloha and will have to wait and see if we say aloha to a new and improved airline on the other side.
More About: Aloha

Tax Refund Can Make A Nice Vacation Fund
2008-03-23 01:08:00
The economic stimulus checks, along with tax refunds can make for a nice way to fund a vacation. The government wants us to spend that $600 (more or less depending on family size and income) to help out the economy. A vacation is just as good of a way to do so as any. Look for many resorts, hotels, and maybe even cruise lines coming up with promotions starting soon that will be geared towards taking advantage of knowing potential customers will have some cash to burn this summer. They will have to do something because just about everyone will be competing against each other for your money. Everything from consumer electronics to cars are going to have some incentive. You can guess where we plan to spend ours. hopefully it will lead to some good reviews and more tips to add to the blog.
More About: Vacation , Make , Fund , Nice

Even More Increases For Flying
2008-03-20 02:00:00
It seems like every other day there is some added cost for airline travel. Whether its a straight up fare increase or an added charge for something that used to be included there is no question that the current oil problem is having a major impact on the airlines. Look for more ways to be nickeled and dimed when you travel. For anyone that had flown on one of the no frills airlines know, the airlines can come up with some interesting ways to part you with your money. These new plans are being touted as ala carte flying by some in the industry and are going to become the norm in the future. For vacationers, this is going to mean planning to either spend more to fly or learn to do without some of the niceties. Unfortunately when it comes to checked luggage its not so easy to just do without that second bag (at a cost of $25-$50) when going on a week long vacation.
More About: Flying

Does Chosing Your Cabin Mean Its Yours?
2008-03-17 03:14:00
When it comes to taking a cruise there are two schools of thought on cabin location. The first is to chose the cabin based on location on the ship. This could be because of motion (mid ship on a lower deck will feel less rocking) or because it near or away from areas of the ship such as the pool or disco. A few people even pick their cabins based on the cabins themselves. There are a limited number of cabins on a ship that are handicap friendly and they can be hot commodities even with non handicap people. While choosing yourself can be a smart move, it does not always mean that you will get the cabin you want. Cabin s can be reassigned based on need. If you have a cabin that has an access door to the cabin next to you and someone else requires two adjoining cabins it could mean being relocated on the ship. The thing is to not get upset and to work with the agent or cruise line to make sure you get compensated for your troubles. You chose the cabin and booked when you did fo...

Do You Have ALL Your Documents
2008-03-15 02:43:00
Everyone knows that when going on vacation you need to bring the proper paperwork. But sometimes they may not know what is needed. That happened today for a family going on a group cruise. One of the family members has guardianship of her 15 year old brother but did not bring any paperwork showing this. They were denied boarding of the ship without a notarized letter from his mother showing this to be true. Luckily they were able to call her and get a letter faxed back to the cruise terminal and they are all now happily enjoying their cruise. Unfortunately its not always a happy ending. Many times a year people are left standing at the cruise terminal because they did not have all the paperwork they needed. It is only going to become more complicated as passports become required to travel outside the U.S. no mater what form of travel you take. Vacation is supposed to be a time to relax and not worry about things, so make sure all your papers are in order so you can do just ...
More About: Documents

Vacation Deals Require Doing Homework
2008-03-11 04:14:00
The broken record statement that isn't going away is that the economy is bad right now. That shouldn't stop you from taking or at least you chose your own price. Ships and planes don't like to leave empty. It takes playing hardbaresearching a possible vacation. In fact with a little extra effort, you may find that the time may be right to plan that next vacation and get a great deal. Cruise lines, airlines, and hotels are feeling the crunch just as hard as the average person. Because of this, look for many deals to show up in the near future in your email, on TV and in ads on the internet. But don't just take those prices as the bottom line. Use one of the many resources on the net like Priceline.com that lets ll sometimes, but try calling and asking the price. When you get the price, tell them what you were looking to spend and see what happens. As things slow down, the person you talk to may not be authorized to make a deal, but you could end up getting a call back....
More About: Homework , Vacation

Foo Fighers Put on a Show Last Week In Phoenix
2008-03-11 02:48:00
I have been to a lot of concerts in my time, traveled across country for a few, but I have to say that the best concert in my recent memory had to be the Foo Fighters at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale Arizona. Dave Grohl had the place rockin with excellent performance and the best audience interaction that I have ever seen. After the first few songs, he promised a long night and delivered with the concert not ending until right around midnight on a Sunday night with most people having to go to work the next day. But it did not matter because everyone left talking about the best concert they had been to in a long time. There was a catwalk that lead from the stage to the middle of the arena that Dave used numerous times. Then about half way through the set a second stage descending from the ceiling at the end of the catwalk that was maybe 25 feet in diameter if that, complete with drums and keyboards. The Entire band walked down the catwalk and gave the people in what Dave called the ch...
More About: Phoenix , Show , Week

Things Not Looking Good for NCL
2008-03-09 00:48:00
At a time when most cruise lines are expanding and bringing bigger and better ships to feed a growing market, NCL is downsizing. It has been mentioned recently about 2 of the 3 U.S. flagged ships in Norwegians fleet are being transferred to foreign flags, one of which will be transferred to operate in Europe. The United States has been working on interpretation of a 120 year old law that could have helped the U.S. flagged ships while also hurting foreign flagged ships at the same time. And with the problems with the U.S. economy lately, this is just another example. The cruise industry has been doing well lately considering the problems with the economy, but could this change? If we see other cruise lines starting to lay off like NCL has done, it could just be. I predict that things are going to slow down but not as bad as some may think. It will be interesting to see how cruise prices will be effected. Cruise lines are feeling the gas crunch just like everyone else, but if...
More About: Things , Good

Oh the Zumanity... Review
2008-03-07 03:21:00
While in Vegas, we had an opportunity to go to a showing of Zumanity at the New York New York casino. Zumanity is a Cirque du Soleil production that is not meant for younger audiences. In a word, the show was amazing. Part comedy, part dance, and part trapeze, there is plenty for everyone. I would just caution that the show is on the risque side. It's not something that you would want to see with anyone that you may feel uncomfortable sitting with, like a parent or inlaw. There is some toplessness, and the illusion of full nudity. Another thing to note is that at some points in the show there is audience participation. the closer you sit, the better, or worse depending on how you look at it, your chances of becoming part of the show. In all all but one of the audience participants were willing to take part at the show we were at. The whole thing was a blast and I would do the show again next time in Vegas.
More About: Review

NASCAR Weekend In Vegas
2008-03-05 01:24:00
We just got back from our first ever NASCAR Race. What can be better than getting to go to our first race in Las Vegas Nevada. We went with some long time NASCAR fans, tailgated before the races and had pit passes, or Neon Garage passes as they are known at the Las Vegas Speedway. What we realized is that when we go again next year that we wont get the pit passes for all 3 days. It was fun this time, but we spent so much time in that area that we missed many of the other areas that we could have visited around the stands before the races. The track is conveniently located close to the strip and downtown Vegas as well however with the number of people that go to the race, it took close to an hour to get back to our hotel each night. It was a small price to pay in my opinion. Having been to Vegas on numerous occasions, I have to say that this weekend was definitely different. NASCAR fans were everywhere with hats, jackets, and other swag that supported their favorite drivers. ...
More About: Nascar , Weekend

Bundled Perks A Thing Of The Past On Airlines
2008-02-27 05:15:00
U.S. Airlines has joined the party in charging for the second checked bag. Don't think this is a short term thing. Airlines are slowly moving to "unbundle" things that have been taken for granted until now. In the near future I see all airlines becoming low cost airlines. Frequent flyer programs are going to the way to get perks. I would not be surprised if in the future it will cost for every bag you take on board whether its checked or carried on. The future is here.
More About: Past , Thing , Perks

Does Hand Sanitizer Work?
2008-02-23 23:26:00
A common item brought and bought on board a cruise ship is gel hand sanitizer. It brings up the question of how affective it is when on a cruise. The answer is it depends on what you are trying to avoid. Alcohol based sanitizers work great (up to 99% effective) on bacteria. The problem is that the big culprit, norovirus, is a virus. Its not to say that you should not take hand sanitizer with you on vacation. Its great to have every protection you can think of however when it comes to virus protection, the best thing to do is to wash your hands with soap and and hot water often and especially before eating. Another thing to do is to keep your hands away from your face as much as possible. It sounds easy, but keep tract of how often your hands come close to your face in a day and you may be surprised how often you unconsciously do so. We take hand sanitizer with us on vacation because when in port there are times that finding a place to wash ones hands and any protection is b...
More About: Work , Hand

Satelite TV To Get Better On Cruise Ships
2008-02-22 03:47:00
Its has to be good to hear some feel good news with all the bad press that has been playing out lately. It looks like the satellite TV on board cruise ships is getting better, starting with Oceania. For anyone that has been on a cruise, they know how crappy the TV can be on board. Fuzzy pictures, and lack of channels are common. This may sound petty to some, but when you are winding down in your stateroom or watching a sporting event in one of the bars, it can be frustrating. Improved satellite channels will make a great vacation just that much better. Oceania is going to even have On Demand for those that don't want to miss their favorite shows while on vacation. Many people are tied to their TV's and if this gets them out of house and on the ship, then its a smart move by the cruise line and watch for others for follow suit.
More About: Ships , Cruise

A Weekend In Detroit Without a Car
2008-02-18 01:02:00
We spent the last weekend in Downtown Detroit and chose not to rent a car. This worked out really well for us. Cab from the airport to our hotel was $40 each way. A car would have been easily $80 or more for the 3 day weekend from Friday to Sunday. Our hotel was the Mariott at the Renaisance Center which has access to the Detroit People Mover. The DPM is a light rail system that runs a continuous loop that stops at or within walking distance of most of the popular destinations around the downtown area for just 50 cents a ride. If your goal is to just stay in the downtown area, this is the way to go. We were able to go to a hockey game on Friday night and a concert on Saturday night both at Joe Louis Arena with ease. The system runs about 30 feet above ground so it is not impeded by travic and vice versa. Detroit also has 3 casinos, 2 of which are accessable from the DPM. Being February, it was cold, in the 20s all weekend, but with heated platforms, waiting for the trains ...
More About: Weekend

Federal Rule Changes For Cruise Ships Getting More Interesting Yet
2008-02-12 03:50:00
As it stands now, if the rules as interpreted are to go in affect, any foreign flagged cruise ship that sails between 2 different U.S. ports would have to spend at leas 48 hours in a foreign port and at least 50% of its time in a foreign port. The best example would be a Hawaii cruise leaving from San Diego. The 14 day cruise which spend 8 hours at each of up to 7 ports around Hawaii not to mention the time in San Diego would have to add a port such as Ensenada for 48 or more hours to justify the trip. Right now there are only 3 ships that would not have to do this. The Pride of Aloha, Pride of Hawaii and the Pride of America. All three Norwegian ships. Many believe that favoritism is the reason for the new rules. But under the interpretations, all of Norwegians other ships which are foreign flagged would have to follow the rules that the other cruise lines would as well. Adding to the turmoil is that the Pride of Hawaii has been removed from service to Hawaii, and the Pride...
More About: Interesting , Ships , Cruise , Rule